Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
used these folks for huge New Year's Eve events and last-minute trips, and they're
tops. Plus they accept major credit cards.
When you deal directly with the selling DVC member, you pay him or her dir-
ectly, such as by certified check (few members take credit cards). The DVC member
makes a reservation in your name and pays Disney the requisite number of points. Ar-
rangements vary, but the going rate seems to be around $12 per point. Usually your
reservation is documented by a confirmation sent from Disney to the owner and then
passed along to you. Though the deal you cut is strictly up to you and the owner,
you should always insist on receiving the aforementioned confirmation before mak-
ing more than a one-night deposit.
We suggest checking online at one of the various Disney discussion boards if
you're not picky about where you stay and when you go and you're willing to put in
theefforttoaskaround.Ifyou'retryingtobookaparticular resort,especially duringa
busy time of year, there's something to be said for the low-hassle approach of a points
broker.
7. TRAVEL AGENTS We believe a good travel agent is the best friend a traveler can
have. And though we at the Unofficial Guide know a thing or two about the travel
industry, we always give our agent a chance to beat any deal we find. If she can't beat
it, we let her book it anyway if she can get commission from it. We nurture a relation-
ship that gives her plenty of incentive to roll up her sleeves and work on our behalf.
As you might expect, there are travel agents and agencies that specialize, some-
times exclusively, in selling Walt Disney World. These Disney specialists are so good
we use them ourselves. The needs of our research team are many, and our schedules
are complicated. When we work with an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner, we
knowwe'redealingwithsomeonewhoknowsDisneyinsideandout,includingwhere
to find the deals and how to use all tricks of the trade that keep our research budget
under control. Simply stated, they save us time and money, sometimes lots of both.
Each year we ask our readers to rate the travel agent who helped plan their
Disney trip. We received more than 3,800 responses this year. The best of the
best include Sue Pisaturo of Small World Vacations , whom we've used many
times and who contributes to this guide ( sue@smallworldvacations.com ); Michelle
Cunningham ( michelle@mei-travel.com ) and Stephanie Hudson
( stephanie@mousefantravel.com ) , both on their third appearance in this guide
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