Vacation Planner or Disney Direct?

AlfredE

New Member
I am confused (as normal).. The quote I received from a Disney Vacation Planner is exactly the same amount as if I booked on the Disney site.

Why should I go thru a second party rather than go direct?
 

correcaminos

Well-Known Member
I agree, do you want to plan it all yourself or do you want someone to do it for you. If you like to do it yourself, then by all means book yourself. If you would like the help, have the TA do it for you.
 
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Uncle Lupe

Well-Known Member
Because I can send an email if I need to change something or if a deal comes out. It is accomplished without hours of me waiting on the phone. I work a schedule that makes it difficult to do those types of things. Convenience.
 
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DryerLintFan

Premium Member
It's not really a third party. They're all commissioned by Disney. So really the two options aren't Disney or a third party, they're plan your Disney vacation yourself or have Disney help you.
 
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MickeyMomV

Well-Known Member
We always book directly through Disney.

It all really depends on how comfortable you are with planning everything. If you need help or want to leave the planning to somebody else I would do Kingdom Konsultants. If you want total control and are willing to put in the little bit of time it takes I would just do it yourself through Disney. Either way I would advise against going through a random 3rd party agent (this includes AAA, price line, local travel agents, and numerous other places) that does not specialize in all things Disney, I've heard too many horror stories!! Lost reservation numbers, unable to make fast pass selections, unable to make dining selections and the list goes on and on.....
 
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Roanlady

New Member
We always book directly through Disney.

It all really depends on how comfortable you are with planning everything. If you need help or want to leave the planning to somebody else I would do Kingdom Konsultants. If you want total control and are willing to put in the little bit of time it takes I would just do it yourself through Disney. Either way I would advise against going through a random 3rd party agent (this includes AAA, price line, local travel agents, and numerous other places) that does not specialize in all things Disney, I've heard too many horror stories!! Lost reservation numbers, unable to make fast pass selections, unable to make dining selections and the list goes on and on.....
 
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G00fyDad

Well-Known Member
I am confused (as normal).. The quote I received from a Disney Vacation Planner is exactly the same amount as if I booked on the Disney site.

Why should I go thru a second party rather than go direct?

If you are not an "uber-planner" (like me) then you should go with a TA for the peace of mind and convenience of not having to worry about checking for discounts, ADR openings, etc. I am a control freak and do not like giving someone else control of my trips. I got burned badly the one time I did decide to capitulate to my wife's requests for a TA. That settled my mind that I would never use another TA. But like I said, if you don't mind letting someone else worry about your planning then I'd go with a TA. I am sure my experience was a one-off but being who I am I refuse to do it again. :)
 
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mrsWarren14

New Member
It's really all up to you. Like others have said if you know your Disney than do it yourself, but if you've still got some questions about stuff then go with a TA. But coming from experience don't ask the TA all of your questions and then turnaround and book it yourself, we put a lot of time in answering questions and working out quotes for clients so that you get the best out of your trip.
 
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Master Yoda

Pro Star Wars geek.
Premium Member
Are you going to check back daily for discounts, reservation openings, etc?
This^^^

The entirety of my Disney trip planning with my agent (Marie @wannabeBelle) from Kingdom Konsultants Consists of 1-2 emails. I giver her my dates, my resort choices and my dining and I am pretty much done. She takes care of booking my dining and she automatically rebooks me if a promotion comes out that I qualify for. All I have to do is go on the trip.
 
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dreamfinder

Well-Known Member
A trip to WDW (for the most part) will be one price no matter where you book. Flights and such can vary wildly, but unless you find a TA that is booking a large block of rooms to get a better rate and then passing that rate onto you (essentially booking like a convention would) prices for rooms and tickets are what they are. As several PPs pointed out, a good TA will do anything they can to get you discounted rates, and help wherever they can. Many of the good Disney only TAs will attempt to automatically rebook for their clients if new discounts get released, potentially saving you several hours on the phone. They should also be able to tell you when exactly you can book things like ADR's, or handle that for you.

Since WDW pays the TA, not you, the only real downside is if you get a less than great TA (like alot of the local general TAs are) who doesn't understand all the ins and outs. The TA "owns" the booking, so they need to make the changes. Not a problem if they are proactive about discounts, but if you need to tell your TA about the discount, and then keep asking if they have called, then it's a problem.
 
