Question abuot the AAA discount

[TJDisneymama]

is it a set % across the board for all resorts?

Can you book a room-only ressie with AAA yourself or do you have to have AAA do it? And if so, and a better discount comes along later is it easy enough to have them apply the newer discount instead of the AAA?

What about vice versa -- if I book with no discount, hoping for a good WDW discount to come through, but then nothing ever comes for my time period (or if AoA is excluded) - would I then be able to apply the AAA discount at that point? (probably would be a month or two out from the trip date).

Just trying to figure out which way is easiest.

 

[gwynne]

is it a set % across the board for all resorts?

Can you book a room-only ressie with AAA yourself or do you have to have AAA do it? And if so, and a better discount comes along later is it easy enough to have them apply the newer discount instead of the AAA?

What about vice versa -- if I book with no discount, hoping for a good WDW discount to come through, but then nothing ever comes for my time period (or if AoA is excluded) - would I then be able to apply the AAA discount at that point? (probably would be a month or two out from the trip date).

Just trying to figure out which way is easiest.

You'd have to call WDW and ask for the AAA rate at a couple of resorts and compare. I've used it, but it's not always the same. Sometimes it's not available for a standard room, but is for, say a garden view. Be sure to ask if other views/room configurations like king are available. This is where going online and looking at the resort reservation page while you're talking to them is helpful. (Helps you know what to ask for your resort/dates.)

You can book a room only ressie yourself over the phone with WDW.
If a better discount comes along, just call. If your resort/room is available, you're set, otherwise, you'll need to consider a resort or room change.

There is 0 advantage to booking with no discount. I would always advise at least AAA. There are a limited # of AAA rooms, so by the time you were ready to book they might be out.

Happy Planning!

 

[olive]

I think it varies by resort and dates. You can call WDW yourself and book with a AAA discount (just ask what is available). I think it is better to book with a AAA discount when those become available if the WDW discounts aren't out yet, so you at least have SOME discount. I believe the number of rooms available for any discount - AAA or Disney - is limited, so there may be nothing available with AAA if you wait. I don't think it would be a problem to change to the Disney discount down the line, but someone with more experience on that can chime in.

 

[Tara]

The other advantage to booking with AAA if you want to use their rate is that it usually comes with other benefits, like special parking area, parade viewing, arcade voucher, etc.

 

[TJDisneymama]

my other question is if we ended up with just the AAA% (that I book myself), can we still add our park tickets? Does adding tickets make it a "package" and therefore has to be booked thru AAA? Sorry, I've never booked with AAA, always gotten good discounts thru Disney, I'm just concerned with AoA being new and excluded from discounts.....

 

[pooh4brains]

You can book room only AAA rates with Disney and buy your park tickets through Disney. OR you can book a RO only reservation with Disney, and buy discounted park tickets through AAA. OR you can book with Disney and buy your discounted tickets through Undercover Tourist. You can cobble together your own assortment of discounts to find a good deal. Just check the difference in prices for park tix btw UTC and AAA.

You can book a AAA package with aforementioned perks with AAA only.

You can also book a room only reservation with AAA, but they have control of your reservation. So, if you decided to change resorts, or add days, you would have to do all of that through AAA.

I booked a RO thru AAA last year and decided to cancel my reservation with them. I then rebooked at a different hotel with Disney. I wasn't a fan of our AAA agent, I didn't like not having full control of my reservation, and I still got the AAA discount even though I booked it myself. We didn't have a AAA office nearby and I didn't like our AAA agent anyway, so I went ahead and bought tix through Undercover Tourist.

I have noticed that the love/hate feeling toward AAA and Disney vacations are about 50/50. It all depends on your agent and whether you trust them and their information. In my experience it is better to be in control of your own destiny!

 

[Alli76]

You should also be able to book a package with Disney and use the AAA discount rate on the room part of the package.

 

[TJDisneymama]

yes, I don't give control of anything to anybody, that's why I want to know exactly what I can do thru AAA while still retaining control

 

[RMulieri]

You should also be able to book a package with Disney and use the AAA discount rate on the room part of the package.

You can't.Once you go beyond a room it needs to be booked by AAA.Anything other than just the room makes it a pkg.

 

[mskermit]

my other question is if we ended up with just the AAA% (that I book myself), can we still add our park tickets? Does adding tickets make it a "package" and therefore has to be booked thru AAA? Sorry, I've never booked with AAA, always gotten good discounts thru Disney, I'm just concerned with AoA being new and excluded from discounts.....

i have booked since 2006 with AAA. I do think its about a 20% discount. you can also buy your tickets at an AAA office and they are discounted

 

[skriegerjr]

There is 0 advantage to booking with no discount.

This depends on your view point...I would book AAA with no discount because of the many benefits we receive.

We drive, and drive to the parks, so AAA diamond parking is a huge deal for us. AAA fireworks viewing, is also a draw for us.

However, for us, the absolute best advantage, is the AAA story time. I realize this might not be as big a draw for couples w/o kids, for us, with two small ones, it is an invaluable part of our vacations!

The best part is, these perks apply even when booking during FD, when no other discounts are avail.

Our agent will always rebook when a better deal comes out, last FD deal, she had already called at 6 am, and rebooked, by the time I called her that morning. She is awesome. She even let me pay for my trip weekly by charging my card every week !

We never feel like we are giving up control...she always does exactly what we ask, and if we don't like/understand something, we ask about it. We make all our own ADRs, and we fax direct to resort re: room requests, for us, it's all about the perks.

In the end, you are ultimately in control of making final payment, and AAA doesn't get paid if you cancel. And if you don't like your local agent, you can always call 800#and someone will help!

Sent from my HTC HERO CM7.1 using the DISBoards App

 

[bill2012]

OP: The AAA discount varies between 10% and 25% depending on (1) the resort you choose and (2) when your stay is. Our local AAA office gave us a booklet which included a table with this information. Is there a reason why you don't want to go into your AAA office and talk to them? They might give you that booklet, and they won't pressure you to commit to anything.

Some AAA regions may give substantial discounts on park tickets, but ours doesn't -- or they're not very significant. But if you book a "package" you get AAA parking, which may or may not be a bonus for you. Theoretically you also get preferred fireworks viewing, but we didn't -- they were already booked up, 5 months out!

If you book a package through a AAA office, your deposit is completely refundable up until 45 days out, so if you see a better rate elsewhere you can just cancel it. After 45 days out, there is a $200 cancellation or change fee.

I can't answer the other questions.

 

[Disneynewtome]

If I book through AAA and a better discounts come available will they change my reservation to the better rate?