"Disney, what has to happen for you to decide that MDE does not work?"

[greg9x]

What do you suggest to these people tell their kids who want to take their kids to Disney World for their first trip?
Sorry kids, we aren't going to take you to Disney World because their IT dept sucks?
Where else do they go to get their Disney World trip in?
It's not like they want to buy a pair of Nike shoes so they can shop around for the best deal on them.
They want Disney World, they have one place to go to get it.

I don't know, what do the parents of kids who NEVER get to go to Disney tell them ? Because there are more kids who don't go to Disney than kids that do.

My point was that people keep going to Disney even though the prices have skyrocketed, it's more crowded and having some issues with MDE isn't going to stop people from going if the other stuff didn't. So while Disney might prefer to have a working MDE, they aren't losing any sleep over it because the $$$'s keep coming in.

 

[AngiTN]

I don't know, what do the parents of kids who NEVER get to go to Disney tell them ? Because there are more kids who don't go to Disney than kids that do.

My point was that people keep going to Disney even though the prices have skyrocketed, it's more crowded and having some issues with MDE isn't going to stop people from going if the other stuff didn't. So while Disney might prefer to have a working MDE, they aren't losing any sleep over it because the $$$'s keep coming in.

Often they don't like Disney and don't ask or want to go.

The only point is, Disney has a monopoly on Disney. Those who plan to go to Disney aren't going to "shop elsewhere" for the same product when they get poor service. There is no "elsewhere" to shop. If a Disney vacation is planned, there's one place to get it. So I am not sure what people expect from the customer out there trying to plan their trips. Where else do they go to get one? Nowhere. So no, people are never going to stop going just because of a poor MDE

Will some get priced out? Sure. Some will. But those people will never plan a trip in the first place.

 

[MoreTravels]

Your still going, that makes Disney happy. Until enough people stop going this is just a minor issue to them .

I live in Canada. My non-refundable flight for the family is over $5000 for this winter holiday season. So do I just cancel it and forfeit $5000 in order to make a point?

Unfortunately, Disney is an international destination and many tourists just don't have that flexibility of boycotting it.

 

[fractalpotato]

Often they don't like Disney and don't ask or want to go.

The only point is, Disney has a monopoly on Disney. Those who plan to go to Disney aren't going to "shop elsewhere" for the same product when they get poor service. There is no "elsewhere" to shop. If a Disney vacation is planned, there's one place to get it. So I am not sure what people expect from the customer out there trying to plan their trips. Where else do they go to get one? Nowhere. So no, people are never going to stop going just because of a poor MDE

Will some get priced out? Sure. Some will. But those people will never plan a trip in the first place.

This line of reasoning seems slightly flawed to me. Disney has a monopoly on a trip to Disney, but not theme parks, Florida, travel or vacations. There are lots of people that don't go to Disney even though their kids want to because they don't like the crowds, the heat, the planning involved, rides or big corporations. People not going because the planning bothers them because the IT is garbage certainly exist, I regularly encounter people who said the app worked poorly when they went and why do they fight with that on vacation when they could go elsewhere? Which they do. People absolutely stop going because of poor MDE, I just elected not to renew my annual pass because I'm fed up with the way things are going, including both price and MDE. You can't say the people who get priced out would never have gone, you can't say that people won't stop going because of MDE.

Our next trip is for a wedding in which I am a part, after that we won't be returning for some time, hopefully they get it together before then because I will miss it, but I just had another harried morning of fighting with my phone at 7am and getting stressed about an expensive vacation. For half the price (literally half, this isn't hyperbole) I can (and will) take a luxury cruise for the same amount of time, with lots of exciting activities and no fighting with poor software and $18 lunches.

The point is completely valid that if you're going to Disney and giving them your money you're implicitly telling them their software is acceptable. As long as enough people are doing such a thing and it remains profitable, they will not change. They will change when it becomes more profitable to do so.

On a side note, I've never met an accomplished person who had the means to take higher end vacations that spent that money because of the whim of their child. I believe they exist but I don't believe they make up the majority of the guests visiting year to year.

Matt

 

[Nancyg56]

Your still going, that makes Disney happy. Until enough people stop going this is just a minor issue to them .

Yes. I am going. I actually have not had anything occur yet that disrupts my trip. This trip is a wedding gift for my two nieces, and they will have waited 18 months for it, so no I am not canceling over MDE. Now, in the event that this MDE expoldes while I am attempting to book FP, I will address it at that time. Should my family experience the debacle that some people here have experienced I will address it at guest relations. I am NOT going to prematurely cancel a vacation to make a statement.

