Travel Agent Fail

[focusondisney]

They do that?
No! I did my own.
Was not offered the option.

It sounds like it’s a good thing you did these yourself! Can you imagine what your fastpasses would have been if you waited for her? Sorry she was such a bust. I hope everything goes smooth from now on & you have a great trip.

And next trip, just hang out on the Dis.....we’ll help you figure everything out!

 

[AngiTN]

That makes me feel better. I'm glad it's an isolated incident. In truth, I felt like I was kind of painlessly paying it forward, you know? Like, it's not costing me anything to use a TA, but they'll get something out of it, so why not?

Honestly, not isolated AT.ALL!
While yes, there are great agents out there I venture to say there are more that are awful. Even those claiming to specialize in WDW.
I get that the owners of this board run a well thought of agencies. I still would not recommend any to anyone. Ever.
Sorry. Too many bad apples have ruined the whole bunch.

 

[Lee23]

We use our TA for non-DVC visits just because we have a great relationship with her and like to give her our business: she responds quickly to every call/email/text (even while on her own birthday cruise!) and she's great at getting our preferred ADRs and FPs while I sleep in past 7 AM on those days. I am still our primary WDW planner, but it's nice to have her expertise on hand too.

That's great service!

 

[Lee23]

The only TA I have ever used was at AAA - HIGHLY recommend, and it's free for AAA members. We booked a cruise through them and we didn't have the first clue about cruises so it was a tremendous help. Would I use a TA for a WDW trip? If this was my first time, yes. Now that I know what I am getting into? No way. Just like the OP, I feel like I would be constantly tweaking reservations and doing it on my own anyway, so why bother?

I always forget about AAA! Thanks for the reminder.

 

[Lee23]

I have a dreams agent for disney cruise line. That agent also helped me with a super last minute trip to DL and was wonderful. I used a travel agent (not dreams) prior to DVC once for WDW since I hadn't been there in awhile. She let us down a bit in the discount department and booked us the wrong thing. I specifically told her to book free dining not room only even if it was more expensive because there was a good chance I would have a foster placement of two kids (which I did) by the time came and the free dining would then be cheaper. Ah well, we still had a great trip, but I much prefer to be in control of my WDW reservations after that. I also have a tendency to change my plans quite frequently, so I don't have the patience to wait for a TA every time I want to shift dates slightly or change my mind on hotels.

So frustrating! You gave specific instructions and it still got messed up.

I am noticing a theme here; we all like control!

 

[dnw25]

Had the EXACT same thing happen with our Disney specialist TA. Only booked with her because at the time of booking it was the only discount available for our time frame. AP rates came out several months later and our hotel was booked solid. I asked TA to keep checking for the hotel we wanted and for club level. Finally things started to open, our hotel and club level. Asked her to change...said she would (major upgrade for her) but by the time she got to it hours later, the room was gone. A few days later another room appeared. Again reached out to her to make the change she didn't get to it timely and again gone. Now two days out from our trip, the exact room and dates appeared and again reached out to TA. She said when she called Disney told her unavailable. However, it was available online. I called Disney myself and booked it. I then foolishly did the transfer paperwork for her. AND, called disney to pay my reservation and ensure ME. I stalked the website, reached out to her, would have been able to book myself at anytime, made my FP and dining, spent good chunk of time on phone with WDW and she got the credit. She said she would send us something as a thank you but never did. Plus, when I tried to book a bounceback, the first agent refused to help me since it was a TA reservation (at that point) and had to get a supervisor. That call was over an hour while at the pool.

 

[Lee23]

You seem like a lot of us on this blogsite. Way too excited and involved to need a TA for trips to Disney. A big part of the fun of the trip is the planning, changing and tweaking of the trip (whilst visions of Mickey and Minnie dance in our heads).

No one watches your money and time like you will do for yourself. Good for you in trying to save money and have a terrific time. Any question or discount you could ever have or think of is here in some format.

Good news is your going to Disney as an active participant in all phases of your vacation.

