DIY VS. HIRING A TRAVEL AGENT
One of the most important questions when planning a Disney vacation is whether to hire a travel agent or book the package yourself.
There is easy answer to this (unless you ask a travel agent) so here are a few important things to consider to help you decide what is best for you.
Planning it Yourself
There are few benefits and drawbacks to planning a Disney vacation yourself.
Planning it yourself gives you the ultimate in flexibility. You can add and remove things from your vacation and make payments according to the terms they set for you, which are usually more flexible than a travel agent. When you do all of the planning yourself, it also forces you to spend more time researching elements of your vacation which will make you substantially more knowledgeable once you arrive. You will need to check Youtube, online groups, websites, and other sources of information so that you make the best choices for your precious time at the resort.
The drawbacks to planning the vacation yourself is that it will cost you more money (either missed discounts and in long-distance calls to the Walt Disney Travel Company) and take more time to plan than hiring a travel agent that specializes in Disney vacations.
Hiring a Travel Agent
Hiring a travel agent who specializes (this means not any travel agent but one who knows Disney and books vacations mainly for Disney) in Disney vacations can help reduce some of the planning you will need to do (you will still need to do some things yourself).
Specialists in Disney vacations will know what special offers are available on rooms and ticket packages and will crunch the numbers for you to get you the best deal. A good travel agent that specializes in Disney vacations can also help guide you on making the most of your vacation and will tell you when your expectations are not realistic.
That said, there are limitations to a travel agent. They will not book your dining reservations, nor will they be able to order your MagicBands, or plan your Genie purchase daily and schedule your Lightning Lane spots. These are types of arrangements that you'll need to do yourself.
Hiring a travel agent does not mean you get to leave everything to them to plan for you, and you will still need to do some research on your own to make the most of your vacation.