AAA Pkg question....

[kldmom2000]

This is the first time I've ever booked through AAA... I like to be the "hands-on" person in booking everything myself so I can change things at will without having to pay a fee, etc....

DH got hooked on the DDP esp. since we have 2 girls @ the child rate. The only way to get the AAA discount on the room portion was to book through AAA.

I booked it over a month ago and got just the paper that my TA typed up that day confirming our deposit was received and our trip was booked.... but I have not received anything else either from Disney or AAA.... is that normal?

Do they send more info/confirmations once the trip is paid in full????

TIA!!!

 

[jamounger]

I think so.

 

[Magical JenK]

You won't get any of the travel packet (vouchers, discount card, parking, luggage tags, etc) until about 1 month before your trip from AAA. You won't get anything from Disney. From my AAA TA I usually get the initial confirmation mailed to me & then whenever I make payments I get another confirmation of those.
Hope this helps!
Jen

 

[desireech]

I went through Small Wonders TA (recommended on this board), and was told that I couldn't get the DDP with the AAA discount. Is that not the case if you book directly through AAA?!

Thanks,

Desiree

 

[Magical JenK]

Correct. The only way you can get the AAA discount on the rooms & the DDP is through AAA.

 

[kldmom2000]

I went through Small Wonders TA (recommended on this board), and was told that I couldn't get the DDP with the AAA discount. Is that not the case if you book directly through AAA?!

Thanks,

Desiree

Right...

We had the free DDP last time so we obviously could book ourselves through Disney's CRO....

Since we're not certain if Disney is offering the free DDP to the public again this August, I wanted to make certain we got SOME sort of a discount... so we saved $300 off the YC booking directly through AAA.

Should free dining come out, I can give up my $300 savings and opt for the $700 free DDP savings (no double dipping on discounts )

 

[jenseib]

I think AAA sends stuff out 3-4 weeks before your trip. Disney sends your stuff to them and they send it to you. I got mine a few days ago and we leave in about15 or 16 days.


desireech
If you go through AAA you can get the dining plan.

 

[Disney8704]

About 30 days before your departure date, you will get your stuff. Also, you do not have to use AAA to get a AAA discount on the room. You can call disney, tell them you wanna use your AAA membership to get a discount and they will apply the discount on your reservation. Also, yes you can get the DDP if you book through AAA. Only when its free DDP, then you have to choose between room discount or free DDP.

 

[Disneyolic]

kdmom2000 - You sound like me. I like to have complete control of my vacation. It was hard for me but the savings I got through AAA this time were well worth it. I did, of course, make my own airline arrangements and ADRs. Our trip is not until June and we have only received the confirmation. I believe what everyone else says, you don't get all the other "stuff" until after your final payment is made and about a month before your trip.

 

[kldmom2000]

kdmom2000 - You sound like me. I like to have complete control of my vacation. It was hard for me but the savings I got through AAA this time were well worth it. I did, of course, make my own airline arrangements and ADRs. Our trip is not until June and we have only received the confirmation. I believe what everyone else says, you don't get all the other "stuff" until after your final payment is made and about a month before your trip.

LOL! Glad to see I'm not the only Disney trip control freak! I've always booked everything myself and separately-and then I change them constantly until it's too late to do so!

We saved about $300 going through AAA to get the discount on the room AND the DDP (since you can only get the AAA room only rate w/o the DDP through CRO)...

I did book our airfare myself on SWA and I did make my own ADR's (which will change many times before we go )

Enjoy your trip and thanks to everyone for your responses above!!!!!

 

[REL1203]

I currently, at rack rate, have POP booked for our trip. If I decided to join AAA, I would save $30 on the trip (save $90 on the room - $60 to join AAA). Do you get anything else special by booking through AAA. We are going last week of July 07

 

[Disneyolic]

I currently, at rack rate, have POP booked for our trip. If I decided to join AAA, I would save $30 on the trip (save $90 on the room - $60 to join AAA). Do you get anything else special by booking through AAA. We are going last week of July 07

Our membership only cost $50. They waived the $15 application fee because we booked a package with them.

AAA gives the same 2007 WDW inclusions as WDTC: 1 round of miniature golf, $15 gift certificate for food and nonalcoholic beverages at Planet Hollywood, additional 30 mins of Sea Raycers when you purchase 60 minus, AAA luggage tags (one per person), plus they give a Disney Character Storytelling experience. I cannot comment on the storytelling as I have never been and not sure if we will utilize this.

 

[jenseib]

I currently, at rack rate, have POP booked for our trip. If I decided to join AAA, I would save $30 on the trip (save $90 on the room - $60 to join AAA). Do you get anything else special by booking through AAA. We are going last week of July 07

Look online. We got ours for 45 online. We just put one person on it. I think the speciela was to add an extra person was 12. Regular price is 24.

