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Buffytheweedslayer
01-18-2006, 07:46 AM
Does AAA sell out of these packages quickly? We are going in June and I booked a room only reservation with Disney using my AAA card. However looking online I can get the enhanced FP if I book a package with AAA and I still get the same room rate as my room only rate.

If I decide to book the AAA package how soon should I book for June? I was hoping to see if any specials other then AAA would be released for early June.

Thanks

yellowrosedtxn
01-18-2006, 07:53 AM
I was going to book through AAA but it was going to cost me $1,000.00 more. I decided the enhanced fast passes weren't as big a deal to me as saving that money for other things. I suggest you start looking at booking soon because with this being the "last" summer for the 50th anniversary, I expect the hotels will book up sooner than later.

MsYumiBr
01-18-2006, 08:52 AM
Book NOW for June. January would have been better. I understand it is hard to plan that far ahead.

$1000 more than what package? How are you doing that? We have APs and would have to spend over $400 to get the Enhanced FP. We may not need it when we go though. It might rain like it usually does.

yellowrosedtxn
01-18-2006, 09:00 AM
When I called AAA Travel about going to Disneyland, we were going to stay 7 days/6 nights at the Disneyland Hotel with a resort view. There are two adults and 3 children (ages 14, 10, 9). With 7 day hopper tickets (which you have to have tickets in order to get the enhanced Fastpasses) the total cost was 3,600.00+ something. (I don't remember the exact number.) I have a PAP as well but they said I couldn't get a AP rate because I would already be receiving the AAA rate.

I called Walt Disney Travel Company and received a rate of $2,600.00+. Only I would be getting 4 tickets instead of 5 because I have my PAP. I could save $100.00 if I went directly to the hotel and booked it then paid for the tickets at the same time, but with using the travel company, I will be able to get Early Entry into Toontown as well as the other perks. Now if I want to get in Early Entry, then I would have to buy at least one 3 day hopper for me.

This probably sounds all messed up, so if you have questions please feel free to ask.

hlbtimes2
01-18-2006, 09:06 AM
I called Walt Disney Travel Company and received a rate of $2,600.00+. Only I would be getting 4 tickets instead of 5 because I have my PAP. I could save $100.00 if I went directly to the hotel and booked it then paid for the tickets at the same time, but with using the travel company, I will be able to get Early Entry into Toontown as well as the other perks. Now if I want to get in Early Entry, then I would have to buy at least one 3 day hopper for me.

.

If I'm reading it right, you are staying a Disneyland hotel? If so, with any luck, they'll still be offering the current program where everyone gets EE, each day it is offered, regardless of type of ticket. Then you wont have to buy yourself a hopper!

I've never had good luck getting good prices through AAA either. Its always slightly higher when I look on line.

yellowrosedtxn
01-18-2006, 09:12 AM
If I'm reading it right, you are staying a Disneyland hotel? If so, with any luck, they'll still be offering the current program where everyone gets EE, each day it is offered, regardless of type of ticket. Then you wont have to buy yourself a hopper!


I asked that question and I was told that the program would not be available in June. Now, that is not to say I won't ask when I get there (BEFORE I buy the 3 day hopper). If I remember correctly I can still buy the 3 day hopper tickets at the hotel for the same price as on the net. (At least I THINK you can do that. I'll have to verify it.)

MsYumiBr
01-18-2006, 09:15 AM
It does not sound messed up at all. I totally understood it. The Enhanced fastpass thingy (called "Fastpass Bonus" and on the fastpass is called "Exclusive AA Fastpass") is a special code that is on the zebra stripe on the tickets. So is Early Entry, printed on edge of the ticket. Now, as hotel guests of the DLR, you can just show your hotel key and get in early anyway (not written anywhere but has been going on since July). Mickey Toontown Morning Madness is a voucher. Everything else comes as vouchers so the only things attached to the tickets you won't get because you aren't getting the tickets through AAA. I've got this part down. I don't know if the ESPN discount is still going on but that was on the ticket too. (We did it this way in July and I was none too pleased to find out that we could have went early entry by showing the hotel key, a supposed Perk of AAA packages.) I wasn't mad that it was offered. I was mad because they didn't tell ME. I wasn't paying attention too much anyway. Too excited.

So, in conclusion, if only you had the annual pass and everyone else didn't, and you all didn't get to go to the park except once or twice a year, I personally would get the AAA package. However, if money were an issue, and you go a lot, I definitely wouldn't.

yellowrosedtxn
01-18-2006, 09:42 AM
We have only been once and are going back this summer. Although the rides are important, they aren't so important that I want to pay the extra thousand to get unlimited rides. The kids like to ride, but with the regular fast pass system, we were able to get on all the rides we wanted to ride - provided they were up and running at the time.

