Can I switch my reservation from a travel agent to a regular Disney vacation?

[savannie]

I decided to use a travel agent for this trip to see if I preferred them. I definitely do not. Mine takes forever to respond to my emails, never answers the phone, gives me incorrect information, and completely ignores questions. She's very friendly, but our payment was due yesterday and she never paid it! She sent me an email at 4 saying she never got the card info (I sent it twice). I've called and emailed since then with absolutely zero response. Would Disney let me switch to just a regular reservation? I'm ready to be done with this agent.

ETA: Updated in post #25. Situation resolved!

 

[MEK]

That's actually a good question, but I suspect you may have to make a whole new reservation.

I once had the reverse situation when I switched my reservation to a TA from s Disney reservation, but I am pretty sure I am the reservation again and canceled the original.

Too bad you are having a bad experience because there are many good TAs out there.

 

[minnie mum]

Does your TA work for a larger agency, or is she one of these solo operators? If she works as an employee of a larger agency, then I would call the manager and complain about the service that you have received and ask to either have your account transferred to another (more responsive) agent, or to have your reservation transferred into your own name.

Good luck. We had a similar experience quite a few years ago - lesson learned and I make all of my own reservations now for Disney.

 

[savannie]

It's a large-ish company. I called and complained to someone who was quite unapologetic. Finally got an abrupt email from my agent saying she has done everything to pay it and is waiting on Disney to email. I find it unbelievable because my credit card shows no pending charges (they showed up immediately for the deposit) and Disney's emails have always been immediate. Why would it suddenly take hours? But I don't think there's much to do about it now. My dates are booked solid so I couldn't possibly book another reservation with Disney. There's literally no availability left.

 

[mickeynut1]

I'm sorry you are having so much trouble with the TA. I don't have any personal experience as I always book everything myself through Disney, but I think you need to get approval from the TA and she has to release the reservation in order for you to take it over and contact Disney yourself. As of right now, the TA owns the reservation until you check in and Disney will not discuss anything with you. Not sure it would help, but you could try calling Disney and explain the situation and see if there is anything they can do (especially since your final payment is in jeopardy). Good luck and I hope everything works out ok.

 

[vicki_c]

The TA has to agree to release your reservation. And send Disney something confirming that before they will let you take it over.

 

[wdw lifer]

Not to get too far off subject but what are the benefits to using a TA?

The first time I went without my parents was when I was 18 and I used one but have always booked direct since. I've never had a problem and always take advantage of available discounts.

 

[MEK]

Not to get too far off subject but what are the benefits to using a TA?

The first time I went without my parents was when I was 18 and I used one but have always booked direct since. I've never had a problem and always take advantage of available discounts.

Some TA's will automatically rebook your reservation if codes/discounts become available. Some TA's will also make your dining reservations.

Bottom line, someone - be it a TA or Disney - gets the commission for your booking. There are advantages to working with just one person who will make your changes for you. You email them, they change your dates, rebook your package, ect. There is some continuity there.

It's personal preference. I like the TA I use and I want her to get the commission.

But, honestly, the biggest reason I use a AAA agent is because I get rebates from their credit card and I apply those to my trip cost.

 

[savannie]

I, personally, will never use a travel agent again. She STILL has not sent a receipt or email about the final payment. She has not contacted me in any way. I have tried calling her line and the office's direct line and both go straight to voicemail. I called Disney and they agreed with what was posted here--I have to have an email from the travel agency for them to switch it to my name or to tell me absolutely anything about it. They weren't even supposed to tell me if it had been paid or not, but he did let it slip that it was only partially paid (meaning this last payment has not been made; so she did lie about that earlier). I am so frustrated. If anyone is wondering, Destinations in Florida is the name of the agency and I highly recommend you go elsewhere. This is just a nightmare. The Disney rep said that this situation is very unusual and was quite apologetic, but there is absolutely nothing Disney can do. It's not even considered my reservation by them. It's the travel agency's.

