Already booked, but question about travel agent

[pgsahm2]

I have already booked a room only for a 4 night August trip. I had a 30% discount and booked ASMo (but switched to POP today) for less than $300 for the 4 nights. We do not plan on making any ADRs. We also do not need flights. Is there a reason to transfer our reservations to a travel agent? I've used (and recommended) Sue Ellen wth Dreams Unlimited a few times now and have been very pleased. But is there a benefit to transfering a trip that is already booked? For a cruise I know you get a shipboard credit, but for WDW trips there isn't a perk right?

Just wondering what others have done in similiar situations.

 

[wilea]

I just got done comparing booking directly through disney and a few different travel agents. I found no benefit going through the travel agent, it seems to be the same price. The only difference that I found is that they claim they will keep looking for discounts. I think I am just going to book my trip directly through disney and see what happens. I will just keep looking for discounts.
My opinion.

 

[Dinka]

We are going in April to Pop and went through a travel agent only because she is a friend of mine, but she couldn't give me anything but $50 off, she said Disney just doesn't offer discounts like that. She basically just went onliine just like we could and found the best deal for us. So as far as I know there is no real benefit to using a travel agent! Good luck!

 

[redsox4886]

I recently went through AAA to book my trip in march and after comparing prices at the pop, found AAA to be almost $200 cheaper.

-Neal

 

[CleveRocks]

I think it's worth it if you book with a Disney specialist. A good one will know about any discount codes and aggressively attempt to get them for you.

If you aren't the type to comb the Internet every day to look for those codes, then having the TA will be very helpful ... if you notice the discount code a week or 2 after it started, you might not be able to get the resort or room-type you want (a pre-existing reservation gives you NO ADVANTAGE in applying a code versus someone making a new reservation).

I've taken our young kids to WDW twice. The first time we used my mother-in-law's friend the travel agent, and it would have been an absolute disaster if I had just sat back and believed everything she said. I actually had to teach her things that I learned here on the DIS. Seriously ... for example, she'd never heard of Disney's Magical Express, and even after I sent her a link she thought it didn't apply to me (even though it certainly did).

For our second trip, I did it all myself. Since I am the type of person who looks around cyberspace everyday for Disney stuff, I learned right here on the DIS about a discount code (thanks to my fellow DISers for posting about that!!!), and I immediately called Disney and I saved about $375 simply by telling DIsney a little 3-letter code.

So, either get a good and knowledgable TA who takes his/her job seriously, or do it yourself with the understanding that you have to be very vigilant about new codes and other offers.

Lousy or so-so TAs give the good ones a bad name.