While going to Disney is supposed to be magical, sometimes the combination of expenses, timing, and the overabundance of options can lead to a lot of anxiety. You can spend tons of time googling ideas or asking for opinions and tips on social media, but this, too, can make it hard to sort out the noise. The good news is that there is an abundance of Disney Vacation Planners out there ready to help you have an amazing trip, take care of all the planning for you, and make an experience tailored for you and your family. I’ll note here that most planning services are free of charge because Disney has travel agent fees built into their costs. You’ll pay the same price to Disney either way.

I’m not an agent or affiliated with an agency (or Disney for that matter), but I sat down with Casey Petter, one of the amazing Authorized Disney vacation planners at Smart Moms Travel and interviewed her about the process and benefits of working with a Disney travel agent.

Second Dad to the Right: Tell us a little about yourself?

Casey: I’m Casey Petter. I have a blended family with 4 kids that love Disney. I started getting really serious about Disney a few years ago and bought LJ’s [owner of Smart Moms] book, Disney World Within Reach, and began to interact on her Facebook groups. I became a moderator, and when she launched the travel agency in September of 2019, I was one of the first agents on board. Now I’m a full-time Disney vacation planner, and even though we live in Michigan, we’re passholders at Disney World and frequently visit Disneyland as well (especially in the summer because the humidity is not as bad in California). We take a variety of trips—as a whole family, with just our friends, agency trips, and one-on-one trips with my children. The rest of the time, I’m helping clients book amazing trips.

(Second Dad to the Right was not aware of the lack of humidity in California and began looking up plane flights for June and July immediately following the interview)

What’s your hope for your clients?

My hope, and the goal of our entire agency, is that our clients have a great time and have much less to worry about. We act as a resource to handle all the tedium of booking and help narrow down the overwhelming number of choices they have at Disney. Then, after booking, we send tons of resources to help them prepare—everything from maps to packing. Finally, when they get there, we’re still available to troubleshoot issues and answer any questions they have. The ultimate goal is that they want to go back and just thoroughly enjoy their time.

What’s the first step when booking with you?

The first step when someone wants to work with us is that they fill out a form giving us as much information as they can: from the size of their party to possible dates, location, and ballpark budget. Then we begin to get to know the party. We want to know the family or group dynamics, ages of the kids, what everyone enjoys, and any other details that will help us plan a perfect vacation tailored just for them. After that, we narrow down a resort and the number of park days and get booked.

That begins a process of info emails. We give them tips for packing, prep, dining, virtual queues, Genie+, a height chart, and even a suggestion of movies to watch to get excited. The agent also shares her personal recommendations. Two weeks prior to their dining booking window [60 days before travel] we send them emails about dining. That way, as soon as the window opens, they are ready to book their dining options, or more often, we book the dining for them. Letting us book dining is often more stress-relieving than the original booking process because we do this every day. We know how to grab the best reservations and the best order to look for them.

How do you help the clients with troubleshooting?

Most of the problems that arise come from glitches in the My Disney Experience app. We fix those or get on the phone with Disney to take care of it. We also get on the phone with Disney to troubleshoot just about anything, which sometimes means being on hold for hours on end on behalf of our clients.

What else do you offer?

As licensed travel agents, we can book anything. We book everything Disney, off-site Disney hotels, hotels for cruise departures, and we have a huge Universal Studios team as well. We also book transportation from the airports for our clients if they need it. We also can book all cruise lines, all inclusive vacations, and more.

universal studios hogwarts — We’re also huge fans of Universal

What are some of the hardest bookings or reservations that you’ve been able to get?

The hardest bookings we are able to get are suites at the various resorts, especially at the Polynesian or the Grand Floridian. They go quick, particularly during peak seasons, so if our clients prepare enough in advance and we have the conversations, we can be ready to grab these hard to get rooms when they open. We love it when we’re able to get the exact room a client wants. As far as restaurants are concerned, the hardest to get are some of the character meals like Topolino’s Breakfast and Storybook Dining Dinner. Breakfasts are harder to get because they are cheaper, and kids tend to like the breakfast food better than the dinner food. Space 220 is also notoriously hard to get. If we are not able to get the reservation at the time of booking, we are able to set alerts for our clients and also walk them through how to do this to double our chances of getting these hard to get dining choices.

space 220 epcot disney world — Space 220 is pretty awesome (and hard to get)

What’s unique about Smart Moms?

We are what Disney calls Earmarked Diamond Status Authorized Disney Vacation Planners, which is the highest level an agency can obtain. This means we have passed tons of rigorous testing and booked enormous amounts of trips to Disney. However, we also thoroughly train and retrain our agents far above what Disney requires, making sure each agent is incredibly knowledgeable and ready for any change Disney rolls out. We also offer various digital bonuses depending on what our clients book, and we provide detailed maps and tons of other informational content to get our clients ready for their trips. Finally, we work extensively to make sure that this isn’t just a Disney trip, but a trip perfectly tailored to the needs and hopes of everyone in the party. We train as agents to not only know Disney, but to know how different people like to experience it. Then we set that up.

Okay, now for some personal favorites. Favorite park?

Definitely Magic Kingdom. There’s just something about walking into Magic Kingdom that takes all the stress away.

Favorite Ride?

Guardians of the Galaxy!

Favorite Restaurant?

Steakhouse 71 at the Contemporary Resort.

Favorite Memory?

One time, we went to Bon Voyage [character breakfast at Trattoria al Forno that is currently unavailable, featuring Rapunzel, Flynn Rider, Ariel, and Eric] for my 30th birthday. My 6-year-old daughter has long hair, and we always call her Rapunzel. However, on this day, she was in a terrible mood. When Flynn Rider came out, he saw that she was having a hard time, so he pulled Rapunzel’s crown out of his satchel and held it over her head for pictures. It was such a magical moment and completely changed her mood for the rest of the day.

flynn rider bon voyage disney world rapunzel — First and Second Daughter to the Right are also big fans of Flynn Rider at Bon Voyage.

Conclusion

Well, there you have it. If you want to book a Disney trip (especially if it’s your first time), I highly recommend getting an Authorized Disney vacation planner to help you plan your trip. They are a wealth of knowledge and love of Disney that will help you have an amazing experience and be ready to go back over and over again.

But here’s a plea from Second Dad to the Right. Don’t use an agent unless you plan to book, and please don’t let them do all the legwork and then not use them. This is how they make a living and get the chance to have magical moments at Disney. Let’s take care of these amazing people, so they can keep us from all the stress and anxiety from messing up our Disney trips.

If you want to use Casey or one of the other great agents with Smart Moms Travel, here’s where you can find them.

Smart Moms Plan Disney Facebook Group

smartmomstravel.com

LJ’s Instagram

If you want a free quote right now, you can go here to be connected right away to an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner at Smart Moms Travel! https://pages.letsdisney.com/disney-trip-questionnaire-all-agents

Featured