Showing posts with label Travel Agent. Show all posts
Disney World Top 6 Benefits Of Using A Travel Agent
As vacation budgets get tightened it is more important than
ever to make sure that families make their Walt Disney World Vacation as
magical and stress free as possible so that it truly is a “Vacation”. Using a Disney Specialized Travel Agent can
have many benefits for planning and preparing for your trip.
The Walt Disney World Resort provides magical memories for
families, but planning a visit can be extremely complicated for the first time
visitor and the seasoned veteran. It
really does take an expert who is willing to spend the time to explain and
advise in order to make sure that you get the vacation that your kids have been
dreaming of. Make sure that the travel
agent you choose not only has Disney training, but has personally been there
many times so that they can speak from experience and not just refer to a
brochure.
Only WDWorld looks at the Top 6 Benefits that you can
achieve by having a Pro on your side.
Top 6 Benefits Of Using A Travel Agent For Your Disney Vacation
6. Disney Transportation Explanation
From setting up your reservations on Disney’s Magical
Express Service to get you from the Orlando International Airport to your
Disney World Resort to explaining how to navigate Disney’s Transportation
systems, a knowledgeable Travel Agent can save you significant time and money
during your vacation.
True Disney World experts can give you clear transportation
plans for getting to all of the Disney Theme Parks and then getting to your
Dining locations and back to your resort.
This is certainly an area where firsthand experience pays off.
Learning Disney World Vacation Tips: Using Disney Buses is an important part of the Disney Vacation that skilled Travel Agents can help guide you.
5. Disney Parks Touring Plans
Knowing how to successfully navigate the Disney World Theme
Parks and use the FastPass+ system to your advantage can make the difference
between best vacation ever and miserable frustration fighting crowds in the hot
Florida sun.
Having a plan makes a world of difference and knowing how to
minimize the impact of crowds can be a life saver. This doesn’t mean that your day has to be
scheduled from morning to night. A few
key strategies can work wonders.
Key suggestions like the Disney's Animal Kingdom One Day Must See Guide aid in the planning process.
4. Disney Dining Plan Deciphering
Nothing has generated as much buzz at Disney World than the
Disney Dining Plan. By thoroughly
understanding the different plans, you can make a good financial decision for
your family about whether to include it as part of your vacation.
A Disney World expert can also recommend which restaurants
(both Table Service and Quick Service) are the best to use with the Disney
Dining Plan and which are best to avoid.
3. Disney World Resort Sorting
Now that Disney World has over 25 different Disney World Resort Hotel options to choose from it is hard know which is the right one for your
family. Finding a Travel Agent that not
only knows something about each of them, but has actually stayed in each of
them is priceless! They are able to
answer your questions about the room layouts, resort amenities, dining options,
pools and walking distances that you just can’t get from a brochure.
There is a lot more to picking a Disney Resort than picking
a price range. You want to make sure
that the Theming, Room Sizes, and proximity to the Theme Parks that you are
interested in all meet your needs.
Families of 5 definitely need someone on their side to help
them weigh their best options.
2. Disney World Restaurant Reservation Planning
Dining has become one of the key features of a Disney World Vacation
over the last several years. There is a
wide variety of options including locations, cuisines, and entertainment. Like Dining in your local area, getting
restaurant feedback from someone that has actually dined there makes a world of
difference versus reading a menu or online reviews.
Find a Travel Agent that knows these restaurants because he
or she has dined there personally. Then
have them help you plan out which reservations are required. Since reservations for the Table Service
Restaurants can be made 180 days in advance many of the most popular locations
actually fill up months ahead of time.
Most families now plan their vacation schedule around when
they are able to secure dining reservations at particular restaurants. This may sound strange to the uninitiated,
but it is the process at Disney World, and those who know how to work with the
system best, get the best results.
The Disney World Quick Service Restaurants also should get some pre-trip consideration especially if you are using one of the Disney Dining Plans.
1. Disney World Discount Deal Searching
A
great Travel Agent will tirelessly find you the best deal, even if it means that
they will get a lower commission, because a happy customer is a returning
customer.
One
key trait to search for is a Disney Specialized Travel Agent that will continue
to watch for deals AFTER you have booked your trip in order to try to get you
an ever better deal.
You
also want a Travel Agent that will give you an honest recommendation about
options and extras and maybe even talk you out of purchasing one that you may
not need.
The
best scenario is a happy family that gets a great deal on the vacation that
they want to take, whether it be on a tight budget or over the top
extravagant. Disney can accommodate both
scenarios very well.
Use
your Disney Specialized Travel Agent as your planning partner and make sure you
start at least 6 months ahead of time if possible. A Walt Disney World Vacation is different
than any other vacation that you will take, often requiring a large amount of
planning prior to arrival, but if it is done well it can easily be your vacation
of a lifetime!
Need A Disney Specialized Travel Agent?
If you don't know a Travel Agent who is a Disney expert, give Only WDWorld Travel a try. Owner/Agent Michelle Collins has visited the Walt Disney World Resort over 50 times during the past 20 years and has visited all of the resorts and stayed in most of them personally. She has also dined in almost all of the Table Service Restaurants at Disney World.
