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I don't understand how can a Disney vacation be complicated?
Just pay for the tickets and spend a day there, mostly waiting in line.
Disneyworld today is nothing like it was in the past. You have to book your dining reservations 6 months in advance (seriously) if you want to get the most popular restaurants. People wait online to book their reservations the moment the 6 month window opens. So that involves knowing which parks you want to attend on what days, and then that gets into booking Fastpasses for the most popular rides at those parks also on the same days. If you don't get fastpasses you can easily waste 2+ hours standing in the heat for one ride. Add into that planning your general itinerary (so that you are traveling through the park in the most optimal way) and you can understand why someone would use a travel agent.
Are you going to have to promote yourself or do they bring the clients? I think it's a great idea but if you have to market yourself, I'd hope that you're an active member in the community/church, etc.
Good luck and best wishes!
I have been booking my own travel since I taught myself SABRE and Eaasy SABRE in 1989-90. I was a scourge to our (former) corporate travel agent as I was able to show the company how we were not being directed to the best fares that were available in many cases.
Having said that, I see three legitimate reasons to book using a travel agency.
First, if I were booking a cruise, I would find an agent who is CLIA certified and who can match me with cruises that fit my interests. Sure, you can book on your own BUT do you know if the cruise line is really one that you will be happy with.
Second, I think that if you have a complicated international itinerary, using a specialist in the region you are traveling to can be a great assistance. In many cases, these agents have very specialized knowledge of the cities involved.
Disney is the third exception. Knowing a high volume Disney agent gives you access to deals that may not be available to the general public. A lot of these agents know a great deal about Disney and can help you plan your trip so that you have some great experiences.
As for compensation, MANY travel agents DO charge for their services and you should see what you will be charged to determine if it is worth it.
To the OP, I will confess that I always wanted to be a travel agent. However, I have a real aversion to paying for the necessary training with NO promise of job and them making little more than minimum wage with a few "freebie trips" thrown in to keep the natives happy.
I worked 15 years in various aspects of the hospitality industry. While the positions are always sold as exciting and glamorous, you are generally GROSSLY underpaid whether that is being a concierge, travel agent, a cruise ship employee, a hotel employee, and the like.
Good luck.
Very interesting observations.
I've been on the Corporate side of the business for over 20 years, and I can assure you we aren't going anywhere. There's a massive amount of business out there, and we still handle the vast majority of it. It's the Leisure side that's really been impacted by the web, with several niche exceptions.
And you have no idea what a nightmare you must have been to your (former) Corporate Agent! There are often negotiated discounts in place with certain Airlines or certain routes, commission contracts that return rebates to the company, etc. The same applies to Hotels and rental cars. I realize you thought you were being helpful though, so nothing against you personally at all. There is no way most travelers would be aware of these things, unless it was dictated by policy - which it often is these days. Corporate Agents/Agencies are in place to assist with streamlining things, take care of and protect travelers and to save money. If we don't, someone else is waiting in line that will.
To the OP - The Leisure side of the business survives on specialized nice markets, and you wish to align yourself with one of the most dynamic of them all. With your background and passion for the product, I predict you will thrive at this Agency. The best of luck to you!
Disneyworld today is nothing like it was in the past. You have to book your dining reservations 6 months in advance (seriously) if you want to get the most popular restaurants. People wait online to book their reservations the moment the 6 month window opens. So that involves knowing which parks you want to attend on what days, and then that gets into booking Fastpasses for the most popular rides at those parks also on the same days. If you don't get fastpasses you can easily waste 2+ hours standing in the heat for one ride. Add into that planning your general itinerary (so that you are traveling through the park in the most optimal way) and you can understand why someone would use a travel agent.
I know the fast pass thing, it was already there when I went to Disney many years ago.
Is there anything special about Disney dinner? I'm pretty sure it's wildly overpriced, like every other Disney product.
The guest doesn't pay us-Disney does. Our services are free to the guest.
A friend of mine was able to quit his day job and just do travel agent. He works from home and makes a good living.
Well there you go. If you think you can make money then go for it! What does it matter what anyone here thinks? I personally don't use travel agents (didn't think they still existed) but others might. You never know until you try. As long as you're not putting any money upfront you have nothing to lose. If you are, then I wouldn't try it!!!!!!!!
1. Perhaps it's a good thing for those who can profit from the complexity but why on earth would Disney make it so complicated? Today anyone can go on to the internet and configure a new car with all kinds of custom options. It's very easy. Likewise, you can buy insurance online which is also quite complicated by nature and you're guided through the process, making it pretty easy for anyone. It seems to me that the level of complexity that you are talking about with Disney can be easily overcome with some better product design, user experience design and service design. If you really need a third party to bundle together this kind of vacation, there is something wrong. The supplier landscape is pretty easy. You have most of it provided directly by Disney and any other suppliers would be partners so it should be very easy to create a unified and simple experience to bring it all together. I mean, it's not like putting together a vacation in a much less developed country where you need to deal with all kinds of disparate and often very small suppliers (individual taxi/van drivers, local tour guides, etc). Doesn't Disney already have the 'My Disney Experience' to guide you through it? Is it that it's not good enough?
2. The customer DOES pay for this service. There should be a legal requirement to 'unbundle' these costs so that it's transparent to the customer and they have a choice to pay if they want this service. You can be assured that these costs are paid by the customer it's just that they are hidden from view.
2. The customer DOES pay for this service. There should be a legal requirement to 'unbundle' these costs so that it's transparent to the customer and they have a choice to pay if they want this service. You can be assured that these costs are paid by the customer it's just that they are hidden from view.
Oh goody. Now we can get the government involved in some other useless, unneccesary law.
Oh goody. Now we can get the government involved in some other useless, unneccesary law.
Yeah maybe you are right. Perhaps the travel industry bodies should police themselves and encourage better practices in the industry in order to make things more transparent and straightforward for the customer. Or Disney themselves can take the initiative to do it rather than to perpetuate business practices that are not simple and clear to the customer. These kinds things leave industries open to be disrupted by companies who blow through all of this nonsense and are more straightforward.
I have been booking my own travel since I taught myself SABRE and Eaasy SABRE in 1989-90. I was a scourge to our (former) corporate travel agent as I was able to show the company how we were not being directed to the best fares that were available in many cases.
Having said that, I see three legitimate reasons to book using a travel agency.
First, if I were booking a cruise, I would find an agent who is CLIA certified and who can match me with cruises that fit my interests. Sure, you can book on your own BUT do you know if the cruise line is really one that you will be happy with.
Second, I think that if you have a complicated international itinerary, using a specialist in the region you are traveling to can be a great assistance. In many cases, these agents have very specialized knowledge of the cities involved.
Disney is the third exception. Knowing a high volume Disney agent gives you access to deals that may not be available to the general public. A lot of these agents know a great deal about Disney and can help you plan your trip so that you have some great experiences.
As for compensation, MANY travel agents DO charge for their services and you should see what you will be charged to determine if it is worth it.
To the OP, I will confess that I always wanted to be a travel agent. However, I have a real aversion to paying for the necessary training with NO promise of job and them making little more than minimum wage with a few "freebie trips" thrown in to keep the natives happy.
I worked 15 years in various aspects of the hospitality industry. While the positions are always sold as exciting and glamorous, you are generally GROSSLY underpaid whether that is being a concierge, travel agent, a cruise ship employee, a hotel employee, and the like.
Good luck.
My start up costs are minimal and the job offer will or will not come first.
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