Anyone utilize the "complimentary Member Experience team" to assist with planning?

[Boopuff]

I just received this email "

We are excited to share that Disney Vacation Club is piloting an all-new complimentary Member Experience Specialist Team. You’re invited to participate in this new program through the end of your stay at Disney's Old Key West Resort. Our small but dedicated team’s goal is to make sure your next welcome home is set up to be truly magical through pre-arrival planning assistance and onsite support!

Has anyone used this for their reservations? I'm going to give it a shot, but I'd like to hear if anyone had success with this. We have a party of 9 so I'm hoping they can manange those dining reservations!

 

[VGCgroupie]

Are you staying in a Grand Villa?

 

[cruisehopeful]

I've never heard of it.

 

[VGCgroupie]

Check this thread out of nobody pops over here and you are staying in the GV https://www.disboards.com/threads/a...fered-for-grand-villa-stays-recently.3967621/

 

[MICKIMINI]

Wow, give them a try!!

 

[Boopuff]

We are in a GV I’ll check the other thread thanks

 

[VGCgroupie]

About to start my days and days of waking up at 4am to book stuff at Aulani. This service for our GV stay would have been amazing.

 

[Mle8308]

If you are looking for dining, it might be better to try and book on your own. The CM's do not have access to any "set aside" reservations that are not available to resort guests or the general public. And, they do not start their day at 6am when dining reservations open. By the time they get to looking for you, all the reservations may be gone, or the more desirable times. If specific times or restaurants are important to you, and they are hard reservations to get, I would get up for 6am and do them on your own.

 

[VGCgroupie]

If you are looking for dining, it might be better to try and book on your own. The CM's do not have access to any "set aside" reservations that are not available to resort guests or the general public. And, they do not start their day at 6am when dining reservations open. By the time they get to looking for you, all the reservations may be gone, or the more desirable times. If specific times or restaurants are important to you, and they are hard reservations to get, I would get up for 6am and do them on your own.

Did you utilize the service?

 

[Mle8308]

Did you utilize the service?

I have not, but I used to work for Disney and many of my close friends still do. Including in MS. The CM's don't come in at 6am, so while it is a nice to offer service, it can be a risk to wait, especially for hard to get reservations or times.

 

[VGCgroupie]

I have not, but I used to work for Disney and many of my close friends still do. Including in MS. The CM's don't come in at 6am, so while it is a nice to offer service, it can be a risk to wait, especially for hard to get reservations or times.

I could be completely wrong but this service seems to not work within the same parameters of booking timeframes that we all are.

I remember when I used to stay cash, I often was able to get reservations that were not available to all but going through guest services at the hotel I could get them (GCH, DLH)

 

[Mle8308]

I could be completely wrong but this service seems to not work within the same parameters of booking timeframes that we all are.

I remember when I used to stay cash, I often was able to get reservations that were not available to all but going through guest services at the hotel I could get them (GCH, DLH)

For WDW, it's still the 60 day window for dining reservations, there is no longer window. The difference is they book them for you - or try to, and not at 6am when the reservations open. If your desired time or restaurant is not available they don't have a separate reservation inventory to pull from.

 

[Boopuff]

I just sent them my list. I don't have any "hyper-popular" spots on my list. They did tell me that they do this to try to help book large parties. I was asked if we'd be willing to split and how many per table. I'm hoping that we get all the requests

 

[VGCgroupie]

I just sent them my list. I don't have any "hyper-popular" spots on my list. They did tell me that they do this to try to help book large parties. I was asked if we'd be willing to split and how many per table. I'm hoping that we get all the requests

Let us know how it goes! Are they booking 60 days out?

 

[CarolynFH]

Let us know how it goes! Are they booking 60 days out?

I’ve lost access to my saved emails, but when we used the service for our January 2025 trip, they did book at 60 days out. I can’t remember what time it was when I received the email from them with our ADRs, but I think it was in the morning. They got everything we asked for and had to split our party twice.

 

[Boopuff]

OP here back with an update! We got all our requests including: Geo 82, fireworks cruise, behind the seeds. We did have to split our party for T-Rex and LeCellier, but Oga was able to put us all together. We plan to arrive early and see if they can put our splits together. This has been a great thing, especially since I would've had to get up at 4 am to book! I hope this continues!

 

[CarolynFH]

We did have to split our party for T-Rex and LeCellier, but Oga was able to put us all together. We plan to arrive early and see if they can put our splits together.

If all of you arrive a little bit early, I expect they will seat you at the same table or as close together as the restaurant's physical layout allows. Based on experience, I'm pretty sure that there's a note on both reservations to that effect already, but checking in early and telling the CM you're together is still important.