What does a travel agent do?

[pepperderr]

We went on two other trips to WDW but our last one was 10 years ago. The first time I just booked a package online and got the dining plan and that was that. The second time we got military tickets at SOG and did a split stay between All-Star Movies I think it was, and SOG. I used Tour Guide Mike both times along with this website. Now I am using Touring Plans and doing everything through the Disney website again. I know when I want to go at the end of August. I have the reservations for AoA Nemo suite with the $200 deposit that I can change later. What does a travel agent do that I can't do? Do they just look for the best price and help you find a hotel and maybe remind you to make reservations for dinners or special events or is there a lot more to it? Will they figure out the best price for us including military tickets? I am pretty sure we would have to be the ones to buy them but should I just comparison shop myself or hire an agent? How do I find them and know they are legit?

 

[godfather927]

My two cents: a travel agent does the research and price shopping for you. They should be able to explain all the ins and outs that you learn about on these boards, from Genie+, to ADRs, to room locations, etc. So if you have the time and don't mind researching things on your own, a travel agent is mostly redundant. If you don't have as much time to dig into things yourself, you're paying them to save you the time and help connect the dots for you.

Disclaimer: I haven't used a travel agent once, but this is how I have come to understand what role they fill.

 

[DisneyWishGirl]

For my trip this up coming week I used a travel agent I really liked having someone else doing the dinning reservations for me, I have done it in the past for myself and it was easy but just didnt feel like getting up early and stressing. They got all my requests in like Ohana, Topolino's breakfast, Oga's and Space 220 and I got to sleep in!! Just one of the things she has done for me. Just something to think about as I will continue to use an agent in the future!!

 

[revdon64]

Interesting that you ask this on a message board run by a travel agency. I don't have specific answers as I'm no travel agent and have never used one for a Disney trip, but I believe they have certain tools that give them advantages in finding difficult reservations, etc. They also dedicate all their time to finding the things you want so you don't have to.

 

[DisneyWishGirl]

I used Dreamsunlimited which runs the DIS and who I follow on youtube!!

 

[snikki]

For me I do everything myself (dining, FP+, transportation) but my agent looks for discounts and waits on hold when discounts come out. I also make all payments through her. That’s enough for me to book with an agent every time.

 

[Stratman50th]

I use a travel agent to get those hard to find spots at Fort Wilderness. She does all the heavy lifting, staying on the phones and organizing so I can get me requested site type and length of stay. She has also got me the best price by attaching me to a group that has open spaces. I have done all my own meal reservations and park tickets.
I have never used a TA for hotel stays, but my last and final was in 2012 so not necessary.
My TA was worth her weight in gold to me.

 

[Pyxie]

A good travel agent will price shop for you, keep watching for new promos and automatically apply any discounts you are eligible for, wake up early and book your dining reservations for you, and wait on hold for hours with Disney if you need to call for any reason.

 

[FunnyLady1966]

Great question. I've never used a travel agent but because SO much has changed since my last trip I will use one this upcoming trip. They are a wealth of knowledge and do all the leg work for you.

 

[LYSE]

My wife was one for an ear marked company, it is great for someone that knows nothing but if your hands on it might not be worth it. (Not price wise but just an extra layer wise)

She would price shop, book, re check pricing, book add-ons and occasionally dining if they really wanted specific things.

Most will do as much or as little as you ask them to do.

 

[PalmettoPath]

Disney vacations are one notable area of travel where an *experienced* Disney travel agent can be a great benefit to a novice Disney traveler. Walt Disney World in particular has so many moving parts that it can be overwhelming to a first-time or infrequent Disney traveler. So in those cases in particular, a knowledgeable and experienced Disney-focused travel advisor can offer insights, expertise, itinerary recommendations and overall peace of mind. IMO, as with any advisor of any kind that you may work with, you want to ensure that the advisor is experienced and ideally knows more than you do to be able to offer value above and beyond.

 

[reddog21]

I think it also has to to with your work situation meaning I'm in front of a computer all day every day so I can check reservations anytime during the day. The one time a few years back I choose to go with a Disney specific travel agent I found my dining reservation and fastpass reservations before they did. Not everyone has that luxury of being able to check for reservation's thru out the day. If you signup for any number Disney newsletters you'll be notified instantly when a new hotel discount is available.

I couldn't see myself leaving dining reservations in the hands of someone else.

 

[reddog21]

Disney vacations are one notable area of travel where an *experienced* Disney travel agent can be a great benefit to a novice Disney traveler. Walt Disney World in particular has so many moving parts that it can be overwhelming to a first-time or infrequent Disney traveler. So in those cases in particular, a knowledgeable and experienced Disney-focused travel advisor can offer insights, expertise, itinerary recommendations and overall peace of mind. IMO, as with any advisor of any kind that you may work with, you want to ensure that the advisor is experienced and ideally knows more than you do to be able to offer value above and beyond.

your 100% correct however I find it shocking that people don't research where there vacationing to whether it be Disney or anywhere else, especially now with the wealth of information that's available at your finger tips.

