AAA Room Only Discount?

[AaronInWI]

In doing some research for a friend's upcoming trip, I found that AAA and Disney ended their relationship at the beginning of 2015. In the past, we have enjoyed a discounted room only AAA rate when booking directly through Disney. Will this no longer be an option for us in the future? Or does this "terminated relationship" only apply to discounted packages when booking through AAA? This could significantly impact our plans for future trips.

 

[twodogs]

I think all discounts were terminated. I was bummed too as that was the only way we ever got a discount at BLT.

 

[AaronInWI]

I think all discounts were terminated. I was bummed too as that was the only way we ever got a discount at BLT.

Thanks, that's what I was afraid of. And it was my thought exactly regarding a discount at BLT. I might have to look into renting points to stay there now; the uncertainty of booking through a 3rd party and not controlling my reservation has scared me away from renting points in the past. Ugh..

 

[twodogs]

I agree about renting points. The discount is nice but for me the inability to cancel is too stressful. We have had several serious family health issues in the last year, and I would hate to lose all of my money if we needed to cancel. And even on points, it would be a lot to lose! I have not been successful getting a military discount there either, other than on the studios. But if you are military, you can try for that when (hopefully) the new military discount is announced for 2016. Oops just saw your countdown is for 2017, so maybe you can wait and see what is available closer! Hope you find a good deal; we LOVE BLT!!

 

[MermaidMommy]

Thanks, that's what I was afraid of. And it was my thought exactly regarding a discount at BLT. I might have to look into renting points to stay there now; the uncertainty of booking through a 3rd party and not controlling my reservation has scared me away from renting points in the past. Ugh..

Keep an eye out for Orbitz discounts. You can usually get the same discount that you can with Disney, and there's typically a 15% code that you can stack on top of that. The savings can often be close to what you'd get renting points. Recently, Orbitz started implementing a $150 savings cap on its most of its codes, but occasional discount codes without the cap pop up from time to time.

There's a lot of information on the DIS about reserving through Orbitz (and other third-party sites). You can research them, but there's no risk, and it's all fully refundable.

 

[AaronInWI]

I agree about renting points. The discount is nice but for me the inability to cancel is too stressful. We have had several serious family health issues in the last year, and I would hate to lose all of my money if we needed to cancel. And even on points, it would be a lot to lose! I have not been successful getting a military discount there either, other than on the studios. But if you are military, you can try for that when (hopefully) the new military discount is announced for 2016. Oops just saw your countdown is for 2017, so maybe you can wait and see what is available closer! Hope you find a good deal; we LOVE BLT!!

Ha ha, yeah, I tend to get a little over obsessive when planning a Disney trip. Like I said, I found this when helping a friend plan, but my mind immediately went to "wait, what about my next trip?" I'm not military, but still a good potential option for those who might be reading this who are. We stayed at BLT last year after four previous stays in the CR tower, and I told my wife that we'll never stay anywhere else again, even if we have to go with a Std View Studio.

Keep an eye out for Orbitz discounts. You can usually get the same discount that you can with Disney, and there's typically a 15% code that you can stack on top of that. The savings can often be close to what you'd get renting points. Recently, Orbitz started implementing a $150 savings cap on its most of its codes, but occasional discount codes without the cap pop up from time to time.

There's a lot of information on the DIS about reserving through Orbitz (and other third-party sites). You can research them, but there's no risk, and it's all fully refundable.

Thank you! When the time comes to book (in about 13 months), I was going to explore other potential offers. I will add Orbitz to the list. I believe I got 15% at BLT through AAA last year, and that is what I was banking on again for my next trip; so if I can get 15% from somewhere else, I'll be thrilled.

EDIT: I just reread what you said, and I now I understand that Orbitz has a discounted price, not including the 15%. So obviously a 15% off would give me an even greater savings. I've never booked through Orbitz, but now I have something to research. Thanks again!

 

[dancin Disney style]

EDIT: I just reread what you said, and I now I understand that Orbitz has a discounted price, not including the 15%. So obviously a 15% off would give me an even greater savings. I've never booked through Orbitz, but now I have something to research. Thanks again!

Orbitz will give you the same discount(public offer) that Disney is offering PLUS an additional discount. Sometimes the discount is a straight percentage or sometimes it's a percentage capped to a max of $150. The capped rate seems to be the norm right now.

Overall, this discount is better than what you would get with the AAA deal. AAA deal was only a percentage off of rack rate. With Orbitz you are getting the percentage that WDW is offering off of rack rate plus more. If you have to book at rack rate and are only getting the Orbitz discount then, no, it's not a better deal than what you might have had with AAA unless the code gives you the % off instead of the capped rate.

 

[maryj11]

I think the Disney discounts are more than AAA if I remember right. I always just wait for Disney to release their discounts.

 

[tinka-belle]

This was the case. The Disney discounts almost always were higher, and discounts could not be stacked. So little of the AAA rate was actually being used. People would book the AAA room rate and switch it to the higher discount later.

As far as the AAA package perks, they were getting fewer and fewer. The parking pass was a nice plus, but the allotted area was small and filled quickly so most people couldn't use it, and for those using ME it was useless. The fireworks viewing area was trumped by the FP+ viewing areas. Storytime also had a small allotment and filled up fast, most people were shut out of it. Lots of people who got these "perks" were not able to use them.

Also, I surmise Disney did not see any increase in bookings anymore by offering these perks thru AAA. If the perks and discounts did not drive more trips booked, why would Disney offer them? I'm sure the bean counters have this all figured out.