Disney *Should* Be Ashamed

[ashresiren]

It is 1:09am, and I am still up trying to get a port arrival time for our cruise. Like a good little Disney citizen, I had all of my documents prepared and ready to go for check-in at midnight, only to find myself a frustrated participant in the PAT Hunger Games. This is my 18th cruise with Disney, and it will also be my last. I am sure I will never know why on earth they thought it was necessary to have Platinum cruisers check-in with everyone else. No Palo brunch, no PAT priority...not seeing too many perks these days. To top it all off, I get to stress myself silly taking a completely useless test 2 days in advance. Oh well, I'll never get dry this way. Have to run with the others.

 

[lyqlyq]

I'm sitting here with 5 tabs of spinning blue wheels, you are not alone

 

[Carohs]

Sorry you're feeling so fustrated. Don't let the possibility of missing a few hours on board ruin what otherwise is an amazing Disney Vacay.

 

[ashresiren]

It took one hour and forty-one minutes, and I still have to return in the morning to fix everything I skipped. A vacation and a cardiac event. That's value.

I'm sitting here with 5 tabs of spinning blue wheels, you are not alone

 

[BamaGuy44]

Same here, so frustrating. Is this just how it is now, or was tonight unusually glitchy? Man that was rough. First cruise as Gold and as you said, not much advantage any more.

 

[TestingH2O]

No Palo brunch

Check in has been a nightmare every time I’ve had to do it since the restart. I got a survey last cruise and certainly made my feelings clear.

But Palo brunch? The window for that hasn’t changed. Or did you get denied using your platinum perk? Just curious. **It occurs to me you might be going on the Wish. This does seem to be an issue with so many concierge staterooms.**

 

[BrokeMack]

While I share your frustration with Disney's decision to open checkin at the same time they run system updates, the distinction between "platinum cruisers" and "everyone else" does not engender good will. I don't see anything on the Castaway club benefits about platinum getting to check in early. Is that a perk that used to be offered and has been taken away or do you just think you deserve it?

 

[mmouse37]

While I share your frustration with Disney's decision to open checkin at the same time they run system updates, the distinction between "platinum cruisers" and "everyone else" does not engender good will. I don't see anything on the Castaway club benefits about platinum getting to check in early. Is that a perk that used to be offered and has been taken away or do you just think you deserve it?

It was a perk that was taken away. Same as the Platinum perk where you did not have to pick a PAT.

Check in has been terrible each time (5 cruises since January). One time it took 2 hours because the website was doing maintenance. This is not a new problem....its been this way since cruising restarted. Hey, I can roll with the punches but this system of checking in does not make sense and is not working. There has to be a better way. In the past each tier of Castaway Club members checked in on a specific date according to your sail date. It was much easier on their system and our sanity.

We are cruising in October and when I told the 3 other couples (2 couples who have never cruised Disney before) that we had to stay up until midnight to check in they thought I was kidding. Nope, if we want to get a decent PAT so we are not dealing with NYC Columbus Day parade traffic we have to stay up.

MJ

 

[cvjw]

The blue spinning circles have been an issue since last fall. So frustrating. I think it is because too many people are trying to check in at once. If you wait and check in the next morning, it has always been smooth sailing - maybe 5 minutes total. I will get a later PAT checking in the next morning, but I have always been able to modify the PAT to an earlier time.

I do agree with you though - there has to be a better way. Disney is dropping the ball with the everyone check in at midnight policy.

 

[dad of 3 addicted to DCL]

Checking in took 2 hours on Wed. Longest in 19 cruises. And I second the griping about loss of Platinum perks. It's not much, and it costs DCL nothing, so why not bring it back? I'm afraid that they're lost forever like the Palo brunch buffet

 

[Minnie352]

The same thing happened to me 3 nights ago... maintenance during the check in window. I didnt get to check in until 5am. Over the years, they keep making this more difficult. Next thing you know, they'll be charging for "premium check in."
Do better Disney, and take care of your Platinum cruisers!

 

[BrokeMack]

It was a perk that was taken away. Same as the Platinum perk where you did not have to pick a PAT.

Check in has been terrible each time (5 cruises since January). One time it took 2 hours because the website was doing maintenance. This is not a new problem....its been this way since cruising restarted. Hey, I can roll with the punches but this system of checking in does not make sense and is not working. There has to be a better way. In the past each tier of Castaway Club members checked in on a specific date according to your sail date. It was much easier on their system and our sanity.

We are cruising in October and when I told the 3 other couples (2 couples who have never cruised Disney before) that we had to stay up until midnight to check in they thought I was kidding. Nope, if we want to get a decent PAT so we are not dealing with NYC Columbus Day parade traffic we have to stay up.

MJ

That's valid then. I don't know what they think to gain by taking away benefits. Especially Checkin windows which have nothing to do with their bottom line. It isn't like they make more money doing it this way.

