Travel Agent ? or Disney Site?

[Beauties n the Beast]

In the past I have done it on my own. It's a lot of work!! This year I used a TA and she is great! I like that she will help me with the reservations (dining and FastPass) and can monitor for discounts

 

[tlmadden73]

I think it all depends on your personality and how much planning you want to do yourself. Also depends on the length of your stay and if you've been there before.

Travel agents do a lot of work for you .. (and you pay for it usually ... but found discounts can make higher prices a wash).

Personally, I like planning and have been there enough times and enjoy searching info that I could be the travel agent for a big family trip (with extended family), but I had a friend who took his extended family down there (kids, grandkids, etc.) and he went through a travel agent. Personally I thought the plan they came up with .. with dinner reservations and fast passes was a bit too aggressive (especially for the size of their group and the ages of the kids on the trip) no child older than 5-6. In hindsight they wished they had planned "less" ... as they were constantly trying to get from one scheduled thing to another. But that is not necessarilly the agent's fault.

 

[ah1126]

I have done it both ways. But my friend is now a Disney travel planner, so I will always book with her now. Also I have been having a ton of trouble with the Disney website. I don't even know if I could book on there if I tried!

 

[goofy4prez]

I used a travel agent the first two times I visited WDW. The first really knew nothing about Disney and was an order taker. The second TA was a Disney certified travel agent and was fantastic. She helped me with choosing the resort, my restaurants, and planning out each day; she was awesome. After 2 visits to Disney and compulsive hours here on the DIS, I have become pretty good at planning my own visits to Disney and no longer use a travel agent. I now book online... Or I should say I use to book online with Disney... I now am a DVC member and will be staying in June for the first time as a member.

 

[msmama]

I feel like in the time it takes me to tell someone else what I want, I could have done it myself. So, I do things myself.

 

[TXAKDisneyFan]

We also contacted two different, well-known, Disney-specialist TAs when we first started planning our upcoming trip. Both responded to our initial correspondence, but after asking a few questions, they stopped responding. We never even got quotes.

We ended up just booking everything ourselves over the phone, which turned out to be incredibly easy. (And then when family decided to join us, they were able to call Disney directly and book the same resort with the same discount as us.)

We might use a TA in the future if we have complicated needs, or are unsure of the best discounts. But otherwise, we'll continue to make the reservations on our own.

 

[kastoney]

I've typically done everything myself on the Disney site but used a TA for the first time this trip,as they had access to discounts the site didn't. That said I plan to go thr TA route in the future. One it was much easier to book things like DME through her after the fact than deal with calling Disney. But two I like giving business to small businessss

 

[kmoore7]

I have always booked on my own. I do my homework,here,of course,then call Disney directly. You would be surprised what they will do for you if you are armed with info. I have always been treated like gold calling, and have received many a discount from them. Again, know your info ahead of time and you can't go wrong

 

[tinkerbella16]

I have been booking my trips through an agency that books Disney vacations since 2007 and haven't done it any other way since. I like that my agent is always there to answer my crazy questions or changes to my package. If I want them to book my adrs, they will. When discounts come out, I don't have to worry about sitting on the phone at 7am on hold to get it applied to my package. I can go to work and just wait for the email saying if I had applied for it or not. It is just less stressful and I can still do my part in the planning fun too.

 

[LoverDisney]

For our first trip in 2012 I did book through a TA because I had no clue where to start. I used Dreams Unlimited and my TA was great! However since then no TA for me. I like having control over my own reservation and make changes without waiting.

 

[Cuppie]

I had booked and planned out all our previous trips. But this year because of A&E and 7DMT and the fp+system I have never used, I am using a TA because as she put it, it's her job to stay up to 1am to get me those hard to get FP+.

Ask me again in November how I feel about a TA.... lol

I am scared though at the thought of giving up the control...haha

 

[CampbellzSoup]

In 2015 the idea of using a travel agent is so stuck in the past

 

[Lorilais_mommie]

We use a TA for our first trip (8 years ago) and I vowed 'never again'. At that time (things may have changed) we had to go through her for everything until we got onsite. When I tried to make an ADR via the phone I was told the TA had to make it.

This happen to us! I hated it!!!
I think now you can do FP+ and dining.. But any room changes and notes that need to be added.
The TA has to do it.
VERY frustrating when trying to explain a Childs sensory needs.. And then not knowing if they were documented right on the ressie.

Warning : DCL still will only talk to our TA, not you.. Even if you call just to ask a simple question

 

[PeasandCarrots]

Can you tell me if your like going to a TA or do you like booking your vacation thru the Disney website?
Does the TA work for you or do they just book and then go away after that knowing they made the sale? Debating this w/ my wife and just wondering what you folks think.

