Southwest's Walt Disney vacation giveaway

Josh Roberts believes the best trips involve long hikes and muddy boots. His life goals haven't changed much since he was a kid: He still wants to be Indiana Jones when he grows up.

Follow him on Twitter (@joshwhowrites) and Instagram (@joshwhowrites), and visit his website (joshrobertsbooks.com) or Goodreads page to learn more about his forthcoming novel.

Josh joined SmarterTravel in 2001, and is an active member in both the Society of American Travel Writers (SATW) and the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI).

In addition to SmarterTravel, he has written for USA Today, The Boston Globe, Yahoo! Travel, The Huffington Post, Airfarewatchdog, TripAdvisor, Jetsetter, ABC News, Oyster, and Business Insider. His travel photography can be seen in Britain and Ireland's Best Wild Places, published by Penguin UK.

The Handy Item I Always Pack: "A lacrosse ball. It's small, lightweight, and works wonders on loosening up tight muscles."

Ultimate Bucket List Experience: "Being the first to discover an ancient lost city. Failing that, visiting as many of the already-discovered ancient ruins as possible."

Travel Motto: "Not all those who wander are lost." -J.R.R. Tolkien

Aisle, Window, or Middle Seat: "Aisle."

See recent posts by Josh Roberts

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“You are now free to move about the Himalayas,” says the contest page on Southwest’s website. It’s a good hook—I’m interested. Please, tell me more.

The grand prize, it turns out, is a trip for eight people to Disney World and its new “Expedition Everest” adventure area. Not quite the trip of a lifetime, but not bad, either. If a Disney vacation interests you, there’s really no reason not to enter the Southwest contest that runs through March 31. One lucky person could win a six-day Florida vacation, including airfare and accommodations for eight people, at a Disney resort. The airfare is, obviously, provided by Southwest. The estimated trip value is over $9,000.

The contest is a promotional tool to push Southwest’s nationwide service to Orlando and, presumably, its vacation wing as well. Vacations are an increasingly big part of airline revenue; as it becomes more and more difficult for carriers to make any money on flights alone, these kinds of value-added packages that typically include airfare, accommodations, and some kind of extra (like theme-park passes) are usually a pretty good deal for both the airline and the consumer.

As for this particular contest, it’s a chance to win a free trip. What’s not to like?

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