 

[tiggeraholic]

I called today and joined for $50 and they added my 17 year old daughter on it for free. We are going to stay at Pop Century for 7 days in November, 2 rooms, and I saved $117.53 per room!!!

 

[disneymom06]

LOL! Glad to see I'm not the only Disney trip control freak! I've always booked everything myself and separately-and then I change them constantly until it's too late to do so!

We saved about $300 going through AAA to get the discount on the room AND the DDP (since you can only get the AAA room only rate w/o the DDP through CRO)...

I did book our airfare myself on SWA and I did make my own ADR's (which will change many times before we go )

Enjoy your trip and thanks to everyone for your responses above!!!!!

Another Disney control freak here!

I was also nervous, made my own ADR's but couldn't pass up the savings as we needed two rooms. We got a $500 savings on the package price during Easter week. I could have never beat that and it was a Disney CM who told me that I could get a discount by booking with AAA.

 

[Tam1067]

AAA gives the same 2007 WDW inclusions as WDTC: 1 round of miniature golf, $15 gift certificate for food and nonalcoholic beverages at Planet Hollywood, additional 30 mins of Sea Raycers when you purchase 60 minus, AAA luggage tags (one per person), plus they give a Disney Character Storytelling experience. I cannot comment on the storytelling as I have never been and not sure if we will utilize this. [/COLOR][/QUOTE]


The storytelling is really cute. We had the Fairy Godmother; it's small and quiet with just a few families. My kids really liked it. If you've got little kids, it's certainly worth it.

 

[Disneyolic]

The storytelling is really cute. We had the Fairy Godmother; it's small and quiet with just a few families. My kids really liked it. If you've got little kids, it's certainly worth it.

Thank you for the info. There will be one day when DH takes DSs to BB and I will be with my DD2 at the MK. This may be a great thing for her as we intend to do all the "little kiddie" things exclusively. I am really looking forward to a mommy/daughter day.

 

[wdwmaw]

Thank-you for all the info so far.So, if you book with AAA do they have the same rules as WDTC for cancelations. If Disney comes out with a better deal then is it easy to cancel. The TA that is close to us has never switched any of the people I have talked with to the better deals ( ex.free dining).Can you watch and make them add the code, just afraid all rooms would be gone before they got around to it. Also,did AAA give you a reservation # that can be used for ADR's .Last question, are the pkgs sold out quicker than AAA room only or can a AAA room only be booked as a pkg later by just calling AAA. Thank-you for any help with all my questions.

 

[Disneyolic]

Thank-you for all the info so far.So, if you book with AAA do they have the same rules as WDTC for cancelations. If Disney comes out with a better deal then is it easy to cancel. The TA that is close to us has never switched any of the people I have talked with to the better deals ( ex.free dining).Can you watch and make them add the code, just afraid all rooms would be gone before they got around to it. Also,did AAA give you a reservation # that can be used for ADR's .Last question, are the pkgs sold out quicker than AAA room only or can a AAA room only be booked as a pkg later by just calling AAA. Thank-you for any help with all my questions.

Since AAA books directly with Disney, the cancellation policies are the same as WDTC. They will add any codes that may come out; at least they informed me that they would. You don't need your reservation # for ADRs. You can use your home phone #. The CM will ask the resort you are staying at and what your arrival date is. I have had no problems making any ADRs.

 

[Magical JenK]

Thank-you for all the info so far.So, if you book with AAA do they have the same rules as WDTC for cancelations. If Disney comes out with a better deal then is it easy to cancel. The TA that is close to us has never switched any of the people I have talked with to the better deals ( ex.free dining).Can you watch and make them add the code, just afraid all rooms would be gone before they got around to it. Also,did AAA give you a reservation # that can be used for ADR's .Last question, are the pkgs sold out quicker than AAA room only or can a AAA room only be booked as a pkg later by just calling AAA. Thank-you for any help with all my questions.

I'm not sure on the cancellation rules, you'll want to check on that. Regarding a better deal (i.e. free dining), yes, you could get the better deal through AAA. HOWEVER, know that what they'd need to do is cancel your existing reservation & then re-book w/the new deal. The concern with that is your resort & dates may not be available w/the better deal as there is only so many rooms allowed for each discount whether it's AAA, AP, free dining, etc. The last two years I didn't have any issue w/my dates, but my resort needed to be changed one year. If you & your TA catch it early enough, you should be fine. But I would highly suggest watching the boards for info on the better deals as they may not know about it as soon as we do!! I know I did run into that last year. But eventually it worked out just fine!

I know when I've called for ADRs, I give them my phone number & they ask if I'm on a dining plan. I can't remember if they ask for a reservation number? That being said, I don't think I have received a reservation number. I do know that CRO cannot see your AAA reservation in their system...

Hope this helps somewhat! Enjoy your trip!
Jen