You’re planning a family Walt Disney World trip and you’re all excited you made the decision to go. (You really should be, btw.) Then sinks reality when it is time to book flights, hotels, and get tickets. It quickly goes even more downhill when you then realize, that was maybe the easiest part. You then have to decide, number of days to visit, meal plans or where to eat, what parks to visit (there are 4 BTW, yep 4 theme parks 2 water parks), which fast passes to get, and so on. It starts getting really overwhelming quickly.
What is an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner?
Not to get too dramatic, but seriously, you are busy, so the last thing you need is to do hours of research. In comes your Disney Superhero. (that’s what I call them) It’s your Authorized Disney Vacation Planner. If you read nothing else in this post, get this…you should strongly consider getting help instead of doing it on your own. (But I still hope you read more. It’s good info)
Read my post on 5 Things I Wish I Knew Before Planning a Walt Disney World Trip
NOTE: This is my opinion and my experience. This is not a paid endorsement.
I Need Help – Fine, I Admit It!
I hit my S.O.S. moment the minute I tried to book hotels. I texted my Disney-addict aunt/BFF and asked her questions. She mentioned she follows a Disney Vacation Planner on Facebook and said always posts cool stuff to her Facebook page. Great, I say, and I quickly call them up. Literally no research on WHO she is. I’m in desperate mode.
Within minutes, I get a Facebook Message back saying she can help. Because she knows what I have JUST realized, she gently guides me through a series of questions to find out who we are, what kind of vacation we are planning to take and some other basic questions. It was simple. The anxiety level decreasing. I was hopeful. She was also SO NICE and so patient with this crazy, busy working mom of a toddler.
Next she tells me how it works and all I hear is that it’s NO CHARGE TO ME for her service. I’m stunned. I do some basic fact checking before working with her and can now confirm after the trip, it’s true. I paid ZERO dollars to her or her travel company. They get paid by Disney as a referral fee but they don’t technically work for Disney. They are independent contractors. They may have to complete courses from the Disney’s College of Knowledge and learn how it all works. At the end of the day, just know it benefits Disney to have a group of passionate and authorized agents to support guests and bring them to the resorts. It’s a win-win from all angles.
Planning a Trip to Walt Disney World with my Disney Vacation Planner
- Find an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner (and contact them)
- Share your ideal Disney vacation with them. What are your must haves and must nots? I should really say, be open and honest here.
- Let them guide you through the process. Share any concerns you have.
- List of decisions to make:
- Number of days to spend at the resort
- Which theme parks to visit
- What hotel to stay at (in the resort or outside)
- How to travel between parks (bus, ride share, etc)
- Meal plan vs winging it
- Booking FastPasses in advance
- Attractions to see and events (think firework shows, special events, etc)
- Magic Mornings or Evenings added services required (for us, it was a stroller)
- Color of the magic band
- PhotoPass photography options vs Memory Maker unlimited photo download benefits
- There was probably more, but mom brain. Just ask me.
- Let her book the trip for you
- Sit back and relax, you did it! You just planned a Magical vacation for your family. Now look who is the Superhero of the family…YOU!
In Closing, Here’s the Gist.
You can piece mail it yourself but why? To save a few bucks, which in many cases you can’t. In my opinion, I truly think this whole Disney Vacation Planner idea is genius because Disney wants you to have an amazing trip that you talk about with your friends and family. They want it to be a positive experience. If you go planning it yourself and you are super frustrated before you even get there, it’s not a win for you or Disney.
Save yourself the headache, the time, the trouble and use a Disney Vacation Planner. Let them walk you through ALL the options. Ask all your questions – even the ones you’re embarrassed to ask (Trust me. I’ve asked them and so glad I did). That is exactly what they are there for.
A Little Plug for my Girl, Mattie
Meet Mattie. She is in Colorado. I’m in California. Somehow it was meant to be that I met her. She didn’t pay me to write this post and in fact, she knew nothing of it until after I wrote it and asked if I can use her name. I’m writing from a place of complete gratitude for what she did for our family.
She was lovely. I don’t know her personally, so I took a leap of faith and had a really good experience. She planned all aspect of our trips except flights. She gave us great advice, like renting a stroller from a third-party, non-Disney company vs renting one at the resort (oh btw, the Disney ones are crap – weird, right?) We even had a little snafu with the stroller delivery and while we were at the park, she handled the vendor like a boss and made sure our stroller was found. Her advice was impeccable. Call her if you need help planning your vacation or to get a quote. There are always promotions going on so she can share the latest and greatest news straight from Disney Resorts.
BONUS: She even delivered to our room a collapsible cooler with a bunch of snacks and Disney branded goodies. It was so cool and so very unexpected. I felt special. Not sure if she does it for all clients but that was a very nice touch.
Facebook Page: Mattie from Treadway Travel (How I connected with Mattie)
Personality: Upbeat, personable, relatable, patient, and a Disney addict but keeps her recommendations real and reasonable
Best travel planning traits: She responds to messages, available during your trip for any questions, great troubleshooting when things don’t go right, and she knows her Disney stuff
Would I recommend her: YES, YES, YES!
Who is Treadway Travel? It’s a travel agency but had little interaction with them. It was all Mattie.
Website: Treadway Travel
Does Mattie only book Disney World trips? No. They can do all resorts and other destinations
How much does a Disney Vacation Planner charge for their services? Zero dollars. Can’t beat that, right?
Let Me Help You With That
Still have lingering questions. I’m happy to share my insights and experiences. Comment below, email me, message me on Facebook, DM me on Instagram, or anywhere else you find me. I’m here for you, as that friend who can help. Thanks for reading this. You are my favorite reader now. HA!
