Question about AAA discount

[paula70]

I am planning a one night hotel stay at RPR with a 1 day 2 park ticket during Easter week. I am considering purchasing a AAA membership before hand. Is there a discount on hotel & tickets through this membership? And does anyone know what the approximate discount is? For the record I was looking at buying a membership regardless of the trip, but the discount could help me make up my mind! Any info is greatly appreciated!!

 

[macraven]

i bought the AAA membership about 15 years back.
besides the discount for UO tickets/rooms, there are many more places in everyday life where you can get AAA discounts.

well worth the investment in their membership.

especially if you run out of gas or get a flat tire.
road side service has helped me numerous times.
even when i locked myself out of the car accidentally

 

[paula70]

Thank you Macraven! My daughter has a 16 year old car which is why we were considering it in the first place. Do you know approximately what the discount is? And do I book directly through AAA?

 

[macraven]

what i do when i want to book a room onsite at the darkside is to call UO reservations.

i tell them i have AAA and the AP and need to know the room costs for both discounts for my dates and room type.

they will pull the info up for me to make a decision of which way to book.


they will also give you the smsm (general public discount code) rate if you are booking 3 nights or more.
at 5 nights and above, the smsm rate will beat both AP and AAA.


i stay longer then most at least once a year (14 nights).

a room booked for 7 nights on a reservation usually can come out much better with the smsm rate.

a one night stay does qualify for the AAA rate if it is available.

only a certain %age of rooms are set aside for various room discounted rates.


you can book thru AAA but i don't.
i like to get the over all info on all the discounts and specials available for my dates.
then i decide which one to book with.

you don't have to show the AP until you check out of the hotel.
when i was booked under the AAA rate, i had to show my card at check in time.


this is how it has gone for me over the years since i started staying onsite when the first hotel went up.
but there is always someone that will post a different experience occasionally

 

[terrilt]

We looked at it both ways - booking on our own -VS- a package with AAA & for 4 of us February 5-14 - an AAA package was a better deal for us. We are staying in a CabanaBay Suite - we did upgrade to Unlimited Express Passes for the 2 Saturdays we will be there. We are also renting a car to go to Kennedy Space Center for a Day and taking the Universal Shuttle to SeaWorld for 2 days (using the 2nd day for $15 deal). You do get a AAA Voucher which allows discounts at many of the stores & restaurants in the Parks & CityWalk. Included in our package were 2 breakfasts, at HarryPotter 3Broomsticks & HarryPotter LeakyCauldron, and a session at HarryPotter ShutterButtons Video Studio w/DVD included. It was very easy to price compare before we made the decision.

 

[CyndiLooWho]

We stay offsite and purchase our tickets through UCT. When we visited in June 2015, the AAA only worked if you could show that you bought your tickets through AAA, which we did not. But we use our AAA membership for loads of other things. It's well worth the cost. We used our AMEX discount in the parks this year.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

From my local AAA website (AAA of MO) and is comprised of the current offers with having a AAA membership:

"Members receive savings at Universal Orlando® when they pre-purchase tickets or vacation packages through AAA* as well as the following in-park AAA Discounts & Rewards.**

AAA member savings:

• Save $20 off Gate Price on all Multi-Day tickets at AAA.com/universal
• 10% off participating food/beverage locations in the parks
• 10% off merchandise with a minimum purchase of $50.00 at participating locations
• 15% off merchandise with a minimum purchase of $75.00 at participating locations
• 10% off at participating Universal CityWalk® locations^
• 10% off at the Palm Restaurant,† located at the Hard Rock Hotel®10% off at the Palm Restaurant, located at the Hard Rock Hotel®
• 15% off the Mandara Spa†† located at Loews Portofino Bay Hotel
• 10% off Blue Man Group Orlando Tickets◊
• One (1) FREE Universal Orlando CityWalk Party PassSM with the purchase of One (1) Universal Orlando CityWalk Party Pass

OR, save up to 17% when you purchase your tickets at a AAA branch."

There are of course exclusions or rules for the above offers.

If you go to AAA and enter your zip code, which will direct you to your local club's website, there should be a section for attraction discounts where you can read the fine print related to each place.

I've had AAA membership for 10 years, had their auto/renters insurance for nearly 2 1/2 years before switching when I purchased a home and it was better to go with another company.

I've also in the past had some Disney Stores at Outlet Mall locations accept AAA membership discounts.

 

[paula70]

Thanks for all the info everyone! The AAA rate was not available yet, so I booked a seasonal rate and will keep checking! Sounds like the membership will be well worth it though with all the other discounts! Excited for my first trip ever to Universal!

 

[champagne27]

We used our AMEX discount in the parks this year.

@CyndiLooWho Sorry to jump on but what are the Amex discounts? Thanks!!

