Funniest "Disney Speak" I have heard in a while

[grubens]

So if anyone is currently trying to make Fast Pass reservations, you are probably not having much success. After trying a number of times, I called the website support number to get some help. Apparently the system is down because of the storm. Instead of saying that, however, the CM answering the phone told me that they are currently working on "system enhancements" becasue of the storm. When I asked her what "enhancements" are being made during the storm, she couldn't identify any. When I asked again, she agreed that the "enhancement" was getting the system back online.

Only Disney would take credit for enhancing its system by getting it online.

 

[emldrl]

I hope this doesn't sound dumb, but what storm? Is the website based out of Buffalo, or is there something in Orlando? Thanks, just made me curious!

 

[FLchick415]

There was a nasty rain storm going through the Orlando area with tornado warnings.

 

[JanaDee]

I hope this doesn't sound dumb, but what storm? Is the website based out of Buffalo, or is there something in Orlando? Thanks, just made me curious!

There were tornado warnings in the Orlando area about an hour ago.

 

[flatlandcycle]

Too bad the haven't fingered out that it storms in Florida.
My favorite euphemism is "unscheduled maintenance" at the Disney swimming pools...they usually call in Bill Murry to do the cleaning. (Caddy Shack)

 

[grubens]

I'm not sure where the servers are located, but I know there is a Nor Easter working its way up the East Coast.

 

[emldrl]

Thank you! That would make sense. The website isn't the greatest at the best of times, I would imagine the weather doesn't help. I do think the Disney speak is cute, and the CMs I've talked with have all been super friendly and helpful.

Side note, I took a survey about the WDW website, and they sent me an email to participate in a research study about it. I didn't get in, it was already full, but hopefully this will get some results. I've had problems doing simple things, like magic bands not showing up after reservation linked, which required a call to IT. I can't imagine how much FUN it will be to make ADRs and FP+ reservations!!

 

[emldrl]

Too bad the haven't fingered out that it storms in Florida.
My favorite euphemism is "unscheduled maintenance" at the Disney swimming pools...they usually call in Bill Murry to do the cleaning. (Caddy Shack)

I now have the dancing gopher stuck in my head!!

 

[grubens]

Yes, I should have said CM was very nice about it and we had a little laugh about the approved language.

In case anyone is wondering, as of 11:25 EST the site is now functioning.

 

[White Rose]

Systems go down. Servers need to be rebooted, or replaced. It happens!

When I used to work for a bank's call center, we used to tell the reps to tell Customers we were 'upgrading' our software when it was down. Saying a system was down - no matter what the reason - was forbidden. Reps might say it's 'running slow' or they have to re-open a program - but they will avoid terms like down, crashed, broken, etc. ('Unavailable because of upgrades/enhancements' was a common phrasing.)

The reason? A Customer does not want to hear a system is broken or down - it could cause a panic, or reporting it in fan sites...It sounds so silly, but something like that could cause panic if people think something is really wrong, and with the internet today, something really simple could cause wide spread panic and rumors that turn into a self fulfilling prophesy! WOW!

(With a bank it's even more important because hearing that a bank's computers are down - or it's having problems - could cause panic and a 'bank run'...if you do not know what a bank run is, watch the end of Mary Poppins, or read some history of the Great Depression.)

It sounds so silly, but something like that could cause major issues for a company!

 

[wookiebeck]

Instead of saying that, however, the CM answering the phone told me that they are currently working on "system enhancements" becasue of the storm. When I asked her what "enhancements" are being made during the storm, she couldn't identify any. When I asked again, she agreed that the "enhancement" was getting the system back online.

Me to the CM: "You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means."

 

[Micca]

Yes, I should have said CM was very nice about it and we had a little laugh about the approved language.

In case anyone is wondering, as of 11:25 EST the site is now functioning.

Surely you meant to say "Magical!"

 

[PSUGuy]

I've been a programmer for some time now and we have a whole sack or euphemisms. For instance, when a bug in a program causes some result that was not intended we don't call it a 'bug', it's an 'undocumented feature'.

Bill From PA

 

[Lehuaann]

Me to the CM: "You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means."

 

[kamik86]

I've been a programmer for some time now and we have a whole sack or euphemisms. For instance, when a bug in a program causes some result that was not intended we don't call it a 'bug', it's an 'undocumented feature'.

Bill From PA

That is one I have heard many times. As well as discussions about features some as the blue screen of death (which is a feature... Its better that the computer shows you the blue screen when that happens then say do nothing so you don't know how much of a problem there possibly was).

I do think it is somewhat stupid that they can't say the system is down. Do they really think customers are that stupid that we don't know that unscheduled maintenance means something went wrong and it broke. Maintenance that goes well outside its maintenance window (when they post 2 days before an outage from 10 PM to 4 AM and you go on at 6 AM and that maintenance message is still up) or when a major upgrade is done and comes online at 10 AM and then at noon the system isn't working for an hour or two... Yeah they found an undocumented feature and are trying to remove it!

As for the systems being down every so often and it happens. Frankly for a company the size of disney that has so much relying on their systems it does seem to happen far more often then it should. Imagine if say Amazon was down half the amount of time that the Disney dining system is or had even a quarter of the number of bugs with orders that this system has.

A major website like Disney for one thing shouldn't have servers in only one location so storms causing a slow down as more traffic has to be routed through the servers in CA and somewhere else that they decided to house servers would be more understandable then it just not working.

 

[Mikie]

Me to the CM: "You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means."

Inconceivable!! (I don't know how to type with a lisp)

 

[mom2munchkins]

I thought I was the only one who quoted The Princess Bride

 

[bumbershoot]

A major website like Disney for one thing shouldn't have servers in only one location so storms causing a slow down as more traffic has to be routed through the servers in CA and somewhere else that they decided to house servers would be more understandable then it just not working.

There's almost no chance they have their servers in Florida. That would be incredibly shortsighted. Their main IT is in Seattle (which is why their incompetence can boggle my mind until I remember that the people I've met who look for jobs there are 19 and want almost-unpaid internships...think those guys are going to be speaking up for the customers? ha!).

Interesting googling; their phone systems are Cisco. Makes a ton of sense, of course.

Anyway, I'm just not sure what a storm in Florida would have to do with their system. Servers are ridiculously protected. It just makes no sense.


So, as so often happens, I'm calling "bogus" on the CM believing any of that; she was just making stuff up on her own, and not saying anything that was actually happening.

 

[anniemae]

Last time we were at Disney, we went to ride Pooh. There was a lady out front telling us to come back later because "honey had spilled on the tracks." I was like "What?" She repeated, "honey has spilled on the tracks." I asked her if that was code for "some kid threw up" but she didn't answer.

 

[kamik86]

There's almost no chance they have their servers in Florida. That would be incredibly shortsighted. Their main IT is in Seattle (which is why their incompetence can boggle my mind until I remember that the people I've met who look for jobs there are 19 and want almost-unpaid internships...think those guys are going to be speaking up for the customers? ha!).

Interesting googling; their phone systems are Cisco. Makes a ton of sense, of course.

Anyway, I'm just not sure what a storm in Florida would have to do with their system. Servers are ridiculously protected. It just makes no sense.


So, as so often happens, I'm calling "bogus" on the CM believing any of that; she was just making stuff up on her own, and not saying anything that was actually happening.

Good point. Because although a storm could mess up internet connectivity to the servers (which is what I was thinking) it is more likely that the CM was just making stuff up.