So the pin was, for me, the best deal. I'm going to South Africa and saving $800 for the two of us! With no early booking discount this year, I briefly considered the $100 discount for repeat ABDers, but that was not enough. I didn't even consider the free cruise offer last year because I want to go on ABD, not a cruise. Frankly, the cruise would have ended up costing me more money, not saving money. The pin was $100 more than the Costco rebate and I won't have to wait until after the trip to enjoy my discount. ABD finally came through, but they shouldn't have waited so long, I was almost on my way to Bhutan.
Congratuations! I'm glad it worked out for you. I hope somebody from ABD reads your post and realizes they need to offer a more significant discount right from the get go. If I had gotten this offer earlier (or the EBD + loyalty, like I got last year) I would be traveling with ABD this summer instead of Tauck.