ADR frustration!

[stitch34]

It shouldn't be this difficult. out of the 4 CMs I've spoken to to make my ADRs, only 1 was able use the system correctly to get me the right times I wanted. Only 1 knew to put in the exact time I was looking for, not a range for the entire time restaurant was open.
First one... had me panicked, telling me nope, all we have for such and such on that date is 4:30, for example - that's IT. Did that with everything I asked for.

Next day called to see if could switch stuff around. She was fantastic. She was plugging in the times I wanted - 10:30 for breakfast... yep, she had it.

So.... today had a couple more things to finalize. CM I get - I ask for 1900 Park Fare breakfast on the 23rd for 4. Nope. Only has 9:30. I said please try for 10:30. She says I plugged in from 9:10 till 11:00 and this is the ONLY availability of that day. Okay... let's try for the 22nd. Same thing, ONLY a 9:30. Okay, how about Chef Mickey's for either of those days - again, 9:30 is the ONLy option for both days. I said doesn't that sound odd to you? She wouldn't put in the specific time. Finally I said thanks for your help, and we ended the call.
I then called right back - then got a half hour hold time. ugh! So... hoping for a CM that WOULD plug in the times I was looking for.
Ask for Park Fare breakfast. She says we have 8:15. I said please try for 10:30. She said, I put in from 8:00 till 11:00 and this is the ONLY availibility for the day. Great, here we go again.

I tried to nicely suggest to her, told her someone helped me the other day with ADRs and by putting in the exact time, that would come up for her, that when she puts in a big range like that it's only going to show her the best available option ONLY.
Thankfully, this one agreed to do it, plug in 10:30. Then I hear her go "ooooohhh" Yep, she had it - 10:30. I said great. Actually, can you try for 10:40? (we're not morning people, every little bit helps!) She put in 10:40. Yep, she said, I have that too!
Finally!
So got that, then needed Sci Fi at 6:30 - and low and behold see, they DID have it for exactly 6:30.

So.... end of call, I said could you be so kind as to please go over all my ressies with me, just want to make sure everything is right.
First one she says, 19th at 50's Prime Time at 2:00. NOOO! I said we're not even in that park that day - that was made for the 20th. Great. Then my Planet Hollywood doesn't exist. Not at ALL! Daughter's favorite restaurant. Yet there is an extra Hollywood & Vine breakfast that I NEVER wanted. When originally making ressie for that, tried the 22nd, she gave me a time, I said well, let's try the 20th instead... took the 20th. Somehow she ended up giving me both. I told her to cancel the one on the 22nd that I never wanted. Turns out she didn't cancel it - instead she cancelled my much-needed Planet Hollywood.

Of course, nothing available at Planet HOllywood till 8:30 for dinner now. A bit late to be dining with two 6 year olds and a 9 year old - but hey, what can I do, daughter's favorite place, fine, will take the 8:30.

So got it all straightend out - had her confirm everything again, go over it all - all is correct. Though still am doubtful. HOW did my 50's become for the wrong date? I specifically listen to what date they state and time when they recap.

So in a nutshell... make sure they are plugging in the time you are looking for. Not sure why 3 out of the 4 I spoke with didn't know to do that. And go over at the end what you have - especially if you made any changes or cancelled anything!
Okay - vent over!!

 

[chloelovesdisney]

Wow. That is frustrating. I don't blame the CM's for the difficult system, although they will need to learn how to work with it better. Whoever designed it did not do a good job at all.

 

[otoole]

I am so glad that I read the DIS - I am about to call Disney and ask for specific times as you suggested because I haven't got many of my requests and all of the CMs I spoke to put in a range. I have called every morning at exactly 7 am for the last few days and still have no luck.

 

[IMACM]

The CM's have been trained to put in for a time range!! This is the way the system was designed. If you call and are offered a 930 table but want 1030 the 930 has been pulled from inventory for who knows how long and it confuses the system as to why you asked for a 930-1130 it gave you a 930 and you refused it. This system does not show every available table as DRS did! it won't get any better!!

 

[Kayka]

I had a similar problem yesterday. The CM I spoke with was clueless.

