If you’re asking yourself, how do I become an authorized Disney Vacation planner, you’ve come to the right place. As a Disney Vacation planner myself, I’ll walk you through exactly how to become one yourself.
What is a Disney Vacation Planner?
A Disney Vacation Planner is a travel agent with a deep understanding and love of Disney. They know the ins and outs of all the various parts of Disney and can help you get the most out of your vacation. They are trained through the College of Disney Knowledge, which is an online training course.
Through their training, they are able to develop expertise in Disney travel destinations. Once hired, they take care of all the planning for you. They work with you to customize your vacation to fit your needs and make it as magical as possible.
Disney Vacation Planners can help find the best savings and be aware of any promotions a guest may be eligible for. They can plan your dining, learn your way around Genie+, and book hotel reservations. This is just to name a few!
In addition, they will contact Disney on your behalf if there are any changes that need to be made. The best part of using a Disney Vacation Planner is it costs nothing to the guest!
Why Become A Disney Vacation Planner?
If you are not only asking yourself, “How do I become an authorized Disney Vacation Planner,” but why you should become one, then keep on reading.
If you find yourself going on Disney vacations over and over because you love the magical feeling Disney gives you, this could be the job for you.
Plus, there are perks to being a Disney Vacation Planner, like discounts to their hotels and theme parks.
Above all, if you have an undying love for Disney and want to share that passion with others, this is the perfect opportunity to do so.
Keep in mind that you do need flexibility in your schedule. A lot of scheduling is done on nights and weekends.
How to Become a Disney Vacation Planner
Becoming an authorized Disney vacation planner, like most other jobs, requires a company. This is where travel agencies come in.
The first step is finding an agency that you know, trust, and that is willing to hire you. Sounds like just about any other job, right?
If you know any travel agents, that’s a good place to start. Talk to them about your interest, they might be able to get you the information you need at an agency. You can start with me by sending me an email.
As a travel agent myself, I have the capability of referring people I feel would be a good fit for my agency.
Once you are “hired,” though you are an independent contractor, you will start the process of becoming an authorized Disney vacation planner.
There are quite a few steps like hundreds of hours of training from any destination you wish to able to work on. This includes Disney World, Disneyland, and Disney Cruise Line.
There’s also standard HR work and internal agency training.
Benefits of Being a Disney Vacation Planner
A major benefit to becoming a Disney Vacation Planner is any vacation you go on is tax-deductible because it’s considered a research expense.
In addition, Disney Vacation Planners have the inside knowledge of upcoming promotions. Disney Vacation Planners are sometimes invited to special events, like the grand opening of new parts of the parks.
I’ll go further into the discounts in a moment, but you’ll love the deals you can get on your favorite theme parks and hotels. It definitely makes up for all the time and effort you put into the job.
How much do Disney Vacation Planners make?
Disney Vacation Planners don’t work off a salary or hourly wage. Instead, the cost and number of trips you book determine your pay.
Your commission will be split with the travel agency you are working alongside. The highest percentage you can potentially make is 80%. Avoid any agency that pays you 50% or less.
To break it down a little further, consider this. If you book one trip a month, you’ll make about 200-300 dollars. That’s based on a family spending around $2,500-$3,500 on their Disney vacation.
Booking Disney Cruise Lines will pay more since it is a more expensive trip.
Do Disney Vacation Planners get discounts?
Yes! The discounts that go along with being a Disney Vacation Planner are pretty awesome.
Some of the major discounts you get as a Disney Vacation Planner once you have completed your training are:
- Roughly 50% off a Walt Disney World Resort Stay
- Roughly 50% off a Disneyland Resort Hotel
- One free 1-day Disneyland Park Hopper ticket
- One free 1-day Walt Disney World Park Hopper ticket
- Roughly 30-40% off a stay at Aulani (the Hawaiian resort)
- Roughly 50% off a Disney Cruise Line Trip
Now what?
At this point, you may know how to become an authorized Disney Vacation planner, but what should your first step be?
As mentioned, you want to find a reputable travel agency to work alongside so you can begin the proper training. Start searching for “the best Disney travel agents to work for.” It will help pinpoint if there are any existing ones in your area. Since the majority of the work is on the phone and online, the travel agency doesn’t necessarily have to be local.
A successful Vacation Disney Planner is detail-oriented, organized, and has great communication skills. You want to make sure you can communicate clearly with your client and everyone at Disney you book with.
You are planning someone’s magical vacation. While it might be their first time or their 10th time, you want to make sure everything is thoroughly planned out for them. You don’t ever want to have to call a client and tell them you messed up. Being organized is so crucial.
Finally, social media is huge for Disney Vacation planners, so make sure you start having a presence on sites like Instagram and Facebook. You can really get your name out there quickly and build a following using social media.
