keep calling back for those AAA discounts!!

[christianweecare]

According to Mary at Mousesavers 2004 AAA rates are in the system. I have mine for Jan. 04. Call CRO and if you don't get the correct response politely hang up and call again.

 

[KIS]

I know with the selling of tickets, each local AAA gets certain passes to sell and not others. So, I'm wondering if the same holds true with rate for discounts among the local chapters. Here in the NYC area, just like the Long Island, NY person I was quoted 10% at both the local AAA and WDW resort.

Unless, you folks mean to tell me that if I call and book directly with WDW they will apply my AAA discount. I was told by some agents there (different calls) that I had to book a AAA discount reservation with my local AAA.

Do you guys know something I don't know?

Meanwhile, airhead, congratulations! (I wince a little when I read the nickname airhead here. I have to stop and remember that it's not someone ushering that name out of their own preference, but that you had indicated that "airhead" was the name you were going by. And here I am now doing it myself).

Anyway, congratulations.

KIS

 

[christianweecare]

KIS--Yes, we are saying call CRO directly and ask for AAA rate. AAA rates for 2004 are in their system. The CM will ask you for your AAA member number. I did this earlier this week and have done the same in the past. The % of the discount will depend on the time of year and whether you reserve a value, moderate, or deluxe resort. For a better explanation click on over to www.mousesavers. com. Click on Walt Disney World, then click on resorts for lots of info on resort discounts. Good luck!

 

[KIS]

Dear Christianweecare,

I know already that there are AAA discounts.

What I am not clear about is if booking through the CRO for a "room only" gives you the same or more flexibility later on should discount packages emerge as if you booked with the help of an actual AAA agent. I had two reservations, one with the CRO directly and one with AAA, both using the AAA discount and they were both the same.

Once I saw that I thought about being fair to others and dropped the direct CRO one. The AAA agent has been quite helpful to me.

But, now this discussion has got me concerned.

Does anyone know if booking with the AAA agent affords vacationers the same flexibility as booking with the CRO using your membership card?

Please let me know. I hope I didn't screw up.

Thanks.

 

[ColetteN]

Yippee! I just got the AAA rate on the first call. WL, Jan 9-14, 2004, standard view. 15% off rack rate (was $199/night , now $169/night ).

I'm happy with that for now - holding out hopes for better room only discounts with every one else!!!

Colette

 

[KIS]

I am so confused. I just reread over this thread.

Now I wish I had been a little more tough and mean and held onto the WDW room only with the AAA discount rather than passed it back in favor of the booking with the AAA place for the same.

Will I be able to later apply any discount deals or not with a AAA agent booking for me? When I discovered Dreams Unlimited and other agents could not get discounts like that of AAA, I decided to go with AAA.

Does anyone know if the CRO AAA discount application and a AAA booking with the discount for room only are eligible for later discounts?

To further complicate things, we are considering staying at the Dolphin with a teacher's discount and I know that the AAA discount will not apply there. The trouble is with the AAA plans, there is a 20% discount on meals there (AAA diamond card or somesthing like that)!

We want the parker hop plus and the AAA agent said the local chapter has none of those.

So, I wonder if I should get on the stick and push her and/or push at CRO---only I don't know what for!!!!!

What would help to know is if anyone knows how the AAA discount is treated when it comes to applying deal/discounts that come down the pike. Or, if anyone know if the diamond card can be issued to AAA members, even if they DO NOT book a package with AAA, so that the food discounts are theirs.....

KIS

 

[christianweecare]

kis--IMHO, you would be better off dealing with CRO directly. You can call and ask if there are any AAA rates for your time period and resort of choice. I already had a ressie at POR for Jan. 04. Whenever the AAA rates were released into the system I quickly called and had rate changed. You cannot do this on your own when you are dealing with a AAA travel agency. Also, I will be watching for AP rates to come out for my time frame. When and if they do (keeping fingers crossed), I will call back and have my AAA rate changed to an AP rate. I have done this numerous times over the last few years. As for Dreams Unlimited, I have never dealt with them personally, but I think I understand correctly that after you have secured your AAA rate through CRO you can then transfer your ressie to Dreams and let them continue to look for better rates for you. Personally, I have always preferred to do everything on my own. But to each their own! Hope this helps. If you have any more questions or concerns, sing out. There are lots of us that can try to help!

