Travel agent or plan myself?

[linrob]

We are not regular travelers and are planning a cruise and land package. Is it really necessary to go through a travel agent or can we make our own reservations? Want to keep room prices to a minimum because hopefully we won't be spending a lot of time there.

[daltonsdodisney]

We booked the cruise through Dreams Unlimited after reading these boards. We were able to get the springtime magic discount as well as the rebate they offered, so I couldn't have booked it any cheaper myself, but for the land portion, I used a code from Mousesavers.com and booked it myself by calling Disney Travel Co. We will be able to stay in a moderate for a great price. This way, I could get exactly what I wanted without paying for all the extras I don't need.

[TartanFan]

I think it depends on how confident you are in making your own arrangements and how much planning effort you are willing to put in!

We prefer to "do it ourselves" mainly because, as airline employees, our travel plans can be quite complicated (the joys of stand-by travel!) and subject to change at VERY short notice so we need to have direct contact without having to go through a third party. But I have only heard good things about Dream Unlimited (sponsors of this site) so that would be a good place to start if you want to use a TA.

Whatever you decide, have a great time!