How to select an ADVP?

[ZEEV]

Hi everyone,

Just a little over a year before my Disney vacation and I'm starting to think about how to make my reservations.

I thought the obvious thing will be booking everything through Disney directly
but the fact that it's my first vacation on-site,that I'm not an American resident(in Israel we have no ADVP),that my vacation is a little complicated because I plan a split and long stay...

All this and more makes me believe I will be better if an Authorized Disney vacation planner will handle all my requests.

And here comes the tough part of finding the right advp for me.

Searching Google I found there are so many web sites all with knowledge
and even recommendations.

So how can I choose?

How did you choose your travel agent?

Did you really got quotes from tens of websites or did you just picked one randomly???

 

[eyor44]

I looked for one that requires the agents to actually visit Disney at least once a year and they know Disney. As in WDW, Disneyland and the Cruise Line.

Confused as to why you can't book directly with Disney, even with a split stay.

 

[ZEEV]

I looked for one that requires the agents to actually visit Disney at least once a year and they know Disney. As in WDW, Disneyland and the Cruise Line.

Confused as to why you can't book directly with Disney, even with a split stay.

-----------------------------------------------
I do plan to request a quote from Disney also.

But I'm thinking a Disney travel agent might get discounts for me which it will be hard for me to get because he has more experience and knows what to look for.

Also,I find it very convenient that only one travel agent deals with my reservations.

From what I understand when booking directly with Disney you can get a different person every time you contact them.

My vacation is complicated because:

I plan a 3 weeks vacation

Split stay between 3 Disney resorts

Also plan 7-8 days outside Disney(Universal,Sea world and even Busch gardens) and will need tickets for that too.

Need a car for the entire stay but would also prefer to use magical express and take the car at Disney world and not at the international airport(
I don't know if this can be done).

Celebrating my 12 years daughter birthday(maybe I'll arrange extra celebrations for the occasion)

Planning one evening at MNSSHP

Not sure about Annual pass and dining plan...will need help figure
if it's worth it.

I'm just assuming it will be easier for me if only one travel agent takes
care of all my requests instead of spreading my interactions with multiple people.

 

[bumbershoot]

I plan a 3 weeks vacation

Split stay between 3 Disney resorts

Also plan 7-8 days outside Disney(Universal,Sea world and even Busch gardens) and will need tickets for that too.

Need a car for the entire stay but would also prefer to use magical express and take the car at Disney world and not at the international airport(
I don't know if this can be done).

Celebrating my 12 years daughter birthday(maybe I'll arrange extra celebrations for the occasion)

Planning one evening at MNSSHP

That's not unlike our trips, and I don't use a TA. To me, using a TA for such a trip makes things MORE complicated.

I'd figure out on my own (with the help of the Dis, perhaps) if a dining plan makes sense. If you're doing packages, it doesn't because with each resort change you have to buy new tickets with the new package. Sure you can hold on to those tickets for the future, but it's an expense. You have to look at the dining plans and see if those food options make sense for your family.

You can get an AP room/dining "package", but honestly I bet most TAs would have a hard time working that one out.

I arrange Magical Express, I book a car (I personally like National rental agency), etc etc, on my own. I buy tickets for various places usually through undercovertourist.com, but if you're worried about them arriving at your address you can either go pick them up at UCT (with advance notice!) or just buy through disneyworld.com, universalorlando.com, etc.

There's the Car Care Center for renting a car, they have Alamo and National. They have a shuttle that will pick you up and take you back at the start and end of your rental. There are other near/at WDW rental places, too.

Besides booking the rooms/packages, the only other time I can see it necessary to contact WDW is when you're arranging for extras for your DD's birthday.

the Halloween party is easy enough to buy tickets online.



That complicated stuff, IMO, is best done by yourself. But if you want a TA, of course the main one talked about on these boards is www.dreamsunlimitedtravel.com (they are the people who own the boards), and I've had minimal, but good, experiences (I find out what I want and simply have them book things) with www.mouseunlimited.com.

 

[eyor44]

I see where you are coming from. May I ask you a few more questions? If you wish to PM me you may. I truly like to help those who want it.

Are you planning to stay at WDW for the entire 3 weeks? and then move to the other parks and stay near them? or stay at WDW for your entire visit and just drive to the other parks? (this is what my family does)
I am asking this for the rental car. If you are at WDW the entire time, then I would use the ME to and from the airport and rent a car at WDW. If you plan to stay at WDW first and then go to other resorts and then the airport to return home (or vice versus) then you should rent from the airport.

If you are going to be visiting the parks at WDW for more then 10 days, an AP is the way to go and then you can look for AP discounts. Yes, a good TA who specializes in Disney will be on the look out for the discounts.

Splits stays at WDW or even moving to the Universal area is not a problem at all and TAs handle this all the time.

When booking let whomever know that your DD will be celebrating her birthday. She will get a birthday button to wear when she checks in and when you make dining reservations, be sure to mark it as a celebration and she will almost always get a cupcake at the end of the meal, sometimes the table is decorated with mickey head sparkles and such, sometimes a birthday card at character meals and sometimes sung Happy Birthday.

 

[ZEEV]

I see where you are coming from. May I ask you a few more questions? If you wish to PM me you may. I truly like to help those who want it.

Are you planning to stay at WDW for the entire 3 weeks? and then move to the other parks and stay near them? or stay at WDW for your entire visit and just drive to the other parks? (this is what my family does)
I am asking this for the rental car. If you are at WDW the entire time, then I would use the ME to and from the airport and rent a car at WDW. If you plan to stay at WDW first and then go to other resorts and then the airport to return home (or vice versus) then you should rent from the airport.

