(And also a few reasons you should!)
Planning a trip to a Disney park or cruise can be intimidating (Disney World in particular). There are thousands of Disney planners that can help you book and plan your trip for free, but there are reasons you shouldn’t always use them. (Some of you are going to hate me for this post, but hear me out…)
1. They do not necessarily save you money
Many say that using a Disney planner could save you money. But planners don’t have access to any special pricing. They use the same Disney website that everyone has access to and do not get early access to deals. What a planner can do is watch for deals that could apply to your trip, and apply them to your trip even after you’ve booked to save you money. You could do the same thing on your own by watching the Disney website and calling them to take advantage of the deal, but that takes time, so it is nice to have someone watching for deals for you.
But here’s the biggest thing…the best deals on a Disney World vacation aren’t always through Disney. I have found great deals through Costco, renting DVC points to stay in deluxe accommodations for cheap, getting tickets through Undercover Tourist, using Marriott points to stay at Swan & Dolphin, or finding a great hotel or rental deals to stay outside of Disney property.
2. They are incentivized to sell you a full Disney vacation package
They are not going to take time to compare the price difference in options that aren’t staying at a Disney property + tickets. They only receive commission for booking official Disney resorts and 3-day or more ticket bundles so that’s what they are going to push you toward. They only get paid if you book through them and only after your trip is over, and are paid a percentage of your booking cost, so there is no benefit in them giving you options off-site that save you money, because that’s more time for them to do that research, and less money you will spend with them.
If you do the research yourself, you can compare the costs of staying in a Disney Springs/official hotel partner hotel, a vacation rental, using a Costco deal or Marriott points for a stay at Swan and Dolphin, renting DVC points, etc.
3. They do not earn extra money for spending more time with you, so many do not
Disney Tavel Agents will love it if you come knowing exactly when you want to go, for how long, and where you want to stay. All they have to do is click the buttons on the website for you and they’ll earn a commission once your trip is complete. But what if you are using an agent because you don’t know when you want to go or how long to stay or where to stay? Answering those questions eats up more of their time. I’ve actually had agents ghost me because I’ve asked too many questions and they know I’m not booking a $10,000 package so it’s not worth their time. Some agents are awesome and will take the time to answer your questions and compare lots of options with you, but many will not. That means you’ll still be doing a lot of the research on your own. So why not push the website buttons on your own too?
4. They are an unnecessary middle-man for making quick decisions
One of the more stressful parts of planning a Disney trip is making dining reservations. You can still have a great Disney trip without special dining experiences, but we do highly recommend them. To make those dining reservations, you have to be ready at 6am EST 60 days before your vacation begins to start making those reservations. Having someone else be up at 6am to do that for you sounds nice, but what if you had your heart set on Space 220 at Epcot for a certain day and it’s not available? Your agent may either not book anything at Epcot until they talk to you (which wastes time and means more reservations will be gone) or they’ll book an alternative that may not be your favorite 2nd choice. If you are in control, you can make those decisions without wasting time. Every time I’ve used an agent, I’ve had to go back in and change reservations or move the times because I don’t always love what they booked for me. I just don’t like a middle-man and I like being in control.
5. Not all Disney Travel Agents are created equal
Some agents really know their stuff, while others just don’t. I often have friends and family show me what their agents have booked for them or told them and I frequently correct them. For example –
An agent that booked the Chinese restaurant in Epcot as a family’s one and only sit-down meal in the park with the most awesome restaurant choices.
A family of 3 that told their agent they had a $5k budget and she booked them a 3-night stay at a fancy Disney resort and 2 park days for that price. Our family of 5 went a week later and they asked us what it cost out of curiosity because they wished they had been able to do all 4 parks but thought it was too expensive. I told them we stayed for 6 days on property at Swan & Dolphin with 5 park days using a Costco deal…also for $5k. They were not happy.
6. They won’t (or have no reason to) give you daily itineraries or advice
Again, they only earn commission on Disney resorts and 3+ day tickets, they do not earn anything by giving you detailed itineraries. Some amazing Disney planners will offer this service, and some will (and honestly should) charge a fee for this service. This site offers multiple Disney itineraries to our paid subscribers that you can use as a starting point to plan your own itineraries. Check them out >
2 Reasons Why You SHOULD Use a Disney Travel Agent
1. If it’s your first time going to Walt Disney World and you don’t know where to start.
A travel agent can help you book the essential things you need (rooms and tickets) and hopefully give you some good advice and recommendations. If you’re feeling overwhelmed by the planning, you might as well get some free help!
2. To support a friend or family member who is a Disney TA
There are a lot of Disney Travel Agents out there and chances are you may know one! They are almost all small business owners who love Disney and would really appreciate your business. Even if you do most of the planning yourself, letting a friend or family member book all or part of your trip for you will help them earn a commission.
How to Find a Good Disney Travel Agent
Ask your friends and family who they recommend. Ask them what their travel agent helped them plan. Did they just book their room and tickets or did they provide additional planning or advice? You can also go to a local Facebook group to ask for recommendations, but be warned that you may be bombarded with responses. Like I said, there are a LOT of Disney Travel Agents out there!
