I've never used a travel agent for a trip before. I've always thought it was fun to figure everything out on my own, and I figured travel agents would always try to push packages on me that were more expensive than paying-per-piece of the trip.
Anyone prefer to use travel agents? Good/bad experiences?
May 2008 CSR 
Yes, for my trips I used Debbie Kuhns from Magical Journeys. As you can probably guess from the name, it's a Disney specialist agency.
I normally like to book everything myself when I travel, but I decided to use her for my first trip because there was a discount code I wanted to take advantage of, and from everything I read online, getting through to Disney reservations often required long periods of time spent on the phone, trying to get through. I have to work, so I didn't have time for that. I let her deal with it.
She was so terrific, that I decided I'd book through her for all my WDW trips from now on, as long as I'm staying on site. (After all, I'm not paying for it. It doesn't hurt me to throw some business her way.) I still make all the decisions about where to stay, eat, etc., but it saves me the hassle of having to deal with WDW directly. It's sort of like having a personal assistant, which is probably the closest I'll ever get to that experience!
I don't know if generalist travel agencies are like that, bali, but I can assure you, Magical Journeys is not. Debbie has never pushed me to upgrade or add on anything. She always asks me what I want and then makes sure I get it.
Other than that, though, the last time I used a travel agent was about 15 years ago when I went to England; that was before the Internet made booking travel yourself so easy.
Gray
SoloFriendly.com
I've never used one, but it might be fun to make someone else do all the work. Especially with ADRs.
from everything I read online, getting through to Disney reservations often required long periods of time spent on the phone, trying to get through. I have to work, so I didn't have time for that. I let her deal with it.
I'm also a bit of a control freak, so I like to be sure I hear for myself that I couldn't get a certain ADR. But it sounds like you found someone you could really trust.
May 2008 CSR
I use my AAA travel agent, Travis. I love him. he used to work in Disney so he has lots of good information for me!
He books the resort and the flight and gets all my papers and things to me, all the grunt work. Then he sends me a form with a reservation number which tells me when I can call to book ADRs - I do that myself!
In fact, I can call to book, THURSDAY!!!!! 
Updates while we're there and trip reports >> Disney Vacation Trip Reports
You going to do Le Cellier again? "again"
You going to do Le Cellier again? "again"
Updates while we're there and trip reports >> Disney Vacation Trip Reports
They brought the food back to your room last time right? So you've actually had it?
In fact, I can call to book, THURSDAY!!!!!
[url=http://www.wdwforgrownups.com/forum/'http://www.mickeypath.com/']
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2010 Beach Club Resort
2005 Port Orleans Riverside
2006 Animal Kingdom Lodge
2007 Wilderness Lodge
2008 Animal Kingdom Lodge
2009 CBR/Polynesian
They brought the food back to your room last time right? So you've actually had it?
I had my food brought back to me and it was good. Personally, I really liked the atmosphere (from the little I experienced, lol)
My husband, however, was not impressed! Here's his review (if you wanna call it a review, LOL)
http://www.dudeindisney.com/2008/12/le-cellier-steakhouse.html
Updates while we're there and trip reports >> Disney Vacation Trip Reports
UnbalancedLibra wrote:
In fact, I can call to book, THURSDAY!!!!!
Updates while we're there and trip reports >> Disney Vacation Trip Reports
I actually formed a small travel company (Royal Travel Group) because I wanted to do group travel. Let me throw my two cents worth in. I love to travel and I love to PLAN travel, so I never used an agency even before I started my own.
You have to be careful these days too. With the change in commission structures in the travel business, the typical "storefront agency" has gone the way of the Dodo bird. Anybody with a phone and $40 a month can become a "travel agent", so you want to make sure you're dealing with a reputable one. (I say this NOT as a slam. I believe the "home based travel agent" is the way of the future and the industry is growing by leaps and bounds in that direction!)
Having said that, if you don't like the nuts and bolts of figuring out itineraries, etc., I'd find a good person you trust who knows Disney and utilize them. But if you hang out on boards like these, you'll end up knowing the basics as much as they do, and to me its more fun to do the figuring yourself.
Best thing an agent can offer you is up to the minute info about specials, etc., but HEY!!! You can get that at www.mousetraveler.tv/blog!!!!!! (for FREE even!!!) 
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Visit our blog (will NEVER be finished)
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SpaceAce wrote:UnbalancedLibra wrote:
In fact, I can call to book, THURSDAY!!!!!
Hey! Congratulations! Do you have your restaurants lined up?
[url=http://www.wdwforgrownups.com/forum/'http://www.mickeypath.com/']
[/url]
2010 Beach Club Resort
2005 Port Orleans Riverside
2006 Animal Kingdom Lodge
2007 Wilderness Lodge
2008 Animal Kingdom Lodge
2009 CBR/Polynesian
I actually formed a small travel company (Royal Travel Group) because I wanted to do group travel. Let me throw my two cents worth in. I love to travel and I love to PLAN travel, so I never used an agency even before I started my own.
