Travel agent?

[TriciaSDMom]

We have been to Disney World a few times and I have always done the planning myself. This time we are going to Disneyland and I thought I would use a travel agent because I am not as familiar with it. I finally got a quote from the TA today and it is the exact same quote as Disney's site. I thought using a TA might get me deal, but I guess not. Now I'm wondering if I really need the TA. Thoughts?

 

[WebmasterMaryJo]

The TAs do not cost you more money, but some of them (like the ones at Dreams Unlimited Travel, who sponsor this site), will continue to look for deals for you, and help you plan your trip.

If you are unsure, and would like help, then a TA is good. If you like planning and finding deals on your own, then the Disneyland forum has a wealth of information to help you out.

 

[SweetAlex]

I've always booked our trips myself before too because the one time I did get a quote from a travel agent, they were about $1,000 more than the price I could get. Which is crazy, considering it only cost us $4000 in the first place. However, I tried again for our upcoming trip in December and the agent managed to get me a price that I could not even come close to.

I think they definitely can get cheaper rates but it does depend on the agent, the current deals offered to them and what their "cut" is.

Maybe try a different agent and see how they compare...?

 

[OKW Lover]

As Mary Jo says, one of the biggest benefits of using a TA is that they (at least that's true with Dreams Unlimited) will continue to monitor your reservation and if a better deal comes out will automatically re-book you.

Dreams just saved us $600 on a cruise we are taking in late-November.

 

[aroseinwintr]

If you have a Costco membership you will get the same price as DL but with a Character meal voucher for each person in your party! I love it!!!

 

[hootey]

We have used Walt Disney Travel Company on most trips to DL. They can book the hotel as well as book everything for the entire visit including character meals, meal reservations, and tell you about all promotions being offered by DL. If something new is offered before your arrival date, they will call to explain it to you. WDTC will plan out each day for you if you would like. They are part of Disney, they can tell you about everything going on in the parks.

 

[AndreAggie]

We consulted with a TA before deciding to book on our own. I ended up doing a lot of research on my own searching for all sorts of deals and options. We weren't sure if we wanted to stay on property, but after looking around, we decided to opt for the Marriott-Chase credit card and we earned enough points to cover our hotel stay using points. (and before I get shamed for signing up for a credit card just for the points, my husband travels a lot and stays at Holiday Inn or Marriott group hotels. Plus, we're credit savvy and knew one CC app won't affect much since we've made our major purchases - house, car - already.)

The TA we visited with doesn't book flights, so we found a good deal using American Airline points (my husband has status with them and we both have American points). We really lucked out in that we have a couple friends that work for Disney and a portion of our tickets are covered as well. We both realize the stars don't align very often like this, so we're taking full advantage while we can.

 

[jlindley9]

I think it really comes down to how much work/research you want to do, especially at a place you haven't been to. If you go with someone who is very experienced with Disneyland, they can potentially provide information that would be difficult to find elsewhere.

Any good travel agent should cost no more than what you can book direct through Disney. And oftentimes, even though the cost is the same, they provide extras like treats or gift cards as a thank you for booking with them.

 

[starshine514]

I haven't had the best experience with TAs, so I don't use them. However, if I were to use one (for say, something I know nothing about booking, like an international trip or a cruise), I'd use one that specialized in that area. So, if I were using a TA for Disney, I'd use Dreams Unlimited. I believe their agents know a lot about Disney.