Travel agent vs contacting Disney direct

Is there an advantage over using a travel agent vs going straight through Disney?

I think ultimately you end up paying the same. The travel agents get a cut from Disney, or the people you book at Disney get a cut. You don’t have to pay either one. However, with a travel agent, they spend more time looking for your deals, booking your reservations (looking for free dining), dining reservations and even fast passes. If you don’t have time to do the research, it’s worth it to use a TA. If you like complete control and have time to look for deals, and book all your reservations, you are better off doing it yourself. I personally, love my TA. She lets me have control but then she gets up early and gets my free dining and advanced dining reservations. I feel so blessed to have her!

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A travel agent (that doesn’t charge) is worth their weight in gold. Given enough lead time, they can work miracles with your fast passes, dining, etc. They work with your budget, your interests, your travel time of year, and with multiple parks and experiences (not just Disney).

If you don’t know any, I can recommend a few, and all are free. You can shop them also on the web… look for value added content, and pick someone that jives with you and your family(ies) goals for the trip in question.

Have fun!

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Some agencies do have exclusive deals every once in a while. If you need a TA use a liner. Here is a link to a thread about Liner TAs.

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Thank you, I would like some suggestions for TA.

Thanks, I will check out the link.

I see @PrincipalTinker sent a link, that’s a great place to start :slight_smile:

Just remember, no matter what you book, if an offer comes out after you have booked it (but you haven’t started travel yet), you can get it applied to your trip via the Disney Reservations number.

A friend at work knows when the free dining usually happens (time of year, usually September to beginning of October), so she usually books her travel early anyway (so she can start to reserve dining 180 days prior). When the offer comes out, she simply calls Disney Reservations, they apply the deal, and she gets $$$ back for the dining plan she booked (if she has already paid off the full value of the trip).

You have to put a down payment down, which is refundable up to a certain date, but then you have until (I believe) 45 days prior to the start of your trip to pay the entire trip off. This gives breathing room if you are looking for more family members to sign on, or short on funds when making the reservation.

There are other neat tricks to try (like buying Disney gift cards via Target for 5% off, when you have one of their Red cards, and applying them to the cost of your trip), but being able to make reservations on day 180 is a big perk… so worth it.

Have fun!!!
(PS - I think you’ll find the TA you are looking for via the list, but if you are having trouble, I can either hook you up with a name of a TA, or help you with some info for planning it yourself. Use a TA, they’re free, and it’s a good deal when someone that knows what’s up can help you.)
:boom::fireworks::sparkles::boom::fireworks::sparkles::boom::fireworks::sparkles::boom::fireworks::sparkles:

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thank you

Just a warning: "When the offer comes out, she simply calls Disney Reservations, they apply the deal, "

This is not quite accurate.

The deals aren’t applied to current reservations. They are pulled from a different inventory and you are switched rather seamlessly. And that’s only if the inventory is there. If there is nothing available, then the promotions can’t just be applied to your current reservation.

It’s a misconception that promos are automatically applied.

You may have to rebook at another resort, change your dates, or make other changes to find a promotion.

Wow, great to know… I guess my work friend just got lucky each year. Inventory is a big deal, I do know that much thanks @DarthDopey :grin:

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Definitely lucky.

For instance, this year, free dining was blacked out for all of October. No dice for anyone booked then. And from what I saw, there was limited availability everywhere else. Slim pickings.

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[quote=“Athomas0921, post:1, topic:27427, full:true”]
Is there an advantage over using a travel agent vs going straight through Disney?[/quote]

Some might suggest that not having to deal with the Disney website or calling Disney is an advantage to using a travel agent, though, I suppose that depends on how patient you are with things that don’t work, waiting on hold, or people taking your reservations who are less informed that you are.

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Are you a travel agent? And if so, can you book for anyone or just certain regions?