Please Explain AAA Discounts

[Katems]

I just got AAA and wondered exactly how that will benefit me in terms of Disney trips. Do I need to book THROUGH the AAA agency? Can I still buy a Magic Your Way Package with Dining and get a discount? How much is the discount?

If the AAA discount is strictly on a room, is the discount usually fabulous enough to go that route and buy theme park tickets separately and not get the dining plan? Or should I just not use my AAA discount and book a nice Magic Your Way package with dining and merely use AAA for automobile reasons?

By the way, my hotel choices would be deluxe and I have two kids, one of whom is over the dreaded age of 10 and one who is thankfully under ten (I know this makes a huuuuuge difference with purchasing the dining plan or not).

Thanks so much!

 

[cobbler]

If you want to book a package with dining and tickets you will need to do that directly through the AAA office. I am not sure how much the discount is. Someone on the codes and rates board can tell you that.

As for the room only discount I am not sure if 2006 remains the same but in 2005 it is 20% off values and moderates during value season
15% off deluxes during value season

15% off values and moderates during regular and peak season
10% off deluxes during regular and peak season.

ETA:
You can book a room only discount through Disney with your AAA card, they will just ask for your AAA number.

 

[d4est]

I will just add that you can still get a discount on your room when you book a package with dining thru AAA. I did & it saved me $186. I have since had my AAA TA apply the new package with dining code (found on mousesavers.com) and now have the plus tickets and am saving a little over $300. HTH

 

[Katems]

So, in order to get a Magic Your Way package with dining AND get an AAA discount, I just have to book through an AAA travel agent? Is that a good way to do it, or do you usually save more with other routes? If Disney came out with free dining again, like they did this year, can I later apply the free code and receive it, even after already booking it? Can AAA do all that?

It sounds like if you have AAA and want a package, you should avoid regular TAs as they can't do packages with the AAA discounts?

Thanks!

 

[goofyfordisney]

We decided to book thru AAA for our trip in February. We originally booked room only at POFQ (moderate)--our rate was $111.00 ($123 w/tax) I think that is a 20% discount.

We just changed over our room-only ressie to the MYW package and were able to keep the discount on the room. We are going for 7 nights--value season POFQ--2 adults w/dining plan. Our cost $1874. I think that it was about a $200.00 savings from Disney's website price. We decided that the dining package was a great deal, so we decided to do a package afterall.

If you want a AAA discount on your room and you want a dining package--you must book with AAA directly. Otherwise, you could get a room-only AAA code by calling CRO and add tickets but, you can't get dining package added without losing your AAA room discount.

We live in California and had trouble finding an agent that knows about WDW so, I called contacted Michelle Shears (she's an AAA agent based in S. Carolina). She's been great. We have spoken on the phone once, and since that, we have done everything via e-mail. I got Michelle's name from the other disboard members who have also had good luck with her.

Hope this helps!

 

[d4est]

Have you had your agent try to apply the new code (YRD)? We did, after already having the package with dining thru AAA. We were able to save an additional $90 and had our tickets upgraded to the plus pack. We are paying $1846 for 6 nights at CSR (2A, 1C) with 6 day park tickets.

We are paying less than your quote (granted we are 6n, you are 7, but we are a party of 3, you are a party of 2). If you haven't tried for the new code, I suggest you do...can't hurt!

 

[goofyfordisney]

Have you had your agent try to apply the new code (YRD)? We did, after already having the package with dining thru AAA. We were able to save an additional $90 and had our tickets upgraded to the plus pack. We are paying $1846 for 6 nights at CSR (2A, 1C) with 6 day park tickets.

We are paying less than your quote (granted we are 6n, you are 7, but we are a party of 3, you are a party of 2). If you haven't tried for the new code, I suggest you do...can't hurt!

You have a good point...I just e-mailed my AAA agent to ask her! I just assumed that she would give me both deals but, it doesn't look like it!

I'll report back after I get an answer from my TA.

Thanks so much!

 

[huskies90]

I am booking for my in laws in January and they are doing a room only with AAA discount. At a moderate, it saved them 20% which is not bad. Since they don't want the dining they didn't need a MYW package and I could book it without having to use a AAA travel agent. Also, with tix, the don't want hopping or the plus pack so there was not benefit to using the new YRD code that is out and now they can take advantage of the mousesavers link at Ticketmania and save on their tix. All in all the room only AAA discount and Ticketmania tix saved them $261 overall and $88 over the YRD code.

 

[goofyfordisney]

I just heard from my AAA TA.

She said she did book me with the new codes. She told me that, for some reason, people booked in moderates were not seeing as much of a discount as those booked in deluxe or value resorts.

Originally, we had booked a regular AAA MYW package with dining, 6 nights @ POFQ, value season, standard view, 2 adults, 6 day hoppers. Our price was $1672.

We added a night, so our new price is now $1878. This works out to be about the same pricing, considering that we did add a night--$123 for the hotel, another days' worth of dining for 2 adults, and another day to our hopper.

I guess I'm done wondering if I can get a better price!

If we didn't want the dining plan--I would have just kept my room only rate and bought tickets thru ticketmania.

We also are planning on taking advantage of DME to get us to and from MCO so we decided the package was the best thing for us.