There’s something so special about a Disney vacation. You don’t even have to be a certified Disney enthusiast to appreciate the magic of it all, from the rides to the characters to the impeccable way the parks and resorts are maintained. However, there is one thing that not everyone looks forward to: the price. Luckily, there are some little-known ways to secure Disney travel agent discounts for yourself, friends and family, and others!
Becoming a Disney travel agent provides access to all kinds of perks and discounts, and Boardwalk Travel Agency makes it easier than ever to become one of these agents. Here is your ultimate guide to Disney travel agent discounts.
What Is a Disney Travel Agent?
A Disney travel agent is someone who books Disney vacations for their clients. (Read our article about how to become a Disney travel agent without experience if you want to learn more.) Sometimes, these vacations may only include theme parks and off-site hotels and accommodations. In other cases, clients may want the full Disney experience of staying at a resort and visiting parks during their trip.
As a Disney travel agent, you get to book with Disney directly, meaning you also get access to special offers, discounts, and perks. While you don’t have to be exclusive to Disney, there is often enough demand to make sufficient income solely from these types of vacations. (For example, you can also become a Universal Studios travel agent through Boardwalk.)
Broadly speaking, a Disney travel agent will book and plan their client’s itinerary from start to finish. Agents can handle everything from plane tickets to resort stays to theme park passes. The more work you put into the trip, the better customer satisfaction you get (meaning more recommendations and repeat business). Also, you can earn more money by recommending upgrades and add-ons that the client may not know about otherwise.
Top Disney Travel Agent Discounts
If you love the idea of helping families book their dream Disney vacation, you may already be eager to sign up as a travel agent. However, there are some other tangible benefits of taking on this job. Here’s a breakdown of the types of discounts you can expect when working for Disney as a travel agent.
Reduced or Free Resort Stays
Disney is unlike most other resort brands in that demand is always high, meaning occupancy rates are almost always near or at capacity. However, there is a difference between peak and slow seasons, so some resorts may have fewer guests, depending on various factors (i.e., the time of year).
Because of these fluctuations, Disney will often offer discounts for various resorts or vacation packages. These discounts are often 10 to 20 percent off the standard purchase price. Considering that most rooms go for several hundred dollars, 20 percent off can yield some pretty significant savings.
There may also be times when free resort stays are offered for travel agents and their immediate families. Typically, these are awarded for your work rather than to fill rooms. So, if you stay busy and book many vacations throughout the year, you may be able to get a free resort stay on top of your commissions.
Reduced or Free Theme Park Passes
If you’re in the United States, you know that Disney has two main theme parks: Disneyland and Walt Disney World (which actually has four distinct parks). However, there are other parks around the world, including Tokyo Disney, Euro Disney, and Shanghai Disney.
Discounted park passes generally take effect during the off-season or as a reward for booking a certain type of vacation. For example, if someone books a three-week stay at a Disney resort, they may get a discounted price for park passes.
Also, as a Disney travel agent, you may get free park passes as a reward for your work. Or, if you live close to a Disney theme park, you may be able to get discounted rates so you can provide more firsthand knowledge of the park for your guests.
Reduced or Free Cruises
In addition to resorts and theme parks, Disney also offers a wide variety of all-inclusive cruises around the world. Some of these cruises are themed (i.e., Marvel Superheroes), or they may just include Disney characters and Disney-themed activities.
Because cruises have more of an off-season than theme parks, Disney sometimes offers discounted rates to entice guests to book a vacation. They may also offer discounts for longer cruises or if the guest pays for the cruise upfront rather than in installments.
Again, as a travel agent, you may get access to discounted rates before anyone else, or you might be rewarded with a free cruise trip if you book a lot of vacations.
Discounts on Alternative Disney Resort Properties
Overall, Disney has 25 resort properties, all connected to one of 12 different theme parks. However, Disney also has a few properties that exist outside of their “resort zones.” These properties include:
- Aulani – Oahu, Hawaii
- Vero Beach Resort – Vero Beach, Florida
- Hilton Head Island Resort – Hilton Head, South Carolina
Although these resorts don’t have theme parks or attractions, they’re still popular with guests who want a Disney experience without all the bells and whistles.
As with any other Disney resort, you can access discounts and free stays as a travel agent. Many of these discounts will occur during the off-season, but there can sometimes be incentives for guests to travel at specific times of the year (i.e., around the holidays).
Other Perks of Being a Disney Travel Agent
Saving money on Disney vacations is a huge advantage of being a travel agent, but it’s not the only reason you should start this illustrious career path. There are a few other perks and benefits of becoming an agent, such as:
Make Commissions From Yourself, Your Friends, and Your Family
Contrary to what many people believe, travel agents don’t get paid directly from clients. Instead, they make money via commissions, meaning their earnings come from the vacation company (i.e., Disney). Because of how this system is set up, that means you could make commissions on your own vacations, as well as those for your friends and family.
