Got letter from SOG re Xmas ressie problems

[A1A1]

Just got a letter from SOG about my Christmas ressie. As you know, the resort opening has been delayed again until March 1, The letter gives three options to fix the problem:

1--Transfer of the original ressie to Contemporary Wing room. There will no longer be a package, and prices will return to the usual plus the additional tax.

2--Cancel reservation and get a refund of deposit.

3--Transfer the original ressie to the following Christmas for the exact same dates.


I still don't know how they are accommodating all the people who held ressies at the new SOG as well as those guests who had booked into the wing rooms at CR when the SOG filled up.

I guess we will just go to CR with the original ressie. Hope it is very Christmassy. I have read so many mixed reviews on the CR wing rooms.

All decisions have to be completed by Aug 15. They site "unforeseen design and construction problems" as the reason for the further delay in opening the SOG.

 

[southernwingz]

I had a feeling this was going to happen. After watching the construction 'progress' on the website, I just kept thinking it didn't look like they were going to be ready by December. We have reservations for the 17th of December through the 22nd, but we haven't received any notification yet about the delays. I wonder if I should call.

I don't know anything about the Contemporary except that the monorail goes through it. lol What's it like? We're really excited about this trip and I just don't want anything to put a damper on it.

 

[*Flower*]

We have reservations for the end of January and the end of February, and we received the January letter on Saturday, and the February letter yesterday.

I couldn't quite figure out option 3, so it's a good thing that someone else could.

We've stayed in the North Garden Wing rooms since SoG closed for renovations, and we enjoy it!!! So far we've got 12 North Garden Wing visits under our belts, and haven't had a problem room yet.......

Good luck!!

 

[winniedapooh]

We ahve also stayed at the North Rooms and have liked them very much. Not too much of a walk.....we could also lie in bed and watch the water parade if we wanted to! This time around we are staying in the Tower, 1st time and so excited!

 

[southernwingz]

I tried calling SOG yesterday as soon as I posted and never could get through. I guess I'll start again this morning and try to find out what's going on and why we didn't receive any notice of this.

Thanks for the good reviews of the North Garden Wing. I know I don't have to worry about that now.

 

[jpmom97]

I got my letter the other day too. We have reservations from Feb 1-11. Our only choice was the Port Orleans Riverside. I thought we would get the Contemporary, we are alittle dissapointed. We got the same options, take the hotel, cancel or transfer to next year. I would have transferred but I promised my 5 year old we are going to Disney and I couldn't break his heart ( or mine really).

Anyone else staying at the Port Orleans at the same time?Does anyone know if they will be setting up shop there so I can get the tickets or I do have to go to Contemporary still to get them?

 

[melee]

Hi jpmom97,
I talked with SOG this am. I was told that the ticket office will stay at Contemporary. Hopefully this will change by Feb. It won't be very convenient to access the office from POR. I'm sure you and I will cross paths on the forums again as we adjust to this change of plans. POR wasn't even on my radar!

 

[SeaShelley]

My folks got a letter regarding their February reservation. It also listed Port Orleans as their alternate. Not sure what they plan to do. They were looking forward to staying at the new place and were planning on making our October 2004 reservations for the whole family.

 

[BibbidiBobbidiBOO]

I wonder if it depends on the price you are paying or when you booked whether you get POR or CR. With a nightly rate of $101 for us, I would not be thrilled with POR! I wonder if you can call and book overflow for your dates, throug SOG. That is what I would do. We like POR, but have stayed in Mods for $79, so I would not take that for $101.

 

[melee]

I asked SOG about overflow rates and was told they're not available yet for February. My husband is all for postponing the trip a year, but I've already laid the groundwork for this trip (time off from the new job I'm starting this Fall, etc). My attitude right now is that we have the money budgeted, so we might as well go for it. I have no idea why we got sent to POR instead of Contemporary. I tried to change it by dropping a day etc., but there was no availability at Contemporary except late January. With all the people SOG has to relocate around President's day week, I'm not sure there will be good overflow rates. I don't know much about the resort business, but it would seem that Disney has SOG over a barrel. I'm going to postpone sending SOG my acceptance of POR for a few weeks and see if overflow rates come in. Thanks for the overflow suggestion, Bibbidi!

 

[southernwingz]

After the line being busy for three hours this morning, I finally got through after being on hold for over 30 minutes.....I was just grateful to hear the phone ringing and was shocked when a real live person actually answered the phone.

Anyway, she didn't really have any information for me except to say that she still had our reservation in her computer and that a letter had been sent out. If I haven't received the letter in the next week or so, I should call them back. So, I guess until I receive that letter, I'm in limbo as to where we're saying.

 

[suevee]

I got through to SoG yesterday. We also got Port Orleans for February. Apparantly the CR is totally booked already for certain dates in February and can not accomodate SoG at the last minute. I think it might be a convention of some sort combined with President's Day weekend. SoG will try to fit in at the CR when it is available, but will have to place people whereever Disney allows. One thing to remember- February 12 starts peak season, and all the resort prices will be high. Also President's Day is on February 17 next year. SoG said overflows for February will be available in early October.

