To use a TA or book myself?

Laura Kelly

Laura Kelly

Member
We're planning our first trip for April 2016 and I'm so torn between booking it myself or using an agent. I'm having a hard time relinquishing control and trusting her to book my ADRs or making sure a discount is applied.
Thoughts? Opinions?
 
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wannabeBelle

wannabeBelle

Well-Known Member
Also on the flip side, it is kinda nice having one point of contact for your trip. When you call into Reservations, multiple people are involved in working on your reservation, as each time you call, a different person may answer!!! Generally the agent that you book with will be your single point of contact, so there is a nice continuity. Marie
 
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Master Yoda

Master Yoda

Pro Star Wars geek.
Premium Member
maflynn said:
I think there's a satisfaction and peace of mind when you control your own destiny. On the flip side there's no one else to blame if something goes awry ;)
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I worried about the loss of personal control as well until I discovered that contacting my agent at Kingdom Konsultants to make changes was easier than contacting Disney.:)

My wife was able to book a cruise with I think 3 text messages.
 
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officialtom

officialtom

Well-Known Member
We've done both. Most recently, we booked ourselves because we found cheap last-minute flights, and we found it super easy. We ended up booking over the phone instead of online because we booked the Train tour at the same time.

That said, we would NEVER get a travel agent to book our ADRs. We're very picky about places and times, and actually structure our entire trip around the ADRs, so they're pretty important for us to book ourselves.
 
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G00fyDad

G00fyDad

Well-Known Member
officialtom said:
We've done both. Most recently, we booked ourselves because we found cheap last-minute flights, and we found it super easy. We ended up booking over the phone instead of online because we booked the Train tour at the same time.

That said, we would NEVER get a travel agent to book our ADRs. We're very picky about places and times, and actually structure our entire trip around the ADRs, so they're pretty important for us to book ourselves.
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I'll let the TA book our initial meals, but any changes that I need to make later I can do so myself.
 
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MickeyMomV

MickeyMomV

Well-Known Member
We book everything directly with Disney. This fall will be trip 9 and we have never had an issue with them. Others have said that booking with a TA saves on "searching" for discounts, well discounts don't change from site to site. Promo's are released to everybody at the same time and everybody gets the same promo's (with exception to Dis card holders and Euro guests). Promo's are released every 3 months or so and you take a look, if its a better deal call it in. If its not, then don't. When we call in a change we have waaaay to many questions to have to keep running it through a TA. When promo's release for our trip last March (PSD) we re-priced 3-4 hotels, ended up changing hotels and added an extra day because of cheaper flight costs. This was all done in 15-20 minutes with 1 phone call.
 
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WDWDreamer4

WDWDreamer4

Member
I used to do everything myself, but have used a TA the last three years. I have sent many people to this TA whom have booked Disney trips, but this will be the last year we use a TA. We are traveling with my SIL and family so I thought her having access to a TA would be helpful if I wasn't available for answering her questions. But when the FD came out this year I feel I was not on the top of the list for our TA to get our reservations switched over. She told us at 6 AM that no rooms were available. So we switched our dates to get a slightly better deal, but not FD. Two weeks later when we saw more rooms become available for FD we called the TA and she said "oh I didn't think you would want to switch back" What?? able to save another $900 and you don't think we would want to? seriously?
I know that I am my #1 priority when booking my trip and find promotions. I always checked the TA price to the Disney website anyways so I was still doing most of the leg work.
Even when booking with a TA I have always done my own ADR. If I cannot get the time of place I want I can change my mind while booking, not wait for someone to tell me there was an issue and then have not much to choose from since 180 days has already hit.
 
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sxeensweet

sxeensweet

Love a little Disney every day!! ;)
MickeyMomV said:
We book everything directly with Disney. This fall will be trip 9 and we have never had an issue with them. Others have said that booking with a TA saves on "searching" for discounts, well discounts don't change from site to site. Promo's are released to everybody at the same time and everybody gets the same promo's (with exception to Dis card holders and Euro guests). Promo's are released every 3 months or so and you take a look, if its a better deal call it in. If its not, then don't. When we call in a change we have waaaay to many questions to have to keep running it through a TA. When promo's release for our trip last March (PSD) we re-priced 3-4 hotels, ended up changing hotels and added an extra day because of cheaper flight costs. This was all done in 15-20 minutes with 1 phone call.
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I have made many changes like that using my TA like you talked about and it only took me literally 5 min to shoot them an email and make like 4 different changes for me at one time. I sent the email which only took me about 5 min to write, explain, etc. She sent right back an email to confirm what I wanted. That was it! No phone call for 15-20 min etc for me. She made all changes after me sending that quick email. Shortly after got me email from her all changes were done. Easy Peasy. :)
 
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Mukta

Mukta

Well-Known Member
I love using a TA even though I am a control freak. I look up the discounts and things myself, but I don't want to wait on hold to get things applied to my reservation. My TA does that for me.

I still make my own ADRs though.
 
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JaneGood

JaneGood

New Member
sxeensweet said:
I have made many changes like that using my TA like you talked about and it only took me literally 5 min to shoot them an email and make like 4 different changes for me at one time. I sent the email which only took me about 5 min to write, explain, etc. She sent right back an email to confirm what I wanted. That was it! No phone call for 15-20 min etc for me. She made all changes after me sending that quick email. Shortly after got me email from her all changes were done. Easy Peasy. :)
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I've done the same, and to be fair, a good 10 minutes of that call is talking to the awesome Disney staff about how much fun the trip is going to be LOL :joyfull:
 
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sxeensweet

sxeensweet

Love a little Disney every day!! ;)
JaneGood said:
I've done the same, and to be fair, a good 10 minutes of that call is talking to the awesome Disney staff about how much fun the trip is going to be LOL :joyfull:
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True LOL! As I have done everything including booking myself several times. But some instances especially the day a discount was released, I had to wait a long time just to get a CM on the phone. It was over 30 minutes holding just so I could make the changes I wanted. Like I mentioned I am a control freak and love to plan every single other detail of our trip but it was so nice leaving the rebooking etc to our wonderful Disney travel agent! Now I am back to having to get on the phone and hold sometimes forever with DVC member services. Haha :joyfull:
 
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C

CheshireCat12

Well-Known Member
Never used a TA. I like the planning, staying up late at the 180 window/60 day FP+ window, making ADRs and changing them, all of this contributes to the fun and anticipation for me!
 
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rt06

rt06

Well-Known Member
Planning is part of the fun. Is a TA going to obsessively go over your itinerary for you? NO. Who's going to check at midnight to see if that ADR is available because you just read some food blog? YOU.
 
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