Good Neighbor Podcast: Frisco

EP 349: The Hidden Value Of Guidance In A World Of Endless Travel Choices

• Sophia Yvette

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What Makes Diana Summers with Dream Vacations a Good Neighbor?

Ready to stop stress-scrolling and start traveling smarter? We sit down with Diana Summers, travel advisor and owner of Dream Vacations, who turned a 30-year IT career and a stint as a backup flight attendant into a practice built on safety, value, and calm-under-pressure planning. Diana breaks down the biggest myths in travel—especially the idea that advisors cost more—and shows how packages, bulk rates, and exclusive perks can outmatch DIY bookings while adding real protection when plans change.

We dive into the nuts and bolts that most travelers don’t see: cruise readiness for first-timers, what travel insurance actually covers, how to read airline and ship rules without getting burned, and why pairing flights with hotels in a single package can fight soaring prices. Diana also shares how she maps stress-free road trips, designs destination weddings and honeymoons, and supports solo travelers with smart pacing and vetted stays. Her approach blends insider access with practical safeguards, turning a sea of choices into a clear, confident itinerary.

You’ll also hear how she attracts and serves clients through Google reviews, BNI referrals, and visual planning on Facebook—plus simple ways to get in touch if you’re ready to hand off the heavy lifting. If you’ve ever wondered whether a pro could save you money, time, and a few headaches, this conversation makes the case with concrete examples from cruises to custom road journeys.

If this conversation helps you think differently about travel planning, follow the show, share it with a friend who needs a vacation, and leave a quick review so more listeners can discover it.

To learn more about Dream Vacations, go to:
 👉 https://dsummers.dreamvacations.com

Dream Vacations – Diana Summers, Travel Advisor
📞 (214) 718-8442

SPEAKER_00:

Welcome to the Good Neighbor Podcast, the place where local good local good neighbors come together. Here's your host. So we are welcome.

SPEAKER_02:

Welcome to the Good Neighbor Podcast. Are you in need of a travel advisor? Well, one might be closer than you think. Today I have the pleasure of introducing your good neighbor, Diana Summers, with Dream Vacations. Diana, how are you today?

SPEAKER_01:

Do great. Thank you.

SPEAKER_02:

Great. Now it is a pleasure to have you on, and we're excited to learn all about you and your business. Can you start off by telling us a little bit about your company and how you got started?

SPEAKER_01:

Okay, great. Well, um started Dream Vacations uh in 2015. Um, and it was more of a dream to have a type this type of business uh when leaving my IT world uh behind. So after 30 years of that, I decided to become travel advisor and buy a franchise.

SPEAKER_02:

Wow. What a big jump into a new industry. What fueled your passion to do that?

SPEAKER_01:

Well, um, I did work for the airlines, uh, old airlines called Northwest Airlines back in the day. That's now that is now Delta Airlines, that we all know. Uh Delta bought Northwest Airlines. Um so I loved it. I was always intrigued with being able to get on a plane whenever I wanted to and go wherever I wanted to go. And also understanding how important it is to um get there safely and to understand um, you know, how the airlines, how they work and why they're so important and why it's important for passengers to pay attention to you know the things that go on in the airplane. Well, hence I did, I had to be a flight attendant for 24 hours. And when I got off the plane, uh I said, wow, this is pretty interesting being a backup flight attendant. So you you know, you it's a different perspective and travel, but then on the other hand, it's more you want to uh make sure now it's for me making sure when my clients are booking or traveling, I make sure they have travel insurance, I make sure that you know they understand any of the rules in the country that they're going to, the ship that they're getting on, okay, if they're cruising, if you never cruised before, you know, what are some of the things you're gonna need to look out for? Um, so lots lots of tool, how can I say lots of um uh missing pieces when it comes to travel, people don't realize. Um, and then I have my my younger travel groups too that like to go solo traveling. So that um that in a nutshell keeps me um keeps everybody you know in a safe sphere of traveling.

SPEAKER_02:

Well, there's no better way to learn something than experience, right?

SPEAKER_01:

Absolutely, yes.

SPEAKER_02:

Now, what is the most common myth or misconception in the travel industry?

SPEAKER_01:

Well, the first one um using a travel advisor cost more, not true. Actually, we will be able to actually save the money. We're also able to get some of the more exclusive perks, uh, upgrades with Dream Vacations. We have special bulk and group rates that we can put you on a ship or even some of the resorts um where you won't pay as much as you would pay if you went online and did it retail. Um, the next myth um most of you say I can book it online myself. Well, that's true, you can, but you're not going to have the security and the backing of that company because once you book with them, you're done. Something goes wrong, you gotta call an 800 number, open it, and if you had to cancel, they're gonna charge you big bucks. Okay. Um see the next minute. I wrote it down here. Travel advisors, only book cruises. Nope. I do international tours, luxury resorts, theme parks, hotels, air, and Airbnbs, family travel, uh, destination weddings and honeymoon, cruises of all type river, ocean, expedition. Um let's see. Oh, and there's one more four. Um I should travel expensive right now. Yes, the prices are up when you fly, when you say book a hotel and you want to try and fly separate. The best way to do it and work with me is do it in a package because I can save you a lot of money when I do it in a package.

SPEAKER_02:

Now, we know marketing is the heart of every business. Who are your target customers or clients? And in terms of marketing today, how do you attract them?

SPEAKER_01:

Well, my Google page has actually been my biggest fan, uh, where most of my clients come from. I do belong to um, it's called um BNI, which is Business Networking International, where we're we network around the world with different businesses, and we help refer business to our clients, I mean to each other. Uh, the next one is Facebook, and Facebook has um an interesting audience, but it allows my clients to go there and visualize some of the things that they want to do.

SPEAKER_02:

Now, Diana, with all the experience you have, I have to ask, have you ever thought of having your own podcast?

SPEAKER_01:

I have. Many people have said, hey Diana, why don't you get a podcast? And I said, really? I never I never thought of it, but I've been proached about having one because travel is one again, one of those misconceptions that the travel travel can just be done um by just going online. But having somebody that can guide you, let me give you a case in point. You want to just take a road trip, guess what? You can call me and I can design that road trip for you. Tell you about all the hotels along the way, what highway you might not want to go. Plus, I can give you an opportunity to have a map already drawn out on your phone for you. So, um, but yeah, doing a podcast that would be fun because there's a lot of little myths that people don't realize that we can do.

SPEAKER_02:

Now, Diana, what is one thing you would like our listeners to take away today from learning about dream vacations?

SPEAKER_01:

That's a great question. The biggest takeaway is just knowing that I'm here to help you design your dream vacation.

SPEAKER_02:

And what our listeners really want to know is where can they go to learn more about dream vacations?

SPEAKER_01:

Oh yes, they can reach us at www. and it's gonna be a little bit h that's hds real travel, or they can reach us via Facebook page um at um DSummers21. That's our Facebook handle. Um, or you give me a call, 972-200-7901. My office is in Allen, Texas. We're on McDermott.

SPEAKER_02:

Well, Diana, I certainly have quite a few more travel-related questions for you today, but unfortunately, we are about to be out of time.

SPEAKER_01:

Okay, all right. This has been fun.

SPEAKER_02:

Yes, it really has been a pleasure having you on the show today, and we wish you and your business the best moving forward.

SPEAKER_01:

Thank you very much. Appreciate being here.

SPEAKER_00:

Thank you for listening to the Good Neighbor Podcast. To nominate your favorite local businesses to be featured on the show, go to gmpfrisco.com. That's gmpfrisco.com or call 469. 2219345.