AAA Frustration! Need advice!

[ExPirateShopGirl]

I'm a planner. It's what I do best. Scratch that. OVER-planning is what I do best. With that aside, Let me start by saying I booked a nice poolside room at a downtown Disney hotel last month for our October trip. Good enough, right? Well, you'd think so, but no!

I called WDW and booked a room-only ressie at POFQ at the AAA rate. I could only get the room rate, and the CM told me I needed to book a package through AAA to get the discounted room rate and the MYW passes and dining, etc.

So, I took a 'personal' day off of work Monday to catch up on a few things (read: I went to UPS and shipped all my Xmas returns back to the stores FINALLY) and then I visited AAA (armed, of course with the newfound DISboards knowledge)! The gal was nice and gave me some nice brochures and maps, but she was so clueless about how the new tickets and all work, that I had to have her check on many things.

Today, I decided to call another AAA number and spoke with a gal who quoted me a package $700 MORE than what I could get on the WDW website without any discounts at all! I asked her to go through the price of each component and add it up like I was doing... she put me on hold and asked the Disney rep, and came back and told me that it cost that much because it was a package. So I said, 'Ok, what is it I'm getting that's worth $700 that I don't get if I book it separately???"

So here I am... Frustrated because I am getting to the point where AAA rates begin to get gobbled up for my trip dates and I can't seem to get a hold of anyone who knows diddly to help me. I saw this being discussed on another thread but I can't locate it and I need to keywords to make the AAA TAs understand!!!

The first 100 posters to help me will receive my soon-to-be net-published MYW dining plan comparison, "How fat we would get if we ate all the food necessary to make the dining plan be a great deal!"

TY in advance! I love this board!

 

[Nik's Mom]

The only advice I can give is to try another agent. When we booked our MYW + dining package, I had to call a couple of different agents before I found one who knew what they were doing.
The best thing you could do is figure out the cost yourself (rack rate room + tickets + dining package), then subtract the AAA discount off of the room portion of the package. Armed with this info, you can tell the agent what you are looking for. For the package to be $700 more is way too crazy. He or she must have done something different than what you wanted. Good luck to you!


I just saw a thread further down that gives out the WDW AAA reservation phone #. I think that's the phone # that AAA agents use to book the package. Try calling them. The # is 407-828-8101.

 

[katboferguson]

Honestly, I struggled with the same situation. I joined AAA in January just so I could get a discounted rate for our trip in July. (Also in January, AAA was giving 25 disney dollars to anyone who booked with them in Jan., but I was not informed of this.) I found this out later on the boards. I also called AAA several different times for rates. I did the math. AAA was still a little more expensive for me then booking it all seperatey myself. That is what I chose to do. Also I debated the meal plan thing. There are three of us: me, ds11, ds10. Both boys would be adult prices on the meal plan with Disney. However, if I were to pay out of pocket at the Wispering Canyon Rest. at WL for example, I found out that kids under 12 eat there for like $8 or $9 dollars. I think it is better for me just not to purchase the meal plan which for 5 days would cost us $525.00

 

[DAWGPOUNDAJ]

That sounds absolutely ridiculous and I'm really sorry to hear about all of the trouble you've been having booking your trip! Do you know anyone in your area that has booked through AAA before? Perhaps they have a good agent recommendation? If you happen to be from Northeast or Northwestern Ohio I could recommend a few travel agents that are competent in Disney vacations. In fact on our last trip we got the AAA discount and the code discount (the pay for 5 days but get 7 package deal) with one and saved nearly $300 on rooms and tickets from the Disney rate at the time. If anything a AAA discount should save you money, NEVER be more so if it is more run like the green goblin is chasing you in the other direction! Best of luck on that and maybe some people on here could recommend a travel agent to you if their from your area.

 

[Mermaid02]

I live in Maine and I ended up using a AAA agent in Costa Mesa California! Our home office was rude to me and thought I didn't know what I was talking about.... just like your quote there was NO discount in what she was trying to sell me.

 

[tardin1964]

When I booked my room only reservations for the WL for Nov. I got a AAA room rate. The CM I spoke with told me I could call back and add the MYW tickets at the "slightly" less expensive advanced price. The MYW tickets would be incorporated into the room key when we check in. I did not ask about the dinning because I don't think we are going to go with it this trip.

 

[*Fantasia*]

You might want to call CRO again. I have no problem using my AAA discount to my reservation. Sometimes they ask for the memeber number and sometimes they don't. And they do tell you that you have to be able to present the card when you check-in. I say, call again, if they tell you you have to got o AAA office, hang up and try to call again.

