What A Travel Agent Doesn’t Tell You (But Probably Should)

A Travel Agent can be a great asset to you and your family, especially when you’re new to vacation planning.

But, because we get so excited to help you make your dreams come true, sometimes we forget to tell you the most basic things.

I believe in full disclosure. So, before you hand over your trust (and money) to someone, there are things that you should know.

We Really Don’t Charge You To Use Our Services

The age old question…”Is it really free to book with a Travel Agent?”

The short answer is ABSOLUTELY. It’s well known that Disney doesn’t charge you more for using a Travel Agent.

But, they’re not the only ones. In fact, many destinations don’t charge you extra for using a Travel Agent, including Universal Studios, Sea World, and more. And we book those, as well!

Travel Is In High Demand

If you’re reading this in 2022, you may have noticed that Resorts are filling up quickly and Parks are unusually busy.

Closures, followed by a high risk pregnancy, forced me to not be able to travel for a couple years. So, I am anxious to get out and go somewhere.

And I’m not alone. There are many others who feel the same.

What does this mean for you? It means you’re going to have to book early. Affordable on and off site accommodations are booking up quickly.

Unfortunately, a high demand for travel means there really isn’t a “slow” season anymore. But, if you still want to avoid the craziest crowds, I suggest avoiding holidays, summer, and anytime there is a school break.

Room Discounts Aren’t Unlimited

You may have run into this problem before. The Resort is showing there are still rooms available. So, why isn’t the discounted price showing up?

Disney sets a certain number of rooms aside to be booked at a discounted price. Once those rooms are booked, no more discounts will be given.

This is another reason I suggest booking early.

When a discount is released, issues immediately arise. You can be on hold for hours (the longest I’ve waited on hold is 8 hours!!) and the Disney booking site crashes. In recent years, they’ve created a virtual queue in an attempt to not have the site crash. But, it still means you’re waiting around while others are snatching up those discounted rooms.

Of course, not all Resorts will sell out right away. But, Value Resorts and Moderate Resorts, especially rooms that sleep 5 people, do go quickly.

So, once you finally get ahold of a Cast member, you want to work fast. Applying discounts to existing reservations goes much faster than creating a whole new reservation, especially when the system is already stressed.

We Won’t Book Your Trip and Leave You

Remember how I said I’m all about full disclosure? Well, here’s some hard facts.

We don’t get paid until after you’ve traveled. So, we want to keep you happy. Because it doesn’t matter how much work we’ve done. If you cancel, we don’t get paid.

We’re there for you from start to finish.

Whether it means calling from the Parks to help cancel a dining reservation or asking me to make sure your Genie+ is set up correctly, that’s ok. That’s why you book with a Travel Agent to begin with. So, someone will be there to help you when you need it.

If You Book On Your Own, We Can’t Really Help You

Companies like Disney and Universal Studios take your privacy very seriously.

The first thing they look at is if we are the agent assigned to your reservation. And even then, there are things they can’t discuss with us, including certain details on your My Disney Experience account.

It doesn’t matter to them if we have your permission or your confirmation numbers. If you book on your own, these companies aren’t going to give us any information regarding your trip or allow us to modify anything.

I don’t mind answering a few questions to help you out. After all, that’s exactly why this link exists. But, aside from answering a few questions, that’s all I’m really able to do.

Transfer Your Reservation

However, if you booked less than 30 days prior to contacting me, you are in luck. As long as you haven’t paid in full, if you booked directly through Disney, I can transfer your reservation.

As soon as the transfer goes through, I can apply discounts and ensure that you have the best package.

We Don’t Get Insulted If You Want To Book Your Own Reservations

If you want to use my help to get you the best price and book the rest of your reservations yourself, that’s ok.

And if you want me to book everything on your behalf, that’s ok, too.

It’s your vacation. You should be as involved or as hands off as you need me to be.

If you’re wondering what type of client I was, I was the one that wanted to do as much as the work as I could. Back when I was planning my very first Disney vacation as an adult, I was so lost.

But, my wonderful Travel Agent helped me decide on the perfect Package for my family. She also applied discounts to my reservation as soon as they were released.

But, to be honest, I wanted to do the rest. So, I emailed her if I had any questions. But, I did that part of the planning myself. And she was completely fine with that.

Payments

In reality, the only thing that your Travel Agent must do for you is apply payments and make changes to your Package. If you decide to change Resorts or your travel dates, just let me know and I’ll make the changes for you.

But, aside from that, your vacation is never out of your hands.

We Do This Because We Love It

It goes without saying, but I love my job.

It’s not easy. But, where else would I get paid to sit at home, in my pajamas, and talk to others about my favorite place all day long?

When you use a Travel Agent, you get so much more than someone helping you book your vacation. Disney likes to call this The Disney Difference.

You get a wealth of knowledge of the place you’re visiting. You also get personalized service, from someone who gets to know you and your family.

This means big savings on the very same package you’d book on your own. Because, trust me, you won’t save if you don’t know where to look.

You’ll also save time by not having to Google or call Disney every time you have a question. We know exactly what you’re looking for, so we can give you personalized answers to your questions.