Why Use a Travel Agent for Booking a Disney or Any Other Vacation?

 Why Use a Travel Agent for Booking a Disney or Any Other Vacation?

Yes, you can easily book your Disney Parks, Disney Cruise, Disney Aulani, Adventure by Disney or any other Disney Destination on your own. Most of the websites are easy to understand and work though. So, why would you book with a Travel Agent instead of doing it yourself??

 

Do you know all the ins and outs of the destination you are booking? Are you up to date on any policy changes? Look for a Travel Agent who keeps up on these things for you.

Agents spend days/weeks learning about a specific destination before they are allowed to book it for a client. That Travel Agent may have gone to Disneyland hundreds of times, but they are required to take the online classes and pass the tests before they can book.

• Travel Agents are required to keep up with the changes at the destinations they book.
• Do you know about any and all special offers/discounts? Travel Agents spend time doing this on an ongoing basis.
• Do you know about all the different requirements for your travel?
• Will you need a passport?
• Are there any prohibited items you may have not thought about?
• Are you ready to sit on hold for hours waiting to book your trip, make a special request, or ask a question? As an agent I’ve seen hold times go to 3+ hours for DCL.
• Disney, and most other destinations add the commissions to the price you see on their websites. If you don’t use an agent, the destination is keeping that extra money. In other words, you are PAYING for the services of a Travel Agent, and you are doing the all the work yourself!
• Do you have someone in your travel party with a special need?
• Mobility, hearing, vision or health issue? A TA should be able to ask questions and smooth the way for you.
• Are you prepared to deal with any issues that come up while booking, pre-vacation or during your vacation?
• Should you get Trip Protection or Trip Insurance?
• How do you deal with a travel delay, cancelation or a weather issue that impacts your trip?
• If you are unhappy with service or accommodation, do you wish to take time out of your trip to deal with it? Would it be easier to make a call to your Travel Agent to see if they can resolve the issue for you?

 

These are just a few of the reasons to consider using a Travel Agent. The choice is yours.

 

Things you want in a Travel Agent:

• The Agent has training/certification on the destination you desire to go to.
• An example is a current College of Disney Knowledge Update Certificate.
• The Agency requires the agent makes payments for you directly to the DESTINATION using a Credit/Debit card and refuses all cash payments. (Disney Gift Cards are a different subject. Not all Agents/Agencies accept them.)
• The Agency requires you to sign a Debit/Credit/Disney Gift Card Authorization Form giving them permission to use your card to pay the destination for you. This can be an e-signature or a physical signature.
• A Credit/Debit/Gift Card Authorization Form protects both the Client and the Travel Agent/Agency.
• How it Protects the Client:
• This form limits the amount of money to be charged.
• Keeps the Agent/Agency from “holding” your funds.
• Limits where the card can be used.
• Example: You book a Disney Parks stay the charge can only be made for booking at that resort.
• All charges must be for the stated reservation.
• How it Protects the Agent/Agency:
• It gives documentation of your consent to make that payment.
• It clearly states how much the client wants each payment to be.
• If the government wants to check records for proof that the agency is not mishandling or holding funds for a client this is necessary.
• The Agent makes sure to send confirmation of bookings and payments.

 

Things you do not want in a Travel Agent:

• The agent has no training on the destination you desire.
• The Agent/Agency only accepts cash payments or charges Credit/Debit cards to the agent or agency, not the destinations.
• If the Agent/Agency only accepts cash, ask for proof of an active Bond or Trust Account. If they cannot provide this information be careful.
• There have been cases where the agent/agency makes the deposit and then cancels the trip taking the money and running. This is real fraud and has cost the traveling public millions. The number of cases of this have decreased greatly over the past 10 years due to new laws and public awareness.
• There is minimal documentation of bookings and payments. You don’t get paperwork, you should!

 If you are looking for a Travel Agent feel free to contact us:

Info@PixieDustedMemoriesTravel.com

Follow us on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/PixieDustedMemoriesTravel

&

https://www.facebook.com/groups/pixiedustedtriveltribe

Parental Responsibility and Disney Destinations

Parental Responsibility and Disney Destinations

You are at Disney. Does not matter what park, resort or cruise ship. You feel safe and just want to have fun. But that does not mean you are not a parent and have responsibilities for your child’s safety. It seems that some parents think that everything is a safe protected bubble while in a Disney environment. I wish that was true. Parents, watch your children. Don’t let them get into a dangerous situation. Don’t put your child in danger.