If you have followed my posts you would see that I do think Disney knows there is an issue and that they absolutely do care. I have my line in the sand that I will not cross in terms of Disney charges andfees, but this? It never even made my top ten.

I don't know, what do the parents of kids who NEVER get to go to Disney tell them ? Because there are more kids who don't go to Disney than kids that do.

My point was that people keep going to Disney even though the prices have skyrocketed, it's more crowded and having some issues with MDE isn't going to stop people from going if the other stuff didn't. So while Disney might prefer to have a working MDE, they aren't losing any sleep over it because the $$$'s keep coming in.

SO have you canceled yoru trip and told your family, Sorry we are going to Six Flags this year? We all have our own way of dealing with problems at our vacation destination. Is choosing to take your family elsewhere yours?

 

[Mikecormier1978]

I'm kind of hoping that maybe the employees who have to answer 1000 phone calls a day from upset customers make the push for Disney to get their act together. Realistically we all know that no one is cancelling their trip, but they have to be getting sick of being yelled at all day.

 

[Mambo Junkie]

There are so many people who "just go to Disney World". They have no idea about MDE except they use this band to access their tickets, their rooms, their ADRs. They decide to go, and they get a travel adviser to plan it for them. They tell them what they want, and they get it. I have a friend currently planning a trip for 6 in 2019, and their travel adviser told them to let them know what they wanted, and they would set it up for them They have no idea about 180 days out, or 60 days out, or any stress related to it. Others decide to go and they just show up (this is how I have enjoyed many a trip). As been noted time and again, the most meticulous and stress filled planned trip does not make it successful, mostly due to high expectations, because we planned so hard. Coming from a preference to just wing it, some of my trip is hard core planned, some is wing it, and hope the information I have gathered will help me accomplish my goals. My biggest concern is not getting the perfect ADR or the best fast passes, but having fun despite the crowds. Everything I have reserved is on paper, with confirmation numbers to back it up. I also highly suspect that those canceled ADRs that have shown up are not really there and will not count against you, but I have cancellation confirmations just in case.
Does that help with this MDE mess? No. But the point is, there are so many people who will go who are blissfully unaware of what is going on with their MDE right now that it won't make any difference as to whether they will go or not. I get lectures all the time from people who boycott Disney because of their political or religious views. I just look at it as their loss. I know Disney has created this monster (the hard core planning), but you can still have a good time just showing up.

 

[Nancyg56]

I'm kind of hoping that maybe the employees who have to answer 1000 phone calls a day from upset customers make the push for Disney to get their act together. Realistically we all know that no one is cancelling their trip, but they have to be getting sick of being yelled at all day.

Operations can run reports that show the correlation between average call time and call volume and any "enhancement" the MDE performs, as well as those two metrics whenever any new discount is offered, any new event is opened, any new meal is offered, and any new restaurant opens. Disney can also see hold times and reports will detail any differences between "normal" days and "enhancement or special" days, and believe me, they knwo when the system crashes. Any call monitoring during that time will detail how the CM responded to the guest comments and if the CM was able to diffuse the situation or actually escalated the problem.

My point is that Disney knows. They have the reports that confirm any verbal feedback that runs uphill, and they have the aftermath to deal with when their infrastructure crashes. I have been on the operations end as a QA analyst, and believe me, the reports can be horrific for anyone in that line, from the folks who provide the training, coaching and mentoring of representatives, to the operations folks who manage staffing and who have to answer for dropped calls, longer than acceptable hold times, and transfers to the second tier for resolution. The MDE debacle is one expensive mess, and while providing "constructive" feedback to guest relations may reinforce what I believe we all feel, it is not conceivable to me that they have not already seen and heard it all.

 

[Nancyg56]

There are so many people who "just go to Disney World". They have no idea about MDE except they use this band to access their tickets, their rooms, their ADRs. They decide to go, and they get a travel adviser to plan it for them. They tell them what they want, and they get it. I have a friend currently planning a trip for 6 in 2019, and their travel adviser told them to let them know what they wanted, and they would set it up for them They have no idea about 180 days out, or 60 days out, or any stress related to it. Others decide to go and they just show up (this is how I have enjoyed many a trip). As been noted time and again, the most meticulous and stress filled planned trip does not make it successful, mostly due to high expectations, because we planned so hard. Coming from a preference to just wing it, some of my trip is hard core planned, some is wing it, and hope the information I have gathered will help me accomplish my goals. My biggest concern is not getting the perfect ADR or the best fast passes, but having fun despite the crowds. Everything I have reserved is on paper, with confirmation numbers to back it up. I also highly suspect that those canceled ADRs that have shown up are not really there and will not count against you, but I have cancellation confirmations just in case.
Does that help with this MDE mess? No. But the point is, there are so many people who will go who are blissfully unaware of what is going on with their MDE right now that it won't make any difference as to whether they will go or not. I get lectures all the time from people who boycott Disney because of their political or religious views. I just look at it as their loss. I know Disney has created this monster (the hard core planning), but you can still have a good time just showing up.

