Travel Agent or Not??

[guatemama]

Hi, I was wanting to find out if most of you go through a travel agent to book your trip? I have tried that and by doing it on-line at the Disney web site and it is more expensive to do it at the Disney site. Do you suggest any good places to book that has good deals?

Thank You, Susan

 

[tigsmom]

As a travel journalist, I want to tell you how much cash you can save by doing this on your own! Even websites like Travelocity and Expedia charge a little extra for services.
To do it on your own, my advice would be to locate the deal (for example, a good price on flights from Delta listed on Expedia) and then go to the airlines/hotels/who-evers website and find the deal there- minus surcharges.

However, if you don't want to take the time to do a lil research, a company is a great way to go. I've heard good things about KK, but I've used Small World Vacations and loved them. My agent got me an impossible dinner reservation, and changed plans for me at the last possible minute.

Just want to add that KK does not charge for their general services. They do charge for special custom itineraries though, I believe.

 

[Kingdom Konsultant]

Just want to add that KK does not charge for their general services. They do charge for special custom itineraries though, I believe.

Actually we do not charge any fees. Our Itinerary planning services are free of charge.

Pam

 

[hhhmickey]

Another vote here for KK...Elizabeth was great to deal with:sohappy:

 

[wdwmagic]

I have personally used Kingdom Konsultants for my own trips, and have always been very happy with the service! They have also been a sponsor here for years now, and have built a very solid reputation amongst the members here. They come highly recommended!!

 

[kubfish]

I hear nothing but great things about KK and may try them sometime.

We used Jessica at "the magic for less" this year and have booked next years trip with her as well. Great service and I think any Disney trained agent will make life in the end a lot easier. Especially for people like me that change things constantly :ROFLOL:

I am not sure that you can go wrong with any of the Disney Certified agents out there.

Note - We only use the agent for the Disney tickets and such... We book our own air, I think you can find a better deal and be more on top of the daily price changes yourself by following online.

 

[DisneyMusician2]

Only use a certified Disney agent....

...I would definately use one, even just to have someone to call if something goes wrong or if you have a question.

I have a graduate of the College of Disney Knowledge in the family, so perhaps I'm a bit biased....

 

[wannabeBelle]

Hi there all, Thanks for the kind words!!! We do appreciate it!!! As Tigs Mom said, we dont charge for booking any vacation packages to the World or the rest of the world (We do all cruise lines, and vacation destinations in addition to Disney) We dont book airfare separately. Other agencies such as some of the national chains will do so for you for a fee. Within a package all of the components booked such as airfare, land, cruise, tours etc will be booked at no charge to our clients. The only charge that our agency has is if you want a custom itinerary and you have NOT booked the vacation itself through our office. Other than that we are a completely fee paid agency. I have heard about other agencies who do charge additional fees for booking, cancellation, changes etc. This is up to the individual agency and does vary widely. Our cancellation and change policies mirror the ones of the vacation destination that you are selecting. Be sure you understand what charges or fees you may be responsible for, regardless of if you are dealing with an agency or Disney itself. However as pointed out in this thread, a good travel agent who knows Disney can be invaluable!!! Belle

 

[tigsmom]

Actually we do not charge any fees. Our Itinerary planning services are free of charge.

Pam

Hence the , I believe. :lol:

The only charge that our agency has is if you want a custom itinerary and you have NOT booked the vacation itself through our office. Other than that we are a completely fee paid agency

I knew you charged for something. :lol:

 

[wannabeBelle]

Right on the money as always!!! Belle

 

[scpergj]

I use a travel agent, but alas, not Kingdom Konsultants.

They also specialize in Disney vacations (and have their own web site and stuff, so I'm not going to mention their name here), and I've been using them for longer than I've been a member here. I've been very happy with my agent, so I don't see any reason to change, but if I ever did, KK would be my next try!

I have found that an agent can get lower rates, or get reservations in places that I can't get when calling myself, and my agent even has discounts applied to reservations I've already made (I usually make reservations earlier than either Florida residents or AP rates are available). She even got me a really nice rate last year at the Boardwalk when it became available. She booked me at the Wilderness Lodge (where we wanted to stay), but when that rate came out, she e-mailed me and let me know - and we moved to the Boardwalk for about $100 less. I might have been able to do it myself, but this way was much easier!

Kevin

 

[Lindsy1052]

As a travel journalist, I want to tell you how much cash you can save by doing this on your own! Even websites like Travelocity and Expedia charge a little extra for services.
To do it on your own, my advice would be to locate the deal (for example, a good price on flights from Delta listed on Expedia) and then go to the airlines/hotels/who-evers website and find the deal there- minus surcharges.

However, if you don't want to take the time to do a lil research, a company is a great way to go. I've heard good things about KK, but I've used Small World Vacations and loved them. My agent got me an impossible dinner reservation, and changed plans for me at the last possible minute.

Small World Vacations is an excellent agency, they are actually Disney's 2nd largest booking agent after AAA. They are an "Authorized Disney" agency because of the tremdous volume they do. I worked in the res center for 9 years and know all of the agencies and their agents and know which are the best ones to use. I would also list Pam and her group way up on the top of list of favorites for us at DRC to work with. They treat us very well, so in return we do all we can for them and their clients.

The agencies that do the best when selling Disney are the ones who are always super nice to the res agents.