AAA questions...

[dansamy]

I went ahead and signed up online for AAA and called my state's home office today. The agent there will look into booking a package. I want to know, will the AAA package includes AAA discounts for the room rate and tickets or just the room? I am looking at a 7day/6night stay (arrival 02/01-02/03 and departing 02/07-02/09, I'm flexible) with 6 day base park tickets and the DDP at POR. My quote from Disney (and DU) is $2687 and some change. If I can't get the AAA discounted passes as part of a AAA package, should I switch my package res to a 1 day ticket and buy AAA discounted 5 day passes at my local office before we leave?

 

[lkaanda]

I am not sure how much this will help, but we are also looking to stay at POR in Feb.. Our dates are Feb. 9-15. When I called Disney they quoted me a AAA rate for the room and then added on a 7 day base tickets (no park hopper) and it came to 1907.76. I am waiting for AAA to call back to see how much of a difference there will be to do it through them. Of course you do get the little perks with AAA (parking, storytime etc.) so it may pay for us to go through AAA either way. It looks like on the AAA website there is a small discount for tickets with park hoppers etc., so I am not sure how much of a discount I will get. I am not sure I understood the other question you had about switching, so I can't help there. Sorry I can't help more.

 

[beth_cam]

while some aaa offices offer some tickets with a tiny discount on them, they are something to be purchased separately. They can not be part of a package. The aaa package includes (when there is availability since discounted rooms are limited) a discount on your room only. What I have seen posted on websites leads to the idea that the discounts for the coming year will work virtually the same as in past years, 10-20% off the room portion of your reservation dependant on season and resort category. However people do seem to be getting slightly different info when they try to book. From my own research on the aaa site I have seen stuff that in 2007 was discounted 15% is only 10% in 2008.

So since the discount is off the room portion of your reservation and nothing else (if it does follow like before), I will compare just that part of the booking. remember a package is just the full rack rate for tickets, dining, and room. Then a aaa package as I said discounts that room.

Disney site shows all nights in that range at the same rate of 149/night or about 167 with tax.

AAA site shows the nightly rate of 119.20/night or 134 with tax. This is a room rate savings of 29.80/night (33 with tax) or about 20%. For six nights that gives you a savings of 178.80.

NOW to the furthering issue of tickets - It really won't benefite you anyway you look at it to get 2 sets of tickets to obtain a discount on your longer set. For one adult ticket one day with the package it will cost you about $75 with tax.just say you would get a 20% discount on your ticket from aaa, which you never would. I think it is something like 5% and as I said only certain tickets are carried at aaa so you might not even be able to get the ones you want. so the fictitious 20% discount would bring the 6 day ticket to about 184. So by purchasing your tickets separate to obtain the discount, you would total a ticket price of about 260. Where as if you just buy the 7 day ticket with your package, you get the whole 7 days for about 233. Some places offer better discounts than aaa but no one comes close to 20% and as I showed you even with 20% it would still cost you an extra $27 to purchase them separately.

However - If you aren't getting dining, and don't care about the other little packaga incentives that are offered both from disney and the extra ones from aaa, there is no need to get a package. Again as I said before a package is simply full price tickets, rack rate room, and full price dining if you want it, minus your aaa discount plus the little incentives. The cancellation/change/pay off policies are much stricter on a package. So if you don't need a package for whatever reason, you could get room only and save the same amount of $$$ on that as booking your aaa package saves you, then purchase your tickets separately through aaa or another discounter to get some savings.

 

[lkaanda]

Dansamy,

Just to let you know, I talked to a AAA agent and will save almost another $100.00 using them for a 6 night package for room with 7 day base ticket, over what Disney had quoted for the AAA room rate with same tickets. So I think it does pay to use AAA. Not a bad deal! Good luck!