Disney Erased All my FP+ and Won't Reinstate Them

[surferdave]

But you won't convince me that the system was designed so that FPs get wiped out by making a change to the reservation, and that the issue here was the failure of the CM to warn the guest that would happen. I mean, when would anyone EVER be ok with that?

Does anybody really believe Disney is going to train CMs to say "hey, you might not want to buy a dining plan because all your fastpasses wiil go away"?

 

[DVCMomBLT]

Does anybody really believe Disney is going to train CMs to say "hey, you might not want to buy a dining plan because all your fastpasses wiil go away"?

No, but I also think that there may have been a proper way for the CM to do this that WOULDN'T have cancelled the reservation and created a new one. That might have just been the only way this particular CM knew how to fulfill this request.

 

[fbb]

It's like you're psychic or something.

Please come back here after your trip and tell us you insisted on adequate guest recovery for this.

If she reports adequate guest recovery, it will spawn a legion of copycats who have mysteriously had their FP+ disappear.

 

[BuzzinDownToDisney]

Simple solution is making the Dining Plan and add-on, with different confirmation number, like MM. I was on the fence about it when I booked, read a bunch of positive reviews so I added it on after making FP+ selections. No problem.

 

[snayak]

But you won't convince me that the system was designed so that FPs get wiped out by making a change to the reservation, and that the issue here was the failure of the CM to warn the guest that would happen. I mean, when would anyone EVER be ok with that?

The reason this "feature" was passed through is likely because:

1. It was not a use case defined in the requirements (ie, an oversight in the requirements)
2. The engineer coding the FP system didn't talk to the one coding the reservation system.

From their point of view, both systems were worked as designed - however once integrated together issues like this bubble up. The systems were not designed to wipe fastpasses - however also were NOT designed to migrate fastpasses when new reservations for the same MDE during the same time frame were created. What if they just wanted to book a second room...duplicate all the fastpasses?

The short term solution appears to be for the CM to advise folks that altering their reservation will wipe out their FP+ info (why ADRs are OK is beyond me).

Long term, new requirements will have to be drafted and incorporated into the software in the future, either as a critical patch or flowed into their software roadmap.

This does not make it OK, and everybody who reads this should be aware that changing reservations can wipe out fastpasses, so caveat emptor

 

[mom2rtk]

Much more often than you think. I've worked on dozens of poorly designed software systems.

I'm confused. So that means that you think people are just generally OK with this sort of thing?

Does anybody really believe Disney is going to train CMs to say "hey, you might not want to buy a dining plan because all your fastpasses wiil go away"?

LOL, I suppose there's that.

If she reports adequate guest recovery, it will spawn a legion of copycats who have mysteriously had their FP+ disappear.

Sounds like much of their approach to guest recovery lately has been designed to prevent fraud. That never used to be needed. I guess that's the brave new world of MM+.

 

[DVCMomBLT]

The reason this "feature" was passed through is likely because:

1. It was not a use case defined in the requirements (ie, an oversight in the requirements)
2. The engineer coding the FP system didn't talk to the one coding the reservation system.

From their point of view, both systems were worked as designed - however once integrated together issues like this bubble up. The systems were not designed to wipe fastpasses - however also were NOT designed to migrate fastpasses when new reservations for the same MDE during the same time frame were created. What if they just wanted to book a second room...duplicate all the fastpasses?

The short term solution appears to be for the CM to advise folks that altering their reservation will wipe out their FP+ info (why ADRs are OK is beyond me).

Long term, new requirements will have to be drafted and incorporated into the software in the future, either as a critical patch or flowed into their software roadmap.

This does not make it OK, and everybody who reads this should be aware that changing reservations can wipe out fastpasses, so caveat emptor

Ignore all of my prior posts. THIS is exactly what I was trying to say!

 

[mom2rtk]

The reason this "feature" was passed through is likely because:

1. It was not a use case defined in the requirements (ie, an oversight in the requirements)
2. The engineer coding the FP system didn't talk to the one coding the reservation system.

From their point of view, both systems were worked as designed - however once integrated together issues like this bubble up. The systems were not designed to wipe fastpasses - however also were NOT designed to migrate fastpasses when new reservations for the same MDE during the same time frame were created. What if they just wanted to book a second room...duplicate all the fastpasses?

