AAA opinion?

[DecaturDad]

Any one ever use AAA on thier way to Disney? (Or anywhere?) I am trying to decide if the peice of mind is worth the cost.

 

[koho]

I have never used AAA while on vacation, but I have used them here at home. It all depends on what you are looking for. The last time I used AAA was a few months ago. I had to call them to change a flat tire on my wife's car while I was at work. AAA has been good for us.

 

[MEK]

I used them when I had a broken rear brake caliber while traveling to a soccer tournament in PA. I was in a very hilly area of Md still 30 miles from the tournament with 3 boys in the car. I had a tow truck in 30 minutes from the time of the call. Service station was also very reputable.

I also use AAA to book my non-DVC trips and I buy park tickets from them at a discount and then upgrade to AP's if I do not renew exactly at 1 year.

 

[kamms]

The piece of mind that it gives you makes it well worth the cost, in my opinion. My wife and I have had AAA for about 10 yrs and have used it quite a few times, and have always had a good experience with the service. We booked our last WDW trip through them and was very pleased with it. We especially loved the AAA Diamond Parking, which can save you a lot of walking and time waiting for a tram, since you get to park very close to the entrance to the parks. It made a big difference.

 

[dioxide45]

Check with your auto insurer though, you may have road side assistance on your auto policy. We have Nationwide and I recently called them because I saw a $10 charge on our renewal for roadside assistance. We have AAA so I wasn't wanting to pay $20 a year for the same thing through them. The Nationwide roadside assistance provided similar benefits to the base AAA, just no discounts like you can get through AAA.

 

[Christine9125]

Check with your auto insurer though, you may have road side assistance on your auto policy. We have Nationwide and I recently called them because I saw a $10 charge on our renewal for roadside assistance. We have AAA so I wasn't wanting to pay $20 a year for the same thing through them. The Nationwide roadside assistance provided similar benefits to the base AAA, just no discounts like you can get through AAA.

You need to also watch using the roadside assistance on you auto policy because some companies will treat it as a claim and raise your rates due to this, it happened to a friend of mine. Called to have a flat tire changed and rates increase on her auto policy

 

[kaytieeldr]

Not for Disney, but when I locked the keys in a rental car in Las Vegas at 4 AM, I was able to call AAA (back here) and they arranged for a service truck to come unlock the car. That alone made it worthwhile, never mind the three flats I've had in the last couple of years, or the time my car doors wouldn't close, or I needed a jump...

 

[CleveRocks]

Any one ever use AAA on thier way to Disney? (Or anywhere?) I am trying to decide if the peice of mind is worth the cost.

Are you asking is it worth the cost of an AAA membership so that you'll have access to their roadside assistance during your drive?

Sure, I'm a big believer is peace of mind.

I wouldn't use them as a travel agent for a Disney trip, but I'd be glad I had the membership card in my wallet if I was driving to Disney (just in case of car trouble).

 

[jlewisinsyr]

You need to also watch using the roadside assistance on you auto policy because some companies will treat it as a claim and raise your rates due to this, it happened to a friend of mine. Called to have a flat tire changed and rates increase on her auto policy

I work in insurance, and I've never seen this happen, it's interesting to hear about though, I wonder the company involved. I'm also wondering if the rate increase was specifically tied to the roadside assistance or something else (ie, new vehicle ratings, driver experience ratings, etc.). An increase due to roadside assistance would need to be classified as a surcharge, not a rate increase (surcharges are assessed for claims/accidents).

I have used my auto policy roadside assistance before and have never seen my rates go up, and I've found the service extremely responsive from my carrier.