How to Know if you’re Working with the Right Vacation Planner for your Disney Vacation

Are you working with the right Disney vacation planner?

First, you are on the right track by even inquiring about a travel agent that specializes in Disney destinations to help with your vacation! You know their true value in making your vacation extra magical and how essential they are to your vacation. Picking your vacation planner to help you with your Disney trip is a big deal! Picking your agent should be for the long haul, as ideally you’ll continue to work with them for future trips! As you start working with your vacation planner, they should ask questions about your family and get to know you and your preferences. A good agent will get to know their client’s likes, dislikes, and what they value in a vacation. This post will help you narrow down the huge number of travel agents that specialize in Disney, and choose the one that’s best suited to help you!

It seems to be a growing trend in the travel industry for travel agencies to specialize in Disney. Our guess is that’s just because of how appealing the business looks. Unfortunately it is also bringing in a lot of people that are just after the lifestyle they think the job offers, instead of a passion for helping others with their dream vacations. With the rise of inexperienced “Disney specialists” we have created this blog post to help you make sure you are selecting an agency and agent that actually knows what they’re talking about and is really a specialist in all things Disney.

1. Authorized Disney Vacation Planners: Know the Difference

First, we’ll start with the basics. A travel agent specializing in Disney destinations or an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner doesn’t actually work for the Walt Disney Company. A travel agent that focuses on Disney is most likely an independent contractor that works with a travel agency. Ideally that travel agency is an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner. In fact, individual travel agents are not supposed to call themselves ‘Authorized Disney Vacation Planners’. This is because the Walt Disney Travel Company has granted the title to the AGENCY, not the individual AGENT. Each agent works under the umbrella of the parent agency. Each agent typically has their own branch and is responsible for their own business and clients. The parent agency will make sure the independent contractors are carrying out the core values and level of service the travel agency promotes.

Red Flag Terminology

If you see an agent referring to themselves as a “Disney specialist” or a “Disney travel agent”, this is a key warning sign that you have a beginner or inexperienced travel agent. These titles should not even exist and Disney prohibits agents from using these terms. Still, it’s two of the most common things you will see on the internet by new travel agents or agencies. If you see “I’m a Disney travel agent” in their Instagram bio, run!

On the other hand, agencies and agents that are following Disney’s guidelines properly will say things like:

“I specialize in Disney Destinations.”
“I’m a Travel Specialist”
“I plan Disney vacations. That’s my specialty.”
“I work for an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner ”

These are all accepted by Disney and perfectly fine to say!

2. Is your agent well-traveled and knowledgeable?

Ask questions! Ask them friendly, simple questions to get to know them. How many times have you been to Disney World? How many times have you sailed Disney Cruise Line? Anyone can Google facts. Don’t waste time grilling your agent with trivia questions like “How tall is Cinderellas’s castle?” (189 feet by the way). Ask them meaningful questions about their own experiences and why they love helping other families experience the true magic of a Disney vacation!

A true specialist should be well versed in a variety of Disney destinations. Walt Disney World (Florida), Disneyland (California), Disney Cruise Line and Aulani, a Disney Resort and Spa in Hawaii, just to name a few. If your agent has only been to Disney World a handful of times, you should probably move on right there. A specialist should be just that – a specialist in the destinations they are assisting you with.

Disney has some great online courses for travel agents to stay updated on. However, these courses are more an expectation and not something they should be flaunting to show off their knowledge and capability. While online certificates, training, and updates are useful, nothing makes up for being able to travel and experience things firsthand. In order to be a true specialist and expert in the destination, your agent should be well experienced in a variety of Disney destinations. They should have experienced many trips firsthand and continue to be doing so often. This way they stay up to date on all the changes and updates.

3. What type of agency does your agent work for?

This is another big and easy tool you can use to tell what type of travel agent you will be working with. Check out their agency’s website. Do they even have a website or is it just a Facebook page? Is the agency’s website updated with the latest pictures, sales, and updates happening across Disney destinations? The good agencies should have a list of all of their agents with contact information, bios, and reviews for you to read about each agent. This is huge in helping you with your search! Take your time and read through the agent bio before reaching out to them. See which agent you think would match your family the best. The goal should be to pick someone you feel comfortable with and will want to continue to use for years of future family vacations!

Is their travel agency an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner? If you don’t see this badge on their website you’ll want to move right along to another agency that is. In today’s realm of highly competitive Authorized Disney Vacation Planners, you won’t want to be working with an agency that doesn’t have that badge. However, the requirements for earning that badge are fairly loose. Therefore, just because you see one doesn’t mean you should stop inquiring about the agency just yet. It’s really the bare minimum for any agency claiming to specialize in Disney to have it.

Things to look for on an agency website:

Here is a list of items you can look for on the agency’s website to get a better understanding of the agency:

Ease of use
Updated
Website looks professional
Detailed about their services
Doesn’t contain Mickey or other copyrighted logos
Has detailed information about Disney destinations
Has a decent amount of agents working at the agency
Information is organized
Do their agents look professional (professional headshots or nice Disney photos, not selfies)

Agencies that are mass-recruiting agents

We have seen a surge of “get rich/pyramid agencies” that are recruiting just about anyone they can. Disney-focused social media accounts are a huge target for these schemes, with some being more obvious than others. Unfortunately some of these agencies at first glance look like any other agency. They can be Authorized Disney Vacation Planners and look legitimate, and it’s not until you dive into the agency’s structure do you see what’s happening behind the scenes. These agencies hire left and right, and just set agents up with some basic training for a few weeks. That’s just about it, and then they are onto the next person trying to bring in as many new agents as they can.

