Where do you find the best discounts for campground?

[jonimce]

We haven't camped at Disney for a long time. The last was 2004. 2006 was our last trip at WL. We just bought a TT and plan on the first 2 to 3 weeks of August 2011. I don't think we want the dining plan. It's not what it used to be. I think meals would be better on our own. What are your thoughts?

 

[2goofycampers]

We use AAA

 

[jonimce]

We use AAA

Do they do the campground? I put in for a quote with them today, my third attempt. I haven't been getting a reply from them. Or do you go to the office?

 

[BradyBz12]

We've gotten campsite discounts through AAA and using our APs but they're not available all the time and even when they are there are generally a limited number available.

There's also a room discount out now that also applies to the campground. But again, those are limited and reports here are that people have gotten them only for certain classifications of sites certain times of year.

 

[2goofycampers]

Best way is book on AAA.com

 

[kampfirekim]

Best way is book on AAA.com

Agreed. AAA is the best route we've found so far. We've never done it online though. We make our ressies over the phone w/ Disney and they give us the quote for the AAA discount (which is always greater than an AP discount). This year DH bought our tickets at our local AAA office. Not a huge discount there, but still worth the effort.

 

[jonimce]

Agreed. AAA is the best route we've found so far. We've never done it online though. We make our ressies over the phone w/ Disney and they give us the quote for the AAA discount (which is always greater than an AP discount). This year DH bought our tickets at our local AAA office. Not a huge discount there, but still worth the effort.

Do they still give the special parking pass?

 

[kampfirekim]

Do they still give the special parking pass?

I'm not sure what you mean.

Do you mean a parking pass from FW?

They give you a paper that goes on your dash which entitles you to parking at FW and all the parks.

 

[BradyBz12]

If you're booking a package with AAA, they usually include the Diamond Parking Pass. Ours here does.

Some offices also give them out just to their members or if you buy tickets through them, but it varies from office to office.

 

[kampfirekim]

If you're booking a package with AAA, they usually include the Diamond Parking Pass. Ours here does.

Some offices also give them out just to their members or if you buy tickets through them, but it varies from office to office.

What is the Diamond Parking Pass?

 

[BradyBz12]

It gives you "preferred parking" at the parks - which generally means up close to the park entrance. Where and how many spaces are available varies by park.

We've used it at EP before. It puts you in the first few rows. Unfortunately if you're at the far end of the row you still have a bit of a hike and the trams don't run there.

There are a limited number of spaces per park, and if you get there and they're full, you need to park in the "regular" spaces.

 

[jonimce]

We got ours when we bought my in laws tickets through them.

AAA has special parking next to the handicap. We used it at AK and MGM.

 

[jonimce]

Agreed. AAA is the best route we've found so far. We've never done it online though. We make our ressies over the phone w/ Disney and they give us the quote for the AAA discount (which is always greater than an AP discount). This year DH bought our tickets at our local AAA office. Not a huge discount there, but still worth the effort.

So it's best to do everything seprately? Not a package?

 

[kampfirekim]

It gives you "preferred parking" at the parks - which generally means up close to the park entrance. Where and how many spaces are available varies by park.

We've used it at EP before. It puts you in the first few rows. Unfortunately if you're at the far end of the row you still have a bit of a hike and the trams don't run there.

There are a limited number of spaces per park, and if you get there and they're full, you need to park in the "regular" spaces.

I think I'd rather have a regular space that the tram makes a stop near than have a preferred space and still have to hike with 2 tired kiddos in tow.

Then again, the only park we ever drive to at all is AK so it's not too big of a prob for us either way.

Thanks for the info.

 

[kampfirekim]

So it's best to do everything seprately? Not a package?

We've always done everything seperately so far, but we're going to check w/AAA on a package for next years trip. This year was the first year we've bought tickets outside of WDW. In the past it's been AAA for the site and AP's at WDW (AAA doesn't offer those, at least not our local office). Now that AP prices have increased so much we've decided just go with a 10 day base ticket with no frills from now on.

You just have to decide what's most important to you and do the math. Compare what your cost would be seperately verses a package. For instance we eat much cheaper w/out a dining plan, so that's something that we never consider paying extra for.

 

[jonimce]

I am seeing that now. It didn't used to be that way. We started using the dining plan in 2001 and it was incredable. Now it's not worth it.

We are looking at a premium site. Our last trip we were in 1500 and rented a golf cart. Even they have gone up and I think in the long run we would do better being up front.

 

[Judy in Texas]

We called the Disney Reservation number (407-939-7796 I think) and lined up the campsite and park tickets at the same time. The cast member applied the AAA discount at that time and told us we might have to show our AAA card at check in (which we didn't). Good luck

 

[kampfirekim]

I am seeing that now. It didn't used to be that way. We started using the dining plan in 2001 and it was incredable. Now it's not worth it.

We are looking at a premium site. Our last trip we were in 1500 and rented a golf cart. Even they have gone up and I think in the long run we would do better being up front.

We thought about checking into the D.P. for next year, but after a little investigative work decided it wasn't right for us. A lot of people still love it. I know my cousin and her family do. We just don't enjoy working our schedule around restaurants. We prefer to work the restaurants into our schedule. It's always worked out and we've still eaten in many of the nice restaurants WDW has to offer and stay within a reasonable budget. We're usually there for 2 weeks so food costs can add up VERY quickly if you're not careful.

Have you considered renting a GC off site? Kenny at Tee-Time is awesome and his prices are half of WDW prices. We've used him the last couple of times and won't use anyone else unless he just doesn't have any available (which has never happened to us).

 

[kampfirekim]

We called the Disney Reservation number (407-939-7796 I think) and lined up the campsite and park tickets at the same time. The cast member applied the AAA discount at that time and told us we might have to show our AAA card at check in (which we didn't). Good luck

Did they give you the AAA discount on the tickets?

WDW ressies told us that they couldn't do the discount for the tickets and we would have to get them though AAA for their discount. It didn't make sense to us that they would give the discount for the site and not the tickets, but we did as we were told.

 

[jonimce]

We thought about checking into the D.P. for next year, but after a little investigative work decided it wasn't right for us. A lot of people still love it. I know my cousin and her family do. We just don't enjoy working our schedule around restaurants. We prefer to work the restaurants into our schedule. It's always worked out and we've still eaten in many of the nice restaurants WDW has to offer and stay within a reasonable budget. We're usually there for 2 weeks so food costs can add up VERY quickly if you're not careful.

Have you considered renting a GC off site? Kenny at Tee-Time is awesome and his prices are half of WDW prices. We've used him the last couple of times and won't use anyone else unless he just doesn't have any available (which has never happened to us).

Do they deliver the cart for you? Is it less than the deffrence of a premium site over the prefered? Our daughter may come along, they would stay in a cabin with 5 kids. So we may just need a couple of carts any way.

Thank you so much for all this info. I feel very rusty.