Disney cancelling TA commissions in 2024?

[SL6827]

With Disney cancelling the TA commission on the RV and tent campsites at the Fort in 2024, could the Value resorts be next on their list for such?

 

[Disneydawg74]

I doubt it. So few campsites compared to Value Resort rooms. Disney needs help from TAs filling these rooms.

 

[Pyxie]

I'm a TA and this is the first I've even heard this. Are they canceling them even when booked with a package or just for the standalone bookings?

 

[midwestdee]

I'm a TA and this is the first I've even heard this. Are they canceling them even when booked with a package or just for the standalone bookings?

You may want to check the Dis Fort Wilderness thread. This topic popped up there today.

 

[reddog21]

I doubt it. So few campsites compared to Value Resort rooms. Disney needs help from TAs filling these rooms.

There's 800 campsites that's not a few.

 

[meremac]

Disney did announce to TAs a few weeks ago in an e-mail that beginning in 2024, campsites will no longer be commissionable. I *think* we'll still be able to book them, but we won't get anything for it. When part of a package, tickets and DDP will still be commissionable. I don't think this is indicative of any other resort category going the same way ~ campsites have always been an outlier.

 

[Disneydawg74]

There's 800 campsites that's not a few.

There are 10,000 value hotel rooms, that’s a LOT more!

 

[HopperFan]

There are 10,000 value hotel rooms, that’s a LOT more!

Actually around 36,000! And even those folks are a fraction of the people in the parks!

 

[GADisneyDad14]

There are +- 10,300 Disney Value Resort hotel rooms on property.

 

[Genie+]

Actually around 36,000! And even those folks are a fraction of the people in the parks!

I think that‘s total WDW resort rooms. A staggering number!

It would take 70 years for a person to stay in a different room each day, lol.

 

[Disneydawg74]

Actually around 36,000! And even those folks are a fraction of the people in the parks!

This is all categories, there are 10,000 VALUE resorts.

 

[HopperFan]

This is all categories, there are 10.000 VALUE resorts.

Sorry I didn't see you said value as to compare to a campsite. Although to me Value resorts are luxury compared to a tent.

Honestly if they don't want to pay the percentage on the lowest price room why wouldn't they stop paying the percentage on values or any other hotel? Interesting move for sure and is it only the first step?

I'm not a TA, my understanding when they book a Disney trip they get commission on planes, hotels, dining plan, tickets .... is that true? So Disney pays them for multiple items?

If I were to go to NYC a TA would book plane, hotel ... would they also book dining reservations, theater tickets, museum tickets? If so do they get commissions on the latter ones?

Trying to figure out if Disney trips are a more lucrative booking for TA because of commissions on multiple things that Disney makes it easy for you to book yourself.

Could Disney be on path to expand their "travel company" that once was the go to?

 

[Marthasor]

Sorry I didn't see you said value as to compare to a campsite. Although to me Value resorts are luxury compared to a tent.

Honestly if they don't want to pay the percentage on the lowest price room why wouldn't they stop paying the percentage on values or any other hotel? Interesting move for sure and is it only the first step?

I'm not a TA, my understanding when they book a Disney trip they get commission on planes, hotels, dining plan, tickets .... is that true? So Disney pays them for multiple items?

If I were to go to NYC a TA would book plane, hotel ... would they also book dining reservations, theater tickets, museum tickets? If so do they get commissions on the latter ones?

Trying to figure out if Disney trips are a more lucrative booking for TA because of commissions on multiple things that Disney makes it easy for you to book yourself.

Could Disney be on path to expand their "travel company" that once was the go to?

With Disney, TAs receive commission on resort bookings (room-only and packages), dining plans (as part of a package when it returns), tickets, memory maker, private VIP tours. You can no longer book flights through WDTC, so TAs would not receive commission on those. There are other elements of an Orlando-based trip that could be commissionable as well (for instance, some ground transportation companies offer commission to TAs).

IMHO, Disney is lucrative for TAs because it is a highly sought-after destination. Many TAs, however, have portfolios that extend beyond Disney products - even Earmarked agencies will, most likely, be selling Universal, various cruise lines, Beaches/Sandals, etc. - they all pay good commissions and, if a TA is working with a repeat client, that client may very well want to explore other destinations and products as the years go by, so it's good to have other options for them.

If you were to go to NYC, in terms of bookings, it just depends on the vendor - some vendors work with agents, some don't. I think many TAs who sell Disney offer to book dining, etc. (non-commissionable items), because there is a ton of competition in the Disney Destination space and you need to offer services to clients beyond simply booking the basics in order to get business.

IMHO, I highly doubt WDTC will take away commissions from value bookings - there are so many commissionable hotel options in Orlando at lower price points than what WDW offers at value resorts. I'm not sure why they would want to incentivize TAs to send clients, who may not be able to afford the mod/deluxe/deluxe villa categories, to cheaper, off-site hotels. It would make more sense to me, to incentivize TAs to promote the value of spending a little more to stay at a value on-site. Very few (perhaps zero!) TAs will want to sell value room-only's or packages if they aren't getting paid to do it. Just my opinion!