Even on our own Instagram page we have been approached by agencies trying to recruit us to become agents for them. Again, some of these agencies are just focused on bringing in as many people as they can. They only want to increase their overall agency sales. Unfortunately some folks signing up to become a travel agent specializing in Disney are so excited at the opportunity that they miss the warning signs. This leads to mass amounts of people signing up and getting quick training. They are being handed the reins, and not knowing how to drive. This isn’t fair to the people being hired and it’s certainly not fair to the clients that think they are working with a specialist in Disney! That’s why it’s so important to do your research about your agent and their agency they work for.

Copyright!

Everyone wants to associate themselves with the big mouse! However, agencies need to be careful about how they are marketing themselves and avoid infringing on Disney’s copyright. Travel agencies that have ‘Mickey’ in the name often struggle right from the start with what they are allowed to use with the Disney name on it. The real answer, not much! The Walt Disney company has extremely strict copyright rules with good reason (remember that thing that happened in late 1920s?).

Similarly, travel professionals have strict guidelines they must abide by when using anything Disney related. Less established agencies may have Disney copyrighted material right on their website! This will be easy giant red flags you will want to use to move onto the next agency. You might be thinking, how does this apply to me in my search? Well an agency that isn’t following Disney’s rules probably isn’t an agency you want to trust with your Disney vacation either!

Agency Values

People know Disney for their world class entertainment and service. While a travel agent who specializes in Disney doesn’t work for Disney, they should conduct themselves with a similar business model. The good travel agencies that specialize in Disney destinations bring Disney’s core values to their own business. While Authorized Disney Vacation Planner agencies cannot market themselves as Disney, they can conduct their business in the core values that have made the Walt Disney company what it is today. A prominent agent and agency will demonstrate these core values from the first time you email or speak to them! A key value at my agency is to treat your client’s vacation like your own. This is how I treat each reservation from start to finish. This means treating each client’s vacation with the same time, energy and attention I would give my own.

Aulani, a Disney Resort and Spa in Hawaii

4. What type of software does your Vacation Planner use?

Next is one you probably didn’t think about unless you already know a lot about the business. A good travel specialist is going to have you feeling like the “Only Girl in the World” (Rihanna) after each email and phone call. Realistically though, they are going to be serving many more clients just like you each and every day! This means that logistics and software for keeping track of all this information is highly important.

How are they keeping track of it all?

Some people can’t keep track of what they had for breakfast; the last thing you want is a “specialist” that is hand writing your final payment date in a notebook. Many new travel agencies just getting into the market fail to set their agents up with adequate software. This means the agents have to pay for it themselves or go without.

Some agents that are just starting will ignore it altogether, which puts your trip in unnecessary risk. What happens if your agent has a medical or family emergency? Is there a system keeping track of your vacation, payments and information, or if something happened to your agent, what would happen to your trip? This probably won’t be a question you can find out by looking at their website. However, you can just ask them a simple question like “How do you keep track of all this info?!” If they are doing it right they should have nothing to hide and openly tell you.

My company uses a program designed specifically for travel agents specializing in Disney destinations, called Vacation Creations. It helps keep track of all my client’s vacation details. This helps me ensure that every trip goes smoothly, and every one of my families are taken care of. I couldn’t imagine doing my job without it… It also provides a great system in case of emergency – if for any reason I wasn’t able to work, one of my fellow agents would be able to step in and make sure everything continues smoothly for my traveling families.

5. Social Media: Professionalism, professionalism and professionalism!

After you’ve checked out their agency website, it’s time to look at their own social media accounts. Social media is a great tool to use to your advantage when searching for a travel agent specializing in Disney. Each social media outlet serves a different purpose but the two main ones you will see travel agents using is Facebook and Instagram. Often their will be an agency Facebook page, and a separate page for each individual agent; right now, we are referring to the agent themselves, not the overall agency page. Their business Facebook page should be well put together, look professional and be updated frequently. Most agents will also have an Instagram account. This can be a great place to view photos from past vacations and watch their stories to see all of the different ways they have experienced Disney destinations!

Personal Facebook Pages

Your specialist might be referred to you by a friend or you may have mutual friends on Facebook. Don’t be afraid to scope out anything public on Facebook. It can easily say a lot about the person’s character by what they have visible on their personal Facebook page. Professionalism and trust are two extremely important traits you want your agent to have. Make sure there are no red flags on their profile before you start working with them!

The Grand Floridian Resort at Walt Disney World

Conclusion

In conclusion, selecting a vacation planner for your Disney trip is a big decision! You want an agent to not only get along with but someone you feel comfortable with on many different levels. The goal to be to pick someone you will want to keep using for all your future vacations too. You just might become best friends (hopefully at least friends) and build a lasting relationship with them. I’m really proud of the agency I work for and all the amazing agents that are on our team. If you are still searching for an agent to help you plan your Disney vacation, you can visit our website and read more about the extraordinary Wish Upon a Star with Us agents here. Tell them Fairytale Wonders sent you!