Do You Need Disney Experience to Sell Disney Vacations?

Disney military discounts - family with Minnie Mouse

Many Disney fans dream of turning their passion into a career by becoming a Disney travel agent. But a common concern comes up right away: “Can I become a Disney travel agent without experience? Do I need to have visited Walt Disney World, Disneyland, or Disney Cruise Line before I can sell them?”

It’s a fair question. After all, you might assume that in order to book magical vacations for others, you must have firsthand experience. The good news is: when you’re just getting started, you don’t have to be a Disney pro to succeed as a Disney travel agent. Personal experience helps, but it’s not required.

Here are 10 reasons why you can feel confident about becoming a travel agent and selling Disney to your clients, even if you’ve never been yourself.

1. Disney Training Covers the Details

Even if you’ve never set foot in a Disney park, you won’t be left guessing. Disney offers official training through the Disney College of Knowledge. This online program walks you through:

  • The layout of Walt Disney World and Disneyland

  • Resort categories and room types

  • Park ticket options and add-ons

  • Dining and entertainment experiences

  • Disney Cruise Line itineraries and ship features

  • Adventures by Disney guided tours


The courses are designed to give travel agents the insider knowledge they need to confidently help clients. You’ll know what’s available, how it works, and how to match each client to the right experience.

2. Host Agencies Should Fill the Gaps

While Disney training teaches you about the products, it doesn’t show you how to run a travel business. That’s where your host agency comes in.

At Boardwalk Travel Agency, for example, new agents receive:

  • One-on-one mentorship from experienced Disney experts

  • Step-by-step training on how to book vacations

  • Access to our private Facebook group where agents share real-time tips and experiences with each other

  • Marketing guidance to help you find and serve clients

This combination means you don’t need a dozen Disney trips under your belt. You can learn from seasoned agents, get your questions answered, and grow your expertise as you go.

And of course, we’re a little bit biased here, but check out our reasons why we believe Boardwalk is the best host agency for travel agents.

Turn your passion into

a business. your way.

Boardwalk Travel Agency is one of the fastest-growing host agencies in the country.
Join our team today and begin building your travel business on your own terms.


3. Passion Matters More Than Experience

Clients aren’t looking for someone who has every Disney resort memorized. They’re looking for a friendly expert who makes their trip easier.

If you’re excited about helping families plan, eager to learn, and willing to go the extra mile, that enthusiasm will shine through. Many successful agents started with little to no firsthand Disney experience — but their passion and training helped them quickly become trusted advisors.

 

4. How Lack of Experience Can Actually Be an Advantage

Believe it or not, starting without a long history of Disney trips can sometimes be a strength. As someone who wants to learn how to become a Disney travel agent without experience, this means you are not necessarily at a disadvantage.

Here’s why:

  • You’ll ask the same questions your clients ask. This makes you more relatable.

  • You won’t assume knowledge. Instead of skipping details, you’ll carefully explain things because you just learned them too.

  • You’ll build systems and notes from scratch. This often leads to clear, organized processes your clients love.

In short, you may actually understand the beginner’s perspective better than a lifelong Disney superfan!

 

5. Firsthand Experience Is Helpful, But Not Required

Of course, visiting the parks or sailing with Disney Cruise Line does provide valuable insights. You’ll gain a personal feel for things like how big the resorts feel compared to their photos and which rides tend to have the longest waits. You’ll also see what it’s like to navigate transportation options and how dining reservations and Lightning Lane passes work in practice.

These details can make your advice feel extra personal. But again — it’s not a barrier to entry. Many agents sell Disney trips successfully before ever taking their first research visit.

 

6. Learning Through Clients

Another way you’ll grow your knowledge is simply by serving clients. Every booking teaches you something new, such as how to handle special requests like food allergies, which promotions Disney offers at different times of year, and how to adjust plans when families have young children versus teenagers.

Over time, you’ll build a library of real-world experience — even if you started with none.

 

7. Building Credibility Without Personal Trips

If you haven’t visited Disney recently (or at all), you can still build credibility with clients by leaning on:

  • Disney College of Knowledge certification — proof you’ve completed official training.

  • Your host agency’s expertise — many agencies, like Boardwalk, provide talking points, client handouts, and community advice you can share.

  • Ongoing education — webinars, supplier trainings, and industry updates keep your knowledge fresh.

Testimonials from happy clients — once you’ve helped a few families, their reviews become your best marketing tool.

