Do you really save $$$ go through travel agents?

[NewEnglandCamper]

I've done a lot of research on search our next Disney trip for 2 adults.
Event went to our AAA agent. I was surprised that there was really no savings. In fact a same search on the WDW site was actually $90 less. So now I'm thinking of just booking through WDW online. The phone prices were OUTRAGEOUS when I tried that. Any thoughts or suggestions?

 

[mdsoccermom]

Disney does not allow discounting which is why you don't see much savings. When you go through a travel agent, you are getting service. A good TA will make your ADRs, monitor for specials and price drops, maybe provide a little extra for your family, etc. Not everyone likes going through a TA because they do control your reservation. However, for those that do not have time to do the work or just don't want to, a TA provides service.

 

[LisaTC]

A travel agency for a Disney trip, to me, has to do with legwork more than discounts. I did get a 10-15% discount w/AAA when we booked (on the room) and it was about 150 less than Disney online for the whole shebang. You certainly can get your own package together doing it online w/disney and they will take your AAA membership for any available AAA discounts if you call. Some people just like to use travel agents. I wouldn't be looking for a Disney savings windfall from using one, though. JMHO.

 

[NewEnglandCamper]

So what I'm hearing is if you like to plan your trip, make your reservations, etc. you aren't going to get much of a bonus going through a travel agent.

 

[LisaTC]

yeah...pretty much! I used one for this trip (our first) However, after investigating and doing so much research and perusing (which I would customarily do anyway) I feel pretty confident that I could do it on my own...easy peasy.

 

[Taja]

So what I'm hearing is if you like to plan your trip, make your reservations, etc. you aren't going to get much of a bonus going through a travel agent.

Pretty much. Although, some Disney TAs may be aware of discounts before you are and able to apply them quickly--if you've discussed in advance how you want that handled. Sometimes discounted rooms/packages are quite limited sell out quickly and the TA could handle it while you are at work or otherwise going about your day. Many are terrific about making ADRs, some less so.

I'm a control freak. I've had two excellent experiences with Disney TAs, but I prefer controlling everything myself.

 

[Elmo888]

So what I'm hearing is if you like to plan your trip, make your reservations, etc. you aren't going to get much of a bonus going through a travel agent.

There are Disney specialist travel agencies that will watch for and apply discounts for you. Their initial quote might be the same as the official web site, but by the time that you go on your trip, if there is a discount available, they will have applied it. I believe that Dreams Unlimited, which owns this site, is one of them. Or do a Google search for Disney specialist travel agent (there are others that I have heard on some Disney podcasts who do the same thing). Look for the Authorized Disney Vacation Planner ears. (Again, I heard a lot of background detail from an agent on a podcast.)

I've always done my own, but the whole watching for discounts gives me some anxiety (I've managed to get the discount when I watch for them). And I like the idea of someone else getting up at 5 am (CST) to make my ADRs! I might try one next time.

 

[mdsoccermom]

There are Disney specialist travel agencies that will watch for and apply discounts for you. Their initial quote might be the same as the official web site, but by the time that you go on your trip, if there is a discount available, they will have applied it. I believe that Dreams Unlimited, which owns this site, is one of them. Or do a Google search for Disney specialist travel agent (there are others that I have heard on some Disney podcasts who do the same thing). Look for the Authorized Disney Vacation Planner ears. (Again, I heard a lot of background detail from an agent on a podcast.)

I've always done my own, but the whole watching for discounts gives me some anxiety (I've managed to get the discount when I watch for them). And I like the idea of someone else getting up at 5 am (CST) to make my ADRs! I might try one next time.

You want to find someone that is a Certified Disney Specialist - someone that has completed the College of Disney Knowledge. They don't necessarily have to be a Disney only agency, but you definitely want them to have completed that course.

 

[danceintherain]

So what I'm hearing is if you like to plan your trip, make your reservations, etc. you aren't going to get much of a bonus going through a travel agent.

I'm a control freak. I've had two excellent experiences with Disney TAs, but I prefer controlling everything myself.

I hired a TA for my honeymoon, and it was more frustrating for both of us than anything else. The TA did her job perfectly fine, but I emailed her the day the discounts came out to make sure she was checking etc. Also, now that you can make ADRs online, I find that it's easier to just do them myself. I can play with the times to make them really fit what I want to do, instead of having the TA as a middle man.

If DH was planning a surprise trip for me, I would want him to hire a Disney TA.

 

[Stitches]

I also prefer to plan and control everything myself. I'm a big fan of mousesavers.com to find out what promotions are available and also discount codes for car rentals, etc.

 

[everythingALICE]

You want to find someone that is a Certified Disney Specialist - someone that has completed the College of Disney Knowledge. They don't necessarily have to be a Disney only agency, but you definitely want them to have completed that course.

This. The TAs I've encountered at my local AAA clearly have no idea about the ins and outs of Disney, and sometimes offer misinformation. I personally wouldn't trust them to stay on top of discounts, ADRs, etc. On the other hand, I used a TA through Liberty Travel who was wonderful, and it was clear she had actually been to Disney and knew what she was talking about.

Deciding to go with a TA can be good, particularly if you feel like you don't have as much time to commit to planning, but make sure it's someone who has experience specifically with WDW vacations.

 

[minandmick]

My friend is a Disney NUT! all those years of visiting has payed off for her! She knows all the ins and outs and she is now a TA for a company planning only Disney trips!

I think that would be so much fun.

 

[no capes darling]

I was told by a TA I met that the only difference between planning through them or booking ourselves is Disney doesn't have to pay commission fees and keeps them, the discounts are exactly the same.

