Quick Question for Travel Agents...

[ekmom]

I have used TAs from the 2 agencies most recommended on these boards. First time with TA from agency 1 she did warn us that ticket prices were about to go up so that was a small savings, but she was less than responsive or helpful in getting ADRs. Second time out with the same TA she added nothing to our trip and took days to respond to emails. Recently got a quote from the other top agency. It took 8 days to get the quote and it was exactly what I got myself and she didn't even bother trying for the AAA discount which I then proceeded to call and get myself.

Perhaps others who are new to the Disney experience might find a TA more helpful, but I travel a lot both to Disney and other places and just don't find a TA useful.

 

[AimeeMichele]

I used a travel agent twice for Disney and the second time I had her turn the reservation back over to me. When a discount comes out or I have a question, I know that I will be on the phone calling Disney ASAP whereas some (or in my case all TAs I know) don't work many hours each day, may not even work certain days, take a lot of FAMs (trips to check out locations, resorts, etc.) so are unavailable during those times and have a lot of other customers they have to take care of i.e. they may not be working on the day a discount comes out and no one else at their agency can or will help you as your booking is with that one agent. Then by the time they get around to calling the resort or room category you want is no longer available for the discount.

Bottom line is that if you decide to go with an agency, make sure they know about Disney...really grill them. I agree that just because they graduated the Disney course doesn't mean anything (pretty sad IMO). Also make sure that if your agent isn't available someone/ anyone else that is working the days, times, etc. yours isn't will help you in any way you need them to.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Call me a control freak, but nobody cares as much about my vacation as me and whether my trip goes smoothly or not.


From a travel agent point of view I really disagree. I truely care about each and every one of my clients vacations as much as my own. If their vacation is not good they will not return to me. My clients are my livleyhood and I take excellent care of them!

As well as referrals. Depending on the situation, I refer people to either my Small World Vacations TA or one specific AAA, very local TA if they only want to work with someone in person. I know these Agents know Disney and will do right by the customers I send (anonymously ).

 

[wynntx]

I'm a Disney Travel Planner and I admit that I don't work 24/7. I like to sleep at night and do have a family, but I am always available via email and will return a call ASAP. The biggest misconception about TAs is that we get a huge discount. Typically the pricing is the same, but the benefit of using a TA is that we take away the hassle of planning your trip. We don't charge a fee, we will tell you about discounts and help you decide which discount is best for you, will help you with ADRs and even help you plan your park days. I like to send my clients a little surprise each trip, but more importantly I strive to give you and your family a magical trip. As someone stated above, you can always have your reservation switched back to you if you aren't happy.

Sent from my iPad using DISBoards

 

[RobinHoodGirl]

I've enjoyed using a TA (as did my mother before me)...

It's made planning my vacations stress free (which is GREAT when you're already stressing about attending 4 weddings, expecting a new niece & nephew and planning a Christmas trip to meet DBF parents for the first time all in the same year). I did ask for my reservation number so I could make my own ADRs and there was no issue either time with me controlling that part of my vacation.

Other wise my TA has been on top of everything for me, check multiple rates and different hotels we were looking at, along with different views, and we're at a hotel I didn't even have on my radar at first that thanks to the Dis I'm super excited to stay at in Nov with a rate DBF and I were happy with.

I see the advantages of booking yourself but I personally would stick with using a TA

 

[LONES]

I used a travel agent twice for Disney and the second time I had her turn the reservation back over to me. When a discount comes out or I have a question, I know that I will be on the phone calling Disney ASAP whereas some (or in my case all TAs I know) don't work many hours each day, may not even work certain days, take a lot of FAMs (trips to check out locations, resorts, etc.) so are unavailable during those times and have a lot of other customers they have to take care of i.e. they may not be working on the day a discount comes out and no one else at their agency can or will help you as your booking is with that one agent. Then by the time they get around to calling the resort or room category you want is no longer available for the discount.

Bottom line is that if you decide to go with an agency, make sure they know about Disney...really grill them. I agree that just because they graduated the Disney course doesn't mean anything (pretty sad IMO). Also make sure that if your agent isn't available someone/ anyone else that is working the days, times, etc. yours isn't will help you in any way you need them to.

I would totally agree with this. A few years back we got completely burned by the fact that we went through a TA. My dad was paying for 3 rooms at a moderate, and tickets for 10 people. We already had booked through a AAA TA, when the 4/3 special offer came out. 3 rooms, 10 tickets... that would have been a gigantic savings!! The day the discount came out, I called my Dad's TA. She was out of the office the rest of the week! Nobody else at the AAA office would help me, because "We don't like to mess with each other's reservations.. I'm sure "Barb" will get back to you as soon as she's back in the office". I called Disney direct and begged them to apply the discount. Obviously, they wouldn't touch it. (In retrospect, I probably should have just re-booked the whole thing, and paid cancellation fees on the AAA booking).

When "Barb" got back in the office the following week, she felt really bad for costing my Dad over $1500, so she gave him a free set of luggage.

I'm way too much of a control freak to ever play that game again. If I were to use a TA again, I would have to do so much research to make sure the TA knew enough for me to be comfortable, that I might as well spend that time monitoring my own reservations.

 

[Sheaboys]

I have booked trips on my own and 2 trips using the same authorized disney vacation planner, different agents though. I was able to tell the TA, where I wanted to eat and the timeframe, the ta booked it all. I told the TA where I wanted stay, then made changes to that stay to another hotel, just by shooting an email. I had no waiting on the phone, no talking to others, although I did have a great conversation with my TA when I first booked.
What did I get out of it? I got 2 neck wallets, 2 Mickey Ears that were embroidered, 2 autograph books and a gift card. I got a great room, that the TA suggested the building put it in the reservation and got it, which is not a guarantee, but it worked for us.

