AAA Discount Buyer Beware

[8EONUE8]

My experience with AAA a has been pretty good. They saved me $294 over the package price from Disney. But I can save an additional $51 by doing the AAA room only discount with tickets purchased from Undercovertourist. The only problem with this is you can't do the DDP. The plus side of the room only discount is you don't have to make final payment until arrival and you can cancel upto 5 days out.

One thing to watch for from AAA is they automatically include the insurance, which for me was $119.90. My TA told me that it was included and I could decline it.

 

[Fionasmommy]

No ME on AAA?

Drats!

No ME at the Dolphin. AAA does do ME.

 

[Fionasmommy]

Now...my plan is to go to my local AAA office and purchase my WDW Disney Park Hopper tickets. Does that sound like a good idea?

Thanks everyone!

There isn't an AAA discount on tickets, so you'd really be better off ordering through Maple Leaf or Undercover Tourist if you want to save a bit more.

 

[SuperTink]

Fionasmommy, you are saving my sanity!

Oh, I was not factoring the extra price for an extra adult in the room. So the price does make sense!

 

[8EONUE8]

I booked my hotel ressies directly with the Dolphin using my AAA card...50% discount seemed like a great deal to me. I know I can't do the dining plan and Magical Express, but I do think this will still be cheaper.
Now...my plan is to go to my local AAA office and purchase my WDW Disney Park Hopper tickets. Does that sound like a good idea?

Thanks everyone!

I signed up for the MouseSavers newletter and you get a link to the UndercoverTourist and you get a special savings not given on his normal site. Saved me about $50 off the price at Disney's website. (4 adult and 1 child - 10 day parkhopper). I dont know if AAA is any better.

 

[Dislifer]

Interesting...tell me more about this "Undercovertourist" place. I can get my WDW tickets through them and it is a reputable place????

 

[Echo queen]

I would love to hear more about the undercover place too. I was planning to purchase park hoppers through AAA, but if there is a discounted option, I will take it.

 

[8EONUE8]

I found out about them on mousesavers.com. They by blocks of new,unused, discounted tickets from Disney and are a Disney authorized ticket reseller. When you do the pricing on their website the total includes taxes and they ship for free. When you price on the Disney website it doesnt have the taxes included until you send you order to the checkout.

The link below will take you to where this information is on the mousesavers website.

mousesavers.com/wdwtixdiscounts

Sign up for the mousesavers newletter (comes in your email on the 15th of each month) and they have a link which provides additional savings. (Think I already said this in a earlier post)

Hope this helps.

 

[musicmom3]

I booked my hotel ressies directly with the Dolphin using my AAA card...50% discount seemed like a great deal to me. I know I can't do the dining plan and Magical Express, but I do think this will still be cheaper.
Thanks everyone!

I just booked 5 nights at CSR (room only, standard room) through CRO for President's week and wound up with an AAA discount of 15%. The room cost is $178.50 per night--more than I would like to pay for sure! Your deal of 50% off sounds incredible! Can I ask you how when you are going and how much you are paying for your Dolphin room? I had called the Dolphin and Swan trying to use the teacher discount but nothing was available for my dates--I did not even think to try AAA!

 

[Dislifer]

I just booked 5 nights at CSR (room only, standard room) through CRO for President's week and wound up with an AAA discount of 15%. The room cost is $178.50 per night--more than I would like to pay for sure! Your deal of 50% off sounds incredible! Can I ask you how when you are going and how much you are paying for your Dolphin room? I had called the Dolphin and Swan trying to use the teacher discount but nothing was available for my dates--I did not even think to try AAA!

