Grand Gatherings

[VINN127]

Have been planning a grand gathering for a year. If you don't you can't get rooms through DVC. This week was the first time we could call for ressies for the special gatherings. They have canceled the illuminations dinner and the breakfast for the week we are going, Last week of October. Further,and this is just ridiculous... to book the wishes cruise we couldn't book as one group. we have 13 people and we were told it had to be booked as two groups as only 8 can be booked to a group. Our CM was great and worked it out with us but after all this time you would have thought that Disney would have gotten it right. This whole experience has been a headache. They still can't tell us the time of the wishes cruise. So how do we book a dinner ressie??? DISNEY SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF THEMSELVES FOR THIS SCAM THEY HAVE STARTED. We will still have a great time on our vacation but no thanks to Disney's Grand Gatherings joke

 

[Sabor]

I agree Disney has definitley dropped the ball on this whol GG fiasco.
I do not understand how they told you that it had to be two groups when the MINIMUM is 8 people.

We have had our own problems with them and I have spent hours on the phone.
We are going at the end of September and are doing the Wishes cruise. I have gotten several confirmations and several itineraries (all wrong). They have me listed in VWL and we are at OKW.
I think the idea was good but somehow it did not work upon implementation.

I have to pay for my GG next week and I am dreading the call and what the CMs might come out with. We also do not have a time yet.

 

[ryansmom]

That doesn't make sense. You have to be atleast 8 people to even do Grand Gatherings. We are booked for the fireworks cruise in Oct. There are 11 in our group. I didn't book it myself our DU agent did. We also though don't know the time yet since they haven't released Oct hours yet.

 

[Micca]

I'm seeing some negative feedback on GG from Dis-ers in several different threads. Sounds like Disney does not have it together on this gimmick, and some are saying it's less hassle just to handle it themselves or through a TA.

 

[Flitter]

I couldn't agree with you more about the Grand Gatherings. I thought I had it all straigntened out with one GG Co-ordinator and then she went on vacation for 2 weeks. We have over 30 people in our group.....not all family....just friends and friends of friends.
Our new co-ordinator has tried to do her best to help straighten out all the experiences we want to do. The fax she sent me was correct but then they sent me a confirmation itenary in the mail and it was all out of wack. All but four people in our group are staying on property so the 80% rule should not be an issue. Since I and many of the others are DVC we booked our rooms after I had my GG #. The co-ordinator tells me that was the wrong way to do it but, supposdly has it straignt now. DVC did not inform the GG of my MG# that was attached to my reservation nor did they with the others staying at DVC properties.
This new co-ordinator has informed me that our group was TOO LARGE. That the GG experiences were created for FAMILIES to have reunions. Since there are so many people in our group they tell me that had to book it through group sales.
So far they have not canceled any of our experiences but, who knows. The next time I talk to them it may have changed.
I have to be in contact with my co-ordinator again so I will let you know iif there are any other problems.
It truly has turned into a nightmere before Halloween.

 

[bytheblood]

I have posted about this several times before. Disney wasted their time and energy on this one.

I have called to speak with a so-called "Magical Gathering/Grand Gathering Specialist" and was very disappointed. I know more about Disney than they do, have better abilities for booking my PS than they do and truthfully, have found those people to be of very little help.

I called to ask questions because we have a potential group of 22+ people going, and wanted to see what Disney had to offer for the MG and GG. Basically, nothing. There are no perks, no bonuses and no enticement to booking a MG or GG.

They do not guarantee any PS for you. If you want a character breakfast, expecially like CRT, you are better off booking it yourself. They will go 90 days out, just like you can, but they will not be requesting first thing in the morning like you do. Instead, they go through their list of PS requests for the day and make all they can. Sorry, looks like no CRT for the little girls.

I agree that Disney really dropped the ball on this one. Just a gimmick to get some business, but in the end it was a bad idea because they were not prepared, nor is there anything to offer to make this worth the trouble. I have done better making all of the plans for our trip myself.

 

[TammiMcMan]

We had a family get together yesterday at my sisters house. When we were younger, we made a few trips down to Fort Wilderness in a camper driven by my father. She thought it would be a great idea to relive those good times with our own children now. There would be about 15 of us. She had contacted Disney and a MG cm had sent her an e-mail with all these wonderful plans. I just shook my head when she pulled everything out. Our trip is still 2 summers away, so I'm figuring that Disney will either get their act together by then or ditch the whole MG marketing scam, oops I mean scheme.

