66 DAYS TO GO . . .

     WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 16, 2011

     TO USE DISNEY TRAVEL, A TRAVEL AGENT, AAA, OR DO IT YOURSELF?  THERE ARE ADVANTAGES TO BOOKING YOUR TRIP THROUGH ALMOST ANY AGENT YOU FIND.  I GUESS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING FOR YOU IS GOING TO BE FIGURING OUT WHAT THE MOST IMPORTANT THING FOR YOU IS?  lol  ARE YOU TRYING TO SAVE AS MUCH MONEY AS POSSIBLE?  ARE YOU TRYING TO DO AS LITTLE OF THE WORK AS POSSIBLE?  ARE YOU TRYING TO GET THE BIGGEST ON-BOARD CREDIT POSSIBLE?  ARE YOU TRYING TO MAKE ONE CALL AND BE DONE WITH EVERYTHING?  ALL OF THESE ARE POSSIBLE.  IT'S WHAT YOUR PREFERENCE IS THAT MATTERS.
     EXPERIENCE SAYS THAT BOOKING EVERYTHING WITH DISNEY WILL COST YOU THE MOST MONEY.  BUT YOU CAN CALL DISNEY AND THEY CAN DO ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING FOR YOU.  THEY'LL HELP YOU PICK YOUR DATES AND THEN ARRANGE YOUR FLIGHTS HANDLE ALL YOUR LUGGAGE, GET YOU FROM THE AIRPORT TO THE SHIP, AND EVEN A DISNEY HOTEL AND TRANSFER IF YOU FLY IN EARLY, AND ALL THE SAME ON THE RETURN AND EVEN MORE BEFORE, DURING AND AFTER IF YOU PREFER.  SOUNDS GOOD RIGHT?  WELL THAT'S WHY IT COSTS THE MOST.  NO WORK.  NO WORRIES.  THE PRICE IS A DRAWBACK IF IT MATTERS.  SO COULD BE THE FLIGHT.  YOU DON'T GET TO CHOOSE.  THEY DO.  SO WHEN PART IS OUT OF YOUR HANDS.  SO GETTING THERE EARLY OR LEAVING LATE, WHATEVER, MAY NOT BE AN OPTION IF THIS IS WHAT YOU CHOOSE.
     AAA FUNCTIONS LIKE A TRAVEL AGENT, AND IS ONE, IN MOST INSTANCES.  YOU'LL WANT A DISNEY "SPECIALIST", BUT THEY OFTEN HAVE ALL THE INFORMATION AND ACCESS YOU COULD WANT.  THERE IS USUALLY AN ON-BOARD CREDIT INVOLVED WITH USING AAA AND SOME SORT OF GIFT ON YOUR CRUISE FROM AAA FOR USING THEM.  IT'S NEVER ANYTHING EXTRAVAGANT, BUT A GIFT OF SOME SORT JUST THE SAME.  AAA IS PAID VIA MEMBERSHIP.  YOU CAN'T AAA TRAVEL IF YOU'RE NOT A MEMBER.
     TRAVEL AGENTS ARE OFTEN WILLING TO DO MORE WORK AND GO THE EXTRA MILE BECAUSE THEY DON'T GET PAID IF YOU DON'T BOOK WITH THEM.  THIS IS WHY YOU CAN OFTEN FIND THE BEST ON-BOARD CREDITS WITH VARIOUS TRAVEL AGENTS.  THE MORE YOU SPEND OFTEN THE BIGGER THE ON-BOARD CREDIT, WHICH CAN BE NICE.  THEY'LL WORK TO FIND YOU FLIGHTS AND COMPARE CAR RENTALS OR TRANSFERS, WORK ON ROOM ASSIGNMENTS.  THEY'LL OFTEN DO A LOT OF WORK FOR YOU IF YOU'RE WILLING TO COMMIT.  THE PROBLEM FOR ME WAS, I DO THE RESEARCH.  AND NOW, INCLUDING THIS DISNEY CRUISE, THIS WILL BE THREE DISNEY TRIPS WHERE BY DOING ALL THE RESEARCH MYSELF, I FOUND THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD OFFER ME THAT I COULDN'T GET MYSELF, AND I HAVE.  I DID GIVE UP A BIGGER ON-BOARD CREDIT, BUT I GOT TO HAND PICK OUR STATEROOM, WHICH ONE WEBSITE HAS RATED ONE OF THE BEST ON THE ENTIRE SHIP FOR KIDS FOR THE PRICE AND LOCATION, BECAUSE I WAS ABLE TO CHANGE IT.  I COULDN'T HAVE DONE THAT IF I WAS ALREADY BOOKED WITH A TRAVEL AGENT.  AT LEAST NOT AS QUICKLY AND EASILY.
     DOING IT YOURSELF, A LA CARTE, WILL DEFINITELY SAVE YOU THE MOST.  BUT YOU HAVE TO BE PATIENT, AND YOU HAVE TO RESEARCH AND COMPARE EVERYTHING MORE THAN ONCE.  TAKE AIRFARE.  I'VE BEEN LOOKING AT FLIGHTS FOR MONTHS.  FOR TWO PEOPLE ROUND TRIP IT'S BEEN AROUND $500.  THE LOWEST IT'S BEEN HAS BEEN ABOUT $425.  NEVER HIGHER THAN THAT THOUGH, SO I HAVE NOTHING TO LOSE BY WAITING, BECAUSE I ALREADY KNOW HOW FAR OUT SPECIALS ARE USUALLY POSTED AND FOR WHAT PERIOD OF TIME, JUST BY FREQUENTLY LOOKING. 
     SO PICK WHAT WORKS BEST FOR YOU AND ENJOY THE RIDE! 
     SEE YA REAL SOON!   ºOº