Who to book through?

We booked our last Dis vacation through a TA with Our Laughing Place and it went so smoothly. She handled everything from the character dinner reservations to some odd-ball requests that we had and pulled it all off without a single hitch. She was awesome and we are trying to decide right now whether to use her again or go with a DVC points rental.
 
I have booked all of our trips myself since 2000. I am too much of a control freak to leave my trip planning up to someone else, and it would drive me crazy to have to leave a TA a voicemail about changes or a discount and wait to hear a call back. With the Internet, you have everything a TA has as far as discounts, etc...you just need to be on the ball.
:thumbsup2 This. I gotta admit, I like doing everything myself. I like finding room discounts, planning my ADR's etc. Plus we're always tweaking our ADR's and I know we'd drive a TA crazy with the canceling and rebooking of our reservations! :lmao:

Jim
 
I have always planned my trips by myself up until my upcoming trip. I used a Disney TA who'se trip reports I've enjoyed here on the Dis for years. So far I'm thrilled with her. She offered perks I couldn't get on my own and always replies promptly to any questions I have.

Terri
 
Mousemommy1 said:
I have booked all of our trips myself since 2000. I am too much of a control freak to leave my trip planning up to someone else, and it would drive me crazy to have to leave a TA a voicemail about changes or a discount and wait to hear a call back. With the Internet, you have everything a TA has as far as discounts, etc...you just need to be on the ball.

You have everything except the benefits that some TA offer...such as exclusive AAA benefits, like the AAA Diamond Parking Pass (great for anyone who drives/rents a car) and AAA Storytime, which, in our opinion, makes it worth having AAA handle our booking for every one of our trips. An exclusive benefit Disney offers to AAA guests as a thank you for all the business AAA sends them every year, it is a private, intimate visit with one of the characters, with a story written especially for the event, illustrated by Disney Animators. The character reads the story to the kids in a theater setting, then spends one on one time with each child...poses for pictures, you never feel rushed, it's awesome. I guess this wouldn't be a draw if we didn't have two young kids.

I've priced every single one of our trips direct with Disney, and with AAA, and AAA was always less, except when free dining was involved. And even then, their price was the same as direct with Disney, but still included all the usual AAA benefits plus the FD. We love our AAA agent, she's booked all of our trips, plus my sister's and dad's trips too. She always responds promptly to email/calls, and has never refused a request. She even offers to make dining reservations for us as well. My wife always books then herself, but it's nice to know she would do it if we asked or needed?

Sent from my Toshiba Thrive 32GB using the DISBoards App
 


As a former travel agent, I can honestly say that it's a profession that will go the way of the dodo. All the tools and discounts are out there on the internet to find deals. I'll be perfectly honest that most travel agents are making so little money on your vacation that to actually spend a great deal of time researching to save you money ain't going to happen.

Disney pays a travel agent about 8% of the value of the trip excluding dining as I recall and flights for sure as airlines rarely pay commission anymore. Most agents then split that with their agency getting prehaps 40% of the commission. So on your $2500 trip they are probably making $80.

The other primary advantage of booking direct is that YOU own your booking, can modify it and do as you see fit with it. If you use a TA, you will not have access to talk directly to disney about your reservation.

If you are smart enough already be reading the DIS, then you are for sure going to be able to handle booking direct!

Just my 2 cents as usual.

Andrew
 
shdoss23 said:
We booked our last Dis vacation through a TA with Our Laughing Place and it went so smoothly. She handled everything from the character dinner reservations to some odd-ball requests that we had and pulled it all off without a single hitch. She was awesome and we are trying to decide right now whether to use her again or go with a DVC points rental.

Mind PM the name of your TA if I decide to go with a TA haha im still shopping around for.my options
... even though I only have 2 days to book.
 
teedee said:
I have always planned my trips by myself up until my upcoming trip. I used a Disney TA who'se trip reports I've enjoyed here on the Dis for years. So far I'm thrilled with her. She offered perks I couldn't get on my own and always replies promptly to any questions I have.

Terri

Haha again as I've mention think you could PM her name? She sounds wonderful!
 


aprestwich said:
As a former travel agent, I can honestly say that it's a profession that will go the way of the dodo. All the tools and discounts are out there on the internet to find deals. I'll be perfectly honest that most travel agents are making so little money on your vacation that to actually spend a great deal of time researching to save you money ain't going to happen.

Disney pays a travel agent about 8% of the value of the trip excluding dining as I recall and flights for sure as airlines rarely pay commission anymore. Most agents then split that with their agency getting prehaps 40% of the commission. So on your $2500 trip they are probably making $80.

The other primary advantage of booking direct is that YOU own your booking, can modify it and do as you see fit with it. If you use a TA, you will not have access to talk directly to disney about your reservation.

If you are smart enough already be reading the DIS, then you are for sure going to be able to handle booking direct!

Just my 2 cents as usual.

Andrew

Omg so under paid! Be so very appreciated for their work!
 
I too love doing it myself but for June 2013 a really nice TA that has been mentioned on the boards was able to get a block of rooms at my fave resort area at a discount with the ability to get the dining plan without tickets. So since this is something I couldn't accomplish myself I booked thru her. I too am a huge control freak over my own stuff and will make my reservations, etc. but DH and DD really wanted the dining plan this summer but we have 10 day NE tix so couldn't book the plan thru disney but could thru her. So the week matched my week so it worked out so far!
 

GET A DISNEY VACATION QUOTE

Dreams Unlimited Travel is committed to providing you with the very best vacation planning experience possible. Our Vacation Planners are experts and will share their honest advice to help you have a magical vacation.

Let us help you with your next Disney Vacation!





Top