How to/or through whom do I book?

[Supergirl9801]

I've done lots of comparison online and I'm mixed up on how to go about this. Should I go through Disney...the prices seem higher than say Travelocity but I can't seem to get everything through them either (such as the dining plan)? Can I buy the dining plan directly through disney as long as I'm buying the resort and tickets too? Any advice on places to check out for pricing...should I just go through a travel agent?

 

[aaarcher86]

You can't add the DP to the 3rd party bookings. If you go through them, Disney won't talk to you about the reservation at all. Everything goes through the 3rd party.

In order to get the DP at all you will need to do a package with resort/tickets.

It works the same with a travel agent, but you are able to get the DP with them and there are lots of really spectacular, and hard working TAs that will help you plan everything. Most get you the same price as Disney and look for offers that Disney releases later down the road to apply them to your reservation.

Booking yourself, you can always apply a discount that comes out later. You can call with any questions, change things yourself....

It really depends on what you're going for and what you're comfortable with. I like to have a handle on my own reservations, have time to watch for discounts, and plan for months, so I book myself.

 

[Ginny Favers]

When I was new to the planning, I felt there was so much I needed guidance on that it was helpful to have a travel agent. I booked through AAA. They have a small discount off of regular rack-rates if you don't have a PIN or special offer. If a special offer does come out, they will adjust retroactively for you.

This time, I could easily book myself, but I went through Magical Vacations. There's a lot of talk of them on this board. They've been saving people a lot of money-- more than even the best special rates from Disney. You might want to check with them to see if they can save you money on the time you want to go. I also recommend using a travel agent just because you might need the guidance. It doesn't cost you anything more than booking yourself.

 

[mickeynut1]

You can't add the DP to the 3rd party bookings. If you go through them, Disney won't talk to you about the reservation at all. Everything goes through the 3rd party.

In order to get the DP at all you will need to do a package with resort/tickets.

It works the same with a travel agent, but you are able to get the DP with them and there are lots of really spectacular, and hard working TAs that will help you plan everything. Most get you the same price as Disney and look for offers that Disney releases later down the road to apply them to your reservation.

Booking yourself, you can always apply a discount that comes out later. You can call with any questions, change things yourself....

It really depends on what you're going for and what you're comfortable with. I like to have a handle on my own reservations, have time to watch for discounts, and plan for months, so I book myself.

I book everything myself as I like the researching, planning, etc. Alot of great information can be found on these boards, so if you have the time to research and keep an eye out for discounts, it's easy to book everything yourself. On the other hand, if you don't have the time and/or don't want to take the time to research and watch for discounts, a Disney TA would be the way to go. Also, sometimes booking through a third party (such as Travelocity), carries more restrictive change/cancellation fees. Good luck.

 

[fla4fun]

Third party sites like Travelocity or Expedia will often match the GP special offers on Disney's site. So if you are seeing a lower price on Travelocity, check out the special offers page on Disney's site to see if it's the same price. I have booked third party reservations before, but I generally only do it if I have some sort of credit or coupon I need to use on their site that helps pay for the Disney trip in some way. I have also used a Disney specialist TA a few times, when I didn't have time to keep up with the discounts coming out, and they were very helpful. But most of the time I go direct with Disney because it's easier if you need to change or cancel the reservation if you've done it direct.