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.....
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?
This^^^Are you going to check back daily for discounts, reservation openings, etc?
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.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.
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.
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.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.
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.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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