Insider Tours

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Meet the Mardi Gras Insider Team

Our team of local Mardi Gras experts is here to make your New Orleans adventure unforgettable. From Insider tips and exclusive experiences to on-the-ground support throughout your trip, we’re dedicated to helping you celebrate Mardi Gras the right way.

Lindsay Wells

Account Manager, Lead Guide

Lindsay has been in the travel and hospitality industry for nearly 20 years, and brought Festival Insider Tours into existence as a hope and a dream in 2013! Mardi Gras 2014 was the first event that Insider Tours hosted, and a total of 10 guests booked that inaugural tour. Over the years, Insider Tours has grown, and the team has hosted our Mardi Gras event every year since, with 250+ guests on tour each year! Balloon Fiesta was added as our second tour in 2019, and this event has been a wonderful addition to the Insider Itinerary, a peaceful and scenic “yin” to Mardi Gras’s wild and festive “yang.” Kentucky Derby is our newest offering, with our inaugural tour in 2026! A graduate of UCSB, and track and field record holder and scholarship athlete, Linds is a thoughtful and funny without even trying. Best mama ever to daughter Cher and baby on the way, heart of the team, Lindsay, has a way of making every guest feel special, making her impossible not to love (thank you Maggie!). Fun Fact: true Insiders since Day 1, Lindsay’s parents have never missed a tour! Las Vegas, NV

Steve Gonzalez

Operations, Lead Guide

Once a professional athlete and now a high rise real estate guru, Steve brings his big heart and larger-than-life energy to our team. He is the guy who’s always smiling, cracking jokes, and keeping the party rocking. Steve is literally the muscle of the company standing tall at 6’4—he’s always ready to lift a bag or a box, engage in a spirited conversation with a guest, and hype the guides and the group with his infectious laugh and larger-than-life personality. Steve has been part of Insider Tours since Day 1, his encouragement and excitement helped bring Festival Insider Tours to life! Handsome husband to Lindsay, a proud dad, loyal friend, and world traveler, Steve’s big heart and late-night storytelling make him everyone’s favorite guy! Steve is pictured here at Balloon Fiesta Park with his favorite hot air balloon, a penguin named “Tall Steve” (can you guess why it’s his favorite?!) and that classic huge Stevie smile! Las Vegas, NV

Maggie Visbeek

Account Manager, Lead Guide

Affectionately known as Mama Maggie, she’s the heart behind the scenes and the sweet voice you’ve likely heard over the phone or in your inbox. With over a decade of experience in the tour industry, and present at absolutely every tour and event, she knows how these events run like the back of her hand. Devoted, personable, and always on top of it, Maggie brings a calm, caring energy to everything she does. She’s a total sweetheart with a soft spot for her beloved pug Wyatt (aka her baby), and her warmth makes every guest feel like family. Whether she’s coordinating logistics or sending a thoughtful message, Maggie’s magic is felt in every detail. Pictured here at the 2025 Kentucky Derby with Guide Steve, Maggie is looking super pretty in pink and a fabulous fancy white hat celebrating the “most famous 2 minutes in sports” at Churchill Downs! Fun Fact: Maggie and Lindsay have known each other since Maggie was 5 years old! Maggie has been Lindsay’s little sister’s BFF since Kindergarten, and they are still besties today! When we say this is a small family owned and managed business, we truly mean it! San Diego, CA

Akylah

Operations, Guide

Akylah, or AK, might have become an attorney at a ridiculously young age, but these days she’s more interested in winning guests over with her quick wit, big heart, and the world’s cutest dimples. She’s always buzzing around making sure everything is running smoothly, but is never too busy to stop for a laugh or a good chat. Smart, sweet, and a little silly, AK is the perfect mix of brains and fun—and truly the sweetest soul you’ll ever meet. She cares deeply about everyone around her, and you can always count on her to make sure guests feel welcomed, appreciated, and part of the family. AK, cute as a bug pictured here on the left, is posing with her mom Alana (also a long time family friend and guide for our Mardi Gras Tour) at our Mardi Gras Insider Tours Welcome Party! You can also see another Insider Guide, Clint, behind them with a cheeky smile, this is Lindsay’s Brother in Law – yup, it’s another family connection – Insider Tours is just a huge family affair, and it’s all smiles and fun with this gang! AK is always dressed to impress at Insider events, and brings incredible spirit and energy to every interaction she has with each of our amazing guests! San Diego, CA

Chad

Operations, Guide

Chad is basically the life of the party in human form—he can (and will) talk to anyone, and within five minutes you’ll swear you’re best friends. He definitely has the gift of gab – that’s why we call him “Chaddy” like a chatty Cathy! Excited about literally everything and always cracking us up, he keeps the energy high, and the laughs coming. Underneath all that enthusiasm, though, is a big heart—Chad is a total softie and truly cares about every guest and makes sure everyone feels welcome and has a blast while they’re at it. Chad is in the motorsports business, and is an incredibly gifted drummer, and even plays in a band. We are pretty sure he has groupies but he is humble about it and doesn’t brag, haha. He’s such a fun and special guy that we can’t imagine Insider Tours without him! You will be so excited to meet Chad on your tour, and he will likewise be so excited to meet you too! San Diego, CA

Trey

Operations, Guide

Trey is everyone’s favorite guide, and is always mentioned in reviews and feedback as having gone above and beyond for our guests! He’s the kind of guy who makes every moment level-10 fun. Sassy is certainly an understandment when describing our special guy Trey, he knows how to keep guests laughing while making sure they’re having the best time imaginable. Trey may be the youngest of our guides, but don’t let that fool you—he’s also a legit scientist! A geneticist, as a matter of fact – what a smarty pants! He can talk genes and beakers with you, then switch it up to fashion, vodka talk, and even reality TV! If you’re hanging out with Trey, you can bet it’s going to be a good time! Valencia, CA. He is pictured here with Tim Tom and Steve, when Albuquerque was in the direct path of the annular solar eclipse. Our group watched the eclipse from Balloon Fiesta Park! Valencia, CA

Jenny

Operations, Guide

Jenny is equal parts hilarious and high-energy—her wild, fun-loving spirit always keeps things interesting. She’s also a devoted mom to two daughters and the one making sure everyone else is taken care of. She can strike up a conversation with anyone, makes guests instantly feel at home, and if there’s a hotdog or a pickle around—you better believe she’s happy. Valencia, CA

Tim Tom

Operations, Guide

Tim Tom brings his own unique style and charm everywhere he goes! Sweet and gentle at heart, he hails from the UK—and consider yourself lucky if you can keep up when he starts talking fast with that gorgeous English accent of his! Always ready to help with any task (and usually making it silly in the process), Tim Tom keeps things running on point while keeping everyone smiling. The Guide with too many nicknames to remember: Tommy Hot Sauce, Tommy Two Plates, The Tim Tom Surprise, Quatros Leches, and Tim Tom (his original nickname), this Insider Guide delights all who meet him! Fun Fact: Tim Tom (Thomas) was one of our solo guests at Mardi Gras a few years back. He fit right in with the Insider Guide crew, so we invited him back as an Insider Guide the following year, and he hasn’t missed an event since! He has hosted 3 Mardi Gras and 3 Balloon Fiesta events with us! London, England