Travel Agent or not?

[NWDMD]

What are the benefits of booking through a travel agency versus just booking through the website/airlines/your own dining etc?

Our family is just my wife and I so we don't have any little ones. We've been many times before and we are planning on staying at POP Dec 19-26 this year. Would it be worth it to us to book through a travel agency? Does booking through a travel agency cost more than booking yourself? We're not AAA members or annual pass holders so I don't think we qualify for any discounts. We're military but SOG is usually more expensive for us than POP.

When do most people book their trips? Months out or a year out or what?

Thanks!
NWDMD

 

[Jenngusto]

I worked with Marie at KK this year for the first time and she has been GREAT! Very helpful and so patient with questions and giving advice. I have always planned our trips in the past and made all bookings - I will AWLAYS work with Marie at KK from now on. :kiss::wave::sohappy:

 

[wannabeBelle]

I know you guys do, but I felt bad that some people feel they're getting jipped when a lot of travel agents don't book flights. But there is a reason for it :shrug:
Or... at least that's what my travel & tourism professor told me. She might have lied :lol:

She is correct actually, we really dont get paid commision from any of the airlines these days but our agency's idea has always been to do the entire package for our clients. Not just the bits and pieces that we like to do or get paid to do. This is one of the reasons I will only work for Pam. She has only the highest ideals for her agency and I agree with them. I will tell you if we are contacted to book a flight to a destination by itself, that we dont do at all. Some agencies will and will charge you a service fee/ ticket charge of some sort. I do understand the idea though!!! Belle

 

[Simba One]

As a Disney Specialist, I feel like the benefits I can offer my clients are two-fold. First, I can help them watch for discounts and save money that they didn't know they could save. Second, and probably even more importantly, I can help magnify the magic for clients. Whether it is advice about the parks, resorts, and restaurants, or services such as creating dining and park itineraries, I offer unlimited personal attention for anyone I work with. That's really what I have to give my clients--time and assistance with anything they need.

The difference between any old travel agent and what I do is that Disney is our only business...and that makes a huge difference in what I can do to help people's vacation dreams come true.

 

[sweetpee_1993]

I have done all the reservations, planning, etc. for our last 5 WDW trips. ((see below for dates & resorts)). Up until our stay at the Contemporary I've never had a problem watching for discounts to be released and snaggin them. As luck would have it, I was **not** able to get any discount for the stay at Contemporary..when it would have made the most impact. The reason was even though I called at 8:00 a.m. the morning I saw the discount codes release all the availability for the discounted rooms like mine were sold out. That had never happened to me before. It made a huge impact in my mind because the day the discount codes appeared I watched oodles of people on this forum singing the praises of Kingdom Konsultants because KK was able to get the discounts applied for them. So the way I see it, discounts and Disney travel is what KK does. Period. They seem to know when the discounts are announced immediately and have a better chance of grabbing them for me. I don't have to stress over trying to catch it in time. To me, my best chance of getting good discounts is by using KK for my travel agent. They work with you and do as much or as little as you want them to. They can do the entire ballgame or just your room-only reservation.

I've been working with Pam for my two upcoming trips this year. So far I've only utilized her services to book my rooms and Magical Express. I've been doing my own dining reservations. I'm constantly changing and/or adding things with my dining ((much more so than with the addition of nights, Pam :lol) so I take pity and don't ask others to hustle so much due to my issues of indecision. In the end, just as I suspected, the morning the discounts came available for our POFQ stay she grabbed one for me and sent me a quicky email letting me know. I did the math. She saved me just over $500. Incredible. I don't think my chances of getting that discount would have been good without her. I didn't log onto the internet to look around the forums until later that afternoon because I had doctor's appointments that day. I'm sure I'd have been SOL if I'd been trying to call and get a discount later in the evening.

I've never used any other travel agency so I can't really speak about the service or lack-thereof with others. I've currently got 2 different vacation reservations booked through Kingdom Konsultants and couldn't be more delighted in their service. I highly recommend them now.

