LESS THAN THREE WEEKS AND DISNEY SWITCHED OUR EMH MORNING!!

[Planogirl]

Thank you for all for the responses, even the ones I didn't particularly care for, lol. We're normally not super planners but this time things are a little different. Our daughter was recently diagnosed with lupus and it is very quickly taking a toll. Her days of walking nonstop, pushing through crowds and staying till closing are long gone and I just wanted an hour when maybe things were a little easier. It just stings to have everything changed.

I'm sorry that your daughter is having a tough time. Of course that only adds to an unfair situation. Please continue to vent away and ignore those who defend at all costs.

 

[C-CMom]

Thank you for all for the responses, even the ones I didn't particularly care for, lol. We're normally not super planners but this time things are a little different. Our daughter was recently diagnosed with lupus and it is very quickly taking a toll. Her days of walking nonstop, pushing through crowds and staying till closing are long gone and I just wanted an hour when maybe things were a little easier. It just stings to have everything changed.

So very sorry things are tough for you.

There simply is no justification for a company to push a process that requires planning and then yank the carpet out from underneath the customer when they do the planning.

Very frustrating that this happened and you should let them know you are frustrated.

For your own sanity I hope you can let a little go
(not necessarily the most satisfying, but might help...)
I will keep fingers crossed that you can have a good time anyway!

 

[Delirium]

Here's the thing: Disney doesn't expect you to do this planning and they certainly don't force or require you. They expect you to be like the majority of guests, who do far less planning. As near as I can see, the notion that you must do all this planning comes largely from the community of expert planners here. And that planning does have value, but please don't forget the thousands of people who don't read things here, don't plan every details, and still have wonderful vacations.

That doesn't mean Disney is unaware of this level of planning. But they're not going to design their policies for the hyper-planners.

Disney absolutely wants me to plan, because it helps them plan for me. EVERY change Disney makes is designed to make me plan more. ADRs and FP+ tell them not only what park I'll be in at a given time, but what specific area I'll be in. Magic bands also tell them where I'm spending money. EMHs are designed to encourage me to stay onsite and spend more time in the parks (as opposed to down the street).

If Disney did not want me to plan, there would be no such thing as dining reservations or fast pass. Characters would randomly walk the parks like they used to. Extra Magic hours would not exist.

Your belief that Disney does not want me to plan does not pass the sniff test for reality.

 

[MeganMango]

Thank you for all for the responses, even the ones I didn't particularly care for, lol. We're normally not super planners but this time things are a little different. Our daughter was recently diagnosed with lupus and it is very quickly taking a toll. Her days of walking nonstop, pushing through crowds and staying till closing are long gone and I just wanted an hour when maybe things were a little easier. It just stings to have everything changed.

I really feel like if you called and spoke to someone higher up, or emailed, (probably better to call for a quicker response), that they would somehow help you out. Even with all the add ons, I bet they could do something to help with your situation. I'm almost certain.

 

[GaryDis]

Disney absolutely wants me to plan, because it helps them plan for me. EVERY change Disney makes is designed to make me plan more. ADRs and FP+ tell them not only what park I'll be in at a given time, but what specific area I'll be in. Magic bands also tell them where I'm spending money. EMHs are designed to encourage me to stay onsite and spend more time in the parks (as opposed to down the street).

If Disney did not want me to plan, there would be no such thing as dining reservations or fast pass. Characters would randomly walk the parks like they used to. Extra Magic hours would not exist.

Your belief that Disney does not want me to plan does not pass the sniff test for reality.

I never said they didn't want you to plan. Wants, expects, and forces are all different things. Sure, Disney likes it when people do these things in advance because it helps them. But that doesn't mean they're forcing you or expecting everyone to do so.

Besides, I'd never do something just because Disney wants me to. They want me to buy the dining plan but I won't. They'd love me to upgrade my room but I won't. I do what I want to.

 

[ruthies12]

I haven't read all the replies but I really really really hope you can take a few minutes and call disney and complain. And I mean complain A LOT! It so not fair of them to do this. They have to realize people cannot change plans this soon out. Please threaten to stay off site since you will no longer be able to take advantage of emh.

 

[ChloesDaddy]

I never said they didn't want you to plan. Wants, expects, and forces are all different things. Sure, Disney likes it when people do these things in advance because it helps them. But that doesn't mean they're forcing you or expecting everyone to do so.

Besides, I'd never do something just because Disney wants me to. They want me to buy the dining plan but I won't. They'd love me to upgrade my room but I won't. I do what I want to.

I agree that it helps Disney for people to plan ahead. If it helps them, they should do things that make it easier and less frustrating for more people to do so.

 

[Delirium]

I never said they didn't want you to plan. Wants, expects, and forces are all different things. Sure, Disney likes it when people do these things in advance because it helps them. But that doesn't mean they're forcing you or expecting everyone to do so.

Besides, I'd never do something just because Disney wants me to. They want me to buy the dining plan but I won't. They'd love me to upgrade my room but I won't. I do what I want to.

