Can you get a better deal through a travel agent or Disney online?

Question

We are driving to Orlando and want to book a value WDW hotel and WDW tickets for 5 days and 4 nights.

Answer 1

I have been a Disney traveler for many years and I have always booked my vacation on my own. From all of the price comparisons I have seen doing it myself has always been better in the long run, and cuts out the cost of the middle man. Most people don't realize that booking everything yourself may save you a little money, and I want no surprises. I have heard to many horror stories and read too many answers on these posts to let someone else book my trip. Disney is one of the best at making the whole thing pretty easy, even for a first timer.

You already know what you want so the rest is easy. You have made a very wise decision in deciding to stay on Disney property, now you need to choose your dates. After that choose your resort. In the value category Disney has 4 resorts; Pop Century, All-Star Movies, All-Star Music, All-Star Sports. The Disney website www.disneyworld.com can give you some pictures and you can do a resort comparison and pick one. Pop and AS Movies tend to be a little more crowded and first picked, but all of them are good.

Next you need to pick what kind of passes you want. Disney starts out with the base ticket, and then you can add features to your tickets. The only one I think is a must is the park hopper feature. Having the park hopper option gives you the ultimate in flexibility. You are not locked in to one park on one day, you can come and go as you please to any of the four parks. If one is crowded on a particular day, you can shift gears and head somewhere else. We like to hit one park in the morning, go back in the afternoon for eats and a swim, then hit a different park in the evening for the night time show / fireworks. It just makes things so much easier. If you are not planning on hitting the water parks or DisneyQuest, you can skip the "water parks and more" option.

I usually go onto the Disneyworld website and then call Disney direct to make the reservations. The Cast Members at Disney make it very easy to make reservations and get your vacation ready. Also, I would HIGHLY recommend you pick out a restaurant or two that you would like to eat at and make advanced dining reservations. It is possible to make them when you arrive at Disney, but the reservations are usually filled up pretty fast.

There are two other sources of info that I have found invaluable in making arrangements for Disney vacations. Check out www.disboards.com, the link is below. The Disboards are Disney message boards with more information than you can imagine about going to WDW, from resort and dining reports and opinions to strategies for tackling the parks and getting to see and do everything you want. All of this from regular people who love to go to WDW and know what they are talking about. Also, pick up the Birnbaum's guide to WDW from the bookstore. There are tons of guide books out there but that is the one that has worked for us. Inside the book there is even a checklist as to what needs to be done in terms of reservations and arrangements and when they need to be made.

Have a good trip! I hope this helps!!

Answer 2

98% or so of travel agencies are going to run the exact same price as Disney. There will be a few that have a fee for booking with them, but most do not. I've been using an agent that doesn't charge anything and she does a much better job than the agent I had a few years ago that did charge.

Disney offers the same price as an agent, an agent does not run more or less. However, with an agent you get more service, if any promotions come out they will change your reservation to get you the discount etc.

My recommendation would be to go with a Disney specialized agent, they offer a lot of benefits to you and make the planning much easier, especially if this is a first visit. A few things my agent does:

1). Books all my dining
2). Books all my tours, as well as transfers and insurance
3). Gives recommendations, tips and ideas
4). Types everything up and gets everything in order before sending it on to me
5). Watches for codes and discounts
6). Sends a gift for my booking


This is just the beginning of what an agent can all do for you. I don't know if you have ever booked with Disney before, but a lot of times I've found that Disney will add or take little things away, have little mistakes, etc. Also, if you book on your own you have to find out answers to questions on your own. Some things Disney is able to help with if you call them (but you do have to call and wait for an agent, etc.) or you have to search around online, get books, etc. The info may be outdated or incorrect and then you may have a problem.

If you were to price with Disney and then check with an agent, the price should be exactly the same. You may even find the agent is less, in some cases. However, the benefits and service you get is priceless and having ease of mind with your vacation makes things a lot easier for you.


I've been to Disney so many times that I've lost count now and I still use an agent just to avoid the stress and headache of booking on my own.


Have fun with your planning!

Answer 3

I have asked this same question and several trips priced out trips both ways and it was ALWAYS MUCH CHEAPER to do it own my own, as long as I took the time to find out what the current best deals were and find out what specials Disney is offering. By going a couple days earlier we were able to afford a moderate vs a value, so if you are not locked in to dates you might want to look for options like this.

The very best thing you can/should do is to go to the major online Disney boards. If there is a deal out there, folks will know and post it. They are so helpful I can't tell you! I see someone posted one, I'll give you a bunch, although I agree Dis is at the top of the food chain lol. They are awesome. I'll also add some links with tons of pics in case you need some visual help in where to stay etc. Also you can learn some VERY handy tips on the boards, such as where the best rooms/areas are in each resort, and that you can call Disney 3 days before your trip and they almost always accomodate that request. (That one was so good I had to share lol).

And once you get individual pricing the 2 things I would check are, as someone mentioned AAA packages, and also Delta Airline ones (although I don't think they are as affiliated as they once were). But again the boards will be on top of all the good deals--they always are! So you likely will have read about anything out there by then lol.



Have fun!!!!!!!!

http://www.disboards.com/

http://allearsnet.com/

http://www.magicalmountain.net/forums/

http://www.imagineears.com/

http://www.wdwmagic.com/

Answer 4

It depends on your agent. I found some that were way more expensive than Disney online and some that found better deals.

If you have AAA membership, talk to an AAA agent - mine got me a great deal and was great to work with.

I also had a wonderful experience with Dream come true Vacations. They only book Disney vacations and they were so helpful. Ask for a quote, you won't be disappointed and it can't hurt.

Answer 5

Being someone that usually books our trips myself, this year I decided to check with travel agents for prices, especially after reading answers here. Their prices were no different than what Disney quoted. Now it is up to me to call back and check on discounts instead of a travel agent, but that's okay. I can make calls. Also, the Disney moderate and deluxe resorts have concierge in the lobby for guests, and there is also the deluxe resort club level concierge (a great splurge) where they take care of everything.
It's all up to you and how much you want to do. If it's your first trip, you might enjoy having someone on your side with knowledge.

Answer 6

Call Disney direct at 1-407-WDISNEY. They are often as cheap or cheaper than the discount travel agents. They honor AAA discounts, although there are a limited number of AAA rooms available that book up quick, so make your reservations as soon as possible. I would recommend a Park Hopper pass when you get your tickets. This gives you the most flexibility to come and go throughout your stay. Have Fun!

Answer 7

Call a travel agent, get a rate from them, write down the rate from Disney online, then I would also suggest going on Disney's website finding their hotel number that you want to stay at and calling them and getting their lowest available rate. Then you can go with the cheapest rate. When calling a travel agent, you are never obligated to buy from them when you call.
PS-when calling the travel agent, be sure to get the persons name and direct extension number so you can call them back directly

Answer 8

Travelocity seems to run cheap or call direct just write down all the quotes. Check the pop century fo a hotel, as cheap as all stars but much newer

Answer 9

the disney travel agent I booked my sept trip with had the same exact price as the disney online site. They were really good.... their website is http://www.yourmagicaljourneys.com/

I used Terri-Sue...she got me the free dining promotion with the on site resort I wanted.