Do you like making your ressies online, on the phone, or through a Travel Agent?

[AuburnJen 771]

I have done all three.  I think the phone is a PITA.  I also think online is a PITA.  I do like using a travel agent, but you have to find one that is dedicated to the fort and will constantly work with you to get the discounts.  What are your thoughts?

BTW, these are, of course, IMHO  (that would be in my humble opinion)

[Momoffive aka Loretta 34]

Having a family of 7 we have to call in.  I have not used a travel agent in the past.  I like to talk so calling in is fine with me!

[Avatab.... Steve 124]

We have always called in even though I agree its a huge PITA!  Why oh why do we have to go thru the same questions over and over again.....

The automated ones are bad enough, but then the CM gets on and asks even more repetitious questions...... :banana:

The web site never seems to work right or have the days we need, and honestly it has never occurred to us to use a Travel Agent to book a campsite at the Fort or anywhere else for that matter.

:siren: :siren: :) :) :)

[Total Joker ... TJ 203]

The last time we stayed, We used Roz for the ressie. It was PAINLESS!  Thank you Rhonda!

[stacktester 78]

Travelagent for sure. They can see what is available without having to talk to a CM. I haven't booked on the phone for a while now. I can tell you when you ask for AAA, FL Resident or AP that they will sometimes tell you not there. I've actually called back after hanging up and gotten it because the previous CM was too lazy to look.

[DaveInTN 3,247]

I have only called Disney to change a reservation.  I've made reservations online lots of times, but more recently I've used an agent with Travel On A Dream...Rhonda.  It's easy, she does all the work looking for dates and discounts, and will make changes if you need to.  And best of all it's free! 

[PureTcrazy...rita 380]

We've never used a travel agent. I notice Dave said, "it's free" Is it really? I always thought you had to pay extra so they could make a profit. If it is free, that would be an easy option! The phone thing irritates the stew out of me, I can't understand why WDW does not have an 800 number and the irritating questions and hold time add to the frustration. When you try to book online I have to sit and figure out if they are giving me the discounted rooms because it does not show it and if you aren't paying attention, you could end up booking with no discount.

[DaveInTN 3,247]

We've never used a travel agent. I notice Dave said, "it's free" Is it really? I always thought you had to pay extra so they could make a profit.

My understanding is that the agency gets their fee from Disney (or from the cruise line or wherever).  That fee can't be too much on a campsite reservation...but I guess the travel agency hopes to build relationships with folks by providing them with good service, so that when the day comes that you are making a reservation for a cruise or other more expensive vacation, you will also use them for that.  I know I will!  :banana:

[Nicki aka Rebelstand 272]

I used a local agent the first time we went to WDW (All-Star and plane tickets).  The local agent did not know about FW.  For the Christmas trip I had to use the online system and several phone calls!

[stefa70 205]

I usually do online, but usually have to call anyways to modify. Both are a PITA!

[scooterminnie...paula 20]

We let Rhonda get our campsites. We just let her know what we want and want to do and she does her best to get it done.

[DaddysCoolTV 4]

The Disney reservation system is a joke as far as I'm concerned.  It's such a PITA, you have to book way more days than you want to get what you want luckily they only want a deposit = to the highest rate.  I have started using a travel agent and has worked out very well and I usually get rates much cheaper than I can if I do it online.  The past 2 times using a agent I have gotten a premium site cheaper than I had a full-hookup for.    :banana:

[doodlebug....Cherie 461]

I usually do online, but usually have to call anyways to modify. Both are a PITA!

I do the same thing. As a matter of fact I was on the phone with Disney music for 20 minutes last week. Never did talk to anyone, got frustrated and hung up. All I wanted to do was add an extra day to our November trip. Great big PITA.

I will be calling Rhonda for my next trip, she is a sweetheart. :banana:

[canadianfockerfiend Trevor 1]

My wife always calls them. She asked them why no 800 number. They told her because people used to call when they had one so there kid could talk to Mickey Mouse and it was tying up the phonelines. Those people don't call if there is a charge. Anyways as I said my wife calls and has all kinds of questions for them and she always seems to be able to get them to find better deals. She then calls back monthly to see if there is any discounts they can apply to our trip. The last trip they ended up finding $700 in savings. That paid for our gas. We tried caa and they couldnt get us everything we wanted and couldnt come close to the prices Disney could offer. I would have thought you could get it cheaper elsewhere.

[mouseketab.....Carol 1,261]

I always use a travel agent (Rhonda!!!) in conjunction with the online system.  For reservations that are further out, I simply email Rhonda, she takes care of it and looks for discounts.

