Disney Travel Agent Archives

Benefits of owning your own Travel Agency

May 13, 2019 By MagicalHosts 1 Comment

If you are reading this, it is likely you are either currently a travel agent, or are wanting to become one. Specifically, a Travel Agent that specializes in Disney vacations. I have written in the past about becoming a Travel Agent, which included some differences between working as an agent for a Travel Agency and owning your own, but I thought it would be helpful for many to know what the benefits are for owning your own Travel Agency.

Disney Agency Ownership

There are some big positives about owning your own Travel Agency, here are just a few highlights for you

You own all of your client’s information, the agency you work for probably won’t be handing over all of your client information when you leave. You also own all of the social media and other accounts, no need to start over when moving again.
Consistency. No moving from one agency to the next thinking the grass is greener.
No bad apples. Ever worked at an agency where a few of the agents are really bad, leading to bad reviews? You are awesome, don’t let one bad apple ruin your business.
Work when you want, how you want.
No worry about sudden surprises like your agency closing or firing you. You own the business.
You aren’t getting any leads or support from your existing agency. Owning your own agency you get to keep all the leads the come in, and MagicalHosts provides awesome support.
It is your business, you can set it up and run it as you please.
You keep more of the money! Many agencies keep 40 – 50% of your commissions (some even more!). Keep more of your money.
When people ask you what you do, you can say “I own a travel agency” rather than “I work for a travel agency”. So much better!

Your Travel Agency, your Disney Style

Maybe you really want to be a Disney Cruise specialist. Maybe you think you can market to all of those Disney Villain fans out there, or book Disney honeymoons only. It is your agency, so it should fit your style.

Your agency can take on your style 100%, from agency name, theming, focus, marketing, how you work with clients, etc. General travel agents are going out of business right and left, the ones that have survived and prospered are those that specialize in something unique.

Disney Travel Benefits

While travel agents don’t get to travel for free, they can get discounted Disney travel from time to time. Once you have reached some minimum booking qualifications (currently $5,000 in commissions in the past 12 months), you will have access to discounted Disney (and other company) travel.

One discounted booking at Walt Disney World every year, typically half-off regular price. Stay can be no longer than 7 nights.
One discounted booking at Disneyland every year, and like Walt Disney World, room is typically half-off. Discounted rates typically depend on time of year, busy times are not as discounted, less busy times are closer to a 50% discount.
One 10-day Walt Disney World discounted park pass that includes the Park Hopper Plus options – 50% off. As an alternate, you can choose a free 1-day ticket with the park hopper plus option. You cannot do both, you are limited to one or the other.
One Free 1-day Disneyland ticket with hopping option per year.
Disney Cruise Line offers Space Available rates and Travel Agent Appreciation rates, they change weekly. Space Available Rates are the less desirable discount, and are usually on cruises in the next 3-4 months that are not selling well. For example, I just booked an Alaska cruise for my family this summer, normal rate would have been over $4,000 (less my commission). I was able to book the same cruise for a little over $2,600, so I save nearly $1,000. If you can find Travel Appreciation Rates, you should jump on them. They are rare, I may see 3 – 4 cruises each year that are included. They are usually last minute and the discounts are often huge. You can only book one of each type of Disney Cruise discount each calendar year.
Adventures by Disney is offered at a pretty steep discount, typically about 40% off the lowest rate available to the public. Not all adventures are included, and not all dates. Again, only one discounted Adventure per year.
Aulani offers room discount up to 50% off, and just like other Disney destinations, you are limited to one discounted booking per year. Stay can be up to 7 nights.
Walt Disney World and Disneyland both offer Agent Education Programs. AEPs are typically a few nights, and include in depth training about Disney parks and resorts. They are typically very inexpensive, and include your Disney resort room, training, food and all the other little perks.

Please note on all of these discounted options, you are allowed to bring others with you, as long as your group will fit in the room offered. If your immediate family (spouse and young kids) will not fit in a normal room, Disney will typically accommodate you with a second room (also discounted). If you want to take all your high school friends on a cheap Disney Cruise, Disney won’t be nearly as flexible.

Working with MagicalHosts

There is no better way to start your own Travel Agency than with MagicalHosts. We take all the hassle out of starting and running your agency. You deal with your clients, we deal with the rest. Working with MagicalHosts, you retain all the benefits listed above, but don’t have to worry about all the headaches caused by owning your own agency.

Do you think MagicalHosts might work for you? Contact us to start the conversation (there is no obligation to continue if you don’t think we are a perfect fit).

Join MagicalHosts!

Travel Agent Salary

April 23, 2019 By MagicalHosts 2 Comments

Salary – Noun (c): a fixed amount of money paid to someone for the work the person is employed to do, esp. the amount paid every year.

When talking about Travel Agents that specialize in Disney vacations and money, Salary really isn’t the right word. Salary is fixed, paid on a regular basis for employment. As a Travel agent, none of that applies. Most Travel agents are paid by commission, earned from trips booked for clients.

