Aaa ?

[vicki845]

I am new to this so please bear with me. Can I make a reservation with aaa for room, tickets and ddp or should I do just room and ddp? Then if disney does the free dining I can cancel my reservation with aaa and booked my room with disney? The only way to get the free dining is booking your room through disney? Sorry but this is confusing to me. Also is aaa the only way to go to get a discount rate? We would like to stay at wl/akl or if I can get a good deal the poly. tia

 

[mtrak17]

I think this is correct, but someone correct me if not:

If there is a free dining promotion, you would get that through any travel agent. You do not have to book through Disney to get free dining.

This is how AAA reservations work:

If you wanted a room ONLY with the AAA room discount, you could book through AAA OR through Disney (or, I believe, through any travel agency, but I don't know this). When booking with a non-AAA agency (i.e. Disney), you would need to let them know you wanted the AAA room discount.

HOWEVER, as I understand it if you want a PACKAGE with room, tickets, dining plan AND you still want the AAA room discount, you have to book through AAA. Only AAA will still get you the room discount on a package.

I think that you need to book at least a one-day ticket (for everyone on your package) in order to even qualify for the dining plan, because the dining plan can only be purchased as part of the package which includes tickets.

I know you can change items on your AAA package reservation up to a certain point for free, i.e. resorts, adding dining, changing tickets, etc. However, I believe once you pay the package in full, there is a fee to change (maybe $25-50).

Also, if any deals come out at any time between the time you book and the time you go, AAA (or Disney or another good travel agency) will figure out which deal is best for you and make changes to your reservation (but it's smart to look for them yourself, too). So if you had booked the dining plan, and then free dining came out, you would get free dining as long as your package qualified.

 

[vicki845]

IAlso, if any deals come out at any time between the time you book and the time you go, AAA (or Disney or another good travel agency) will figure out which deal is best for you and make changes to your reservation (but it's smart to look for them yourself, too). So if you had booked the dining plan, and then free dining came out, you would get free dining as long as your package qualified.

I was just on the phone with disney. The cm told me that if I booked the ddp and it was offered for free in March that I WOULD have to call them with the code, and they would be happy to credited my account. She said to look for the code in sunday's newspaper or check the dis boards.

 

[mtrak17]

Well, I think your best bet would be to call or e-mail a AAA agent in your area to find out more.

I myself have never gone to Disney during a free dining promotion, so you shouldn't take my word for it, but, for example, this is how the promotion worked for the trip we just took in January:

1. I e-mailed AAA last April through their website, got connected with an agent who worked with me throughout, and she booked a room reservation for January 2007 (the rates had not yet been announced). I made a deposit on the room.

2. In August 06, when the 2007 rates were announced, she booked a room-only reservation with a AAA discount (I hadn't decided whether I wanted a package)

3. I later converted my room reservation into a package with dining (keeping the AAA room discount because I had booked through AAA) (no charge for converting the room to a package).

4. I later changed the resort where I wanted to stay (no charge).

5. After paying the package in final, Disney announced a free hopper-pass upgrade promotion (free upgrade to hopper pass and water parks, etc.). The promotion was first offered (I believe) to Disney Visa card holders (which I am) - there was a "code" connected with the promotion (i.e. ZBWAS, or something along those lines). By the time I saw the code on DIS and had contacted my travel agent, she had already called Disney to apply the code to my package and I was all set. My package which I had paid for was converted to the less expensive package which included the ticket upgrades.

I would imagine the Free Dining promotion works the same way. There probably is a "code". If you book through Disney, I guess you have to call and apply it yourself If you book through a good agent, he or she should call Disney for you to apply it (although you should follow-up).

Just my thought, but are you looking for free dining for this March? So far, they've only offered the free dining in the fall (and maybe once in January when it first came out?), but anything is possible

In any event, I would contact a AAA agent if you want to know more about it

 

[vicki845]

I read on dis they made the annoucement last year for the free dining in march/april. Hopefully they will do the same this year. I have never been to disney when they offered the free dining. However, since I will be going sept/oct I might as well take advantage of the offer.

I will call AAA tomorrow and find out what kind of rate they have. Also I check wdw website, and for the same package that cm quoted me, the website was almost $500 cheaper. How can this be?

Thanks for the info!