 

[francie57]

Sorry you are having such a hard time. I have a AAA TA that I love. She books our trip with the AAA discount and then just keeps watching and checking for any other discounts that come along. Our trip this past Aug. there were no other discounts availabe for our dates so thankfully we were able to at least have the AAA discount. I have used a TA more than not for Disney trips and have never had any problems. You just have to find a good TA and unfortunately there are many out there that aren't extremely Disney knowledgeable.

 

[cwt580]

call..tell them if this cant be resolved quickly, that you will be contacting better business bureau and/or a local "actionline" at a news source or even a lawyer. Usually in my experience it works.


You gotta be tactful but authoritive.... i book everything anymore. my first (and last) attempt at using a TA for another trip didnt go well.

I have heard good things about the "disboard" sponsor.... aka Dreams Unlimited.

I just enjoy the process myself and a bit of a control freak..gives me something to do while listening to the tube...

 

[savannie]

That was the most frustrating part--I did call. All day. No one ever answered. Finally, I sent an email to my original agent around 4:00 (5:00 her time). I politely, but definitively told her that I had contacted my card company and was told that payment had not been made. Then I asked her to please move my reservation from her office to my name because I did not wish to use their services any longer. That seemed to light a fire pretty quickly. Within 30 minutes I had the charge show up on my credit card and missed a call from the agency (I didn't answer because they blocked their number??). Finally, about an hour ago she sent my confirmation email and a rather sarcastic email thanking me for my patience. She is still sticking by her story of paying it earlier today, even though Disney and my card company both said that was not true.

I do not think I was impatient, though. I sent her the payment info (the first time) over 48 hours ago and have had very, very minimal communication from her since. Actually, the entire process has been terrible communication. She's lied, given me inaccurate information (by accident, I think), and overall been VERY slow with her email correspondence. I have never actually gotten her on the phone. I don't think I'm going to bother responding to her last email. I'm still too angry to write something nice. But it's paid and that's all that matters for now. Guess I can't be expecting any pixie dust from her, though. Thanks for listening to my crazy rant. Maybe I should rename this post "Ways that a travel agent can be a bad idea." For the record, I'm sure there are plenty of good ones out there, but I'm not willing to go through this again in the hopes of finding one.

 

[cwt580]

sounds like your getting through it though.......persistance pays off.


your posting here has helped many others on these boards. Being informed about a TA thats not working well with you has already damaged their reputation to some extent.

I quoted a couple times from Dreams Unlimited and response was very quick. I think Julie M. from the podcast was my contact. Id trust them i think.

 

[savannie]

Well, I originally wasn't going to mention the name of the company unless someone asked. But then I decided it really wasn't fair to lump all the travel agents in one group. Plus, I didn't want anyone to think it was Dreams Unlimited. I wish I had used them originally. I bet they do a great job, based on the way they run this website.

 

[davedmaine]

Give Disney a call and explain everything to them. On a side note, I don't really understand why anyone would use a travel agent in the internet age.

I decided to use a travel agent for this trip to see if I preferred them. I definitely do not. Mine takes forever to respond to my emails, never answers the phone, gives me incorrect information, and completely ignores questions. She's very friendly, but our payment was due yesterday and she never paid it! She sent me an email at 4 saying she never got the card info (I sent it twice). I've called and emailed since then with absolutely zero response. Would Disney let me switch to just a regular reservation? I'm ready to be done with this agent.

 

[cwt580]

Give Disney a call and explain everything to them. On a side note, I don't really understand why anyone would use a travel agent in the internet age.

some people cant be bothered to spend the time and research. just that they want to go. Biggest failure of some TA, when it comes to wdw, is that they do not inform customers about making ADR's way in advance...aka 180 days out !!!! I think a good TA does more than just book reservations. Maybe its my calling when closer to retirement. IF I CANT GET THAT BOAT CAPTAIN JOB AT WDW

 

[tianna26]

We used AAA because I checked disney & dreams unlimited AAA had the best prices. I have never done this before should we be getting anything directly from disney like confirmation of booking etc. I received an email from AAA the next day with package info.

