Booking on your own or through an agent?

[emsmommy323]

Okay, so we have been to WDW before. We stayed on property and I did all the booking and planning on my own. I loved being able to play around with ADRs and changing my mind 15 times with no one to answer to. A friend of mine is an agent with Disney travel (or something to that effect) and she really wants to help us and book through her. Are there any advantages to using an agent that I can't get in my own by watching for discounts and stuff?

 

[mrssmith06]

Everyone will have different opinions on this, but....

I prefer to book everything myself.

We used an agent the first time... had a bad experience with her.

 

[Kristian]

We love our Disney agent, but I do like doing the planning myself and she knows it. So, I always figure out and reserve my ADR's on my own and then once I'm absolutely certain that we've got what we want, I let her know what they are. I do think that it is a bit more convenient to be able to make payments, reservations and such on your own and not have to talk about it with anyone else, but for us, it isn't that big of a deal.

I would suggest that you just do whatever you think is best. I am sure that your friend will understand that you like the planning process (many of us do) and you would prefer to do it on your own.

 

[mommy2_3]

when i go to pay for our vacation next month im going through AAA just because if i book through them i can get special little perks. this is from their site

AAA Vacations® Package Benefits

When you book a AAA Vacations® package to the Walt Disney World® Resort, you will enjoy the following AAA Vacations® benefits.

New! Preferred Fireworks Viewing Location (Beginning August 15, 2011) - Enjoy a special viewing location for Wishes™ Nighttime Spectacular, the biggest brightest fireworks extravaganza in Magic Kingdom® Theme Park history.

Advance reservations, reservation voucher and valid Theme Park admission required; one viewing per person; space is limited and subject to availability; fireworks schedules vary by season and certain block-out dates apply. Inclement weather conditions may affect outdoor entertainment. 2012 block-out dates include and are not limited to: 1/1/2012-1/2/2012; 4/1/2012-4/14/2012; 7/1/2012-7/4/2012; 11/18/2012-11/24/2012; 12/16/2012-01/02/2013; all evenings of both Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party and Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party.

Exclusive! Disney's Story Time Experience - When you purchase select AAA Vacations® packages that include a Disney Dining Plan, you may enjoy a special storytelling experience which features a character from a classic Disney animated feature film that takes place at Epcot®. Experience is available on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays at 10:00am, 10:45am, 11:30am and 12:15pm.

Reservations required at least 24 hours in advance (limited seating, so book early) and may be made prior to requested event date by calling 407-939-7946. Available one time for the entire party booked on the package. Voucher and Resort ID required at time of redemption. Must be redeemed during the Package Validity Dates. Reservations are subject to availability. There is limited seating. Not valid for admission to any park. Voucher is non-transferable. Lost or stolen vouchers will not be replaced. Voucher may not be redeemed for cash in whole or in part. Offer and entertainment subject to change without notice. Performance days and times subject to change without notice; block-out dates apply.

Exclusive! AAA Vacations® Diamond Card - A special card offering savings and values of 10% - 20% off at many participating dining, recreation, merchandise, tour, and spa locations throughout the Walt Disney World Resort (one card per package; nontransferable and void if sold).

Exclusive! AAA Diamond Parking - Convenient Preferred Parking spaces at all four Walt Disney World Theme Parks (subject to availability, voucher required, block-out dates apply; nontransferable and void if sold).

AAA Vacations® keepsake luggage tag (one per person).

Hertz® Complimentary Child Seat - Add a Hertz car rental to your AAA Vacations® package and request one child seat at no additional charge (restrictions apply).

and if you book your vacation package in Jan. you also get a disney GC.

 

[MommytoaSweetie]

Ditto the PP... I book through AAA simply because of the perks. I could do it fine on my own, probably faster, but we have a car and love the AAA parking, and my kids adore the AAA storytelling, so it's worth a few more minutes to us. I still do ADRs and all by myself. That said, if a friend was an agent and I didn't need the AAA perks, I'd probably go through her to give her whatever commission she might get.

 

[emsmommy323]

If you book through AAA, will they apply the discounts, such as free dining or room discounts, if Disney offers them?