Minnie Mouse hugging a family at dinner

8. How to Talk to Clients if You Haven’t Been Yet

Transparency is key. You don’t need to pretend you’ve been to Disney 20 times. Instead, you can say something like:

“I’ve been through Disney’s official training and I also have access to a network of hundreds of Disney travel experts who share tips daily. That means I can get you the most up-to-date advice, even if Disney makes last-minute changes.”

Most clients will appreciate your honesty — and they’ll care more about the value you bring than whether you’ve personally ridden Space Mountain.

 

9. When to Plan Your First Disney Trip as an Agent

That said, many agents do eventually plan their own Disney research trip. This could be:

  • A visit to Walt Disney World during a slower season

  • A sailing on Disney Cruise Line to experience the product firsthand

  • A short trip to Disneyland to explore the West Coast parks

Not only will you gain experience, but you may also qualify for special industry discounts or agent-only opportunities once you’ve established yourself with a host agency.

 

10. The Boardwalk Advantage

At Boardwalk Travel Agency, we know not every new agent has a stack of Disney trips in their past. That’s why we designed our onboarding to help you succeed from day one — regardless of your personal travel history.

We provide:

  • Access to the Disney College of Knowledge

  • Hands-on mentorship with experienced Disney-focused agents

  • High commission rates so your first bookings feel rewarding

  • A supportive private Facebook group where no question is too small

This ensures you can start confidently, even if your first personal Disney trip is still on the horizon.

 

Final Word – You Can Do This!

So, is it possible to become a Disney travel agent without experience? Yes!

Firsthand experience is helpful, but it’s not required to launch your career. What matters most is your passion, your willingness to learn, and the support system you have through your host agency. With Disney’s training and the backing of a strong agency like Boardwalk, you’ll be fully equipped to help families create magical vacations — even if your own first trip is still in the works.

And who knows? Before long, you may be visiting Disney not just for fun, but also as part of your thriving career.

Join Boardwalk Travel Agency today and we’ll help you get started on your journey to success.

Comments are closed.

WE'RE HOST AGENCY FOR ALL

Wait - want to unlock amazing travel benefits?

You love to travel. Have you ever thought about becoming a travel agent yourself? Boardwalk helps you get started with training, support, and community engagement.

GUIDE TO SUPPLIER RESERVATION NUMBERS

Allianz:  11-digit alpha-numeric (starts with an E)

Away We Go:  INV # (INV-1234)

Expedia TAAP:  14-digit itinerary # (starts with a 7)

Disney Packages (all resorts):  Confirmation #

Disney World and Aulani Room Only bookings:  Travel Plan # (starts with a 7)

Disney World Ticket Only:  12-digit alpha-numeric confirmation #

Disney World VIP tours:  12-digit alpha-numeric SNAP #

Disneyland Room Only bookings:  Confirmation #

Disneyland VIP tours:  Tour ID #

Disneyland Ticket Only:  20-digit confirmation # (starts with DD)

Carnival:  6-digit alpha-numeric booking #

Celebrity:  5-7 numeric digit booking #

Holland America:  6-digit alpha-numeric booking #

Marriott:  8-digit numeric confirmation #

Mears:  Submit separate requests for each *1 and *2 booking numbers (if applicable)

MSC Cruise Line:  8-digit numeric booking #

Norwegian Cruise Line:  8-digit numeric booking #

Princess Cruise Line:  6-digit alpha-numeric booking #

Royal Caribbean:  5-7 numeric digit booking #

Sandals:  8-digit numeric booking #

Scooterbug:  7-digit alpha-numeric, starts with a letter (R-123456)

Universal direct-booking (non-VAX):  9-digit alpha-numeric booking #

Universal (booked via VAX): 8-digit alpha-numeric VAX booking #

VAX:  8-digit alpha-numeric booking #

Viator:  BR # (booking reference)

Viking Cruise Line:  7-digit numeric booking #

Virgin Voyages:  6-digit numeric booking #

Phone/Text: 407-743-5252

Starting in mid-2025, most EU countries will require foreign travelers to apply for ETIAS before traveling to Europe. In the past, most travelers with a valid passport did not require any kind of VISA to travel to EU countries. While this remains true, they will need to apply for ETIAS before traveling. Here’s everything you need to know about this new program and how you can help your clients apply before they travel.

What is ETIAS?

The European Travel Information and Authorization System or ETIAS is a new travel documentation system that the EU is implementing for passport holders of 59 countries including the U.S.A. Most countries in the EU will require travelers to apply for ETIAS before visiting.

How do I apply for ETIAS?

You will apply for ETIAS on their main website. Note that they are currently not requiring travelers to submit applications at this time. Anyone traveling closer to mid 2025 should check their website for updates.