 

[tinan]

$700 more.....Wow! When I was working on our vacation I originally contacted AAA in Jan. At that time, I was being quoted about $200 more than the Disney website. After reading how much everyone was saving on these boards with AAA, I decided to give AAA a call again in Feb. When I called I was now being quoted around $200 less than I could get on my own with the exact same office. When I decided to switch my MYW package from CRO to AAA I stopped in the office. My TA said that during Jan. they were having computer problems and it was quoting higher prices. I don't know if this is what is happening with you or not. I would try them again or maybe even try calling another AAA office as someone else suggested. I would be willing to give you our local office number if you want. I think you will find reading the boards and doing your own research that you may know more than the AAA TA. I found myself giving tips to my TA. I actually felt bad as she was so excited to tell me about a specific restaurant. I then told her that I read all about it here and that I already have that planned in my itinerary. I went on to explain that I would like CRT for dinner one night. She then went on to say I have heard it's so hard to get CRT. Even though I am using a TA, I still plan on doing a lot of my own plans. Best of luck!

 

[coinkc]

I called 1-888-366-4222 for AAA. (This is the number on the back of my card.) I was connected to a local office and had a wonderful lady help me. She priced out several options for us for a 7 night package for 7 people with hoppers and dining.

Then being the person that I am I called Disney and got a quote for the same package and asked for a AAA discount. She told me that there were no discounts available. So I do think you can have different luck booking through AAA instead of CRO sometimes.

By the way, the AAA quote was $574 cheaper than Disney's!

 

[FutureAshleyDukes]

I booked through Dreams Unlimited and they were able to use my AAA discount. I will never book a Disney vacation through my AAA company, due to the fact they are too hard to reach at times and clueless when it comes to Disney.

 

[Gillian]

I'm not sure what words you can use to make them understand. Is the AAA office close enough to visit? Can you ask for the disney specialist to call you?

Review the info on Mousesavers and figure out what your package should cost before you talk to an agent. It should be:
rack rate for the room minus the AAA% discount + tax
cost of the MYW tickets (advance purchase price) +Tax
cost of dining + tax

Make sure you know what is being added on -- booking fees, insurance, transfers (should not be charged for after may 5th), etc.

Get a quote from the disney website with no insurance but all taxes. Also get a quote on room only with taxes.

Take the disney.com room only rate & subtract the AAA room only rate. This is the difference in price between the 2 packages. Or at least what it should be. The other componants (tix & dining) are the same price.

Does that make sense??

 

[Gillian]

I booked through Dreams Unlimited and they were able to use my AAA discount. I will never book a Disney vacation through my AAA company, due to the fact they are too hard to reach at times and clueless when it comes to Disney.

I agree about AAA, but they are the only ones who can book the AAA discounted package with dining. You cannot add dining to an AAA room only rate.

Believe me, if you could we would not have these threads! Very few of us want to use AAA, given the general lack of knowledge & the mistakes!!

 

[java]

Oh I hear you ! I am still waiting for my call back from my AAA reservationist from a month ago. I have since booked through dreamsunlimited- using my AAA rate. I can't understand why someone would spend 20 minutes taking all my info and then not bother to call me back! So while I love my aaa discount I won't use their travel planner again. Check withh DU and let them get you a quote- then compare with what you find.

 

[jwsqrdplus2]

I had done my research before I went to AAA. I knew exactly what I wanted and how much it would cost to book it separately. The biggest thing is that I wanted the dining plan, and to get the AAA room discount with the dining plan, you have to book thru AAA. AAA saved me about $400 off my package and another $400 on airfare, so in my case it was worth patience and persistence of working with the AAA agent.

 

[RSMAEA508]

Check out the annual pass rates for hotel costs. By purchasing one annual pass you can save a lot over AAA or any other rates. Mousesavers.com website has details of rates.

I saved $700 beyond AAA rates by using one annual pass last week at Caribbean Beach. I did use AAA for park hopper tickets and other hotels before and after Disney.

I have never found it beneficial to buy the packages as we would not use all the features that are added to the cost.

 

[maxsmom]

Been there, tried that. I have yet to go through AAA. we have been able to get a AAA room discount when I book through Disney. We always add our tickets when we arrive. We liked to get the lenght of stay but cut the ends off. You could only do that at the resort. They wouldn't let you do that when you booked the trip. That's not an option anymore though. Good luck!

Michelle

 

[Mandy_in_NC]

I called the other day and made my room ressies and I did not say anything to the CRO about being a AAA member. Can I call back and have the AAA discount added?

 

[FutureAshleyDukes]

I agree about AAA, but they are the only ones who can book the AAA discounted package with dining. You cannot add dining to an AAA room only rate.

Believe me, if you could we would not have these threads! Very few of us want to use AAA, given the general lack of knowledge & the mistakes!!

Actually I was able to through Dreams Unlimited.

 

[Goofy41]

I called the other day and made my room ressies and I did not say anything to the CRO about being a AAA member. Can I call back and have the AAA discount added?

Yes thats what I did when i made my ressie.

 

[ExPirateShopGirl]

One of you fabulous Disboard posters gave me the name of a FANTASTIC AAA TA all the way in South Carolina. I called her this morning and in no time she had my whole package booked with the discounted room rate. She was so helpful, she is even making all our PS for us, save for CRT because she doesn't get into her office early enough in the a.m. to be successful. I am thrilled to have this nagging detail behind me! Thanks to everyone who offered such great help to me!

I love GREAT SERVICE and I love this board!!!!!