New here. Who did you book through?

[strawberrygirl]

Hi!
This is my first post.
I am planning a trip for Easter of 2011 and I found one travel agency on line that I have inquired through. I was wondering if anyone else has gone through
Kingdom Magic? I have asked through the CAA and other private travel agencies but they don't seem to know much or as up to date on things. Is this travel agency o.k to go through? They book through Disney. I find it difficult not knowing which is ligitimate and which aren't. I was going to inquire through Disney but I don't know if they would tell me or not.

Thankyou!!

 

[North7]

Hi and

We have always booked with Disney ourselves using the (407) WDISNEY number. Doing it yourself means that you have control over your reservation and don't have to rely on a travel agent/company. For example, if CAA makes the reservation for you, you have to get CAA to make any changes or inquiries for you.

The process is really quite simple and if you have any questions, you'll find great advice here Keep an eye open for any available discounts, ask for advice, and enjoy planning your vacation... it's half the fun

 

[DisneyRookie2007]

our 1st trip we bookd through Small World vacations, the next 3 times we booked through Westjet vacations and the last trip be booked directly through Disney website - we have had NO issues at all with any of them

 

[mom4463]

I would recommend Fairytale Dreams and Destinations. They are so helpful and if you book through them it is the same as booking direct with Disney.

Good luck and happy planning

 

[strawberrygirl]

Thankyou!!!

I don't understand what they mean when they book through disney This one that I am looking at does that too. She books the date but we send her the credit card number and then she makes it through them. We don't pay a commission. She will watch for deals and she is soooo good at getting back to me and even giving me estimates this far ahead of time. So, after I book, I can inquire through Disney and they should have our reservations in their system correct?

I sound like I know nothing. Sorry about that. We went to DisneyLand a few yrs ago and that was easy to book. This is alot more confusing. We are using our airmiles to fly though so there is no airflights to deal with, just hotel and packages.

Thanks again and I will be asking alot more questions

 

[gilsan]

I agree with the PP, it is easier to call WDW directly and book your vacation.

The first time we booked we booked through westjet. We decided about a month after we booked that we wanted to upgrade our resort and add dining. We were charged $75 for each reservation In the end we just canceled with westjet and rebooked directly with disney (we saved $300 even after westjet's cancelation fees).

With Disney you can change your reservation without penalty up to 45 prior to your trip and I believe that you can upgrade with no fees up to 3 days prior to your trip. Disney also only requires a payment of $200 to hold your reservation, you do not need to make the final payment until 45 days before you arrive. With westjet we had to make payment in full at the time of booking.

 

[tone.def]

I would recommend Fairytale Dreams and Destinations. They are so helpful and if you book through them it is the same as booking direct with Disney.

Good luck and happy planning

They are fantastic!

FYI - they are an Ontario storefront TICO registered agency.

 

[DaniB]

I would recommend Fairytale Dreams and Destinations. They are so helpful and if you book through them it is the same as booking direct with Disney.

Good luck and happy planning

Ditto! The price you get with Disney is the same price you will get through Fairytale Dreams & Destinations. You don't pay them a fee. They receive commission from WDW. AND they WILL make sure you get any discounts or specials that come out during your trip period applied to your reservation. And make all you ADRs if you wish.

We're using them right now and they are good!
Dani

 

[strawberrygirl]

Thankyou. I think we are talking about the same thing. That is what this travel agent does too. They book right through Disney. If you book 45 days ahead you only need to put $200 dollars down and the rest is due a few wks ahead. Hmmm (scratch head) I guess we are talking about the same thing but Disney have different agents that do it as well as them.

Hope I didn't confuse anyone.

Thankyou again!!

 

[trl1812]

We booked our vacation through Karen Piltz from Magical Journeys Travel. She is very Knowledgable and thorough.

 

[cab0899]

We never use a travel agent instead we:

1) Use airmiles to book our flights
2) Use airmiles to get the park passes for Disney, Seaworld and Universal
3) Phone Disney and book a hotel room asking for the CAA rate. (or a PIN if you have it)
4) Phone Disney Dining and make dinner reservations.