I just thought getting the enhanced fast pass would be a wonderful thing to do, but just not worth the cost.

Buffytheweedslayer
01-18-2006, 10:02 AM
Book NOW for June. January would have been better. I understand it is hard to plan that far ahead.


Ummm...it is January - LOL I just called AAA and they are checking prices for me and they are calling me back - it seems the only thing extra for booking in January is the refillable drink mug. I priced the package on the AAA website so now I am just waiting for a call back to compare with what the AAA agent comes up with. Anyone else book this month and get the refillable drink mug special? You are suppose to get one for each person and they can be refilled up to 5 times at certain locations.

Thanks for the help everyone!

Buffytheweedslayer
01-18-2006, 10:13 AM
Ok - AAA called back and quoted me the same price I got off their wesite but now she told me that I do not qualify for the refillable drink mugs - that those are only good through April. So much for the AAA January deals. Oh well - I guess it makes no difference if I book online at AAA or through the agent.

SuzanneSLO
01-18-2006, 10:15 AM
We have a trip booked thru AAA at the DLH for Feb with 4 adults, 2 of whom already had APs. It was exactly the same price for the same accomodations as we got on the AAA website by quoting the package as if we only had 2 adults. I understand that you can't book a package with AAA that includes AP holders on the Web. I had no problem doing so with our local AAA office, but we did need to provide AAA with the actual number on each AP.

Bythe way, our confirmation states that we will have the enhanced Fastpass on the tickets we are purchasing as part of the package.

yellowrosedtxn
01-18-2006, 10:22 AM
I would love to be able to get the same rate using AAA as I got with the travel company. How would I go about doing this? I have a confirmation number from the travel company but have not put any money down yet. The AAA person I talked to was not familiar with having to deal with a person with an AP.

MsYumiBr
01-18-2006, 10:53 AM
We have a trip booked thru AAA at the DLH for Feb with 4 adults, 2 of whom already had APs. It was exactly the same price for the same accomodations as we got on the AAA website by quoting the package as if we only had 2 adults. I understand that you can't book a package with AAA that includes AP holders on the Web. I had no problem doing so with our local AAA office, but we did need to provide AAA with the actual number on each AP.

Bythe way, our confirmation states that we will have the enhanced Fastpass on the tickets we are purchasing as part of the package.

I would be so grateful if you would check with them again. I went through local AAA and they said I will have to pay over $400 for tickets in addition to the package I already have. You may have paid for the tickets even though you have APs. I will check if I paid full price (adding tickets). I had to give all 4 pass numbers too. Now, is everyone confused yet?

yellowrosedtxn
01-18-2006, 11:49 AM
Now, is everyone confused yet?

I AM! :-)

kkmickey
01-18-2006, 11:50 AM
In my opinion, book NOW and the Fast Pass Bonus is a MUST. June will be incredibly busy, and it will be difficult to go on any major rides from after lunch on without waiting in long lines. It is a definite benefit to be able to get fast passes on all the rides, and then go on them at your leisure. We usually go around the park just before a late lunch, collect fast passes on all the rides, eat a late lunch, and then go on rides, getting a second fast pass for the ride after we have used the first one (if they are still available - some rides run out faster than others).

Best of luck, and have fun!

Pat-n-Eil
01-18-2006, 12:10 PM
I always book through AAA and there has never been an instance where the rate I was quoted wasn't cheaper through AAA than through Walt Disney Travel. I love the Enhanced FastPass and I get it every time I can, as I am not an Annual Passholder.

Generally I've found about a 10% savings over WTD and of course the Enhanced FastPass is automagically included. I would find it very difficult to believe there is a $1000 savings better than AAA into a Disney property unless we weren't talking Apples to Apples... If you got one quote without your tickets and the other with them, that would be a substantial amount of money.. especially with 7 day parkhoppers..

We're going in March. I never heard about a refillable mug.. is that something you only got if you actually made your reservations in January?

yellowrosedtxn
01-18-2006, 12:30 PM
I swear that it is the quote I got from AAA. But again this lady wasn't quite sure of stuff herself. I might contact her again and give her my confirmation number that I got with Walt Disney Travel and see if they can match it. We'll see.

SuzanneSLO
01-18-2006, 01:19 PM
I went through local AAA and they said I will have to pay over $400 for tickets in addition to the package I already have. . . Now, is everyone confused yet?

Actually that sounds right if every one in your party already has APs. My understanding is that you do not get enhanced FastPass on APs even if you book a package with AAA. You must buy multi-day parkhopper tickets with your package at a DLR hotel to get the enhanced FastPass.

We are only getting the enhanced FastPass feature on the PHs that we are purchasing for the 4 members of our party that DO NOT have APs. As a result, we will have 6 tickets (2 APs, 2 adult PHs and 2 child PHs), but will only be able to get 4 enhanced FastPasses and, of course, 2 more regular FastPasses.