 

[angelmom27]

I use a TA. The advantage for me is she has the time to sit on the phone and wait to speak to a CM with peace and quiet too. Also she is a friend and single mom so it helps her get paid too. Also I know later if any issues come up I can call her and she can get things straightened out for me. That way I can have a fun and relaxing trip. For our Christmas trip I will be out of town at a family reunion when we hit our 180 day mark. I can just send my TA my list and she will be able to get them taken care of.

 

[mm1971]

Okay, so we have been to WDW before. We stayed on property and I did all the booking and planning on my own. I loved being able to play around with ADRs and changing my mind 15 times with no one to answer to. A friend of mine is an agent with Disney travel (or something to that effect) and she really wants to help us and book through her. Are there any advantages to using an agent that I can't get in my own by watching for discounts and stuff?

If you enjoy doing everything yourself, then go without an agent.

One of the best things about agents is that they are constantly looking at the promotions and deals. They see all the discounts and specials available and can easily rebook to save you money when possible. I find that once I am booked, I tend to not pay as close attention unless I am specifically waiting for an offer like FD.

We don't book too many ADR's and enjoy the planning part so usually do not use an agent. I have a friend that uses an agent all the time and she is a STAR and does a great job. It really is a preference thing and you need to decide how much effort you want to put into the planning and booking.

 

[quietgirl]

If she is a good friend and it doesn't cost you more to book through her and you are willing to give up the control, I would do it because I'm assuming she would gain something from it (money, credit, something) so I would get my vacation and help out a friend. If she isn't a good friend OR you think you don't want to give up some of the control, then I would find a way to politely decline.

 

[Aliceacc]

I always book through a travel agent.

Someone else gets to make a commission off my trip, at no cost to me. I figure it's good karma.

Plus, there's an extra set of eyes looking for discounts.

 

[MommytoaSweetie]

If you book through AAA, will they apply the discounts, such as free dining or room discounts, if Disney offers them?

Yep! You should know the offer codes, though. But you get the same price (with whatever deal) plus the perks.

 

[turnlisa]

Yep! You should know the offer codes, though. But you get the same price (with whatever deal) plus the perks.

Please note that you cannot stack discounts. So if you book through AAA and get a discount, if a new deal comes out you can't stack that deal on top of the AAA discount. At that time you have to decide if you are taking the AAA discount or the new offer.

This also depends on how good your AAA agent is. I always had to call my agent and tell her what code to apply. She would then take my information and apply it to all her customers. Kind of frustrating...

 

[monicab28]

As a Disney lover and Disney travel agent, I am sorry to hear that anyone has a bad experience with their Disney agent. I work very hard for my clients, and what a lot of people don't know is that sometimes Disney doesn't always release the promotions to us before they release to the public! I have had a client email me, asking me about a certain promotion that was released, and Disney hadn't notified us yet! (and on one of the promotions, we weren't notified about it until the next day!!) So, please go easy on your agent if this happens!!! We do the best we can with the information we have.

We used a travel agent/planner for two of our trips to DW and they were so wonderful that it made me want to become one, so I did. I am involved or not as my client wants me to be. I love helping people plan their vacations, and love helping my clients save money.

A Disney TA should never cost you any additional money! Their prices should be exactly the same as if you booked through Disney. There are the occasional places like AAA that can get good rates by purchasing blocks of rooms. Even if you do have AAA, always get a second quote by a Disney TA. In two cases, I was able to get better prices for my clients.

I have spent countless hours on the phone with Disney on behalf of my clients. This is surely one of the best benefits of using a TA. Last week I waited 2 hours on the Disney lines to get something booked for one of my clients.

There is value to using a TA, and I don't say that just because I am one. I am not trying to get business from anyone here. Even if I wasn't a TA, I would always suggest you use one--it doesn't cost you anything, they should be watching for discounts for you, and they will do everything from helping you with an itinerary to booking dining reservations to figuring out what will work best for your family....and they will spend 2 hours of their time waiting to speak to a Disney CA on your behalf.