That is the big fun for me! You're so right!
No other vacation destination evolves continuously like a WDW vacation. Year to year, month to month, day to day, something is always new. I think that's a really big part of the planning fun; it's never the same trip twice!

*thinking of Mickey and Minnie doing the Hustle in my head*

 

[Lee23]

I've never, ever found one.
Sure, there are some good ones out there but way more awful ones. The stuff I hear is enough to make the hair on the back of my neck stand up.

Yeah. Truly frightening!
Glad I learned this lesson relatively unscathed.

 

[Lee23]

I’m sorry about your experience. In the past we’ve done most of our own bookings, this go around we used a “Authorized Disney Vacation Planner” but beyond that the couple is very experienced travelers beyond just Disney. But as Disney nerds (DVC, D23, etc) they really get Disney. They go into the parks on a regular basis and not just staying for part of a day, they stay onsite or in nearby hotels so they know what the tourist is dealing with too.

They helped us plan our entire trip, but they did the leg work. Made our ADRs (got every thing we wanted at some perfect times) and got our FP+ too. They gave us some great recommendation like taking a Carriage Ride on Valentine's Day! Their communication was always good, though like any busy person I did need to check in a couple of times. During our first day we were having issues with our PhotoPass photos showing up and all I had to do was text and it got resolved.

Not all Disney Travel Agents are created equal, anyone can call themselves one but IMHO you need to find out what type of experience they have. At this point, I wouldn’t plan another trip without them. We’re already talking about a trip to Hawaii or the Caribbean, and I plan to use them.

Wow! You hit the jackpot with those agents!
Very happy to hear not all experiences are negative.

 

[Lee23]

Chalk it up to a lesson learned? Next time around either just do your own discount stalking or find a better TA/agency.

Travel agents are supposed to make our lives easier, not drive us batty.

That's where I'm at right now. Just gonna shrug and move along!

 

[Carlymouse]

Wow. I am feeling for you! This person sounds completely incompetent at their job. When I listen to the Dis or other pods, the agents reference how stressful it is for them during free dining because they're on the phone all day trying to get the best deals for their customers, yet you couldn't get responses on anything in a reasonable time frame! I haven't used a travel agent yet, but I would consider it if I were doing an experience I haven't done before, such as a cruise. Best of luck next time if you try again! I'm glad you're taking it in stride!

 

[Lee23]

Had the EXACT same thing happen with our Disney specialist TA. Only booked with her because at the time of booking it was the only discount available for our time frame. AP rates came out several months later and our hotel was booked solid. I asked TA to keep checking for the hotel we wanted and for club level. Finally things started to open, our hotel and club level. Asked her to change...said she would (major upgrade for her) but by the time she got to it hours later, the room was gone. A few days later another room appeared. Again reached out to her to make the change she didn't get to it timely and again gone. Now two days out from our trip, the exact room and dates appeared and again reached out to TA. She said when she called Disney told her unavailable. However, it was available online. I called Disney myself and booked it. I then foolishly did the transfer paperwork for her. AND, called disney to pay my reservation and ensure ME. I stalked the website, reached out to her, would have been able to book myself at anytime, made my FP and dining, spent good chunk of time on phone with WDW and she got the credit. She said she would send us something as a thank you but never did. Plus, when I tried to book a bounceback, the first agent refused to help me since it was a TA reservation (at that point) and had to get a supervisor. That call was over an hour while at the pool.

Gah! That is exactly the same! Awful!
I mean, ok. They can't work 24 hours a day, understandably. But designating normal business hours to servicing clients doesn't seem unreasonable. Especially when we've done all the work for them!

I wish they'd have let me do it myself this morning. The CM I spoke to acted like I had a communicable disease that could be passed over the phone when I admitted that I'd booked with a TA. I could hear the sneer in his voice.

So does that mean if I try to book a bounceback next week, I'll have to use the same TA?