A bit OT, but I have to share. My DD has a FB friend who is going Soon, however I cannot remember the date, and who has never been. The trip is booked, diming plan in place, and tickets purchased. She asked for "tips" from her FB friends. Oh she got a lot of info, but I thought the best advice was someone who knew that at this time she was locked out of a lot, from FP to character meals, so the poster told her to go to the parks at RD, and turn left. I thihought that in a pinch, that was pretty solid advice for a touring plan.

 

[cmarsh31]

Reporting back after my FP experience this am - I can see my immediate family's tickets (4 of us) but not a friend on a separate reservation (I can still see him on my F&F list but not his tickets). I was able to make FPs for all 5 of us no problem. However, I can only see those FP on the computer (and fyi Chrome worked, Firefox didn't this am). On the app, I can see all the FP that my other friend made for her trip... but none of my own. I totally feel for anyone who's there right now and trying to modify or book additional FPs on the app. UGGGG!

 

[Mambo Junkie]

Reporting back after my FP experience this am - I can see my immediate family's tickets (4 of us) but not a friend on a separate reservation (I can still see him on my F&F list but not his tickets). I was able to make FPs for all 5 of us no problem. However, I can only see those FP on the computer (and fyi Chrome worked, Firefox didn't this am). On the app, I can see all the FP that my other friend made for her trip... but none of my own. I totally feel for anyone who's there right now and trying to modify or book additional FPs on the app. UGGGG!

I have found that my phone MDE does not update so I uninstall and reinstall, then sign in and out a couple of times, and it update great. Try it. Always screen shot first!

 

[cmarsh31]

I have found that my phone MDE does not update so I uninstall and reinstall, then sign in and out a couple of times, and it update great. Try it. Always screen shot first!

I did that 2 days ago... and then couldn't sign in for days! Signed out this morning and can't get back in... uninstalling, again. 3rd time this week. Oh Disney why does your APP hate me so much (it wouldn't work at all in WDW in July)???

 

[bookbabe626]

I now have ADR's that are showing up for an upcoming trip I cancelled months ago. It states beside each : "Sorry, cancellation of this reservation is currently unavailable."

This is me too, but I also have the hotel reservations for that cancelled trip showing up again. And it was a 2.5 week 4-way split stay with about 15 ADRs, so that’s a lot of cancellations that have reappeared. Since they’ve already refunded my deposits for the rooms, and the trip was over Xmas, I’m not going to worry about it now. I asked about the issue when I was on the phone with DSS for another trip, and she said that everything is still cancelled, and it should all disappear in a couple of weeks. Luckily, I’ve got the time to wait and see what happens...

 

[chris benton]

I'm kind of hoping that maybe the employees who have to answer 1000 phone calls a day from upset customers make the push for Disney to get their act together. Realistically we all know that no one is cancelling their trip, but they have to be getting sick of being yelled at all day.

Well, yes. But, in another twist, they get a boost in job security. They also might get a boost in their stats, which may result in a raise, if their contracts are structured in such a way. Everyone wins, except the customer, but since the customer will still pay for it, it's completely acceptable.

 

[Mikecormier1978]

I think the danger here is not for those of us that are going soon, because we have done the planning and are not changing our plans now, but it's the repeat business. The last thing Disney wants is anyone second guessing Wdw as the only destination to bring your family. I know I am for next year. There are many cheaper less stressful options

 

[Nancyg56]

I think the danger here is not for those of us that are going soon, because we have done the planning and are not changing our plans now, but it's the repeat business. The last thing Disney wants is anyone second guessing Wdw as the only destination to bring your family. I know I am for next year. There are many cheaper less stressful options

I agree that for many of us who have been multiple times, once the stress outweighs the end value, it is over. For the folks who have never been, or who seldom visit, this decision is much more difficult. I have two little girls on my street who desperately want to return. I am on the fence for late 2019 because we have an Aruba vacation planned for our DGD graduation from HS< but for now, I am trying to see if we can budget that trip for them. If our December trip is a MDE nightmare, while that will weigh in on the decision, our finances will actually be the determining factor. After that, well, all bets will be off. If Disney cannot fix their system that we all are kind of forced to use, I will need to rethink how we spend vacation dollars.

