What to expect from an authorized Disney travel agent

[MissChele]

Newbie here!

We are planning a trip to WDW in October and have been working with an agent. When we had a conference call last week, she was not able to answer questions on specials that might be offered for our trip since the Disney website was down. She knew we were calling and what we were looking for but it sounds like she did not do any preliminary work. I got a disinterested vibe from her - nice but no enthusiasm. Now, I'm doubting even working with her.

1) Am I expecting too much?

2) Is it normal to contact more than one agency and work with the one that can get you the best deal (or you feel most comfortable with)?

Thanks for your advice!

 

[mimi1016]

When I contacted an agency for our trip last year I also got a disinterested vibe from her. It was our first trip and she wasn't what I was expecting. So I contacted another agency and the difference was night and day. My new TA was excited for us (even is she wasn't really she at least feigned excitement) and she was able to answer all questions I had and always got back to me the same day. I'd say try another agency if you didn't get a good vibe from the first one. I'm using the same one I used last time for our trip next year.

 

[robinb]

Newbie here!

We are planning a trip to WDW in October and have been working with an agent. When we had a conference call last week, she was not able to answer questions on specials that might be offered for our trip since the Disney website was down. She knew we were calling and what we were looking for but it sounds like she did not do any preliminary work. I got a disinterested vibe from her - nice but no enthusiasm. Now, I'm doubting even working with her.

1) Am I expecting too much?

2) Is it normal to contact more than one agency and work with the one that can get you the best deal (or you feel most comfortable with)?

Thanks for your advice!

You are the customer. If you don't like this particular agent you are free to select a different agency. Just because an agent is "authorized" doesn't mean they are experts.

 

[BostonJP]

1) Am I expecting too much?

No, not at all. Websites go down and that's understandable; however, it's OK to expect them to have a backup plan that works when the website doesn't.

2) Is it normal to contact more than one agency and work with the one that can get you the best deal (or you feel most comfortable with)?

Absolutely. Shop all of them and let them know you're shopping around for the best deal, you'll know right away which ones are working in your best interests

 

[dvcakv]

Best of luck finding an agent that shares the disney passion and is able to meet your needs. Its definitely not to much to want someone that wants your experience to be magical.

 

[lovetoscrap]

Newbie here!

We are planning a trip to WDW in October and have been working with an agent. When we had a conference call last week, she was not able to answer questions on specials that might be offered for our trip since the Disney website was down. She knew we were calling and what we were looking for but it sounds like she did not do any preliminary work. I got a disinterested vibe from her - nice but no enthusiasm. Now, I'm doubting even working with her.

1) Am I expecting too much?

2) Is it normal to contact more than one agency and work with the one that can get you the best deal (or you feel most comfortable with)?

Thanks for your advice!

You want an agent that can help you with every step of the planning if you don't want to do it yourself. Not only do you want the best deal when you book, you want one that will continue to search for deals as they come up and apply them to your booking automatically. From what I have read on our boards you may not be able to get many better deals by going from TA to TA-- Disney prices are pretty fixed. BUT you want one that does know what discounts you do qualify for and can help you decide if they are right for you. Often there are discounts for "room only" and "packages" available at the same time. Depending on your family and vacation style one may be a better deal for you and your TA should ask you plenty of questions to determine that and present you with all the options.

Many people decide that there isn't really any benefit to going through a TA-- they want to plan everything themselves. That is why the DIS is here! We have plenty of boards to help you plan every step of the way. You really should read here anyway so you know what questions to ask your TA and can be sure they have the knowledge to expertly plan your trip. To me the main advantage of booking with a great TA is in letting them get up early to make your Dining reservations and let them track what discounts are available and apply it automatically to your booking as soon as it is available. You may also find one that will help to set up a touring plan for your family but be sure they are familiar with crowd calendars and the FP+ system and aren't just throwing a list of recommended rides at you.

Check our our Resorts, Codes and Rates, Dining and Theme Park Boards for more information about all of this. Also our planning site www.wdwinfo.com is very helpful.

 

[traveler in training]

I am just loving this site! So much valuable information!

 

[Jadyreen1282]

I love planning Disney. Love having all the control over my booking, fp plus and dining. There's no stress of worrying about someone's else's mistakes other than your own.

 

[traveler in training]

Good point jadyreen