*2013* epcot food & wine festival 9/27-11/11

[MickeyMinnieMom]

I know there are exceptions to every rule... I was more referring to blaming the CMs for the things that are out of their control. Like the Hold Times and Busy Signals and non-working website.

Things that are in their control, like your experience, are entirely another matter.

Hopefully things will work out for you.

Understood. I know they deal with people blaming them for all sorts of things that aren't their fault. It's one thing to express frustration re: the system to a CM in a calm way, asking them to pass along the customer feedback -- but definitely not taking it out on them.

It's a shame -- Disney could take care of a lot of this with better project planning, and an IT system that functioned as it should.

 

[Inkmahm]

OMG!!! I was just on with a CM who told me an event was sold out -- I asked if I could talk to a supervisor, as I was hearing conflicting info about these things. Without saying a word, he cut me to the survey!!!!

Seriously?!?!!?

You can imagine the feedback I gave -- and this after holding for 45min?!?!?

I am SO sorry that happened to you. I would be livid, too. Hopefully he meant to put you on hold and hit the wrong button. But I would have left a scathing review, too!

Hopefully it has calmed down a little bit so that you can call back and get in quicker this time.

 

[MickeyMinnieMom]

I am SO sorry that happened to you. I would be livid, too. Hopefully he meant to put you on hold and hit the wrong button. But I would have left a scathing review, too!

Hopefully it has calmed down a little bit so that you can call back and get in quicker this time.

Thanks!! Yup... took a deep breath and starting fresh now!

I guess that's one benefit of holding for so long... by the time they pick up I'll have forgotten what just happened!!

 

[gismo1554]

OK I just managed to book a mixology session online so I think they have sorted their online system now people!

 

[Arielle71]

I was on hold for 30 min but I got a great CM and I was able to book all 8 events that we wanted, 5 signature diners, the hibachi experience, 3D dessert party with sweet seats and sweet sunday breakfast with Buddy Valastro !!!

Youhou! only have to wait 55 days now!

 

[PatriciaH]

OK I just managed to book a mixology session online so I think they have sorted their online system now people!

Yep-just booked The Great Whiskey Debate online!

 

[LilyWDW]

I am SO sorry that happened to you. I would be livid, too. Hopefully he meant to put you on hold and hit the wrong button. But I would have left a scathing review, too!

Hopefully it has calmed down a little bit so that you can call back and get in quicker this time.

I have worked CS for quite a long time (not Disney) and I have accidentally hung up on someone before. I meant to put them on hold, something caught my attention, and I hit end call instead. Also have just had the brain blank out as I went to put them on hold and hung up instead. Felt horrible but nothing I could do about it.

As such, I would give the CM the benefit of the doubt. You just never know. With all the junk happening today it wouldn't shock me if they simple messed up.

 

[gismo1554]

Yep-just booked The Great Whiskey Debate online!

YEAH! Glad others are managing too. I have decided against Wine and just going for a nice mixology lol

 

[JenKatt]

things are now showing up online, PFTS was erroring out earlier, but now it's showing (GA only)

 

[mdsd8700]

WOO HOO!

I just got off the phone with Disney & was able to book everything I wanted. I originally called in at 7, got a CM at 7:16, and was told that they couldn't book anything for F&W because of an IT problem. I tried to call back starting at 8 & kept getting "all circuits are busy." Eventually, I got through & waited for an hour on hold. Although it was very frustrating experience, I'm happy that I finally got to make reservations.

10/21 Erin McKenna (BabyCakes) deminar
10/22 Edgardo Ruiz (The Land) deminar
10/24 Lee Lucier (Eat!/Nosh) deminar
10/24 Breckenridge mixology seminar
10/25 Kitchen Memories with the Voltaggios

This will be my first time at the F&W Festival. I'm really looking forward to my trip & hope to meet some of you at lunch on 10/25.

Shelli

So happy that it worked out for you since it was a terribly frustrating experience.

Have a wonderful trip!!

 

[MickeyMinnieMom]

I have worked CS for quite a long time (not Disney) and I have accidentally hung up on someone before. I meant to put them on hold, something caught my attention, and I hit end call instead. Also have just had the brain blank out as I went to put them on hold and hung up instead. Felt horrible but nothing I could do about it.

As such, I would give the CM the benefit of the doubt. You just never know. With all the junk happening today it wouldn't shock me if they simple messed up.

I'm normally big on benefit of the doubt!! I've been in Cust Svc (many moons ago!) as well, and I understand how it is.

However, when I asked for a supervisor, he didn't say a word and just cut me to the survey. I would think that if his intention was to transfer me, he would have said that. He just sounded ANNOYED -- the moment he got on the line.

I'm sure he had a bad morning. But a bad attitude from the get-go in that call - not ok.

All in all, over the years, I've had really good CM experiences. Sometimes uninformed, but VERY RARELY rude like this gentleman was. That said, I get over these things quickly - certainly not worth hanging onto!!

 

[MichellT]

Disney has handled this so badly it isn't even funny! What a sham. Clearly they don't have the technical competency to host a proper website, or handle the incoming calls that result from not having one. The two agents I spoke with after waking at 5a were nearly useless as well and one lost something she had on hold for me which is now sold out (PTFS 10/19 WVL).

