AAA discount -- any $$$ difference between package and individual parts?

[CleveRocks]

Frankly, I'm used to answering questions here, but now it's my turn to ask a question and hope y'all can help me out.

I thought I understood all of the mechanics of how the AAA discount works, but it seems there's a gap in my knowledge big enough to ride the monorail through.

I know Disney's definitions of a room-only reservation and of a package. I know I can get the AAA discount (if available) on a room-only reservation directly through WDW or through the TA of my choice. I know if I want the AAA discount on a package that I must go through a AAA TA.

I'm just not 100% clear on what the AAA package discount actually discounts. Does it discount ONLY the room rate?

A few details ... it's unlikely we'll buy the DDP (although the new quick-service option looks semi-appealing to me). Whether I buy my tickets through WDW as an add-on to my room-only, or book the tickets as part of a package with AAA discount, or buy them at my local AAA office ... frankly I don't care. I just want to save the most money possible.

If I'm not buying the DDP, then the small differences between a room-only and a package are totally unimportant to me. I guess the bottom-line question (FINALLY!) is ...

Will an AAA room-only discount plus my cost of park tickets be the same price as an AAA package discount? Is there any FINANCIAL benefit of one versus the other??? I'm not talking about a Planet Hollywood voucher or a souvenir luggage tag or different terms for payments and cancellation, I'm talking bottom-line money money money.

Thank you for your help!

[Wayne]

There are 2 types of AAA discounts:
1) the AAA room only discount
2) the AAA package. AAA pacakges are packages put together by AAA travel and can only be reserved through a AAA agency.

The AAA package is not the same as a WDW Travel package.

Does that help?

[CleveRocks]

There are 2 types of AAA discounts:
1) the AAA room only discount
2) the AAA package. AAA pacakges are packages put together by AAA travel and can only be reserved through a AAA agency.

The AAA package is not the same as a WDW Travel package.

Does that help?

Thank you for trying, but no, it doesn't help. I explained in my post that I know what room-only means and what a package means and that you can only get an AAA package through an AAA travel agent, yadda yadda yadda ....


My question in bold underlining was about cost ... my question was is there any price difference between an AAA-discounted room-only reservation + a ticket purchase and an AAA-discounted package reservation.

[dmallan]

Good question! And I don't have any cold hard facts or exact numbers, but...
We did it with the room-only AAA discount and AAA discounted park tickets last year. IMHO I don't think the AAA packages save you anything. They make all these great claims like "free Disney Transportation" DUH. Or the free 5x7 photo. Not a big seller in my book.

You should have them price a package for you and see for yourself.
I know that the AAA room-only discount can be as much as 20% depending on what season you're looking at.
As long as you don't want the DDP, I think the way to go is a room-only with the AAA discount.

[CleveRocks]

Good question! And I don't have any cold hard facts or exact numbers, but...
We did it with the room-only AAA discount and AAA discounted park tickets last year. IMHO I don't think the AAA packages save you anything. They make all these great claims like "free Disney Transportation" DUH. Or the free 5x7 photo. Not a big seller in my book.

You should have them price a package for you and see for yourself.
I know that the AAA room-only discount can be as much as 20% depending on what season you're looking at.
As long as you don't want the DDP, I think the way to go is a room-only with the AAA discount.

Thanks for spelling out your thoughts, because it helps me see that you and I think very much alike!

I have a feeling I'll end up doing what you did, buying the parts separately. I can't get cold hard numbers until my maybe-future-AAA TA gets back to work on Wednesday or Thursday.

I already have a room-only reservation and I already called today to get the AAA room-only rate. Just taking my time 'til I can talk to the TA and was hoping to know what to expect her to say.

Thanks for responding!