For me, part of knowing the in's and out's of planning a WDW vacation and maximizing discount opportunity is knowing when to hand over portions of the tasks to someone with more edge than I have. As of right now that's really really paid off for me, too.

Have fun on your trip!:wave:

 

[Victoria]

What are the benefits of booking through a travel agency versus just booking through the website/airlines/your own dining etc?

Our family is just my wife and I so we don't have any little ones. We've been many times before and we are planning on staying at POP Dec 19-26 this year. Would it be worth it to us to book through a travel agency? Does booking through a travel agency cost more than booking yourself? We're not AAA members or annual pass holders so I don't think we qualify for any discounts. We're military but SOG is usually more expensive for us than POP.

When do most people book their trips? Months out or a year out or what?

Thanks!
NWDMD

I used to be all gung ho about planning my own trips. The past few times I have used a travel agent and wouldn't do it any other way now! It is so nice to just sit back and let someone else do all the leg work. Most travel agents won't charge you any extra. If anything they will save you money! They know great little tips and tricks to get you discounts sometimes. I definitely think travel agents are worth it!

Have a great trip! You are going at one of the most magical times of year! :xmas:

 

[Monty]

I used a local travel agent for my first few trips and it really wasn't much benefit. Then I discovered these forums and by extension Kingdom Konsultants. Now ALL my Disney trips are done by them! They're great!

You don't have to be an AP holder or AAA member to get discounts, there are discounts and special offers that are made available to the general public and if you're dealing with KK you don't have to keep track, they do it for you!

I can't recommend them highly enough!

 

[coltow]

I worked with Marie at KK this year for the first time and she has been GREAT! Very helpful and so patient with questions and giving advice. I have always planned our trips in the past and made all bookings - I will AWLAYS work with Marie at KK from now on. :kiss::wave::sohappy:

Ditto! I had normally done it all by myself. With our group of 17 I knew I couldn't, it would be too much for me. I had heard such good things about KK here that I decided to give them a shot. I first contacted Marie about a year before our trip. I've had many questions since then and she's just an e-mail away, instead of calling and being on hold for awhile with WDW.

She booked all of our dining reservations and we got into every place we wanted (even with 17). This was such a relief as the night before I was up with my baby with 2 ear infections all night and the last thing I could have imagined doing was being on the phone with WDW for awhile making all the reservations. Marie has also booked our Grand Gathering Wishes Cruise and will book the "men only fishing trip" in June. Marie is my hero :sohappy:

 

[J_Krafty24]

If you choose to go with a TA that does not specalize in Disney (like AAA), give them a little interview before committing to anything. Make sure they are knowledgable on the whole Disney process and will be willing to work with you and make changes to your reservation as necessary.

It could help to find out if they have been to WDW before. If you know there is a promotion coming up that you want to take part in (like free dining), see if they know about it yet (If it is usually a yearly thing and they do not know about it be weary).

I say all this because my in-laws had a horrible experience with their AAA agent who was clueless when it came to Disney. Once the reservations were booked and the downpayment was made she didn't want anything else to do with them.

Also, like others have said, if you book with a TA you personally have no control over your reservation until you show up. If you get stuck with a stinker of a TA you can't take make changes to your reservations to fix mistakes by yourself.

 

[ShookieJones]

I think this totally depends on what type of vacation"er" you are.

I can totally understand sitting back and having someone do all the work for you - After all that's what vacations are generally about right? Kickin' back and being waited on.
Especially if you've got a great staff like the folks at KK on your side.

That being said--for me, half the fun is doing the planning and all the research myself....I mean seriously that's why I scan these forums on a daily basis, just to immerse myself in the Disney vibe. Doing the planning and getting the tips off the forums is a blast!
Sure I have to hear all the jeers from the wife kids "Dad is a Disney Geek" But it's all worth it, when I have a great itinerary laid out and the whole thing goes off without a hitch and everybody is happy - then it's "Thanks Dad ....... You're still a geek though"

ANYWAY - The bottom line, you're going to have a great time no matter what you do! Have fun!

