DVC left us without a room

[KAT4DISNEY]

Maybe by their own admission?

Not sure why this is difficult to understand, since the comment was very clearly directed towards a very specific group of members and that seems lost on some people. The people I’m speaking of clearly ADMITTED they knew it was a glitch and that the rooms likely didn’t exist. Hence their pre-emptive admission that there was a chance they wouldn’t get the room. Yet they made the reservation ANYWAY.

But sure, run with the miraculous room block release.

The way I 1st learned about this website error was from a Facebook post in the morning that had replies from many people about all this inventory that had just opened up "so we snapped up several trips" and "are thinking it's a glitch but just in case not and if it's a glitch we'll see if they'll move us to the hotel side like they did last time". By the time I saw the post it had already been shut down.

This one likely caught the a few who didn't know, like the OP, and otherwise was booked by those who constantly watch VGC for cancellations, saw the glitch and booked with a hope of being compensated with GC hotel rooms..

 

[DonMacGregor]

The way I 1st learned about this website error was from a Facebook post in the morning that had replies from many people about all this inventory that had just opened up "so we snapped up several trips" and "are thinking it's a glitch but just in case not and if it's a glitch we'll see if they'll move us to the hotel side like they did last time". By the time I saw the post it had already been shut down.

This one likely caught the a few who didn't know, like the OP, and otherwise was booked by those who constantly watch VGC for cancellations, saw the glitch and booked with a hope of being compensated with GC hotel rooms..

Exactly.

 

[dcfromva]

April 1st. Hotel rooms were offered in exchange but they would convert the points to reservation points. You didn't have to make up the difference but if you cancelled then they would be returned as reservation points (I just let them cancel instead of switching because it was a bit of a long shot as to whether or not we'd be able to make that trip work).

IIRC only DVC was open at first (and only CA residents could go in the park at first) and they likely had more open inventory on the hotel side at that time--so it was probably easier for them to do that last year. Sorry it didn't work out for your trip. That seems like that was a pretty good deal.

 

[RoseGold]

The people I’m speaking of clearly ADMITTED they knew it was a glitch and that the rooms likely didn’t exist. Hence their pre-emptive admission that there was a chance they wouldn’t get the room. Yet they made the reservation ANYWAY

Rooms get released in blocks all the time. It happens all the time where huge blocks of stuff are finally freed up at 4AM or whatever. IT's incompetence would also be exactly what caused that kind of legit block of rooms to release. As a user of the website, I have no way to know if it's IT's incompetence with legit cancellations, or IT's general incompetence with rooms that don't exist.

I've booked plane tickets based on a lucky BC reservation more than once. Luckily, it has worked out. But it's not like I had any way to know that wasn't an IT issue too.

 

[suebeelin]

I'm so sorry; they should somehow make things right with you, even if its in a different hotel or different type of room. I do think the Disney experience is no longer customer service centered, which is just too bad

 

[_auroraborealis_]

The problem is that if they tried to provide hotel rooms for anyone who called and said "but I didn't know it was a glitch" all the people who DID know and posted on various boards about "seeing how Disney would compensate them!" would also call and pull that line.

Comes a point where Disney has to go all or no one, and this one seems to have been big enough all is not an option.

There have been a lot of instances of people taking advantage of Disney's customer service policies, and it's not surprising that it's pulled back. There are entire websites around how to exploit different policies; not shocking that some of these policies change.

 

[SteveH]

This situation sucks all the way around, sadly Disney resort hotels can't keep fixing problems that Disney IT keeps creating.

Considering Disney is a Fortune 50 company there really is no excuse you can make for these types of problems and not just a one time issue either. Consider the ongoing ADR issues, those are just as inexcusable. Where is the blame? IMHO it falls at the feet of the CEO be it Iger or Chapek, they are both the ones that get held accountable. They either need more money for new equipment or new leadership in the IT area or both, but they need to address these issues.

 

[myth2001]

Saw comments in several threads recently that was equating an average DVC member with a very frequent visitor of disboards and/or other disney boards.
As in expected to know all the recent bugs, hacks, issues, workarounds ...