Well, Christmas night I was in a bad mood after spending a miserable Christmas with my extended family. Part of the reason is because I have spent the past 2 Christmases with my children in WDW. So, I went on the internet and googled Dolphin and I got the Sheraton web site, because I guess actually Dolphin and Swan are Sheraton owned hotels.
Now, I know I'm still paying alot...because I am going at the highest $$$ time of the year...12/22 - 12/31/07...so, my discounted rate comes to $309.
I'm going to call them later and see if my teacher discount would work out better...can't hurt to try!!! When I went last year, we stayed at CBR and I think it was alot more than what your paying...because we went at peak season. I don't think that WDW resorts take AAA.
You should check back with Dolphin/Swan and see what your rate would be using AAA.

 

[Mickiethepooh]

Well, Christmas night I was in a bad mood after spending a miserable Christmas with my extended family. Part of the reason is because I have spent the past 2 Christmases with my children in WDW. So, I went on the internet and googled Dolphin and I got the Sheraton web site, because I guess actually Dolphin and Swan are Sheraton owned hotels.
Now, I know I'm still paying alot...because I am going at the highest $$$ time of the year...12/22 - 12/31/07...so, my discounted rate comes to $309.
I'm going to call them later and see if my teacher discount would work out better...can't hurt to try!!! When I went last year, we stayed at CBR and I think it was alot more than what your paying...because we went at peak season. I don't think that WDW resorts take AAA.
You should check back with Dolphin/Swan and see what your rate would be using AAA.

You are wrong there you can certainly book room only at any of the Disney resorts at the AAA rate as long as they still have rooms available at that rate. the amount of savings changes with the season Holiday is 10%, regular season is 15% and value is 20%
You cannot however book a package through Disney with the AAA discount you can only book that direct through AAA.

 

[Ilovestitch]

A package with the AAA discount will NEVER be more $$ than the exact same package with rack rate.

If your agent is getting a higher price than you and the agent are not comparing the same packages/not comparing apples to apples.

When a AAA agent gets a price for you they are calling Disney just like you would- their prices are coming directly from Disney. So if its higher then there's always a reason for it.

Disney will automatically add on the insurance- so if your agent doesn't book a lot of Disney packages they might not realize that Disney added it to the price you quoted them.

If a TA gets a price higher than Disney's rack rate and when you question it they just say they don't know why its higher then they are being lazy- b/c there's always a reason. If they don't know why its higher then they should call Disney and find out.

 

[pjcinderella]

I always book through Disney & they apply the AAA rate for my room! I am not sure how it works for tickets as we are AP holders. But Disney always applied the discount for me. I usually save 200-500 alone on my cabin at Fort Wilderness when there isn't a AP rate.

 

[intheworks]

Anyone feel free to correct me if I am wrong -- but WDTC can book AAA packages. (Room Only is CRO. Internet bookings and packages are WDTC.)

Who is WDTC?

 

[Trekker]

Who is WDTC?

Walt Disney Travel Company

 

[IwannaseeMickey]

Add me on to the happy AAA booker list...we were there early Dec. and used AAA for the 2nd time and saved several hundred thru AAA as compared to the Disney website. My agent is VERY helpful!

 

[intheworks]

Walt Disney Travel Company

Oh. For some reason that didn't register. Anytime I have tried to check rates online, I have never seen an option to apply a AAA discount?

 

[Fionasmommy]

Oh. For some reason that didn't register. Anytime I have tried to check rates online, I have never seen an option to apply a AAA discount?

You have to call WDTC or AAA to get the rate, or you can just check it on the aaa.com site. Put in your zip code and it should forward you to your state AAA site and you can check room prices and availability there.

 

[Kimberlyfamilyfv]

I received a quote higher from AAA than what disney had quoted me. I then asked what costs were quoted and amongst the several noted costs was the AAA travel agent fee. When I inquired how much that fee was I got no specific answer. This was from the AAA office in Bloomington, IL.

 

[ExPirateShopGirl]

I received a quote higher from AAA than what disney had quoted me. I then asked what costs were quoted and amongst the several noted costs was the AAA travel agent fee. When I inquired how much that fee was I got no specific answer. This was from the AAA office in Bloomington, IL.

My AAA agent does not charge a fee. Her services are included in my AAA memebership. Try another AAA office!