Should you use a Walt Disney Travel Agent for your next solo trip?
The answer is a little different for everyone.
Walt Disney World is a huge place with a lot of attractions. The problem is, many of the attractions are hard to find, and if you’re not paying attention, you may miss an event that rarely comes around.
In this article, we’ll consider a few of the pros and cons of having an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner to help you decide if having one is right for you. We’ll also go over how to choose the best Disney Travel Agent for your adventure!
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Questions this article will answer:
- What is a Disney Travel agent?
- Why use a Travel Agent for Disney?
- What are the pros and cons of using a Disney Travel Planner?
- Is it cheaper to book Disney through a travel agent?
- What questions should I ask an authorized Disney travel agent?
- What are Tips to finding a good Disney travel agent?
- Who is my Disney travel agent recommendation?
What is a Walt Disney Travel Agent and What Do They Do?
A Disney travel agent is a specialist in all things Disney. They stay up to date on all the upcoming attractions and customize your itinerary based on all the interests of you and your family.
Many agents even attend a special Disney college to make sure they know the best way to put your package together.
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5 Pros for Getting an Authorized Disney Planner
1 – Cost Effective
Most travel agencies do not charge you to plan your vacation.
That’s right!
You do not have to pay for a Disney Vacation Planner. Disney covers all agent fees themselves.
So whether you book through them or do it yourself, there’s no extra cost for the service!
2 – Time Saver
Your agent does all of the rate comparisons, so you don’t have to. Disney’s wait time for phone booking can be rather lengthy, so it’s nice to have someone do the waiting for you at no extra charge!
3 – Easy Planning
Combing through every single Disney attraction can be overwhelming, to say the least!
A good agent is knowledgeable and already knows what’s available, so you don’t do any of the work.
4 – Personalized Service
Your travel agent will become familiar with you, your group, or your family and learn your preferences. This means direct answers to your questions and a more personalized travel plan.
5 – Easy to Customize
A thorough conversation with your agent is usually all you’ll need to completely customize your vacation.
If you’re traveling with family, just let your agent know, and they’ll be sure to include family-friendly events.
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Walt Disney Travel Agent Cons
1 – Changing Your Itinerary
Changes to your itinerary after you’ve booked with a travel agent have to come from the agent, not you.
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So, keep that in mind once you choose your authorized vacation planner for your trip.
2 – Finding a Reputable Agency
Not all agencies are earmarked or interested in alerting you to the great deals. You’ll want to find the best Disney Travel Agent by doing a little bit of research.
I decided that using a Disney Travel Agent was the way to go when they let me know a trip I already booked had dropped in price which saved me money.
Is it Cheaper to Book Disney through a Travel Agent?
In many cases, yes.
Travel agencies don’t charge you anything to book your vacation. All agents are paid by the destination, not the guest. In this case, that’s Disney.
As Laura puts it, “in essence what that means is that you are paying for the travel planner [in your ticket] whether you use one or not.”
Since Disney has already covered the cost through the purchase of the tickets, the service is already 100% free to you.
Your agent will watch the promotions for you and go over all the available hotels, attractions, etc. to land you the best price.
And since every deal is not so widely advertised, they may even be able to save you money on discounts you didn’t know were there.
If no specials or agent loopholes are available, you’ll simply pay the price you would have if you did it yourself without having done any of the work.
In the end, you’ll definitely save time, and your price will either be the same or cheaper.
How to Find the Best Disney Travel Agent
Finding a Disney travel agent is incredibly easy. You simply type in “Disney Travel Agent” into your preferred search engine and click whichever result speaks out to you the most.
Once you find a Disney Planner be sure to ask the following questions:
- What is your policy on price alerts?
- Are you an earmarked travel agency with Disney?
- Do you also book flights? (If not, that’s okay. You might find a better deal on flights on your own)
- Are you able to get big savings that someone wouldn’t get elsewhere?
- Can you help with booking Dining Reservations and FastPasses?
- What if I have already booked my package on my own, can I still work with you?
- How much is your service and what is included?
If you can’t get any clear answers or you feel uneasy, then pass on that planner and continue looking until you find someone who understands your vacation goals.
Your Authorized Disney Vacation Planner should be able to create a very detail vacation itinerary for you or be able to create a simple one for you based on your needs.
My Recommended Authorized Disney Vacation Planner – The Best Disney Travel Agent
The reason I prefer finding the right planner who is an earmarked agency with Disney. This means Disney recognizes them as an official agency.
As Laura explains in episode 27 of the ThemeParkHipster podcast, this also means Disney is more likely to honor special requests from them because of their legitimacy.
For a free service, I think that’s pretty cool.
Ready to start planning your next Disney World vacation? Listen to the latest podcast episode on Apple or on your non-Apple device now!
Final Thoughts
I hope this guide has left you feeling confident in your journey to finding the perfect Disney planner for you.
If you have any additional questions, you can leave a comment below or contact me at ThemeParkHipster at Gmail dot com.Â
Get more of your Disney questions answered below:
- What to pack for a Theme Park?
- Can Disney Tickets be Transferred?
- How to find a vacation home near Walt Disney World?
- What are the 5 best family resorts near Walt Disney World?
- Are Disney pools heated?
- Where are Disney Parks Located?
- How to do Walt Disney World on a Budget?
- How Much Does It Cost to Park at Walt Disney World Parks?
- Is the Magic Kingdom for Adults?
Planning a trip soon? If so, read the Disney Vacation Planning Guide for your next dream trip!
Until next time, Happy Park Hopping Hipsters!
NikkyJ
(Original article written in 2019/Updated July 25, 2020)
This article answers a lot of questions that people might not think to ask. You have given valuable information. Now I know a bit more about dealing with Disney travel agents!
Glad I could help. My Disney travel agent has been a lifesaver on more than one occasion 🙂
This is great article for find best Disney travel agent. This article have all answers of questions which may have all travelers want to know. This is very helpful article thanks for sharing.
My pleasure!