From time to time, Disney releases special promotional rates on hotels, dining, tickets, and vacation packages. Disney travel agents match the deals that Disney offers through its own website.
Disney travel agents get their clients the lowest possible rates. If a better discount comes along after a trip is already booked, then they will go back into the system and apply the new discount to the trip in order to take advantage of the new lower rate.
Let’s investigate why it’s cheaper to book through a Disney travel agent.
Disney World’s Website vs. Disney Travel Agents – Which is Cheaper?
The internet has made it easy to book your own trip and Disney vacations are no exception. You can just go on Disney’s website, sort through the Disney hotels, select your ticket, and make all your arrangements in one sitting. It’s as simple as that, right?
As easy as that may sound, I wouldn’t recommend just winging it like that.
When it comes to Disney World vacations, there’s a lot to consider. It’s a vast resort, with 4 theme parks, 2 water parks, dozens of hotels, and restaurants galore. There are Advanced Dining Reservations, Genie+ selections, Disney After Hours, Club Level at Disney World, stroller rentals, and the list goes on. Disney vacations are much more complicated than meets the eye!
If you want to do Disney properly, I wouldn’t recommend going it alone, especially if it’s your first or second time.
The most magical Disney vacations are well thought out. You should have good touring plans and your reservations should be in place way ahead of time. Otherwise, you won’t know what to do and see, and you won’t be able to just the lines at the most popular rides or eat at the best restaurants.
A Disney travel agent can walk you through every detail of a Disney World vacation. They can give you tips on where to stay, which rides to prioritize, where to dining, the best location to watch the fireworks, and more.
Once you have decided on where you’d like to stay, and which restaurants and theme parks you’d like to book, then your dedicated Disney travel specialist will book every aspect of your resort stay. They are a Godsend!
How Disney Travel Agents can Save you Money
There’s a common misconception when it comes to Disney travel agents. Let’s clear that up.
It’s not more expensive to book a Disney trip through a travel agent vs. booking it directly with Disney. In fact, many trips end up being cheaper.
Disney releases a number of travel discounts throughout the year. This may include the Free Disney Dining promotion, Room Only discounts (often up to 25% off), or the Play, Stay, Dine, and Save discount. We argued that Disney vacation packages ARE worth the money in our last blog post because they combine a hotel stay with either a ticket or dining discount in one convenient and affordable package.
The price you see on Disney’s website will be the price you pay through a Disney travel agent. In other words, the price is the same regardless of where you book it – online, over the phone with Disney, or with a travel agent.
However, there are times when a Disney travel agent can save you money.
For starters, most Disney travel planners don’t charge their clients any fees to plan their vacations. That means you won’t pay a dime in commission for their services.
Next, you can be confident that your travel planner will get you the best discount. It’s their job to keep updated on Disney’s latest promotions. This means that, while you may overlook one, there’s not a chance that they will. They’ll make sure you get you the best deals out there and you’ll never pay more than you need to.
Another way a Disney travel agent can save you money is in the re-booking process. If you book your Disney vacation package before a bigger and better discount is released, then you can still get to take advantage of the new promotion.
If applicable, your Disney travel agent will go back into the system and apply the newly released discount to your package. You’ll get the lowest rate and you won’t have to do lift a finger because your Disney travel agent handles everything for you. They provide an invaluable service and it’s completely free!
Yes, Disney Travel Agents Are Often Cheaper
So, to sum it up, the deals you find on Disney’s websites are the same ones that your Disney travel specialist will book for you. However, you yourself may overlook some promotions that the travel agent will be privy to.
Your Disney travel specialist will also rebook your trip to take advantage of any lower rates that may arise after your initial booking, and your dedicated specialist will handle all your planning, hotel and ticket bookings, dining reservations, and answer all of your questions and concerns.
Their services are entirely free and, with their help, it’s likely to end up being a cheaper trip.
After you pay the initial $200 booking deposit, your Disney travel specialist can set up a payment plan to pay for the remainder of the trip (layaway). This means that you can pay down your balance over the time, as long as you’ve paid in full by the final payment deadline (typically 30 days prior to check-in).
Using a dedicated Disney travel agent is a no-brainer!
Check out our When is the Cheapest Time to go to Disney, How to Become a Disney Travel Agent, and How Much Does it Cost to go to Disney Worldpages for more tips.
Ready to Book your Disney World Vacation?
Contact the Disney travel planners at The Vacationeer. Their services are 100% free of charge and they’ll make sure you get the cheapest and most magical trip possible!
Thanks for reading our “Is it Cheaper to Book Disney through a Travel Agent” post. Remember to check out our Disney World Crowd Calendar, Disney World Map, Magic Kingdom Rides, and Epcot Rides pages.
 | MoneySmart.hk)