Anyone Trade in Their AAA Room for Better Code?

[skipperkim]

My AAA TA told me that I'd have to purchase 2 AP's, which I don't believe is correct since there is only 2 of us. She did save us $130 over what we already had. I did ask about upgrading to PH tickets. She advised me that there would be a change fee of $25 that she'd already waived to get the additional savings. I told her to not bother then, I'd just upgrade them when we arrived. She sounded a little upset that I knew this was a AAA policy and not a Disney policy.

 

[Timon-n-Pumbaa Fan]

My MIL is a FL resident, so I called and was able to change out her reservation a bit. We had to make her two more ressies to save her as much as possible. We are staying at CR in the Garden Wing in a Standard View room.

For 12/10 the room was $236.25 with tax at the FL resident rate.
For the next 3 nights it is $258.19/night with tax at the AAA rate.
The last 5 nights are $236.25/night with tax at the FL resident rate.
This saved my MIL an additional $131 over what AAA offered over the 6 nights that she was able to apply it.

 

[Timon-n-Pumbaa Fan]

We currently have a AAA rate booked at CR in the Garden Wing on a Standard View room. Our rate is $258.19/night with tax. We already have tickets from our trip last year. We don't find the DDP to be that useful for the way that we tend to eat on vacation.

I number crunched yesterday based on info that I could find online, it was very confusing as to how the new code would be any better for us.

I could not find availability for the entire length of stay, so I had to do a little math to get the room values. From the 13th to the 19th, I was quoted for a MYW package with 2 - 1 day base tickets in the same room category and including tax but no ins.....$1733.10. Take out the cost of the tickets with tax ($159.76) and the total drops to $1573.39, which is $262.22/night with tax and is more than the AAA rate we have now of $258.19.

However, same doing the same as the above, but getting the DDP the total was $2188.88 and then removing the DDP ($80.92/day = $485.52) and the tickets and accounting for tax, the room price was $1543.96 which is $257.32 per night and is a less than a $1 a night savings over the AAA rate of $258.19.

Voodoo math for sure! We are keeping AAA for now.

 

[SuperTink]

Some of you have been very helpful! Thanks so much!

 

[YesMickey]

I had POFQ 11/21-11/26 2 adults-2children 5 day MYW/dining+park hopper booked through AAA for $2,304.22. Called my AAA TA and gave her the QXD code and now I am staying at POR for the same package and paying $2,072.22. And she said if I get any other kind of PIN or code before I have to pay in full to call her and she will try to apply it. She told me that when she called Disney, they told her there was a AAA fall special with blocks set aside for the AAA TA. I could have chosen any of the mods except for POFQ. Which is fine with me. I am saving over $371 from the disney rack rate.

 

[Bama mom to 3]

I had POFQ 11/21-11/26 2 adults-2children 5 day MYW/dining+park hopper booked through AAA for $2,304.22. Called my AAA TA and gave her the QXD code and now I am staying at POR for the same package and paying $2,072.22. And she said if I get any other kind of PIN or code before I have to pay in full to call her and she will try to apply it. She told me that when she called Disney, they told her there was a AAA fall special with blocks set aside for the AAA TA. I could have chosen any of the mods except for POFQ. Which is fine with me. I am saving over $371 from the disney rack rate.

When I called my AAA Agent she said I was the first person to call and apply it to my packages with her and she said she was pulling all her Disney reservations and applying it for her customers She also told me what your told you about the AAA blocks set aside and told me even if all the GP were sold out, that that didn't mean the AAA GP were sold out. I love my AAA agent!

 

[MouseyMin]

I was able to trade a few days of my AAA rate to the new AP rate that just came out. For the other days, the AAA and AP rates appear to be the same price so far. I plan to keep checking.

 

[jackie101]

I booked through AAA originally and just called and had the code applied to my existing reservation...Saved another 325.00...WOOHOO

same here but saved $283.

 

[Wingman]

The full week for us was cheaper with the AAA rate due to the black out dates. If I could split the reservation and use AAA for the first three days and AP for the end, I would save $65. I can get the AP rate for the full week, but not if I want it to start on Nov 29th, no rooms available then.

 

[Minniekins]

There were no AAA discounts available when I booked (and none since). I'm paying rack right now, and like *an idiot*, I bought tickets because everyone said the prices were going up. Ah well, Live and learn.

But if anyone gives up their AAA room, I'm hoping to at least get that.

I had this same situation in regards to room only and tickets and was able to work it out and get a big discount! I think you can get a package discount, too, just need a little luck with some good timing! About 3 weeks ago I booked a room at CBR. Can't book AAA package through Disney, so I booked room only ressie with AAA and then, because CM said tickets would go up in a few days, I bought 10 day tickets separately. Then, I realized I may have jumped the gun as far as getting a package discount if those came out before room only. So, finally I called and asked and the CM said I could combine my tickets and room into a package if I called to apply a code, that they could always do things behind the scenes, as he put it, to make things into what I wanted. So, I was happy about that, although that meant I would lose my lower priced tickets. Butit was only about $36 more for same tickets, new price. I actually ended up switching to 9 base tickets cause there was only one day we might hop, and we really wouldn't go to a park on last day there, either. We can always upgrade.

