Additional FLE Passholder Preview Opportunities -- Update Post #40

[mesaboy2]

Disney's passholder FB feed is reporting that they are working to add more opportunities for previews. Additional details apparently coming through normal channels the middle of next week. Stay tuned, fellow rejects.

Having trouble linking, but here's the text.

Passholders, due to strong demand, we are working quickly to create additional New Fantasyland preview opportunities for you and will share more details by the middle of next week. Here is a note from Debbie Hart, the director of experience services here at Walt Disney World Resort.

Dear Passholders,

We are aware that some of you had difficulty in trying to sign up for a New Fantasyland preview earlier this week and appreciate your candid feedback. We understand how precious your time is and sincerely apologize for any inconvenience you may have experienced.

The demand for New Fantasyland has exceeded even our expectations and we are working quickly to create additional preview opportunities. We expect to be able to provide more details by the middle of next week via email, as well as at www.disneyworld.com/passholder and on this page.

We value the special relationship we have with you as passholders and want to assure you that we are committed to making every experience you have with us the best it can possibly be.

Sincerely,
Debbie Bellavia-Hart
Director, Guest Experience Services

 

[cynzilla]

Just got the email too but REALLY wish somebody knew about the 27...btw #mesaboy2, thanks for your response on my previous post about it!

 

[Good Morning Dewdrop]

I got the e-mail too but mine reads "Dear Karen" (instead of Passholder) clearly Disney knows we're BFFs

 

[mesaboy2]

And now I've received that email too. At least that part seems to be working.

 

[mousermerf]

I'm signed up for the preview - didn't get an email.

Was it only sent to those who voiced their concerns..?

 

[mesaboy2]

Bump

 

[beansmom]

I'm signed up for the preview - didn't get an email.

Was it only sent to those who voiced their concerns..?

nope, i had no concerns. I knew I couldn't go so never responded to anything but got the email last night..

 

[PrincessKida]

Deleted

 

[HelenParr]

I never receive AP email -- I've updated profile online, emailed them. It never gets fixed. (It's not in my spam filter either.) I get the rest of the "family" of Disney email.

I, too, am signed up for preview. Did not get an email (but I never do ).

I think it is a good sign they are trying to add more preview opportunities.

But I remain suspect of their ability to pull it off. Boggles my mind that they can be (repeatedly) so far off in planning/executing their own online sign up.

 

[ex007]

I didn't receive the e-mail, but I did get a phone call from Joseph last night around 6pm from Passholder Services, who told me that an update would be posted soon about additional opportunities. He said that WDW was working with its corporate sponsors in New Fantasyland to explore what they could do.

I'll wait and see what the additional opportunities are. However, since we would only be able to make the Nov. 3 preview, adding previews later in the month doesn't do us any good. And I still don't have an answer from WDW as to why the preview website didn't recognize my AP number. Oh well, not the end of the world. But I, too, am amazed at how badly WDW can mess things up.

 

[Pixie Princess]

I got the e-mail too but mine reads "Dear Karen" (instead of Passholder) clearly Disney knows we're BFFs

Me too!

I never receive AP email -- I've updated profile online, emailed them. It never gets fixed. (It's not in my spam filter either.) I get the rest of the "family" of Disney email.

I have that same problem. I long ago changed my e-mail, yet I still get things at the old address. This passholder e-mail is just the latest example. It is weird because it isn't limited to certain senders from Disney. I'll get things from, for example, Disney Destinations at both addresses. No rhyme or reason to it.

Glad they are trying to do something for passholders after the debacle on Monday.

 

[opal]

I received the email about additional previews. It is also posted on the website under the passholder tab in the same location that the original preview info was posted. I literally dedicated hours to the pursuit of the preview passes when you consider all the false starts Disney had with this. I got in, was able to fill out the request form only to be denied because it would not recognize my annual passes. I am not sure I would be willing to try again unless they can assure us they have addressed that problem. I might be inclined to wait until it is actually open to the public rather than risk losing even more of my "Disney Magic"

It is so inconceivable that a company that possesses the level of technology that Disney does, should have the type computer issues that they seem to routinely suffer from.

Let's face it Disney has the ability to determine how many passholders are a daytrip away and how many have booked rooms using the passholder discount. So really, they had no idea that would have a massive response to this "opportunity"? They who giveth the Magic, shall take it away!

 

[BlovesC]

Do they do anything different during the passholder previews than they do during the soft openings running right now?

I completely forgot to register for the previews when they were first offered, but we've been through new FLE and on Ariel and etc. If I don't bother registering for the next set of previews will I be missing out on something?

 

[parkhopping]

I never receive AP email -- I've updated profile online, emailed them. It never gets fixed. (It's not in my spam filter either.) I get the rest of the "family" of Disney email.

I, too, am signed up for preview. Did not get an email (but I never do ).

I think it is a good sign they are trying to add more preview opportunities.

But I remain suspect of their ability to pull it off. Boggles my mind that they can be (repeatedly) so far off in planning/executing their own online sign up.

Same here. I have no idea why their email service is so spotty, but I have never gotten a passholder email. I only heard about when the signups would be because a friend saw it posted on the passholder FB page and let me know.

Let's face it Disney has the ability to determine how many passholders are a daytrip away and how many have booked rooms using the passholder discount. So really, they had no idea that would have a massive response to this "opportunity"?