The short term solution appears to be for the CM to advise folks that altering their reservation will wipe out their FP+ info (why ADRs are OK is beyond me).

Long term, new requirements will have to be drafted and incorporated into the software in the future, either as a critical patch or flowed into their software roadmap.

This does not make it OK, and everybody who reads this should be aware that changing reservations can wipe out fastpasses, so caveat emptor

This is the very sort of thing I knew any high tech IT dependent system at Disney would be capable of. And one of several reasons I was against it from the start.

 

[DVCMomBLT]

I'm confused. So that means that you think people are just generally OK with this sort of thing?

Define "people". Customers? No. Companies? Yes.

 

[jiminykrikkit]

But you won't convince me that the system was designed so that FPs get wiped out by making a change to the reservation, and that the issue here was the failure of the CM to warn the guest that would happen. I mean, when would anyone EVER be ok with that?

I don't really want to convince you that the system was designed to do that. I don't think it should do that.

I'm just saying that I get what DVCMomBLT is saying as for why it happened in this particular situation.

 

[jiminykrikkit]

Does anybody really believe Disney is going to train CMs to say "hey, you might not want to buy a dining plan because all your fastpasses wiil go away"?

Haha very true!

 

[sethschroeder]

But you won't convince me that the system was designed so that FPs get wiped out by making a change to the reservation, and that the issue here was the failure of the CM to warn the guest that would happen. I mean, when would anyone EVER be ok with that?

It likely is designed to wipe out FP+ when a reservation is cancelled because if you cancel your not going to Disney right?

So lets just say you have never done a reservation with Disney in your life. Why would anyone cancel their reservation unless they don't plan to go to Disney? Why keep FP+ times for a person who isn't going to Disney?

Should they likely update the system based on feedback like the issues posted here? Yes but likely an update like that wouldn't be launched for a few months if its even being worked on.

What really needs to be added is a change to reservations instead of needing to outright cancel.

 

[mom2rtk]

I don't really want to convince you that the system was designed to do that. I don't think it should do that.

I'm just saying that I get what DVCMomBLT is saying as for why it happened in this particular situation.

I guess I'm saying I don't care WHY it happened. This is not the first report of FPs being wiped out by someone adding a dining plan. So they apparently weren't able to rectify the problem between the example I saw reported a month or two ago, and this one. But surely someone would have realized by now that they need appropriate guest recovery for this. "Sorry but we can't help you" is just unacceptable.

 

[surferdave]

It likely is designed to wipe out FP+ when a reservation is cancelled because if you cancel your not going to Disney right?

Based on what's been described earlier in the thread it isn't designed to deal with Fastpass at all, it was built at a time that they weren't delicate virtual assets that disappear in a blink of an eye. It was designed to default to one database for a room only reservation (which since MM+ now is linked to fastpass) or a different one for a package, so it has to create a different compatible reservation number to change to a package. New number, clean Fastpass slate.

 

[Luckybee]

But you won't convince me that the system was designed so that FPs get wiped out by making a change to the reservation, and that the issue here was the failure of the CM to warn the guest that would happen. I mean, when would anyone EVER be ok with that?

Dh and I had a fair number of problems linking our Dolphin res to MDE. After numerous calls/emails it was finally worked out. Then I made the mistake of deciding to add a day. Rinse and repeat. In speaking with Disney IT I became aware that ANY change to MDE after FP has been booked is a risk we wont take. While I was complaining about the cluster this had caused me the rep told me about someone who lost their Fp's just changing dinners around. I asked how that was possible and that's when she told me the above and said that "any" change can cause a problem, "altho this would be the more unusual example" . What was really odd was that she was telling me this more to placate me...as if to say it could be worse, "since you have the time to fix it". I wasn't placated, rather I was more astonished that it was that bad.

Dh and I are trying to change our CRT time. Before I spoke with this rep I had planned to look right up until the night prior. Now once fp is booked we will make no other changes. Which means we wont add any D restaurants....I don't care if the chances are remote....Im not taking my chances

 

[snayak]

This is the very sort of thing I knew any high tech IT dependent system at Disney would be capable of. And one of several reasons I was against it from the start.

Believe me, its not just Disney with these problems.

Most products have a limited set of use cases when initially deployed and then add features over the product life cycle (Apple is KING of this).

