Benefits of a travel agent?

[DisneyDreamer0610]

Planning a trip to Disney....I am getting the same Prices and deals as a travel agent...I booked Already w Disney but was thinking about using a travel agent if there was an added benefit...any insight here? TIA!

 

[aaarcher86]

TAs do the work for you so instead of you sitting on the phone waiting to apply a discount, they do it. They book things for you and really take away the leg work.

I personally enjoy the leg work and I'm too big if a control freak to relinquish my ability to do things. Disney will only discuss things with the TA so for me, that's a negative.

 

[OrangeCountyCommuter]

You will probably get a lot of for TAs but...

I won't use a TA unless it's a job for them and the agency has 24/7 coverage. If they only want to use "email" and don't have an emergency number I would not trust my vacation to them.

If they do "Disney booking" after the kids are at school and before sports practice or in the "evenings" after their real job then... RUN IMHO. I have a couple of friends who call themselves TAs, but it's really "get someone else to finance my vacation" They both have real jobs etc... their "clients" are about the 4th or 5th priority.... Not for me.

 

[minnie mum]

I agree that there are TAs who are great at their jobs, and then there are all the rest. Don't get me wrong- we have a TA who we have used for years, and depend on his insight and help for many of our international vacations and cruises. But the only advantage of a TA for Disney vacations, is to do the phone or computer work for you. They can't do anything that you can't do for yourself if you have a bit of spare time. But you need one who really knows what they are doing. And if there is a problem, you can only talk to your TA. Disney won't talk to you because your TA "owns" your reservation until you check in.

If you have already made your reservations, I can't see any reason to hire a TA.

 

[lilmama]

I have a Disney Authorized TA. She has been a great help to me. She stays on top of everything that I would have had trouble staying on top of when life has happened. I have even miscalculated the weeks my husband was off and had to push our vacation over a week. I contacted her and she had everything switched over with in the hour.
I can do the same things she is doing, but having her do it has taken the stress off of me and I can concentrate on the little things I am adding for the kids.

 

[Jrsy Boy]

I have only used a TA twice in my life, for Disney trips and otherwise. Partly, this is because I like to do the planning and booking and researching. However, in both instances, I needed to get something booked before I had a chance to get fully up to speed.

For our upcoming trip, we hadn't been to WDW since 2007 and we'd never been to USO so I knew I would be a little out of my element. We were fortunate to have met somebody on our recent DCL cruise to Alaska who is a Disney travel agent. She has been so helpful not only because of her vast knowledge but because she knows the tips and tricks. For example, I never would have known to call Disney to see if I had a PIN code that I wasn't aware of. She knew to call and it turned out I had one that saved us around $200. That in itself would have been enough for me to consider it worthwhile, but there has been so much more that she has assisted us with. She not only knows the answers, she also knows the question to ask.

 

[lustergirl]

I am too OCD and like to do everything myself. That involves a lot of planning and keeping up on everything including a drop in airfare prices or a promotion coming out.

 

[CounselorX]

I prefer not to use a TA because I prefer to be in control of my vacation. I feel that even if I trusted the TA, I still would end up double checking everything just to make sure everything they have scheduled is exactly what I want at the exact price that I want. I also prefer to communicate with Disney rather than have my TA communicate with Disney. I wouldn't want to "hope" my TA calls me if something comes up. I'd rather already know.

 

[allboyhouse]

You will probably get a lot of for TAs but... I won't use a TA unless it's a job for them and the agency has 24/7 coverage. If they only want to use "email" and don't have an emergency number I would not trust my vacation to them. If they do "Disney booking" after the kids are at school and before sports practice or in the "evenings" after their real job then... RUN IMHO. I have a couple of friends who call themselves TAs, but it's really "get someone else to finance my vacation" They both have real jobs etc... their "clients" are about the 4th or 5th priority.... Not for me.

This is COMPLETELY unfair! To say that because you have friends who are TA who operate this so all of us who run our own TA business operate this way is crazy! My clients are a high priority for me. They have my cell number and can call me anytime even during their trip if they need something. I do everything but pack for my clients. Just because I work out of my home doesn't make me any less if a professional than someone at say AAA. It varies from agent to agent obviously and your blanket statement is very inaccurate.

 

[OrangeCountyCommuter]

This is COMPLETELY unfair! To say that because you have friends who are TA who operate this so all of us who run our own TA business operate this way is crazy! My clients are a high priority for me. They have my cell number and can call me anytime even during their trip if they need something. I do everything but pack for my clients. Just because I work out of my home doesn't make me any less if a professional than someone at say AAA. It varies from agent to agent obviously and your blanket statement is very inaccurate.