 

[Sue M]

I have booked my self phoning WDW, and have used Disney specialized TAs.
I use Ears To You.
I think the Disney Specialized agencies are great, esp. if it's your first trip. As mentioned, they know the moment WDW releases a discount, and if it works for you, they will automatically adjust your package price. They can also give you good advice on dining, touring plans, etc.
Great service, and it's free!

You pay a $200 deposit on a package, and it must be paid in full 45 days before trip. We like to pay a little each pay day, so by the time the 45 day date is there, we've paid. You can do this with your TA, just drop an e mail to her asking her to make a payment for you.

You will not be able to phone WDW to ask about your reservation if you use a TA, everything must be done through her.

It's a good choice, hope you have a great trip!

 

[Applemomma]

My first trip I booked all myself, with a lot of help from the info here on the Dis boards. Of course I was out for free dining and that meant jumping on the phone at 7 am and waiting, jumping on the phone for my ADR's and waiting....waiting waiting waiting.

Now that I'm more familiar with the whole system I feel like I can relinquish control and I've booked through Dreams Unlimited Travel. It's all through email so I don't have to haul my butt anywhere. I feel very comfortable with them because I actually am familiar with my agent as a board poster first, travel agent second and I've reached a level of familiarness with the owners through their posting in the forums and the Dis Boards Podcast.

I haven't relenquished total control, just had them book the room with a pin code I received and I'll ask them to book a few ADR's for me but it is nice to know that if needed my agent is right there. In fact she saw me post a question about something she thought she could help with and shot me a quick email Also nice to know that unlike other travel agencies they review my reservation each time a new deal comes out to see if it would save me money. Of course they don't do air so that part is still me ....waiting by the computer for good deals (there's an awful lot of waiting involved in vacation!)

No, I am in no way connected to Dreams Unlimited Travel and have no financial relationship with them Now if they wanted to shoot me a few bucks.....

 

[Northstar]

Thankyou. I think we are talking about the same thing. That is what this travel agent does too. They book right through Disney. If you book 45 days ahead you only need to put $200 dollars down and the rest is due a few wks ahead. Hmmm (scratch head) I guess we are talking about the same thing but Disney have different agents that do it as well as them.

Hope I didn't confuse anyone.

Sounds like a good travel agent, but you should know that what people mean when they "book themselves with Disney" is that THEY can call Disney to make any changes (like taking advantage of a new discount that comes out, changing dates, changing resorts, putting in a room preference....) Because your agent booked your reservation, only your agent can change it.

No worries, though, as long as your agent a) knows a lot about Disney, keeps on top of new discounts coming out, and knows what you want AND b) responds quickly if you email or phone requesting info or a change.

 

[SAGE]

I would recommend Fairytale Dreams and Destinations. They are so helpful and if you book through them it is the same as booking direct with Disney.

Good luck and happy planning

I also recommend FD & D!!!!

 

[doxie24]

Welcome

 

[YukiPhnx]

I highly recommend Jan Pepe from Mouse Fan Travel. Even though they're based in the US, she doesn't mind calling you, despite the long distance fees she has to pay!

Also, whenever you book with Mouse Fan Travel, you're always surprised with a little thank you gift from your agent. They're wonderful and respond extremely fast, sometimes within one day! Don't hesitate to ask them to help you plan.

I had a lot of questions of phone cards in the Orlando area and she was a lot of help, knowing I was from Canada.

 

[strawberrygirl]

Thankyou for all your responses

Would you ask for estimates from other places or did you just pick a place that you felt the most comfy with? Also, how do we know that these won't go under and if they do, will it still be registered under Disney for our reservations?

This is exciting

 

[Tiggs14]

Before we booked our first trip I got quotes from a lot of companies and they were all the same price as Disney was charging with the exception of one that was $50 cheaper. We went with that company and were very happy with them. On top of the $50 savings we were surprised with a large gift bag from the travel agent

 

[nflder]

Another vote for Fairy Tale Dreams and Destinations. I cannot say enough about the service and the knowledge they have. When we were delayed by two days in getting down to Disney in 2007 - FDD took very good care of us and handled everything with Disney. Plus its a Canadian company.Using this TA takes all of the worry away of having to keep an eye out for new deals. If a deal comes up that is applicable to your reservation they will contact you. For our trip in April this will be our third time using them.