Let someone else take care of the details so you can enjoy Happily Ever After! When I was growing up, there seemed to be travel agencies everywhere. When you wanted to take a trip, you would go into the office and speak with an agent. He or she would then take care of the details for you. I remember going to a local travel agency with my parents and coming home with a bag full of maps, travel guides for the states that we planned to hit, and brochures for places of interest. It was exciting.
The Internet has changed the way that we travel. It is now easy to book our own flights and find great hotel rooms at a discount. Instead of brochures, all that you need to do is to go to a website to learn about an attraction. With GPS those maps that were always so hard to fold are pretty much obsolete. Many people think that the job of travel agent is also obsolete, but that is not the case at all. Travel agents are still around, the job has just changed with the times.
If you are planning your first Walt Disney World vacation, I highly recommend working with an online travel agent. She (or he, but I’m going to use she because I know more female travel agents) will often have access to deals and discounts that you will not find on your own. The travel agent should also be well versed on what is going on at Walt Disney World, and will be able to make recommendations for you. The best part of all is that it will cost you nothing extra to work with a travel agent.
Travel agents aren’t only for booking your first trip. Even if you’ve been dozens of times, an agent can help to make things easier for you. She might know of a tour that you would like, or have suggestions for new restaurants that you haven’t yet tried. The idea is to build a relationship that will benefit both of you.
There is one thing that is important if you plan to book your trip through a travel agent. Make sure that the agent specializes in Disney vacations. I know someone who booked through an agent where Disney was just a small part of what she did. She ended up giving some really bad advice. My friend still had a great vacation, but an agent who specialized in Disney would not have made some of the time consuming mistakes.
When using a travel agent, be sure to get across what it is that you want from your vacation. Research any extras that are suggested ahead of time so that you don’t end up paying for things that you don’t really need. Also, some travel agents take care of things such as FastPass+ and dining reservations, while others don’t. Know ahead of time who will be responsible for booking such important aspects of your vacation.
One more thing about modern day travel agents. Most of them work from home on commission only. Don’t go to someone for advice, have her do all the work for you, only to book your vacation yourself. When that happens (which it does all the time), the agent worked for literally nothing. There is no hourly rate for most travel agents, please do not waste her time if you do not plan to book through her.
I know several travel agents, and if you are interested in learning more please send me an email, or contact me through Facebook or Instagram. I’m not dropping any names here because I don’t want to imply sponsorship, but I’d be more than happy to “talk” to you privately.
Planning a Walt Disney World vacation can be confusing and time consuming. When you book through a travel agent, someone else will take care of the hard work for you, without costing you more. Disney travel agents can also help you with Disneyland and Disney Cruise Line vacations. Less work, possible savings, and more fun; sounds like a great idea to me!