Most vacations you simply book your hotel, plane tickets, and rental car (as needed) and go. When you are off to the Mouse House, aka Walt Disney world, it isn't so simple. Unless, of course, you don't want to have the best vacation possible and don't mind spending a lot more money than you need to.

Walt Disney World vacations aren't simple. It IS, in fact, a world unto itself. One wrong decision and you could end up spending more time in lines than on attractions. Or more money than the person staying in the resort room next to you. There is even a vocabulary that goes with Walt Disney World vacations that isn't generally used by most Americans.

To have the best time and spend the least money, it is important to know all the nuisances of Walt Disney World. It is important to step back and learn the important things about Walt Disney World. If you do so, you will have the best Walt Disney Vacation ever!



Thursday, February 24, 2011

What Using Travel Agent?

If planning a Walt Disney World vacation is beginning to seem complicated, it is to a certain extent.  You may begin to wonder why you shouldn’t just call your local travel agent.  Well, you can, but the question is, should you?
There isn’t anything a travel agent can do for you that you can’t do for yourself.  They will tell you about their services—book you the best deal, make your ADRS (advance dining reservations), and arrange for your magical express.   They’ll even help you with itinerary planning for your Walt Disney World vacation.
They do not get you better deals than you can get yourself with a little due diligence.  There are many websites (the best of which is www.mousesavers.com) that list all the discount codes available at Walt Disney World for you.
Most travel agencies, if not all, will not change a resort or the dates of your vacation to get you a better deal, which could save you hundreds of dollars.  You would have to tell your travel agent to do that, so you must be aware of what the best deals are at all times anyhow.  And then, you must wait for the travel agency to get your request and have the time to take care of it.  You could be at the front of the line, or 150 people back.  Your travel agent might not even be working; he/she could be out with the flu.  You can’t change your reservation yourself, because your travel agent owns it.
The same thing goes for ADRs.  You are perfectly capable of making them yourself at 180 days +10 out.  You can do that even if a travel agent does, in fact, book your reservation. 
Itinerary planning is the same thing.  As a matter of fact, I believe that is half the fun in planning a Walt Disney World vacation—doing the planning.  While a good travel agent can be an invaluable resource, most are only so-so at planning Walt Disney World vacations.  There are better resources out there, such as The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World. 
If you don’t enjoy planning though, or don’t have any time, a travel agent might be the best way to go.  In which case, make sure you pick your travel agent carefully.  You can NOT just use any travel agent when planning a Walt Disney World vacations.  You must use an authorized Disney Vacation Planner!  There are many good ones out there.  Authorized Disney Vacation Planners are travel agencies/agents that have been specifically trained by Walt Disney World to understand their product in a very special way.
Some, that are highly recommended, include The Mouse For Less, Small World Vacations, Magical Vacations, and Mouse Fan Travel.  These, are not by any means, the extend of authorized Disney Vacation Planners. 

For more information on how to pick the right travel agent, see HERE.

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