Do you book yourself or use a travel agent?

[hyland684]

I called Disney yesterday and they told me 2007 packages should be available next week. I was wondering how you guys booked your trips? We were thinking of going through Disney and booking our airfare separtely. I was wondering what everyone else did how you got the best deal?? Thanks for you help!!!!

Amber

 

[pixie dust 112]

I called Disney yesterday and they told me 2007 packages should be available next week. I was wondering how you guys booked your trips? We were thinking of going through Disney and booking our airfare separtely. I was wondering what everyone else did how you got the best deal?? Thanks for you help!!!!

Amber

I always book myself. I subscribe to allearnet.com and mousesavers.com newletters and check these boards for deals. I fly southwest and subscribe to DING! so I'm alerted on specials from my area airports to Orlando. If you a a AAA member Disney typically has AAA discounts. We have annual passes so watch for annual pass discounts.

Good Luck!

 

[pepe of ohio]

Likewise, we book everything ourselves through CRO. We usually have AP"S, know the places we like to stay and what the rack rates are and wait for discounts and deals. We plan all our dinners and activities and we really don't reserve them to far out because we like to be spontaneous in our vacation. I never felt a TA did anything great for us when we did use one many years ago, a friend, its was usually, I'ld ask them, they would call Disney or find our and relay info to us. Too much error in the middleman, we call CRO, don't like who is answering, we hang up until we get a knowledgeable CM. In over 35 trips, we have never had any problems, and have had our vacations our way.

 

[twojo21]

i enjoy planning, so i always book our trips. we tried a TA once but it was no deal for us.

we have an annual pass at disney so were able to get some room discounts & we buy the dde card for a discount on dining. we also have a reward card which we use to buy airfare, etc.

 

[dnoyes]

First trip in 98 we went with a local travel agent (I had not found the DIS yet) the last four trips I have booked with Disney myself.

As far as airline $ two of the last 4 trips Disney has been able to get me the best deal, both times it was with United.

I always first get a price from wdw.com and then hit the DIS boards and wait it out. I owe the people who post here thousands of dollars they have saved me over the years (but I aint payin up ) But, I do thank all of you

 

[Lila95]

We used a TA on our last trip and everyone else in the group wanted to use her again for this trip. We booked through her and then I started pricing things myself. I called her and told her I could do it cheaper online so she redid everything and got us an even lower rate. I made her work for her money this time and it has come out to my benefit. I think she was pretty worried about the 3 families in our group pulling our trips so she went out of her way to get us the best prices. We got killer deals on a rental car and our 3 nights at Caribe Royale before we check in at WDW.

Overall, it's probably easier to do it on your own since I still did all the research, but it would have been more of a hassle to make my mom give up her beloved travel agent

 

[SleepingBeautyDreamr]

Dh and I booked ourselves at Disney's website for our Oct trip. My sister booked the Sept trip for us (no Dh's) because she had to do it through work (she has to attend a conference while there).

 

[Mousema]

I do about half and half. When I get a deal, I find out what a TA can do better. This coming trip, I tried myself and 2 internet TA's and AAA beat us all by $150 lower than the lowest. Airfare I do myself.

 

[byoung]

No,TA for me.

 

[FatherofFour]

I always book direct. I can almost always beat my travel agent. She handles all of business trips, but when it comes to family trips the planning and "hunting" for codes, deals and unique opportunities, that stuff is just for me. It half the fun of traveling (the other half is telling others about it after we get back.)

 

[Donald is #1]

I will do either or a combination. I have a TA that I have had very good luck with but I don't always book the entire trip with her. For my October trip, I booked my resort and MYW tickets package with her but I booked the airfare on my own. I normally use her for large trips, Europe, cruise, Disney, etc. For most trips within the USA, I normally book everything myself while using the AAA books for recommendations. In the case of this upcoming Disney trip, she had a better rate that I found on-line.

 

[BeckWhy]

With Disney, I prefer to do all the booking myself. But I know a bit about Disney and figure I can get the best deal myself. But if I were to go to another country, I would have a travel agent book for me. I tried to plan my friend's honeymoon in Japan, and I just wasn't any good at it. I knew nothing about it.

 

[Eeyore's Tiara]

Married March 21st.

That's a great day to get married! It's my daughters birthday, so it should be really lucky for you!

 

[Eeyore's Tiara]

I love to do it by myself. I love hunting down the bargains and trying to get the best deals. It's fun to me. Okay so I'm just weird....

 

[Groovee]

I've booked through a travel agent. Coming all the way from the UK unless I am willing to wait until last moment to get cheap flights and have a hotel booked etc it becomes a mare. So I found the cheapest price with an agent online and the travel agent matched it whoooo. So we saved £556 on their price and already our holiday online has risen by £600.

 

[JPN4265]

We always book ourselves. Don't trust TA's

 

[Smileybug]

My last two trips I used a TA. Unfortunately we didn't have a good experience either time. My Nov. trip I booked myself. (just DH and I) I'm pleased with my results and take pride in the fact that I did it myself. I will probably talk to a TA as well as do the research myself for my June trip. This trip will be more detailed. I don't see myself using my local TA'a again though. (I get the feeling that my local TA's don't feel that a WDW trip is worth their time even though we stay at a Deluxe) I'll check out AAA and probably Dreams Unlimited.

 

[badblackpug]

I always booked the trips myself, but this year I booked through AAA using an agent, because she was able to book me a package that was $250 less than anything I could find myself (or with another agent) I did, however, book the airfare myself directly through AirTran (got a cheaper price)

 

[jaycat]

We always use Disney’s website to book, the only time we ever had to have a flight was to Disneyland, and the Disneyland website had an add air and ground transportation, which we used. I'm not sure if WDW's website has this, worth a check. BTW the Disney travel agency sent us all our tickets and travel vouchers in the mail, it was very easy...

 

[Cdn Friends of Pooh]

Our first trip in 2003 we used a TA, but in 2005 and for our trip this coming October I booked everything for us. Like many others I've learned so much from others on this board.

Bonny