travel agent or not???

[princessamy1]

I am very new to all of this and have so many questions. I am planning a trip in Jan/Feb 09 because I understand that this is an off season and I hope to get good rates. It is all adults going so we do not have to worry about school. What kind of rates should I really expect to pay for a moderate room at this time of year? Should I book with a travel agent? I was referred to an agent that says she will look for discounts for us. What if I am lucky and receive a code from disney? Will I be able to use it though an agent. I hear people saying to call, I will not be able to do this with her, will I? I know, lots of question!! You guys are so great with all this info! Thanks for your help!

 

[PrincessNoelle'sMom]

Travel Agents can be very helpful, especially when planning your first trip to Disney - it can become overwhelming. My suggestion would be to make sure you use a Disney Specialist Travel Agent. We need to go through extensive initial and ongoing training. Most Disney Specialist TA's love, love, love what we do and can really help in planning a special vacation for you.

Any reputable TA will never charge fees and we book directly with Disney so that any codes/discounts can be applied. Feel free to PM me if you'd like my help or any other advice.

Good Luck with your decision.

 

[Mrs Grumpy]

I use a TA (this trip I am going to try Dreams Unlimited for the first time) just because I can't always keep up with the codes coming out and calling at the right time. They will watch all of that for you.

 

[wilda]

We never use a travel agent for WDW. We make all of our reservations thru CRO. As a matter of fact I called CRO in January and had a 40% code attached to my name....not sure if a TA would have ever thought to ask about that. The ONLY time we use a TA is if they can get a deal (usually on a cruise) that we can't!

There is so much information on the web; both Disney's own site and all of the rest, that you should be able to gather alot of the data you are looking for on your own. And since you are the one coordinating for the group, you may find that the plans are going to change occassionally. So the question is do you feel comfortable calling the TA every time you may want to make a change? If you book directly with CRO then you can just pick up the phone to make changes, ADR.s, etc.m I guess at the end of the day it's about control

 

[LindyN]

I guess at the end of the day it's about control

Its also about time. A good agent will save you time as he/she will take care of the little things regarding the reservations so you won't spend time on the phone with WDTC/CRO. A full time agent who consider booking vacations their job will be accessible via phone and email and you won't need to remind them to check codes or deals either.

 

[DznyDreams]

For me it's all about the hunt! I LOVE researching and booking my own vacations - especially for WDW! I'm afraid that if I had not booked on my own, beginning with trip #1, that I would have been lost in the crowd (literally) at the parks. The info you pick up here on the DIS is invaluable for more than just the deals. As for the hunt for special offers, free dining, codes, etc.: Well...that is just icing on the cake for someone like me!

I'm a Disney Planning Junkie, and I endorse this post.

 

[bubba73]

I have gone with and without using an agent. We have called and booked, drove down and hoped. We have done it all except use the internet and I have to say I prefer using an agent. They listened to what I wanted, made a few suggestions and took care of all of the hassles and headaches. It made for a great trip.

 

[Aliceacc]

For what it's worth:

When we got a PIN code (for 40% off our room rate) I called our TA and he got it applied.

So having a TA really means that there's another set of eyes out there looking for discounts. There's nothing stopping you from calling periodically to see whether there's a discount code applied to your name (for some reason, they apparently forget to let people know about the codes on a pretty regular basis.) If there is one, you can always call your TA and have the code applied.

We went through AAA since we wanted the AAA discount (10-20% off your room, depending on resort and season) and we also wanted the dining plan. For that particular combination, you need an AAA agent.

I've started a newbies thread; it may help you:http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1715551