 

[Disney_Belle]

I will say, planning and doing all the work myself is GREAT! But, I usually use a Travel Agent (except for my airfare, I usually book that on my own, as soon as Southwest Prices come out). My travel agent has gotten me so many discounts, and free dining plans that I never knew existed. For instance, this past November (the week before Thanksgiving) my husband and I went on our honeymoon. We decided to stay at Port Orleans French Quarter. But then my TA called me and said "If you switch to Port Orleans Riverside, you get a free Dining Plan". Why this promotion came up, I have no idea, but I wouldn't have known about it without my TA. It all depends on how much planning you want to do.

 

[3fordisney]

We have never used a travel agent for any trips we've done. I like to plan it. We have found that it is very easy to make reservations by contacting Disney directly. We watch mousesavers for discount codes if we don't happen to get one ourselves. We usually make our reservation about 3 to 4 months ahead of time and we also make our dining reservations at the same time. We've been enough times that we know what we want to do and find it to be an easy thing to do.

Last year, my in-laws were coming with us and they are AAA members. My fil called to get AAA rate info and ran into problems. The girl who answered wasn't listening to him. We were going to stay at Pop Century and the girl was telling him that he didn't want to stay there. She told him he wanted to stay at another resort on property. He told her that he was going with family who had already stayed at Pop and that he wanted to try it. She argued it and then he asked the all important question: "Have you ever been to WDW?" The answer was no and he hung up the phone.

For WDW and most other vacations, we book ourselves. We are interested in doing a Disney Cruise, but have no idea where to begin. We are considering consulting a travel agency for that and would look for one that has been on several of the cruises. Having hear wonderful things about Kingdom Konsultants, we would consider contacting them for the cruise. Its what you are most comfortable doing.

 

[Pioneer Hall]

We have never used a travel agent for any trips we've done. I like to plan it. We have found that it is very easy to make reservations by contacting Disney directly. We watch mousesavers for discount codes if we don't happen to get one ourselves. We usually make our reservation about 3 to 4 months ahead of time and we also make our dining reservations at the same time. We've been enough times that we know what we want to do and find it to be an easy thing to do.

Last year, my in-laws were coming with us and they are AAA members. My fil called to get AAA rate info and ran into problems. The girl who answered wasn't listening to him. We were going to stay at Pop Century and the girl was telling him that he didn't want to stay there. She told him he wanted to stay at another resort on property. He told her that he was going with family who had already stayed at Pop and that he wanted to try it. She argued it and then he asked the all important question: "Have you ever been to WDW?" The answer was no and he hung up the phone.

For WDW and most other vacations, we book ourselves. We are interested in doing a Disney Cruise, but have no idea where to begin. We are considering consulting a travel agency for that and would look for one that has been on several of the cruises. Having hear wonderful things about Kingdom Konsultants, we would consider contacting them for the cruise. Its what you are most comfortable doing.

we can definitely help you out with all your Disney Cruise (and any other cruise) planning. Feel free to drop me an email at evan@kingdomkonsultant.com

 

[ClemsonTigger]

Travel Agent, but one that you know, and with Disney expertise.
Discounts, options and changing programs are now too complex to keep track of yourself, individual booking of ADR's or other activities takes forever. Airline and AAA packages are OK if nothing goes wrong, but who do you call if there is a problem.

It is for those reasons and more that I use Kingdom Konsultants for all my Disney travel...I do do my own airfare.

 

[teej]

We book online and spend time looking around until we find the best deal I am not to worried about the hotel we stay in as long as it has a bed, bathroom and pool I am happy. It is only a base. Someone to sleep.

