What does it mean to be an "Earmarked Travel Agency" with Disney?
Disney Travel agents are the best resource as they are professionals that know the ins and outs of booking and planning a Disney vacation.Disney has recognized agencies for their success and professionalism. As such, Disney has designated this agency as both a Silver Level Producer and an Earmarked Authorized Disney Vacation Planner. These designations are only awarded to the top Disney travel agencies in the country.
Being an Earmarked Travel Agency simply means that Disney has recognized that agency for producing over a certain amount of dollar volume in sales over a given period of time. Disney doesn’t publish what this volume is, but they will reach out to the Agency and invite them to be Earmarked.
These agencies were amazing at their job before being Earmarked, hence they were recognized for their efforts and rewarded with the Earmarked status in the first place. To say that Disney guests should never use an agency that isn’t part of the Earmarked program seems a little disingenuous. After all, an agency is only the sum of its parts. If an Agency owner is lucky enough to have 20-30 agents under their wings, it will be that much easier and faster to hit Disney’s monetary benchmark vs a small travel agency. Either way, you will be working with a single person, and your experience with that agency solely depends on the experience level of that agent, regardless of how much the agency as a whole earned last quarter.
If you really want to make sure you are working with a good travel agent, with all the education, information, and expertise that you need as a first-timer, consider asking them these questions;
Is an Agency that is not Earmarked is NOT selling Disney illegally. Travel sales are also a big part of a travel agency’s general license renewal requirements, in any province or state. If an agency is not laser-focused on Disney destination sales, this could be the only reason they are not Earmarked.
Authorized Disney Vacation Planner VS. General Travel Agencies
Authorized Disney Vacation Planners are often Disney fans who exclusively plan Disney travel. And, because they are passionate about Disney, they actually know a lot about Disney. Authorized Disney Vacation Planners are very effective thanks to providing services and answers to increasingly complex Disney itineraries. Passionate fans are just what one needs for tackling Disney planning. They also monitor for new eligible discounts and promotions. And book dining at 6 am.
Being an Earmarked Travel Agency simply means that Disney has recognized that agency for producing over a certain amount of dollar volume in sales over a given period of time. Disney doesn’t publish what this volume is, but they will reach out to the Agency and invite them to be Earmarked.
These agencies were amazing at their job before being Earmarked, hence they were recognized for their efforts and rewarded with the Earmarked status in the first place. To say that Disney guests should never use an agency that isn’t part of the Earmarked program seems a little disingenuous. After all, an agency is only the sum of its parts. If an Agency owner is lucky enough to have 20-30 agents under their wings, it will be that much easier and faster to hit Disney’s monetary benchmark vs a small travel agency. Either way, you will be working with a single person, and your experience with that agency solely depends on the experience level of that agent, regardless of how much the agency as a whole earned last quarter.
If you really want to make sure you are working with a good travel agent, with all the education, information, and expertise that you need as a first-timer, consider asking them these questions;
- Are they a College of Disney Knowledge graduate or a consultant?
- When was the last time they visited a Disney property?
- When was the last time they visited the Disney property you are looking to book?
- Can they be both a professional champion of the destination and also able to articulate the realities of travel and special requests?
Is an Agency that is not Earmarked is NOT selling Disney illegally. Travel sales are also a big part of a travel agency’s general license renewal requirements, in any province or state. If an agency is not laser-focused on Disney destination sales, this could be the only reason they are not Earmarked.
Authorized Disney Vacation Planner VS. General Travel Agencies
Authorized Disney Vacation Planners are often Disney fans who exclusively plan Disney travel. And, because they are passionate about Disney, they actually know a lot about Disney. Authorized Disney Vacation Planners are very effective thanks to providing services and answers to increasingly complex Disney itineraries. Passionate fans are just what one needs for tackling Disney planning. They also monitor for new eligible discounts and promotions. And book dining at 6 am.
