What would you do?? AAA TA didn't know about Free Dining!

[chr1972]

Magical JenK,

I was in your same situation. I called Disney Saturday and made new reservations. I called AAA today and cancelled my reservations through them. There was no cancellation fee. And if there was a fee that didn't justify the free dining, I could have cancelled the new ressies with Disney. I knew my AAA agent was not in today and is impossible to get in touch with, so I didn't want to take my chances. We were able to upgrade from a pool view at the AKL to a Savannah view and still saved $200! What a deal!

 

[Disneynutbsv]

I had *nobody* in mind when I wrote that! I didnt mean you! HAHA...tomorrow...I just want tomorrow here!!

lol, I know, I'm just joking

 

[yellowfish78]

I'm sorry everyone is having so many problems with their TA's and this package. But Disney is to blame too!
Disney DOES NOT inform us about the specials until the day they come out. (The only reason I knew about it was because I have a Disney Visa!)
Tomorrow morning (or tonight at 9pm!) we will finally get an email informing us about this special. It's bad planning.

Please don't blame just the agents for lack of communication. Some of the CM's arn't that helpful today either...I called one and she told me that the free dining package ends tonight (and we all know it doesn't!!!) No mention of an extension for non Disney Visa holders...

 

[Disneynutbsv]

Magical JenK,

We were able to upgrade from a pool view at the AKL to a Savannah view and still saved $200! What a deal!

Wow!! That's great!!! We changed from Fort Wilderness Cabins to the Contemporary thanks to free dining! It will be my first time ever staying in a deluxe.

 

[chr1972]

Wow!! That's great!!! We changed from Fort Wilderness Cabins to the Contemporary thanks to free dining! It will be my first time ever staying in a deluxe.

It will be my first time on-site! I haven't been since I was a teenager! I can't wait for AKL. The free dining allowed us to go all out!

 

[MarksMom2006]

I would have loved to upgrade to AKL or similar. And we really could, but I figure keep the savings and BOOM...we have our spending money! Woo Hoo!

 

[chr1972]

Disney will get my money one way or the other!!! But I love feeling like I've gotten a good deal with my money!

 

[LisaJean2]

I'm sorry that your AAA agents are not able to help you out with this package.

I want to say that part of the reason there is a cancellation fee at some agencies is because of well, people cancelling! Travel agents do not get paid until you go on your trip. So if you use their services but then don't go, or rebook yourself and cancel, they get nothing for their time. I think a small cancellation fee is appropriate in many cases.

Oh, I totally agree that if an agent really helps you out there should be some kind of cacellation fee - that's only fair. But, let's just say that in my case I wouldn't feel guilty at all if I were to cancel with AAA. I only went through them because I had to with the AAA discount and Dining plan. I knew what I wanted, made all my own ADR's ... all of that.

I did call the new agent to see if they could do it and she told me that her supervisor is working "on a bunch of these requests" and she will call me later on. I did mention that if they can't do it that I could just call Disney tomorrow morning and do it myself. I didn't say it to be nasty, but when you're talking about a couple hundred dollars in savings, you must be firm. Our stay is for 8 nights at the Polynesian with 4 *adults*on the dining plan - my kids are 10 and 11, so I think the savings will be substantial ( I hope so anyway )

It seems like a hit or miss with AAA agents. Some people have had good luck with them with what I've read on other posts. Hopefully it will work out ok for all of us!

Lisa

 

[southgal]

Jen, if you like your agent there is one other option. You can make your own reservation first thing tomorrow morning and then transfer it over to your agent. I know I have done this with another company when I just couldn't wait!!

BTW, my AAA agent is great! She already knew about the free dining.

Would she still get the commission in that case?

 

[chr1972]

Oh, I totally agree that if an agent really helps you out there should be some kind of cacellation fee - that's only fair. But, let's just say that in my case I wouldn't feel guilty at all if I were to cancel with AAA. I only went through them because I had to with the AAA discount and Dining plan. I knew what I wanted, made all my own ADR's ... all of that.


Lisa

Dito for me. My AAA agent had not done anything for us so I did not feel bad cancelling with her. Why should she get commission off my package when I can't even get a return call from her? I made all my ADR's myself, so I didn't feel bad cancelling.

 

[Gillian]

Would she still get the commission in that case?

You know, I thought so, but never really asked about it!! Maybe a travel agent who knows for sure is hanging around and can tell us??

 

[Magical JenK]

I'm sorry everyone is having so many problems with their TA's and this package. But Disney is to blame too!
Disney DOES NOT inform us about the specials until the day they come out. (The only reason I knew about it was because I have a Disney Visa!)
Tomorrow morning (or tonight at 9pm!) we will finally get an email informing us about this special. It's bad planning.

Please don't blame just the agents for lack of communication. Some of the CM's arn't that helpful today either...I called one and she told me that the free dining package ends tonight (and we all know it doesn't!!!) No mention of an extension for non Disney Visa holders...

