Not long ago a wrote a post directed towards the overwhelmed mom planning her first Disney vacation.Â
The gist is that the entire family needs to enjoy the experience, and the planning should be JUST as exciting as the vacation. To help make this possible, you can hire a Disney Vacation planner to do all of the legwork! Many families don’t realize this is an option, or assume it comes with a huge sticker price. Not true!
Since I am not a vacation planner myself ( but still pretty knowledgeable if I can say so myself), I reached out to Kylee Gano, a Disney Vacation Planner with Green Monorail Destinations. She is a wealth of Disney knowledge and can definitely help take the stress out of your trip planning. She was kind enough to write this guest post outlining why you should definitely consider a Vacation Planner for your next trip to #WDW!
Why You Need a Disney Travel Agent in the Modern Era
All Services are Free, Free, FreeÂ
Sounds too good to be true, right? Let me tell you why our services are free. Suppliers like Disney and most other hotel and tour companies pay Travel Agents a commission when they book on their behalf. If they’re not paying a Travel Agent commission, the company just absorbs that commission. They pay Agents because a) we’re doing their job for them and b) planning a Disney trip is complicated and time-consuming. Some people are deterred by the amount of work that goes into planning a Disney trip, so they’d rather not put out the effort. If Disney didn’t have Travel Agents to make the process easier, they’d lose potential vacationers (i.e. money).
Help from an Expert
Disney Travel Agents are a passionate group and have either traveled to Disney many times or love to research Disney. Take me, for instance. Not to toot my own horn, but I’m extremely qualified and highly knowledgeable when it comes to Disney vacations. I worked at Disney World in Entertainment and took business classes through Disney University on their property. During my time as a Cast Member, I was in the parks every day, either for work or play. I also stayed in many different resorts across the property and ate at most of the restaurants. I can give you honest reviews about each of these places and help tailor your vacation to you and your family’s needs. I also graduated from the Disney College of Knowledge, which is a Travel Agent training program designed to prepare Agents for booking Disney vacations. Easy to say, I, and the many other Disney Travel Planners, know our stuff!
We’re Planners!Â
We don’t just book your vacation, we do all of the planning for you! Unless you want to do some of the planning, then of course, you’re welcome to do so. Booking a Disney vacation may seem easy with the endless amount of information on the internet. But, this much information can be overwhelming. With our insider knowledge, we’re here to help discover what is best for you and your family. And as far as planning logistics, we’re here for that too. Think of me as your personal Genie. I’ll do my best to accommodate your preferences and do all the nitty-gritty work like dining reservations and FastPasses. This way, you can focus on the important things, like enjoying your vacation! What’s more? I LIKE to do it. Crazy, right?
Resources
Agents have an endless amount of resources and a huge network of Travel Professionals to refer to. This is something a travel website won’t offer to you. Agents tend to be the first to be notified when a supplier announces new promos and discounts as well.
No Upselling
This is my own business, so I’m not pressured to make certain amounts on commission. I only offer honest opinions on hotels, parks, and dining and there will be no upselling on my part. As a small business owner and artist, I promise to be truthful and upfront about hotels, parks, and dining. I do this job because it’s my passion, not for the dough!
So, what’s included when you book with an Agent? Here are a few of the services I offer:
Dining ReservationsÂ
A Disney Vacation Planner can help make dining reservations and give recommendations for the best restaurants for your familys tastes.
It’s become increasingly difficult to reserve tables at popular restaurants like Be our Guest or Tiffins. People tend to get up at 3:00 AM on their 180/190-day mark just to ensure they get a reservation. Although there are never any guarantees, I am happy to get up in the wee hours to try and snag a reservation or set up systems to alert me when they become available.
FastPasses
With dining reservations and travel time, FastPasses can quickly become a logistical nightmare. I can help schedule your FastPasses and make sure they work will your other reservations.
Packages
Some packages offer discounts if you book during certain seasons. Other discounts seem great, but are not worth it once you read the fine print. I can help decipher the best discounts for you. If you find a discount before I do, I can add it to your package, no problem.
Dining Plan
Ah, yes. The most Frequently Asked Disney Question: Is the Dining Plan worth it? I can help explain the dining plan and see if it’s worth it for your travel group.
Resorts
I have plenty of recommendations here. I can also help you make special requests like arranging to have a crib for your room or asking for ADA accommodations as well.
There you have it! Your own personal assistant who will answer to all your Disney needs and it’s completely free to you.Â
Want to find out more about Kylee and how a Disney Vacation Planner can help make all your Disney dreams come true? Sign up for her newsletter and get her free Disney planning template as well!Â
You can also search my Disney Travel Agent Directory here!
One last thing! Before jumping at the chance to hire Kylee….if you found this money-saving advice helpful, would you mind sharing this post and spreading the word?
Stressed
Is this real? If I can really hire you to plan my Disney trip, please contact me ASAP because we’re supposed to get there on Wednesday and I’m totally overwhelmed and regretting this oh my God
Keri
Hi there! It is absolutely for year. Disney vacation planners are free and can really help you save some stress. Don’t be overwhelmed. You may have everything planned out, but you can still reach out to Kylee. I am actually not a vacation planner. This post was a guest post written by Kylee Gano, who is a planner and you can click to her site through the post. However, I am at Disney several times a month, my husband is a former cast member and can definitely give some pointers. It’s pretty much what this entire site is about 🙂 I also run a Facebook group with several vacation planners and Disney fans. I definitely encourage you to join and you can ask us some last minute questions. But seriously, it should be a magical vacation. Don’t panic over every detail. It needs to be enjoyable for you, too. Feel free to read my ‘letter’ to those who are overwhelmed at https://flipflopweekend.com/to-the-overwhelmed-mom-planning-her-first-disney-vacation/. Cheers!