 

[EeyoreFan19]

From my local AAA website (AAA of MO) and is comprised of the current offers with having a AAA membership:

"Members receive savings at Universal Orlando® when they pre-purchase tickets or vacation packages through AAA* as well as the following in-park AAA Discounts & Rewards.**

AAA member savings:

• Save $20 off Gate Price on all Multi-Day tickets at AAA.com/universal
• 10% off participating food/beverage locations in the parks
• 10% off merchandise with a minimum purchase of $50.00 at participating locations
• 15% off merchandise with a minimum purchase of $75.00 at participating locations
• 10% off at participating Universal CityWalk® locations^
• 10% off at the Palm Restaurant,† located at the Hard Rock Hotel®10% off at the Palm Restaurant, located at the Hard Rock Hotel®
• 15% off the Mandara Spa†† located at Loews Portofino Bay Hotel
• 10% off Blue Man Group Orlando Tickets◊
• One (1) FREE Universal Orlando CityWalk Party PassSM with the purchase of One (1) Universal Orlando CityWalk Party Pass

OR, save up to 17% when you purchase your tickets at a AAA branch."



Do you receive all of these benefits with a AAA card, even though you do not book the package with AAA? I am a member, but I just booked a 4 night package directly with UO on the SMSM package. Maybe I should call UO and see what our cost would be with the AAA discount?

 

[EeyoreFan19]

Sorry - still trying to figure out how to quote. Do you receive all of the above benefits with a AAA card, even though you do not book the package with AAA? I am a member, but I just booked a 4 night package directly with UO on the SMSM package. Maybe I should call UO and see what it would cost with the AAA discount?

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Sorry - still trying to figure out how to quote. Do you receive all of the above benefits with a AAA card, even though you do not book the package with AAA? I am a member, but I just booked a 4 night package directly with UO on the SMSM package. Maybe I should call UO and see what it would cost with the AAA discount?

It's all good

You would receive all the in-park member savings regardless of booking through AAA but for the savings on the packages I believe because it states: "vacation packages through AAA" so it would have to be a package booked directly through an AAA travel office or the links via your local AAA website.

I would say to go to your local travel office or review your local online website to make sure the deals are still good since I posted the info right after new years (I know how sometimes things don't get updated if it's right around the new year so you could always contact your local AAA travel office to check the current deals-hopefully they would have updated ones if something changed. I didn't post nor really review the fine print on the deals just so I didn't put an extremely long post with all the fine print that may change anyways. Your local AAA travel office may even have a brochure.

I know when we were last at Universal in 2011 we used the 10% off food and beverages at the participating places in the park and I really enjoyed that..you would need to bring your AAA membership card with you though. I can't remember if they always required us to show it but I would just in case.

 

[nkereina]

When we've booked with the AAA rate in the past, we've done it through the AAA web site. It was for RPR and I don't recall the exact savings, but it was decent enough. We stayed this past October and booked months in advance, but no AAA discount ever came available for all dates. I suspect it was blacked out due to HHN. So keep in mind there may be dates when the AAA rate is not available. For ticket discounts, the AAA office in my area (upstate NY) keeps Universal tickets in stock so you can go in and purchase them at a discount and leave with them in hand. However, I've found the Undercover Tourist discount to be comparable and sometimes they have better promotions.

 

[EeyoreFan19]

I just went into the AAA page and selected the UO vacation package. The price was identical to what I have booked now directly through Universal. I think I'll still maybe stop in their office and see what they have available and what discounts we can get. Any savings is a plus!

 

[Kivara]

Not sure if it's changed again or not, but in 2015 they made it so you had to buy your park ticket through AAA to use AAA discounts in the parks on merch and food. When your tickets print out, it would also print out an extra ticket, showing that you bought the park tickets through AAA>

Yo had to show that proof of purchase through AAA card and your regular AAA card everywhere to get the discount.

 

[bagsmom]

Thanks for all the info everyone! The AAA rate was not available yet, so I booked a seasonal rate and will keep checking! Sounds like the membership will be well worth it though with all the other discounts! Excited for my first trip ever to Universal!

We are planning our first-ever trip to Universal as well -- and trying to figure out how to decide which way to go for the best price also!!!! It's fun -- but tricky! I'd like to book soon.

 

[SA mom]

I talked with a reservation agent at RPR yesterday and was told they just received news that there would be no AAA discounts on lodging for the remainder of 2016. He said it was still possible to receive a discount through a AAA travel agent. I had one price it out for me and it was the same as I could book online.

 

[CyndiLooWho]

@CyndiLooWho Sorry to jump on but what are the Amex discounts? Thanks!!

oops - been offline a while. You get 10% off all food, plus merch over $75, if you pay by AmEx and show the % off offer on your smartphone / app. It was cumbersome, but it worked. And not everyone asked to see the app, just the people at Three Broomsticks (every time...).

https://www.universalorlando.com/Corporate-Partners/American-Express.aspx

 

[Pesky]

I talked to an AAA agent here as well and the price was almost the same as I could get on my own online -- very small discount. ::: shrug ::: Beats no discount.