Caroline Knowles
President & COO
Caroline is the founder of Magical DIStractions, LLC. She is a travel writer for TravelingMom.com where she is known as the Gulf Coast TravelingMom. She is the owner of Magical DIStractions Vacations, a travel agency specializing in sending clients anywhere their heart’s desire. She is an AMResorts Master Agent, Certified Sandals Specialist, Hawaii Destinations Specialist, and an Orlando Certified Travel Expert, among others. She and her husband Brian live in Fairhope, Alabama with their two children ages 17 and 10.
Renee Virata
Operations Director
Renee Virata is a Navy wife, mother of 3 and a self proclaimed adventurer. She currently calls San Diego home, but as a military family “home” changes frequently which feeds her need for adventure. When Renee isn't traveling you can find her pretending to run her way to a half marathon medal or cooking up her next traveling exploit. She is a travel writer for TravelingMom.com where she is known as the Quick Weekender TravelingMom.
Lisa McBride
Editor-In-Chief
Lisa McBride is a 50 year old wife and mother of two. Her first family trip to Walt Disney World was in 1998. Little did she know she'd be hooked and would return year after year. Lisa and her family now have 20+ trips under their belts, have spent nearly 200 nights at Walt Disney World and cruised on the Disney Dream. They have also ventured offsite and gone to SeaWorld and Universal Studios. Lisa is a travel agent with My Path Unwinding Travel - Lisal .
Rachel Horsley
Author / Graphic Designer
Rachel is mom to an energetic little Disney fan and wife to a very supportive convert. She’s a full-time media professional who, in her spare time, is often found reading, writing, or dreaming about Disney Parks. Rachel has contributed for The Adult Side of Disney, & Magical Memories with the Mouse, been published in Parents and Kids Magazine of Rochester, and is excited to to be a part of the Magical DIStractions team.
Dawn Puerto
Author
Dawn lives in Newcastle Upon Tyne, England and is fluent in both Spanish and English. She was born in Salisbury, England but grew up between Chicago, IL, Guatemala and England. Her father was in the army so they moved around a lot. Her first visit to Walt Disney World was when she was 7 years old and she can remember it like it was yesterday. She has had a love for all things Disney ever since.
Kelly Short
Author
Kelly has been blessed to grow up local to the Disneyland Resort. She loves RunDisney and sharing the magic with her 2 year old son. When not playing at the parks or working, Kelly enjoys her side business: The Short Shop and writing her blog Navigating Life’s Joyful Challenges.
Patrick Murtagh
Photographer / IT
Patrick Murtagh lives just outside New Orleans, LA. Patrick works full time as a Network Administrator. He is also a photographer that loves to take pictures of anything and everything. His work can be found at Murtagh Photography. Disney has recently became a favorite place in the last 5 years, and now that he's an annual passholder, he will be making a lot of weekend trips!
Amanda Derrick
Author
Amanda is a pixie-sized mechanical engineer, business strategist, wife, and mom. She and her husband are parents to an aspiring Space Ranger and a shoe-obsessed Princess. Seeing theme and science work in concert to create Disney attractions is what inspired Amanda to become an engineer and she loves experiencing the unique combination of design and technology in theme parks. She always tries to remember that failing is awesome; you can follow along with her failures, triumphs, and happy thoughts at @AmandaMovingForward on Instagram.
Karen Luster
Author
Karen Luster is a librarian by day but her real passion is Disney Parks. When she's not working, caring for her son, hitting the gym or taking in a movie with her husband, she's dreaming about her next trip. Karen also provides Disney-related travel programming for libraries and has shared her knowledge and enthusiasm with over 30 Chicago-area libraries since 2010.