Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some commonly asked questions about our agency and our services:
This is SO important. The advisors of Little Luxuries Travel® are experienced in the destinations they sell. We frequent the resorts and destinations we offer, sail the cruise lines we sell, and we spend extensive time training on the products we choose to offer to our discerning clients. While you might plan a vacation once or twice a year, we plan vacations every single day. That kind of expertise makes all the difference in your vacation experience! Little Luxuries Travel® is proud to be an award-winning agency with many accolades and designations.
We are proud to be recognized as an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner. We’ve traveled to Walt Disney World and Disneyland more times than we can count, and have sailed multiple itineraries with Disney Cruise Line. Collectively, we’ve stayed at every property at Walt Disney World, Disneyland, and Universal, have eaten at most of their restaurants, and have sailed every ship in Disney’s fleet! Our advisors are frequent travelers, and can be found in the parks at Walt Disney World, Universal, and Disneyland multiple times each year.
No guidebook, blog, or website can provide more accurate, timely, and helpful information than someone who has “boots on the ground” in destination several times a year! As an agency, we have helped over 3,000 families plan their trips (!!!). Our agents are all graduates of Disney’s College of Knowledge, which tests agents on their knowledge and expertise on an annual basis. We are a U-Preferred Agency with Universal Parks & Resorts, meaning we have extensive knowledge of all things Universal as well. Our agency is a Preferred Sandals Agency, with many of our agents being Certified Sandals Specialists. We also have many First Mates with Virgin Voyages, Masters of Adventure with Royal Caribbean Cruise Line, Commodores with Princess Cruise Line, destination specialists for dozens of countries around the globe, and more. If one of our advisors has suggested a product or destination for your consideration, you can be sure that they know the brand or destination inside and out and have either visited firsthand, or that they have completed extensive training. Your happiness is our #1 priority!
By booking online, you receive a confirmation number and impersonal reminder emails. When you book with us, you get someone who takes the time to get to know your travel wishes, cares about your trip and the memories you make with your loved ones, and will work very hard to help you customize the trip of your dreams. Our advisors are here to answer any questions you may have along the way and can help with things you may not have thought of such as travel insurance, ground transportation, stroller and/or ECV rentals, and much more. Vacations are not one-size-fits-all! Your vacation experience should be tailored to YOUR wishes and dreams – not those of an outdated, ill-informed blog post from a pre-COVID world, or left to the crowd-sourced opinions of your (albeit well meaning) social media friends who haven’t stepped foot in the destination in 4 years.
For Disney’s parks, we’re here to help you avoid crowds by telling you which park is best to visit each day, recommend the best restaurants, make suggestions or dining reservations for you (depending on the planning service option chosen), and offer extensive guidance for using Disney’s brand new Lightning Lane systems. We also monitor your package for discounts and apply any your reservation is eligible for. If you book online, Disney will not let you know that you can save money. If you want to apply a discount, you will spend time on hold trying to get it — sometimes hours! Booking your vacation with our agency gives you the unique benefit of working one-on-one with an expert who can help you navigate the intricacies of planning the perfect Disney vacation. We do offer fee-based white glove planning service for those interested, but retain a complimentary option for those who prefer less hands-on planning assistance as well.
No matter the destination, having an advocate on your side when you travel is invaluable. While we all hope that our vacations go off without a hitch, sometimes things happen. When you book with a travel agent, you have access to a single point of contact for all of your vacation needs, questions, or concerns. You have one phone number to call, where you’ll reach the same person every time – someone who knows you by name, not confirmation number. We have connections the public does not, having spent years cultivating relationships with vendors around the world. Simply put, we do what the internet cannot — CARE.
The vast majority of vacation vendors (i.e., Disney, Universal, Sandals/Beaches, all cruise lines, etc) build commission into all of their pricing. If you book with them, they keep that money. If you book with an advisor, they pay our agency after your trip is complete. The price is exactly the same directly or through Little Luxuries Travel®. It’s a win-win — you get a plethora of value-added service and expert advice – and you’re supporting a small business without spending any additional money.
We do offer fee-based, personally customized, white glove planning service for Disney’s theme parks and for select destinations requiring extensive planning, such as a multi-destination Europe trip or island-hopping in Hawaii. If you wish to learn more about these options, please let us know!
Unless your trip is within 30 days, the answer is almost always NO! Most destinations have flexible payment terms and require minimal deposits. For example, when booking a Disney vacation package, a deposit of just $200 is required. The remaining balance is due in full 30 days prior to arrival and can be paid in any increment of $20 or more at a time, as frequently or infrequently as you wish, up until the final payment due date. Your credit card is never charged by your travel agent or by Little Luxuries Travel®. All payments are processed directly through the vendor and will appear as such on your statement (i.e., Sandals, Walt Disney Travel Company, Disney Cruise Line, Adventures by Disney, Universal Orlando, etc).
Definitely not! Little Luxuries Travel® advisors work with all (realistic) budgets! Our name comes from our love of the “little luxuries” in life and the belief that they can be found in the smallest of things. Crisp, clean bed linens, plush robes & towels, turndown service, and lighted makeup mirrors in hotel rooms are some of our personal favorite “little luxuries”. Having someone handle the intricate details of your vacation experience is certainly a luxury worth having — no matter your budget!
Great news — you can almost always transfer your reservation to a Little Luxuries Travel® advisor if you’ve recently booked your trip directly with the resort or cruise line. Most destinations will allow a one-time transfer to your travel advisor at absolutely charge to you.
With Disney, for example, if you booked a package within the last 30 days and your reservation is not yet paid in full, you can complete a quick & easy form that will allow your Little Luxuries Travel advisor to service your reservation. No changes will be made to your booking — you’ll even keep the same confirmation number! You can complete the form online by clicking here.
Too late to transfer your reservation, but still want our white glove planning service? We offer that for a reasonable fee! Let us know if you’re interested in learning more about this option.
We do not, with good reason. With regard to airfare, we always recommend booking this directly through the airline of your choosing. First and foremost, you’ll find the best flight times and prices this way. Second, this gives you ownership of the flight reservation so that you are the one choosing seats and receiving flight status notifications directly. If your flight number changes, you’re offered an upgrade, or your flight is delayed, that information is relayed to YOU instead of a third party. We do not book air nor recommend bundling with a vacation package, in the best interest of you as the client.
After securing the vacation of your dreams, communication will be largely done by email. If you would like to discuss details of your trip or make payments by phone, you are welcome to do that any time, though we do ask that you preschedule calls whenever possible. This allows us to clear our desk of distractions and focus entirely on your call. We certainly understand that questions sometimes come up on a whim, and we happily answer our client’s unscheduled calls whenever possible.
We do ask that you refrain from communicating with your advisor via text message. While texts may be convenient, they are unfortunately not something we’re able to keep in your file and refer back to, if needed. Additionally, these messages are very easily lost in the shuffle. This is also true of social media messaging services such as Facebook Messenger or Instagram DMs. We never want to miss your questions, so please direct them to email for a prompt response.
Still have more questions?
We would love to chat with you to help make your vacation dreams a reality! Please email concierge@littleluxuriestravel.com with your questions, or to schedule a time to chat!
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