Just got an email from my AAA TA & she said that her marketing person was told by their (Disney?) sales rep about the special, but it wasn't available until Thursday??? She said that she would call in the morning right when she gets in (830 central time) and will work on it. So hopefully all will work out & my resort/dates/view will still be available?? YIKES! That's sure a lot of hoping!

She also told me to (GASP) be paitent!!
Jen

 

[Lichaloca]

Jen, if you like your agent there is one other option. You can make your own reservation first thing tomorrow morning and then transfer it over to your agent. I know I have done this with another company when I just couldn't wait!!

BTW, my AAA agent is great! She already knew about the free dining.

Gillian: I too was thinking of calling early tomorrow morning to make the reservation myself, but was just going to cancel with my AAA TA once I got my package from Disney itself. I didn't know that I could transfer the ressie with Disney to AAA TA. How is that done??

 

[LisaJean2]

Good news!! AAA just called me back and said everything was taken care of and that the free dining was added to our existing reservation! YAY!!! She was waiting for them to fax the exact information over to her and then she is going to mail me a copy. She said we saved a lot! She couldn't give me the exact numbers without the fax from Disney, but our original package was around $4500 and it now around $3800 because of the free dining. I can't beleive what a blessing this is. My youngest wanted to go on a fishing excursion so bad but we just couldn't swing it (we were going all out with staying at the Poly- that will probably never happen again!)- now we will get to take him!

How is everyone else making out with their AAA reservations?

Lisa

 

[Magical JenK]

Good news!! AAA just called me back and said everything was taken care of and that the free dining was added to our existing reservation! YAY!!! She was waiting for them to fax the exact information over to her and then she is going to mail me a copy. She said we saved a lot! She couldn't give me the exact numbers without the fax from Disney, but our original package was around $4500 and it now around $3800 because of the free dining. I can't beleive what a blessing this is. My youngest wanted to go on a fishing excursion so bad but we just couldn't swing it (we were going all out with staying at the Poly- that will probably never happen again!)- now we will get to take him!

How is everyone else making out with their AAA reservations?

Lisa

Lisa-

Did you have the Disney Visa, is that how your AAA TA was able to do it today? I'm glad you were able to get yours all taken care of! My TA told me to be paitent & wait until tomorrow morning after she calls (2.5 hours after the phone lines open). I guess I now wait.

Jen

 

[LisaJean2]

That is the part that confused me.. I don't have a Disney Visa and I did make it point to question her on that. I said I heard that that the offer for free dining for the public didn't start until 4/4 and that only Disney Visa holders could book it now. She said that she knew I didn't have Disney Visa (the credit card AAA has on file for me is a Master Card) and that she just made the change for the "free dining offer" ..nothing to do with the Visa. Those were not her exact words but that was what she was saying. I got nervous about that because I would hate to do something wrong and then end up having to pay for the plan when I could've just waited a day. Maybe they are letting travel agents do this as a curtesy for those that have already booked?

Lisa

 

[Magical JenK]

That is the part that confused me.. I don't have a Disney Visa and I did make it point to question her on that. I said I heard that that the offer for free dining for the public didn't start until 4/4 and that only Disney Visa holders could book it now. She said that she knew I didn't have Disney Visa (the credit card AAA has on file for me is a Master Card) and that she just made the change for the "free dining offer" ..nothing to do with the Visa. Those were not her exact words but that was what she was saying. I got nervous about that because I would hate to do something wrong and then end up having to pay for the plan when I could've just waited a day. Maybe they are letting travel agents do this as a curtesy for those that have already booked?

Lisa

Well that's even better!! Good for you! Pixie dust obviously hit your AAA agency!! Hopefully tomorrow mine will get it!!

Jen

 

[LisaJean2]

You're not kidding about the Pixie Dust! I was expecting this to turn into a nightmare! I do wonder why some agents can book it today (w/o the Visa) and some can't? That doesn't make sense. I know I wasn't the only one, because she said her supervisor was working on a "bunch" of free dining requests. Maybe the supervisor was able to pull some strings? I'm not sure. Let us know how it works out tomorrow!

I don't mean to offend anyone, but I do think that people with exisiting reservations should be offered the free dining before new reservations are taken - after all the Visa people have a chance to get their reservations, of course!. Could you imagine booking a year in advance and not being able to get the free dining because there weren't enough rooms available to convert your reservation? ( I might not have worded that right, but you know what I mean )


Lisa

 

[kirsangel]

I emailed my AAA rep over the weekend, of course they are closed. So I was there at the door when they opened today, and she told me I had to wait until tomorrow even though I have the Disney Visa. So I am keeping my fingers crossed, too! We'll see what happens!

 

[square pond]

In defense of some AAA agents, I have to say when we called her on Saturday morning about his she told us she was already working on the change over. Also she works Mon-Fri and came in on the weekend to get a jump on all the ressies that would need to be changed. Now I will be the first to admit that Dreams would ALWAYS be my first choice but I couldn't get the AAA discount and the dining so I went with AAA which saved us 200.00. Had I been able to see into the future I would have stuck with dreams but we have not had any trouble with our AAA agent thus far.