disneysuncat
Putting the "cat" in meerkat!
- Joined
- Sep 10, 2007
- Messages
- 678
I felt like I spent my whole day on the phone to Disney yesterday.
I had a split stay set up with the free dining pin code for 6 nights Caribbean Beach, 6 nights Coronado Springs. After careful consideration, we decided to give the Pop Century a chance for the first 6 nights, instead of Caribbean Beach. Saves a good amount of money, plus we are planning to move to Florida next year, so why not save all we can.
I always run every number before I call for every deal, and am usually within a few cents of the number they give me. (maybe Disney rounds differently than I do.) I also always check "regular" (non-code) availability, as if it's not available with NO discount, it sure won't be WITH a discount. And yes, I know that it can be available at a regular rate, but not with a discount.
With all of that in mind, and numbers in hand, I called Disney to change resorts under my pin code. The first guy I got said that there WAS no pin code for values with free quick service dining. I read him my pin code email. He then says "well, there's no availability". I was thinking this probably wasn't true, as my dates are early December, the code has only been out two weeks, and we are in a recession. I know it wasn't impossible, of course, but I questioned it. I said "does it make a difference if you change my dining back to quick service?" (because I had upgraded to deluxe.) He said it wouldn't make a difference, so I ended the call.
A couple of hours later, I had been thinking about it, and called back to try to modify the reservation again. This girl said "let me check" then about a minute later "nope, no values at all with that promotion". She also told me that no pin code existed that gave free quick service dining at values. I read her my email, and she said "well I have never heard of it!" I asked her if she could please check with guest services (I was very polite) and she said "no, because they have the exact same thing I have, they can't do anything I can't do". I asked if there was any way she could please just ask them about the pin, and she flat said no. I said okay, leave things like they are, and got off the phone.
After thinking about it for a couple of minutes, I decided to try one last thing, cancelling my Caribbean Beach reservation, and later book a new Pop Century with no discount, and hope for a code or something between now and December. So I called in to cancel, and I didn't say anything else, just that I wanted to cancel that one. It took the CM 45 minutes to cancel my reservation! The CM confirmed all my info like they always do, and confirmed that I had two serparate reservations. She made sure she was cancelling the correct one. Then for whatever reason, she asked me if two different people booked the reservations. I said yes, because I had called in separately, on different days. She said "they should have not made two!" I have no idea what that meant. She took FOREVER and I mean forever in cancelling. When it got to the part about my deposit being refunded back to me, I asked her if I could confirm the last four digits of the credit card with her, as I wasn't sure which one I had used (and I wanted to know so as to know which one to look for the refund on.) She she "it was a check". I said "no, I used a credit card" and she said "no, you used a check!" and was quite snippy. I repeated that I did in fact use a credit card, and that was was either ending in numbers XXXX or XXXX. She said again "you used a CHECK!" I was pretty exasperated at this time, and said "just let me know how I'll receive my refund, please." She went on and on about some e-form she was filling out, and I honestly still don't know how I'll receive my refund. I figure it will show up eventually one way or another. I asked if there was any kind of cancellation number or anything, and she said no. It was finally cancelled after all that time, so that was good. I decided not to book anything with that person, as it would have been another 45 minutes.
I took a breather, called back in to make the regular rate Pop Century reservation. When the person asked me if I would like any dining package, I asked her (just in case!) if there was any way to apply this free dining pin code to it. She said "no problem" took my pin code, and I was done in five minutes. I asked her about the pin and she was very knowledgable about it. She also told me there was still more availabilty with that pin at Pop when I inquired about two more rooms (because I was nosy.)
I guess that while it's possible that someone could have cancelled the last three rooms at Pop under that discount in my hour between the 2nd and 4th CM, but I am inclined to think it's because the people I got didn't use the right code or something. At the very least, I thought that CM #2 could of at least checked with guest services about my pin when I asked instead of refusing and telling me it didn't exist.
Sorry for the long rant. I am happy that I got it straightened out, and I do know that normal procedure is to modify the existing reservation. (do they get bonuses per reservation?) I guess part of my rant part was that I had never have a CM be less than "magical" and between my "no" from CM #2 and my 45 minute cancellation with CM #3, I wasn't feeling so magical.
