Booking a package through AAA

[kjs1976]

We're going for a 4 day trip in the middle of August. I booked a AAA room at POP. We're considering doing the dining plan and if I book a package through AAA, I can still get the same amount off as I would on the room, minus the $15 fee. I have never booked through AAA and have always taken care of all the reservations myself. I get a little nervous booking through AAA due to a few problems I have read from other guests on this forum over the years.

Anyone have any success stories and advice to keep in mind when booking through AAA? Also, am I able to make my own dining reservations when I book through them?

Thanks!

 

[Praying Colonel]

We booked through AAA for our 06 trip and did so again this time. Our cost was about 10-15% less than what was quoted us on the Disney website. I like booking through AAA because we get the Diamond Parking pass and you get a discount at World of Disney.

Make sure you're getting someone who has experience booking Disney trips. In 06 we started with a newbie TA who knew much less than we did and we just didn't have a good feeling about it. We said we'd come back another time and met later with a TA who knew her stuff and she took good care of us.

You can definitely make your own ADR's.

 

[Stitch'sCousin]

You can book through AAA and get the discount off your room portion of the package. Then you can do all of your ADR's yourself if you want to. (The CM's will just use your home phone number for the ADR's). There is a 1-800 number that will save you calling WDW but I don't have it with me right now. If nobody else posts it for you, I will put it up this evening when I get home.

 

[Cookie5nupe]

I booked with AAA for my August vacation as well. The room and ticket portion of your vacation you get a percentage off. However, the dining package is a constant fixed rate I believe. But it's still a great deal in my honset opinion....

~cookie

 

[Tam1067]

Last year I saved over $300 off 8 nights at the Poly by going through AAA. This year, we're saving close to $400 off 8 nights at the Poly. This is in July when there are no other general discounts available. It's certainly worth it to me to use AAA. My agent is pretty good. She's done lots of Disney trips, and though she offered to make my dining reservations for me, I like to do it myself.

 

[MomWith2Cinderellas]

We're going for a 4 day trip in the middle of August. I booked a AAA room at POP. We're considering doing the dining plan and if I book a package through AAA, I can still get the same amount off as I would on the room, minus the $15 fee. I have never booked through AAA and have always taken care of all the reservations myself. I get a little nervous booking through AAA due to a few problems I have read from other guests on this forum over the years.

Anyone have any success stories and advice to keep in mind when booking through AAA? Also, am I able to make my own dining reservations when I book through them?

Thanks!

We have booked 2 WDW trips through AAA. On both occassions everything went smoothly.
You can make your own reservations for dining. I did both times.
The one thing I did was pretty much call my agent once a month until the trip (I was a pain). I had her go over everything with me to make sure it was what I had wanted. My agent was great!

 

[rhiannon]

We booked thru AAA last Sept. and although we didn't get a room discount (it was free dining plan promo so I don't think they were giving extra discounts) I was happy with the service and the fact my agent had everything ready for me to pick up before we left.
Diamond parking was a great perk, at AK we were practically at the entrance, discount card was nice, plus we got free travel bag and luggage tags.

Also, we used AAA for a Disney cruise and again no complaints, plus we got a 50 dollar room credit.

 

[Stitch'sCousin]

Sorry I didn't get back to you last night. The number to call fi you want to avoid long distance charges is 1-800-828-0228.

 

[dobball23]

If you book through AAA, do you have to be a AAA member?

 

[KristiMc]

If you book through AAA, do you have to be a AAA member?

Yes, you have to be a member.

 

[Stitch'sCousin]

To get the discount on the room portion you need a valid AAA membership. It is well worth the price if you don't have any other discounts available. We saved about $400 and our membership cost around $100. Even when we aren't booking anything we get a membership. The AAA is great security for any distance driving or just a dead battery locally.

 

[dburg30]

Do you have to book thru AAA to get the diamond parking pass? Or can you book thru a TA that can also use the AAA discount?

 

[Marquisfam4]

Can someone tell me what the Diamond Parking Pass is? I just booked through AAA and I am not aware of that.

Thank you,

Lorri

 

[Praying Colonel]

Diamond Parking pass entitles you to park in a special section of the parks' parking lots. We found that if the Diamond Parking areas are full, CM's will still help you find a great parking space that's a lot closer than you would've been otherwise. We drive to all the parks (except MK) and find it's a nice perk.

 

[HappyMomof4]

We just returned about 2 weeks ago from our trip which was booked through a AAA travel agent. I am glad that I used AAA. It saved us a good bit of money. I made our own dining reservations just because I wanted to. You also get a lot of coupons from AAA for booking with them. One was a $15 cert. for Planet Hollywood Downtown Disney. We didn't use it only because we didn't go to Downtown Disney. There was quite a bit of other coupons like a special storytime for kids at Town Hall in MK.

It was definitely worth it for me.

 

[2Kds2K9]

I guess I got a new agent with AAA. When I called to get information and prices, I was quoted only prices for Water View and Club Rooms at Yacht and Beach Club. She told me standard rooms were not available. It also took her 24 hours to get back to me.

When I called Disney directly, I got a standard room at Yacht and Beach Club at a great rate by mentioning that I was a AAA member! Go figure!

But, by being a AAA member, I still get some great discounts.

Leigh

 

[amycishere]

I was going to book through AAA but they couldn't book the club level. And when I called Disney there was no AAA discount available for the club level.

 

[Mharring33]

We have used AAA for 3 of our WDW trips and our Disney Cruise. We've used the same person each trip so she knows us. She has always been very thorough and extremely helpful. Like any travel agency it depends on who you have. Look for someone experienced and you should be in good shape.

They do offer a nice discount and you receive a few perks such as luggage tags, coupons for 10% off World of Disney and some others.

 

[Milobaby]

I have booked 3 personal trips and 2 family reunions through AAA and wouldn't do it differently. I have my 3rd family reunion booked for December 2007 also through AAA. My agent only does Disney trips, and he was a former cast member which is great. He lets me know all of the updates when they happen (I don't have the heart to tell him that I know about them all about a day earlier then him thanks to the DIS!!) On the local AAA website they have the agents that specialize in Disney trips and a little info on their background. As for the parking pass-we fly and don't rent a car so I don't use-but it also comes with a discount card and I save all the things I want and go to the Disney store in Downtown Disney and get 10% off. I usually get some promo gift also-one year it was a lithograph of Mickey framed-another it was a Donald alarm clock-this year it was 3 piece luggage per room for booking at a travel show.

 

[MissKris721]

We used AAA to book our Disneymoon and next time we'll do it on our own. Our agent was horrible (in fact I still want to write a letter to the company about it) and would not respond to emails or phone messages in a timely fashion (I;m talking like a week and a half to get back to me). My husband (future husband at the time) was on the phone with Disney and they happened to ask if we received our magical express packet in the mail. We said no and the CM said it had been mailed out over 3 weeks ago! So they gave me the address they sent it to, which was the AAA office. I called there the next day and our agent was like "We don't have it" and I had to argue that I know it was sent there and she started blaming Disney and saying Disney has mix ups and they don't tell the truth about when they send stuff out. This was like 2 weeks before our trip. So the very next day the agent calls and says that our paperwork is in (wow..magically the next day it all appears!). So we go right away and as we are getting our final paperwork, she asks if we need to make ADRs!!! We were like, uh we made them back in Decemeber. It was a nightmare and to talk with her was like pulling teeth. I am not using them again, but hope that if you are using AAA you get better service then we did.