Travel Agent vs self planning

[lotsahrt]

Has anyone used wdwtravels to plan their trip to disney? Are they a legit company?

What are the advantages/disadvantages for using a agent or planning it all on your own?

There is no fee to use them, so would it be better to have them plan the trip?

Thank you for any help!

 

[indiesgirl4ever]

i to want to have this peice(sp?) of information btw welcome to the DISboards!

 

[lotsahrt]

indiesgirl4ever

TY for the welcome. I'm just so overwelmed trying to figure this all out. There is just so much you need to know.

BTW...Are you a Twilight fan too? My daughter and I can't wait for the movie to come out.

 

[parrotheadlois]

I highly highly (and I'm not employed nor do I have any financial interest in) highly recommend Dreams Unlimited!!!! They are just the best (imho).

 

[TinkAsh2001]

I havent been to disney as much as I would like but the time we didnt use the TA I knew NOTHING about codes and the perks for staying on property (we stayed off site). The one in April was booked with a TA and much smoother. For our honeymoon in June 09 we booked with Dreams Unlimited and it is WONDERFUL. The TA had e-mailed me before I knew about the promotion to tell me it was already added to my account. I reccoment trying Dreams Unlimited. TA's can also help with Dining Reservations.

 

[haleofafamily]

A combination of both is best for me. I like the TA's for their knowledge and code recommendation. Just make sure you get someone who specializes in Disney.
I like to plan my own park days, ADR's, and touring plan.

 

[indiesgirl4ever]

indiesgirl4ever

TY for the welcome. I'm just so overwelmed trying to figure this all out. There is just so much you need to know.

BTW...Are you a Twilight fan too? My daughter and I can't wait for the movie to come out.

welcomes! im a HUGE twilight fan XD me and all my friends are going to be right there when it opens! after school of course!

 

[TinkAsh2001]

Yea I usually plan my own ADR's but always ask what is there favorites to get reccomendations!

 

[pepe of ohio]

for years. Never used a TA. We watch the codes, and quite a few Disney forums and make our decision and just book what we need with CRO. We're headed for trip 42 and packages do not interest us, same goes for ADR's. We do not like structured trips, like to be as flexible as we can, when were hungry, we eat. No time schedules or watches. We're found out being in Disney, things can change in a heart beat, like relaxing at the pool after a hectic day, if we're comfortable there we'll blow off the evening park or meal. We like home made sandwiches, from the grocery stop, at the pool and we found that our eating habits change in Florida, we're just not all that hungry for 3 complete meals. So all in all, what could a TA do for us that we couldn't do for ourselves? Nothing, and we can monitor, alter or cancel anything by ourselves without contacting a TA, and by reading on these forums, are kind of hard to get to or an email.

 

[lisaanddenny]

i plan my whole trip, book it with disney and then let my travel agent take care of it, i tell disney what TA I want to handle my ressie, the only reason is that my TA discounts disney 5% on top of disneyworld.com prices, 5% off everything but the taxes............that is the only reason I let her handle it but I actually make it and give them my TA info...........its real easy, half the time disney asks me if I want to use the same TA as before...........

 

[SummerGirl]

I'm wondering this same thing. We had a TA plan our last 2 trips, but I like to make my own ADRs, etc. For 08 we went through a AAA agent, but with the 2009 disney discounts I wonder, what's the point? Is there really anything more that AAA could offer me?

 

[lovetoscrap]

I think that it all boils down to just how much work YOU want to put into things. A good TA will watch for any discounts and hopefully apply them for you. They can schedule your flights and let you know of any changes. If there are problems you have an advocate to help you get things fixed. If you want they will make your ADR's, help you with booking other things like the extra parties, or any tours etc...

You can do all that yourself. But do you want to? Do you want to spend the time on the phone or the internet making your reservations, finding the best flights, calling to get your ADR's etc???

I am a control freak. I want absoute control over everything. That said I find myself having less and less time to check daily for discounts, make calls to change things etc. I haven't used a TA but have seriously considered it for in the future. I would love to just set it all up with one person, tell him/her where I want to eat and have them call 180+10 to make my ADR's. Let them keep track of discounts and do the work to find the best airfare and rental car for me. I want to be able to email my thoughts at 1am and get an email back the next day saying things have been changed.

The advantage of the TA is that if you have a great one, that specializes in Disney and really knows what they are doing then they may be aware of things you don't know. Like if a restaurant will be in rehab during your trip, or that a discount will be available for your trip starting tomorrow and they call at 7am to have it applied. They save you the time and effort. And they get paid by Disney or wherever you are going and in very few cases should they ever charge YOU a fee for their services. They do all the work, put in all the time and at no additional cost to you--and sometimes with a saving like an On Board Credit for a cruise, or a discount with an airline or something.

But if you want total control, want to call whenever you want to change things with the reservation etc and feel you have the time to spend with all of that then by all means book it yourself. For many people the planning is all part of the fun.

You can also do a combination. Let your TA book the room and flights and you book your ADR's. You just won't be able to make any changes to your room/package booking yourself, your TA would have to do it. Your TA is there to work for you, so have them do as much or as little as you need.

It really is all a matter of personal preference. Decide what you are comfortable with.

 

[valentina]

We always use Dreams Unlimited - they're amazing! They will save you so much time and effort. However, if you feel comfortable with booking your own trip (including making all the calls!), then I'd say go for it. Some people have more fun planning than others. My family, for example, hates planning flights, hotels, restaurants, tickets, etc. but my aunt LOVES it. It's all a matter of preference.

 

[Missin'Disney]

Hi there....
I totally agree with much of what LovestoScrap has pointed out. While it is fun to do the planning yourself, it can get very tedious, with wait times in excess of an hour to speak to the Disney Travel Co., and having to keep your ear to the ground for every little bit of news Disney releases.

Yes, WDWTravels is a legit company and there are many DIS'ers who have used them that I know of. They aren't as huge as Dreams Unlimited, but IMO you get much more personalized service from them. (and WAY better than any AAA agent you are gonna find!) Kris is awesome, very knowledgeable, friendly and easy to work with.

Good luck with whatever you decide to do, planning a trip to Disney should be fun, not stressful, remember that!!