Feel like it is relevant to point out: By some sources there are estimated 220,000 club members, that means by no way disboard frequent members are an accurate representation of an average DVC member.
And it is to an average DVC member Disney should cater to ... IMO

 

[DVCSunDevil]

We made reservations over a week ago for Grand California Hotel through the DVC website. Everything was confirmed for a trip in August, around the 7 months mark. I booked plane tickets from Charleston, SC to Los Angeles, booked a rental car, etc. Then today I received a phone call from DVC (over week later from the booking), stating they had to cancel our reservation. The reason provided was that they had a "system malfunction" and over booked the studios for the nights I reserved. I figured they were going move us to the hotel side. To my surprise there was nothing else offered, they just told us that the reservation was cancelled and the points would be refunded. They did put a waitlist in for me which I don't have high hopes for if the rooms are already over sold. I even offered to take a different room at any of the three hotels on side. I told the lady (who was nice and just carry out orders), that I already spent money on plane tickets however nothing I said was going to help. She said the reservation was cancelled and that was all she could do. I've never heard of Disney, especially DVC treating their customers like that. They have always tried to make it right by moving the customer to another hotel, room, etc. So now I'm stuck with plane tickets to LA, kids that are expecting to go and no hotel. I could book at the regular price because those dates are available for paying customers. I know it's a first world problems but I've never heard something like this by Disney. The phone call ended with me nicely telling her I'm showing up for those dates and expecting a room. What an obvious shift away from the customer experience by management and (from what i'm told) another IT failure. How in the world does a company like Disney have such bad IT. Anyway, I just wanted to share my experience incase anybody wanted to know what current DVC members are dealing with.

Man, that really stinks. Funny enough, I was just reading the new issue of Disney Files that arrived at my house yesterday. In this issue, Terri Schultz and Bill Diercksen talk about how much emphasis they put on member satisfaction. They even talk about how member satisfaction is at the center of the decisions they make. I almost laughed out loud. Between the point chart and digital card fiascos (to name only a couple issues), it’s obvious that member satisfaction isn’t something they are losing sleep over.
Good luck with your situation. Hopefully everything works out!!

 

[Grumpy by Birth]

Man, that really stinks. Funny enough, I was just reading the new issue of Disney Files that arrived at my house yesterday. In this issue, Terri Schultz and Bill Diercksen talk about how much emphasis they put on member satisfaction. They even talk about how member satisfaction is at the center of the decisions they make. I almost laughed out loud. Between the point chart and digital card fiascos (to name only a couple issues), it’s obvious that member satisfaction isn’t something they are losing sleep over.
Good luck with your situation. Hopefully everything works out!!

 

[DonMacGregor]

Rooms get released in blocks all the time. It happens all the time where huge blocks of stuff are finally freed up at 4AM or whatever.

Yup, with a grand total of 50 villas, they release huge blocks at VGC. All the time. Give us all a heads up next time they do that at VGC, so we can all get some. 4AM is fine, we'll wake up early.

 

[DonMacGregor]

The problem is that if they tried to provide hotel rooms for anyone who called and said "but I didn't know it was a glitch" all the people who DID know and posted on various boards about "seeing how Disney would compensate them!" would also call and pull that line.

Comes a point where Disney has to go all or no one, and this one seems to have been big enough all is not an option.

There have been a lot of instances of people taking advantage of Disney's customer service policies, and it's not surprising that it's pulled back. There are entire websites around how to exploit different policies; not shocking that some of these policies change.

Nope, never happens. Please refer to post #64. Thank You.

 

[ScottOKW2K]

Rooms get released in blocks all the time. It happens all the time where huge blocks of stuff are finally freed up at 4AM or whatever. IT's incompetence would also be exactly what caused that kind of legit block of rooms to release. As a user of the website, I have no way to know if it's IT's incompetence with legit cancellations, or IT's general incompetence with rooms that don't exist.

I've booked plane tickets based on a lucky BC reservation more than once. Luckily, it has worked out. But it's not like I had any way to know that wasn't an IT issue too.

I've seen rooms released, as have others. I was actually at the DVC site during the time in question. What did I see - HUGE amounts of availability even in the most limited categories. I'm talking AKV value and concierge, BW standard, and all of BC. I immediately realized that there was NO WAY this could be correct. Though I cannot see through the eyes of the OP at the time his reservation was booked I would hazard to guess that he likely was surprised by the EXTREMELY unusual availability.