You have to be careful these days too. With the change in commission structures in the travel business, the typical "storefront agency" has gone the way of the Dodo bird. Anybody with a phone and $40 a month can become a "travel agent", so you want to make sure you're dealing with a reputable one. (I say this NOT as a slam. I believe the "home based travel agent" is the way of the future and the industry is growing by leaps and bounds in that direction!)
Having said that, if you don't like the nuts and bolts of figuring out itineraries, etc., I'd find a good person you trust who knows Disney and utilize them. But if you hang out on boards like these, you'll end up knowing the basics as much as they do, and to me its more fun to do the figuring yourself.
Best thing an agent can offer you is up to the minute info about specials, etc., but HEY!!! You can get that at www.mousetraveler.tv/blog!!!!!! (for FREE even!!!)
[url=http://www.wdwforgrownups.com/forum/'http://www.mickeypath.com/']
[/url]
2010 Beach Club Resort
2005 Port Orleans Riverside
2006 Animal Kingdom Lodge
2007 Wilderness Lodge
2008 Animal Kingdom Lodge
2009 CBR/Polynesian
Really interesting, MT. When did you form your travel company, and do you do anything but group travel bookings?
DW was thinking about doing the home travel agent thing in her spare time (we figured it makes sense to put this disney knowledge to use somewhere except our own vacations), but we can't figure out which sites to trust and which to bypass.
Visit our website (work in progress) http://www.mousetraveler.tv
Visit our blog (will NEVER be finished)
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SpaceAce wrote:
Really interesting, MT. When did you form your travel company, and do you do anything but group travel bookings?
DW was thinking about doing the home travel agent thing in her spare time (we figured it makes sense to put this disney knowledge to use somewhere except our own vacations), but we can't figure out which sites to trust and which to bypass.
[url=http://www.wdwforgrownups.com/forum/'http://www.mickeypath.com/']
[/url]
2010 Beach Club Resort
2005 Port Orleans Riverside
2006 Animal Kingdom Lodge
2007 Wilderness Lodge
2008 Animal Kingdom Lodge
2009 CBR/Polynesian
Thank you so much for that info. I'll pass it along to her. Would examples of "host agencies" be those everpresent Disney Certified agencies (e.g. Small World Vacations, etc.)?
Would the Expedia franchise be an addition to your current set-up, or something else altogether?
If I do Expedia, we'll still operate under the same umbrella that I do now. We'll just work through a different host agency. I have some ideas that will make it much easier to do an "agency type group" that I can do with them that I can't do now.
If you are an Expedia agent, you either have to fall under the main company or a franchisee, and the costs and benefits to the individual agent are the same. There are advantages to working with a smaller group that maybe specializes in some areas. Maybe we can work together on that!
Visit our website (work in progress) http://www.mousetraveler.tv
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Does all this mean I can make MT plan my next vacation?
Does all this mean I can make MT plan my next vacation?
Heh-heh, where theres a will, theres a way!
(Get enough people with you and I'll go WITH you!!!) 
Visit our website (work in progress) http://www.mousetraveler.tv
Visit our blog (will NEVER be finished)
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dsoup wrote:Does all this mean I can make MT plan my next vacation?
Heh-heh, where theres a will, theres a way!
(Get enough people with you and I'll go WITH you!!!)
May 2008 CSR
Sounds like a fun challenge
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Visit our blog (will NEVER be finished)
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bali wrote:
Sounds like a fun challenge
A WDWForGrownups ROAD TRIP!!!
I think that that would be the kind of blast you can't approach with dynamite.
Jim
I'll drive!
We use AAA and it works out really well. The discounts are what get us there, but they are so helpful with everything so we keep going bacl!
We use AAA and it works out really well. The discounts are what get us there, but they are so helpful with everything so we keep going bacl!
Would love to hear more about the discounts. I've heard a lot about a AAA fastpass, too...
caitiesus wrote:We use AAA and it works out really well. The discounts are what get us there, but they are so helpful with everything so we keep going bacl!
Would love to hear more about the discounts. I've heard a lot about a AAA fastpass, too...
Basically you save on rooms all the time with AAA, a higher percentage for a nicer resort...and it really adds up. We have our AAA membership for the car stuff, the Disney discounts are just a perk!
They also give a nice coupon book too - for things like World of Disney, certain other shops in the park, storytelling sessions, ect. Our agent also gave us wine on our cruise for the honeymoon which was really nice.
That sounds awesome! What's the percentage on the room discounts? Last I knew, it was 10%, but I'm hoping it went up. Also, how about the cool up-front parking?
May 2008 CSR
That sounds awesome! What's the percentage on the room discounts? Last I knew, it was 10%, but I'm hoping it went up. Also, how about the cool up-front parking?
Good question. I've always wondered if I have to book the whole vacation with AAA to get the up-front parking at the parks....
[url=http://www.wdwforgrownups.com/forum/'http://www.mickeypath.com/']
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2010 Beach Club Resort
2005 Port Orleans Riverside
2006 Animal Kingdom Lodge
2007 Wilderness Lodge
2008 Animal Kingdom Lodge
2009 CBR/Polynesian