Travel Agent vs Through Disney

[rockin disney fan]

We always use a TA .....she has ways of getting us cheaper rates and she knows all the little tricks to save us money and make us so much happier. It is a local agent and she knows if we are happy we will gladly send her more people. Over past few years we have taken many vacations and sent many people her way.


Not to mention it is less stress leading up to the trip and I can keep being excited and not so overwhelmed. I find it so much more enjoyable when I leave the stress of booking and working to take a vacation to a travel agent. It was hard at first leaving it in someone's hands (I am a closet control freak) but after the first few times I have came to rely on her.

Edit: I seen some people saying they did not have control over the vacation to make changes...I have never had that issue once I had my confirmation number I can go in and make any changes or set up room deliveries next...I did Everything right on the Disney website...and for our cruises once I got my confirmation number I once more went to the dcl site and made any changes and even added shore excursions.....

My last trip to dw I went in and set up a character breakfast at last minute with no problems....must depend on agent...not sure but nothing was unobtainable to me once that number was given to me.

When you say local agent....are you talking orlando local or your home area? If they do such a good job, how much have they been able to save you? Just talked to the MEI agent and he made an oversight that brings our cost up approx. $300. Now they are around the same price as everyone else I was really hoping to save/get a better deal.

 

[mountdew1]

If you deal with a Disney specialist TA (most of the good ones sponsor sections of the big WDW forums such as the Dis) then you shouldn't have any problems. They are all huge WDW fans themselves and know about things like 180 days for ADRs and the like. They technically do own the reservation, but they will give you everything you need to make your ADRs and do all your other planning. The only time they would need to get involved is to make changes to the booking, move dates, change hotels, guests, etc. They get paid by WDW, so you shouldn't have to pay a thing, and most will automatically keep track of discounts you are eligible for and attempt to rebook your trip to save you money.

Most of the horror stories come from non Disney TAs who don't deal with WDW very much. They usually think that booking at WDW is no different than booking a week in Rome or Las Vegas, and can be difficult to work with.

There is no harm to booking with a good TA, they may be able to save you money, but no guarantees.

 

[Divah]

When you say local agent....are you talking orlando local or your home area? If they do such a good job, how much have they been able to save you? Just talked to the MEI agent and he made an oversight that brings our cost up approx. $300. Now they are around the same price as everyone else I was really hoping to save/get a better deal.

Local agent in my area. I have used her for many many trips and not just our Disney ones. She has yet to fail in saving us money in many ways. From room upgrades to discounts we are always pleased.

No one can tell you what can and can not be done. Some Ta's will work harder for you than others ...know when to look for deals and how to negotiate extras. As our TA said to us sometimes a better deal is just a lucky stumble and sometimes it is how you play the game no one price is ever set in stone.

Disney is no different than any other company they want your money to keep you happy so you come back and give them more money and I believe my TA when she told us that being flexible knowing when to book and being diligent will yield results. It has very often for us especially this trip .I can't come close to the prices she does when I book myself and I am extremely satisfied with results she gets.

My advice, and just advice, to anyone up in the air about booking with a TA or on your own. Go talk to a Ta or two or 3 get a price check and compare small local agents to larger firms and tell them what you want...do not be afraid to check multiple TA let them know you are shopping around. Make them work for your business and ask them what they will do for you to keep earning you future business as well. Then sit down and try booking it yourself. Remember the initial cost may not be your final cost...( no price is set in stone)..any deals you can find can be applied if you have the diligence to do it.(This is why I have a ta I hate dealing with customers service)what takes me hours to get done takes her a few moments.

While advice here is noteworthy , and everyone has had different experiences with them...does not mean it will always yield those same experiences or results but hey if it will save you a dime it is a dime more than you had. (My hubby is an accountant always about saving a dime lol)

 

[kjs1976]

I just used an agent from one of the WDW travel agencies and was able to to save $80 a night at POFQ. There was no availability at that resort for our travel dates through the WDW site, and Orbitz was the only site I could find availability and a sort of decent price. I got my WDW confirmation number immediatly and linked it to my account with no issues. I will get tickets through her as well when we decide what our best options will be this weekend.