Pls Advise: Transferring your Disney reservation to a TA

[biggroofy]

Here is the story. We booked the package directly via Disney.com. Today when I visited CAA, I met my TA (very nice lady, I booked one of my Disney trip via her few years ago). She greeted me and informed me about the Buy 4 get 3 night offer. I told her that I have already booked directly with Disney. She suggested me to write a letter and transfer my reservation to her (CAA), so that I can get all the CAA free offers and gifts (extra voucher, storybook telling, diamond parking pass, etc).

Curious to know - does it matter to Disney if I move my reservation to my TA? What would be good for my TA (will she still get commissions)?

Frankly speaking, I do not really "need" the bonuses from CAA - maybe the diamond parking pass (but maybe not since we will stay at GF). I personally prefer booking via Disney because I enjoy talking to CM directly about my room requests (which I have already done so). Furthermore, it looks like more flexible if I want to upgrade/change my tickets once I am at WDW. In 2006, I booked via CAA - very good service - except when I wanted to add one-day park ticket at the resort - it ended with lots of hassles. The CM claimed that my file was "locked" by CAA and he ended up screwing it up - after a 1-hour wait - we were issued with new room keys (but asked to use our old keys for dining plan credits).

Anyways, if you were me....what would you do>?

 

[fivebyfive]

As long as the CAA agent KNOWS Disney, then do it.

It's Christmas time, the time of GIVING. Give this girl some money by transferring your ressi to her. It cost you NOTHING to do so.

 

[nosy parker]

Well, since you've already taken care of everything I don't see any reason to do so. I booked with a TA and in retrospect I wouldn't do it again. I also hated not having access to my reservation directly. Everything had to be done by the TA and that annoyed me. And to be totally honest I don't feel there were any advantages to it. She did nothing for me that I couldn't have done myself. Actually, the only thing she did was handle converting my reservation to the fall discount when it came out. Could've done it myself. Everything else I handled, including ADRs. Did my own research (DIS is wonderful!) and probably ended up knowing more than she did!

Just my 2 cents!

 

[Emma1]

We may have just had a bad experience, but here goes. We originally booked through Disney, who we were quite happy with, and regretted moving it ever since. We have had problems for months, not getting all the information about things as they came up. We were looking for a cheaper airfare from the U.S. so we contacted a TA for information. The next thing I knew we had switched our reservation over and that is where all the problems began. We could no longer get any information regarding our reservation because the TA now owned it. I also don't think the TA was as informed about Disneyworld as I would have liked, but that is just my opinion. I have had to find out many things on my own. The latest thing is that we leave in a week and have no documents. Iám praying they show up this week.

 

[disneynuts777]

Well, since you've already taken care of everything I don't see any reason to do so. I booked with a TA and in retrospect I wouldn't do it again. I also hated not having access to my reservation directly. Everything had to be done by the TA and that annoyed me. And to be totally honest I don't feel there were any advantages to it. She did nothing for me that I couldn't have done myself. Actually, the only thing she did was handle converting my reservation to the fall discount when it came out. Could've done it myself. Everything else I handled, including ADRs. Did my own research (DIS is wonderful!) and probably ended up knowing more than she did!

Just my 2 cents!

My thoughts exactly. I am also a control freak so not having control of my ressie would probably send me over the deep end.

 

[glenpreece]

We may have just had a bad experience, but here goes. We originally booked through Disney, who we were quite happy with, and regretted moving it ever since. We have had problems for months, not getting all the information about things as they came up. We were looking for a cheaper airfare from the U.S. so we contacted a TA for information. The next thing I knew we had switched our reservation over and that is where all the problems began. We could no longer get any information regarding our reservation because the TA now owned it. I also don't think the TA was as informed about Disneyworld as I would have liked, but that is just my opinion. I have had to find out many things on my own. The latest thing is that we leave in a week and have no documents. Iám praying they show up this week.

That's why you should use an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner. We have to know Disney inside and out.

And your doc's might be late from Disney, I leave in 2 weeks and don't have my own doc's for my trip. Alot of Doc's have been delayed from Disney because the fiscal year end was such a screw up this year.

 

[Emma1]

I couldn't agree with you more! We are waiting for our documents from the TA. They were sent a few weeks ago from Disneyworld to the TA, but we added dining at a later date, after the documents were sent and she thought she would have to send them back to Disneyworld to add the dining. Then found out last week that Disney wouldn't send out new ones, and to go ahead and send the ones they had to us. It has been over a week since the TA sent them. Hopefully we will get them this week.

 

[surfer_ed]

I transferred my DCL Cruise reservations to Dreams Unlimited a few years back. I had booked onboard with Disney and then had to make some changes.

I didn't have to write a letter, they did it all for me plus gave me a shipboard credit so I assume there got some sort of commission or something.