In my opinion, this issue is a MISTAKE (not a bug!) and should be able to be fixed - however if they are using a legacy reservation system with a new FP system then it'll cost $$$ to fix.

I am 100% agreeing with you - Disney should make it right and either override the system to add FP+ as the customer wants, or something similar. Having the head to Guest Relations every morning for paper FP+ is still a failure in my eyes. Also, they should fix this type of issue ASAP if they aren't working on something already.

 

[jiminykrikkit]

I guess I'm saying I don't care WHY it happened. This is not the first report of FPs being wiped out by someone adding a dining plan. So they apparently weren't able to rectify the problem between the example I saw reported a month or two ago, and this one. But surely someone would have realized by now that they need appropriate guest recovery for this. "Sorry but we can't help you" is just unacceptable.

I agree with you FWIW

 

[mom2rtk]

Dh and I had a fair number of problems linking our Dolphin res to MDE. After numerous calls/emails it was finally worked out. Then I made the mistake of deciding to add a day. Rinse and repeat. In speaking with Disney IT I became aware that ANY change to MDE after FP has been booked is a risk we wont take. While I was complaining about the cluster this had caused me the rep told me about someone who lost their Fp's just changing dinners around. I asked how that was possible and that's when she told me the above and said that "any" change can cause a problem, "altho this would be the more unusual example" . What was really odd was that she was telling me this more to placate me...as if to say it could be worse, "since you have the time to fix it". I wasn't placated, rather I was more astonished that it was that bad.

Dh and I are trying to change our CRT time. Before I spoke with this rep I had planned to look right up until the night prior. Now once fp is booked we will make no other changes. Which means we wont add any D restaurants....I don't care if the chances are remote....Im not tasking my chances

That's really awful.

Maybe you could join the witness protection program and book under an assumed name?

Believe me, its not just Disney with these problems.

Most products have a limited set of use cases when initially deployed and then add features over the product life cycle (Apple is KING of this).

In my opinion, this issue is a MISTAKE (not a bug!) and should be able to be fixed - however if they are using a legacy reservation system with a new FP system then it'll cost $$$ to fix.

I am 100% agreeing with you - Disney should make it right and either override the system to add FP+ as the customer wants, or something similar. Having the head to Guest Relations every morning for paper FP+ is still a failure in my eyes. Also, they should fix this type of issue ASAP if they aren't working on something already.

I agree. Sending people to GR in the parks when they arrive is a total FAIL. Nobody should have to give valuable park time for that, especially not that important first hour of the day in the park.

 

[surferdave]

In my opinion, this issue is a MISTAKE (not a bug!) and should be able to be fixed - however if they are using a legacy reservation system with a new FP system then it'll cost $$$ to fix.

That's it in a nutshell. Of course, the only people who care about the distinctions you're describing are the designers of the components who want to make clear that the problem isn't in their part of the system. The person who wrote the FP+ code can yell "it's not a bug, we designed it this way" until he's blue in the face (and the one who designed the reservation system doesn't care, he retired 10 years ago) but whoever designed the integrated system cannot.

 

[Shaden]

I am going to Disney TOMORROW (You know, the 4th of July, the busiest day of the year)...Going into this trip knowing the crowds, I had everything set up. Fastpasses for every day that I made exactly 60 days out...They were worked out around meals and tours and EMH and all of that. I made sure to book everything in advance so I wouldn't be locked out of any of the popular attractions like the Mine Train, Soarin', etc.

Last week, we decided to add the meal plan to our trip. When we called, they said that they would just add it to our existing reservation and that everything else would stay as is. We specifically asked if anything would be messed up and they assured us that everything would be fine.

I logged into MDE this morning and my entire trip was BLANK - no hotel, no dining, no FP+. After an immediate freak out, I relinked my confirmation # - my hotel and dining plans came back. However, all my FP+ are GONE.

We have called Disney 2x already and they said "Sorry there's nothing we can do, if rides are full, they're full." How is this fair? I am LIVID.

Help!

From my understanding guest services CAN override availability.

We had an issue with some of our FPs, and was given the same run around by a CM, that they couldn't offer us something if there was no availability. ... Talked to a guest services person and they just gave us "Any time" Fps ... totally doable.