If you’ve always had a passion for Disney and already share Disney tips and advice with friends and family, you might be ready to consider becoming a Disney Travel Agent. Before you jump in, it’s important to be aware of how much you’ll actually make. If you want to know the answer to that and whether or not becoming a Disney travel agent is right for you, then you’re in the right place.
The commission structure with Disney is pretty straightforward. For most vacations, especially for new travel agents, your commission starts out at 10%. That means if you book a $5,000 trip, you’ll make $500 after the person travels. Disney cruises are a little different depending on the volume of sales you have. You can make up to 15 to 16% commission for Disney Cruises so it might be something you want to keep in mind!
As you’re growing and booking, you may have to share a portion of your commission depending on how your business is set up. If you’re an independent agency, you’ll earn 100% of your commissions, however, host agencies are becoming more popular, and you may have to give them a percentage of your commissions.
Running through the numbers will help you decide whether becoming a Disney travel agent is the right move for you. If your goal is to make $100k, you’d have to sell about one million in sales. Though that number feels really big, let’s break it down…
Let’s say your average sale lies around $5,500/sale. Some may be at a value resort, while others could be at the Grand Floridian. In order to make your goal of $100k a year, that would mean you need to book about 15 trips per month. If your goal is to make $50k a year, that number lies closer to 8 trips per month.
As a side note, if you’re doing the process of hosting, you would have to share a portion of your profits with your host. These percentages can range anywhere from 20% to above the 50% threshold. If you’re with a host, you’d have to sell more trips per month to meet your annual income goal.
One of the easiest things you can do to earn extra income right away is to start charging planning fees. You also may want to consider offering Universal add-on packages. Yes, this post is about Disney travel, but it’s hard to do Disney without offering Universal packages. Clients with older kids are likely to request this add-on, so don’t glance over it!
You can also offer concierge fees. Offering fast passes and dining is extremely helpful to your travelers so be sure to charge extra for it! You can even get access to Disney discounts so it may be something that will give you that extra push toward becoming a Disney travel agent.
If you want to be successful as a Disney travel agent and want to make income that will make an impact, there are a few things you need to learn how to do well.
First up is you need to know how to be an actual travel agent. Disney isn’t going to teach you, so you’ll have to find training. You’ll also want to think about how you can find clients to meet your income goal. This often comes with marketing and promoting your services online. Regardless of whether you’re an independent agency or work with a hosting agency, you’ll be responsible for finding your own clients.
Ready to become a Disney travel agent, but need help getting there? In our Careers on Vacation certification program, we’ll help you get there. With the Careers on Vacation program, you’ll get access to experts and learn how to operate at the highest level possible immediately.
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