AAA- Is it worth it?

[kissbfm]

Is it worth it to book a vacation package from AAA? What are the benefits?
What are the cons?

Beth

 

[Disneyof3]

We booked our Feb.05 with CAA/AAA and the only benefit we got extra was extra passes to use the AAA lounge and get drinks. We also use there road maps and they highlight the route you want and the best route to use. I also get cheaper medical insurance if I order through them. We also get a card and if we want to buy things in certain stores or restaurants we get a 20% discount on stuff. Certain restrictions of course. The year before we booked through Disney and got everything the same except for the above things. In Feb. the extras we got we didn't use at all except for the medical insurance and the road maps. Also we use CAA if the car breaks down on the way to Florida. If we lived in the states and didn't need medical insurance and didn't need it for car problems I likely wouldn't go through CAA/AAA.

 

[legalslave]

You also get a discount on Disney resort rooms. I got 20% off on Pop Century for December. We are staying 7 nights and I saved about $150 by booking through AAA. It's not a fortune, but it's like getting 2 nights free!

 

[GinaGrumpyDwarf]

dont forget the DIAMOND PARKING PASS....if you're renting a car, this is a HUGE bonus. You get to park behind the handicapped parking at the parks.

 

[kissbfm]

What and where is the AAA lounge?


Beth

 

[KarlaG4Kids]

I went to AAA today to compare the rates they could get for me. I had previously checked out any rates I could find. The AAA rate ONLINE was better than anything else including the rates the agents at the AAA office could get for me. They call Disney Central Reservations and couldn't meet the online AAA prices...the agents TOLD me to go back and book online. I did. I saved about $16 per night per room on our January stay at the Pop. The rates for the package (MYW, no dining) that the agents could get for me were HIGH compared to the rates for each item individually. I was going to do the dining, but guess I won't this way! Overall I have saved a lot with my AAA in the past 2 months...enough to MORE than pay for the membership. I was disappointed they couldn't get a better deal on a package, but I'm happy with my AAA online rate for the Pop.

 

[Johnfish]

Absolutely pays for it self. I got a membership this spring for 56 dollars. They added my son who just got his license for free. I saved over 300 dollars on the rooms at WDW another 100 dollars on my Universal room and about 60 dollars on the 2 tours we did on our trip. By the way I booked all of these things on my own. I found that my AAA agent couldnt come close!

Well worth the 56 dollars I would say.

John

 

[SpectroMagic*o*]

The AAA discount gets you a discount on your room which I am using for my upcoming trip, however a staff member told me you can not get a dining package or dining plan if you are using a AAA discount.

ug:

 

[tommygirl79]

I joined AAA for our trip in January. We got the 20% resort stay (around $150.00 saved for the trip) and will get the Diamond Club Parking pass, etc. Ours in Southern IL cost me $56.00 so it's DEFINITELY worth it...plus I never realized before how much AAA has to offer in everyday life! There are savings at many places I had no clue about!!

Oh, and YOU CAN purchase the dining plan with your package but you have to go directly through the travel agent. This was absolutely no problem to find one in our area and things have been smooth so far. She made the reservations and I am calling myself to set up all my ADR's, HDDR, etc. Hope this helps!!!

 

[legalslave]

The AAA discount gets you a discount on your room which I am using for my upcoming trip, however a staff member told me you can not get a dining package or dining plan if you are using a AAA discount.

ug:

That staff member was WRONG. You can't book the package through Disney, but you can get it through a AAA agent. However, you cannot get both the AAA discount and a FREE dining package (if it is offered again).

 

[cheshirekat]

we booked a king room at the port orleans riverside for the AAA rate of $119 a night - normally the room would have been $149. just called up central reservations and asked for the "AAA" rate. didn't use a AAA agent or package or anything. we're saving $120 on a 4-night stay!!

 

[allaboutmm]

We have saved a good amount of $ when going through AAA. I think its worth it!

 

[scrapperjill]

A couple thoughts....We booked through AAA for our up comming trip (in less than 30 days ) and we DID book the MYW dinning plan...so YES you can get the dinning plan and discounts that AAA offers. We booked directly throught the local AAA office in town...

Also just so you know not everyone in your group needs to be a AAA member. Were going with 2 other families....all of which booked seperate reservations...but only ONE person in the whole group has a AAA membership. I thought that was pertty cool...seeing that we all got the discounts and savings (including the parking pass, lounge passes, diamond card and luggage tags) and only one person had the membership.

 

[RIDisneyFan]

We booked our trip through AAA at a travel show at Gillette Stadium several months ago. It was about $100 lower than what I found online, plus we got a $50 travelers check from AAA for booking at the travel show.

 

[stemikger]

I booked my last trip with AAA and I wasn't impressed. The women I dealt with never kept me informed and was not that great. Stick with Disney you are much better off.

Also, AAA made a mistake on my park hopper tickets. They never put the hopper feature on and I had to pay an extra $111 after paying for it through AAA. When I went home and looked at my original request (thank God I saved it) it was on there.

AAA agreed with me and are making good for it, but I am still waiting for the check they said they are going to send me.

 

[mickeysaver]

For the $60 enrollment fee, we are saving about $160 on our room at CSR and over $120 on the other hotel that we have booked in FL for the time that we will be visiting family before we go to Disney. Of course, if God forbid, we should need roadside assistance, it's there for us too. I love AAA. Maggie

 

[Magalex]

I just got a quote from AAA online for 6 nights in May(includes airfare) but they are very limited on exact information even contacting them back to make final reservations. If I would buy AAA package I would go to an office. But I will stick with the online travel agency I used this past April. MouseEarsVacations was great. I rather have a stress free vacation.

Magalex

 

[dyna]

The AAA is worth joining even if you don't use it for disney. DH and I has had AAA for years and when the DD's started driving put them on it too that's their Christmas present every year.

1 year DD had MAJOR car trouble on her way back to school after the holidays needless to say she was 80 miles from home AAA more than paid for it's self that year and we hadn't even gotten our new cards yet.

The next year DD was 80 miles from boyfriends house a 1,000 miles from home when car quit again. She was towed to boyfriends house for free once again that 1 tow paid for the AAA for all of us that year.

Nothing like bein on a old harley in the middle of NO WHERE when a tire goes flat or she decides to take a dump.

Between the 4 drivers in the family we have all used the AAA at some point during the year usually on what would have been a major tow bill had we had to pay out of pocket.

Sometimes we can get better deal thru AAA for disney other times we can't depends on what we need at the time. The maps are so so they do mark construction zones etc but often we know a better way.

I learned not to depend on AAA to help me plan my disney visit cause any questions I ever asked I was told to ask after I got there. NOT I want to know before I go not gonna spend disney time asking questions lol

 

[PatsGirl]

To clarify another post, you cannot use the AAA discount and get FREE dining. You can, however, book a package through AAA and get the 15-20% your room and still have the dining program be part of the package -- it's the FREE dining plan that is not available.

Brenda

 

[TnTWalter]

so I'm happy [so far].
Plus they towed me recently when my car died on a busy street with 3 kids [alternator]. And several months ago I blew a tire and they came and fixed it. Well worth the little fee. Not to mention discounts anywhere I stay. I probably don't use it nearly as much as I could.

Trish