No Aaa Discounts For North Penn

[DISUNC]

I have been a AAA Nort Penn Plus member for over 10 years. Every year I call my AAA office in north east PA, for prices on WDW onsite hotels & packages. EVERY year they tell me that they offer a discount (although they can never state what precisely the discount is). EVERY YEAR the either give me the same excact price that I get directly from Disney Travel or in some cases the price quote was higher.
Does anybody know why AAA North Penn does not offer any discounts?????
I have questioned the AAA North Penn agents on this and they told me that Disney Travel is underselling them.

 

[safetymom]

Have you tried calling Disney directly and asking for the AAA discount? That is what many people here do.

 

[scanne]

It's funny you say that...

My aunt is a TA at AAA North Penn and whenever we discuss Disney and I tell her about the codes and discounts, she insists there are NEVER any discounts for Disney. I try to prove her wrong, but she's a very type "A" personality and thinks she's got all the info. I only had her book one trip for me, and I even ended up cancelling that one b/c I got a lower rate with another TA (bad blood, I know).

Anyway, maybe the managers of that office train the employees that way? I thought that if you book Disney you have to be trained BY Disney, but I don't know for sure.

It's just funny that you mentioned that and coincidental compared to my experiences.

 

[chipmunkfan]

I had the same problem with AAA North Penn. Nice to see another post from someone in Stroudsburg
I decided to book directly with Disney. The only problem is that if you want the AAA with a dining package you have to book through AAA. If you are just booking a room, call disney directly and they will apply the AAA discount to the room only.

 

[Christy93]

Have you tried booking through another AAA travel office. The one close to us didn't know ANYTHING about Disney so I went with one about an hour away. They've mailed everything to me and they have been great to work with so far.

 

[DISUNC]

Thanks to all who responded.

No luck with this at all.

Today I called both AAA North Penn and Walt Disney Travel, to make sure.
For a 7 night stay at the PC arriving 7/25 departing 8/1 along with 6 day park hopper passes for myself and 11 year old (adult) nephew.....

The AAA discounted quote was 1258.00!
The Walt Disney Travel Co. was 1258.00!

(which still isnt bad at all)

However AAA insist theirs is a discounted quote. They just could'nt tell me discounted from what?

If you book a trip through WDT that includes both hotel & admissions they will give you the same price as AAA...without needing to belong to AAA.

AAA is only good for ROOM ONLY discounts (5.00 a night at PC). It is the same discount WDT gives if you purchase the park hopper tickets with them.

AAA is only useful if you have AP tickets...then again the AP rates disney gives are probably better also.

 

[DISUNC]

......The one (AAA) close to us didn't know ANYTHING about Disney......

SCARY that any Travel Agency knows nothing about Disney!!!!!!

 

[DISUNC]

.......My aunt is a TA at AAA North Penn ....she insists there are NEVER any discounts for Disney..... type "A" personality and thinks she's got all the info...

I think I may have been talking to your Aunt ..VERY TYPE A personality lady on the phone!

E]

 

[ExPirateShopGirl]

I had this same problem in southern california. The TAs at AAA knew nothing about WDW. I voiced my frustration on the board and was given the name of a MOST helpful TA at the AAA office in South Carolina. She booked my discounted ( a real discount) package with MYW dining and it saved us $40 a night off the room.
This morning I read the email about the free dining, so I sent her an email with the info and asked her if it applied to our trip. She emailed me back immediately and said she'd call Disney right away. She did, and she was able to get us the free dining, which is saving us $105 a night.
You really do need to shop around when it comes to TAs. Mine is knowledgeable and responsive to my requests. Couldn't be happier.

Good luck!

 

[bizeemom4]

How about Central Penn? I'm headed there tomorow to see if I can change my package to AAA rate with the Free Dining. Does anyone have experience with agents in the Harrisburg area?

 

[MEK]

I don't have the # in front of me, but check the web site for Midatlantic AAA. Ask for Celeste. She booked my upcoming trip with the AAA discount and then changed the reservation when I received the free dining pin code. She was quick, knowlegeable, and efficient - no problems.

Good Luck and don't forget to use you AAA Visa - 5% back on gas, 2% back on vacations.

____________________________________
Can't wait to eat my way through Disney 8/05

 

[Avalanche]

We've booked our last trip with AAA and got a good discount. We also booked our upcoming July trip with AAA with a good discount, but had to change the dates and no discounts were available for the new week in July. I was told that to get a discount you need to book early, because they have limited availability on discounted rooms and since we were changing dates so close to departure that is why no discount was available.

How far in advance have you tried to book. If you arn't booking far enough in advance that may be why no discounts are available.

 

[tkldisney]

I booked our trip for Dec. with AAA. I originally booked with CRO w/AAA room only discount, but wanted dining. I got same discount on room, dining, + 4 day hoppers, which I changed yesterday to 5 day hopper for only 5.00.
I live in OH and the TA in Lebanon is great and very helpful!

 

[IwannaseeMickey]

You know, I got my AAA TA from a post here, and called her. She happens to be in my state, but I know from the post that the person that used her is NOT from the east coast, but from Texas and was able to use her.

So, couldn't you call my TA? She said she gets calls from all over to book thru her, so you shouldn't have to be in an "area", right?

I'd try! Her name is Michelle Shears, she is in SC and is very nice and knowlegable about AAA and Disney. Her phone is 800-643-5332

 

[DISUNC]

We've booked our last trip with AAA and got a good discount. We also booked our upcoming July trip with AAA with a good discount, but had to change the dates and no discounts were available for the new week in July. I was told that to get a discount you need to book early, because they have limited availability on discounted rooms and since we were changing dates so close to departure that is why no discount was available.

How far in advance have you tried to book. If you arn't booking far enough in advance that may be why no discounts are available.

Thanks. I booked 2 months in advance. However the AAA agent told me that the quote was the discounted rate!

 

[DISUNC]

You know, I got my AAA TA from a post here, and called her. She happens to be in my state, but I know from the post that the person that used her is NOT from the east coast, but from Texas and was able to use her.

So, couldn't you call my TA? She said she gets calls from all over to book thru her, so you shouldn't have to be in an "area", right?

I'd try! Her name is Michelle Shears, she is in SC and is very nice and knowlegable about AAA and Disney. Her phone is 800-643-5332

Thank You very much. I will call her.

 

[ExPirateShopGirl]

I use Michelle, Too! She's wonderful!

 

[7thdwarf/dopey]

Thanks. I booked 2 months in advance. However the AAA agent told me that the quote was the discounted rate!

I use the same TA in the Scranton/Williamsport office every trip. Always a 15% discount on the room portion of a package.
There was a year when Magical Journeys quote was a bit lower.

 

[leanne11]

i got a quote of $99/night from the disney website, ok then i got a quote from aaa of $99/night she said that was the aaa discount and the website already took the discount off
sounded fishey to me, so i called her and she said it doesn't matter anyway disney does not give discounts,
well i got on the phone to disney and asked them how much a night and the cm said $99 i said wow that's high and she said i can give youy an aaa rate of $84,
pretty easy should have called them first...

 

[SkipperBubba]

If you don't mind the trip and/or long distance, try AAA Reading/Berks. DW (doombuggybabe ) and I have booked three straight years with Amy Kepner, and a more friendly/knowledgeable TA I've yet to find. Case in point. When The Mouse offered the get 6 or 7 nights for the price of 4 or 5 (I don't remember exactly) I inquired about it. She was able to get it and by the time we made final payment, she had gotten close to $500 off our total.

We very highly recommend dealing with her. I never once worried that things would be messed up.