If you are going to be visiting the parks at WDW for more then 10 days, an AP is the way to go and then you can look for AP discounts. Yes, a good TA who specializes in Disney will be on the look out for the discounts.

Splits stays at WDW or even moving to the Universal area is not a problem at all and TAs handle this all the time.

When booking let whomever know that your DD will be celebrating her birthday. She will get a birthday button to wear when she checks in and when you make dining reservations, be sure to mark it as a celebration and she will almost always get a cupcake at the end of the meal, sometimes the table is decorated with mickey head sparkles and such, sometimes a birthday card at character meals and sometimes sung Happy Birthday.

==========================
Hi,

I will answer your questions gladly(I understand very well the response I got above your one and frankly I envy people that are so confident to book everything and make all the arrangements on their own).

Not that I don't do my own homework and a lot of inquiring on Disney web sites but the confident of making all the arrangements and checking everything will be to my satisfaction, that's a little hard for me with so little experience and the fact that I live so far and here in ISRAEL it seem people barely know Disney world (we haven't got even one travel agency that
is an ADVP).

Now to your questions:

1. I thought about the idea of staying off-site for a few days to visit universal
and then spent the rest of the days at wdw but I have to admit that takes off part of the fun.

We want to be surrounded by Disney atmosphere as much as possible and seriously considering using extra magic hours on evenings after we've been
to universal or sea world in the morning(that's why I'm considering an Annual pass that will to allow me maximum flexibility visiting Disney parks not to mention discounts I can get on rooms).

2. I just read that there is an AAA rental service near the Magic Kingdom.

Now I'm more convinced the best way for me is to hire a car within WDW and
not at the Airport especially since ME is free and I can also save
the hassle of check in my flight at the airport (I hope that applies also to international connect flights like the one to ISRAEL which usually uses connection through
NEY YORK(JFK).

3. My original plan for now is 4 days MK 3 days EPCOT 1 DAY STUDIOS
1 DAY AK and 1 day blizzard which I probably will buy tickets separately.

That adds up to 9 days only but I do consider arriving to parks in the evenings for the EMH so I will need more days and also I do want to enjoy the
discounts I can get with ANNUAL PASS.

4. I love all the celebrations ideas you suggested for my daughter and of course I will use them to make the most of this very special vacation.


As I said I will also request a quote from Disney directly but I feel It will be easier for me to go with an ADVP.

It's true that it's not really possible to have full control of reservations
once you're in the hands of a TA and I definitely felt this on previous
trips I made.

But I'm thinking even when booking directly with Disney you can't have full
control.

One still has to wait impatiently for the papers to arrive by mail.

One still has to hope everything at the hotel will be arranged like
requested with no mistakes.

Last time I visited Orlando back at 2006 I used a regular TA from ISRAEL
(Highly professional and recommended but without enough knowledge).

She didn't tell me the voucher for the flex tickets can only be bought
at the big theme parks and I had to find out the hard way standing at the
entrance of wet wild water park.

It was either getting back to the car, driving to universal to get the flex end
return to the water park or give up and buy 1 day tickets for the water park.

I choose the second option but of course got upset.

I hope using a highly qualified ADVP will prevent such little irritating bugs.

 

[crisi]

I would use the sponsors of this board.

I would start a trip at Universal and spend two or three nights there - maybe four. The parks you can do in two, but you'll have jetlag to contend with. The Universal parks are easy to deal with - right next to each other - and staying in a hotel there will give you front of the line privileges.

Unless you are really set on it, I'd take cabs and use Disney transportation instead of renting a car.

After your few days at Universal, move over to Disney. Picking a resort - well, decide first on your budget and then pick the resort that looks best to you in that price range.

From there you need tickets and dining reservations and you are pretty much done.

A good guidebook or three will probably help a lot more than a TA will.

 

[ZEEV]

I would use the sponsors of this board.

I would start a trip at Universal and spend two or three nights there - maybe four. The parks you can do in two, but you'll have jetlag to contend with. The Universal parks are easy to deal with - right next to each other - and staying in a hotel there will give you front of the line privileges.

Unless you are really set on it, I'd take cabs and use Disney transportation instead of renting a car.

After your few days at Universal, move over to Disney. Picking a resort - well, decide first on your budget and then pick the resort that looks best to you in that price range.

From there you need tickets and dining reservations and you are pretty much done.

A good guidebook or three will probably help a lot more than a TA will.

============================

Hi Crisi,

If it was only 4 nights off-Disney I would have seriously considered staying off-site at a Universal Resort(my daughters loved Hard Rock).

Apart from the problems I mentioned and the fact I will not have the chance to return to universal parks after these 4 days there is the matter
of other attractions in orlando we want to visit.

We plan Sea world,Aquatica,Busch gardens and even a day to m&m shop
and the Titanic dinner show because we simply loved the movie.

It's true most of our days will be inside wdw(obviously) but we still plan at least 7-8 days at off-site attractions.

Booking universal resort means giving up one of the three Disney Resort wich
we really like.

We will not give up consierge at the contemporary beacuse this is sopposed to be the grand finale of our trip.
My daughters will not give up AOA and I myself really don't want to give up the royal rooms of POR and all the beautiful surroundings.
And 4 resorts is really too much...even for us...even for 21 days(that means
changing resort practically every 5 nights).

Also there is also the matter of budget.

I planned quite a large budget for this trip(saved for many years) but adding a universal resort(price of a medium Disney resort) means more expenses...a lot more.

However,there is no doubt I will contact Dreams Unlimited and get a qouate from them.

In fact this ADVP is very highly ranked in my priorities because of all the good reviews I read.

I'll probably contact them right after I contact Disney directly.

 

[eyor44]

Sent you a private message.