 

[_19disnA]

I don't see much point in using a travel agent unless they offer discounts not available to the general public. Virtually everyone nowadays has a PC and internet access to look up prices/dates/availability and comparison shop online for hotels & airlines. They also need to be VERY current regarding Disney practices on such things as Genie, park reservations, etc. or they could provide you with bad information. It is probably unlikely that the travel agent has actually been to all of the places they are able to book a vacation.

If you have never been to Disney, you won't have any idea which restaurants your prefer or even which parks you will spend the most time at. You would likely need to spend a LOT of time on the phone talking through the various options to even begin to know what you want. Once you book a reservation through a 3rd party, you will also no longer be able to talk directly with Disney about your plans.

If you are a Disney regular, you probably already know what you want to do and can make your own reservations online.

 

[pixiegoose]

For me I do everything myself (dining, FP+, transportation) but my agent looks for discounts and waits on hold when discounts come out. I also make all payments through her. That’s enough for me to book with an agent every time.

Same. I like having control over all my adrs and the like but also like not having to be the one sitting on hold with Disney for hours to get a new discount applied to my trip.

 

[nikem3]

I'm a travel agent, mostly do cruises, but do disney stuff as well. Most of the comments are correct above. We can typically call a travel agent line to get possibly a little faster service. We will usually know the ins and outs on how to get reservations, when they open up, etc. We get good information sent to us pretty quickly on new things coming out for Disney or cruises or whatever so that we stay up to date. We have learning modules we can take to also stay current on new product.

Not sure if every travel agent works this way, but we don't charge extra for booking. For instance, if you could book a cruise for $1000pp for a week, we book it at the exact same price. We just make a commission from the cruise line or Disney but that money isn't responsibility of the client. On top of that, as someone stated earlier we also get group rates that can make things a little cheaper. Or for certain travel companies you can get deals specifically for the travel company, so it can actually be a little cheaper than you can get yourself.

 

[maltdizzy]

During all the unrest due to the pandemic, one cancelled trip, one rebooked trip, constant hotel postponements, etc., our TA was the one spending days on the phone sorting out resort changes, new policies, etc. Plus, she spent 15 hours (no exaggeration) on the phone last year for Boo Bash tickets (and a few more 2+ hours calls for other amenities). I still handled ADRs allowing me to pivot according to availability, though I made some mistakes she probably would not have. In all, the TA saves me a lot of hassle and a heck of a lot of time not having to listen to the same phone loop. It's no extra cost to us (they are compensated by Disney), and I can still handle what I feel like handling. The only downside is you have to go through them for some pre-trip adjustments because the trip is in their name.

 

[Mle8308]

We went on two other trips to WDW but our last one was 10 years ago. The first time I just booked a package online and got the dining plan and that was that. The second time we got military tickets at SOG and did a split stay between All-Star Movies I think it was, and SOG. I used Tour Guide Mike both times along with this website. Now I am using Touring Plans and doing everything through the Disney website again. I know when I want to go at the end of August. I have the reservations for AoA Nemo suite with the $200 deposit that I can change later. What does a travel agent do that I can't do? Do they just look for the best price and help you find a hotel and maybe remind you to make reservations for dinners or special events or is there a lot more to it? Will they figure out the best price for us including military tickets? I am pretty sure we would have to be the ones to buy them but should I just comparison shop myself or hire an agent? How do I find them and know they are legit?

A travel agent can be a great resource if they specialize in Disney. However, I do not *think* they would be able to get military tickets - thought I could be wrong. This site is sponsored by Dreams Unlimited Travel and they are Disney experts. Might be worth reaching out! Enjoy your trip.

 

[scard192]

My TA books our hotel/ticket package and monitors discounts:

October 2019, discount dropped for our April 2020 trip (it was cancelled), TA spent 8+ hours (got discounted a lot) on the phone getting the discounts for her clients. I got my confirmation e-mail at 2AM the next day. I was working that day and could not have spent hours on hold with Disney to upgrade our reservation to the discounted price.

Out of the ordinary - trip 2 weeks ago was postponed 3 times due to Covid, TA made all the changes, I did nothing more than tell her the new dates.

Last January, discount dropped for our trip which took place 2 weeks ago. I was drinking coffee at 6:30AM when I got an e-mail with the new confirmations for our packages. At that point, I had no idea that a discount had come out that day.

Called Disney for us when something happened in the app/website a month before our trip. 1 person in my family was listed in 2 rooms and 1 disappeared completely. She spent quite awhile on hold, I did nothing.

She provides advice, has Genie+ cheat sheet, I do all of our ADRs and park reservations, FP+ (back when it existed).

My TA saves us money and time and we pay nothing for her services; price is the same as booking directly with Disney.