Personally, I hope they DO get flooded with phone calls. Its not the customer's fault the system is not working properly. You are supposed to be able to make ADRs at 180 days out. Period.
That's all the customer has to go by. If you were not an online forum participant you wouldn't even know about Disney implementing a new system. So, in summary, they=Disney, asked for all this confusion by allowing it to go on. No park hours, no ADRs, etc....
I respectfully disagree. I am going May 4-16, have no park hours and no reservations. I'm in the same boat as many of you, and I find it as frustrating as the rest of you.
I remember when we could only book 90 days out and get park hours 90 days out. This was when we first started going in 2001, so it's not like it was that long ago.
You are right in that Disney did voluntarily change their booking and hours windows to 180 days and have the responsibility to serve their customers at the standards they set for themselves.
However, Disney says on all of their communications and pretty much all their rules that they are "subject to change without notice." So just because we've grown accustomed to having things available to us at 180 days does not mean that things are guaranteed to stay that way. ETA: I also think Disney is taking far too long with this upgrade and could be handling the flow of information to us Disneyphiles MUCH MUCH MUCH better.
I think it's a bit much to call CMs knowing it is likely stressing them out and they are bearing the brunt of thousands of angry customers' frustration. Ripping a waitress "a new one" because the chef forgot to order enough filet mignon in anticipation of a publicized special on that menu item is unfair. The waitress has nothing to do with it.
Your point about not even knowing about a new system without visiting this forum or others like it is a good point, but it can be turned the other way. I took your comment to mean the callers who are simply told they can't book with no understanding of why are at a disadvantage. I think that statement can be turned on its head because most people, as Tricia1972 has pointed out, know little about the ins and outs of Disney when they call. They're lucky to know that they even NEED ADRs, so knowing they can't make reservations for their trip yet may well result in simply an, "Oh. Okay" response rather than an indignant one.
Again, please know I'm not blaming or criticizing everyone's frustration. I share it, I feel it, I totally relate. I just think we're getting a bit carried away. A vacation is important - I spend all my excess income on my
Disney vacations. A wedding is certainly very important, so not having all of those details ironed out would be very stressful. However, we're all in the same boat. Tricia1972 said that people are getting reservations for the some of the hardest restaurants 90 days out, so I'm hopeful we'll have little trouble. Long queues on the phones, probably. Trouble getting our ADRs? I hope (and believe) not.
Please, JPG, since I quoted you, I just want you to think about your comment that Disney deserves a flood of calls. Remember most of those callers, if they are us, will be frustrated and may start to feel entitled. Disney does deserve emails and perhaps the managers deserve our frustration. I emailed DVC member services a heated email a while back due to not getting responses on issues they promised would be resolved, so I have no problem doing that. But taking it out on a random CM who happens to get the call is unfair and not in the spirit of the place we all love so dearly. I know you aren't suggesting we call and yell. IMO, your frustration is misdirected, and I worry that the CM getting a call from an angry DISer will start to feel less magic themselves.
Empathy gets you farther than indignation. Let's commiserate with each other rather than acting out on the CMs who likely hate this as much as we do.
Just my thoughts - sorry for the lengthy post. I know I just took my life into my own hands by posting this, but I hope I'm not flamed. I think we should make this a place to share frustration but also help each other keep things in perspective (note: wedding issues aside, though I still think we can help with perspective and encouragement for that, since I see that as a separate and very necessary situation in which ADRs should be much more accessible).
Well said, donaldsgal
