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What to look for in a Disney Vacation Travel Agent
By Alisha Molen
Why I Use a Disney Vacation Travel Agent
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My college degree is in travel and tourism.
So, when it comes to making travel plans, I am usually a “do it myself” kind of gal. With one exception… Disney vacations. In this article, I will share with you: | |
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8 Reasons I Always Use a Travel Agent to Book Disney Vacations
Disney (any park, any length of stay) is a huuuuugggge vacation.
It's so dreamy. I want it to be special!
Here are the eight reasons I always use a Disney travel agent for Disney vacations of any kind.
I Want the Best Deal
It’s a big expense. I want to get my money’s worth. My travel agent knows the best Disney deals and can hook me up.
Disney can be Overwhelming
Disney (every park, every hotel) has so much to experience, so much to learn. Fortunately, my travel agent knows ALL. THE. THINGS.
Disney is Constantly Changing
Disney specialists are working in the vacation details every day. They keep up with the latest news, attractions, and offers.
I Don’t Want to Miss Any Magic
There are so many details to Disney. So many things I don’t know. (And I pay attention!) By working with a Disney travel agent, I have access to their expertise. Why do they know so much? Because of #5...
Personal Experience
Working with someone that has a lot of personal experience with Disney parks and hotels gives me another trusted source for information. My travel agent has experienced just about everything Disney has to offer.
It Saves Time
It would take me forever and totally stress me out to try to find the best deals on my own, book everything at the right time, and handle all the details. My agent saves me so much time!
It Costs Me Nothing
See my explanation below
I Get Bonus Perks
I love working with my agent because she often hooks me up with goodies. For a cruise, the on-board credit perks are awesome! (More on that here.)
What a Disney Vacation Travel Agent Does
A certified Disney travel agent can help you plan EVERY aspect of your trip.
They can do stuff like:
- Tell you the difference between the different ticket types
- Make recommendations about how many days you should stay
- Give you transportation options before, during, and after your vacation
- Suggest a hotel that is a good fit for your family
- Reveal any deals you didn’t know about
Why it’s FREE to Use a Disney Travel Agent
For most travel agents, like my favorites at Get Away Today, there is no fee to use their services.
Agents make a small commission on what they sell, leaving it free to us, the vacationers, to benefit from their knowledge and expertise.
How an Agent Can Help if Something Goes Wrong
One benefit that many people don’t think of is that if something goes wrong on your trip, your travel agent is your advocate.
Especially with Get Away Today (I recommend them, spoiler alert!).
They send so much business to Disney that they have special contacts to help out that we don’t have access to.
What You Should Look For When Picking a Disney Travel Agent
When you talk to any Disney travel agent, I look for these three things before booking anything:
- Make sure they’re an authorized Disney ticket reseller.
- Ask if the agent is up to date on his or her Disney College of Knowledge certification.
- Find an agent with on-site experience with the park or resort you’re visiting
How to Get the Best Results from Your Agent
Give your travel agent as much information as possible. By default, they will need genders and ages of family members to quote you prices.
However, the more information you provide, such as your interests, what you value in a vacation experience, your favorite things about Disney, what stresses you out, etc., the more your travel agent can give you create personalized recommendations.
So go ahead, open up and share!
Why a Disney Vacation travel agent is better than other non-specialists
There's a LOT to know about Disney vacations. All the current deals, different ticket types, hotel types, transportation options.
Sure, pretty much any agency can book tickets.
But you don’t need that! You want someone that is an expert in Disney.
You want a specialist. A Disney guru that will:
Disney Experience Matters
Even with all my experience on Disney vacations, I admit that I only know a portion of all the magical things there are to know about Disney. (Yes, even cruises!)
This is why I love working with a travel agent that specializes in Disney vacations.
A specialist with a lot of Disney experience will be able to “unlock” tips and tricks that are perfect for my vacation.
Anytime you go to a non-specialized agency, you get a big discrepancy among agents knowledge and experience.
A good Disney vacation travel agent should be an expert in:
The Company Cares about Travel Agents for Disney
I love this part.
The company requires all travel agents for Disney to take an online course annually to be certified.
Additionally, many Disney agents attend FAM (or Familiarization) trips where they tour a destination and do on-site training.
You Can Get Bonus Perks
Many authorized Disney agents have access to bonus perks to entice someone to book through them.
Always, always, always ask your agent if there are any bonuses or incentives for booking.
Quick example:
Our favorite Disney travel agent for booking cruises is Get Away Today.
They offer "on board credit" with your booking (depending on stateroom, length of trip, etc).
On-board credit is basically free money that you can spend while on the ship.
This is what they currently offer for onboard credit. See? Free goodies!
Current Disney Cruise Onboard Credit from Get Away Today
Inside Stateroom | Ocean View Stateroom | Balcony/Suite Stateroom | |
Disney Wonder | $25 | $50 | $75 |
Disney Magic | $75 | $100 | $125 |
Disney Dream | $50 | $100 | $200 |
Disney Fantasy | $100 | $200 | $300 |
Why I Recommend Get Away Today
It was a wonderful day when I discovered Get Away Today.
I used to think I had no choice but to purchase Disneyland tickets from Disney. Discovering an alternative that would help me to save money on Disneyland tickets was exciting!
They’re a legit, authorized Disney ticket reseller with great customer service. They've been in business almost 30 years and are rated A+ on BBB. You’re safe to purchase from them in confidence.
Tickets are Same as Buying from Disney
Tickets purchased from Get Away Today have the EXACT same benefits as those purchased at the Disney gate.
Disclosure: If you buy tickets through the Get Away Today links, I get a small commission. It’s not much but it helps keep the website running and doesn’t cost you any extra. You don’t have to use my links, but I’m very thankful when you do. I recommend them not because of the commission but because I use them myself.
*EXCLUSIVE COUPON: Save More on Each Package
Use coupon code PICTURETHEMAGIC at checkout on GetAwayToday.com to receive a little extra off any vacation package.
After deciding to feature Get Away Today, I contacted them to ask for some exclusive savings. They said yes and gave me this Get Away Today discount code!
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