Travelers planning a Disney World or Disneyland vacation often wonder it it’s cheaper to book with a travel agent. The answer may not be cut and dried, but when all factors are tallied up, the answer is usually yes.
Travel agents representing Disney are in the know on discounts and provide trip planning services you won’t get by booking on your own. Here is how it all shakes out.
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Are Disney Travel Agents Free?
Vacationers often ask if Disney Travel agents are free? In short, the answer is yes.
Disney pays travel agents a commission for every vacation package they book. Since you as a traveler pay the same price whether you book yourself via Disney’s website or use a travel agent, a travel agent’s booking services are free, because they are included in the cost of your booking.
However, the situation is a little more nuanced than getting free help from a travel agent when booking your vacation. Since the cost of a vacation package is the same whether you book direct or with an agent, one could argue that you’re actually paying more by booking yourself.
That’s because you’re paying the travel agent commission but receiving none of the benefit of an agent’s knowledge, help and expertise.
How Disney Travel Agents Can Save You Money
When you book a Disney vacation with a travel agent representing Disney, you receive the same rates and discounts that you’d find booking on your own through Disney’s website. However, you’ll also receive a number of additional planning services at no added cost, making it cheaper to book with a travel agent.
Given the complexity of planning a Disney World vacation, this free planning assistance could save you considerable time and frustration. If you’ve never heard of the following or aren’t certain how to go about bringing together these pieces of your Disney World trip, you will definitely benefit from booking with a Disney World travel agent:
- Setting up your My Disney Experience account
- Disney park reservations
- Disney World Genie+ services
- Disney World dining and advanced dining reservations
- Disney ticket options
- Disney Memory Maker
- Disney tours and magical extras
- Booking a vacation package compared to separate resort and ticket purchases
- Whether you should stay at a Disney Resort or book offsite
- The ins and outs of MagicBands
A Disney World travel agent can help you understand the complexities of booking your trip and take care of many of these things on your behalf. Since the cost is included in the price of your vacation package, you’re coming out ahead on the deal, when compared to booking on your own.
In addition, your Disney travel agent can also recommend and help you book a number of related services, you might not be aware you need, such as:
- Transport from the airport to your resort hotel
- Stroller or scooter rentals
- Tickets to nearby destinations, such as Sea World
- Tickets to special events at Disney parks
While these extra services definitely make it cheaper to book with a travel agent, it isn’t the only way you’ll save money booking with a Disney travel agency. Discounts on Disney World vacation packages are periodically released and can include reduced ticket prices, resort stays and added extras.
If you book a reservation before discounts are released for your trip dates, you could miss out on these reduced rates. This won’t happen with a travel agent who specializes in Disney.
Disney agents are notified of discounts as they become available and will rebook your existing reservation at any reduced rates for which you qualify. This means, your Disney travel agent could actually save you money over booking on your own.
Should I Book Disney with a Travel Agent?
Like any vacation, a trip to Disney World requires travelers to have a basic understanding of how things work in order to have the best experience. A travel agent can guide you through the planning process and ensure you take critical steps, such as setting up your My Disney Experience account and making park reservations.
Most travel agents will include these services in the cost of your vacation package, giving you added bang for your buck, and since travel planners who specialize in Disney are seasoned pros, they’re likely to have dozens of tips to help you save additional money along the way.
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