MDE glitch cost me lunch with an Imagineer. I am furious and heartbroken UPDATE post 37

[DVC Jen]

Truthfully this may be better than the official Disney version. You won't be sharing your Imagineer with a table full of strangers, you won't be paying the premium,
you can eat wherever you want, and you'll get an unvarnished version of what working for Disney is like. Congratulations!

That is exactly what I am thinking too.

 

[DVC Jen]

just make sure he knows you will be asking him questions about Imagineering!

Her message to me said "he would love to talk to you about it".

 

[kaytieeldr]

That's awesome! Um, can I come?

 

[polyqueen]

Don't forget, a few years ago Disney let much of its IT staff go and outsourced to save money.

 

[discookiemonsta]

OP i am glad to read that the outcome is even better than you hoped for!!!!

 

[kaytieeldr]

Don't forget, a few years ago Disney let much of its IT staff go and outsourced to save money.

Isn't Imagineering very different from IT?

 

[a1tinkfans]

Wonderful OP!
But did Disney get back to you as promised??

 

[bumbershoot]

Don't forget, a few years ago Disney let much of its IT staff go and outsourced to save money.

Well, not really, but it sure made for an inflammatory little article just at an interesting time here in the US, didn't it?

Bunches of actual IT for Disney is in Seattle. No layoffs. People who were described as "monitoring computers" in FL were laid off and supposedly made to train the new hires, who were supposedly on a specific visa from India. I could go on, but this isn't the place. But there was a LOT of info not given at all in those articles, and loads of misinformation hinted at.

Isn't Imagineering very different from IT?

I think they are saying that MDE glitched because of the "IT people" being laid off.

 

[disneygirlsng]

Yes it would. I am thinking something showed up because she told me she was going to go back and look through my account to see what was going on. Then she came back and never questioned me once about it.

I hope we can still get it - but I just experienced a liberal sprinkling of Pixie dust and now will get to do something even better. Well to me it is better. A young woman who grew up dancing and competing with my youngest daughter is a CM. She is married to a young man who is an Imagineer. We have never met him. She saw my post and messaged me asking if we would like to have dinner with her and her new husband. She made my day. I have always liked her so much - she is such a sweet girl - well young woman now. I am very excited to get a chance to see her, talk to her about her life now and working for Disney, as well as meeting her Imagineer husband. She literally turned a very sad disappointing day into one that makes me very happy. I really can't wait to see her again.

Glad it seemed to work out for you, that sounds exciting!
Just though I'd add that you can book ADR's starting at 6AM ET (so 5 central), in case that helps you or somebody else.

 

[discookiemonsta]

Wonderful OP!
But did Disney get back to you as promised??

Yes, I am curious about this as well!

 

[kaytieeldr]

I think they are saying that MDE glitched because of the "IT people" being laid off.

Got it. But didn't that all occur long enough ago that there would be zero correlation between the layoffs and this glitch?

 

[DVC Jen]

Wonderful OP!
But did Disney get back to you as promised??

Not yet.

 

[gharter]

Yes it would. I am thinking something showed up because she told me she was going to go back and look through my account to see what was going on. Then she came back and never questioned me once about it.

I hope we can still get it - but I just experienced a liberal sprinkling of Pixie dust and now will get to do something even better. Well to me it is better. A young woman who grew up dancing and competing with my youngest daughter is a CM. She is married to a young man who is an Imagineer. We have never met him. She saw my post and messaged me asking if we would like to have dinner with her and her new husband. She made my day. I have always liked her so much - she is such a sweet girl - well young woman now. I am very excited to get a chance to see her, talk to her about her life now and working for Disney, as well as meeting her Imagineer husband. She literally turned a very sad disappointing day into one that makes me very happy. I really can't wait to see her again.

Awesome! A better experience all around. Get to catch up with a friend and a private meal with an imagineer. Doesn't get much better than that!

 

[DVC Jen]

Glad it seemed to work out for you, that sounds exciting!
Just though I'd add that you can book ADR's starting at 6AM ET (so 5 central), in case that helps you or somebody else.

I was up as soon as the window opened for me to book. I may have gotten my times wrong in my OP. But I was up. Now that I am really thinking about it - I don't think I even went to bed before. I work from home so I just stayed up working. I am a big time night owl so I just stayed up. My husband is a morning person and thought I was crazy.

 

[loki_d]

I called Disney dining today to have our youngest daughter removed from our dining reservations. I was mostly concerned about taking her off our Lunch with an Imagineer at the Brown Derby so that spot could open up for someone else.

So I called and got her taken off of the ADRs- we are making our way down the list to the lunch with an imagineer and the CM tells me it is just lunch at the Brown Derby - not lunch with an Imagineer. I was stunned. I was up at 5:45 am central knowing that I could begin booking at 6am central (7am eastern). It was the first one I tried for. I had been trying for four years to get that ADR. I scrolled down the list of restaurants until I saw Dining with an Imagineer at Hollywood Brown Derby - clicked on it and was SO happy I got it. I remember it like it happened this morning because I was that happy. I wanted it more than anything else for this trip and really didn't think it would happen.

Then to be told today I didn't have it and yes it must have been a glitch with MDE - well that is not acceptable. I asked to speak with a supervisor. By this time I am in tears on the phone. She goes off to see what she can do. About 10 minutes later she comes back on and says the only thing she can do is send an email to the Brown Derby and see if they are willing to accommodate us. She will get back to me within 72 hours.

I know this is a first world problem. I know we are lucky to be going to Disney. I know we will still have a good time. So don't give me any lectures about that crap. I don't need or deserve it. I am frustrated. I am angry. I am very sad right now. I am also wondering how many other people this happened to and will they even find out or will they show up expecting to have lunch with an imagineer only to be turned away?

This is not right and Disney IT really needs to get their act together.

The My Disney Experience app is absolute garbage. I am constantly complaining about it. I can’t even open the fast pass section before it crashes. I think it crashed on me 16 times so far in the past 10 min today. It’s pathetic.

 

[eeyoresmom]

The My Disney Experience app is absolute garbage. I am constantly complaining about it. I can’t even open the fast pass section before it crashes. I think it crashed on me 16 times so far in the past 10 min today. It’s pathetic.

I lost a whole Animal Kingdom Lodge reservation for my family of 6 last week when the page froze. Seeing a page of the 7 dwarfs off to "fix it" pissed me off even more. We now have 4 different rooms in 6 nights

 

[DVC Jen]

Update on our Dine with an Imagineer issue. I never heard back from "Lola". She told me she would get back to me within 72 hours and - nothing. So I just called again and spoke with "Beverly Jane". She seemed to be MUCH more helpful. She called the restaurant while I was on hold, but was unable to get through. She said she would also email them and continue to call. She would do everything in her power to make it happen for us. Last week I had asked Lola for a phone number to get to her directly and she said she didn't have one. Beverly Jane gave me an email address to reach out to her. She said she would get in touch with me on Wednesday afternoon to keep me updated on the progress if there was any. She also said she would reach out to Lola and see what she is doing to make this happen for us as well. Keeping my fingers crossed.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Beverly Jane gave me an email address to reach out to her

That makes sense. She probably spends the day answering calls, so is unable to answer. You'd get her voice mail.

this has the potential to be a great experience. Good luck!