Pros and Cons of Using a Disney Travel Agent
Wondering whether you should use a travel agent to book your trip to Disney? You’re in the right place.
There are a lot of people offering Disney travel agent services these days, and you’re probably wondering what the pros and cons of using a Disney travel agent are.
As someone who opts not to use a Disney travel agent, (for reasons I’ll explain below – but is aware of all the perks they offer) I’m going to give you a balanced view of both sides, so you can make the choice that’s right for you.
So, let’s jump in – perks of using a Disney travel agent, and why I still book my own Disney trips.
Pros of Using a Disney Travel Agent
✅ It’s free
This isn’t an exaggeration – it really doesn’t cost you any extra money to use a Disney travel agent.
I was skeptical when I first heard this, but it’s absolutely true. Travel agents earn their money off commissions from the trips that they’re booking for you, and it comes out of what you’re already paying anyway.
✅ It takes some work off your plate
I don’t mind booking my own travel, and I do it all the time. But for some people, putting trips together isn’t fun or something they want to spend their time doing.
Travel agents are already familiar with the booking platform and how to navigate it, and important dates – and they take a lot of this hassle off your hands.
All you have to do is communicate with them about your family size, preferences, dates and everything else, and they can put your trip together for together for you.
✅ You can (sometimes) score some onboard credit
I’ve heard of many people earning some on-board spending credit for their Disney Cruises. It’s usually somewhere around $100 -$200, depending on the cost of their cruise.
We spent over $1,000 on our 3-night Disney cruise as a family of four last time, so I think any onboard credit you can get is highly worth it.
Pro Tip: I don’t know if all Disney travel agents offer the onboard credit, so be sure to ask before you sign up with one if that’s important to you.
✅ They specialize in Disney
The unique thing I’ve noticed about Disney travel agents in particular is that they specialize in Disney. They have a certification that allows them to book travel for Disney for other people.
For you, this means that:
- They’re a wealth of knowledge about Disney parks and cruises, and you can ask them any questions
- They can make a ton of recommendations based on what they know you’re interested in or like
- They stay up to date with new offerings at Disney theme parks and cruises, and know things that you wouldn’t unless you’re closely following Disney
✅ You’re supporting a small business
Most travel agents I know are moms that are doing it as a home-based job to help support their family.
My friend Tina has her own Disney travel agency business through Magical Moment Vacations.
Since it doesn’t cost you anything extra anyway (and you like the sound of the rest of the perks below) then why not support someone’s small business?
✅ If there’s an issue, they are the ones who deal with it
In the (unlikely) event that there’s a problem during your trip, such as a delayed flight or other scheduling issue – then you don’t have to be the one who sits on hold while you call Disney – your travel agent does it for you.
This is hopefully not something that would be needed anyway, but it’s good to know. Since their names are on the booking, they’re the ones who handle the booking with Disney.
2 Reasons Why I Don’t Use a Disney Travel Agent
I haven’t been to many Disney theme parks (only Disneyland Paris when I was a teenager) but I sail on Disney Cruise Line fairly often, so that is what I’m talking about here
1. I want to be in charge of my own bookings
Your Travel Agent being the person responsible for the booking is a pro for many, but it can also be a con for some.
Personally, I just like to make and be in control the booking myself. Part of this is just a personality thing: I like to:
- see all the options for myself
- research myself
- make sure it’s on me to get the bookings that I want. (Some bookings on Disney Cruise Line are incredibly hard to secure, such as the Royal Gathering, renting a cabana at Castaway Cay, or Olaf’s Royal Picnic.) *However, this last point may not be relevant for all travel agents, as people usually book the excursions themselves anyway.
Pro: The one risk you take when a travel agent is put in charge of your booking is that if there are any problems on the trip, you won’t be able to make the changes yourself because it’s the booking is under the TA’s name. This is perfectly fine most of the time, but I’ve heard the odd horror story about a travel agent being unreachable during the trip. In this case, Disney will not talk to you – they can only talk to the agent who is in charge of the booking. So, before signing on with an agent, I recommend making sure that they are available during the duration of your trip in case any issues arise.
2. I’ve booked enough Disney Cruises myself to be familiar with the process
I’ve booked three Disney Cruises now – the Wish, the Wonder and the Treasure which we’ll be sailing on next year.
I’m also in a lot of online groups and forums that discuss Disney Cruise Line and news, so I keep myself pretty updated on what’s going on with Disney.
For this reason, I don’t personally feel like I need a travel agent because I already know so much about it myself – enough to already know what I want, and how to get it.
So in a nutshell – I’m in the travel business. As a travel blogger and influencer, I am pretty savvy at knowing what’s going on with travel (Disney in this case) and for that reason, I choose to keep booking my own trips.
Should YOU Use a Disney Travel Agent?
Here are some signs that I’ve noticed are pretty good indicators that it might be worth it to go with a travel agent for any type of Disney vacation.
- You’re new to Disney
- It’s your first Disney vacation as an adult
- You’re extremely busy, and planning/booking the trip would be pretty time-consuming for you
- You find the booking process annoying and/or exhausting
- You don’t travel, or book travel that often
- You love the idea of custom-made travel itineraries that can save you hours of research
If you said ‘yes’ to at least half of the things above, then my opinion is – go with a Disney travel agent! It will be easier, less stressful experience that you can learn from.
If you’re like me and are a bit of a control freak with your trips and/or have already lots of Disney-related travel, then I don’t think you need one – but it doesn’t hurt to have one either.
I hope that this article helped clear up your doubts, and any pros and cons of using a Disney travel agent! Happy travels!