GRRR...How I went from 3 tables for Cinderella's breakfast to none!

[crs7568]

I am so incredibly irritated right now. We had plans to stay at the Polynesian as concierge guests for our August trip. I made many of the priority seatings myself but asked the itinerary planner to help with reservations for breakfast with Cinderella. He nicely pulled up all of my reservations and put them on our itinerary through the Polynesian.

My husband and I both call on the first day of our 60 day window and both secure reservations. Great. Meanwhile, I am hearing less than glowing reviews of the Polynesian concierge service in the new building so I decide to switch reservations to the Boardwalk Inn. I politely emailed our itinerary planner and told him that we would not be staying at the Polynesian until our Christmas visit and that I would not need him to purchase the item that I had requested for our room. He sent me an email the next day saying that he cancelled our reservations and would also cancel all of our priority seatings. I immediately called him and left a message not to cancel any reservations. I also sent out an email stating the same information. Additionally, I called the WDW DINE number and all of our reservations were in place so I felt much calmer. I asked if I could have a notation that concierge may attempt to cancel my priority seatings and please do not allow that to happen. Unfortunately, they cannot prevent this from happening. She informed me that the concierge staff member had also gotten me a table for breakfast with Cinderella. Her opinion was that I should not worry because it was late at night and they were ready to close for the evening anyway. She was confident that he would get the email and the answering machine message before he cancelled anything.

WRONG!!! He cancelled everything. I just returned from vacation and found an email from him apologizing that there was a miscommunication between us. Meanwhile, I have a two year old who is telling everyone that she is having breakfast with the princesses in Cinderella's castle. Anyone have any suggestions? I tried calling WDW DINE and the CM was extremely sympathetic but also extremely doubtful that I would be able to get any reservation much less an 8:05 on a Saturday.

 

[TarraLee]

Wow. Just wanted to send some pixie dust your way-- here's hoping that magic comes through for you!!

Maybe post on the Cindy's breakfast thread, you never know who around the DIS might have an extra one they're going to cancel-- it worked out that way for me, maybe it will work for you!

Good Luck!

 

[baloo722]

I'd be on the phone & demand to talk to whomever i had to talk to until EVERYTHING was made right. There is no excuse for that!

 

[>>^..^<<]

Hi there.. oh my gosh ~ what a disaster!

Try the concierge at Boardwalk maybe they can help with a PS for CRT.

In the meantime try for EPCOT PSB - your 2 year old will be happy with the princesses there too

Keep trying WDW for cancellations for CRT, I'm sorry all this happened but don't let it get you down, you are going to have a wonderful holiday.

>>^..^<<

 

[kda]

If concierge at the Poly made the mistake, why aren't they responsible for correcting it? Mistakes happen, and that's what customer service recovery is all about.

 

[Teris]

Oh dear,, But do I have it right that when you told the Itinerary planner about the change in plans, you didn't tell him that you were switching resorts for the trip? It sounds like he got the idea that you weren't coming to WDW at that time at all,, so I can see how he would have thought it was appropriate to cancel all PS's. I hope the BW concierge is able to reestablish your PS's. At least the Cinderally Breakfast. That makes me so sad I have heard of people who have been able to get a PS for Cindy's by calling daily, and picking up a cancelation. Perhaps the concierge at BW can help with this?

 

[Nickymouse]

Call back and ask to speak to the Concierge supervisor. Be calm but insist that they find a PS for you, since it was their fault. I once called for CRT and got through right away. The CM finished taking all of my info. and them told me I had a table for 4 at 1900 Park Fair! He had accidentally pulled the wrong restaurant up on the screen. By the time he tried to pull up CRT, it was of course all gone. He told me there was nothing he could do, so I asked to speak to his supervisor. She called me back about 1/2 hour later with a table for 4. I'm sure they always have a few spots available for these type of situations. Good Luck.

 

[DrTomorrow]

I'm a bit confused here. If the CRT PS was obtained by the Polynesian Concierge, and the OP was no longer staying/paying for the Polynesian Concierge service, then what is their claim on the CRT PS? Isn't that a privilege one has to pay for?
Couldn't that start a whole new scam? Make a reservation at a Concierge level resort, have them make a raft of PS ahead of time, then shift the reservation to All Star and expect to keep all of the Concierge PS benefits free of charge? Note: I'm not accusing the OP of this (over-reacting to a few negative posts, perhaps, but no deceit), just trying to understand where the line gets drawn in the ever-expanding world of guest expectations.