Disgusted.

 

[jaygalterio]

I have worked CS for quite a long time (not Disney) and I have accidentally hung up on someone before. I meant to put them on hold, something caught my attention, and I hit end call instead. Also have just had the brain blank out as I went to put them on hold and hung up instead. Felt horrible but nothing I could do about it.

As such, I would give the CM the benefit of the doubt. You just never know. With all the junk happening today it wouldn't shock me if they simple messed up.

I have worked CS for quite sometime too. Once called a customer an "effin moron" just at the time when my mute switch decided to break.

Luckily the customer in question agreed with me. Apologized to me. And laughed about it.

Last time I ever relied on my mute switch for anything.

 

[jenjersnap]

Well, it has been a fun morning.

Disconnected 45 minutes into holding, disconnected 16 minutes into holding, circuits are busy message ever since. Finally booked 3D Dessert Party online just to have something booked but sad to miss out on the sweet seats. GA isn't too bad, right?

 

[herb102211]

I was on hold for 30 min but I got a great CM and I was able to book all 8 events that we wanted, 5 signature diners, the hibachi experience, 3D dessert party with sweet seats and sweet sunday breakfast with Buddy Valastro !!!

Youhou! only have to wait 55 days now![/QUOTE

Good for you! Just curious as to what time you got through to book the Sweet Sundays. I was told at 7:01am today that it was sold out

 

[jaygalterio]

Well, it has been a fun morning.

Disconnected 45 minutes into holding, disconnected 16 minutes into holding, circuits are busy message ever since. Finally booked 3D Dessert Party online just to have something booked but sad to miss out on the sweet seats. GA isn't too bad, right?

General Admission isn't that bad. Just try to get on line as soon as you can. Last year we got in line about an hour to an hour and a half before door open. (Bring an umbrella just in case.)

If you have a small party, then someone can place hold so that the other person can sit down for a bit or stretch their legs.

When you get inside, by pass the first couple of tables. There will be a mad dash for the first tables people see. Just keep going and there are plenty of additional tables in front of the stage and down around the corner.

My wife and I had a table on the far side of the room well before that whole area filled up. We had empty chairs that we were more than happy to share. When I spotted one of the couples that had been waiting in line with us, I happily invited them to make use of the empty chairs instead of standing. (They weren't so lucky as to nab a table. There were too many distractions I guess. And they didn't realize just how much of a madhouse it can be.)

Same thing happened at the Party for the Senses the next night. In this case a family with a bunch of young children had no luck finding a table. We didn't mind sharing then either.

 

[jcvalenti]

Started phone bombing at 6:58AM. Took about 200 tries to get through, and then told I would be on hold for 30 minutes. More like an hour. Anyway, there's only a few events that interested me on during the time we're there (10/13 to 10/16), and luckily my Cast Member was fantastically quick. I was able to lock up the Italian Regional Wine Lunch on 10/14, and a Bacardi Mixology Seminar on 10/15. If I hadn't gotten the Italian lunch, I'd have been very bummed.

Considering this is pretty much the premiere special event at Epcot, I'm really amazed at how disorganized it always is. I have no idea why they can't lock up the schedule a month or so earlier, so that we could at least pick the days we wanted to plan a trip for rather than just book a trip and pray something we want is happening that weekend.

 

[BeerMe]

Just finished booking a couple of seminars online. Booked a wine class yesterday. Everything is linked. Finally working correctly.

We made some ADRs at WDW last February when we were there using MDE (or whatever it was then). That worked fine too. It was easier to do that than call or even walk up to the desk at the restaurant.

 

[sasmmb]

Argh! I only wanted to book 1 thing, Parisian Breakfast for 11/2. After finally getting thru, CM said it was booked. Even double checked in different ways. Granted I'm in California right now and called at 7:00 local time, with 25 minute hold but still I would have thought this would not be a high demand event. Is it worth calling back? I forgot to ask for a supervisor just because the CM seemed competent.

 

[jenjersnap]

Thank you for that great advice! Sounds a little crazy and stressful, just like booking it was! DH agreed to take over phone duties to see if we can switch to sweet seats after I pointed your post out to him, LOL.

General Admission isn't that bad. Just try to get on line as soon as you can. Last year we got in line about an hour to an hour and a half before door open. (Bring an umbrella just in case.)

If you have a small party, then someone can place hold so that the other person can sit down for a bit or stretch their legs.

When you get inside, by pass the first couple of tables. There will be a mad dash for the first tables people see. Just keep going and there are plenty of additional tables in front of the stage and down around the corner.

My wife and I had a table on the far side of the room well before that whole area filled up. We had empty chairs that we were more than happy to share. When I spotted one of the couples that had been waiting in line with us, I happily invited them to make use of the empty chairs instead of standing. (They weren't so lucky as to nab a table. There were too many distractions I guess. And they didn't realize just how much of a madhouse it can be.)

Same thing happened at the Party for the Senses the next night. In this case a family with a bunch of young children had no luck finding a table. We didn't mind sharing then either.