What’s required to apply for ETIAS?

Your clients will need to provide a valid passport (with at least 3 months of validity left and traveling before it expires). They will also need to pay a €7 application fee per person.

What type of travel requires ETIAS?

Your clients will need to apply for ETIAS if they are flying into a country that requires it or plan to step foot in a country that requires it. This includes guided travel, cruises and river cruises. The supplier will provide more information about ETIAS and what is required of the client before or after the booking.

Do my clients have to apply for ETIAS everytime they travel to EU countries?

No. ETIAS is valid for 3 years or until your clients passports expire; whichever comes first. If your clients renew their passport, they will then need to reapply for ETIAS before visiting most EU countries.

How can I apply for ETIAS on behalf of my clients?

As a Travel Professional you can apply for ETIAS on behalf of your clients. You will go through the same application process as anyone except there will be an extra step where both the client(s) and yourself will sign a declaration of representation stating that that all parties understand you are filing on their behalf and will do so correctly.

In some cases it may be easier to have your clients apply themselves with you walking them through the steps of doing so.

When should I apply for ETIAS?

You should apply for ETIAS BEFORE you purchase tickets or make reservations.

Most applications will be processed within minutes and at the latest within 96 hours. However, some applicants may be asked to provide additional information or documentation or to participate in an interview with national authorities, which may take up to additional 30 days.

my disney experience logo

Prepare for Your Walt Disney World Vacation

Take action now to prepare for your upcoming Walt Disney World® vacation! Link your reservation and tickets to stay informed about important next steps and key planning dates, including important Know Before You Go resources.
Follow these simple steps to get started:

Register or Sign In to Start Your DisneyExperience.com

This will take you to the My Disney Experience website. Sign in using your Disney Account or create one. Then, create your Family and Friends list for your travel party. You'll need this to assign Tickets to them and to make Theme Park reservations.

Link your reservation

Once you're signed in to My Disney Experience, enter your Resort Confirmation number provided by your Travel Professional.

Please note: You'll need to verify the names of everyone on this reservation. If you need to make any modifications, we recommend you contact your Travel Professional before you link your reservation.

Link your Walt Disney World Ticket or Pass

To prepare for making Theme Park reservations, each Guest ages 3+ in your travel party must have a valid ticket linked for each day they wish to visit the Disney Parks.

Please note: If you have a room and ticket package for a select Walt Disney World Resort hotel, your tickets will be included when you link your Disney Resort reservation and you can skip Step 3.

Make your Theme Park Reservation in the Disney Park Pass System

Choose the date and Theme Park that you'd like to visit from the available reservations in the Disney Park Pass system via My Disney Experience. Please note that dates and Theme Park selections are limited and subject to availability. Remember, to enter a Walt Disney World Theme Park, each Guest ages 3+ in your travel party must have both a valid ticket for admission and a Theme Park Reservation for the same Park on the same date, for each day they wish to visit.

Review and Confirm Your Plans

Carefully review and confirm your selected park and date. Once confirmed, your reservation will appear in My Plans on the My Disney Experience website.

DOLLYWOOD

Customer Service:

Bookings: Agents must call 1-800-DOLLYWOOD (1-800-365-5996)
Group Bookings: Call 865-428-6789 or email [email protected]
Schedule: Mon-Sat 7:30am - 8:00pm ET, Sun 8:00am - 7:00pm ET

Training Platform:

Booking Platform:

Phone call with reservation center.

Private Location:

N/A

Transfer Booking:

No

Commission Rate:

10%

Travel Insurance:

Use Allianz

Benefits:

FAQs:

- Agents must call in for reservations and use Boardwalk’s CLIA number (00039054).
- No commission on tickets, only on the hotel stay.
- Email invoice to [email protected]
- Submit for commission request on our website after you send in the invoice
- Commission only on DreamMore Resort and Spa, and Heartsong Lodge and Resort (10%)
- Commission paid only on Regular, AAA and AARP rates

List of places with resident sales restrictions (we cannot sell to people living in these places):

  • Cuba
  • North Korea
  • Iran
  • Syria
  • Crimea (region of Ukraine)
  • Russia
  • Belarus
  • Donetsk (region of Ukraine)
  • Luhansk (region of Ukraine)
  • Kherson (region of Ukraine)
  • Zaporizhzhia (region of Ukraine)

Boardwalk Travel agents should always offer travel insurance to each client. It will protect their travel and limit the risk of losing a customer because they were never offered a travel protection plan. Let the client be the one to reject, but every agent should offer it to every client.