Right now I am holding on to my reservations and waiting to see what overflows and AP discounts may be available. However due to my timeframe and peak season, we may just be checking out Port Orleans. We have annual passes bought late last Feb so I don't really have the option of changing dates unless I want to add $1000 to my budget to buy more passes.

 

[*Flower*]

I'm starting to find this thread interesting..........

Both of my letters stated that we would be placed at the Contemporary Resort if we opted to keep our reservations and sent our letters back (or faxed them) by Aug. 15.

I guess that it might be because we didn't ask for holiday weekends????? Anyway, we've stayed at the Contemporary, so we know what the amenities are like- and that's fine with us.

Of course we'll be hanging on pins and needles to see what happens with our March and April ressies.........


Good luck everyone!!!

 

[*Flower*]

By the way, we've also stayed at Port Orleans Riverside when it was Dixie Landings, and really liked it a lot. The food court is great, especially if you have picky eaters (like DH), and if you're on a longer trip, the refillable mugs are a good thing to have.

I hope that this helps someone........

 

[melee]

Thanks for wishing us good luck, Flower! I was thinking my reservation may have ended up at POR because I reserved two rooms for the first night. Grammy and Grampy plan to join us for a night. We're disappointed to miss out on the new SOG but on a happy note, our POR reservations supposedly guarantee adjoining rooms with G and G on that first night. Also, I think my MIL and I will enjoy taking the boat to downtown disney for some shopping. I know the kids will have fun in the pool. As you can see,I'm working hard at seeing the refillable mug half full!

 

[smfnj]

Originally posted by southernwingz
I had a feeling this was going to happen. After watching the construction 'progress' on the website, I just kept thinking it didn't look like they were going to be ready by December.

I don't know anything about the Contemporary except that the monorail goes through it. lol What's it like?

I thought the same thing last month looking at the construction photos......no way would they be open in Dec.

I've never stayed at the CR but have spent a lot of time there, had 14 stays at the Poly. The location beats SOG hands down. Walk to MK, lots of restaurants on monorail line and at CR. I think you'll be pleasantly suprised with the resort.

steve

 

[southernwingz]

Have any of you stayed at SOG before they started to redo the resort?

I stayed there with my family in 1995 and I thought it was really nice. My son was two then and we went to DW for two days.....it was a great little inexpensive trip for us. $49 a night at SOG at the time and it cost nothing for my son to enter the parks because of his age.

Before that my trips to DW had consisted of two trips with my parents when I was a child....once when I was about 11 and once when I was 14. We stayed offsite then, but our trips to DW were quite memorable. Still at 32, I remember them vividly!

We're all so excited about this trip in December! I can barely contain myself now....I'm like a child. If it weren't for this board though, I would be completely in the dark about what goes on in the parks. Y'all are really great! If anyone has any more pointers they'd like to share with me, they'd be more than welcome.

 

[lopo]

Yesterday, when I got the news about the SOG delayed opening I tried to reach SOG for a couple of hours without any success. I tried first thing this morning and, after waiting on hold for 25 mins., I was able to speak with someone. However, at first she told me that letters had been mailed and I'd have to wait for the letter before I could choose an option. Frankly, I was not happy with this news, so I asked her to at least relate to me what the options were. She did. She made it clear to me that the letter would indicate whether I was offered the Contemporary or Port Orleans Riverside and that I would not be able to select which place I'd like to stay.

Needless to say, I am wicked disappointed so far. First, I haven't received my letter yet and my reservation is for Dec. 26-Jan. 1. I think it is odd that some folks who have ressies after those dates have already recvd. their letters. Second, since airline tix have already been purchased, it would be a financial drain to switch them so I do not think that canceling the ressies would be helpful. Third, I have already called to see if there was availability at the other resorts and I learned that I could get ressies for a couple of the days but not all of them (even if I could afford the extra $$$$)

This is a BIG blip for me. I had thought that the worst news was that the Osbourne Lights were canceled this year! (Since I have never before been to WDW over the Holidays, I had really been looking forward to the lights, too!)

I am really trying to think positively, but I am not having much success right now.

 

[southernwingz]

Someone from SOG called me a few hours ago because I faxed them before I was able to reach them by phone yesterday. Basically, she said since I faxed them that a duplicate letter was mailed and I should have it within a week. I asked her if she could tell me which resort we were being offered and she said Port Orleans. I was hoping it was going to be the Contemporary, but to be fair, I don't know anything about Port Orleans, so I'm trying to stay positive about the whole thing......I mean, we are, afterall, still talking about a trip to Disney World. So, now knowing where we're staying......what's the scoop with this place. Tell me everything! Please!

 

[A1A1]

lopo---I feel the same way, but I think it will all work out. We'll have to find other wonderful things to do this Christmas. There are so many. Maybe we could start a thread "Things to do besides Osbourne Lights this Christmas".

Many people love POR, and I think the best thing about it is the lush landscaping. It is beautiful to walk along the river there or take the boat to Downtown Disney.

Let's all think positive. It would be awful to sleep in a hotel room that didn't have walls. Those pictures told the store on the SOG website. It didn't look good several weeks ago - still not closed in.