Issues booking via online system

[amyngary]

Background (feel free to skip to next paragraph): I'm annoyed. We have a split stay planned later this month, leading into December. The last half of our stay is at OKW, which we haven't yet tried. However, we REALLY hate Disney buses - we just always have terrible luck with them. Therefore, I've been checking 2-3 times/day for an alternate resort for at least a portion of the 5 nights we have OKW. Twice now I've seen something that could work, but when I pressed the Book button online, I got an error. The first time, when I refreshed the Availability Search screen, I saw that the room was gone already. So, no big deal.... Today, I again pressed Book and got the error. Then I dialed MS while refreshing the page. The room still appeared to be there. While the recording told me I had a 9 minute wait, I continued to try to book online, with the same result. Then when a CM answered, I got a little annoyed (but tried to hide it) about having to verify my address and e-mail AGAIN (every few days I've been calling lately, and it gets old when you are in a hurry). So, we continued with me explaining that we have to hurry and grab that room, but that she can't cancel the other Res. first since I still need part of the days at OKW. After she messed up the dates first and told me the room was not available, I refreshed my screen and said I still see it. She tried again and saw it for the correct dates. However, when she tried to book it, she got an error. Again, I refreshed my browser and could still see the room. She opened a new window and searched again only to discover that it was gone. And I confirmed it on my browser this time. ARRRGHHH!

Question: Sorry for the long-winded background, but does anyone know how to successful book a room via the website after searching availability and seeing it available? Since availability is limited for our Thanksgiving trip, I'm getting frustrated that the website isn't working for me. I'm in IT, so I really don't think it's a user error. I was able to book my original BLT room 11 months ago via the website, so I know it's possible, but every time I've tried lately, it's broken. Ideas?

 

[disneynutz]

Disney lack of service for the DVC is a joke. Record profits and they can't fix their websites, it doesn't seem to help to have a plan on how to book because the website might error out. Calling has it's own issues and it seems that MS has the same type of software problems.

Bill

 

[DisDadDVC]

Background (feel free to skip to next paragraph): I'm annoyed. We have a split stay planned later this month, leading into December. The last half of our stay is at OKW, which we haven't yet tried. However, we REALLY hate Disney buses - we just always have terrible luck with them. Therefore, I've been checking 2-3 times/day for an alternate resort for at least a portion of the 5 nights we have OKW. Twice now I've seen something that could work, but when I pressed the Book button online, I got an error. The first time, when I refreshed the Availability Search screen, I saw that the room was gone already. So, no big deal.... Today, I again pressed Book and got the error. Then I dialed MS while refreshing the page. The room still appeared to be there. While the recording told me I had a 9 minute wait, I continued to try to book online, with the same result. Then when a CM answered, I got a little annoyed (but tried to hide it) about having to verify my address and e-mail AGAIN (every few days I've been calling lately, and it gets old when you are in a hurry). So, we continued with me explaining that we have to hurry and grab that room, but that she can't cancel the other Res. first since I still need part of the days at OKW. After she messed up the dates first and told me the room was not available, I refreshed my screen and said I still see it. She tried again and saw it for the correct dates. However, when she tried to book it, she got an error. Again, I refreshed my browser and could still see the room. She opened a new window and searched again only to discover that it was gone. And I confirmed it on my browser this time. ARRRGHHH!

Question: Sorry for the long-winded background, but does anyone know how to successful book a room via the website after searching availability and seeing it available? Since availability is limited for our Thanksgiving trip, I'm getting frustrated that the website isn't working for me. I'm in IT, so I really don't think it's a user error. I was able to book my original BLT room 11 months ago via the website, so I know it's possible, but every time I've tried lately, it's broken. Ideas?

FYI, I have found when the website messes up while booking a room it will lock it for 20 minutes. If you refresh right after it will still show it as unavailable. If you wait 20 minutes, it should pop back up into inventory.

 

[amyngary]

@DisDadDVC - Thanks for the tip!

 

[rlovew]

I don't know which resort you were trying to book but I do know that availability has been seemingly wrong regularly at the Poly according to reports. They have had some problems with the real time availability since adding the Poly to the mix so there is a strong possibility that if you get an error when you go to book there was never really a room available. Another possibility when that happens is that they seem to be holding some of the available rooms for filling waitlists and while they look available they are not bookable- waitlist have started filling better and that is at least the speculation on some of the availability errors.

 

[bumbershoot]

However, we REALLY hate Disney buses - we just always have terrible luck with them. Therefore, I've been checking 2-3 times/day for an alternate resort

Consider renting a car. Car rentals have solved our bus problems for us.

 

[Anal Annie]

I went on the member website today to book the Poly for next summer and the website was super extra wonky. Error after error. S-L-O-W loading pages. Finally got to the point to actually book & while I was selecting which contract to use first and which one to borrow from it went into a tailspin again and said my operation could not be performed. SUPER frustrating. Very long wait times. I then decided to just CALL and book what I wanted and the darned phone system disconnected me too as I was entering info. on the prompts. I called back then was put into this long hold queue (likely along with everybody else who was frustrated with the website). I stuck it on speaker and while I was on hold decided to try the online thing again - would go with whichever one was faster. FINALLY I got it booked online. But the entire process must have taken me at least 45 minutes if not longer. STUPID.

(PS) If you hate the buses you don't want to stay at OKW. They're the worst.