We have all read the horror stories online about a Disney vacation that went wrong.  Guests standing at the gates of the Magic Kingdom with their “Universal” ticket wondering why they couldn’t get in, or they are at the park asking for Harry Potter.  Maybe it was the family that was very athletic that thought they could walk from Epcot to Animal Kingdom not realizing those were highways on the maps and not walking trails. These might be extreme examples of misinformation – but you get the idea.

I’ve said it before and will say it again, when booking your Disney vacation you should always enlist the help of a Disney travel agent.  There are many benefits to booking with them, but now the question is – how do you find a GOOD one?  How do you make sure that the agent you’re booking with is a well-versed Disney professional travel advisor?  What questions could you ask to make sure they know what they’re doing before you book with them?  It would be hard to come up with those questions if you’ve never been, so I’ve done it for you.

6 questions you should ask your Disney travel agent before booking with them

1  When was the last time you visited Walt Disney World yourself?

Walt Disney World is probably the most complicated of the Disney destinations.  You might need to arrange Genie+, park reservations, virtual queues and dining.  There are 4 theme parks to consider plus water parks, parades, shows, fireworks and transportation options – so many things that can impact your stress level on vacation.  If your agent hasn’t been to Walt Disney World in 5 years, how will they know what options are best for your family?  Reading online doesn’t put things in to context and sometimes they are completely misinformed opinions. You have to experience the crowds at the Magic Kingdom fireworks in order to tell you a good spot to watch them from!  Having an agent who has been to the parks recently they have validated the information first hand – and they’ve focused on things that will matter to their clients.

2  Do most of your clients get the dining plan, memory maker, or hopper pass when they go?

This is a great way to start the conversations that help you understand the experience that your agent brings.  They will have not only their own personal stories, but feedback from clients on how these options worked for them.  They know where the value is and how to maximize it.

In case you’re wondering – I love the Memory Maker option!

You might feel silly posing, but the pictures are so fun when you see them later!

3  How big is your team and how many of them sell Disney?

Having someone that has other Disney experts on the team will ensure that you have back up in the event your agent is sick or is on vacation when you have a question. It also means they have knowledge to tap in to if they don’t have personal experience on the subject you need. For example – one agent on the team may have a child with allergies that can share that first hand knowledge about the process of eating at a buffet with allergies. If they are a good team, they’re sharing all of that stuff with each other regularly.   No one agent will have experience in EVERYTHING Disney has to offer – but a good team will.

4  How much is your service and what is included?

This is a tricky question and an important conversation to have.  Some advisors charge fees and some don’t, it depends on the agency and their business model.

What is included in the service?  Do they load your reservations in to your Disney account?  Provide a consultation with tips and advice?  These are examples of things they may or may not include.

Beware of agents that make “guarantees” of certain dining reservations or that they can apply a future promotion to your reservation.  False promises are definately a red flag.

5  Tell me a little about your agency

Finding out if the agency has any regulations to follow (in Ontario travel agencies are heavily regulated to the benefit of the clients) is a great place to start.  Also asking about the owners, how they provide support to their agents and other destinations do they sell.  A good agent is like a good hairdresser – when you find one you like, you stay with them!

Sometimes you will see agencies advertising they are ‘earmarked’ by Disney.  While this status is given to agencies – it has NO BEARING on the qualifications or experience of the agent.  It applies only to the agency and is based on a combination of sales volume and time.  It has no benefit to the client.

The other thing to be leary of are the big box stores (Costco) or ‘order takers’ who don’t build a relationship with their clients.  These places traditionally have higher turnover and less access to up to date information.  Generally not prepared to assist once the booking is made.

Also a big warning sign is if your ‘agent’ is trying to recruit you to BECOME an agent.  Promises of discounted or free travel and all you have to do is sign up and book your own trips – this is an indication of a multi level marketing team and…well….run.

6  The last (and most important) thing you should ask your agent before booking with them is “why do you do it?”

This is such an important question, and you should listen carefully to the answer.  A really good agent is professional, dedicated and a Disney fan too!  They want you to go and love it as much as they do.  That’s the thing about us ‘Disney people’, we get so excited when someone comes back from vacation and says they understand the Disney magic we were talking about.  When you find an agent that is a real Disney fan, you can be sure they’re invested in you having the most fantastic and magical experience ever!

If you’re looking to plan your vacation – contact my team at Playcation Travel Ltd

Do you have a great question you think I missed that you should ask your Disney Travel Agent?

Being an avid Disney Fanatic who has been visiting Walt Disney World since 1974, people are always asking me for help booking their vacations.  I hear horror stories all the time about people who booked their Disney vacation by themselves or with a travel agent who had very little personal experience.  There is so much to see and do at Walt Disney World that you can’t just show up and wing it.

