Why use a Travel Agent for your Disney Vacation?

It is an inevitable question.  It pops up at least once a week on any given message board.  "Should I use a travel agent to help me with my Disney vacation?"  Well, since I am a travel agent, I bet you can guess what my answer is...ABSOLUTELY!  Now that I have confessed to my obvious bias, let me convince you why...

• The service a travel agent provides is FREE!  Really!  Travel agents are paid a commission by the supplier (Disney) for the travel that is booked.  There are no behind the scenes mark ups or hidden fees.  Disney, in particular, has very standard pricing and they offer the same rates to all travel agents that they have on their website.  You may be wondering why Disney would pay a travel agent if they could book all of the travel themselves?  The answer is actually pretty simple - travel agents work to make your trip better.  The more fun you have on your vacation, the more likely you are to go back.
• A travel agent specializing in Disney has knowledge and experience.  Not only do specialists have a love of Disney, and lots of experience, they also have taken tests to "earn their ears."  (Literally!  When I completed the College of Disney Knowledge Disney sent me a set of ears complete with Mortar Board and Tassel!)  Specialists also work hard to keep their knowledge current.  I often get calls from overwhelmed parents trying to plan the perfect Disney vacation for their families.  Let's face it, there are a lot of moving parts to a Disney vacation, from transportation, to choosing from a multitude of hotels, to sorting out all of the ticket options, to finding a place to eat, to figuring out which park to visit on which day, and even down to what to do inside each park.  It is a lot to figure out!  I like to get to know my families a little bit, figure out the budget, and help them make the most out of their time and budget.
• A travel agent knows what the discounts are and where to find them.  I have worked with many clients who were very surprised when my quote was substantially less than the exact same vacation they priced out themselves.  My favorite story is about a family who called and said that they wanted to meet some friends at Disney and knew exactly what they wanted and just wanted me to book it for them.  My client was in a bit of a hurry, so I got the pertinent information and booked her vacation.  Shortly after we hung up, I realized that what she thought she wanted was not really the best idea.  I called her back and asked if she could check in 1 day earlier.  She did not have much interest in the idea until I explained that if she checked in 1 day earlier, her entire vacation would cost her almost $900 less!  Stay longer for less money - SURE!
• A travel agent can usually retroactively apply discounts.  If a discount comes out after you have booked your vacation, and you otherwise would have qualified for the discount, then a travel agent can retroactively apply it to your reservation.  If you booked with Disney directly, you can do this too, but you have to make sure you constantly check for the latest discounts, and then commit to sitting on hold for an hour to get the discount applied.  I was just working with a family who was ready to make their final payment and I was able to give them the good news that their trip was going to cost them $800 less than they thought!  I honestly get ridiculously happy for people when that happens.
• A travel agent can save you money in other ways.  Personally, I try to spend my clients money like I would spend my own.  Sometimes spending a little extra gives you a lot, sometimes spending a lot extra gives you very little.  In addition to lots of money saving tips, I try to let my clients know where they should splurge and where they should cut corners.  I have on many occasions tried to talk clients out of more expensive vacation packages.  While it is absolutely true that the more you buy the more commission I may make, I am much more concerned that at the end of your vacation, you feel like you got your moneys worth.  I would rather make less and have you trust me that make more and have you feel like you overspent.  You will be much more likely to share my name with a friend, and I will sleep better at night.
• A travel agent is a great sounding board!  If you have ever called Disney directly, and asked whether you should do A or B.  You will likely hear something like "Oh, they are both fabulous choices."  Well, I have opinions that I will freely offer!  More than that, I try to tell you why I like something or not or why I think you would like something or not.

To be fair, using a travel agent might not be for everyone.  If you are an ultra type A personality in terms of vacation planning (ahem - like me) it can be a little hard to let go of the control.  Not that a travel agent is going to "control" your entire vacation!  But once a travel agent books your reservation, they have to make changes to the reservation. So if you decide at 9:45pm that you want to add a Park Hopper option to your ticket, then you will need to contact your travel agent to do it instead of calling Disney directly. 

Also, you should have a good feeling about your agent. There is no "travel agent law" that says your agent must rebook you with a discount if it comes out.  In those cases travel agents are actually doing more work to earn less money.  For me, my relationship with my client is all about trust.  I want my clients to know they can trust me to do the best I can for them.  In the long run, I know that working harder to reduce my commission is good for my client, good for my business and good for my conscience.  If you do not get a good feeling after your first conversation with your agent, just thank him or her and move on.