 

[VINN127]

Don't you think they would have gotten it right by now. I agree with all of you. Exactly what is the "right size group" everyone you speak with down there has a different idea. I mean my CM thought a grand gathering is 8 people.... How ridiculous!!!!!! And then they put these incompetents in charge of our vacations.

 

[Laurabearz]

Add me to the not thrilled list.

It took well over an hour to set up our GG and get our number..... then for each experience we called for, we once again had to give all the names, ages, resorts... etc.

I am looking forward to the two things we booked, but I will be checking our documents carefully when they arrive!

 

[shoes99]

Originally posted by VINN127
Don't you think they would have gotten it right by now. I agree with all of you. Exactly what is the "right size group" everyone you speak with down there has a different idea. I mean my CM thought a grand gathering is 8 people.... How ridiculous!!!!!! And then they put these incompetents in charge of our vacations.

They do think a grand gathering is 8 people. They think they have to book their reservations in groups of 8, so even though I have one grand gathering number for 12 people, I have two confirmed reservation numbers for the same Peter Pan Fireworks cruise, one for 8 and one for 4.
I usually get a different answer for the same question every time I call.
Well, my cc is already charged for my cruise which is in late October. Hope we get on the same boat!!

 

[grammy3princesses]

I had a terrible time with the whole magical Gatherings event.

there were 12 of us and I thought that going thru their "hoops" would insure a magical time. Many phone calls lasting at least 1/2 hour each time and getting wrong itineraries each time following the phone call was enough to make you want to forget the whole thing.

The dinner reservations except for Ohana were always split. We were all at different tables. What's so magical about eating at different tables when you all go down as a group?

They did however make out CRT reservations for us at the time we wanted. We were right at the front of the restaurant, again at 3 different tables.

Magical? I don't think so.

jo in NY just got back 7.31

 

[InstImpres]

Originally posted by shoes99

Well, my cc is already charged for my cruise which is in late October. Hope we get on the same boat!!

My cc was charged and credited 4 times. (It was actually a MAC visa). E verytime I would online bank and see a credit I would call. I was indeed cancelled but they had no idea who did it, when or why. Luckily we were able to rebook each time. Loved the cruise but list me as another unsatified GG person.

Sandy

 

[Carrie Ellis]

Let me warn you to pay when you make a reservation for GG event! I made my groups ressie and paid for my family. My extended family was to call and pay for theirs but when they called they had filled their spot.

I wrote an email to Disney off their "contact us" and recieved a personal phone call from a GG expert. They decided to do another cruise the week we are there and she put all of us on it. I called my extended family and said pay up now!!!!

I am still nervous that it is not right. I think I will call and confirm tomorrow. This thread has made me nervous again!

 

[Mike]

I have posted in several threads about this fiasco so I will not go into details here. Suffice it to say that this is a major embarassment to Disney. Unless you have your heart set on a Magical Gathering Event, don't bother with this at all.

 

[Luckymommyx2]

I have not read a single good review about GG's! When I first started to read the negative reviews I just chalked it up to it being new and not all the CM's not being informed. (Still not an excuse but I realize it does happen.) Now I'm still reading bad reviews and at this point there is no excuse. Personally I'm glad I don't have one planned. I'm sorry that those of you that have gone through the trouble of GG's have had to deal with what you have.

 

[Doug123]

I'm a bit confused. If Grand Gatherings is so bad, why have all you people used it to coordinate your trips? Surely you read on the DIS that it stinks.

Disney will continue to offer Grand Gatherings in the poor way that they do until people learn not to use it. If there's no demand, they won't supply it -- which, from what it sounds like, would be a good thing.

 

[kathylovesdisneyworl]

Have to agree with the way MG is handled. It leaves alot to be desired. But the Wishes Cruise that we did was fantastic and I think it was worth all the trouble. Would not use grand gatherings unless I wanted to do one of the extras that they offer.

 

[Carrie Ellis]

Doug2123,

Same with us....I really wanted my family (esp. kids) to experience the GG Wishes cruise. That is the only reason.

I agree w/ your suggestion though.

 

[Mike]

Originally posted by Doug123
I'm a bit confused. If Grand Gatherings is so bad, why have all you people used it to coordinate your trips? Surely you read on the DIS that it stinks.

Disney will continue to offer Grand Gatherings in the poor way that they do until people learn not to use it. If there's no demand, they won't supply it -- which, from what it sounds like, would be a good thing.

The only way to book a Magical Gathring event is to have a Grand Gathering # for your group. I can only speak to the Magical Fireworks Voyage which was incredible. My family really enjoyed it. It is the booking and registering as a GG group that is the pain.