You’ve finally made the mental leap and decided to take the whole brood to Disney for a vacation. OK…so…now what? Where do you start? Walt Disney World in Florida or Disneyland in California? Or maybe a Disney cruise? How long do you need to stay? Should you stay in a Disney hotel or is a nearby off-site hotel better? Do you need a rental car? What about park admissions? Isn’t there a breakfast where your kids can eat with the princesses? How are you going to get around?  What documents do you need? How do you get to the cruise terminal?

These questions, and hundreds more, are very common for most folks who are planning a Disney vacation. The simple fact is that Disney, just within its domestic United States operations, features 6 major theme parks, two water parks, two major shopping districts, two 2,400 passenger cruise ships, a private Bahamian island, 27 resort hotels, the sixth-largest marine fleet in the world, the busiest monorail system in the world, and over 27,000 acres of land. Disney is a huge operation with a mind-boggling array of options offered to travelers. How in the world are you supposed to wade through all of the information and options to design the vacation that’s perfect for you?

Well, you have one of two options. First, you could spend hours and hours and hours online visiting the thousands of web sites that specialize in Disney content. You would have to determine from that information what is fact and what is not, whether the writer’s opinions, preferences, and tastes match yours, and where you would then go to begin making vacation arrangements. You could talk to friends and neighbors who have been to Disney and ask their opinions. You could spend hours on the phone talking to others who might or might not be interested in helping you find the best deal on the best vacation.

Or, you could simply contact a travel agent that specializes in Disney and let them do all of that and more for you. For Free.

If you have never used a travel agent before, the process is very simple. A travel agent’s job is to take the time and ask the right questions to find out from you exactly what your ideal vacation is. They then use their experience and expertise to custom-tailor all of the available options to assemble the perfect trip for you.

While there are many different kinds and flavors of travel agents available, the sheer volume of information and options available from Disney make choosing the right travel agent even more important when planning a Disney vacation. Having a travel agent that specializes exclusively in the Disney product will increase your chances of landing the best deals, best itinerary, and best overall Disney vacation.

Authorized Disney Vacation Planners are travel agencies who have been recognized by the Walt Disney Company for their expertise and experience in planning Disney vacations. These agencies have earned the Authorized Disney Vacation Planner designation through a demonstrated proficiency in outstanding customer service and extensive Disney product knowledge. Always make sure the travel agency you select for your Disney vacation is an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner.

In addition, your individual travel agent should be certified by Disney as a “Disney Specialist.” Disney specialists have completed the College of Disney Knowledge, a course offered by Disney that requires demonstrated knowledge and expertise in Walt Disney World, Disneyland, and the Disney Cruise Line. Your personal travel agent should also, of course, have detailed and extensive personal knowledge of the Disney products through their frequent and repeated visits to the various Disney resorts and cruise ships. (Yes, a tough job, but someone has to do it…)

How Does the Process Work?

Upon contacting a Disney specialist travel agency, your travel agent should take the time to find out what is important to you for your Disney vacation. Details such as travel dates, length of stay, hotel preference, party size, special occasions, transportation preferences, dining preferences, and many other details should be gathered by your travel agent so that a personalized quote can be created just for you.

You should expect to receive prompt and accurate information regarding your personal trip request. This information should include pricing and details for the Disney or other resort hotels, theme park passes, any applicable packages, discounts, and available options. Your Disney travel agent should also make sure you are getting the very best deal possible for your vacation by booking the lowest rate up front and by automatically rebooking your reservation for you if a better rate becomes available later. Your agent should also offer to help you with many other details like dining reservations, tour reservations, show reservations, and recommendations for other lesser-known or “hidden” attractions and activities.

Once you have reviewed and approved the information presented, your travel agent will book all required reservations for you and provide you with a detailed confirmation. From that point on, your travel agent is your single point of contact for everything having to do with your Disney vacation. There’s no need for you to call multiple Disney departments or phone numbers (In fact, Disney will not allow you to make changes or cancellations to a reservation if it was made by a travel agent).

Is It Really Free?

Yes, it is. Really. Disney travel agents make their living from a small commission paid to them by Disney for booking your vacation. This commission does not increase the price you pay. The price you are offered by your Disney travel agent will be exactly the same or better than you would get if you booked the vacation on your own.

Your travel agent wants you to have the perfect Disney vacation, and works hard to make that happen. The commission is his/her compensation for doing so (along with the glowing trip reports and referrals you will provide upon your return). Please respect the travel agent’s time and effort by not asking them to do the work and then booking elsewhere.

Why Shouldn’t I Just Call Disney Directly?

Great question. While anyone call pick up the phone and call Disney directly to book their vacation, what exactly will they get? Will you get the best deal? Maybe, if you have done your homework, and keep working to make sure a better discount doesn’t come along. Will you get the best resort for your family? Possibly, if you know the right questions to ask. Will I ever talk to this Cast Member again? Very unlikely, once your reservation is made, you are just a number to Disney.

When calling Disney, think about who they are working for, compared to working with a Disney specialist:

Disney Cast Member: They work for Disney, and their loyalty is to Disney. While they won’t cheat you in any way, they also won’t go out of their way to find a better deal for you either.

Disney Specialist: They work for you, just as your attorney or accountant does. Their job is to make sure you get the best deal possible, whether it is available now or not released for 6 months down the road, and that you are 100% happy with what you have paid and what you get for your money. Your Disney specialist is always on your side, and takes care of you every step of the way. 

Do you really want to fight the Disney machine by yourself, or would you rather have an experienced specialist on your side?

