"Consultant" not "Agent"...?

[ChasingLeslie]

I'm not sure if this is the right place for this question, but...I see frequent posts from Disney lovers who are curious about becoming Disney travel agents. It seems you have to join an agency and they take 40-60% of the commission for using their name/resources.

Has anyone tried becoming more of a "consultant"...? Maybe charge a flat fee and sit down (or phone conference) with families for X amount of time and help them with custom touring plans and FPs? I hear so many stories of families that go to Disney and don't know how to plan...then they get mad about the lines or don't feel like they've gotten the most out of their time/money. I live near some affluent communities and I think this is something people might pay for if they heard about it (people who spend big Disney bucks but don't bother to do any research).

Has anyone tried something like this before...?

 

[Pooh2]

Interesting idea!

 

[gottalovepluto]

Collect that fee up front. Once you've told them "how-to" they won't need you anymore...

 

[wilkeliza]

Isn't that what Touring Plans and Kenny the Pirate do? If you can get enough following and insurance to prevent the ultimate unhappy customer who sues for false advertisement or goods that did not deliver then give it a go.

Most travel agents hang their hat with a bigger company because you have to have a crazy amount of insurance on your self to make sure if someone's vacation goes wrong you are protected.

 

[Nayan]

Isn't that what Touring Plans and Kenny the Pirate do? If you can get enough following and insurance to prevent the ultimate unhappy customer who sues for false advertisement or goods that did not deliver then give it a go.

Most real estate agents hang their hat with a bigger company because you have to have a crazy amount of insurance on your self to make sure if someone's vacation goes wrong you are protected.

I was going to say the same thing. Sounds good in theory, but in practice no way.

 

[wilkeliza]

I was going to say the same thing. Sounds good in theory, but in practice no way.

I almost swapped to becoming a TA but based on the Dreams podcast and my friend's mother I just don't think I could do it. Seems that people will blame things that were 100% outside their TAs control on them. So if they get to florida and it rains all week it is the TAs fault. Disney puts them in a different room then what they requested TAs fault. Family can only pay 1,000 for their 5 day stay so they get non-park hoppers and a value resort (is that even possible these days haha) and it is the TAs fault when they aren't happy with the hotel or the lack of park hopper and on and on and on. Friend said it was great to travel a lot as a kid but her mom was working from sun up to sun down and then if there was bad weather or someone having a crappy vacation she had to work through the night.

 

[StitchesGr8Fan]

The problem I see with it is people paying for the service. When they use a TA, it doesn't cost them any extra because Disney pays the TA. A lot of TA's provide the same consultation services, so why should someone pay you when they can get it for free?

 

[gottalovepluto]

I almost swapped to becoming a TA but based on the Dreams podcast and my friend's mother I just don't think I could do it. Seems that people will blame things that were 100% outside their TAs control on them. So if they get to florida and it rains all week it is the TAs fault. Disney puts them in a different room then what they requested TAs fault. Family can only pay 1,000 for their 5 day stay so they get non-park hoppers and a value resort (is that even possible these days haha) and it is the TAs fault when they aren't happy with the hotel or the lack of park hopper and on and on and on. Friend said it was great to travel a lot as a kid but her mom was working from sun up to sun down and then if there was bad weather or someone having a crappy vacation she had to work through the night.

My earlier business analysis aside.... I have experience in the travel industry (Not currently and no plans to ever return so this is not an ad) and the above is SO true. There are some people who make long, hard working careers out of TA but there is no better way to zap the "magic" out of something than to see the dark side of it. Anybody can become a nightmare when money becomes involved, your close friend, your church buddy, the smiling neighbor next door- people just get nasty and demanding and have ridiculous expectations. And I suspect that's double with Disney- because of the high prices everyone feels entitled to more. When people come demanding their money back because your advise didn't work out to a T due to something 100% out of your control it could ruin you emotionally and financially. I would be so scared to start a "travel advisory" business due to possible liability- and if your clients have the money to pay for a travel advisor they certainly have the money to sue said travel advisor.

Just make sure you have the liability part of your business covered before you start up! And be aware that advising people on Disney trips might zap some of the Disney magic for you if they start complaining bitterly/demanding refunds- I know that sounds a bit silly but Disney is an emotional topic to many of us here and to have something that special spoiled can be hard.

 

[ChasingLeslie]

I appreciate the feedback.

@gottalovepluto - I wasn't thinking in terms of business and liability, just a side project to make some money doing something I love. (Sort of like offering tutoring, but for Disney instead of a school subject).

 

[Dashzap]

I'm not sure if this is the right place for this question, but...I see frequent posts from Disney lovers who are curious about becoming Disney travel agents. It seems you have to join an agency and they take 40-60% of the commission for using their name/resources.

Has anyone tried becoming more of a "consultant"...? Maybe charge a flat fee and sit down (or phone conference) with families for X amount of time and help them with custom touring plans and FPs? I hear so many stories of families that go to Disney and don't know how to plan...then they get mad about the lines or don't feel like they've gotten the most out of their time/money. I live near some affluent communities and I think this is something people might pay for if they heard about it (people who spend big Disney bucks but don't bother to do any research).

Has anyone tried something like this before...?

I've noticed someone offering a class through the town park district on planning a wdw trip. Charge a fee and teach a class.