 

[laura001]

I transferred my ressies for a trip and the TA had a form for me to fill out and fax to Disney, it was very easy.

Before you do change it, make sure that the TA really knows her DISNEY STUFF!!!! As long as she does, then I would transfer it in a minute.

I am a TOTAL planner and CONTROL freak when it comes to planning Disney, but switched my reservations over to a GREAT TA (and used her many times after that). Yes, she basically owns the reservations, BUT.....the TA will make any and all changes that you want and as many times as you want. Besides that.....what would you want to change on your basic reservation anyway, it would just be the dates. You can still book and change around your dining and/or anything else you want or have your TA do it, you still have access to all of that!

PLUS, if a better deal comes out....guess who sits on the phone to get it for you....YUP....your TA, not you. NO time of your own is then spent swetting the small stuff and you can share in the excitement of it all with your TA! After the experience of having a GREAT DISNEY TA....it wouldn't matter how much I know (she still knows more than me somehow ) I would book with her in a minute!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[fivebyfive]

Did my own research (DIS is wonderful!)

lol...and the DIS is run/owned by a travel agency. Don't forget, that if it weren't for Disney Specialists, the DIS wouldn't exist.

As long as you have a TA that KNOWS Disney, that's all that matters.

That's why you should use an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner. We have to know Disney inside and out.

Sorry, this isn't true. All Authorized Disney Vacation Planners are American based because due to Canadian laws, Disney isn't able to extend the program North of the border.

On top of that, the only requirements for Disney Authorization is that the agency sells x amount of Disney business per year and that x amount of agents within the agency are College or Knowledge graduates. It has nothing to do with knowing Disney 'inside and out'.

I have used an 'Authorized Disney Vacation Planner' in the past and they did NOT know Disney 'inside and out' as you suggest.

 

[mommylo]

My first trip to WDW was through CAA. It was a Grand Gathering. My first CAA rep was very nice and knowledgeable but she went on mat. leave mid way through and I got someone who IMO was incompetent. I asked her to book my ME but she didn't do it I found out when I called ME to find out why I wasn't getting my ME tags!! Sooo IMO CAA is not really Disney specialist, it depends on who you get.

 

[glenpreece]

I transferred my ressies for a trip and the TA had a form for me to fill out and fax to Disney, it was very easy.

Before you do change it, make sure that the TA really knows her DISNEY STUFF!!!! As long as she does, then I would transfer it in a minute.

I am a TOTAL planner and CONTROL freak when it comes to planning Disney, but switched my reservations over to a GREAT TA (and used her many times after that). Yes, she basically owns the reservations, BUT.....the TA will make any and all changes that you want and as many times as you want. Besides that.....what would you want to change on your basic reservation anyway, it would just be the dates. You can still book and change around your dining and/or anything else you want or have your TA do it, you still have access to all of that!

PLUS, if a better deal comes out....guess who sits on the phone to get it for you....YUP....your TA, not you. NO time of your own is then spent swetting the small stuff and you can share in the excitement of it all with your TA! After the experience of having a GREAT DISNEY TA....it wouldn't matter how much I know (she still knows more than me somehow ) I would book with her in a minute!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thank you!!!!! Some people are really passionate about what they do.

 

[Jackie Psarianos]

I would keep everything with Disney but call Disney and try to get into the buy four days and get three more deal....now that's a great deal. The reason I say this is because you wrote that you really didn't need all the perks, especially the parking pass since you're staying at the Grand Floridian.

I'm fairly certain that agencies get a certain block of rooms....not sure of this but I'll tell you about my 2005 experience.

It was June 2005 and we had already pre-booked a land and sea vacation on the Disney Wonder. We were going all out by staying at the Grand Floridian for the land stay and getting a suite veranda (cat. 3) cabin on the ship. After the cruise we wanted to stay and do the parks for five more days. So I called my travel agent at CAA and she got us a standard courtyard room at the Wilderness Lodge for five days with passes.

Then I find out about the free dining (we fell into the free dining period). So I called the CAA agent back and told her and she knew nothing about that and kept me on hold for twenty minutes so she could do some research eventhough I had given her a package code. She came back and said there were no rooms left for that free dining package, so I left my reservation alone.

My gut said, call Disney. So I did. They had a room available for the free dining package so I went ahead and booked that. Meanwhile I asked Disney why CAA couldn't find a room and I was told then, that outside agencies are allowed a certain block of rooms. I don't know if that has changed since, but that was the case in my situation. Subsequently, I called CAA and told them to cancel my reservation with them. I didn't care because I saved about $1000 towards my dining because we eat at table service/character restaurants every night and that alone adds up let alone adding in the breakfast or lunches and snacks.

That was a FANTASTIC vacation.