Keys to the Kingdom Tour Scheduling Issue---HELP!

[Melissa Shipman]

-----Not sure this is the right place for this thread, so please help me out if I should move it and need to look elsewhere.-----

Here's the issue:
I called to book a Keys to The Kingdom Tour at the end of January. My husband and I are visiting Disney World's Magic Kingdom for one day on March 2 for the specific reason of taking the Keys to the Kingdom Tour. We live in Missouri and are flying down for this short visit.

I called today, (Feb 17) to confirm the tour, because I'm a planner who likes to double check all reservations, and was told the tour had been incorrectly booked for February 2 instead of March 2!!

It's been a nightmare since then. Guest Services refunded the tickets for the tour on February 2 in an attempt to rebook it on March 2, but she said there is no availability on that day. (Or any other day in March, which doesn't matter as we will only be there on March 2.)

Basically, I am devastated and extremely unhappy, to the point of wanting to cancel our entire trip and walk away forever with a bad taste in my mouth. However, we've already paid for everything in full so that isn't even an option. Instead I'm facing a day in the park, all the while feeling so disappointed and discouraged the magic has completely left my heart. I'm no longer excited...

I'm a huge, longtime Disney fan and have been looking forward to this "once-in-a-lifetime-for-us-opportunity" for the tour for months now. (We can't afford to return to Disney again in the near future and the next time we come will be with children, who aren't allowed on this tour.)

Now, because of a scheduling error, I'm being told there's nothing we can do and that all hope for this tour is lost. I spoke with a rep from Disney guest communications who said she would look into it but wasn't very optimistic about being over to book it for us.

Our trip is in 2 weeks and I'm crushed. I'm so angry and extremely disappointed with the entire process.

She said there's no way to override the system and allow 2 more people on the tour, but I don't see how that's possible. There must be some way to allow us to experience this Disney dream.

Other than spending every waking minute on the phone with the reservation department hoping to call right as someone cancels (if someone will even want to cancel--unlikely!), I'm stuck.

Anyone have any ideas for how to resolve this? Please help!

 

[meggiebeth]

I am so sorry to hear about what you've been through. Sadly we had a similar experience. Our tickets supposedly expired the day we tried to get into Magic Kingdom and we were literally kicked out the park. It was a mistake of Disney (assigning us two seven day tickets instead of one fourteen day ticket). As compensation we were offered a Fastpass and a snack credit. We were gutted about missing the tour, and hurt about being treated like criminals. We spoke to the tour manager and she told us the same as you've been told... That you cannot be squeezed onto a tour. We were appalled, considering we booked it 180 days in advance.

We wrote to Disney customer services and made a fuss. I would recommend you do this. It's appalling the way they have treated you. Eventually we were emailed saying there had been a cancellation (although this is very rare) and were squeezed onto a tour. I have the WDW tours email if you would like me to send it to you so you can contact them directly... It might be more effective. I am so sorry for what disappointment you have had. It really isn't fair, and I would make a huge fuss... They really did let you down.

 

[Melissa Shipman]

Thanks for the reply, Meggiebeth
It's comforting to know we're not the only ones who have had an issue, but I'm still feeling really sad about it. Sorry you had a bad time, too, but I'm glad you got to go on the tour...
I'd appreciate if you could send me the email address. It doesn't hurt to try, right?

 

[FiggieFan]

Sorry. Hope it works out for you. Just an FYI - we just took the Marceline to MK tour last week which is not offered every day at the MK, but we enjoyed it a lot more than the Keys to the Kingdom tour. You got to go under the Haunted Mansion to see how the ghosts in the ballroom work. It was a three hour tour and started at 8:15am. You might want to give that a try - you also get your own room in Carousel of Progress and get a lot of information there also. Good luck! That might be a back-up option if you can't get your first choice.

 

[Melissa Shipman]

Yes, we looked into that one, but it isn't offered on Sundays...boo! Thanks for the response, though. Still crossing my fingers some Disney magic will happen...but feeling pretty discouraged.