I agree. I don't buy the whole "response was greater than we expected" thing. If they really didn't anticipate so many people trying to register, that's their own fault for not properly assessing the situation. They have all the means necessary to come up with a good prediction.

Oh well, at least they are doing something to clean up their mess!

 

[ToddS]

I never get the emails either. And my disneyworld.com preferences are set up to receive all emails.

My concern about the additional preview dates that they've promised is that there was no mention of the fact that the original registration process (such as it was) would not recognize exchange vouchers. We bought our AP's two weeks ago specifically for this preview, only to find that the vouchers wouldn't work for the preview registration. And I know others ran into this as well.

This makes no sense to me. Why penalize my family simply because we haven't been able to visit in over a year and therefore we let our AP's lapse? We have new AP's, at least to the extent that we can get them by mail — that is, vouchers; why shouldn't that be good enough to register for the preview?

 

[Candycane83]

I never get the emails either. And my disneyworld.com preferences are set up to receive all emails.

My concern about the additional preview dates that they've promised is that there was no mention of the fact that the original registration process (such as it was) would not recognize exchange vouchers. We bought our AP's two weeks ago specifically for this preview, only to find that the vouchers wouldn't work for the preview registration. And I know others ran into this as well.

This makes no sense to me. Why penalize my family simply because we haven't been able to visit in over a year and therefore we let our AP's lapse? We have new AP's, at least to the extent that we can get them by mail — that is, vouchers; why shouldn't that be good enough to register for the preview?

I did the same thing and was extrememly disappointed that this wasn't mentioned. I actually called when I was purchasing the tickets and they said, I should be able to sign up if I have a voucher number. (so I had to spend $25 to get them to mail the exchange vouchers) Then, on sign up (between 1pm-6pm), even when I called specifically to ask why my voucher was not working, they just said it was a techinical glitch. I wasted a lot of time trying to do this when they could've told me that in the phone calls I made.

 

[lovethattink]

I didn't receive an email either. But I'm so glad they are adding opportunities for viewing! I was at the computer at noon with no luck. Got the message that registration was at 6pm when I rushed back home around 1pm to try again. At 6pm I was at Epcot. By the time I got home all the spots were filled. Can't complain too much though, we did get to do a dress rehearsal of Under the Sea on Monday afternoon!!

 

[Cheryllynn74]

Do they do anything different during the passholder previews than they do during the soft openings running right now?

I completely forgot to register for the previews when they were first offered, but we've been through new FLE and on Ariel and etc. If I don't bother registering for the next set of previews will I be missing out on something?

The only thing I can see being different is the passholder preview says you will get a tour of Be Our Guest. I went to MK yesterday and was able to experience everything new in Fantasyland. We were even able to go inside the main lobby of Be Our Guest, but not tour the entire place. So if the passholder preview will give a complete tour, that is the only difference I can imagine. I will still try to do it because it would be great to be able to tour it and take pictures without diners and crowds of guests inside.

I think Disney really dropped the ball on this one. Not only with all the problems of trying to sign up, but also with the fact that with soft openings, many have already seen it all and it does not seem like something special for passholders.

 

[lovethattink]

I did the same thing and was extrememly disappointed that this wasn't mentioned. I actually called when I was purchasing the tickets and they said, I should be able to sign up if I have a voucher number. (so I had to spend $25 to get them to mail the exchange vouchers) Then, on sign up (between 1pm-6pm), even when I called specifically to ask why my voucher was not working, they just said it was a techinical glitch. I wasted a lot of time trying to do this when they could've told me that in the phone calls I made.

I never get the emails either. And my disneyworld.com preferences are set up to receive all emails.

My concern about the additional preview dates that they've promised is that there was no mention of the fact that the original registration process (such as it was) would not recognize exchange vouchers. We bought our AP's two weeks ago specifically for this preview, only to find that the vouchers wouldn't work for the preview registration. And I know others ran into this as well.

This makes no sense to me. Why penalize my family simply because we haven't been able to visit in over a year and therefore we let our AP's lapse? We have new AP's, at least to the extent that we can get them by mail — that is, vouchers; why shouldn't that be good enough to register for the preview?

It was mentioned, but you had to click the FAQ link to read that vouchers were not acceptable for the preview. That leaves out so many people.

 

[mesaboy2]

The only thing I can see being different is the passholder preview says you will get a tour of Be Our Guest. I went to MK yesterday and was able to experience everything new in Fantasyland. We were even able to go inside the main lobby of Be Our Guest, but not tour the entire place. So if the passholder preview will give a complete tour, that is the only difference I can imagine. I will still try to do it because it would be great to be able to tour it and take pictures without diners and crowds of guests inside.

I think Disney really dropped the ball on this one. Not only with all the problems of trying to sign up, but also with the fact that with soft openings, many have already seen it all and it does not seem like something special for passholders.

I'll add one. How about the assurance that when you go to the trouble of making plans to go there, that you'll actually be able to see FLE while open? Everything between now and November 19 is in soft-open status, with much of that period closed for exclusive access by various groups. As much as I trust someone like Berlioz to provide accurate info, there is still the chance it won't be open--and I bet she'd be the first to agree she doesn't make those decisions.

So, while the "exclusive" access and potential tour of BOG and maybe even a trinket or two is nice--it is the assurance that I'll actually see it soon that appeals most to me.