 

[WB1971]

Disney used to innovate and be better than other companies. Now seems their innovations all make them worse! This policy just makes no sense. Useless attempt to avoid crowds in the terminal. Why is that still a thing? Why do castaway club levels not check in on different days? As others have said, this costs them nothing to fix.

 

[Chrissy-Mickey]

I get up 15 minutes early the next morning and check in then. Usually, get PAT of 12:00 - 1:00 pm and I'm done in 15 minutes. No big deal, worth the lack of stress the night before.

Dining reservations, tasting sessions, etc, are before check-in. "Platinum members 120 days prior to sail date." I'm gold, so "105 days prior to sail date." Again, I do it the next morning, done in 15 minutes, and am able to book everything I want without issues.
It's as stressful or relaxing as you make it


But then, I also call DCL on the same day that people are complaining about the wait times and I'm on the phone with a person within 20 minutes.

 

[John VN]

It was a perk that was taken away. Same as the Platinum perk where you did not have to pick a PAT.

Check in has been terrible each time (5 cruises since January). One time it took 2 hours because the website was doing maintenance. This is not a new problem....its been this way since cruising restarted. Hey, I can roll with the punches but this system of checking in does not make sense and is not working. There has to be a better way. In the past each tier of Castaway Club members checked in on a specific date according to your sail date. It was much easier on their system and our sanity.

We are cruising in October and when I told the 3 other couples (2 couples who have never cruised Disney before) that we had to stay up until midnight to check in they thought I was kidding. Nope, if we want to get a decent PAT so we are not dealing with NYC Columbus Day parade traffic we have to stay up.

MJ

Our MSC YC cruising allows for 9:30am arrival no matter what PAT assigned by computer. No calling at 12am. e.g. -- Our Nov. 2022 arrival is 9:30am. Our April 2023 arrival is 9:30am. Our July 2023 arrival is 9:30am. Our Oct. 2023 arrival is 9:30am. Our 2024 arrival times for cruise reservations made during our Nov. cruise will be 9:30am.

 

[Intr3pid]

"As a loyal cruiser of (insert your favorite cruise line), I have valuable benefits."

Well, that joke is on you.

 

[CamColt]

Losing that automatic Boarding Group 1 has been something that bothered me on our 2 post Covid cruises. Staying up til midnight and dealing with that craziness, along with everyone else, doesn't seem necessary, when we didn't have to for years. I wonder if they split up check in by CC level it would work better with less traffic on their site at once?

I feel I don't hear a lot of complaining about this, at least not as much as I complain about it, LOL! Maybe more Platinum Cruisers need to complain to DCL about this so they hear us. It seems it's an easy thing to give us that back and it wouldn't cost them anything.

 

[DCLMP]

I get up 15 minutes early the next morning and check in then. Usually, get PAT of 12:00 - 1:00 pm and I'm done in 15 minutes. No big deal, worth the lack of stress the night before.

Dining reservations, tasting sessions, etc, are before check-in. "Platinum members 120 days prior to sail date." I'm gold, so "105 days prior to sail date." Again, I do it the next morning, done in 15 minutes, and am able to book everything I want without issues.
It's as stressful or relaxing as you make it


But then, I also call DCL on the same day that people are complaining about the wait times and I'm on the phone with a person within 20 minutes.

I checked in two days late and got a check in time of 1200. It took me about 15 minutes. I don't think it's worth losing a night sleep over to be the first one on the ship.

 

[WishUponAStarryNight]

That's valid then. I don't know what they think to gain by taking away benefits. Especially Checkin windows which have nothing to do with their bottom line. It isn't like they make more money doing it this way.

Check in used to be at the same time you were able to book activities (120, 105, 90, 75 depending on Castaway Club status). I tend to think that spreading it out over multiple days helps from an IT perspective, too. I know that there’s always a group within their check in window, but having a full ship try to check in at the exact same time isn’t something Disney IT can handle.

 

[ashresiren]

But Palo brunch? The window for that hasn’t changed. Or did you get denied using your platinum perk?

I have been unable to get any reservation for Palo brunch in 3 cruises (Fantasy and Wish), despite being online right at the window opening. We were also denied a reservation aboard the ship, which made the survey question referencing whether or not we knew we could be worked in all the more frustrating.

In general, I am unsure what Disney is thinking here. It costs them 0 dollars and 0 cents to not annoy people who have spent tens of thousands of dollars with them over the years. I live 25 minutes from Port Canaveral, and I would have gladly continued to hop on their ships every few months, even at their exorbitant rates. There are just too many downsides with the continued testing and ridiculous hoops they create. (I was flabbergasted to receive a notice that my son's age group no longer needs a vaccine, but testing is still a go. That's backwards to my mind, but that's just my opinion. Not trying to set the thread alight.) It has soured me permanently, I'm afraid.