Strategy

[planning06]

I will be planning a trip for May06 and I am just starting to read these boards. I am trying to figure out the best strategy for getting a good deal. So far, it seems like most people here do the following. Please correct me if I am wrong and let me know if I am missing something important.

Book your date at a resort and a price you can live with. Buy one AP. Wait and see if an AP discount for your date will become available. If one does, call in as quickly as possible and change your reservation to an available AP discount room possibly upgrading to a preferred room/resort. Hopefully, the savings will be more than the extra cost of the 1 AP.

Is this correct? I am sure there are many more details but I want to be sure I understand the general strategy.

There also seems to be others that do not buy an AP and hope for general discounts to become available prior to their trip where they would follow the same process.

 

[kelscross]

I believe that is the strategy that makes the most sense. Book what you can afford without a discount and then if one comes up either call in to simply save money or use the extra savings to upgrade (which is what I normally do). Keep in mind that discounts are offered if Disney needs to sell more rooms. Some book and don't intend to go if a discount doesn't come about. Dinsey won't offer discounts if the rooms appear to be full.

 

[funcinderella]

I would suggest to book your room with a AAA discount (even if you don't have AAA yet.) Wait and see if AP rates come out; if so, call back and change to the AP rate. Then buy your AP, only after you have the rate. You don't need it just to book it and why buy it if you can't get the AP rate? If you can't get the AP rate, keep your AAA rate and join AAA before you go, so you have the card to show them when you check in. (AAA is about $50-60 for a 1 year membership.)

 

[planning06]

So you can book using both an AAA and an AP discount without having either yet? I can understand the AAA, you just say you are a member when booking. But what about the AP? How do you know when the special rates are released? Just keep checking the forums? Then, when booking do you buy the AP as you are booking the AP discounted room?

Also, I would assume to use these strategies you need to purchase room-only and then buy your park tickets separate?

 

[searlproudbottom]

funcinderella Is correct you only need your AP at checkin and most of the time they don't evin ask for it. Buy your AP at a Disney Store or make sure that you get a voucher. Your AP is good for 366 Days if you plan it right its good for two vacations.
Searl Proudbottom

 

[HLAuburn]

Can you book a AAA rate room through Disney directly?

 

[mom22boys]

Can you book a AAA rate room through Disney directly?

Yes!

One thing more I will add to this discussion, if you are big eaters you might really want to compare the numbers. A MYW package with dining MIGHT save you money. We are not big eaters, and we really do not want to spend so much of our time eating while we are at Disney so I am watching for AP discounts for the fall. I am keeping my fingers crossed!

 

[SomePixiedust]

You may need your AAA member# to make your ressie with the AAA discount...I did. It was never really that way in the past, but that seems to be changing. However, it also seems to vary from CM to CM. If you try for a AAA discount and they ask for the #, you can always hang up and try again, maybe the next CM won't ask. I'm finding now that with some hotels (not Disney) when you book on line they won't even tell you what the AAA discount is unless you enter your #. Of course if you are able to make the ressie without the #, you should have the card with you at check in...sometimes they ask.

 

[Jeanne B]

I just made a reservation last night at All Star Music for the end of this month and the CM asked for my AAA #.

 

[pepe of ohio]

Had our reservation for October at WL but have since changed to Poly. Daughter is going on her honeymoon cruise and wants to meet up with us in Disney and she and hubby prefer the Poly. Called CRO last week and had the best CM and he changed our reservation to the Poly, and we stated we're going to use the AAA card and he gave us the AAA rate and stated that we will need to show our card upon checking in and that we might change this to an AP rate when they come out and he stated "no problem", just to call when they are announced and confirm our appiontment to AP rate.

 

[Conkozan]

We booked last year for this year before the rates were out. When rates came out, our agent notified us of the new rate. When the AAA rates came out, I got an email from our agent that she had applied that discount. Then when AP rates came out she applied that rate for us. I then got a PIN in an email that was even LOWER than the AP rate so I sent it to her and she applied that as well. As a control freak I never thought I would want to have someone else do this for me, but it really made things easier on me with the kids and work in the morning I don't have time to check the boards until later.