For my "I gotta get to the Fort NOW" reservations, I cajole and play with the online reservation system myself, (just don't feel right having her spend all day online cause I don't plan) and am persistent checking 4 and 5 times a day and make multiple reservations that overlap and at different levels of sites and drive my credit card security department crazy and then when I get what I want, I cancel what I don't need, then hand everything over to Rhonda for her to link my reservations and put in my site requests.

[SCTigerCock 171]

Can travel agents see military discounts?

IF they can and want my reservation in December, PM me. Cause I am down to my last nerve with calling in to see if they are available yet.

[Memphis 105]

I use online and then have to call to modify and ask for discounts. The survey questions bugs me to no end.  It would not be as bad if THEY were paying the phone bill but you have to pay for the call and give them market research. Only Disney gets away with this crap.  God I hate I love Disney. 

[canadianfockerfiend Trevor 1]

I use online and then have to call to modify and ask for discounts. The survey questions bugs me to no end.  It would not be as bad if THEY were paying the phone bill but you have to pay for the call and give them market research. Only Disney gets away with this crap.  God I hate I love Disney.

The next time they ask you to do a survey. Simply reply sure the day you either pay my phone bill or get a 800 number so im not charged for the phone call.

[LONE-STAR 370]

We use the phone but we may have to try a travel agent.

[anolefan 8]

We have used all three and our preference is:

1.  Travel Agent due to the discounts we can obtain

2.  Phone because of discounts, even though it totally sucks and is a time waster

3.  Online as last resort.

[kampfirekim 260]

Phone is the only way we've ever done it.  We've never had a problem, although, I do hate the questions.  After the dates are set we give them our AAA info and the discount is applied.

[Lou... 3,118]

It sounds like the online system is a nightmare. I don't use the general public site, they have one just for CMs and it's great. Five minutes and I'm done. If I need to modify it, it's usually only a five minute wait. I thought both systems were handled by the same people, but maybe not.

[mouseketab.....Carol 1,261]

Yes it is.  Somebody has put some type of command in there that I'm sure tries to maximize the occupancy by only allowing stays of certain lengths when occupancy gets to a certain level.

For example, when things are first released for the first two weeks, everything is wide open, then when weekends get filled up to a certain percentage, you can't book weekend only, you have to book longer to get a weekend.  (They are trying to encourage longer stays to avoid empty weeks and booked up weekends).

I think they are also trying to avoid 1 night empty here and there cause when I'm trying to get days on short notice I ALWAYS have to book multiple overlapping reservations to get the nights I want, then cancel extra days.

To get the 15th through the 20th, I had to do the following:

This last time, I had to book the 15-16 separately, then I was able to snag the 18th - 24th.  Couldn't get the 17th no matter what I tried.

Then the next evening, was trying again and finally got the 17th, but had to book the 16th - 25th to get it.

So then I had to call back and cancel the 18th - 24th reservation, then forwarded everything to Rhonda and she linked them together so I don't have to move and cancelled all the extra nights for me.

I also found the hard way, that when I'm playing with the reservation system like that, I need to use different credit cards, cause their fraud alert goes nuts, and temporarily freezes my card until I call them. Calling them is almost as bad as calling Disney. grrrrrr :rofl2:

[Otter Spotter aka Debbie 58]

My wife always calls them. She asked them why no 800 number. They told her because people used to call when they had one so there kid could talk to Mickey Mouse and it was tying up the phonelines.

Well - that was a very inventive (and lying) CM you got there!! Disney has never had an 800# except for back in the days of the Magic Kingdom Club Card holders - and that number was only given to MKCC recipients.

The general public always payed phone charges to make ressies.  Why?  Because they would! 

Also - Disney never wanted to pay the monthly cost they would have incurred under the old structure of toll-free #'s.  I used to sell 800 service back in the good old days of regulated phone service.  At that time there were 3 different structures of 800 service.  In state, out of state, international.  It would have been too confusing for advertising purposes to publish 3 types of 800 #'s and where they were good from.  Plus, you had to dedicate employees to each different type of inbound call.  So, if in-state calls were stacked up & international calls were light, employees could not be switched to pick up overflow. It would have been an administrative nightmare.  And then, you'd always have the person who would call the wrong # in the hopes of getting faster service.

[wdwbound 0]

Always made my ressies by phone and haven't had a problem yet.  Never will forget the year we got to Florida to try and get in one day early and called the online number only to find out that I never sent in my deposit and didn't have a reservation AT ALL!!  I can't believe that I made that mistake but we DID get in for the entire time we wanted...I thought I was going to die thinking we wouldn't get in at all, my kids and DH would've KILLED me.

Nancy