Now that I (hopefully!) have you convinced that using a travel agent is a good thing, let me convince you why you should use TMC Travel - The Mouse Connection for your next Disney vacation.

• You deal with one agent.  We do not pass you around from agent to agent.  We are not a call center.  We want to get to know you and use that information to make your trip better!  We work for you - not Disney.
• We are available outside of regular office hours.  We work from our home offices, so we have great flexibility!  I often meet families in person on the weekends if that is convenient. I have hung up the phone with a client at 11:45pm, once the last dining reservation was made.  And if I get an email at midnight I will answer it at 12:15 if I am still awake!
• We offer free gifts to all of our clients who book a 4 or more day vacation package!  We have a lot of "goodies" that can make your trip a little more special and fun.
• We help you tame the crowds.  Believe it or not, there is some science behind which is the best park to visit on any give day.  Crowds can swing wildly from day to day for any given park.  We try to use our "Disney Crystal Ball" to your advantage!
• We help with dining reservations or recommendations.  With more and more families taking advantage of the dining plan, "Where should we eat?" is a much bigger factor to consider.  We are happy to make some recommendations for you, help you find some menus to peruse, or even make dining reservations for you! 
• We keep you organized!  We have some great tip cards that are personalized for your trip.  Sized to fit in your back pocket or park bag, we will make sure you know park hours, parade times, fireworks times, magic hours, and the dining reservations we made for you for each day of your trip!  We also have other great tip cards that cover everything from the best snacks in "the World" to how to enjoy Epcot's World Showcase with children.
• We accept transfers.  If you booked your trip yourself  and are unsure about it or just need some extra help, we can transfer your reservation to our agency and help you just as if you were our client from the beginning.  And  you will still get all of the goodies and extras that we offer all of our clients!
• We are an "Earmarked" and have EARNED the title "Authorized Disney Vacation Planner"- We are proud that Disney as awarded us with the title of Authorized Disney Vacation Planner. To be chosen as an Earmarked agency, we have attended training classes, visited the parks, cruised the seas and demonstrated a dedication to planning Disney vacations for several years. In addition, we meet benchmarks set by Disney to qualify for and retain our designation. It is truly an honor to be chosen as one of Disney's top agencies. It is a testament to our hard work and our love of all things Disney.

And to be fair, I guess I should give you a reason not to use TMC Travel for your next vacation...or at least a reason not to use me.  Using me makes you a Disney-enabler.  Each trip you book with me only furthers my Disney addition.  If you can live with that, give me a call or send me an email and let me help you plan your next vacation!

TMC Travel - The Mouse Connection - http://www.tmctravelonline.com/

Do you REALLY save money on the dining plan?

To dining plan or not to dining plan...that is the question.

Many of the families I work with are gung ho about signing up for the dining plan, and others are more than a little suspicious. Critics of the dining plan site its cost, the overabundance of food and not wanting to be “tied down” to dining reservations so far in advance. While all of that is absolutely true, I decided to wear the hat of my number crunching husband. I took the practical approach to see if the dining plan actually saved us money. Turns out, for our family, the dining plan is not only a winner, but a BIG winner.

We opted to go for the Regular Dining Plan, often called “Plus Dining”, which consists on one table service meal, one quick service meal, and one snack per day for each night of our resort stay. This plan made the most sense for us because I like to have one sit down, relaxing meal each day. In fact, it is my favorite part of the day. I love to be face to face with the family and talk about what we loved, what we didn’t and what we are looking forward to the next day. After we order, I have been known to discreetly pull out the video camera and do a quick interview with the kids. I love hearing about the day in their own words while it is still fresh. I like the break, the “forced” time out from the world to relax and really talk.

Another reason the dining plan makes sense for our family is that I hate nasty surprises. My thought going into the trip that I would either break even or come out slightly ahead cost wise with the dining plan (Boy was I wrong, I came out WAY ahead!). I signed up any way because I wanted to know exactly what our food costs were going to be.  The husband I and decided that even if we ultimately spent a little bit more on the dining plan, it would be worth having as a sort of "insurance" policy.  Also, I like to splurge a little on vacation and Idid not want to “settle” for the hamburger when I really wanted the steak. It was a good feeling knowing that meals were budgeted and paid for in advance. We could order whatever we wanted off the menu guilt-free….no surprises…no sticker shock.