Commission – Noun (c): a system of payment based on a percentage of the value or sales or other business done, or a payment to someone working under such a system

There we go, much better.

How do Travel Agents make Money?

Let’s focus on the major Disney destinations, and how they pay commissions:

Walt Disney World – Disney’s biggest attraction with the most Disney hotels, theme parks and visitors. Walt Disney World is the backbone of most Travel agents that specialize in Disney. Walt Disney World pays a 10% commission on most packages and room-only reservations, net of taxes. So, for example, if you booked a package for a client that was $3,500, but that price included $200 of taxes, you would receive a commission of $330 (10% of $3,300). Walt Disney World pays a smaller percentage on theme park tickets (outside of a package), Holiday party tickets, VIP tours, Memory Maker, etc. Walt Disney World pays commissions on rooms and packages about 7 days after your client checks into their resort. Commissions on tickets and other special items are paid after purchase.

Disneyland – Disneyland’s commission policy is very similar to Walt Disney World, 10% on room and packages, net of taxes. They do pay less on ticket sales, mostly because they typically sell shorter ticket lengths as people don’t stay as long at Disneyland compared to WDW.

Disney Cruise Line – This is where it gets interesting. Disney Cruise line pays a commission, similar to both Walt Disney World and Disneyland, on the cruise fare less all taxes. However, Disney Cruise Line commissions can be anywhere between 10 – 16%, depending on cruise volume. Only sell a few cruises per year, you get 10%. Sell a ton of cruises (currently $1,687,000+ per year), you get 16%. Required revenue to reach each tier is typically updated every year, and should increase substantially once the new ships are in service (more ships = more guests = more bookings = more required). Commission rates are set annually, and it is possible to go down or up a level. Disney Cruise commission is paid out to agents within a week of final payment being made, which is usually months before the cruise actually sails.

Aulani – Disney’s fantastic Hawaiian resort is not to be missed. Aulani pays 10% on room stays. Since there are not any theme parks, there are not any park tickets to be sold. Commissions at Aulani are paid out about 7 days after the client checks in.

Adventures by Disney – Disney’s tour service is incredible, one of my favorite vacations ever. Adventures are a travel agent’s best friend. They are EXPENSIVE, and commissions are tiered similar to Disney Cruise Line between 10 – 16%. Commission on Adventures are paid out as soon as the trip is paid in full.

Other – Most Travel Agents that specialize in Disney also book Universal Studios in Orlando. With Harry Potter living at Universal, it has become quite a draw. Many clients like to do split stays between Universal and Disney, or stay at one and go to the other for a few days, giving you the option to sell tickets. Universal pays 10% commission on all packages that include a Universal hotel and park passes (net of taxes). As with Disney, they pay a lesser percentage on ticket sales. Universal pays commissions about 7 – 10 days after your guest checks into the resort. While other destinations or cruise lines may tempt you, I always strongly suggest MagicalHosts Travel agents focus on Disney only (with a touch of Universal). People come to you because you are a Disney expert, not because you know a little bit about a lot.

As with all commission agreements, these percentages and other items may change at any time. For the most part, they have been unchanged for 18+ years while I have been selling Disney, and they are unlikely to change much in the future, but there is always a possibility.

How Much can Travel Agents make?

Well, that depends on a lot of factors. Just to name a few:

Time – How much time will you be working as a travel Agent? Is this a full-time job or a part-time gig? Do you want to just do it for fun or do you intend this to be a livelihood?
Time – How long have you been a Travel Agent? Once you have worked the job for a few years, it starts becoming easier as you are getting referrals and repeat clients, so more booking (equals more dollars) and less marketing.
Agency – Do you work for an agency that provides support, training and leads or did they hire you and throw you out of the boat to sink or swim? Maybe you own your own agency, and it is up to you to make it work.
Focus – Do you focus on Disney? Are you a Disney Expert? Agents that focus only on Disney are much more successful. Travel agencies around the country are closing like crazy, but if you are a Disney expert, you will have plenty of work to fill whatever time you want to give the job.

Really, really good Travel agents that specialize in Disney that work full time and have been at it a few years can make about $100,000 a year, whether you own the agency or are working for another agency. Owning your own agency requires you to complete tasks that agents working for an agency don’t have to do, so while you keep more of the commission, you are often bringing in less money.

The funny thing about part-time is that it isn’t linear. If you work half time, you won’t earn half as much as a full-time person, it doesn’t ever seem to work out that way. Full-time agents are always there, answering client’s questions, getting out price quotes, but part-time agents see those replies delayed because they may be at their full-time job or just not “working”. A really good part-time agent can earn somewhere in the neighborhood of $1,200 – $1,600 each year for each hour they work a week. So a 20 hour week would turn into $24,000 – $32,000 a year. Only want to work 10 hours a week? You are going to be on the lower end, closer to $12,000 per year.