 

[ktnryansmom]

Here is my only frustration in having booked with a TA....no one at WDW will talk to you directly about ANYTHING.

Your agent must call for you.

I will never do it again. I like hearing the answers to my questions directly

 

[kalc12345]

Here is my only frustration in having booked with a TA....no one at WDW will talk to you directly about ANYTHING.

Your agent must call for you.

I will never do it again. I like hearing the answers to my questions directly

And this is why I would never use a TA. I like to be in control of my reservation.

 

[taylor3297]

As a Disney lover and Disney travel agent, I am sorry to hear that anyone has a bad experience with their Disney agent. I work very hard for my clients, and what a lot of people don't know is that sometimes Disney doesn't always release the promotions to us before they release to the public! I have had a client email me, asking me about a certain promotion that was released, and Disney hadn't notified us yet! (and on one of the promotions, we weren't notified about it until the next day!!) So, please go easy on your agent if this happens!!! We do the best we can with the information we have.

We used a travel agent/planner for two of our trips to DW and they were so wonderful that it made me want to become one, so I did. I am involved or not as my client wants me to be. I love helping people plan their vacations, and love helping my clients save money.

A Disney TA should never cost you any additional money! Their prices should be exactly the same as if you booked through Disney. There are the occasional places like AAA that can get good rates by purchasing blocks of rooms. Even if you do have AAA, always get a second quote by a Disney TA. In two cases, I was able to get better prices for my clients.

I have spent countless hours on the phone with Disney on behalf of my clients. This is surely one of the best benefits of using a TA. Last week I waited 2 hours on the Disney lines to get something booked for one of my clients.

There is value to using a TA, and I don't say that just because I am one. I am not trying to get business from anyone here. Even if I wasn't a TA, I would always suggest you use one--it doesn't cost you anything, they should be watching for discounts for you, and they will do everything from helping you with an itinerary to booking dining reservations to figuring out what will work best for your family....and they will spend 2 hours of their time waiting to speak to a Disney CA on your behalf.

Also you can still make your own ADRs if you use a TA.

 

[GoldieLocks5]

I am a control freak and like to plan everything myself.... I did it all for our last trip and loved every minute of the planning.

This time I used a TA and realized how stupid I was NOT to use one before! I still get to plan everything - she just does the boring part (the actual booking and looking up prices).

I priced it out online myself.... got a AAA quote, and then got a quote from a TA that i know- and she saved me over $1K from the other 2 rates! And, with the most recent new deals that came out, saved me another $120 ---- so yeah- I'll always use a TA from now on. She got us a great deal and we get a lot of fun perks from her, too. All at no cost... it seems too good to be true- but it is - thanks to the magic of Disney

 

[GoldieLocks5]

oh yeah- and I made all my ADR's because our TA was still without power/heat after hurricane Sandy and I refused to make her wake up at 6am to try and do it herself.... since we had power back by then. I'm up at that time anyway - and had fun booking them all online.

 

[Lita]

I was going to book on my own until I came across a Disney Travel Agency that has a special promotion for my travel dates. When the new spring Disney promotion came out, they still had the better deal. I did my own ADRs and BBB reservations. I wanted to be able to control those items in case I needed to make last minute changes without having to track down my TA.

Sent from my iPad using DISBoards

 

[allthingsmickey]

I am a control freak and used to do all of my own, but after finding a better special offer from a TA, I took the chance. I agree, it was the best decision. I still obsessed and changed my ADR's over and over and was able to do that on my own on the Disney website.

By using a TA, I got a better price with her agency promotion, banked some good karma by letting someone make some income on my vacation at no cost to me, and got better service than dealing with a Disney CM. Many of the Disney travel agents know more than the Disney CM's. When I needed to move our dates by one day, it took one email to my disney travel agent and it was done. Next thing I know, I have a confirmation of the change and no time speaking to a Disney CM.

On a previous trip, not using a Disney travel agent, it took me over an hour to add the dining plan to my trip. The CM couldn't figure out how to do it, then messed up the pricing when he added it, had to get a manager and 3 phone calls to get it all straightened out.

I am travel agent convert!