I really blew it - Park passes!!! Help, advice needed!

[jimmymc]

It isn't really poor customer service. This entire issue was due to the guest hedging their bets. They had the same exact opportunity as everyone else. If the CM can't let them into the park, that does not mean Disney or guests services didn't do a good job. The guest shouldn't be any different than any other random person trying to get into a closed park on that particular day. If they are going to do it for her, then they need to have that option for everyone who can't get into a closed park.

Companies make exceptions all the time in the name of guest service.

 

[pigletliz]

Companies make exceptions all the time in the name of guest service.

Very true, but not doing so does not make it poor customer service. If I want to go to HS, but it is closed, should they make an exception for me and the hundreds of other people who can't get in that day? Plus, I think the things they can do for "pixie dust" have been drastically changed due to the internet and people's expectations.

 

[jimmymc]

Very true, but not doing so does not make it poor customer service. If I want to go to HS, but it is closed, should they make an exception for me and the hundreds of other people who can't get in that day? Plus, I think the things they can do for "pixie dust" have been drastically changed due to the internet and people's expectations.

But it still doesn't hurt to ask! That's the entire point of my post, call and ask to see if someone can help! OP is just asking for advice and half these comments are just people reminding them they made a mistake.

 

[pigletliz]

But it still doesn't hurt to ask! That's the entire point of my post, call and ask to see if someone can help! OP is just asking for advice and half these comments are just people reminding them they made a mistake.

It doesn't hurt to ask as long as the OP and others realize that the CM may not make an exception. We've all seen the posts where people go ballistic because they didn't get what they wanted. One person's pixie dust is someone else's entitlement.

 

[scrappinginontario]

Moving to Theme Park Communities board for further discussion.

 

[MomOTwins]

Because Disney realizes that letting 6 out of 9 guests into the park is pretty poor customer service and they want people to come back.

I think you're still missing the point. I have no idea if Disney would do that, but what is the harm in calling to ask? That was my original comment, call and ask to see if they can help you.

I'm really not missing the point. I just disagree that it's appropriate to recommend someone call and ask GS for special treatment, when everyone else who might need park passes or who might want to change them but can't is in the same boat. I wouldn't recommend someone "just ask" to be allowed to pool hop to Stormalong Bay if you aren't staying at the resort, or to get to use the fastpass line instead of waiting in standby without a permitted reason to do so, or to have an entire tower of terror elevator to themselves, just because Disney theoretically has the capacity/ability to accommodate that for a single guest. The problem is, Disney can't allow everyone who wants to do those things to do them, because in the aggregate it would be highly disruptive--just like if everyone was allowed to change park passes by "just asking" it would be unworkable. And these days if someone gets away with some special exception and says so on the internet, everyone starts demanding it. That's the "harm in asking."

It reminds me of a thread a while back where someone couldn't get dining reservations for her party of 5, so booked a bunch of reservations for a party of 4 and planned to just show up with one extra and ask the restaurant to accommodate the change. There was a similar split reaction from the posters. Some said to just show up and ask the restaurant, since they are in the customer service business and will try to find a way to fit in her too-large party. Others said no, it's not an fair request, and if you can't find a reservation for your party size, you shouldn't ask them to make an exception because if everyone did that, it'd be a disaster for restaurant capacity.

 

[AndreaA]

But it still doesn't hurt to ask! That's the entire point of my post, call and ask to see if someone can help! OP is just asking for advice and half these comments are just people reminding them they made a mistake.

No, it doesn’t hurt to ask, and I do NOT understand people getting all up on their moral high horses about it. Sheesh. We get it, anyone who asks for anything is a bad, entitled person, no need to keep repeating yourselves.

The ironic thing is that this very site is full of tips, tricks, hints, hacks, etc., that help people make the most of their Disney trips. I doubt if anyone would say “you shouldn’t do x, y, z, because not everyone knows about that and it’s not fair to them. Yet somehow calling guest services for help when you screw up (and own it!) is beyond the pale because some other guest might have made the same mistake and not bother trying to get help. Aiyiyi. It’s a theme park reservation people, not an organ transplant.

 

[Jason2015]

everyone else who might need park passes or who might want to change them but can't is in the same boat.

Right and anybody in that boat has the right to call and ask a simple question. Nobody is saying Disney is obligated to oblige; just as Disney doesn't have to allow people to pool hop, or enter the fastpass line with out the proper reservation, or just enter the elevator at Haunted Mansion. (Though I must say all of these examples are much different that calling about a park reservation. Pool-perk for the hotel, Fastpass-perk of park tickets (might be the closest relevant example), Elevator-ride safety)

 

[MomOTwins]

Right and anybody in that boat has the right to call and ask a simple question. Nobody is saying Disney is obligated to oblige; just as Disney doesn't have to allow people to pool hop, or enter the fastpass line with out the proper reservation, or just enter the elevator at Haunted Mansion. (Though I must say all of these examples are much different that calling about a park reservation. Pool-perk for the hotel, Fastpass-perk of park tickets (might be the closest relevant example), Elevator-ride safety)

Man, I guess this explains why I have to wait on hold an hour or more every time I have to call in.
I could just as easily say: AP park pass bucket = perk of APs.