MouseMisers Recommends

While there are several outstanding Disney travel agencies, we at MouseMisers highly recommend Mouseketrips as a premier Disney specialist travel agency. Mouseketrips is an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner, and each and every one of the Mouseketrips travel agents is a graduate of the College of Disney Knowledge. In addition, Mouseketrips travel agents visit each of the Disney theme parks and the Disney Cruise Line on a regular basis, and have exhaustive personal, first-hand knowledge of the various details and options available.

The best way to get a great savings on your Disney Cruise is to book your cruise while on board. Granted, this does not work for first time cruisers, of those who have already been on the cruise, and don’t have another one planned. However, if you have a Disney Cruise coming up, or happen to be on a Disney Cruise while you are reading this (you lucky ducks), you can take advantage of this great offer. So, what exactly is this great deal, you may be asking?

10% discount off of the prevailing rate for the cruise of your choice. This applies to all staterooms category 4 – 11, so suites and category 12 staterooms do not apply. So, by booking it on board, you save 10% off of what the price would be if you were to book your cruise the day after you get off the cruise.

On board stateroom credit. You will get a $100 onboard credit with every 3 or 4 night cruise, and a $200 credit for every 7 night or longer cruise or land/sea package you book. The credit can be used for any charges made to your stateroom during your cruise, but cannot be used to pay for your cruise itself.

The great thing about booking your Disney cruise on board is that the reservation is very flexible. Once home, you can change your cruise dates, based on availability, and your pricing may change, but you maintain your 10% discount and onboard credit. So, for example, we try to cruise every other Spring with our family, but as of right now, Disney has not released their rates for 2010 yet, so we booked a 7 night cruise for sometime during the Fall of 2009, and we will move our dates once 2010 dates are released, but we have locked in our discount and credit, which should save us over $1,000.

There are a few requirements:

Your cruise must be booked and the deposit paid while you are on the cruise. The deposit is $200 per person for a 3 or 4 night cruise and $250 per person for a 7 night or longer cruise.

The deposits are subject to standard Disney Cruise cancelation. The great thing is that outside of 75 days before your cruise, your deposits are fully refundable, so if you book on board, and then get home and decide you can’t go, you will get your deposit back.

You can still work with your travel agent who booked your original Disney Cruise. Just make sure you check the Travel Agent box when making your reservation. There is not additional cost to you, and you will get the same great service you got the first time around. They are also great help if you need to adjust dates or staterooms.

For most people, you should plan to book an upcoming cruise while on board, and adjust as needed once you are home. If things work out, you end up saving a bunch of money, and if not, you can get all your money back, so it hasn’t cost you anything. Plus, it makes it so much easier to get off the boat knowing you will be coming back soon.

For more information about booking your first Disney Cruise, so you can get on board to get the savings for your second Disney Cruise, contact our fantastic sponsor Mouseketrips.

Here at MouseMisers, our goal is to save you money on your Disney vacation. A trip to Disney World can be expensive, so any savings you can find will be helpful. Whether you are staying at a value or deluxe resort, as long as you are spending less than the next guy, your vacation will be just that much better.

Each Summer, Disney releases rates and packages for the following year. Those rates are then what everyone pays, unless you get a discount of some sort, which are also released by Disney. If Disney had their way, everyone would pay the rack rates. However, there are times during the year when the parks and resorts are not anywhere near full, so discounts are released in an attempt to increase resort stays and park visitors.

While there is no way you are guaranteed a discount on your Disney vacation, there are some ways to give yourself a good chance at getting a significant discount.

1. Travel during an off-peak time. If you want to go over Christmas week, Easter week or during the summer, when the resorts and parks are full, Disney has no incentive to release discounts, so they usually don’t.
2. Plan early. Discounts are usually released months in advance and have expiration dates. Most of the time, if you miss the discount, it is gone, and never coming back. If a discount hasn’t been released yet for your dates, go ahead and book, you can always get the discount applied once it is released.
3. Be Flexible. Disney often has black out dates during off peak times, depending on estimated crowds. If there is a big event during the week you are planning on being there, the parks and resorts will be crowded, even if you are traveling during a historically slow time. Even if you plan well, you may be blindsided and your travel dates may fall within a blackout period. If you are a bit flexible, you can move your dates or hotel when discounts are released.
4. Know what dates Disney has released discounts for in past years. While there is no guarantee that what happened last year will be repeated this year, you at least have some sort of guide of what to expect.
   Below are links to calendars for 2007 and 2008. The blue highlighted dates indicated dates where Disney offered discounts, so if you checked into your Walt Disney World resort on a date that is blue, you could have gotten a discount, depending on how well you did on the first three items above.
   2007 Walt Disney World Discount Dates
   2008 Walt Disney World Discount Dates
5. Check back with MouseMisers on a regular basis. We will keep you updated on all discounts available to Walt Disney World. The best way to do that is to subscribe to our RSS feed, so that you will be notified immediately of any new discounts.

Obviously, there are some times during the year where you won’t be able to get a discount, no matter what you do. Our suggestion during those times, if that is when you have to travel, is to book early to ensure that you get the resort/room type you want.

Our friends over at Disney Top 10 have just posted a great article full of their top 10 tips to helping you plan your Disney vacation.

Disney Top 10 Tips to planning your WDW vacation

So, what is our favorite tip?

#6: Plan and Book Early – Make sure you start your planning as early as possible. Planning early allows you time to figure out where you want to stay, gives you the best opportunity at getting the resort and room type you want, and get discounts on your reservation. You will also then have plenty of time to make dining reservation and any other plans you need. We usually plan 12 months in advance for our trip.

Planning early allows you plenty of time to watch for future discounts (hello MouseMisers!). It is always good to give yourself plenty of time in planning, a rushed Disney vacation is better than a week at work for sure, but given time, you can make your Disney vacation just that much better. Take some time to check out their site, they offer some great tips for your Disney vacation.