Welcome to the DIS!
These boards are a great resource!
I'm a Disney specialist TA and I'll tell you what I advise my clients. Book room only to start with even if you are pretty sure you'll want a package in the long run. I say this for a few reasons. The deposit, cancellation and change policies are SO much better with room only. Room only gives me much more flexibility for looking for discounts for a client. With a package, your final payment is due 45 days before you arrive. If a discount code is released after that time, you have a $50 fee to make a change to your reservation if it changes the price. That includes adding a discount code, adding the dining plan, adding or removing nights or changing resorts. If they release something like a great AP rate or a room only code that can't be used for a package and we have to cancel your package then it's a $100 cancellation fee. With room only, we can add codes right up until you check in with no penalty. We can convert a room only ressie to a package quickly and easily with one phone call so even if you want the package to get dining, we can make sure you have it before you leave if we don't find a better option before then. With starting with room only, we just avoid any cancellation or change fees in the event of a great code and you hang on to your money longer. We can convert you to a package just a couple of days before you leave. You'd still have to pay the full balance at that point but at least you kept your money until right before you leave rather than giving it to Disney 6 weeks in advance and then limiting your options for discounts. There have been persistent rumors that they may release room only codes but not package codes. I don't put a lot of stock in that but starting with room only does protect your ability to grab a discount if that does hold true. There have also been rumors that once we get past the busy busy spring with the 50th celebration, that they will release discounts but that they will be for one month at a time and not released untill about 2 weeks before the first date. This would be because then everyone with a package is locked in because they would all be inside of 45 days. It would encorage more NEW bookings rather than just discounting existing ones. If that rumor holds true, then you are better off with room only. In the end if you want a package, it just takes one quick phone call to convert you over from room only to package.
I'll go ahead and say that this recommendation has nothing to do with something like TAs earning more commission on room only. In fact, the opposite is true. Commission is better with a package. I recommend this not because it is better for me but because I
truly believe it is better for the client. Much more flexible. I would rather make less commission on the booking and have a happy client who knows I did everything I could to get them a discount. Hopefully then that happy client will be back and will tell their friends.
All that said...looking at your AAA option. Yes, I'd recommend going ahead and getting that AAA room only rate if you can. For regular season, the AAA rate for standard rooms at the Value resorts is $84 so that would be a total of $187.32 per night for 2 rooms with tax or $1311.24 total for both rooms. You would save $234.22 total by using your AAA discount.
If the AP rates for that time period as they are right now (which is possible given that they are both regular season), then if you were to use an AP rate it would save you an additional $156.10. Depending on what type of tickets you planned to buy, you may save a *little* bit going that route but AAA may end up being your best bet since the added cost of the AP would eat up your savings. Of course if you think you may be back again within a year then an AP may be the way to go.
My advice would be to book room only with your AAA discount and wait to see what other codes may be released. You can always run the numbers on any other offer and see what will give you the lowest total.
Let me know if you have any questions about any of this! I'd be glad to help!
