Is anyone else having problems with IPO??

[vicki_c]

I've heard that WL, Poly & CR share a resort planning office and GF might have their own or shares with AKL (I might be wrong on that part) and then the Epcot resorts share a planning office. I don't know if that's correct or not, but on another board people were comparing a lot of complaints about GF and AKL concierge services.

I can only speak to my Poly experience for our trip in January. I never had any issue and I only contacted them by e-mail. Yes, I did not have the same person respond every time, but every one was very responsive, getting back to me within 24 hours. They made all our ADRs with no problem, including Le Cellier and an Illuminations cruise (both popular items) much closer than 180 days out for the dining, and probably at 90 for the cruise.

Like all things Disney, so much is about the individual CM, though, so you will have people that had great service and those that had not-so-great service!

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

I've heard that WL, Poly & CR share a resort planning office and GF might have their own or shares with AKL (I might be wrong on that part) and then the Epcot resorts share a planning office. I don't know if that's correct or not, but on another board people were comparing a lot of complaints about GF and AKL concierge services.

The Contemporary and Grand Floridian share the same IPO Cast Members, which means the Polynesian shares with the Wilderness Lodge. I think you are correct that the Yacht Club, Beach Club and Boardwalk are all together and that the Animal Kingdom Lodge is by itself.

 

[Alicnwondrln]

The Contemporary and Grand Floridian share the same IPO Cast Members, which means the Polynesian shares with the Wilderness Lodge. I think you are correct that the Yacht Club, Beach Club and Boardwalk are all together and that the Animal Kingdom Lodge is by itself.

Jason is correct.

 

[mmmears]

BowlingAriel,

We are planning for May 2009 (we live too far away to plan a last-minute trip) and cant decide on the 2nd resort (GF or Poly), so I'm waiting to make the reservations until we choose (I figure we still have some time). I booked a similar trip for 2007 and had to cancel it for family reasons. At that time, the AKL CM was so helpful and the Poly one not that AKL made ALL our ADRs for us, even for the days we were supposed to be at the Poly.

We promised our DD when we cancelled the last trip that we would re-book it, so here we are trying to re-plan the whole thing.

When we previously stayed at YC and GF in concierge, I was never contacted and never knew that they could make those important ADRs tha I woke up at 4am to make! Now I know better.

(And, yes, I do call in my hotel reservations myself so they will know who we are!)




And to everyone,

Thanks for your help and for explaining the IPO office territories!

Hopefully we will have great service this time and I will be able to write about it on these boards!

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

And to everyone,

Thanks for your help and for explaining the IPO office territories!

Hopefully we will have great service this time and I will be able to write about it on these boards!

You're welcome and happy planning.

 

[VAgal76]

Is there better IPO service at some of the resorts?

Last time I made a reservation, I had incredible service from Don at AKL, but for my second part, at the Poly, I never could get anywhere with their IPO (even though the room was costing almost twice as much!).

Now we're trying to decide between AKL/Poly and AKL/GF and at this point service would make a big difference! Any thoughts on which resorts are better at making basic reservations, answering phone calls, etc.?

I happen to agree w/you that some IPO's outshine others. AKL/GF is going to be an AWESOME combo. However, GF's IPO is professionally cool compared to AKL's Don AKA "Donald Duck" warm, outstanding service. I love the ambience of both of these resorts for very different reasons. You just can't go wrong with them.

The IPO in BWI/YC/BC were also fantastic. I prefer BWI resort wise because it's larger and the staff I encountered (with the exception of Art the Greeter at BC ). Poly was the worst IPO experience ever. I met the people I dealt with after I was reassigned to them. This was back in 2006 I believe. I know anybody may answer my e-mails but I kept getting one particular person and he was just awful. Anyway, I know they were going through some service issues being understaffed, training, etc. I don't know how it is now. I just haven't been able to bring myself to try it again after all of that.

 

[TheRustyScupper]

. . . You used to have 1 person handle your stay. Now the email comes from who ever happens to be on that day and reads them . .

1) Partially true.
2) IPO handles several resorts from single offices.
3) In the case of WL, the IPO office is at the Poly.
4) If you got one person, they you were simply lucky.
5) Whoever is on duty handles their share of that day's IPO work.

 

[ClareH37]

The only time I 'struggled' to get responses to my emails and requests was for my December 2007 at the GF.

My favourite IPO is the YC/BC/BWI IPO, they've always responded within hours of my contacting them, and I've never had to worry about anything with them, they are great.

For the money it costs to stay club level (particularly rack rate) you expect good, prompt service. To have to keep chasing for a response is really not acceptable.

 

[BowlingAriel]

Oh here is the Mother of Incompetence!!!

as we speak of lack of attention from IPO's.......

As I said before we planned a girls weekend away to Disney after our Vegas plans fell through.
SO becuz of past experience I just knew that the Concierge
would be able to get us ressie's at Le Cellier! DEAD WRONG!!!

So I book alternative plans in case.........I assumed that Concierge
had some kind of "note" in the system so if anything came available
during our stay that they'd be able to snag them.
Boy was I having a million dream day!

Lo and behold I stumble upon another post where people swap ressies.
Guess how many cancellations were for Le Cellier during my stay?
3 - and that was just this am.
Guess how many the wonderful IPO snagged? Yep you guessed it NONE!!
Can someone remind me what I am paying this outrageous rate for?