 

[vicb]

I had the 10% discount appplied to my late Feb. '04 ressie a few weeks back. Not sure why this is such a problem for CRO. Mine is a room only ressie but with AAA discount applied it comes acrosss as a "AAA discount package"... but it is not a package so go figure! I did this once before and had no trouble switching to a better discount 6 weeks prior to our trip. The time I book a so called "discount package" through the AAA agent we got rooked, of course that was before I found this board and mousesavers!

Just my 2 cents!

 

[KIS]

So, it sounds like I should switch to the CRO, VicB, in order to maximize on later discounts with AAA. I hope I can rearrange something so that I'm back with the CRO directly for POR.


I am pretty sure, though that we're just going with the Dolphin and the teacher's discount. That's direct and no other discount applies but that one.

Thanks.


KIS

 

[CuteKatCar]

KIS,

I would go with CRO also. I have booked our last 3 trips using a AAA discount about 10 months prior to the trip. Each trip Disney came out with a better discount as it got closer and I was able to save even more.

My trips have always been May ('00, '01 and '03) and the AAA savings was 10%. This past May, WDW came out with 2 codes and then the AP rates, so I was able to call directly to CRO and apply a new discount each time. I saved about 40% by the time it was all said and done. (and if I had booked rack rate my rooms would have been $1,200.00 more - it was 8 nights Poly & Cont). So, keep checking these boards!!!!

As far as park tickets, if you buy them in the Disney Store, they are discounted there, as well as if you call CRO on the phone. As long as you buy them prior to arriving, you will save money.

As to AAA dining deals, I don't know anything about that. And I can't help you with Dreams Unlimited. I have read of others getting the WDW codes thru DU though.

Good luck,

Anna

 

[KIS]

Dear Anna and others interested:

I called the CRO and have renewed my reservation with them.

My husband wants me to hold the two, the AAA and the direct with CRO one and see. He says it's like "shopping", you know, when you buy 3 pairs of pants and know you are going to return two and keep only one, but you don't know which one yet.

I'm more ambivalent about holding two reservations for the same place and cancelling one later like that. Even the CRO, however, said it was fine to do and advised me to remember to cancel one before the penalties apply.

We actually also have a s/d teacher's reservation. From what I know about that, which is just novice level information, that's about as low as rates there can go. So, I will be dealing with that hotel directly and see if WDW has any package deal if it applies there or not.

We are leaning toward Dolphin because we can get more value for the cost of a moderate WDW resort.

As are as the tickets go, I heard from AAA this week that they do have some passes at a discount. He even mentioned the 6 day park hopper plus. I'm considering calling about that.

The AAA diamond star card is a discount program for some merchandise and restaurants. It covers the S/D restaurants which is why I'm eager to find out more about it.

My car conked out on me or I'd have already found this out. It will have to wait a day.

When I know, I'll be glad to wait it here for those interested in learning about the AAA diamond star, unless there's a better thread for it. (I'm pretty new to this all)

KIS

 

[CuteKatCar]

KIS,

Have you checked out www.mousesavers.com? That site will give you all the park pass prices, including the discounts (not AAA though). It will also give you info as to disney discounts - including historical information.

Anna

 

[KIS]

Dear Anna,

Thanks for the tip. Yes, I have seen and frequent the mousesavers.com. I learned about it from these boards. They do not talk about the AAA discounts, but I can compare between the advanced purchase price and AAA prices. I've been told that WDW could upgrade either, but I think I will double and triple check on that claim.

KIS