AAA Diamond Parking Going Away?

[Goofyernmost]

What AAA perks? Every AAA perk I've ever heard of are ones that Disney already offers anyway. Even the year we booked through AAA we were told that we would have some amazing perks through AAA. Once we booked it we found that the perks were the exact same thing I would have gotten if I booked myself.

For one thing, tickets are cheaper if you buy them separately.

 

[tk924]

We went to "Disney Month" at AAA back in January. Our AAA TA specializes in Disney travel. She's been there many, many times as well as on cruises. She mentioned nothing about AAA and Disney parting ways. I'm not saying that it's not going to happen, but I haven't heard anything of the sort.
Also, she gave our daughter a set of Goofy ears, a Mickey pen and a small Mickey canvas bag that day before we even booked our trip. Then she called us back the other day to say that the next time we were at near her office to stop in because she had more Disney freebies for us that ended up being a very large Disney Cruise Line canvas bag and a Disney photo album.
Gotta love AAA.

 

[G00fyDad]

It would have been the reserved fireworks viewing, storytime, diamond parking, and sometimes you would get things like extra luggage tags, or other small trinkets. Keep in mind that most of the AAA TAs don't specialize in Disney, so they may not really know or care that anyone who booked a package might get arcade and mini golf vouchers.

The AAA reps near here apparently do specialize in Disney trips. Every single perk that they said that I was going to get by booking through them were perks that I was already going to get through Disney. The AAA rep sat there and tried to tell me a list of perks that I can only get by booking through AAA when it turns out that every single one of them were ones Disney already offered. Maybe AAA reps in other areas are better but every single one of them around here are horrible. I will never book my trip for AAA again, and it's not just about the perks. They are just absolutely useless here.

 

[PrincessMia]

This is the last remaining reason we book through AAA. As soon as this perk is gone, I will NEVER again use AAA. Their customer service is absolutely terrible, at least at the 3 different AAA offices I've booked through in the Cincinnati area.

 

[dopeylover]

AAA and Disney announced a few months ago that they would be going separate ways. Diamond Parking is one of those perks that will be discontinued I believe starting next January. But like Ray B said, that area is all based on operational demand.

HI ALL!

I am in fact a Magic Creator, which is Travel Agent for AAA Specializing in Disney Destinations! We have not parted ways with Disney, and to my knowledge there are no plans to do so! It is a very special relationship we have with them, so it would be very sad to let it go!

 

[dopeylover]

The AAA reps near here apparently do specialize in Disney trips. Every single perk that they said that I was going to get by booking through them were perks that I was already going to get through Disney. The AAA rep sat there and tried to tell me a list of perks that I can only get by booking through AAA when it turns out that every single one of them were ones Disney already offered. Maybe AAA reps in other areas are better but every single one of them around here are horrible. I will never book my trip for AAA again, and it's not just about the perks. They are just absolutely useless here.

Where are you from? I'm so sorry they weren't helpful to you! Here in WNY we actually just won an award for Disney! If you ever have questions, let me know! But since you're on here so often, you know quite a bit anyway.

 

[tdpolo26]

Where are you from? I'm so sorry they weren't helpful to you! Here in WNY we actually just won an award for Disney! If you ever have questions, let me know! But since you're on here so often, you know quite a bit anyway.

I am western ny too buffalo to be exact... do you have to book through AAA to get perks like the fireworks and such or can I just stop in an get them ??? I have been a member or years and really not used much of the membership

 

[dopeylover]

I am western ny too buffalo to be exact... do you have to book through AAA to get perks like the fireworks and such or can I just stop in an get them ??? I have been a member or years and really not used much of the membership

The fireworks were perks for 2013, they did not have many perks like fireworks for 2014 sadly. We did not lose our relationship w/ Disney, but there were some changes this past year, we are hopeful for 2015 that our benefits will be even better! You still receive a great discount on your vacation if you do not use a Disney promotion, like free Dining, and other perks like a Diamond Card which gives you discounts on select shopping throughout the resort as well as free parking.

 

[jt04]

HI ALL!

I am in fact a Magic Creator, which is Travel Agent for AAA Specializing in Disney Destinations! We have not parted ways with Disney, and to my knowledge there are no plans to do so! It is a very special relationship we have with them, so it would be very sad to let it go!

Thank you! Might want to send a message to the OP.

 

[G00fyDad]

Where are you from? I'm so sorry they weren't helpful to you! Here in WNY we actually just won an award for Disney! If you ever have questions, let me know! But since you're on here so often, you know quite a bit anyway.

I'm from Southern Indiana. We booked through the Clarksville, IN office. It was an unmitigated nightmare. They did not call at 7am to book the free dining promo so we nearly lost out on that, and had to switch resorts because of it. In fact the rep was not even going to call me back to tell me that she couldn't get the promo with the resort we wanted. When I called her back she said that there were no more offers for the resorts we wanted so she gave up. ?!?!? No phone call... nothing. I told her to call Disney back and get the resort switched. She did, but not until she had to sit on hold for another 45 minutes. It was awful. Every time I wanted to change something I had to call AAA and pray to God that the woman actually did her job and made the necessary changes.

 

[articos]

AAA preferred parking is still available as of right now. Where it is located and availability is subject to change depending on capacity.

 

[Goofyernmost]

AAA preferred parking is still available as of right now. Where it is located and availability is subject to change depending on capacity.