Did I try to book during that time ?- Yep but it wouldn't let me. Would I have made other plans based on that when I knew that it was very unlikely to be provided - nope. Should DVC have contacted him sooner - yes. But we are in unusual times. We have many areas of the economy where the businesses are strained by lack of manpower. I suspect that this is part of the reason this occurred and also why it took so long to get the word out afterwards.

I hope everything works out for everyone.

 

[New Mouse]

I've seen rooms released, as have others. I was actually at the DVC site during the time in question. What did I see - HUGE amounts of availability even in the most limited categories. I'm talking AKV value and concierge, BW standard, and all of BC. I immediately realized that there was NO WAY this could be correct. Though I cannot see through the eyes of the OP at the time his reservation was booked I would hazard to guess that he likely was surprised by the EXTREMELY unusual availability.

Did I try to book during that time ?- Yep but it wouldn't let me. Would I have made other plans based on that when I knew that it was very unlikely to be provided - nope. Should DVC have contacted him sooner - yes. But we are in unusual times. We have many areas of the economy where the businesses are strained by lack of manpower. I suspect that this is part of the reason this occurred and also why it took so long to get the word out afterwards.

I hope everything works out for everyone.

You speak as if Disney would ha e responded quicker if this were pre March 2020.... unfortunately they would not have.

 

[Maistre Gracey]

Blown away why some here defend Disney on this. Some think the consumer should have known better.
For crying out loud… it’s Disney’s fault, not the Member’s. End of story. If the room showed available, and the Member grabbed it, to say the Member should have known better is idiotic… even if they alluded to that afterwards. Disney needs to take responsibility for their errors, especially when they are repeated without correction.

 

[TiggerBouncy]

Blown away why some here defend Disney on this. Some think the consumer should have known better.
For crying out loud… it’s Disney’s fault, not the Member’s. End of story. If the room showed available, and the Member grabbed it, to say the Member should have known better is idiotic… even if they alluded to that afterwards. Disney needs to take responsibility for their errors, especially when they are repeated without correction.

I hate to say it, but even as an elected Disney Apologist, I completely agree with you (that's twice now, dangit). If Disney let you make the reservation on their site, they shouldn't just tell you "too bad". They have a responsibility to find you like accommodations. If they do not like that, they need to have a conversation with their IT department. I would start by billing the IT department for any costs associated. That will open their eyes.

 

[CraigInPA]

I hate to say it, but even as an elected Disney Apologist, I completely agree with you (that's twice now, dangit). If Disney let you make the reservation on their site, they shouldn't just tell you "too bad". They have a responsibility to find you like accommodations. If they do not like that, they need to have a conversation with their IT department. I would start by billing the IT department for any costs associated. That will open their eyes.

If Disney would start billing their IT subcontractor for every complete failure (like the digital card roll out) and every "glitch" (like the one discussed in this thread), perhaps they'd wake up and learn how to test their code before rolling it out. Of course, the IT company is trying to do everything on the cheap, which is why there are so many problems. After paying a penalty a few times, they'd be bankrupt or begging to be let out of the contract. At their present level of competence, I predict that there would be another IT company in within 6 months.

 

[TiggerBouncy]

If Disney would start billing their IT subcontractor for every complete failure (like the digital card roll out) and every "glitch" (like the one discussed in this thread), perhaps they'd wake up and learn how to test their code before rolling it out. Of course, the IT company is trying to do everything on the cheap, which is why there are so many problems. After paying a penalty a few times, they'd be bankrupt or begging to be let out of the contract. At their present level of competence, I predict that there would be another IT company in within 6 months.

Is it outsourced? I figured most of that was done in house. I know when I was involved in DME, the contractor regularly got torn apart by Disney for issues - they can be tough to work with. But again, I assumed (my bad?) that the websites are in house developers.

In either case though, the point is valid. IT (inside or outside) needs to feel the pain. They can't just shrug and go "oh I guess we screwed that one up". If it starts coming out against their budget and hitting their bottom line is about the only time whoever it is (outside or inside) is going to suddenly care.

 

[RivShore]

Wanted to make sure you all saw there was a whole show on this issue...

 

[WilsonFlyer]

It is fascinating to follow this thread and watch people incessantly defend what happened. Anybody else in America would get sued for this. And lose. And pay. Hugely. Y'all go be good little paying CMs now. Hear?