TIA.

I book directly through Disney. I tried a travel agent once because the idea of them keeping up with discounts was appealing, but they didn't do that - I told them about discounts and also had a hard time getting a timely response from them when I needed to. I'm sure there are great agents out there, but my one experience was not good so I just do it myself and save myself the stress of hoping they do their job right.

 

[tjevans]

In 2015 the idea of using a travel agent is so stuck in the past

No, it's all about convenience.

Now, on a "simple" vacation, I can handle that all myself, but on a Disney vacation, I like to use a TA, and here's why: My current job has immense ebbs and flows. There can be months where I'm scrambling to find something to do (fortunately I'm salaried), and months when I never have time to look at anything Disney related. So, I like having someone who can "look out for me" and assist me in planning my trip. And, with a good TA, the level of planning they do is all up to the client. You can tell the TA I want such and such flight and this character meal, etc. Someone clueless, however, can give the TA an idea what they like and leave it all up to the TA.

So, if you're the type that wants to be in control of everything, don't use a T.A, but some of us don't have the time nor want to monitor discount codes, free dining, etc.

 

[tjevans]

Travel agents do a lot of work for you .. (and you pay for it usually ... but found discounts can make higher prices a wash).

You must have had a bad TA if you've paid a higher rate than without. A GOOD TA understands they work for you, even though they get paid by commission on how much you're spending. From a purely business point of view, it costs much less to retain a current client than it does to obtain a new client. An agent who is just one of many at an agency may not understand that, but that is the business owner's fault for not properly educating his/her agents.

 

[MillauFr]

On the website I can compare special offers, room types, time of year, days of the week, free dining etc. There is absolutely no need for a middle man.

I usually hate using a TA and think they are just a middle man too. However after reading the info on these boards I used the magical travel agent because Disney was selling rooms at the Poly last August for $450 and the TA was selling them for $189. I couldn't pass up a 55% discount.

 

[minniemous]

I usually hate using a TA and think they are just a middle man too. However after reading the info on these boards I used the magical travel agent because Disney was selling rooms at the Poly last August for $450 and the TA was selling them for $189. I couldn't pass up a 55% discount.

Well that might change my mind too! LOL. I am sure there are agents who are really helpful. Especially if you have never been to DW or are just not up to date on what is going on. However my agent gave us no information besides if you want to meet Pooh bear eat at Crystal palace. I thought oh wow thanks for that inside info LOL.

Now I am going to have to check out this travel agent $189.00!! Not too shabby.

 

[bumbershoot]

VERY frustrating when trying to explain a Childs sensory needs.. And then not knowing if they were documented right on the ressie.

Warning : DCL still will only talk to our TA, not you.. Even if you call just to ask a simple question

I've been able to talk to dcl about a variety of things even when using a TA. Distilled water requests, even a name misspelling was changed quickly and easily despite it being booked through a TA.

Did explaining sensory needs for the room reservation enhance your stay? I wouldn't think that would be a needed thing to do. A room is a room. Would hate for you to be frustrated for something that ultimately might not have changed your experience.

 

[Lorilais_mommie]

I've been able to talk to dcl about a variety of things even when using a TA. Distilled water requests, even a name misspelling was changed quickly and easily despite it being booked through a TA.

Did explaining sensory needs for the room reservation enhance your stay? I wouldn't think that would be a needed thing to do. A room is a room. Would hate for you to be frustrated for something that ultimately might not have changed your experience.

A room can make or break our stay.
Each child with sensory is different.. They EACH process things differently. After being in the park, my DD NEEDS a dark quite room. So not next to an elevator, or lobby. Top floor is normally best. (I explained ALL this to my TA and more!)
Simply putting "child with sensory" on your ressie. Was pointless!!! Which is what our TA told disney.

After seeing our room we went straight back to the check in desk..
We had a wonderful CM Let us switch rooms and told us if for any reason the did not fit our needs, just let them know.

After telling him that I had repeated told our TA our DD needs, he suggested next time sending a faxed letter right to the resort A few days before hand. Or booking through disney.

Ran into this Same problem booking our Cruise.
I had picked a room that fit our need (cause you can do that at booking)
But she misspelled our last names!! I called DCL and was told to have my TA call..
Later on I want to put in a request for dinning rotation.. Was told again to have my TA call DCL to add the note.

This time the CM explained why it is this way.
She told me that the ressie is held my the TA. And according to the contracts disney has with the agency they are not allowed to discuss the ressie with anyone else other than the TA.

My trips have become to important to waste time playing "telephone" with a TA.
So cutting out the middle man We are More likely to get DDs needs met, then having something lost in translation.