 

[MrsPete]

Dr. Tomorrow -- you and I are thinking along the same lines. I don't think the original poster here did anything wrong, but we all know there are people who will stop at nothing to get reservations for CRT. I am sure there are people who would gladlly make reservations for concierge, allow them to get the coveted reservations for them, then "decide to go stay at HoJo's." Again, I'm not saying that the original poster did this, but if they didn't have a system in place, someone would see this as a loophole way to get CRT reservations.

Having said that, I'd suggest that the original poster call the Boardwalk concierge staff -- after all, they are the ones who will be taking care of this family on this trip. I would send a snail-mail letter to both Poly Concierge and Dining Reservations explaining what happened. They should fix this problem for you.

 

[crs7568]

DrTomorrow, actually my husband and I both called and got reservations ourselves. The concierge planner also got a reservation which is how we at one time had three reservations. I don't think that it would be unreasonable of him to cancel the ONE reservation that he made, but he cancelled all of our reservations INCLUDING the ones that I made myself. I don't believe that he did it deliberately, but nonetheless I am without the reservations that I without his assistance. By the way, that is one pretty elaborate scheme to fake reservations with concierge in order to secure a reservation for breakfast with Cinderella. I personally think that it would take much more work to implement the plan than it actually would to make the reservations yourself. I did not get the impression that you were accusing me of anything...no offense taken.

Teris, I am afraid that I did not explicitly inform him of my new reservation because I was attempting to be diplomatic about changing reservations to a different hotel. I was perfectly clear about what I wanted him to cancel for me; I am afraid that he was just taking some initiative and going above and beyond the call of duty. I definitely bear some responsibility for this mess.

<<^..^>>, thanks for your suggestion. I had not thought of that and it is a great alternative!

 

[DrTomorrow]

crs7568

Then he had no right to cancel any reservations you'd made; I'd raise a pretty big stink, particularly since your daughter is involved. Call BW Conc., Poly Conc. Manager, Michael Eisner! I bet BW Conc. will have a few in their pocket.

As for the complexity of such a scheme, you're obviously one of the nice people in the world who wouldn't dream of something like this, and haven't heard of Rita Aero and the Breakfast Angels; nor would you bring crates to the Conc. lounge to stock up on meals for the next month. Unfortunately, someone will.

 

[crs7568]

Wow! I was intrigued by the Rita Aero reference so I did a quick search. Pretty interesting reading. I cannot believe the things that I read and you are right, DrTomorrow, the scenario you mentioned is probably very mild compared to what goes on out there. I just want to add that I was actually told by the concierge planner that they do not make Cinderella reservations until two weeks before the requested date. I got nervous about the things I had been reading about the new concierge set up at the Polynesian and I cancelled my reservation there before I even knew that he had also gotten me a reservation for the breakfast. Trust me, I wouldn't go to those lengths to have breakfast with John Cusack, and I love John Cusack.

 

[Teris]

Aww,, I hope it gets sorted quickly,, I would be heartbroken about the lost ressies too.

I have to defend the Itinerary planners abit tho,, if they got the impression that the trip was totally off,, it's part of their job to go above and beyond the expectations of guests, even if a ressie is being canceled. He probably thought he was doing you a favor by cancelling all the ps's for you, including the ones you made yourself. All that matters now tho is getting it sorted out. Don't let this spoil your Disney fun. Please let us know how it gets on,, I want to believe that the concierge people at the BW will be able to fix this for you. Like I said before,, I have seen on other boards where people have had more than one CRT ressie,, and canceled the extra, and others have been able to pick that ressie up,, so surely they can save one of those canceled ressies for you special.

Will keep a good thought.

 

[>>^..^<<]

I agree 100% with Teris,

Best wishes to you to sort it all out and please let us know how it is going.

>>^..^<<

 

[April in Disney]

Last April my girlfriend was going to WDW for 8 days. She had asked 10 people to call for her every morning 60 days ahead of the time of her travel. We all called in and no one could get any ressie the entire time. Imagine 12 people( that includes herself and husband) calling using two phone per house and not being able to secure even one ressie. She got on the phone with the dinning ressie management and they magically found her a ressie. Call the management.

 

[MulanMom]

crs7568...what are your dates for vacation and number in your party? Feel free to PM me the information. your countdown looks similar to mine.;-)