 

[Lee23]

Wow. I am feeling for you! This person sounds completely incompetent at their job. When I listen to the Dis or other pods, the agents reference how stressful it is for them during free dining because they're on the phone all day trying to get the best deals for their customers, yet you couldn't get responses on anything in a reasonable time frame! I haven't used a travel agent yet, but I would consider it if I were doing an experience I haven't done before, such as a cruise. Best of luck next time if you try again! I'm glad you're taking it in stride!

I think you're onto something... I just picked the wrong agency.

Funny thing, when we've gone on cruises, I did it all. Never used anyone. I really, really thought I was paying it forward by using a TA this time so that someone would get the commission that they otherwise wouldn't.
No good deed...

 

[eeyoreandtink]

This is why I never use a travel agent. They have other clients and your vacation is never as important to them as it is to you. In this day and age with online access to everything there is no need to use a travel agent for Disney. It saves you zero dollars and adds to your headaches.

 

[Lee23]

Honestly, not isolated AT.ALL!
While yes, there are great agents out there I venture to say there are more that are awful. Even those claiming to specialize in WDW.
I get that the owners of this board run a well thought of agencies. I still would not recommend any to anyone. Ever.
Sorry. Too many bad apples have ruined the whole bunch.

Oh well. There goes that last drop of optimism I had left!

 

[Lee23]

This is why I never use a travel agent. They have other clients and your vacation is never as important to them as it is to you. In this day and age with online access to everything there is no need to use a travel agent for Disney. It saves you zero dollars and adds to your headaches.

So so soooooo true!

 

[dnw25]

Bounceback - you should be fine. Unless wdw changed the rules. We had used this TA before (not especially happily but either larger discount than disney or only discount during time frame we wanted) and never had a problem booking BB. This was the first time. After inquiring, being put on hold for over 25 min and then being told I couldn't book because it was a TA reservation, I respectfully lost it. I firmly said I needed a supervisor and that it was a reservation I had made over the phone and transfer to the TA. After another 15-20 min hold, a supervisor came on and immediately let me book the BB.

 

[dnw25]

Gah! That is exactly the same! Awful!
I mean, ok. They can't work 24 hours a day, understandably. But designating normal business hours to servicing clients doesn't seem unreasonable. Especially when we've done all the work for them!

I wish they'd have let me do it myself this morning. The CM I spoke to acted like I had a communicable disease that could be passed over the phone when I admitted that I'd booked with a TA. I could hear the sneer in his voice.

So does that mean if I try to book a bounceback next week, I'll have to use the same TA?

The funny thing too is that every time I reached out to her to make the change, it was mid-morning. It was beyond frustrating. My DH who never gets involved with anything planning wise even got involved on this. He too regretted we transferred the reservation. After all, she didn't even do ME for us. AND, since we were on different flights, when an issue occurred on the way down, I contacted her. She just told me to contact ME myself.

Never again....

 

[scard192]

2016 trip I used the TA that had exclusive Disney discounts. Those are gone, but still booked this trip with the same TA. Gift of Magic discount dropped in October on a day when I had to be in the office working. TA spent countless hours getting us that discount. She said the system kept crashing, inventory came and went. We have 2 rooms and ressies needed to be changed to 2 split stays (4 ressies). She finally e-mailed me the revised details at 2AM the following day.

I would not have been able to sit on hold on the phone or computer to book the trip on the day the discount dropped so the TA was so worth it for me.

I book my own ADRs and FP+.

 

[softballmom3]

Sooooo sorry about this for you!!!!! I used to be a TA that did only Disney, but it was so time consuming I am now just a good ole Disney nerd again . I'm happy just to plan my own trips now lol! I agree with the others you have a rotten apple of a TA and I would alert their supervisor/agency owner what she's like. A good TA will do it all for you if you want and stalk for those discounts! I'm a control freak so I won't use one unless I get a discount or something because of well the obvious and would hesitate at that since I want to be in control of it all.

BTW you do NOT have to add that TA for a bounceback. They should ask and I would politely or impolitely decline.

Hopefully your trip goes smoothly and you have a great trip even with these hitches in it.