 

[Mystic]

We are interested in doing a Disney Cruise, but have no idea where to begin. We are considering consulting a travel agency for that and would look for one that has been on several of the cruises. Having hear wonderful things about Kingdom Konsultants, we would consider contacting them for the cruise. Its what you are most comfortable doing.

My mom and I actually booked our very first DCL Land and Sea cruise a few weeks ago. We booked directly with the Disney Cruise Line. I just picked up the phone and called them directly. Calling them was just like calling Disney Central Reservations. They were able to answer all my questions. I must have called them four or five times before we finally booked the cruise. They even booked us in for an extra night at the Beach Club at the start of our Land portion.

 

[Disney05]

I don't know maybe it's me, but we always seem to get either the same price or better deal than a travel agent. We've gone to one just to see what kind of price they come back with. They make it sound like it's a great deal. Then we call Disney directly and they give us the same price.

 

[mousefan1972]

What are the benefits of booking through a travel agency versus just booking through the website/airlines/your own dining etc?

Our family is just my wife and I so we don't have any little ones. We've been many times before and we are planning on staying at POP Dec 19-26 this year. Would it be worth it to us to book through a travel agency? Does booking through a travel agency cost more than booking yourself? We're not AAA members or annual pass holders so I don't think we qualify for any discounts. We're military but SOG is usually more expensive for us than POP.

When do most people book their trips? Months out or a year out or what?

Thanks!
NWDMD

Staying at Shades of Green would be cheaper for you because you are traveling during holiday season, which is the most expensive season for hotel prices at WDW. At Pop, you would be paying $129/ night for weeknights, and $139/night for weekends, PLUS TAX. At Shades, depending on your rank, the rate would be either $93, $117, or $125 per night, NO TAX. So even the highest Shades rate is cheaper than the Disney values. Not too mention that the Disney value resort rooms are 260 sq. feet and Shades rooms are 480 sq. feet.

Having stayed at Shades of Green twice before, I would stay there again over any of the Disney value or moderate resorts without hesitation.

 

[DisneyJoe]

Then we call Disney directly and they give us the same price.

If you follow MouseSavers and these boards, and keep up on all of the discounts, etc - and compare apples to apples when doing the comparison, the price you get from a travel agent WILL BE exactly the same - usually to the penny. Only a AAA agency could possibly give a lesser price - possibly.

A travel agent provides a service for you. If you like to do it yourself, then you don't need an agent. If you don't have the time to keep on top of all of the newly released discounts and info, or to be on the phone at 7am to get some of the more difficult ADR's, then the service that an agent provides is what you need.

 

[The Mom]

Not too mention that the Disney value resort rooms are 260 sq. feet and Shades rooms are 480 sq. feet.

Having stayed at Shades of Green twice before, I would stay there again over any of the Disney value or moderate resorts without hesitation.

ITA. I stayed there frequently when it was still the Disney Inn, and it was my favorite resort. The rooms are huge, and are closer to a suite. The ones I stayed in had both two queen beds and a pull-out double couch (with a hemi wall divider), with a "dressing" area/closet that was large enough to hold a crib.

I don't know if they changed the configuration during renovations, but I just remember the rooms being huge, with lots of room for my daughter and her friend, my husband & I, and our infant son.

 

[mousefan1972]

ITA. I stayed there frequently when it was still the Disney Inn, and it was my favorite resort. The rooms are huge, and are closer to a suite. The ones I stayed in had both two queen beds and a pull-out double couch (with a hemi wall divider), with a "dressing" area/closet that was large enough to hold a crib.

I don't know if they changed the configuration during renovations, but I just remember the rooms being huge, with lots of room for my daughter and her friend, my husband & I, and our infant son.

We've only stayed in the newly added section of the resort, and I can say for certain that those rooms are huge. Our last stay was March '07, and 6 months before that we had spent a week at WL. The Shades of Green room seemed like it was double the size of the WL room. Plus all rooms have balconies or patios at Shades. I really hope the OP sees this and reconsiders staying at Pop, especially since he will end up paying more for it.