Booking yourself vs using an agency

[kohler2009]

Are there any cost advantages to using a travel agency vs booking on your own? We have been to Disney many times and have a good handle on the reservation process, dining reservations, etc.

 

[rileyreese]

As far as I know there are no cost advantages, only that you do not have to watch for discounts yourself!

 

[alc571]

I didn't find any other than not incurring long distance charges for the calls. I had to keep sending my agent deals and then she called Disney to get them in place. Next time I'll book direct - as we never received our Mickey Mail from her..ever.

 

[momto3gr8boys]

I just save a ton of money booking through magical vacations travel. I usually book on my own, but couldn't pass up this deal. I can access my reservation on Disney's website as well.

Sent from my iPad using DISBoards

 

[davedmaine]

Are there any cost advantages to using a travel agency vs booking on your own? We have been to Disney many times and have a good handle on the reservation process, dining reservations, etc.

If you know you're way around the Internet, you'll do better than with an agency

 

[allboyhouse]

I think it depends on the agency. I am a Disney TA (don't think I'm allowed to mention company??) and I work really hard for my clients and do everything for them. They don't have to worry about watching for discounts, making ADRs at 6 am, etc. It depends on how much time you have to put in to planning your trip, also.

 

[Ginny Favers]

I've done it both ways and have never saved as much as I have this time, booking through a travel agent. Guess it depends which agent you use.

 

[jadephoenixx]

I can't speak to cost savings since this will be my first Disney trip, but speaking generally about vacations, sometimes it just comes down to personal preference. For me, part of the fun of going on vacation is the research and planning. I also like to have full control of my plans so if anything goes wrong or I want to make changes, I can fix it the way I want instead of relaying information to a "middle man" and hope that they do things to my satisfaction.

Now, if I find a fantastic deal through a travel agent, then I'd book with them but it's been over 10 years since I've used an agent because I've always been happy with the deals I've found on my own. Then again, I'm a big nerd and I have fun searching for hours and days on end to find the best deal.

 

[christmasbn]

One advantage to booking yourself is that you "own" your own reservation. Going through a TA they own your reservation until it is paid off. Everything has to go through them, and you have to manually link your own reservation and might have trouble seeing some of them online. Last time i went through a TA, this time I am doing it myself. Straight up reservations might be good for someone who doesn't have much time and doesn't want to call Disney but they see the same deals you do.

 

[dmbcanada]

I will never use a TA again to book a Disney vacation! In 2005 my DW and I booked a trip to Disney using a travel agent and she insisted that the best deal was to stay offsite at a condo, and rent a car. Well was she ever wrong! Our condo which was supposed to be close to Disney was 30 minutes away and it was a pain to drive to the parks each day.

Fast-Forward to 2012 and we booked our own trip and stayed on site with a dining plan, my wife and agreed that in 2005 we were swayed the wrong way and should have been told about the perks of being on site. Free transportation to and from the aiport and parks, numerous dining options close by and the best part was the resort itself, POFQ!

 

[Jennifer84]

I definitely suggest using a TA! This is my first trip, so I've never planned an entire trip on my own, but my TA is helping me plan my trip (not planning it for me). I told her the when and where, I asked for her advice about which DP to get but ultimately I made my own decision about it. The price from her is less than the Disney website and she does extra things, like send pre-trip goodies for my kids, window decorations for our room, and sends flowers and another goody box to our room once we are there. She has TONS of great testimonials. You just need to find the best TA for you. I'm sure they are all different.

 

[allboyhouse]

I will never use a TA again to book a Disney vacation! In 2005 my DW and I booked a trip to Disney using a travel agent and she insisted that the best deal was to stay offsite at a condo, and rent a car. Well was she ever wrong! Our condo which was supposed to be close to Disney was 30 minutes away and it was a pain to drive to the parks each day.

Fast-Forward to 2012 and we booked our own trip and stayed on site with a dining plan, my wife and agreed that in 2005 we were swayed the wrong way and should have been told about the perks of being on site. Free transportation to and from the aiport and parks, numerous dining options close by and the best part was the resort itself, POFQ!

How awful!!!!! I am an agent and promise I will never do that to anybody!!! Lol. I would be irate!