 

[greg9x]

Yes. I am going. I actually have not had anything occur yet that disrupts my trip. This trip is a wedding gift for my two nieces, and they will have waited 18 months for it, so no I am not canceling over MDE. Now, in the event that this MDE expoldes while I am attempting to book FP, I will address it at that time. Should my family experience the debacle that some people here have experienced I will address it at guest relations. I am NOT going to prematurely cancel a vacation to make a statement.

If you have followed my posts you would see that I do think Disney knows there is an issue and that they absolutely do care. I have my line in the sand that I will not cross in terms of Disney charges andfees, but this? It never even made my top ten.

People are are taking my post the wrong way... I didn't tell anyone to cancel their trip.. I said that since you are still going, then MDE issues aren't affecting Disney as much as you implied. As long as they are crowded and making money, then it's just something they'll work through eventually... If some people can't make 60 day FP reservations, oh well... They're still coming. And that's their business.

SO have you canceled yoru trip and told your family, Sorry we are going to Six Flags this year? We all have our own way of dealing with problems at our vacation destination. Is choosing to take your family elsewhere yours?

As a matter of fact I am NOT planning another Disney trip any time soon. My son is fine with that, he likes Disney, but isn't obsessed with it.

I do think the value isn't there as much as it used to be.. As I said, too crowded and too expensive to keep giving them my business for the stress of planning a vacation there. I've thrown enough money at them for a while. Not saying will never go back, but will be less likely if things keep on the current tragetory.

Why am I posting on the Disney board then ? Because been here planning last few vacations that it is habit.. Plus on the Universal ones now too, may give them some of the money now.

 

[greg9x]

I live in Canada. My non-refundable flight for the family is over $5000 for this winter holiday season. So do I just cancel it and forfeit $5000 in order to make a point?

Unfortunately, Disney is an international destination and many tourists just don't have that flexibility of boycotting it.

See reply to other poster... Never said to cancel your vacation.. go, and and hopefully have fun... And hope none of these issues affect you for the money you are paying

 

[OhDannyBoy]

So should I worry that only my ticket and not my wife's is showing up?

 

[Nancyg56]

People are are taking my post the wrong way... I didn't tell anyone to cancel their trip.. I said that since you are still going, then MDE issues aren't affecting Disney as much as you implied. As long as they are crowded and making money, then it's just something they'll work through eventually... If some people can't make 60 day FP reservations, oh well... They're still coming. And that's their business.



As a matter of fact I am NOT planning another Disney trip any time soon. My son is fine with that, he likes Disney, but isn't obsessed with it.

I do think the value isn't there as much as it used to be.. As I said, too crowded and too expensive to keep giving them my business for the stress of planning a vacation there. I've thrown enough money at them for a while. Not saying will never go back, but will be less likely if things keep on the current tragetory.

Why am I posting on the Disney board then ? Because been here planning last few vacations that it is habit.. Plus on the Universal ones now too, may give them some of the money now.

Two things: First, I am sorry if I misinterpreted your posts, I truely do not mean to be snippy, however I know I can come across that way. Now, in terms of still going. My trips have not yet been impacted by MDE to the extent that my vacations are ruined, however I do know that there is this potential given teh problems MDE has been having this week alone. I am watching, and will try to be proactive should my Magic bands continue to remain hidden before FP due dates. I know this may not be enough, but will cross that bridge if and when it comes. If MDE crashes during the trip, I will address its at that time, but I am not going to borrow trouble JIC, because that just stresses me out.

As far as changing destinations because the value of a WDW vacation is reduced, that is a different conversation, We have a July 2019 Aruba trip planned, and quite honestly after the last one we enjoyed in December, the value is way more for the money we are spending. It is a different vacation though, and if I was looking for a WDW kind of vacation but chose Aruba, my family would not find it to be a value because the expectation is different.
After this December I am not sure we will plan another WDW vacation for a good long while, and part of that plan is going to be directly related to our experience in total, which will include how the app works while we are there.

I also get why you post on WDW message boards. I do as well, trip or no trip. DIsney is a special place for me, and I am invested in being a part of it, trip or no trip.