 

[AndreaA]

Man, I guess this explains why I have to wait on hold an hour or more every time I have to call in.
I could just as easily say: AP park pass bucket = perk of APs.

Yes, that is a perk, and sometimes maybe that perk ends up extending to AP holders who are bringing their non-AP family. I just don’t understand getting so bent out of shape about it. Why are you calling so frequently anyway? Maybe according to some random person on the internet, you don’t have the right to ask for whatever it is you’re calling about.

 

[MomOTwins]

Yes, that is a perk, and sometimes maybe that perk ends up extending to AP holders who are bringing their non-AP family. I just don’t understand getting so bent out of shape about it. Why are you calling so frequently anyway? Maybe according to some random person on the internet, you don’t have the right to ask for whatever it is you’re calling about.

I just think it's unhelpful advice and I don't know why you are pushing it so hard. GS is not going to help OP get passes that are sold out for all the reasons I've been explaining, so it is a waste of OP's time. OP has no right to request such passes, so it's a waste of GS service's time. And yes, I do think it's a bit entitled to ask for an exception to the rules--that's not what GS is for.

For our most recent trip, I called in (1) to change hotels when a major refurbishment at our original hotel was announced and the website wouldn't let me modify it online and said "call to change"; (2) to apply an available room discount that became available for my dates/room type that again couldn't be modified online, (3) called twice to change our flight numbers for magical express when the airline cancelled or changed our flight and again the online modify feature wasn't available; and (4) to book a polar patio at BB (can only be done by phone). Not asking for anything that wasn't available to any other guest.

 

[nkereina]

And why should OP jump ahead of all the other non-AP guests who are locked out of MK?

No one is saying the OP should. But if they ask and GS happens to have the authority to pull some strings, then luck is just on the side of the OP. It doesn't mean the OP is more special than other guests, it just means they got the right GS agent. GS agents have the discretion to handle situations as they see fit. That's why guest remunerations for bad experiences differ. And to be clear, I'm not saying the OP is owed anything and I wouldn't consider this a poor experience, I'm just using it as an example to support that GS agents can and do things in the name of customer service all the time. If the answer is that GS can't do anything, then OP should be polite about it and move along.

It isn't really poor customer service. This entire issue was due to the guest hedging their bets. They had the same exact opportunity as everyone else. If the CM can't let them into the park, that does not mean Disney or guests services didn't do a good job. Six guests or not, the OP isn't any different than any other random person trying to get into a closed park on that particular day.

It doesn't hurt to ask as long as the OP and others realize that the CM may not make an exception. We've all seen the posts where people go ballistic because they didn't get what they wanted. One person's pixie dust is someone else's entitlement.

Absolutely agree. I think all of us on the opposite side of this have been saying all along that as long as OP realizes they aren't owed anything and that the answer may very well be no, then there is no harm at all in calling.

I just disagree that it's appropriate to recommend someone call and ask GS for special treatment, when everyone else who might need park passes or who might want to change them but can't is in the same boat.

But those people have the same exact opportunity as OP to call.

The problem is, Disney can't allow everyone who wants to do those things to do them, because in the aggregate it would be highly disruptive--just like if everyone was allowed to change park passes by "just asking" it would be unworkable.

I don't disagree that Disney can't appease everyone, but considering we know for fact that they can and do pull strings in some circumstances (i.e. ROTR boarding groups), then why wouldn't someone simply call and ask?

And these days if someone gets away with some special exception and says so on the internet, everyone starts demanding it.

That sounds like a them problem. If people aren't astute enough to realize that customer service scenarios are often handled on a case by case basis and there isn't a blanket resolution for all people and all problems, then that's on them. Its not something OP or me or anyone else should be concerned with.

GS is not going to help OP get passes that are sold out for all the reasons I've been explaining, so it is a waste of OP's time.

That may very likely be the case. But respectfully, I'm still not understanding why you're so fiercely against OP making the call when it doesn't affect you in the slightest. Even if OP calls knowing for 99% certain that GS can't get passes for them, at the very least maybe GS can tell OP when they expect another drop, or when other people have had success finding canceled passes, or whatever.

 

[sethschroeder]

I really can't see it working to book park reservations prior to purchasing tickets.

It's dead easy.......

Make it so it's all one process. You must select the dates prior to buying by park, it does a temporary hold for the checkout process, you buy the tickets and it's all locked in.

There also should be exactly 0 and I mean 0% chance you can not get in a park as a resort guest. There is absolutely no way Disney should be selling more rooms than capacity held.

Does that throw a wrench in to things for Disney? Slightly but they also are up in capacity % at this point and only increasing. It's not like they are still 25% capacity.

Also buy 3rd party tickets and it automatically requires park reservation upon entering the ticket.

 

[scrappinginontario]

This thread is no longer on topic, closing thread.