5 Steps to Start Working as a Disney Travel Agent

If you’re a big fan of Disney and their resorts, organizing and selling vacations to Disneyland and similar destinations could be your dream career. And to help you learn how to find work in this field, in this post, we have all the info you need about Disney travel agent jobs.

Disney Travel Agent Jobs Overview

Let’s start by giving an overview of what working as a Disney travel agent entails.

For the most part, Disney travel agents are independent contractors that work through agencies organizing trips to Disney destinations and taking a commission – which is shared with the agency – from the cost of any packages they sell.

This means they are not employees of the agency, and they are also not employees of the Walt Disney Travel Company.

Disney travel agents can work from home – or anywhere else they choose – and they can also organize their own hours.

However, they need to be able to be available for clients – who may be booking a once-in-a-lifetime trip – to ensure everything goes smoothly from the planning phase right up to the end of their vacation.

Like any other job, there are pros and cons to working as a Disney travel agent. However, while it can be hard work finding clients and putting in the hours meticulously planning their trips, it can also be highly fulfilling, especially for those with a passion for all things Disney.

How to start working as a Disney travel agent

If this sounds like the kind of thing you might be interested in trying, let’s have a look at the pathway to becoming a Disney travel agent.

Step 1. Decide if you are a good fit for this kind of work

Before you embark on your new career as a Disney travel agent, you should consider whether you are a good fit for this kind of work.

It’s not a game, and there’s more to it than just being a big fan of Disney. It can be hard work, but for the right kind of person, it can be an enjoyable occupation and one that can provide a decent salary.

See the relevant section below for more details about what it takes to succeed in this job.

Step 2. Find an agency

If you’ve decided you’re a good fit for this kind of work, your next step is to find an agency.

There are many agencies to consider, and we’ll discuss the different things to look out for below.

However, in general, a good agency will be able to provide all the support and necessary training required to succeed in the job.

Step 3. Prepare your working environment

One of the great things about getting started as a Disney travel agent is that the startup costs for this kind of business are minimal.

All you’ll really need to get started are a telephone, a computer and a workspace.

It’s recommended that you set up a designated home office since this will allow you to work in a professional environment without potential distractions such as screaming kids or noisy pets.

Step 4. Build your client base, work on marketing and start selling trips

Having joined an agency and set up your home office or other working space, you’re ready to go. You’ll then need to start building your client base while also working on marketing yourself – and hopefully, you’ll soon start selling your first trips.

Step 5. Attend training and keep learning to continue your professional development

As you work, you’ll also need to continue attending training and going on familiarization visits to keep learning and to make sure you’re fully up to date with the product you’re selling.

One of the perks of the job is that you may be able to enjoy free or discounted trips to Disney resorts as part of your professional research.

The skills and attributes needed to succeed as a Disney travel agent

When applying to join an agency, there are certain skills and attributes you may need to demonstrate to be accepted.

At the same time, you need to be honest with yourself if these are the kind of skills and attributes you possess – since if you don’t, you might find that being a Disney travel agent is not for you.

Here are some of the most important:

1. Good communicator

One of the most important skills you’ll need is that you should be a good communicator.

This means you will be able to communicate effectively with your clients throughout the whole booking process via both email and telephone.

At the same time, you will also need to have strong communication with your agency and other Disney travel agents in your support group.

2. Strong sense of customer service

Disney vacations are expensive, and often, people may be spending a lot of money on a once-in-a-lifetime trip.

This means they will expect excellent levels of customer service from you – and having a strong sense of customer service will also help you build trust with your clients and ultimately sell more trips.

3. Self-motivated and self-disciplined

Since you will be working alone, you will need to be self-motivated and self-disciplined. Working from home long-term is not for everybody, and it can be easy to fall into bad habits or not put the hours in if you don’t have a boss on your back driving you forward.

4. Proactive

The kind of person who does well in this kind of job is proactive rather than the kind of person who prefers to sit back and just hope things will come to them.

5. Detail-oriented

Being detail-oriented is essential since you’ll need to plan people’s dream vacations right down to the very last detail. If you’re not this kind of person, it’s a recipe for disaster because you may end up ruining someone’s trip.

6. Good organizer and well-organized

You need to be the kind of person who can organize things well, and you also need to be well organized. This will help you keep on top of the various trips that are currently in the process of being booked and you will be able to access clients’ details quickly whenever needed.

7. Competent tech skills

You will need to have good tech and IT skills.

8. Interested in training and development, willing to learn

To succeed as a Disney travel agent, you should be interested in continuous training, development and education to always improve your skills, abilities and knowledge.

9. Marketing skills

Marketing skills are essential, so you need to have them already – or you need to be willing to learn them on the job.

10. Social media skills

Developing a social media presence is an essential part of the job.

11. Passion for travel and for Disney

You need to be passionate about travel and about Disney in particular. You should be familiar with all Disney destinations, and you should have deep knowledge about everything related to the Disney resorts to be able to sell the product effectively.

12. Sales experience

Prior sales experience is not essential but it can be a big help.

Finding an agency

One of the most important aspects when starting out as a Disney agent is finding the right agency for you, so it’s essential to put the time into researching them before you commit to one.

Most agencies charge a one-off registration fee plus a monthly or yearly hosting fee, and you should compare these fees with the services the agency provides and the split of the commission they take from every sale.

The services provided by the agency should include support and guidance as you “learn the ropes” plus continued training in things like sales and marketing as you develop your career.

Some agencies don’t require fees, but they may take a larger cut of your earnings instead. However, if you are selling more than just a couple of trips each month, the fees are easily compensated by what you earn.

Avoid Multilevel Marketing (MLM) agencies – they may advertise themselves as things like “network marketing” or “direct sales”.

These organizations are based on business models that aim to make money from their agents rather than help them succeed and are little better than scams.

Challenges

• Working from home

As many people realized during the pandemic, working from home is not as easy as it seems. You need to be self-motivated and self-disciplined to force yourself to work hard and remain professional at all times.

Another aspect to consider is the lack of face-to-face human contact, something that some people can find difficult over extended periods.

• Marketing skills

The marketing side of the job is not the part most people think of when they imagine life as a Disney travel agent, but it’s something that can’t be neglected. As a result, if this is not one of your strengths, you’ll need to be willing to learn about how to do it well.

• Working hours

Although you can choose your own working hours, you will need to be available for your clients whenever they need you.

You will always have some clients who are very demanding of your time, and if anything goes wrong on a trip you’ve sold, you’ll need to be there to pick up the pieces.

How much can Disney travel agents earn?

This is a difficult question to answer since the salary is based on commission, and it depends how many trips you sell.

However, let’s imagine that an average Disney vacation costs $5,000. If you take a 10% commission – and the agency takes half of that – you’re earning $250 per trip before tax.

It’s then all about how many trips you sell per month – but it’s easy to see how a good salesperson who’s willing to put in the hours can earn a very respectable salary.

Challenging but rewarding work

As we’ve seen, working as a Disney travel agent can be challenging for many reasons, but it’s also a highly rewarding career choice for anyone who loves working with people and who has a great passion for Disney.

It’s also inexpensive to set up a business organizing and selling Disney trips, so for anyone who thinks they might be a good fit, it’s certainly a possibility to consider.