 

[francie57]

If you booked directly with AAA you will only get paperwork from AAA. Our paperwork has always been from AAA but is usually an entire list of what the package includes along with the Disney confirmation number. Once you have paid off your trip at the 45 day mark you will receive a booklet from AAA that will include your resort voucher, the extras that are included with the package, your AAA diamond card that will give you discounts at certain places, and the AAA parking pass. You will also have in the booklet a voucher for the AAA reserved spots for wishes which require you to call and make a reservation for. There will also be a page about photopass. You will be able to use the confirmation to make your ADRs, if you are doing that, or your agent may do that for you if you ask them to. I always do my own ADRs so I know that I have everything done.

 

[tianna26]

If you booked directly with AAA you will only get paperwork from AAA. Our paperwork has always been from AAA but is usually an entire list of what the package includes along with the Disney confirmation number. Once you have paid off your trip at the 45 day mark you will receive a booklet from AAA that will include your resort voucher, the extras that are included with the package, your AAA diamond card that will give you discounts at certain places, and the AAA parking pass. You will also have in the booklet a voucher for the AAA reserved spots for wishes which require you to call and make a reservation for. There will also be a page about photopass. You will be able to use the confirmation to make your ADRs, if you are doing that, or your agent may do that for you if you ask them to. I always do my own ADRs so I know that I have everything done.

thx if it wasn't from these boards idk what I would have done I would have been lost.

 

[DisneyWitch]

Give Disney a call and explain everything to them. On a side note, I don't really understand why anyone would use a travel agent in the internet age.

First off, OP: I'm so sorry you had to go through such a crummy experience. That behavior was really uncalled for.

Look, not everyone wants or needs a TA. Some people know SO much about WDW that they don't need a TA - and that's fantastic! I'm not one of those people, and I really appreciate having someone on my vacation team who I know has my best interests at heart.

I've used the same TA for my past two trips. She has been excellent and everything one could want from a TA. She's communicative (never have waited more than 1/2 hour for a return email/call from her), helpful, proactive for me & my family, and always conscious of our budget and needs. She's always applied discounts for us (I've gotten emails stating "hey...I was up this morning at 4am and found this for you - it saved you another $XX"), and processed payments on the phone with us immediately to verify that it was done correctly. She even helps us plan and schedule all the "extras" we want to do. She provides us with perks, printed plans and all kinds of other goodies before we leave. She also ensures that all our documents from WDW are correct and makes any changes that we need beforehand. She takes the hassle out of the planning.

@davedmaine - I'm sure you didn't mean anything negative by your comment quoted above, but let me assure you that there are a lot of valid reasons why people like me use travel agents, even in the internet age.

I work about 50+ hours a week, and due to my career and other obligations, I can't be on the phone at 7am hoping to get that elusive ADR, promotion or hard ticket. If I have to change my plans in any way, my TA takes care of the legwork for me. She finds the best deals for me & my family. I might know digital forensics, but I certainly don't know all the ins & outs of WDW to know where to find the best options. I don't get any of the early warnings/notifications, or updated calendars, or any of the other benefits that certified Disney TA's get. I'm not always able to keep up to date on promotions and discounts. She has been trained by Disney and goes several times a year - she shares her experience and knowledge with her clients, and makes commonsense suggestions and alternatives. My TA ensures that me & my family have the best time possible within our budget and time frame. That's why I - and I'm a computer geek by trade - choose to use a TA.

I will never go to WDW without my TA and her expertise. Not everyone will agree with me - and that's totally ok! How you plan your trips and who you plan them with is a personal choice. Just because some of us like our TAs doesn't mean we're lazy or dumb or poor planners. Believe me, I'm pretty OCD when it comes to planning! Judi just makes sure I don't end up in the nutfarm because of it! LOL

Just my 2 cents!