FLEXBenefits Bonus helps make magic

Angela Pappas, Senior Manager Global Talent Development

My family and I used the FLEXBenefits bonus for a magical adventure to Orlando, Fla. 

I’m a remote employee based in Minneapolis/St. Paul (aka the Twin Cities). My fabulous little family is made up of my husband and I and our three daughters. 

In 2020, we were supposed to go to Florida to celebrate my youngest daughter’s 10th birthday. But then, of course, COVID hit.

So, a year later, we finally got to celebrate her birthday, where we spent the first day soaking in the enchantment and imagination of Walt Disney's genius creativity at Magic Kingdom. We rode rides and explored all the attractions.

Over the duration of four days, we walked 80,000 steps across four different theme parks and waited countless hours to get on our favorite rides. After Magic Kingdom, we spent day 2 at Epcot, day 3 at Hollywood Studios and our final day at Universal Studios.

There were plenty of highlights, but these two stood out:

• Epcot’s nighttime light show called Harmonious. It’s a show they host on floating giant screens with choreographed moving fountains, lights, pyrotechnics and lasers in a 360-degree view. We had left Epcot mid-day and almost didn’t go back for the show, but we're so glad we did. We were all mesmerized by the innovation and creativity. 
• King’s Cross Station, Hogwarts and Diagon Alley at Universal were amazing experiences. We felt like we had been teleported to another time. My family loves rides and out of ALL the rides from all four days, the “Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure” ride was their favorite. 

As for my next FLEXBenefits purchase, I have already used my FY22 allowance to buy a massive NordicTrack treadmill. 

FLEXBenefits is just one example to show how Palo Alto Networks genuinely and deeply cares about us all as unique individuals with different needs and wants. The program enables us to contribute to and focus on our wellness and happiness in ways that are most meaningful to us and our families.