Package vs. room-only discounts

[LegoMom3]

I just posted this on the camping forum in repsonse to another post, but it really got me thinking so I'm putting it here as well in hopes someone can help clear this up for me:

The post I saw involved someone who had booked a package for May '06. They were told - and given - the AAA rate. I am also going in May of '06, but when I booked my "room-only" for a FW campsite about 10 days ago, I was told that the AAA rates for then weren't out yet and to check back for that around this time next year. I was planning to pay this off over the next year but as it is now, I will have to do so at the full-price and hope for a refund when the time comes!

Are packages and room-only handled that differently with the discounts, or did I get bad info? I can understand the real deep discounts that come out sometimes just weeks before the valid dates, but AAA is around all the time and the discounts are basically the same except for sometimes the season.

Help!?

 

[Chuck S]

My understanding is that AAA discounted packages MUST be booked through an AAA travel office, but AAA room-only discounts can be booked directly through Disney, so yes, they are handled differently.

 

[anne]

When I booked my trip for this May, I did it a year in advance and the AAA rates were not out. I had to call back for them. My memory is most likely faulty but I think they came out in late August of 2004. This was for room only.

 

[NCDisneyMom]

The rack rates for 2006 have not even been established yet, so I am a bit skeptical as to how someone could book a package for next year, and get an AAA rate on top of it. I know that if you were to call Disney directly, they wouldn't even allow you to book a package for 2006 yet. Just room only. Perhaps going through an AAA office works differently??