Inconsistencies with CRO/WDTC but happy ending (long)...

[Castillo Mom]

I've been so confused with the answers I 've been getting with the reservationists whenever I call WDW. I understand that they're trying to make the transition from CRO to WDTC and are geared towards selling packages, but there are many inconsistencies with the information being given out.

I originally booked two rooms at CBR for August of 2004 and had requested to be in Marinique. Several months after I made my reservations, they came out with a new room category, so my rate went up to $159 a night per room since Martinique had now become a preferred building and was told I would not be able to apply a AAA discount to the new room category. Needless to say, I was not a happy camper.

After going over the numbers and weighing out pros and cons, I decided to switch to one room at BC. I officially made the change yesterday. After confirming my new balance, I asked the CM whether ticket prices for 2004 were out yet, as I intend to buy UPH passes in a couple of months to take advantage of the advance purchase discount. At first she told me that ticket prices for next year were not out yet but to check back next month. I asked her whether adding the passes would be a problem since I had noticed that there was more of a trend toward pushing packages instead of offering room only discounts. On previous calls I was told no, I would have to get the DreamMaker pkg. and then told no problem, I could add the passes when prices came out. Well, she put me on hold and when she came back I got a strange reply. She said she'd spoken with an experienced CM who said that WDW cannot guarantee that UPH passes will even be available at all for next year on room only reservations and that I would have to change mine over from CRO to WDTC and purchase the pkg. if I wanted to be sure that I would get the passes I wanted. She also said I would come out ahead if I got the pkg. I was very surprised to hear of the possibility of UPHs not being available anymore and of course I was also somewhat skeptical. I forgot to mention that when I asked for the AAA rate to be applied to my room reservations, she said they weren't available. I politely said I didn't want to make the change and would call back after I did some research.

When I got home I priced out the cost of the room and the passes including tax, with and without the advance purchase discount on the tickets (sorry, I'm at the office and didn't bring my figures with me). Then I went to the WDW website and priced out the pkg. Of course the pkg. price was higher (couple hundred dollars) even considering that they add trip insurance.

I called back and this time I spoke with a very nice CM who was extremely patient with me and went over my figures and said that they were correct. I told her about the conversation that I'd had earlier that day and she seemed surprised at what I had been told and said that ticket prices were indeed out for 2004 and that I could absolutely purchase them seperately and did not have to purchase a pkg. As for the AAA rates, she said they had been downloaded into their system over a month ago (which is what I thought anyway) and cheerfully applied the discount.

I was both happy and annoyed. It made me stop and wonder how many people make one phone call and take what they are told at face value. The information they get may not be accurate. I guess you have to be pretty persistent. I'm also not happy with having a pkg. pushed on me and while I don't like to think badly of people, I feel like the first CM I spoke with yesterday was not being completely truthful. Am I the only one who keeps getting different answers from the CMs?

Well, it was a lesson learned. I won't let this dampen my enthusiasm though. After all, we're going to Disney World!

 

[DebbieB]

I made a reservation about a week ago and had a cm who admitted she has just come out of training on their "new system". I asked for a AAA rate for CBR 10/1-10/6. When she pulled up my phone # she mentioned that it showed I was a Disney Club member. I said yes, but I'd rather do AAA because I did not want to pay the whole thing in advance. OK, fine. It took her awhile to "get the computer to work", but she gave me the rate, took my AAA member # and then told me it would be $100 deposit. I thought that was strange since the one night room was $132 with tax. Then she gave me an 8 digit confirmation #. I said, wait isn't that WDTC? She said that was the way they were doing it now. I asked about the balance, she said room only is paid at check-in. OK, great. I get 2 confirmations yesterday, one dated 8/14 & one 8/15. The second one showed the deposit paid. It was Disney Club! Balance due on 9/10! Same rate. I figure it willn't matter because the closing on my credit card is 9/5, so if I call on 9/10 it will be on my October bill, if I wait until check-in on 10/1, it will still be on my October bill. I'm still hoping AP rates come out and I can redo it. She said to call back WHEN AP rates are released and they will apply the credit.

 

[Krisu]

I mentioned this on another thread, One CM told me I had to book thru my local AAA office if I wanted the discount!!

 

[DMRick]

I was told during my last call, that I had to pay the room tax on the rack rate, even if getting a AAA discount. I asked to speak to her supervisor, and she was not happy. The supervisor told me the cm was incorrect, and the tax would be on the room cost.

 

[macnodos]

Hi,
Spoke with CRO yesterday and was also told about new preferred category but she did let me apply AAA discount to ressie for May 2004. Good Luck.

kev

 

[CindyAnn]

I think whenever you encounter a CM who is brand new/confused/impatient/clueless it's worth cutting the call short, thanking them for their help and saying good-bye. Eventually, a subsequent call will get you a knowledgeable, helpful CM.

Last week I struck gold on the very first CM who answered as WDTC, but told me she was able to book via CRO as well, once I asked. She then spent about 50 minutes (very slow system) checking prices, comparing, and making three different January 2004 reservations for me. She knew exactly how to apply a AAA discount, too, and encouraged me to call back once AP discounts came out, because they could probably be applied to 2 of my reservations.

Last year, the first CM was hopeless, the 2nd seemed marginally better, but still a bit confused, however I let her go ahead and book for us. When I spoke to CM#3 a week later, I found out that the second one had linked my two reservations together, but somehow had us checking out on the 31st of December and not checking again until the 1st of January. Maybe she thought we were going to party all night? CM #3 caught that right away, and asked if we really wanted to check out for a night in the middle of our trip. She also said "I'm sure we can do better than that rate", and managed to save us about $30 a night on the last three nights of our trip.

All CMs are not created equal!!