To be fair, the critics of the dining plan do have some reasonable points. If you have paid for so many table service meals, you want to make sure you use them, which requires dining reservations…which requires advance planning. Of course, if you want to eat at any particular tables service restaurant, you will need a dining reservation whether or not you are on the dining plan! I also tend to plan most of my park days well in advance any way. While I do not necessarily believe in scheduling every second, I do not like crowds, so for most days I pick my park based on crowd levels…once I pick my park my dining falls into place.

Assuming that you are going to eat one sit down meal every day, the most compelling argument against the dining plan is the cost and the “too much food” aspect of the plan. So I dutifully saved my receipts and crunched the numbers. I looked at the numbers in two ways…what I actually ordered vs what I would have paid and what I would have ordered if I were not on the dining plan vs what I would have paid. If I were not on the dining plan, we might have shared a snack instead of buying more to take home with us, we would certainly have skipped dessert at lunch, and instead of my husband and I both ordering dessert at dinner, we would have gotten one to share.

I figured that I would have come out ahead on the apples to apples comparison, but what if I compared apples and oranges?  What if I compared the cost of the dining plan to what I would have ordered as if I had to pay on the spot? Would that 1 dessert and 1 snack for the family to share ultimately mean the dining plan cost us more than it was worth?

Well...let’s see… I used our first 4 park days as an example since we ate one quick service and one counter service meal each day. I totaled up what we ate and subtracted the cost of the dining plan to see the savings. To be fair, I did order more than I would have if I were not on the dining plan so I subtracted out the “extras” that we would have passed if left to our own devices.

So over our first four days, we saved over $280 on dining! If you subtract out the extras we still would have saved over $190! I must admit that I was really surprised at the savings. I honestly thought we would come close to breaking even or maybe end up getting out snacks “free” out of the deal.

To be fair, if we were not on the dining plan, I might have chosen some less expensive restaurants. For example, I might have traded in Liberty Tree Tavern for the Plaza. I also may forced my kids to eat from the kids menu. But I am sure that I still would have kept some of my favorite higher end restaurants in the mix. Of course, some of those snacks that I subtracted from my end of day total went to buying rice crispie treats to bring back home as little gifts…so that savings would ultimately have been added back into my souvenir budget.

For our family the biggest savings was a result of having children under the age of 9 on the dining plan and eating at buffet restaurants. The cost of the kids dining plan is $11.99. The cost of some dinner buffets is $14.99-16.99. So we came out several dollars ahead with just one meal! Also, Disney does not distinguish between adult and child counter service credits, so if my kids preferred something on the adult menu, I allowed them to order it. While Disney policy states that kids under 9 should order from the kids menu when available, every cast member when asked, allowed me to order from the adult menu for my kids.

So is the dining plan for you? I give you an enthusiastic “YES!” if one or more of the following is true:

• You plan to sit down and eat one meal a day.
• You have a budget that is important to adhere to.
• You have kids in the 3-9 age range.
• You enjoy eating from the "higher end" of the menu.
• You enjoy eating at "higher end" restaurants.

And if all of the above are true - you are crazy NOT to be on the dining plan!

If I can help you with your vacation planning please contact me at TMC Travel or by email.  As always there is no fee for my services!

The Not-So-Great-Resort-Debate: On or Off Property?

I started to write about all the factors one should consider when selecting a resort hotel. I jumped right in with one of the first big questions: On or Off Property? After hacking away at my keyboard for awhile, I realized this one question deserved a whole post of it's own. So enjoy my rather one sided debate about whether or not to stay on Disney property, and check back for other factors to consider when selecting a resort...

I must admit to being a big fan of staying on property, in fact, I have a big bias in that direction. There is something comforting about being in a secure little Disney bubble. It is comfortable. It is familiar. It is convenient.

There are, however, other more tangible perks to staying on property that you should consider before making a final decision:

• Extra Magic Hours - Extra Magic hours give you extra time in the parks. At least one park a day will either open one hour early or stay open three hours late for resort guests. While the park with the Extra Magic hours in the morning tends to be a lot busier the entire day, the evening Extra Magic hours do not tend to draw the same crowds. If you have a Park Hopper ticket, it may be a good plan to take advantage of the early opening at one park and and then move on to a less crowded park for the remainder of your day.
• Disney's Magical Express - The Magical Express is one of the best deals around. You say goodbye to your luggage at your local airport (hopefully for only a few hours!) and hop on an Orlando bound plane. When you land, just follow the signs to the Magical Express buses, check in, and you will be whisked away to your hotel. No baggage claim or car rental necessary. Your bags will magically appear in your room a few hours later! Just remember to carry on anything that you think you may need within a few hours of landing... important medications, park tickets, sunscreen, comfy park clothes or a bathing suit would all be good choices!
• Free Parking - All resort guests can self park free at resorts and parks. If you drove your own car, or rented one when you arrived, you can save $14 per day in parking fees by staying on property. If staying off property, be sure to add your hotel's parking fee, if any, to your theme park parking free to get your total daily parking fee.
• Advanced Dining Reservations - As a Disney resort guest you get an additional perk when making your ADR's.  Instead of making your reservations 180 days in advance for each reservation (calling every day for several days in a row) you can make all of your reservations at one time, 180 days from your check in date.  Disney calls this the 180 day +10 plan.  You can make one call and make your reservations for the next 10 days of your trip.  This can give you a 190 day window for some reservations - a HUGE advantage if you are trying to book the hard to get Le Cellier or Cinderella's Royal Table! 
• Disney Transportation - Disney transportation is really pretty cool. Yes, sometimes there can be quite a wait if you are coming or going at a busy time. Yes, it can be crowded. And there is certainly nothing more frustrating that watching a loaded bus take off for the Magic Kingdom just as you breathlessly arrive at the bus stop! Overall, Disney transportation is a good thing. It is amazingly efficient, free, and will get you where you need to go in a reasonably timely fashion. Put away your road maps and don't worry about telling every one in your party where you parked in hopes someone will remember. Just hop on a bus, boat, or monorail, relax and review the first few items on your touring plan so you are ready to hit the ground running when you arrive!
• Key to the World Card - Is it a room key? A park ticket? A credit card? Why it is all of the above! It is so nice to have everything on one card. If you do not want to allow your children charging privileges just let the front desk know when you check in. Also, it is a good idea to have a "Keeper of the cards" in your party. Hand over your card after you enter the turnstile and then send that person off at a brisk pace to obtain a Fastpass for everyone in the group while everyone else walks at a relaxed pace to the first attraction.
• Package Delivery - No need to haul your purchases around the parks all day or worry about how you are going to keep your newly purchased goodies dry as you zoom down Kali River Rapids. Just ask that your package be delivered to your resort gift shop. No fuss no muss!
• Dining Plan - If you purchased a package deal for your travel, you have the option of taking advantage of the Dining Plan (or it's Quick Service and Deluxe) cousins. The dining plan is easy to understand and is very convenient. If you are smart about how you spend your credits, it will also save you a lot of money. It is also nice to have a pretty good idea of what your food costs will be before you ever arrive.
• Refillable Mugs - If you are a Coke addict...and I do mean Coca Cola...then a refillable mug may be right up your alley. Purchase a mug at your resort for around $14 and you can get as many refills at your resort as you wish. Grab a drink as you head out to the parks for the day and another when you come in for a break, and by all means bring that mug with you when you head out to the pool! The longer your stay, the more cost beneficial your mug will be. Now you have an excuse to stay a few more days! The best part about the refillable mug is that it is will fit nicely in your suitcase and will bring back all of the fond memories of your trip every time you use it.
• It is affordable...or not! - If you must adhere to a strict budget or if you have saved for a splurge there is a hotel for you.
• Child Care - It's a vacation for Mom and Dad, too! Stash the kiddos at one of the kids "clubs" offered by some hotels and enjoy an evening out. It is a bit expensive, but can you really put a price on a romantic stroll around the World Showcase after Illuminations? Or a peaceful and quite dinner at Victoria and Albert's? It will be a fun night for all.
• Freedom to separate - You child may be old enough to do some exploring on their own, but not old enough to drive your rental car. Your toddler may need a nap, but your older child is just dying to see the parade. Staying on property and using Disney transportation allows everyone in your group to come and go as they please.
• It is just cool. - Enough said!

Well, since I said this is a debate about staying on or off property, I should probably mention some benefits to staying off property.

• Cost - While there are a range of price points for Disney hotels, you can almost certainly find a less expensive hotel off property. Even if you factor in rental cars and parking fees, you may still come out ahead by staying off property. You could also find a posher hotel with better amenities for the same price that you would spend on a Disney hotel.
• Car - Having a car can be nice. You can get around on your own schedule. Want to head to the outlet mall for some cheaper souvenirs? Need to stock up on some bottles of water at the grocery store? Need some bandages for that blister on your foot? It is nice to be able to hop in your car and take off.
• Convenient for other Day Trips - If Disney World is part, but not all of your Orlando vacation, it may be more convenient to stay off property.