So, Thur codes came out and I was able to use the DGL code. The great CM I got was able to make a package by taking the AAA discount off my room only ressie, and combining my room with the tickets I'd already purchased, no problem! At rack rate, my room/tickets priced out at $2281.78 w/ tax and insurance of 133.90 included. With the DGL code, the same trip priced out at
$1613.62, savings of $668!!!

Btw, my AAA rate on room only plus tickets with 10 hoppers was $1995. The code saved me $305 over my triple AAA rate if I adjusted it for the switch in tickets. But I keep with the Disney math and look at it as the total money saved is off the rack rate, if I didn't know about or wasn't able to get any discount!

So, my advice it to find a code such as the DGL one I used and keep calling everyday! And tell the CM that you want to combine your room only with your tickets for a package instead of how you had booked it! Rooms may open as people change or upgrade, and as peoples 45 days pymts are due and they change their plans, etc.

Now that I wrote this I'm not sure I read your post correctly, but I'll post anyway and hope this makes sense and is helpful.

 

[SuperTink]

Thanks, Minnikins, I will try to do something just like that!

I guess I just wonder why my (non AAA) TA isn't offering to do as much. Maybe she knows about something in the works down the line.

 

[momtwo4]

I just heard of the new codes. I am going to call my AAA office in the morning and see if I can have one applied to our Nov trip to POR res. We have to pay our balance off by in a couple weeks and this would help I hope!

Is QXD ?? the code I need?
Or can someone tell me where to find the info?
Thank you so much!

 

[84disney]

Bama mom to 3- Since you are in north Alabama, I was wondering if we used the same AAA. When I called AAA Thursday morning my agent was out of town so I spoke with Krystal. She was on the phone with Disney for 2 hours, and told me she switched all of her customers at the time she called for me. My agent left me a message Monday afternoon that she was leaving the next day. I called the office Tuesday morning and asked to speak with someone who could help me and told them a discount was coming out on Thursday. At first she said that it would be hard to beat their dicount, but I was insistant. She said to call her back Thursday morning and let her know...so I did and was happy to save 1100.00 on our 4 rooms and packages!! Anyway...I was just curious about your story .

 

[Bama mom to 3]

Bama mom to 3- Since you are in north Alabama, I was wondering if we used the same AAA. When I called AAA Thursday morning my agent was out of town so I spoke with Krystal. She was on the phone with Disney for 2 hours, and told me she switched all of her customers at the time she called for me. My agent left me a message Monday afternoon that she was leaving the next day. I called the office Tuesday morning and asked to speak with someone who could help me and told them a discount was coming out on Thursday. At first she said that it would be hard to beat their dicount, but I was insistant. She said to call her back Thursday morning and let her know...so I did and was happy to save 1100.00 on our 4 rooms and packages!! Anyway...I was just curious about your story .

My Agents name is Teresa. She is at the office in Florence.

 

[Moms3sons]

Thanks, Minnikins, I will try to do something just like that!

I guess I just wonder why my (non AAA) TA isn't offering to do as much. Maybe she knows about something in the works down the line.

I just want you to know something that the CM told me when I booked our AAA rate room at Pop Century back in May. I was looking for AAA rates at some other resorts (WL and Poly) and there wasn't any available - when I asked the CM what the odds were for someone to cancel one of these AAA rooms to open it up for others looking for this rate he stated...

...Not good. If someone books a AAA room rate, it comes out of the allocated number for such discounts. If someone cancels a AAA room rate later, that room goes back into the pot as "rack rate" available. In other words, once a AAA ressie is cancelled - it does not go back to the AAA alloted rooms.

Again, this was just one CM stating this. Just in case this is true - I wouldn't get hopes up that some of these AAA rooms moving to the new discount will be opening up for future reservations.

 

[84disney]

Sandy- my agent is out of Huntsville. Have a great time on your trip. We are very excited!!

 

[Bama mom to 3]

Sandy- my agent is out of Huntsville. Have a great time on your trip. We are very excited!!

You too! When are you going? We will be there the first week in November. Its our kids' Fall Break.

 

[84disney]

We are going the first week of October. Trying to miss the Columbus Day crowd. Our two older sons married this summer and one new bride has NEVER been, so we are so excited to all get to take her!!

 

[su_A_ve]

I just want you to know something that the CM told me when I booked our AAA rate room at Pop Century back in May. I was looking for AAA rates at some other resorts (WL and Poly) and there wasn't any available - when I asked the CM what the odds were for someone to cancel one of these AAA rooms to open it up for others looking for this rate he stated...

...Not good. If someone books a AAA room rate, it comes out of the allocated number for such discounts. If someone cancels a AAA room rate later, that room goes back into the pot as "rack rate" available. In other words, once a AAA ressie is cancelled - it does not go back to the AAA alloted rooms.

Again, this was just one CM stating this. Just in case this is true - I wouldn't get hopes up that some of these AAA rooms moving to the new discount will be opening up for future reservations.

FYI, note that if you call disney directly, sometimes they don't have AAA rooms available, however, you can still get a room via AAA's web site or thru an agent.