I think that it is important to inform people that the AAA parking IS NOT FREE. It is a special area closer to the parks themselves and that is all it is. Many people have the idea that if they get that, parking is free. If they stay onsite parking is free with or without AAA.

 

[dopeylover]

I'm from Southern Indiana. We booked through the Clarksville, IN office. It was an unmitigated nightmare. They did not call at 7am to book the free dining promo so we nearly lost out on that, and had to switch resorts because of it. In fact the rep was not even going to call me back to tell me that she couldn't get the promo with the resort we wanted. When I called her back she said that there were no more offers for the resorts we wanted so she gave up. ?!?!? No phone call... nothing. I told her to call Disney back and get the resort switched. She did, but not until she had to sit on hold for another 45 minutes. It was awful. Every time I wanted to change something I had to call AAA and pray to God that the woman actually did her job and made the necessary changes.

Wow. I am so sorry! No matter where she works that doesn't seem like great service! My situation is a little different. I work for AAA, but I am lucky enough to do it from home as a new program they have here and in certain areas as a Magic Creator. It's commission based, and I rely largely upon referrals and my own hustle, if you will. So in that regard, I would never dream in a million years of treating a client the way you were treated! Regardless of how you're paid, if you're in the service industry, you should provide a great level of service. I am often up very early to get clients reservations and talking at all hours with them (the 'magic' of being home based, lol). I certainly hope if you should every decide to go back to your AAA office you have a better experience in the future!

 

[G00fyDad]

Wow. I am so sorry! No matter where she works that doesn't seem like great service! My situation is a little different. I work for AAA, but I am lucky enough to do it from home as a new program they have here and in certain areas as a Magic Creator. It's commission based, and I rely largely upon referrals and my own hustle, if you will. So in that regard, I would never dream in a million years of treating a client the way you were treated! Regardless of how you're paid, if you're in the service industry, you should provide a great level of service. I am often up very early to get clients reservations and talking at all hours with them (the 'magic' of being home based, lol). I certainly hope if you should every decide to go back to your AAA office you have a better experience in the future!

That experience tainted me forever for travel agents. I know they are not all the same as that, but I am very gun shy about it now. The only one that I would consider using again is the member here that works as a cruise travel agent. I'll be contacting her to book that when I can get everything lined up right (schedules). The AAA agent wouldn't have been bad if she had just done her job. Like I said, I didn't mind switching resorts to get the discount, but she just assumed that switching resorts was not an option so she was going to skip the discount. I went into the situation apprehensive, and I should have listened to my gut. I had always booked our own trips anywhere we have ever gone, and I booked through AAA because I was supposed to get an extra discount for doing that as well as the Disney discount. Never happened. Every trip I have booked I have had zero problems getting through to Disney and making the necessary changes. I never sit on hold for very long (usually), and I even ended up with two Be Our Guest table service ADR's on our last trip. I have been really lucky I guess, but that AAA agent was worse than useless.

 

[dopeylover]

That experience tainted me forever for travel agents. I know they are not all the same as that, but I am very gun shy about it now. The only one that I would consider using again is the member here that works as a cruise travel agent. I'll be contacting her to book that when I can get everything lined up right (schedules). The AAA agent wouldn't have been bad if she had just done her job. Like I said, I didn't mind switching resorts to get the discount, but she just assumed that switching resorts was not an option so she was going to skip the discount. I went into the situation apprehensive, and I should have listened to my gut. I had always booked our own trips anywhere we have ever gone, and I booked through AAA because I was supposed to get an extra discount for doing that as well as the Disney discount. Never happened. Every trip I have booked I have had zero problems getting through to Disney and making the necessary changes. I never sit on hold for very long (usually), and I even ended up with two Be Our Guest table service ADR's on our last trip. I have been really lucky I guess, but that AAA agent was worse than useless.

I totally understand, I'm so sorry it happened! I hope you enjoy your cruise!!!

 

[wdw_nerd]

so will Disney still have the AAA 15% off room only for next year? Trying to decide if I should keep my AAA membership or not, this was a perk (to me).

 

[Disney6166]

Used My Diamond Pass Yesterday at MK also, no problems.

 

[PrincessNelly_NJ]

so will Disney still have the AAA 15% off room only for next year? Trying to decide if I should keep my AAA membership or not, this was a perk (to me).

Is that 15% on top of what Disney offers because otherwise this doesnt seem worth the cost when Disney offers 15% - 35% off their rooms almost year round.

 

[Goofyernmost]

Next time tell him to kiss your (you know what)! Parking is parking, if you paid for parking you could use any spot available that is NOT handicap.

I don't think that we have the whole story there and also am quite suspicious that they may not have been in the AAA parking area anyway.

I do feel the need to once again point out that AAA is not a free parking pass. If they paid for parking then even though we think that we should be able to park anyplace that we want too, it is not true. They have a system to make it organized and safe for people walking to the trams. It is private property and they can indeed tell you where you can and cannot park. I've seen them go ballistic when someone decided that they wanted to park closer to the tram and refused to follow the rest of the cars down the line. Security was called, they showed up in seconds and the people were given the option of parking where they were told or to leave the property. They don't mess around.

 

[R W B]

HI ALL!

I am in fact a Magic Creator, which is Travel Agent for AAA Specializing in Disney Destinations! We have not parted ways with Disney, and to my knowledge there are no plans to do so! It is a very special relationship we have with them, so it would be very sad to let it go!

Doesn't the discounts/benefits depend on which level of AAA you have?