 

I cannot count the stories I’ve heard of children getting hurt at Disney Parks, Resorts or on the Disney Cruise ships. Parents feel it is safe, so they step away, even for a moment and their child gets into a pool. Maybe one parent thinks a child is with the other parent and they lose track for a moment. I know of a family that had this happen. The child wonders off and gets hurt. Things happen. It is not Disney’s fault if you don’t watch your child. Do I think you need to keep a leash on your child 24/7 at Disney? No, unless they have an elopement issue or are neurodivergent and doesn’t realize dangers. Just be aware. Only you know your child best.

 

The most recent story really hurts my mama heart. I love children. I hurt when I see a child hurt. June 30^th parents lost track of their 5-year-old daughter while on deck 4. Exactly how this happened is under investigation. The ship was moving at sea. The child fell off deck 4 into the ocean and the father jumped in after her. Only around 20% or less of people who fall off of cruise ships survive. That means 80% or more don’t survive.  The father kept his daughter afloat while rescuers came. Thankfully both survived with little apparent injury.

 

As soon as they went over Disney Crew Members sounded the alert of a man overboard. They tossed life preservers to them. The bridge was notified and the ship stopped and turned around. A lifeboat was deployed, and rescuers safely returned the father and daughter to the ship in around 30 minutes.

 

Disney did their job to protect the guests in their care. I feel they went above and beyond to do so. They showed their exceptional dedication to safety and skill. You may think the parents are bad parents. I think they got complacent and felt over safe. But the dad did what he had to do to save his daughter’s life. We all make mistakes. I’m sure they feel horrible.

 

You may think this is the end of the story. But it may not be. For example, when you get on a ride at a Disney Park you are told to keep your body parts inside the car at all times. A 16-year-old, who in my opinion is old enough to know better, stuck his foot under the moving car of Alice in Wonderland at DLR. The wheels of the car sliced off his toes. Because of that incident doors were installed on the ride vehicles. These doors make it harder to load and unload, especially for those with mobility issues. There are countless other examples of this type of response to someone putting themselves in danger.

 

I can honestly see the 4^th deck of Disney Cruise Ships being closed in and all railings on the ship, including those on private verandas being raised to stop someone from doing this again. Is that a good idea? I don’t think so. It would detract from the fun of cruising! You would not be able to enjoy the deck and feel the ocean breeze as well. It is only being done because someone could not follow the simple rules! It would happen because someone did not think about safety and put someone else in danger.

 

 

Why use a Disney Travel Planner/Travel Agent

Why use a Disney Travel Planner/Travel Agent

So you have decided to book a Disney Vacation. You have decided which Disney destination you want to enjoy. You’ve chosen how many days you plan on staying and what type of tickets you want. You may have even decided what hotel you want to stay at. So now to book the trip! Do you call a Travel Agent or book directly with Disney?

Yes, you can book directly with Disney for any and all Disney Destinations. You will get a clearly stated price and they will tell you about any current deals being offered for the time of your stay. They will give you all the choices and gladly tell you the pros and cons of each.

You can book with a Travel Agent (TA). You will get a clearly stated price and they will tell you about any current deals being offered for the time of your stay. They will give you all the choices and gladly tell you the pros and cons of each.

Wait?!?!? They offer you the same things! You will get the same price for the same thing from each. So why not just do it all yourself and skip the Travel Agent (TA)?

While the prices may be the same but the service offered is different. If you go through Disney book and later on Disney offers a special deal for the time you will be there they will not tell you about it. A good TA will keep track of the specials being offered and be glad to assist by making sure you get them if they apply to your booking. Besides possibly saving you money a good TA will also offer to make all your Advanced Dinning Reservations and Fastpass+. Anything to make your trip more magical a TA will assist.

Your TA will call ahead to Disney and make sure they know about any and all special celebrations on your trip. An excellent TA will follow through before, during and after your trip making sure things are going as you wish. A Travel Agent trained to do Disney Travel does not cost extra. We do it because we love to help make the Magic Happen.

So the next time you are planning a Disney Vacation, does not matter if it is Disneyland Resort, Disney World Resort, Disney Cruise Line, Disney’s Aulani Resort and Spa or an Adventures by Disney tour contact your favorite Disney Travel Agent for a quote. Quotes are free. Have questions about your Disney Destination? Ask your Travel Agent! If they don’t know the answer they can find out for you.