Using a travel agent really the same price?

[Kshell40]

I never used one before. I did this time with free dining promotion bc I simply couldn't get through. The package is what I expected price wise. No additional. For some reason they could get through while the site
Crashes for me and couldn't get call through

 

[Ntw25]

I never use a TA.......until this time. Kerry at Dreams has been great, very helpful and very responsive. the price quoted was exactly the same as the website. I booked the flights separately as I got a good deal through a promotion and points.

For any other vacation, I would probably book myself.

 

[thr33boys]

I am using a travel agency this time because of their exclusive deal. It is saving me quite a bit - $945.26! Otherwise, I would just book everything myself.

Disney for exact same package $3628.33
Travel agency - $2683.07

 

[Judique]

Then why did the TA quote me $189 and Disney $445?

The particular agency gets a room block in the slow season - late August/September. Plus there is pool construction and DVC construction going on at the Poly.

 

[DISNEY1975]

Hi-
I keep hearing about how its "no extra" cost to use a travel agent for Disney World trips. While I am NOT saying anything bad about using one, both quotes I received from "authorized" Disney agents were more expensive than when I went directly through the Disney website. One I received from our last trip a few months ago to WDW and now I just got a cruise quote and it was also more. I confirmed meal plans, dates, #day passes, taxes, etc were all the same in both their quotes and my search. Yet they are considerably more. Am I missing something?

I am a TA. Prices I get for clients are exactly what anyone can get on the Disney sight. Disney pays TAs a percentage of what is spent on the trip. The advantage of using a TA would be if your not sure how to plan a Disney vacation, a TA can give lots of helpful advice and make your plans for you.

With that said, I am also a Disney fanatic. I would LOVE to book some peoples Disney packages and even offer to book their dining. The people I would not LOVE to book for are people on this site (self included!). The difference is with Disney World, they often offer promos, people change their plans according to weather while they are there, change their minds about dining etc..etc..etc... If I were a Disney guest who knew what I was doing, I would want complete instant control at all times of my Disney vacation. If you book through an agent, you need to go through your agent to make any modifications. Some agents have specific working hours. Can you imagine what people went through last Monday for free dining and had to wait for their agent to get to work at 9am? While I was on 4+ hour hold, twice, for my own vacation, I was thanking the Lord it was not for a client. I would not want to be responsible for not getting them the best deal possible. Ive seen many TA sites stating they lost clients because they couldnt get them the FD deal and the agents got blamed, instead of the ridicilous Disney TA site and hold times that day.

Personally, as a neurotic Disney superfan, I would not use a TA for a WDW vacation. I absolutely would for a Disney Cruise/Disneyland or if I were a newbie not familiar with the ins and outs of WDW.

 

[DISNEY1975]

Then why did the TA quote me $189 and Disney $445?

As an incentive for a client to book through me, I often give a portion of my commission as a discount on the package, making my price better than Disney's. $189 opposed to $445 sounds a bit strange, but a large TA business might get better deals than little 'ole me!

 

[CocoTravels]

I used the magical travel agent because they were charging far less than Disney. Disney was charging $445 per night for the Poly and the TA was charging $189. A no brainer to book with the TA.

Did you book this recently? I would love to hear more about their offer.

 

[MillauFr]

Did you book this recently? I would love to hear more about their offer.

I posted how to find it on your page. It is the travel agent that everyone here uses that wants to get a huge discount.

 

[LizzyS]

This has been an interesting read. I'm tempted to do all of my planning myself because I'm a control freak when it comes to my vacations, tbh, but I doubt I'll be changing my mind on most things once it's made up.

 

[tasha99]

I was seriously tempted by a TA that apparently had group space held during our trip. Filled out their online form . . . no reply. Called and left a message later. Finally, I tried the online form again. Have never heard back from them and I would never consider them now. To save money, I would have to relinquish control to a company that has proven itself nonresponsive. That seems too risky to me now.