7 Reasons to Buy Travel Insurance

Travel insurance isn’t just for expensive vacations. Travel insurance isn’t just for trips overseas. And travel insurance isn’t just for long journeys.

It’s essential to buy travel insurance for every trip, because you never know what might happen when you’re far from home! Every year, 55 million Americans purchase Allianz Travel Insurance to protect them against the most common travel mishaps.

Not sure if you need to insure your trip? Here are the top seven reasons to buy travel insurance.

1. Because you don’t want to lose all your money if you have to cancel your trip.

Even the best-planned trips sometimes have to be canceled. But many travel providers—such as tour operators, cruise lines and airlines—offer minimal or no refunds for last-minute cancellations. If this happens, can you afford to lose all the money you’ve spent on your trip?

One of the best reasons to buy travel insurance is having the protection of trip cancellation benefits. These can reimburse you for prepaid, nonrefundable trip costs when you must cancel for a covered reason. When you get your money back, you can book your vacation for another, brighter day.

What if you need to cancel for a reason that’s not covered? If you think that’s a possibility, consider buying the Cancel Anytime upgrade. Available on our most popular plans, OneTrip Prime and OneTrip Premier, Cancel Anytime can reimburse 80% of your lost non-refundable trip costs if you cancel your trip for almost any unforeseeable reason your plan does not already cover. That way, you can travel with confidence.

2. Because accidents can—and do—happen while traveling.

Healthy travelers often think they don’t need emergency medical insurance. The truth is, no one’s immune from illness and injury. We receive thousands of calls each year from American Allianz Travel Insurance customers who are experiencing a medical crisis during their trip, such as trauma, broken bones, heart attacks, and strokes. When you have travel insurance, you can contact 24-hour assistance for help in an emergency. Our team of experts can get you the help you need and may even be able to arrange payment in advance for covered emergency medical care.

3. Because your health insurance probably won’t work overseas.

If you get seriously sick or hurt in another country, don’t expect your health insurance card to help. “Many foreign medical facilities and providers require cash payment up front and do not accept U.S. insurance plans. Medicare does not provide coverage outside of the United States,” the U.S. Department of State warns.1 When you have travel insurance with emergency medical and dental benefits, it can pay for losses due to covered medical and dental emergencies that occur during your trip.

4. Because medical evacuations can be really expensive.

If you get seriously sick or badly hurt while traveling overseas, and you need to be taken via helicopter to the nearest high-quality hospital, the cost can be enormous. In some parts of the world, a medical evacuation can potentially cost six figures—and that doesn’t even include the expense of getting you home again.

Travel insurance with emergency medical transportation benefits can pay for you to be transported to the nearest appropriate facility if you suffer a covered illness or injury during your trip and our medical assistance team determines that the local medical facilities are unable to provide appropriate treatment. It can also pay for specialized transportation to bring you home, once your condition is stable.

5. Because travel delays are inevitable.

Airlines’ on-time stats rise and fall from year to year, but on average, around 18% of domestic flights are delayed.3 That’s not even counting the flights that are canceled! That’s why you need travel insurance with travel delay benefits, which can reimburse you for additional accommodation, meals or travel expenses and lost prepaid expenses due to a covered departure delay. You’ll be much happier if you have insurance that can reimburse you for your airport lunch or unexpected extra night in the hotel.

Here’s some even better news: You can get paid $100 per insured person, per day for a covered travel or baggage delay if you have SmartBenefits® (included with the OneTrip Prime and OneTrip Premier plans). You don’t need to provide any receipts—just proof of the delay!

6. Because a missing bag can ruin your trip.

In a recent survey, more than half of travelers said an airline had lost their luggage in the past. Just 34% of them ever got their missing bags back, and 72% said they’d lost an irreplaceable item.

When your suitcase goes AWOL, travel insurance can save the day. Baggage delay benefits can reimburse you for the reasonable additional purchase of essential items during your trip if your baggage is delayed or misdirected by a common carrier for 24 hours or more. Baggage loss/damage benefits can reimburse you for the actual price, actual cash value, repair or replacement of your lost/damaged items—whichever is less—based on the limits in your insurance policy’s letter of confirmation. Just remember: The best place for truly irreplaceable items is in your carry-on luggage, or at home.

7. Because sometimes, even expert travelers need a little help. 

One of the best reasons to buy travel insurance is the peace of mind you get from knowing help’s just a phone call away. When you face a crisis while traveling—a medical emergency, a lost passport, a stolen wallet, a natural disaster, etc.—you can always contact 24-hour assistance. Our U.S.-based team of travel experts will do everything in their power to take care of you and help make things right.