Picking a TA

WEDRIP1966

Earning My Ears
Joined
Jul 23, 2005
Messages
2
I have recieved many quotes from various TA whom specialize in WDW and all are very close in price. They all appear to provide the same services such as PS, maps......


  1. What makes on TA better than another?
  2. What are your experiances?
  3. Do you have a fav


Thanks
Maia
 
I've been using SueEllen at Dreams Unlimited and could not be happier.

She's put up with all my requests and made all my dining reservations for me as well.

My neighbor is also using DU, a different agent and has also had a great experience.
 
I use Lisa at Magical Vacations www.wdwvacationplanners.com. I selected her company for the following reasons:

---Specializes in Disney travel
---Prompt response to all inquiries
---Special gifts for clients staying five or more days at a deluxe resort
---Available via Internet and phone
---Makes reservations for shows, tours, dining, and transport

I have been delighted with Magical Vacations and recommend them without hesitation.
 
I have used TAs in the past, but now I just call CRO for my ressies. If I decide I want a PS or tour, I make the call myself.
 

I use Magical Memories Travel and have been really really happy with everything. Great communication, they've kept me posted on all the changes and new developments in the last few months, they were right on top of the whole AP best rate thing. They do PS arrangement and I got a subscription to www.tourguidemike.com. I just had a really good feeling about them. Their quote was the most detailed of any of the ones I received. It was more than just a number so I felt a personal sort of connection there. I feel like my agent is just as type-A as I am about planning if not more so I feel like I'm in good hands!

I would highly recommend them without any hesitation!
 
We are using Magical Memories as well, for the first time. Either I or my DD did the planning before and it is a lot of planning to try to do for the group of us who are going. Since we are going around Christmas and wanting to be sure we had everything covered (party tockets, dining, etc), so we decided to try an agency.
Our Magical Memories agents have been incredibly nice and prompt with answers to our many questions, have GREAT suggestions for dining and special events (the the Princess & Wonderland Teas), and have set everything up for us as well. We have spoken several times on the phone with our agents and used the internet as well. They have even made sure we were aware of all of the AP changes and dining reservations changes far before we would ever need to be concerned because our trip is not until December. So much so, we are considering a quick trip for the Halloween party this October too (and now that free dining is back... ;) )
They have been wonderful, and I HIGHLY recommend them!
 
My sister in law used wishestravel.com for her last visit and she couldn't say enough great things about them. She said she will use them again in a heart beat for her next trip. I think as long as you go with a Disney specialist agency, you can pretty much relax knowing that you are in good hands. I'm sure some agents are better then others, but they all seem to have a good knowledge of Disney and have a real passion for their work.
 
What makes one TA better than another?

everyone has different expectations but what I look for is:
  • responsive to emails or phone calls
  • knowlegable (I always ask things like when was your last trip, where did you stay, how many trips have you made, are you a CDK graduate etc)
  • friendly and doesn't make me feel like I am bothering them or wasting their time with questions or changes
  • quote requests that answer ALL of my questions rather than just give me a final answer, I want details and suggestions
  • someone who will make my ADRs INCLUDING CRT and Illuminations cruises etc. (I usually ask how often they are able to get a CRT ressie vs. how often they miss out)
  • good communication - will they notify me of changes or updates, will they remind me when my ADR time is approaching, when my final payment if a package etc.
  • someone who actively suggests opportunities for discounts without me asking for them
  • someone willing to book other things for me too like town car or limo arrangements, LaNouba tickets, rental car if needed etc.
  • no booking fee
  • no additional cancellation fee
  • and just in general, someone who I feel comfortable with


What are your experiences?

I used to have a TA that I loved for non-Disney travel. When I contacted her about Disney it was obvious she was not a Disney expert. I decided that while she could give me the pros and cons of 20 different cabins on 5 different cruise ships, she wasn't the right person to book Disney with. I booked with Magical Journeys after that and was happy overall but they don't do ADRs and when I contacted my agent for a 2nd trip, the responses were all quick and to the point. No suggestions of other things to consider, no details, just a number or a yes/no type answer to a question. They were always very professional and I had good luck getting discounts with them so I wasn't unhappy per se, just looking for a little bit more. After that I started booking with Magical Memories Travel and have been incredibly pleased with them. I sent a quote request to 3 different agencies with several different questions and scenarios. They were the only ones who went through each scenario and answered each question. Everyone else saw my "first choice" option was available and sent me a quote on that with no info on anything else I asked about. That impressed me. The service has been fantastic ever since. On a trip earlier this year when I had told her that I wasn't planning to get an AP and it became obvious no general public codes were coming out as we had hoped, my agent did the research to find out how much it would cost to join AAA in my area, if there were AAA discounts available for my room and then contacted me with that info. I gave her my approval and she took care of getting the AAA membership and applying the discount for me. All I had to do was wait for my card. I get updates on any new Disney developments even if they aren't sure if it applies to me or not and I get reminders for important dates. I never feel like my agent is bothered when I call with a change or question. As a matter of fact not too long ago when I apologized for another change request she told me not to feel bad because she had just changed her own reservation for the 4th time so she would never complain about a client making changes.

Do you have a fav

I guess I answered that above, didn't I. :p Yes, I do have a favorite. I would highly recommend Magical Memories Travel.

Good luck with your search! I hope you find someone you are happy with!
 
We used Small World (WDWVacations.com) that we found last year on mousesaver.com. Our agent (Joesphine) was great from start to finish. After getting us an initial AAA discount she made two more changes (always with our permission) to save us more money. Ended up saving us $800.00. Then the first hurricane hit the day before we were leaving. Josephine and her family could not get out of WDW and we could not get there. I left a voice mail message along with an e-mail. She got right back to me that she spoke to Disney who offered us a complete refund or to transfer the money to a new reservation. To me this was exceptional service since she and her family were stranded in WDW (what a place to be stranded in though!).
Anyway she took care of our new reservation and all our dining reservations. No problem or snags of any kind. I don't know why anyone would want to waste so much time looking for discounts and being on the phone forever with Disney when one of these Disney specialists can do it better and for free.
 
I had recommended Kingdom Magic Vacations to a friend of mine who was taking an spur of the moment trip to Disney. (www.kingdommagicvacations.com) :sunny: They were quite pleased with the knowledge and expertise that their agent had. All their questions were answered, their agent took the time to make sure they didn't miss any of the special little things that make WDW so magical. :cool1: When she told me all the things that Kingdom Magic handled for them and how thorough they were, I said I couldn't of done better myself!! :jumping1: In fact, one of "our own" is an agent for them, antkim!! ::yes::
 
We also got several quote from different places. We decided on The Magic for Less Travel because we got quick responses from them and they actually seemed happy to help out in any way. Deb was wonderful. Very prompt in answering questions, she stuck with us during multiple PS changes, and she sent us alot of great information. I loved that she could give me first hand knowledge about different things, I think thats a plus. I wouldnt want to book a WDW vacation with a TA that had never even been to WDW. I cant wait to email her again when we are ready to book our next trip.
 
We had a wonderful trip the last of April 2005. Our rep was Pam. She was great. The trip went very smoothly. I can't wait to book another trip with MouseEarsVacations ::MickeyMo

Magalex
POP 4/22/05-4/30/05 :flower:
 












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