 

[HopperFan]

With Disney, TAs receive commission on resort bookings (room-only and packages), dining plans (as part of a package when it returns), tickets, memory maker, private VIP tours. You can no longer book flights through WDTC, so TAs would not receive commission on those. There are other elements of an Orlando-based trip that could be commissionable as well (for instance, some ground transportation companies offer commission to TAs).

IMHO, Disney is lucrative for TAs because it is a highly sought-after destination. Many TAs, however, have portfolios that extend beyond Disney products - even Earmarked agencies will, most likely, be selling Universal, various cruise lines, Beaches/Sandals, etc. - they all pay good commissions and, if a TA is working with a repeat client, that client may very well want to explore other destinations and products as the years go by, so it's good to have other options for them.

If you were to go to NYC, in terms of bookings, it just depends on the vendor - some vendors work with agents, some don't. I think many TAs who sell Disney offer to book dining, etc. (non-commissionable items), because there is a ton of competition in the Disney Destination space and you need to offer services to clients beyond simply booking the basics in order to get business.

IMHO, I highly doubt WDTC will take away commissions from value bookings - there are so many commissionable hotel options in Orlando at lower price points than what WDW offers at value resorts. I'm not sure why they would want to incentivize TAs to send clients, who may not be able to afford the mod/deluxe/deluxe villa categories, to cheaper, off-site hotels. It would make more sense to me, to incentivize TAs to promote the value of spending a little more to stay at a value on-site. Very few (perhaps zero!) TAs will want to sell value room-only's or packages if they aren't getting paid to do it. Just my opinion!

Thank you so much for taking the time to explain.

 

[krsb09]

They're canceling TA commissions at the fort because one agency has ruined it for everyone else. They hoard sites so they can sell them to only their clients, advertise on property, and generally have made it so it's very difficult to book there during busy times unless it's through them.

 

[bama_ed]

They're canceling TA commissions at the fort because one agency has ruined it for everyone else. They hoard sites so they can sell them to only their clients, advertise on property, and generally have made it so it's very difficult to book there during busy times unless it's through them.

That's probably a main factor. But the other thing is, with the exception of a few sites added in 600 loop in the last decade or so, the Fort campsites are the same in number as it was over 45 years ago. TENS of THOUSANDS of hotel rooms of all levels have been built at Disney in that time frame but the Fort has only had about 20 sites added in 600.

Meanwhile, baby boomers bought RVs and went camping all over the place. It's ridiculously difficult to get a campsite at any level nearly every weekend except for June-August and weekdays nearly in the same period. So demand is crazy high most of year (beyond the impact of the actions of 1 or 2 agents). Which helps explain why prices are so high.

Those sites fill up from organic demand, not from a TA pushing the Fort campsites over off-site campsites. TA's generally earn commission to help fill rooms (in our case) for room inventory that might otherwise go unsold. While it's convenient to hand off to them for the booking, Disney is constantly tweeking the online booking tool to make it easy for the general public to book online themselves. Why pay a percentage to an intermediary for something that will generally get booked up by guests directly anyway?

TA's provide a valuable service but it's in promoting and selling a service/product that might otherwise go unsold. That's not the case generally speaking at Fort Wilderness.

Bama Ed

 

[ScarletFire]

Sorry I didn't see you said value as to compare to a campsite. Although to me Value resorts are luxury compared to a tent.

There are fancy, FANCY campers are FW. I've stayed all over WDW, all levels of resorts. I prefer my little camper at Fort Wilderness.

I can understand the discontinued TA commission. The campground is for the niche traveler. And, locals who like a super nice outdoor weekend getaway. There's lots of people staying at FW and not going to the parks. Will this make it easier to get reservations?

Thanks!

 

[gottalovepluto]

They're canceling TA commissions at the fort because one agency has ruined it for everyone else. They hoard sites so they can sell them to only their clients, advertise on property, and generally have made it so it's very difficult to book there during busy times unless it's through them.

If it was one agency Disney would terminate their relationship with that agency. Disney does not have to work with any agency, they chose to and can terminate the relationship.

Considering there are a number of people who do long term stays I would not be surprised if Disney realized they were some commission shenanigans going on with that and decided to implement this.

 

[lpereira]

The Fort pretty much stays booked year round. Disney doesn't need to give commissions on campsites to sell them. More people want to book the sites than there are sites available to book.
Whenever Disney makes a change that could be unpopular they find a convenient boogeyman. Yes there was a TA agency that would book a bunch of sites and hold them for thir clients. But that problem was resolved with the no name changes and no lodifying stays during extremely popular times.
It is all moot anyway. If economy doesn't kill the DVC cabin sales then Disney will eventually convert the entire Fort to DVC cabins.