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DisneyJoe

Well-Known Member
It's not really a third party. They're all commissioned by Disney. So really the two options aren't Disney or a third party, they're plan your Disney vacation yourself or have Disney help you.
Just to clarify - travel agents/travel agencies do not work FOR Disney - they are their own separate entity. They are paid a commission for the sale that they make to you.
 
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ZimZim

New Member
I'm an uber planner/control freak - and we used a TA who was fantastic. I was new to the whole WDW process and she helped advise on everything from places to eat with my LOs and room locations for people with mobility issues. We stayed at the Beach Club and had amazing first-floor rooms with an upgraded view bc she kept an eye on deals for us. I feel like she really came through for us on those special room requests that a newbie pleeb like me didn't know how to make happen. I'll admit, I totally had my doubts and some issues not fully "driving" that part of planning, but it worked out so well I'd be hesitant not to use her in the future. Plus, there was so much else for me to obsess over!
 
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Coaster Lover

Well-Known Member
In the Parks
No
Many of the good Disney only TAs will attempt to automatically rebook for their clients if new discounts get released, potentially saving you several hours on the phone.

Actually, you shouldn't have to wait on the phone at all to change your offer. I believe you can do that now directly through MDE. In MDE, go to "Reservations and Tickets" and then, then there is a link to change reservation and change offer. You can then see all of the promotional offers they are running which are applicable for the time you are there and the cost of each. I never had to change mine because the one I originally booked remained the lowest rate, but if I had changed it, I believe it could have all been done online.
 
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Master Yoda

Pro Star Wars geek.
Premium Member
Actually, you shouldn't have to wait on the phone at all to change your offer. I believe you can do that now directly through MDE. In MDE, go to "Reservations and Tickets" and then, then there is a link to change reservation and change offer. You can then see all of the promotional offers they are running which are applicable for the time you are there and the cost of each. I never had to change mine because the one I originally booked remained the lowest rate, but if I had changed it, I believe it could have all been done online.
The pain is knowing exactly when the promotion comes out. When you are dealing with something like free dining, it is not uncommon for every available room to be booked up in minutes.

If you don't catch wind of the offer until 9:00 AM on the day it launches, you are often out of luck.
 
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DryerLintFan

Premium Member
Actually, you shouldn't have to wait on the phone at all to change your offer. I believe you can do that now directly through MDE. In MDE, go to "Reservations and Tickets" and then, then there is a link to change reservation and change offer. You can then see all of the promotional offers they are running which are applicable for the time you are there and the cost of each. I never had to change mine because the one I originally booked remained the lowest rate, but if I had changed it, I believe it could have all been done online.

I've had to call a few times now because I added the Memory Maker when I booked my package. If you plan to book your vacation yourself, save yourself some trouble and wait until you're completely firmed up before adding the Memory Maker to your package. We have had to call for any changes to our resort reservation, park tickets, and meal plan. We were told by the CM that you could do all those changes through MDE, unless you selected the Memory Maker, in which case you would have to call.
 
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DisneyJoe

Well-Known Member
Actually, you shouldn't have to wait on the phone at all to change your offer. I believe you can do that now directly through MDE. In MDE, go to "Reservations and Tickets" and then, then there is a link to change reservation and change offer. You can then see all of the promotional offers they are running which are applicable for the time you are there and the cost of each. I never had to change mine because the one I originally booked remained the lowest rate, but if I had changed it, I believe it could have all been done online.
Sometimes this works, sometimes it doesn't. It is very inconsistent.
 
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wdw93

Member
This year I am working with an agent who specializes in Disney, in the past I have used local travel agents. With other agents I booked the basics and then I took care of the fast pass and dining reservations. This year my work schedule was not going to allow me to make the fast pass reservations at the opening time. I emailed Jillian my outline and she made the 'magic' happen. She was also right on the free dining offer when it was released and she is keeping an eye on some dining reservations as well. I am glad that I decided to work with an agent that specializes in Disney and I have every confidence in Jillian.
 
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DisneyJill

Well-Known Member
to echo what others have said, using a TA doesn't cost anything, and they (should) check daily when new discounts and promotions come out, remind you when it's time for dining and FP's, etc...and it should also be FUN! a disney vacation shouldn't feel like work to you, and depending on your vacation style, there could be a lot of planning, so let someone else take that on. if you have the right TA, they should enjoy the plans they are making for you...i know when i don't have a current trip planned, i get to live vicariously through planning my clients trips. :)
 
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