This way, even if you don’t use a discount for your vacation, you’re still getting some money back. Also, if your friends or family are already planning on taking a Disney vacation, they’ll likely be more willing to help you get a commission since it doesn’t cost them anything extra to do so.
Work on Your Own Schedule
Sometimes, becoming a travel agent means working for an agency directly. In this case, you have a standard workload, and you’re expected to work a certain number of hours per week. You may also have to work in an office.
As a freelance Disney travel agent, though, you can work on your own schedule from anywhere. Once you start making good money from commissions, you could travel while you work. In fact, you may be able to help clients book their dream Disney vacation while visiting a theme park.
The other benefit of setting your hours is that you can start being a Disney travel agent as a side hustle. Then, once you build a roster of clients and referrals, you can switch to becoming a full-time travel agent, unbound by a 9-5 workday or minimal salary range. There is no limit to how much you can make as a travel agent, so you can work as much or as little as you like.
Be a Part of the Disney Experience
As we mentioned, there’s something magical and special about a Disney vacation. When you work as a travel agent, you get to live vicariously through your clients. The more you know about the parks and resorts, the easier it is to help them prepare for their trip, as well as recommend upgrades to boost your commission.
For many travel agents, booking Disney vacations is a dream come true because they get to live the Disney life both personally and professionally. So, if you’re already an enthusiast, you can capitalize on your passion and make money from it.
How to Become a Disney Travel Agent Through Boardwalk Travel
Thankfully, Boardwalk Travel Agency makes it easier than ever to become a Disney travel agent. All you have to do is follow these steps:
- Create an Account – You can become a Boardwalk travel agent today for just $99 and it only takes a few minutes.
- Pay the Membership Fee – This is a one-time fee, no recurring annual fees or dues. The fee provides access to Disney booking sites, as well as onboarding, training, and ongoing support.
- Start Booking Trips – Once you’ve signed up with Boardwalk Travel, you can book trips almost immediately. In fact, one of the best times to become a travel agent is when you already have a client willing to book their vacation with you.
While this exact process is super simple, there are a few other things you’ll need to be a successful Disney travel agent with Boardwalk.
- Excellent Customer Service – Your job is to help clients book their dream vacation. Sometimes, this may just mean handling the logistics of their trip since they already know what they want. In other cases, you may have to guide someone through the different options, so they know what’s available and what to expect. Either way, you want to be as friendly and accommodating as possible.
- Work-From-Home Setup – Working from home is not for everyone, particularly if you don’t have the right setup or equipment. For example, you’ll need high-speed internet, a phone headset (so you can use your hands), a comfortable chair, and a desk. While you can book trips without these things, it’ll be much harder.
- Attention to Detail – Managing so many travel details can be overwhelming, which is a big reason why so many people use travel agents in the first place. Not only do you have to juggle everything for an individual client, but when you’re working for multiple clients, it’s easy to get details mixed up or lost. We recommend practicing with a few clients before expanding your business.
- Marketing and Referral Skills – One of the best ways to ensure you get consistent work is to encourage clients to recommend you to others. You can also rely on other marketing channels, such as social media or SEO (if you have a website). While you don’t have to be a digital marketing guru, it helps to know the basics.
Why Boardwalk Travel?
For many people, the idea of becoming a Disney travel agent means working for Disney directly. However, there are some compelling reasons why it makes sense to sign up with Boardwalk Travel Agency instead.
- Higher Commission Rates – On average, agents make around 10 to 15 percent of each vacation package sold. While this commission rate is okay for Disney, it also means you have to book many clients to do this job full-time. Boardwalk doesn’t have as much overhead as other agencies, so that means you keep more of your earnings. In most cases, you can get up to 70 percent commissions. So, you can make more with fewer clients.
- One-Time Sign-Up Fee – Other agencies charge a monthly or annual fee to access their booking software and services. Boardwalk Travel Agency only charges a single membership fee. No matter how long you work as a travel agent, you don’t have to pay anything extra to maintain your agent status. This means there’s less pressure to close deals immediately, and you can work at your own pace.
- Lifetime Support and Access – Not only do you have to pay one fee one time, but you also get access to training and support forever. There’s a bit of a learning curve to becoming a Disney travel agent, so it helps to consult with experienced agents when you run into a challenge.
Start Your Career as a Disney Travel Agent With Boardwalk Travel Agency!
Are you ready to see how becoming a travel agent can change your life? Sign up with Boardwalk Travel today and start making dreams come true for yourself, your friends and family, and your clients! Happy booking!
