Triple A Discounts

[stitchlover]

Okay...so who has Triple A membership and uses their membership for discounts at Disney? Can anyone tell me how much of a discount it works out to be? We have been kicking around a Triple A membership and I remembered the Disney discount.
Is it for room only? Can you get a discount on a package? Do you have to use a Triple A travel agent or can you do all the booking yourself? I like doing my own booking.
TIA!

 

[challer]

I've used AAA for room only reservations, and it knocked off around 10% off the price. I think if you book a package thru AAA Travel Agency, you get discounted tickets, too.

I had no idea about this, but I got a AAA discount at Goofy's Kitchen in Disneyland Hotel. Thank you cast member for asking if I had a AAA card.

 

[mejkjj97]

We always get our tickets through AAA, either by themselves or part of a package.
The discounts are the same for the packages but if you book a room only it varies on the time of year and the hotel. I have gotten as much as a 20% and as little as 10.

 

[RMulieri]

I booked a pkg for Dec with AAA and it saved me 30% the room portion. I booked a villa and I booked in Jan during AAA's MAgical month of Disney. In general you save anywhere from 10-30% depending on resort and time of year.

 

[winterman]

We have AAA memberships. Our primary reason is the benefits in case we have car problems - my job requires a lot of driving. But the Disney and other travel benefits are nice. Last year we found a great off site hotel deal thru AAA and we bought our tickets at our local AAA (they had the lowest prices). This year we made our original WDW resort reservation at the AAA rate. We were very happy with the rate - it would have saved us 15%. (We now have a split stay booked - half FD and half 40% off.)

We don't use travel agents. We like having 'control' of our own reservation and we have fun doing all the research and making the arrangements.

 

[FSUSammy]

It depends on the time of year. I was able to get a 15% off for Thanksgiving week at CSR. Better than nothing! I also buy our tickets through them because you get a slight discount

 

[brentalex]

If you want to book a room only reservation with the AAA discount, then you can do it yourself by calling disney. If you want a package with the AAA discount on the room portion of the package, you need to book it through a AAA travel agent. You can not double up on discounts. So if there is a free dining offer, you can not also get a AAA discount on the room portion of the package.
For our trips we usually make a room only reservation with disney using the AAA discount and then buy the tickets separately. We like the AAA card because it does get these as well as many other discounts, not just at disney. Plus it is nice if the car ever breaks down, or even if it just won't start in the morning.

 

[MagicDan]

Can a Triple A card get you a % discount on food/merchandise?

 

[PrincessSuzanne]

Can a Triple A card get you a % discount on food/merchandise?

You can get AAA discount at Earl of Sandwich at DTD, but for other discounts, you have to book a AAA package and have the Diamond Discount Card, whic get you discounts at WoD and some other locations, as well as recreation and tours.

I have been finding better discounts directly through Disney and I also prefer to have control of my reservation, so I let my AAA expire. We get the other benefits through our auto insurance for free.

Suzanne

 

[Luv2Roam]

Typically, January is Disney month at AAA too (for bookings).
Depending on when you want to book and travel, you could wait and see if AAA offers anything more for those who book a WDW vacation in January 2011.

 

[divawife]

Do I have this straight? If I book a package with AAA I only get a discount (whatever the discount is at the particular date) on the room portion? Not the whole package price? But isn't the Disney package cheaper than buying the room, the tickets and the dining plan seperately? So what is better?

 

[catne]

Do I have this straight? If I book a package with AAA I only get a discount (whatever the discount is at the particular date) on the room portion? Not the whole package price? But isn't the Disney package cheaper than buying the room, the tickets and the dining plan seperately? So what is better?

AAA can either book you a package with the AAA discount on the room portion of the trip OR they can book you any of the regular Disney discount packages...but on that you're getting the same thing you'd get if you went direct through Disney (no AAA discount on top of it - no matter where you book you cannot "stack" discounts. If you're getting a room discount, you're paying full price for tickets & dining...if you're getting free dining, you're paying full price for room and tickets, and so on.)

There's only 2 reasons to book through AAA. One: no other discount is available, so the puny 10-20% room discount is better than none. OR Second reason - you really want the AAA Diamond parking pass or Belle's Storytime feature (or whoever the current character read is with.) Other than those 2 features, the Magic Your Way package you book with AAA is the same as the Disney MYW package.

Except, when you book directly through Disney, they don't charge any booking fee AND you can call Disney up directly and make any changes you want.

As to what is better, you just have to run the numbers & see what comes out cheapest for your individual situation. By the way, you cannot actually price it all separately and get a better deal, because you cannot buy the dining plan un less you have a package of room & tickets + dining. Either book the package through AAA or book it through Disney, either way, it's got to be a package. The only exceptions are some ticketless packages available for Disney Vacaction Club members (DVC) or Disney Annual Passholders (AP)

Don't get me wrong - we love AAA for discounts at hotel rooms elsewhere, for the security of the road service, etc. But Disney - no way, not in the current climate of great discounts available direct through Disney. Three years ago we loved getting the 15% discount on our Disney room because there was absolutely no other discount going at Disney. But now, no way...Disney's own promos are far better than 15% off the room.

 

[divawife]

Thank you!

 

[sorul82?]

I was able to get 10% off a free dining package.

 

[PrincessSuzanne]

I was able to get 10% off a free dining package.

That is impossible, Disney doesn't stack discounts, someone made a mistake somewhere.

Suzanne

 

[sorul82?]

That is impossible, Disney doesn't stack discounts, someone made a mistake somewhere.

Suzanne

I booked through my local AAA office. If I can find the confirmation I will scan it and post.

 

[Christine9125]

According to the 2010 AAA WDW promotional booklet the AAA rate at all Value resorts regardless of time of year is 10%. The one exception being during Holiday Season from 12-17 to 12-31 in which there are no AAA reduced rates at Value Resorts.

For anyone else who might be interested:

AAA discounts for Moderate Resorts

Value season = 20%.
Regular season = 15%
Peak and Summer seasons = 10%
Holiday season = 0%

AAA discounts for Deluxe Villas

Value and Regular seasons = 20% (SSR and OKW = 25%)
Peak season = 10% (SSR and OKW = 15%)
Holiday season = 0%

AAA discounts for Deluxe Resorts

Value season = 15% (YC, BC, BWI = 20%)
Regular season = 10% (YC, BC, BWI = 15%)
Peak season = 10%
Holiday season = 0%

AAA discounts for FW Cabins and Campsites

Value season = 20%
Regular season = 15%
Peak season = 10%
Preholiday season = 20% (11-19 to 12-16, campsites only)
Holiday season = 0%

 

[PrincessSuzanne]

I booked through my local AAA office. If I can find the confirmation I will scan it and post.

But discounts aren't stackable (cant use more than 1 at a time), someone made a HUGE mistake and I hope, for your sake, they don't catch it, because it will be corrected.


Suzanne

 

[sorul82?]

But discounts aren't stackable (cant use more than 1 at a time), someone made a HUGE mistake and I hope, for your sake, they don't catch it, because it will be corrected.


Suzanne

Suzanne,

I should have clarified that this was a past reservation; maybe in 2008. Even then, folks kept insisting that AAA couldn't discount the free dining package.

Now I am curious.....

 

[PrincessSuzanne]

Suzanne,

I should have clarified that this was a past reservation; maybe in 2008. Even then, folks kept insisting that AAA couldn't discount the free dining package.

Now I am curious.....

Someone still had to have made a huge mistake, because of the stacking policy, that has always been in place, or at least as long as I have been going which was June 2005.

Suzanne