Well I tried a Disney TA once The only way I got anything done was copying her boss on every email

If you have a 24/7 backup I would consider using you, but as I said the customer has to make sure the TA is doing this as a career not a hobby


Since you assumed I meant you personally ."methinks thou dost protest too much"

 

[Lisa71]

We love Tracy at small world vacations and she is on top of everything..she looks or pins and calls for you..she rocks. We also saved 500 and got a nice book of discounts !

 

[dimndgal1]

This is our first trip using a TA and the only reason we decided was due to size - group of 11, 4 rooms, Christmas.

I am so glad I did! I consider myself very knowledgeable in all things Disney but she has been beyond helpful in suggestions, setting things up, and touching base. When she heard the FD was going to be announced she got all the info from me she needed in advance so she could book us under it the second phone lines opened. I got an email at 7:05am the day it was released to public with our new totals (saved 4k!). When I emailed her later to touch base she apologized that she wouldn't get back to me ASAP -- she was still on hold with Disney for all her other clients (totally understood).

Other than that she has managed to find a better ADR time for us (we grabbed one close to what we wanted but she checked back ever so often), and always has great suggestions. I had actually already planned our Sept trip out but rebooked under her (in case Christmas fell through) and she's helped me coordinate park days to swing certain things I hadn't even thought about.

All in all, I'm super happy with my TA and glad we booked with her. I could definitely handle a trip just for my fam at Dis (and have done so many times) but I would be totally lost planning Christmas without her and would proabbly have missed out on the FD -- no way could I sit on the phone for the crazy hold times... I have two kiddos who require attention!

 

[budafam]

FYI just because an agency is "earmarked" does not mean they are trustworthy. I used to be part of an agency that ran things very, very badly. Luckily, I'm out of there and in with a fantastic group now. Being a TA to me is top priority. I drop everything and tend to my clients. If I'm going to be out of town, I have backups taking care of it for me. I never used a TA before becoming one but if I had known all they CAN help with, I would have! You can still handle your own dining reservations and everything else. The only thing is that payments and changes to the actual package must be done through your TA and a good one will be there to help you every step of the way.

 

[Kristina4109]

I always use an authorized Disney vacation planner as my TA. It is so wonderful knowing that I don't have to be hovering over the internet if a special is released - she will be on top of it and will apply it sometimes before I even get a chance to read about it.

She also makes all of my dining reservations. I just send her a list and the approximate time I want to eat, and she takes care of it. She hasn't ever let me down.

 

[111mom111]

My TA is awesome and I could not have planned my trip without her. She was on the phone all day to get my family free dining for our upcoming trip. I was in meetings all day when the offer for general public free dining came out. Would have missed out on it without her!

 

[allboyhouse]

Well I tried a Disney TA once The only way I got anything done was copying her boss on every email If you have a 24/7 backup I would consider using you, but as I said the customer has to make sure the TA is doing this as a career not a hobby Since you assumed I meant you personally ."methinks thou dost protest too much"

We'll you didn't try me! Lol seriously I obviously knew it wasn't me personally but blanket statements to "run away" was a little extreme. I know there are some not good ones but some of us work really hard for our clients.

 

[mousefan73]

Some have access to or can advise on discounts.
And will do the footwork..

Main thing is time savings and information.

Not everyone has the time or ability to sit for HOURS and DAYS and WEEKS and overplan their vacation.
for someone who is not familiar with Florida and Disney and GOOD Disney travel agent can make suggestions, give advice and do the footwork.

Googling, reading tripadvisor, comparing prices, dates, is a major time suck.

I am embarressed to even think of how much time I have wasted ( but in good fun) researching and planning our disney trips.

 

[aw14]

For our trip in July, we have used an agent for the first time. It has made things so much easier, would go back to them again when we book in the future.

 

[sbecker517]

We've been twice and used same both times and would use her again and recommend her in a heartbeat. She always gets back to me ASAP and I have bugged her a LOT! Lol she helped me work out the travel insurance last time to file a claim... She is awesome!!

 

[TigrLvsPooh]

If they do "Disney booking" after the kids are at school and before sports practice or in the "evenings" after their real job then... RUN IMHO.

Just because a woman has children doesn't mean she's incapable of balancing work with being a mom. I'm a TA and I work very hard for my clients. Of course my children are my #1 priority, but that doesn't mean I still can't give 110% to my job. I'm sure there are TAs who aren't great, but you'll find that with any profession. Rather you're shopping for a doctor, a plumber, or a travel agent, you have to do your research to make informed decisions.