One thing you do have to remember is that being a Travel Agent isn’t like a normal job. It isn’t 9 – 5. There are no paid vacations, no sick days. Even your time with your family is just filling the time between helping clients.

Being a Travel Agent can be a fantastic job, for the right person. We see so many agents come and go, they think the job is easy and you get to go to Disney all the time. Well, it isn’t easy, you aren’t going to get rich, and most of the time, it isn’t very fun. However, there isn’t much better than helping a family have a perfect trip to Disney, and getting paid for it. Overall, it is by far the best job I have ever had (and almost all successful agents will say that).

How can MagicalHosts help you?

MagicalHosts is in business to help you become a better Travel agent. We succeed when you succeed. We have been successful in building a Travel Agency, and we provide for you:

Help from square one getting your business and agency started.
Website, hosting and support for technical needs
Free access to industry-leading CRM
Initial training and support as well as continued training as you grow.
You control everything. You can’t get fired, your agency won’t stop paying your. If you grow your agency, it is all yours to keep.
You keep a larger percentage of your commission without having to deal with most of the headaches of running your own agency.

If you want to start the conversation about possibly starting your own Travel Agency, please feel free to check out this page and contact us:

Join MagicalHosts

How to Become a Travel Agent specializing in Disney Vacations

April 18, 2019 By MagicalHosts 2 Comments

If you have made it this far, you are obviously thinking that becoming a Travel Agent that specializes in Disney Vacations is in your near future. But, how do you become a Travel Agent? We are here to help.

Option #1 – Find an existing Disney focused Travel agency that will hire you.

This is the easiest option by far, especially if you have never worked as a travel agent before, Disney Specialist or not. When searching, beware who you are talking to. Many agencies will interview you, hire you, and set you free with little to no training and no further support or leads. It is very, very rare that agents succeed in agencies like this. They hire everyone that applies, hope a few work out and let the rest go. That is no way to start your Disney career. Here is what you should look for when you are interviewing agencies:

Make sure the agency has been around for a while, at least 5 years.
Confirm that the agency is an Authorized Disney Travel Agency, which means they are on good standing with Disney and have met minimum qualifications.
Make sure your new agency will offer training, both initially and ongoing.
Verify that your new agency will provide leads to you.
Ask to talk to one or two other agents who work for that agency. Most agencies will have a lineup of current agents on their website, pick 2 and ask if you can call or email them.
Ask what percentage of applicants are hired.
Please note that you do not have to go to school or get licensed to become a travel agent, that does not exist. Your new agency should provide all the training you need.

Working for an existing travel agency has both positives and negatives. This is a great place for most people to start, especially if you are a novice when it comes to being a travel agent. Many agents with good travel agencies are very successful and never leave, they make great money and have fantastic support. If you think this might be your path, we strongly recommend our friends over at Mouseketrips, they really are the best around.

Option #2 – Start your own travel agency

This is literally jumping into the deep end. Starting your own agency is an option, but not really one recommended for anyone who is a brand new agent. While definitely possible, and it is what I did many many years ago, it is really a difficult process. Not only do you have to know Disney, you need to know marketing, technology, web development and so much more. Here are just some of the steps you will need to take:

Create a business entity such as an LLC
Register with your state
Register your domain name
Contact the IRS for an EIN
Open a bank account
Find an office
Find hosting for your website
Build your website
Figure out your email and other communications needs
Figure out phone numbers
Set up social media accounts
Register with a CLIA or IATA or both
Contact all Disney destinations and register with them to book travel
Figure out accounting software
Figure out CRM software
So much more!

If you have done some of this before, then it might be such a big deal to do it all again. Once all this work is done, which could take months and many thousands of dollars, you still don’t have any clients.

There are some pluses to owning your own agency of course, as you control your own destiny. You are not relying upon an agency to support you, to stay in business, to pay you what you have earned. Definitely an option if you have experience.

Option #3 – MagicalHosts

MagicalHosts is a fantastic option if you want to become a Travel Agent that specializes in Disney and Univers on your own but not have to deal with that huge list above. MagicalHosts is a bit of a hybrid between the two options above and is perfect for experienced travel agents and even new agents who have experience selling travel. So, how can MagicalHosts help you?

You will own your own agency, partnered with MagicalHosts.
We have the experience in setting up travel agencies, and will help you with most of the items listed above that may seem super difficult.
MagicalHosts will create and host your website, as well as include training on how to use it.
We will help you with domain registration, setting up email and phone numbers, etc.
You will use MagicalHosts IATA or CLIA number, no need to get your own. We will get your registered with Disney.
We provide all Errors and Omissions insurance for you.
MagicalHosts will help set up Social Media and other accounts for you.
We include all CRM software that you need for free.
We provide ongoing support for your agency, no matter the subject, for as long as you are with MagicalHosts. If you think it is difficult, we are here to help.