I had a split stay set up with the free dining pin code for 6 nights Caribbean Beach, 6 nights Coronado Springs. After careful consideration, we decided to give the Pop Century a chance for the first 6 nights, instead of Caribbean Beach. Saves a good amount of money, plus we are planning to move to Florida next year, so why not save all we can.
I always run every number before I call for every deal, and am usually within a few cents of the number they give me. (maybe Disney rounds differently than I do.) I also always check "regular" (non-code) availability, as if it's not available with NO discount, it sure won't be WITH a discount. And yes, I know that it can be available at a regular rate, but not with a discount.
With all of that in mind, and numbers in hand, I called Disney to change resorts under my pin code. The first guy I got said that there WAS no pin code for values with free quick service dining. I read him my pin code email. He then says "well, there's no availability". I was thinking this probably wasn't true, as my dates are early December, the code has only been out two weeks, and we are in a recession. I know it wasn't impossible, of course, but I questioned it. I said "does it make a difference if you change my dining back to quick service?" (because I had upgraded to deluxe.) He said it wouldn't make a difference, so I ended the call.
A couple of hours later, I had been thinking about it, and called back to try to modify the reservation again. This girl said "let me check" then about a minute later "nope, no values at all with that promotion". She also told me that no pin code existed that gave free quick service dining at values. I read her my email, and she said "well I have never heard of it!" I asked her if she could please check with guest services (I was very polite) and she said "no, because they have the exact same thing I have, they can't do anything I can't do". I asked if there was any way she could please just ask them about the pin, and she flat said no. I said okay, leave things like they are, and got off the phone.
After thinking about it for a couple of minutes, I decided to try one last thing, cancelling my Caribbean Beach reservation, and later book a new Pop Century with no discount, and hope for a code or something between now and December. So I called in to cancel, and I didn't say anything else, just that I wanted to cancel that one. It took the CM 45 minutes to cancel my reservation! The CM confirmed all my info like they always do, and confirmed that I had two serparate reservations. She made sure she was cancelling the correct one. Then for whatever reason, she asked me if two different people booked the reservations. I said yes, because I had called in separately, on different days. She said "they should have not made two!" I have no idea what that meant. She took FOREVER and I mean forever in cancelling. When it got to the part about my deposit being refunded back to me, I asked her if I could confirm the last four digits of the credit card with her, as I wasn't sure which one I had used (and I wanted to know so as to know which one to look for the refund on.) She she "it was a check". I said "no, I used a credit card" and she said "no, you used a check!" and was quite snippy. I repeated that I did in fact use a credit card, and that was was either ending in numbers XXXX or XXXX. She said again "you used a CHECK!" I was pretty exasperated at this time, and said "just let me know how I'll receive my refund, please." She went on and on about some e-form she was filling out, and I honestly still don't know how I'll receive my refund. I figure it will show up eventually one way or another. I asked if there was any kind of cancellation number or anything, and she said no. It was finally cancelled after all that time, so that was good. I decided not to book anything with that person, as it would have been another 45 minutes.
I took a breather, called back in to make the regular rate Pop Century reservation. When the person asked me if I would like any dining package, I asked her (just in case!) if there was any way to apply this free dining pin code to it. She said "no problem" took my pin code, and I was done in five minutes. I asked her about the pin and she was very knowledgable about it. She also told me there was still more availabilty with that pin at Pop when I inquired about two more rooms (because I was nosy.)
I guess that while it's possible that someone could have cancelled the last three rooms at Pop under that discount in my hour between the 2nd and 4th CM, but I am inclined to think it's because the people I got didn't use the right code or something. At the very least, I thought that CM #2 could of at least checked with guest services about my pin when I asked instead of refusing and telling me it didn't exist.
Sorry for the long rant. I am happy that I got it straightened out, and I do know that normal procedure is to modify the existing reservation. (do they get bonuses per reservation?) I guess part of my rant part was that I had never have a CM be less than "magical" and between my "no" from CM #2 and my 45 minute cancellation with CM #3, I wasn't feeling so magical.