LOVE using a TA, much less hassle for me and I get free stuff!

 

[softballmom3]

Booking with a TA- I would only use one that specializes in Disney booking, they will have on their site- Authorized Disney Vacation Planner. These are the ones who as other posters pointed out- get the communications from Disney and will automatically apply any new discount that comes out (if it's better for you) to your booking.

Other generic TAs will not, ( like AAA) and you'd still have to do all the work watching for discounts, etc. So no point using them.

Definitely agree with this PP. the times I have called our AAA travel agents they were pretty misinformed and I knew more than they did regarding Disney. She actually argued with me when I wanted to check POR. Told me cant sleep 5 and hadn't for years---I had just stayed at POR family of 5 a few months earlier.

 

[txwdwmom]

Booking with a TA- I would only use one that specializes in Disney booking, they will have on their site- Authorized Disney Vacation Planner. These are the ones who as other posters pointed out- get the communications from Disney and will automatically apply any new discount that comes out (if it's better for you) to your booking.

Other generic TAs will not, ( like AAA) and you'd still have to do all the work watching for discounts, etc. So no point using them.

Being an authorized Disney vacation planner does not mean they only do Disney. That's a designation received for sales volume by Disney. Many of our local AAA offices are authorized and so are many agencies that sell other than Disney.

 

[Butterflygirl35]

There are some agencies that put together agency discounts that are steeper than Disney's or offered at times Disney doesn't offer discounts. I think they buy blocks of rooms or go through group sales or something to get the discounts. I know Magical Vacations Travel does agency exclusive discounts and I think Pixie Vacations does them as well. I have used Magical Vacations for a number of years and their agency exclusive rates are always better than Disney's.

I love the agency exclusives. I was able to recently stay at GF for $159 a night

 

[tianna26]

I'm a Disney Travel Planner and I admit that I don't work 24/7. I like to sleep at night and do have a family, but I am always available via email and will return a call ASAP. The biggest misconception about TAs is that we get a huge discount. Typically the pricing is the same, but the benefit of using a TA is that we take away the hassle of planning your trip. We don't charge a fee, we will tell you about discounts and help you decide which discount is best for you, will help you with ADRs and even help you plan your park days. I like to send my clients a little surprise each trip, but more importantly I strive to give you and your family a magical trip. As someone stated above, you can always have your reservation switched back to you if you aren't happy.

Sent from my iPad using DISBoards

Im glad you return e-mails my t.a sure doesnt

 

[Dreaming~of~Disney]

I think it's really sad that a lot of you have had less than stellar service by your TA's. I have a family and I go on vacation but my clients always have access to me(yes, I work while on vacation). My clients are very important to me. Otherwise I would not have a job. I think that maybe it's because I work for myself not for a big company. There is no one else to take care of my clients but me and I am very determined to keep them coming back.

 

[tianna26]

i got an email from my ta this morning and she never answered my questions that i emailed to her so i reply I do not want to chang my dates but change park tickes and the other questions I had from the first email. she replyed "all prices are subject to change until full payment" she still hasnt answered my questions. smh needless to say im checkin the net for other offers

 

[TwoAtDisney]

Sorry, don't want to be rude to TAs on this thread, but I would only use a TA if I were incompetent, unorganized, didn't know how to use the internet, or didn't have the time to plan my own trips.

I'd really like to have an answer - re: calling a TA to solve problems while on the trip - what problems require a TA? What problems require so much time that it sacrifices the travelers time? The only thing I can think of is if the TA messed up a trip detail & therefore, no seat on a plane, no room in the hotel?

Even for trips to many countries for the first time, I was able to gather everything we needed & so much more, & there were no holes in my planning. Travel message boards contain all the info anyone would need, plus many little know gems offered by actual travelers. I don't trust that a TA would have the time to be so thorough - it would not be cost effective.

We were in Europe when the volcano erupted in Iceland. We were scheduled to fly when all the airports, airlines, trains, & ferries were backed up and/or halted. I calmly made two quick calls & took care of everything, while everyone else on TV was panicking - 1 call to the hotel at our next stop to advise them we may be late, but to hold our room, & then one call to our current hotel's front desk to put a room on hold in case we needed to stay. I got that done before I could have probably even contacted a TA - whose phone may have been constantly busy because others were calling their TA!

Trip to Vancouver - Hyatt employees had picket line outside; front desk said we had to move to another hotel; I talked the front desk employee into letting us stay because the location was far superior to where we would have ended up. We were two of about 10 guests in the hotel. We got wonderful service! No, I didn't feel guilty about crossing the picket line! Point is that we didn't need to call a TA.

On cruises I've seen people flooded out of their rooms by sewage (Holland American on two cruises!) only to be told the "ship is full", we can't move you! No TA could solve that problem! So the TA gets a "Special Gift" for the poor traveler - that didn't solve the problem! Besides, the traveler can get a "Special Gift" themselves by asking.

There is no TA who can spend the amount of time that I do researching my trips & to know my moment by moment mind changes! I might begin thinking I want to go to Rome, but then my own research changes my mind - a TA wouldn't know that.

There is no TA who can be available 24/7. When I want trip changes, I want it now - I can do that. When there is a problem on the trip, the TA may not be available. Besides, there is not any problem that can occur on a trip that I cannot take care of; no problem that would "require" a TA. No TA has a magic bullet to solve travel problems.

Sorry if I went on too long! I'm sure you can tell that we began our traveling by using TAs. We soon overcame that fault. My motto is, "All problems are just a solution waiting to happen." I'm capable of my own solutions without waiting for a third party to make my decisions, & I never get upset, even when I don't get the answer I want - just go with the flow - makes life so much more enjoyable . And, I don't need a TA for that!