Let her use her experience to help you plan your "Best Disney Vacation Ever!"
Disney World Vacation: Use Travel Agent Or Book The Trip Yourself?
The easy part of your vacation is deciding that you want to visit the Walt Disney World Resort. The toughest decisions involve wading through all of your options, choosing the best ones, and then booking your trip.
Should I Use A Travel Agent?
Many people come up against this roadblock when planning their Disney World Vacation. Many questions come up during this process:- Will it cost me more to use a travel agent?
- Are all travel agents alike?
- What happens if a better promotion comes along after I book my vacation?
- Do I lose flexibility if I use a travel agent?
- What if I'm not sure exactly what I am looking for?
- Am I better off just calling Disney directly and booking with them?
Maybe you have found yourself asking these same questions. Let's go through them one by one to help you find the best answer for your vacation.
Will it cost me more to use a travel agent?
The simple answer is that it should not. Travel agents are paid by commission by the travel providers and in this case Disney World. Most travel agents accept the commission paid by Disney as their only fees and do not charge their customers and extra or additional fees. Disney World also makes sure that you can receive any promotion that you book directly also if you book through a travel agent.
Don't be afraid to ask your Travel Agent if they charge any extra fees for their services. If they do, make sure you understand what you are paying for. As I mentioned earlier, most travel agents do not charge extra fees for the Disney portion or trips, but may have fees for booking airline tickets, etc.
Are all Travel Agents alike?
Here the answer is a resounding NO. Like most fields, Travel Agents typically have specialties. There are so many different travel options, it is hard to be an expert with all of them. Disney World can be one of the most difficult vacations to plan and book if you are not familiar and current with all the latest developments and programs that they have.
If you use a travel agent, please choose one that specializes in Disney Travel. There are many great ones out there. In addition to finding a Travel Agency that specializes in Disney Travel, make sure that your Travel Agent knows Disney World.
Ask them how many times they have visited Disney World and how recently. Ask them how many different Disney Resorts that they have stayed in. Ask them how many different Disney World Restaurants they have eaten in. You will find there is a big difference between reading about a Resort or Restaurant on-line or in a brochure versus actually staying there or eating there in person.
Again there are many great Travel Agents that can pass that hurdle and they are the ones that you want on your side helping you plan your next vacation.
What happens if a better promotion comes along after I book my vacation?
Here is one of the age old dilemmas, do I book my Disney Trip now or do I wait to see if a better offer comes along? A good Disney Specialized Travel Agent will proactively look for better promotions even after you book your vacation and either re-book your vacation at the better rate or ask your permission to do so, even though that means that their commission will be lower as a result.
Why would they do that? They value your business and hope that you will return to them for booking and planning a future vacation.
You can go through the same process yourself if you book directly through Disney, but do not expect them to call you to make you aware that you could save money by re-booking your trip. Please note that in either case, the timing has to fall within Disney Travel guidelines, which at the time of this article means that any Disney World trip more than 45 days prior to arrival can be re-booked at a better rate if similar rooms are available for that promotion.
Do I lose flexibility if I use a travel agent?
A good travel agent should be your partner from the moment you first contact them, right through the end of your vacation. If you have questions, or need to make changes they should be there to help you.
What if I'm not sure exactly what I am looking for?
This is where a Disney Specialized Travel Agent can really shine. They have the time to listen to you explain your situation and get to know you. They can provide multiple options that you can discuss and then work towards a solution that works for you. This is not really an option if you want to book directly. Then you are kind of let on your own to come up with the answers.
Am I better off just calling Disney directly and booking with them?
If you know exactly what you want you can make the choice to book directly with Disney and still have a great vacation. What you lose in the process is not having that person who will proactively contact you to make you aware of new attractions, shows, promotions, or options. You also won't have someone working with you to help you save money or fit your trips to your particular budget.
How Do I Find A Great Disney Specialized Travel Agent?
There are several ways to find a great Disney Specialized Travel Agent. One way is to talk to your friends and family to get recommendations. Another way is to search on the internet. As I mentioned earlier there are several great Travel Agencies that can help you make your Disney Vacation a magical hassle free experience.
At Only WDWorld, we recommend Only WDWorld Travel (full disclosure: The Blog and Travel Agency are related entities.)
Only WDWorld Travel is a full service travel agency that specializes in Disney Travel. Michelle Collins, owner/agent, has vacationed at the Walt Disney World Resort nearly 50 times and stayed in nearly all of the on-site resorts, eaten in nearly all of the on-site restaurants, used the Disney Dining Plans, taken all forms of Disney transportation, including Disney's Magical Express, and traveled with kids, large family groups, and done adult only vacations personally. This personal experience, along with a sincere love of Disney World allows her to work hard to ensure that all of her clients have their best Disney Vacation ever! when then book with her.
To get in touch with Michelle and Only WDWorld Travel to book or plan your next Disney Vacation:
- Phone: 336-899-7943
- Email: info@OnlyWDWorldTravel.com
- Facebook: www.Facebook.com/OnlyWDWorldTravel
- Website: www.OnlyWDWorldTravel.com
Remember that getting a quote from Only WDWorld Travel is always FREE with no hidden fees!