I for one don't want our reservations held hostage to their schedule and availability. Yes, I'm a bit of a control freak. And if a mistake is made, I have no one to blame but myself. And planning is half the fun. I've helped friends and family plan their trips with good results.

 

[momH2the4th]

I have to be in control of our plans. I've done ours on my own every trip. We had some friends that went to WDW last year and used a TA that is mentioned on mousesavers.com. When my friend told me what his package cost (room, tickets, DDP) I didn't see how it was possible. I crunched the numbers over and over and couldn't come up with what he was telling me. I was the one that told him about a discount that came out shortly after he booked. He called his TA about it and she had not heard about it, yet I got the info from mousesavers. Anyway, I gave him some planning strategies, restaurants, character meals to eat at. I showed him how easy it was to make ADRs online, but he wanted the TA to handle all of it for them. Again he bragged about how little he was paying going thru the TA compared to me doing all myself. Come to find out once they got to WDW and sat down for their first meal - NO DDP!!!!! I rest my case!

 

[bfamily5]

Wow! Wish I had read this thread before my first trip! I had a useless TA ...she told me 180 days when it was 90 for ADR's...she did nothing but call them and book it..I even sourced my own airfare (internet deals are much cheaper!) so I thought no harm- no foul...well when it came time to book my ADR's, since my reservation was through a TA I couldn't access it online and had to call in my ADR's Anyway..henceforth..it's all me!

 

[Shmily1]

Definitely make sure the person booking your trip has the CDK certification. They will most likely be getting D-mail letting them know all the up-to-date things available. Your TA should be working for you so that you don't have to be the one searching for discounts or reservations. It should be super easy for you- and you should be getting the right answers. (That's pretty wild reading about the AAA agents!)

 

[LisaTC]

Wow! Wish I had read this thread before my first trip! I had a useless TA ...she told me 180 days when it was 90 for ADR's...she did nothing but call them and book it..I even sourced my own airfare (internet deals are much cheaper!) so I thought no harm- no foul...well when it came time to book my ADR's, since my reservation was through a TA I couldn't access it online and had to call in my ADR's Anyway..henceforth..it's all me!

That's a little odd because I booked through AAA, but I did my ADR's (and over and over and over again! LOL) You can log into the ADR portion, put in your confirmation number from your trip booking slip, choose "how was this booked) by selecting "through travel professional" The only ones she did for me were Harmony BBShop & Hoop de Doo because it wasn't available online. She's added a day for us and changed our room type lickity split, but she's been there, done that. I wouldn't choose a TA who doesn't even know what the DisBoards are!

 

[iteach7th]

The one year I used a TA was the one year that I did not get a discount. I was careful to choose a TA that worked with one recommended through Mousesavers. I had found out on DIS the day before discounts were to be released, contacted her and she said she was aware and would be on it first thing that morning because she had several families traveling at the same time we were (fall break). She kept telling me there were no discounts available for the week we were going unless we upgraded. I was very suprised because it was a Disney Visa discount that was released and that narrowed down the people trying to get the discount.

We were staying at POP and she said the only way we could get a discount was to upgrade to POR and it would be more money even with the discount. Alas - no discounts even though I had friends who had booked straight through WDW that were able to get them. When I called WDW myself to check - they told me that there was nothing they could do with my reservation because it was controlled entirely by the TA. Since I had already paid a big chunk down that was non-refundable, I was stuck! I even had her check on the 45 day out mark when WDW dropped all those that have not paid their balance and still nothing.

At the time - I was very informed about WDW discounts, ADR's etc... and she seemed a little intimidated by me telling her exactly what I wanted instead of her just doing it and telling me what she had done. I figured I was an easy customer because when I contacted her with my trip - I already had my resort picked, had my list of restaurants with flexible time windows, didn't bug her with constant changes, etc.... Since then, I have never heard of someone trying to get a discount and there just not being anything within the entire resort category - especially if they were trying within the first few hours the day the discount was released. Our one and only full price vacation to WDW ! Now with all the online booking for ADR's - things are much easier.

 

[kdawg8762]

This is the first time I have ever used a TA and I will from here on out. They know the lay of the land, they know what is a good addition and what is not, they look for price decreases, and they can get you into places that may be "booked" because of their connections.

 

[nkereina]

I didn't get a chance to read through the whole thread, but booking with a travel agent does not mean you get a savings - you book through a travel agent for the convenience. Someone else does the work for you, handles the papers, and tells you what you need to know.

AAA is a little different since they are a preferred partner with Disney. If there are no Disney promos when you are going, you can try to get the AAA discount if its available when you are going which is a slight savings that is better than nothing. In addition, you get a few small perks with AAA such as diamond parking pass, discount card, story time experience, parade viewing spot, etc. If you don't book with AAA, you don't get these perks.

All AAA agents go through the College of Disney Knowledge training as a PP mentioned. They have a local Disney rep with whom they are in constant contact. They do more Disney bookings than most other of your local walk-in agencies due to the preferred partnership status, so training is ongoing. Of course there are always bad apples. Unfortunately, Disney commission is not the best so the more experienced agents that make big money on international bookings don't like Disney bookings so they may not be as eager. I'd imagine this would go for any agent, not just AAA. And as a side note, you can and most agents would prefer, you make your own ADRs. It's up to you to do that - not them. Some will do it for you if you request it but they have no obligaiton to, especially since there is no commission factor.

Like anything, you need to be accountable for you. Stay on top of disney promotions and call your agent if one comes out. Don't wait for them to notify you or assume they will.

If you know what you want and you aren't changing it, you might as well book with AAA to get the perks. No harm in it. But if you like to make changes or could make changes, you might want to book yourself because it's easier to get Disney on the phone than your agent, a lot of times.