She found my reservation, but couldn't access the plus 10, but she didn't say that right away. For roughly 25 minutes I thought that there was a problem with the system, when really it was her ability to use the system. Finally she asked for help from her supervisor. It annoyed me that she wasted that much time without asking for help. I only had one ressie left to make, but it been my first call where I was booking ten days, that time could be the difference between getting a popular ADR or not.

When she finally figured it out she told me that the only available seating was 7:35 a.m. That just didn't seem possible, but she assured me she checked the entire morning right through till 11:00 a.m.

I inquired about Chef Mickey, wanted to change dates on previously booked ADR. She told me because of the new system she was unable to book Chef Mickey until June (date?) that she would need to transfer my call. The hold time began all over again, longer this time. Eventually I hung up.

Called back a few hours later and was able to get a reasonable time for breakfast, and change a CM ADR without being transferred.

Not all customer service is created equal... I had thoughts of hanging up on the first CM and starting again. What stopped me was the hold time. It can be such a long process.

 

[oybolshoi]

brilliant ... simply brilliant.

 

[ExtinctDino]

I must have been lucky. I made one call this morning and booked everything quickly without any of these problems. The CM was very fast and efficient. And I knew exactly what I wanted and had backups ready.

 

[eeyoregon]

Yes, Disney should be incredibly embarrassed by the joke they call ADR booking system. It is completely unacceptable for a company the size of Disney, with Billions of dollars in assets, to not have an effective, effecient way to make a bloody dinner reservation!!

I posted on Wednesday as I was living thru the nightmare!! Over 2 & 1/2 hours to make 8 ressies. The computer crashing on 4 of the 5 castmembers I spoke with. Ressies that had been made were lost during the crashes because apparently they don't "save" them until they are completely done booking everything. Being told that there is NOTHING available for dinner at 'Ohana during an 8 day range at the 90 day mark when calling at 7:00am .?!

This is our last year of doing free dining, thank goodness, so we won't have to worry about ADR's ever again because we will just eat counter service or off property. Trying to eat at Disney has ruined the magic!!

 

[Px4]

Okay. I am confused. I blame it on the allergey meds I am on... What you are saying is, that if you ask for a time frame and it comes up with nothing that there still may be things available you just have to ask for a specific time?

 

[tjmw2727]

I had a similar situation today and was going to start a thread. It took 3 calls to make 6 ADR's.

The first CM was really hard to work with and understand but we got through the first three ok. Then I wanted Hoop De Doo - she tried to book me teir 1and I told her that I was using the dining plan and was only eligible for teir 2 or 3. Instead of booking tier 2 like I asked her to she decided to go through her information to see if that was the case. It took over 30 minutes to book just the Hoop De Doo and by that time teir 2 was booked and I had to take teir 3. At that point I decided to finish up with her and call back.

Called back, on hold over 20 minutes, CM answers and hangs up on me. I know probably a mistake but still frustrating.

Call 3 CM seems very nice and we start with the remaining couple ADRs, early dinner at Epcot on arrival day. NOTHING available at Epcot starting at 5:30 she tries to give me the cape may at the beach club assuring me its in Epcot. So I ask if she can try starting at 5 instead of 5:30 and she realizes she had put in 5:30am instead of pm. ugghh, we start all over and get the rest of my ADR's.

Then - she decides to go over all my ADR's and we discover that the first CM booked me the luau instead of the hoop de doo?? So I got that switched.

I would say that the total time was well over 2 hours to book 6 ADR's. I hope the online system is up and running in case I need to make any more reservations or changes.

So - make sure you know your choices and confirm the restaurants and times!!

TJ

 

[WDW Traveler]

Wow, I must have gotten the super cast member this morning. It only took me about 30 minutes to make 7 reservations. And that was for a varying number of people for the reservations, between 5 and 11. She was great. We had to move some stuff around, but I had pretty good luck.

Good luck to everyone!

 

[hrh_disney_queen]

I am so not looking forward to doing this tomorrow morning. I am not a clear thinker in the morning at all, and this is really going to be hard for me to decifer. I am still trying to catch up with lost sleep from yesterday getting up at 5:00, and giving blood later in the day..(stupid, I know..) I guess I will just prepare as much as I can and hope for the best..and then call back later to see if I can change the stuff I messed up.

thanks for the heads up about asking for a specific time, that would have gone right over my head.