Rusty - In the past when I've stayed at BC Concierge
I've only had Ben and Lauren and that was for the same 4 years
in a row that we stayed there.
This trips IPO's for the BC I've had 5 different people in my emails.
Too many hands in the cookie jar to me - tends to diminish the personal touch.
I wouldn't mind if with the lack of personal touch it was efficient - but it
lacks that at best.

Ok - sorry I am off my soap box now!​

 

[praline3001]

I am staying GF club level but didn't trust IPO with our ressies.
I had certain times and places I wanted and I didn't want to leave it up to them. Glad to see I made the right choice.

Sorry you guys are having trouble with IPO. I only emailed them once to get information about the VIP tour guide thing and they emailed me back saying, "call this number.."
Gee lots of help there

 

[BowlingAriel]

Call this number? Are you serious?

HOLY MOUSE DROPPINGS!

You are inquiring about a VIP tour and they pass you off?!?! VIP - Wow I am speechless!

Wow and to think that Disney
is used as a Benchmark for other industries in Customer Service.

I am going to print this out and take it to our next bowling seminar!

did I say WOW!!
​

 

[IWISHFORDISNEY]

WL IPO did great before the trip. They answeared emails very fast. However after arrival was another story. Try an email not a phone call. Good luck.

 

[praline3001]

I am dead serious. When I did call the VIP office they were great and help set me up for everything with no problems... the VIP tour services are what I would EXPECT from club level IPO if that makes sense? They were able to change a couple of my ressies as i wasn't thrilled with the times I had. They changed them for me on the spot and I know the places were booked. I am loving the service so far.

 

[ClareH37]

It's really not good is it, club level isn't exactly 'cheap' and you expect good prompt service.

I've only ever had the same 1 or 2 cast members for my stays at both the Boardwalk and YC, including my trip next year at the YC, and they've been very efficient (snagging me the Breathless cruise twice) as well as all my ADRs/tours.

I've already had a couple of emails from the YC IPO (same cast member) and she's setting work planning on my trip for next year as it's a bit 'different'.

 

[Kteacher]

I've also had "spotty " service when it comes to IPO. I've stayed CL for quite a few years now, and I used to receive responses to emails very quickly. Lately it seems like I only receive a response to a request after a reminder email is sent. I'm wondering if the decline in the level of service is just a sign of the economic times-fewer staff members than in the past are having to do the same amount of work, and are just not able to keep up.

 

[momatater]

Glad I found this thread. I am having trouble with Poly IPO. I'm very disappointed in the lack of service I have received. Last year they were great, this yr I can't even get a reply from them. Glad I did my own ADR's!! (Maybe I am a little spoiled, Don at the AKL was so helpful on many of our trips and that's what I expect now from everyone!) Am I wrong?? I don't think so for the money I'm shelling out!!

 

[mmmears]

Glad I found this thread. I am having trouble with Poly IPO. I'm very disappointed in the lack of service I have received. Last year they were great, this yr I can't even get a reply from them. Glad I did my own ADR's!! (Maybe I am a little spoiled, Don at the AKL was so helpful on many of our trips and that's what I expect now from everyone!) Am I wrong?? I don't think so for the money I'm shelling out!!

You are a little "spoiled" because Don at AKL is amazing!!!!!

But seriously, every IPO office should provide good service, not just one or two outstanding ones. That is what they are charging so much money for.

So you are not really spoiled, you just are knowledgable in what to expect when paying so much for a room. (Especially since Poly concierge is sometimes $200-$300 more per night than AKL concierge!!!!)

When we had to cancel our last trip, I felt so bad because Don had been so helpful in making all our arrangements for us. I didn't even have a contact name for the second half of our stay (at the Poly-LVC).

 

[momatater]

You are a little "spoiled" because Don at AKL is amazing!!!!!

But seriously, every IPO office should provide good service, not just one or two outstanding ones. That is what they are charging so much money for.

So you are not really spoiled, you just are knowledgable in what to expect when paying so much for a room. (Especially since Poly concierge is sometimes $200-$300 more per night than AKL concierge!!!!)

When we had to cancel our last trip, I felt so bad because Don had been so helpful in making all our arrangements for us. I didn't even have a contact name for the second half of our stay (at the Poly-LVC).

Yes mmmears! Don is amazing, and he did spoil me. But I agree, all the IPO should provided outstanding service...ALL THE TIME! It is a service we who stay at CL are paying for and therefore deserve to get our moneys worth!!

Sorry you had to cancel your last trip, I know that must have been hard. I too would have felt bad for Don...I know it's his job, but just goes to show what kind of people WE are!

 

[Mike]

Thanks Stephanie for directing me to this thread. Here is my experience with the Poly Concierge staff that I posted on the Poly thread:

This is my first time staying at the CL so maybe my expectations are too high. I sent my dining requests in a few weeks back and got a response a day later with all of my reservations as requested. So far so good. Last Tuesday I sent in a request to have a session scheduled with a Photo Pass Photographer at the Poly. I got no reply. On Saturday I re-sent the email noting that I never received a response. A few hours later I got a reply giving me the phone number to call and set it up myself.

I knew the phone number already. Isn't it their job to set it up for me I don't get it. Any thoughts?

 

[vicki_c]

You almost wonder if their policies are changing for IPO? For our trip in January, they booked all our ADRs, childcare, the GF photo session and an Illuminations cruise. No one ever sent me back any phone numbers to do it myself. And they took care of some ADR changes when we were there as well (this was at the Poly). That doesn't seem like something that would be explained by a good CM vs. a not so good CM, but more like a policy change or just bad training. I agree, though, if you are paying for the service, you shouldn't have to make single call yourself!