Our Experiences with Travel Agents
We recently had Pam Forrester from the Magic for Less Disney Travel Agent on the Mouse Travel Tips Podcast. The discussion between Rachel and Pam was very informative and helpful. We have been to Disney many different times and before we were DVC members we had only used a Travel Agent twice. Because Rachel works for a travel company we were usuall able to receive a discount on resorts at Walt Disney World and it was not necessary to use a Disney Specialist.
Since we are type A personalities, we enjoy looking into all the options and activities available at the Disney resorts. However, there is always way too much information to be able to digest it all for a first trip to Disney. We gradually learned more as we went – but using a Travel Agent helps guests get over that initial learning curve, because they already know the options and best tips for planning a great trip to Disney.
Three years ago, my family and I decided to plan a trip to Walt Disney World for a group of 11 people. Rachel was not able to come with us, so the travel agent rate was not available. We were members of AAA, and so we went with them for booking the trip. Again being the overzealous planner that I am, I knew where we wanted to stay and figured out how much it would cost. Now we did receive a discount on package and other perks, but we really did not come away with the feeling like we had received a great deal.
Rachel and I decided the following year to go to the Disneyland Resort in California. We again went to our local AAA travel agent to book the trip. We again received a discount on the package and another perk that was exclusive to AAA. It was nice to stay on the property, but again we were not too excited about the deal.
We later became Disney Vacation Members and so using a travel agent was not really necessary for us as we would just need to call DVC member service and we could reserve our room and then buy our tickets.
However, hindsight has let me know that there were other options available for those trips initial trips booked through our travel agent. We never thought about using an online Disney Travel agency because we didn’t know they were available and that they were “Disney Experts” that could help you plan your trip. One thing that really was disappointing was when I asked our local travel agent if we could take advantage of a new Disney promotion after we had booked our trip. We were told, “No”. Once we make a payment we were locked into that deal. Not knowing any better we accepted that. Now, after listening to Pam describe always looking for deals for her guests, we know better – and we wanted to share that information with you to help you save money and get the most out of your Disney booking.
Now that we are a little bit more wiser and more informed, if there is a time where we may need a travel agent for our Disney trip I believe we will be more inclined to us a Disney Travel Agent Specialist. I had learned many new things from the podcast and new options that are available to us and to others. We hope that you will also be able to take advantage of this information and the tips Pam shared to save money on your next Disney vacation!
By Ray
