International Gateway Entrance - Early Tour

[mdmdmd]

My family and I will be staying at the Beach Club this fall and just booked a morning tour at Epcot. The cast member I spoke with insisted that the International Gateway would not be open until 11:00 AM, and that we would have to take a bus to the main entrance. I explained that the last time we had a tour scheduled and were staying at an Epcot resort, we were allowed to use the International Gateway entrance after they checked our names on the tour list. Still she insisted that it doesn't work this way.

So my question - Was she terribly misinformed and poorly trained, or have the policies and procedures really changed to the point where we'll be required to bus to the main entrance?

 

[WEDWDW]

Terribly misinformed.

Never has been a bus from the Crescent Lake Resorts to the "front" of Epcot and still isn't and,of course,she is quoting the time that most of World Showcase opens and not the time the IG opens.

It will be "business as usual" for you.

 

[mdmdmd]

Great - thank you!

 

[rwdavis2]

Just to reinforce, the CM was totally wrong. Disney should do better training/QA on their phone CMs.

 

[epcotobsessed]

I have entered via the IG entrance at park opening (EMH or otherwise) more times than I can count. How odd that she would be so misinformed!

 

[winthropf]

I have entered IG prior to park opening for an early tour. The CMs have a list of people who are signed up for the tour to let you in.

 

[tinabina919]

I’ve entered through IG before 11 plenty of times. I always grab breakfast at France when staying at the Epcot resorts.

 

[CMNJ]

We entered international gateway on Saturday at about 8:40 so definitely no change

 

[NH-to-FL]

Sad to say that the CM was terribly misinformed. I wish there was a way to get feedback to that CM.

 

[gharter]

When we stay at Boardwalk, we always enter through the IG. Its always opened right around 9, if that is park opening time. Never had an issue.

 

[CAS239]

It's stuff like this that makes me just want to work part time as a phone CM lol

 

[EdmondD]

Just imagine the poor people who don't think to go to an online resource - the first-timers who just assume (and why wouldn't you?) that a CM booking a tour knows what she's talking about. And there they are, wandering the bus area (having walked in the exact opposite direction of the IG), looking for the Epcot bus.

 

[Robo]

Just imagine the poor people who don't think to go to an online resource - the first-timers who just assume (and why wouldn't you?) that a CM booking a tour knows what she's talking about. And there they are, wandering the bus area (having walked in the exact opposite direction of the IG), looking for the Epcot bus.

And, many CMs actually working at the resorts don't know anything about the bus system, either.
They aren't trained in it, and nearly all of them can't even SEE the buses from their work positions.

 

[mdmdmd]

Thanks to all of you for your replies.

 

[GPC0321]

It's stuff like this that makes me just want to work part time as a phone CM lol

I was thinking the same thing! I constantly read on here about how the phone CMs often don't know what they're talking about. DISers give much more accurate information for free, while CMs get paid to give out the wrong information. Crazy!