Here are 5 rookie mistakes people make when planning a Walt Disney World vacation

1.  Buying only a 2 or 3 day park ticket

There are 4 theme parks to visit!  Walt Disney world is roughly the size of San Francisco, there is no way you’re going to see it all in a couple of days.  Trying to cram everything in to 2 or even 3 days makes for very long days and stressful times, especially with little ones.  If you experience an attraction that you love, don’t you want the opportunity to do it again and not be stressing about the next thing on the itinerary?  There is nothing worse than being rushed and anxious all the time while you’re trying to stay on schedule.   You will miss the magic of BEING there!

2.  Not buying a hopper pass

Now many will disagree with me, but I really believe that a hopper pass is worth it.   For example – Fantasmic is only happening on Monday and Wednesday the week you’re there – guess what days will be busiest at Hollywood Studios?  With the hopper pass you can enjoy another park during the day and then head over in time for the night time entertainment elsewhere.  The flexibility of the hopper pass is extremely valuable in my opinion, and you won’t realize how much until you’re there.  My only caveat to this would be if you have really little ones and you don’t envision having enough energy to hop around.

3.  Not staying on property

There are some fabulous Deluxe resorts on property, but if those aren’t in your budget there is still a place for you!  The Value and Moderate resort categories have some great places to stay to fit any budget.   These resorts are well themed, convenient and affordable and include the benefits of staying in a Disney resort including transportation to/from the parks.  The transportation options include buses, monorails, boats and the Skyliner!

4.  Not knowing what to plan in advance

If you’ve never been to Walt Disney World – how would you know what you want to see and do?  Walt Disney World planning is always evolving.  Disney Genie and Lightening Lanes, Park Reservations and Dining – how do you know what reservations you need before you go?  It is quite possible if you book your trip far in advance that things will CHANGE between the time you booked and the time you travel, Disney is ALWAYS mixing things up!  It’s imporant to know these things and having a Disney travel agent will help you with all of that.  There are a lot of myths about using a Disney travel agent, but I can guarantee you that the RIGHT agent can help you plan the BEST vacation.

5.  They over plan!

I know, that kind of contradicts what I said in point 4, but there’s something to be said for just enjoying the moment.  If you want to eat with the Princesses – then yes, you need a reservation.  However, planning all of your attractions in a strict itinerary takes all of the fun out of being there.  I’ve seen many families racing around the park to make sure they are ‘on schedule’ and it really takes away from all of the wonderful things they could experience if they took a moment to slow down!

A Walt Disney World vacation can be an amazing experience making memories you will treasure forever.  Knowing how to get the most out of your vacation will give you time to enjoy the magic!

Have you made any of these mistakes?  We’d love to hear what tips you have, comment below!

Explore some of the resorts we have reviewed here and listen to our Podcast for more info!

Whether it’s your first Disney vacation or your hundredth, you should use a travel agent who specializes in Disney vacations.  This topic is debated frequently in many Facebook Groups, but I often see some big misconceptions given for reasons against it.  I decided it was time to correct some of that misinformation.

Here are my top 5 myths about booking with a reputable Disney Travel Agent

1.  You will pay extra

If you are booking a vacation package, most agents will not charge a fee.  Your Disney vacation will cost the SAME as if you booked it directly with Disney yourself.  Instead of costing you money, they will tell you where you might be able to save some money or what ‘upgrades’ would be worth it.

2.  You lose control of your vacation

Nothing could be FURTHER from the truth.  You can control as much or as little as you like!  You can book all of your own Lightening Lanes, dining, Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique reservations and special events if that’s what you want to do.  You are absolutely in control – it is YOUR vacation!

Donald Duck Dream Along With Mickey

3.  You don’t need one

Honestly, I need one…. and I’ve been visiting for over 40 years!  I don’t need one to recommend dining or link my resort for me, but doing the legwork for changes to a vacation is priceless.  If there is a promotion, event, or website glitch that requires a call to Disney – the agent calls for you.  You don’t have to sit on hold for hours and HOURS when the room promotion comes out, or when you have to change dates because of a hurricane coming or a pandemic closing the parks – an agent does that for you.

4.  All of the information is online anyway

Sure, and you still can do your own research when you’re using a travel agent, but they’ll help you decipher the truth from the ‘click bait’ online.  We all have friends who have advice or read something somewhere, but how do you know what’s really going on?  Use an agent to bounce around ideas with your specific goals and family in mind.  Good agents draw on the tribal knowledge within their team and their own frequent experience to provide specific information tailored to your needs.  Why would you not want that extra resource at your disposal if it doesn’t cost you anything?

5.  They’re all the same

No, they aren’t all the same.  There are so many variables when choosing an agency to work with, and you need to make sure that they know what they’re doing!  Find an agency with a team of people who have relevant and recent personal experience who love what they do – that’s where you find the right one!  When you’re looking to plan, reach out to my team at Playcation Travel LTD for assistance.

Do you use a travel agent to book your Disney vacation?