PHOTO: Courtesy of Four Seasons Resort Orlando At Walt Disney.

When selling luxury travel, it’s essential to keep an open mind and be willing to learn more about destinations that you may not personally think are your style. I learned this lesson in a major way recently when I visited Orlando for the first time in decades.

I can’t say I was excited about a visit to the land of Mickey Mouse, since I had only been there once as a kid and one other time as an adult, and the memories were not on my short list of favorite experiences. I remember waiting in long lines, staying in a crowded hotel and being pretty happy to leave in general.

That said, times have changed and there is now a beautiful, 443-room Four Seasons Orlando at Walt Disney World just minutes from the theme parks. I also am now aware of a private guide service we can use to eliminate the stress and crowds from the equation. The combination of staying in a brand-new luxury resort — complete with a gorgeous adults-only pool, a great spa, terrific food and an A-list management team hailing from Four Seasons’ properties in Whistler, Scottsdale, Maui and Palm Beach — and the services of an expert private guide completely changed my mind about Disney World.

I came home super-excited to tell some of my highest-end clients how much they are now going to enjoy their next family trip to Orlando. In the past, many of them would tell me this was the annual trip they dreaded most. Now, however, I feel like I have found the best possible solution for these clients, because I can offer them the style of luxury hotel accommodations and service they are accustomed to, along with the personalized attention of a private guide who will make the experience as hassle-free as possible.

It was also an eye-opening experience to see the new Disney World technology that was not existent on my earlier visits. With a great new app that allows visitors to complete a profile, view wait times for attractions (in live time), get information about where to eat and shop, it was really a nice change from having to figure out everything manually. Of course, if you go with the private guide service, they will manage all of this for your clients in advance. But it’s a nice way to get people excited about their upcoming Orlando trip because the app is information- and resource-rich.

Spending a few days at the new Four Seasons Resort Orlando helped me fully grasp the extent of what the facilities offered for both families and those traveling to the area without children. The adults-only pool is about three times the size of the one in Maui; there are multiple restaurants, including casual and fine dining (with a rooftop steakhouse that offers views of fireworks); and 68 suites, many with terraces, park and fireworks views.

The spa is simply stunning and there is a fantastic gym with all kinds of classes from yoga to spin. There are plenty of ways to be entertained when not visiting the theme parks. For example, kids will definitely not want to leave their own “Explorer Island” at the Four Seasons, which features a variety of high-tech games, a lazy river ride, basketball, waterslides and volleyball. The resort runs a twice-hourly shuttle to the parks and it’s also quite easy to get a taxi (about seven minutes) or to arrange private transfers.

Had I not made the visit to Orlando, I would still be cringing every time a client emailed or called asking me to set up a family trip to the destination. Now I find myself proactively selling the total experience, because I’ve learned how it can be done on the luxury level.

This same type of experience has happened to me in other destinations, but not on the same level where it totally turned around my thinking from selling reactively on request to proactively pushing the new property and experience to clients whom I know will totally enjoy it.

This experience once again served as a reminder to me to try to continue to expand my horizons and revisit destinations I may not have enjoyed very much in the past. New hotels are a great way to experience a new location, but you also need to do proper research to find the best possible contacts and resources to make every experience as hassle-free and memorable for your high-end clients.