Because of the size and interests of our party (which includes our GD2, without any ticket), we think that this will work for us. It probably wouldn't work with a party of 2 in which one had an AP and the other did not.

Best of luck. -- Suzanne

MsYumiBr
01-18-2006, 01:26 PM
Oh, that makes sense. If 4 already had the AAA tickets, they could get the fastpasses and the others could benefit depending on what rides to go on since only 2 would need them at a time! Smart. Maybe that would work with getting only 2 tickets. I'll talk to my husband.

Buffytheweedslayer
01-18-2006, 02:49 PM
I always book through AAA and there has never been an instance where the rate I was quoted wasn't cheaper through AAA than through Walt Disney Travel. I love the Enhanced FastPass and I get it every time I can, as I am not an Annual Passholder.

Generally I've found about a 10% savings over WTD and of course the Enhanced FastPass is automagically included. I would find it very difficult to believe there is a $1000 savings better than AAA into a Disney property unless we weren't talking Apples to Apples... If you got one quote without your tickets and the other with them, that would be a substantial amount of money.. especially with 7 day parkhoppers..

We're going in March. I never heard about a refillable mug.. is that something you only got if you actually made your reservations in January?

Yep the mugs are suppose to be a perk for booking in January with AAA for their Disney promo. At first the agent told me we could get them - then she said you can't get them if your trip is after April. You have to call AAA to ask about it.

Thanks everyone for the info - I am going to go ahead and book online with AAA. I think the advanced FP will be great!!:D

yellowrosedtxn
01-18-2006, 03:18 PM
Ok, now I am really frustrated with this whole thing. I tried to go to the AAA website to "book" or at least look at the cost of what I was going to do this summer. I can't get the website to work. It keeps looping back to the travel home page.

Then I called the lady back at AAA to tell her I called the Walt Disney Travel agent to explain that what I was looking to do was to go through AAA so I could get the enhanced passes. She told me that I would just have to have AAA take over the reservation. I also explained that I had an AP so I wasn't sure if they could take over the reservation. The CM thought that AAA could.

So, now I call the agent back and she said that (in a nut shell) it would be too hard for them to take over the reservation and she just couldn't understand what I really wanted. I told her, I am trying to get the enhanced fast passes. I told her that yes, I had an AP but there were four people in the party that would have 7 day hoppers. I even told her if I had to buy a 7 day hopper for me, I would do that. I told her that WDT said my reservation was 2,600. and she quoted me 3,600. She said that no matter if they took over the reservation or not, it would still be 3,600.

Can you tell I am pretty frustrated by the whole thing? I am not sure what I am doing wrong. If anyone has a GOOD AAA agents that has done this before, please send me their phone number. MAYBE I can get it all figure out.

DwoernAdale
01-18-2006, 04:50 PM
Try this guy. He was a huge help last year for our DLR trip and is very knowledgable.

Avi(pronounced ahh-vee)
1-800-922-8228 ext.2723

Just follow the menus till they ask if you know your party's extension.

I hope he is still there, I am hoping to go back to him for this years trip. Let me know how it goes!

yellowrosedtxn
01-19-2006, 04:04 AM
Thank you Very much. I'll let you know how it goes.

Pat-n-Eil
01-19-2006, 08:26 AM
I think the problem here is that you didn't start out using AAA. Even though they are very affiliated with the Walt Disney Travel, they do have a separation within the booking system. Unfortunately, AAA can't "take over" a reservation made directly through Walt Disney Travel.. I can certainly understand why. The point being that AAA is taking the burdon off of WDT when you use them instead.. but combining the two by starting with WDT and trying to move to AAA actually causes more work instead of saving any.

In my opinion, the best way to do this would be to cancel the WTD reservations and re-book the whole thing from scratch through AAA. This would be way cleaner. Then you explain that you already have so many annual passes and you're good to go. If you have the resources (and it only requires a $200 deposit) I would book AAA first to make sure you can get what you want before cancelling through WDT.

I am not an AP holder so I don't know if a AAA booking gives you the AP discounts, but I would assume not since the AAA rate is already a discounted rate.

SuzanneSLO
01-19-2006, 08:32 AM
Ok, now I am really frustrated with this whole thing. I tried to go to the AAA website to "book" or at least look at the cost of what I was going to do this summer. I can't get the website to work. It keeps looping back to the travel home page.

I have this problem when I use my computer at home. Try turning off all of the "blockers" (pop-up blockers, spam blockers, etc.) on your system and, if given the option, accept the pop-up that directs you from the AA site to the Disneyland site. This worked for me. Don't forget to enable them all again when you are thru.

Good luck.