TA - do I need one? and referrals

[tkoran]

Dec. 08 will be our first ever trip to WDW. Should I get at TA? I contacted one a couple of days ago at Small World Vacations and talked to a really nice lady, but she's giving me the same rates I can get by booking directly through Disney and hasn't really given me any direction as options we have, etc. She doesn't have my deposit yet so maybe that's part of the reason? This is quite a bit in advance too so maybe that's part of the reason as well?

Am I just as well off to make the plans myself?

Are any TA's better than others in your experience?

I see there are some that include freebies such as maps, pixie dust, lanyards, etc. too. Any little goodies would be nice too just to add to the experience.

 

[TriMom]

Unlike many other destinations, Disney dosen't discount if you book through a Travel Agent instead of directly through Disney. So price won't be a factor - but other things are. A good Disney Travel agent will check periodically to see if a discount has been released that will apply to your package. They should also offer to make dining reservations for you, and they should offer itinerary planning. They should also "interview" you to match your budget and vacation style to a resort and package. Really the big difference is if you want to do all the leg work yourself or if you want the Travel Agent to do it.

As far as referrals - I have booked with Dreams Unlimited before and they did a great job. If you would like to PM me, I could also offer you some other suggestions.

 

[plutolovr]

Pretty much all TAs (with the exception of AAA) will give you the same rates as Disney. The only difference is if you have a good TA she will keep an eye out for discounts for your stay. So if a discount comes out for your dates, he/she will try to get you the same discount.

AAA is the only agency that offers a discount on packages/rooms, but I've heard their TAs are pretty hit and miss with their Disney knowledge.

 

[bubblefactory]

We always use Jo at Small World - fantastic service and always on the ball when codes are released

 

[PrincessNoelle'sMom]

As the other pp's said there are great advantages to using a Disney Specialist TA, especially for your first ever trip - it can be overwhelming. I too have referrals, you can PM me if you'd like.

Good Luck in your decision.

 

[MommyBuzz909]

My lady is INCREDIBLE!!! She saved me A LOT of money and knows Disney!!

I had mine booked with Disney, I called her and she took it over and saved me $300 right off the bat. I feel more comfortable dealing with AAA but that's just my personal opinion.

If you have any ?'s, let me know!!

 

[tonyolily]

We've used Pixiedust-Travel for our trips and they were terrific. Have a great time at Disney!

 

[themcgoos]

We had a similar experience with our AAA TA this year that mommybuzz909 had. We have used AAA in the past, but the past 2 trips we booked ourselves via WDW because it was the same price, we knew what we wanted and what we were doing, etc. So in November, we researched again as always for our upcoming April trip and found the price directly through WDW to be good enough that we booked directly with them. We did it kind of quickly once we knew when, where, etc., so that we could confirm incredibly cheap direct flights on SW Air, which were filling up fast, even back then.

After we did that and thought about it for a couple days, we decided to give AAA a call just to see what they could or couldn't do. We're so glad we did, because right off the bat our TA saved us roughly $400 for the exact same room+tix+dining package. So a couple days later we booked via AAA, got the confirmations and then cancelled our deposit with WDW for a full refund. About 2 weeks later our AAA TA called and said she thought she could save us another couple hundred dollars by "re-working our package a little." I was a little nervous, thinking it might involve a re-booking, changes to the package, extra hidden fees, etc., but it did not and she ultimately did save us another couple hundred dollars and adding a couple things to the overall package. So, for us at least, working with our AAA TA in the Buffalo, NY area has been a very positive experience. She also called yesterday to tell us that our trip docs arrived for us to pickup (we are almost exactly 30 days out)....

 

[gigi1313]

AAA is the only agency that offers a discount on packages/rooms, but I've heard their TAs are pretty hit and miss with their Disney knowledge.

that's not entirely true... there are some agencies that are able to offer discounts, book multiple clients under a "group" rate, etc...

to the OP... pm me for a referral if you'd like

 

[tkoran]

I do have a couple of quotes from agents. One offered no savings at this point and the other showed quite a savings, but I think he quoted the ages of my kids wrong so I'm waiting to hear back from him on that yet.

We're not AAA members, but I'm wondering if I should join.

Thanks!

 

[Hmbldr]

The longer you stay and the more you do - the more you'll save. For the cost of a AAA membership it is well worth it, let alone the regular AAA percs. If there is a AAA room discount available then it's a definite for sure.

 

[Booknut]

Dreams Unlimited are brilliant, my TA Rhonda is a star!

I had to deal with Disney Direct once...never again!!! Why stress when the TA's can do the work and make the dining reservations etc?

 

[tkoran]

I've been trying to get a quote from Dreams Unlimited all week and keep getting an error message after I enter all my info. I can't get all of the pages on their site to load either. I've been trying to do it from work, I wonder if they are blocked for some reason. I haven't had that problem at any other sites.

I finally emailed the webmaster since I can't find a phone number to call. I'll see if I get a resonse.