Reread the first sentence of your first post. Specifically, you stated "Here's the thing: Disney doesn't expect you to do this planning...."

It's fine if you want to defend the company, despite evidence that it's on a path that is decidedly unfriendly to their core customer. But, as customers, we have every right to express our dissatisfaction over these changes.

 

[GaryDis]

Reread the first sentence of your first post. Specifically, you stated "Here's the thing: Disney doesn't expect you to do this planning...."

It's fine if you want to defend the company, despite evidence that it's on a path that is decidedly unfriendly to their core customer. But, as customers, we have every right to express our dissatisfaction over these changes.

I'm neither defending the company nor suggesting you don't have the right to express your dissatisfaction.

I'm just saying that interpreting the situation as Disney forcing you to plan is wrong. It's the expectations shared by other planners that lead to that conclusion. Disney may like when people plan ahead this way, but they absolutely expect and believe that people can have a wonderful time without it. And they're right.

Disney, if they've done a tenth of the marketing analysis that we expect of them, doesn't have a "core customer". They have multiple customer types - the off-site guest, the on-site guest, the DVC owner, the frequent visitor, the every few year visitor, etc. I don't know what the break down is. But don't confuse being a loyal customer or a frequent customer with being a core customer. And when you consider the people who visit Disney frequently, year after year, ask how many of them say "The reason I go to Disney year after year is because I can count on Disney not to make last minute scheduling changes."

None of which means it's wrong to tell Disney that this upsets your plans, or to tell Disney how much you want them to maintain stability. But you're not doing yourself any favors by buying into the idea that your vacation is ruined if all the effort you put into planning doesn't pay off 100%. They're simply two different points.

 

[whiporee]

I don't understand how losing an EMH changes your plans dramatically. Did you have FPs planned for that time? Did you have ADRs that were cancelled? Had you planned your day around having the EMH?

One of the misconceptions I see around here a lot is the difference between "planning" and "maximizing a plan." Disney clearly wants you to plan, but they have no interest in helping you maximize a plan. So if you made FP selections with the expectation of getting other rides in during EMH, that's not in WDW's corporate protocol. They want you to get your 3 FPs and your ADRs during the hours they are open and be cool with that. They aren't worried about you making the most of your day -- they want to make sure you get something from your park day.

They are going to allocate perks -- which EMH clearly are -- in the way they feel maximizes things for most guests. It's in the trying to get a little bit more where people get in trouble. I'm not saying guests are bad or wrong for wanting to do that, but planning to adjust anything around a perk -- a perk WDW lets you know they can change -- sets one up for these kinds of disappointments.

 

[hopeful4fl]

I am forced to ask. WHERE is the accountability from Disney to us? They want us to plan months in advance, knowing that for most Disney is a dream trip, but then make it a nightmare with changes that can ruin all that planning.
Removing (or even adding) an EMH within a month can disrupt a lot of plans.
Removal of EMH may change the FP that were obtained maximizing the best ride times. For those of us who derive pleasure from watching your family/guests have the best time ever, this is important.
Adding an EMH can have issues as well. If we planned an ADR at CP to take a pic in front of the castle with no one around (which we did) and then having EMH added to that day (which they did) can ruin that experience.
For some, maybe most people, this may come out as complaining over small stuff. For those who love Disney and want to share that love with others, it may make more sense.

 

[Ensusieasm]

I'm sorry to hear about this.

I hope that no matter how much Disney may jerk you around, you'll still find it a relaxing and enjoyable trip.
Here's the thing: Disney doesn't expect you to do this planning and they certainly don't force or require you. They expect you to be like the majority of guests, who do far less planning. As near as I can see, the notion that you must do all this planning comes largely from the community of expert planners here. And that planning does have value, but please don't forget the thousands of people who don't read things here, don't plan every details, and still have wonderful vacations.

That doesn't mean Disney is unaware of this level of planning. But they're not going to design their policies for the hyper-planners.

All this may not help you feel better now. But maybe for the next trip, it will help manage your own expectations. Mostly I'm just trying to point out that these uber-planning requirements aren't coming from Disney; they're coming from the uber-planners here.

And this is a perfect example of the sort of unrealistic expectation that hurts more than helps. It is absolutely possible to have a totally satisfying experience over a 2-3 day period, with no pre-planning at all. Because a satisfying experience doesn't mean seeing everything. It doesn't even mean seeing the things highest on your list of things to see. It means making the most out of the hand you're dealt. Give me airfare, hotel rooms, and tickets for as soon as I can book reasonable flights down and back, and I guarantee you I'll have a lovely time. (Well, maybe not if I forget to get my car inspected before the end of the month, and get the wrong type of ticket as a result .)

Disney DOES design for hyper planners! That's what 60 day Fast Pass+ and 180 day ADRs are for! I guess you havnen't taken a trip to Disney in a while. If you had you would have gotten all the planning reminders that Disney emails and snail mails. Reminders that the 60 day fast pass window is approaching, another reminder on the day to begin making fast passes, reminder to order magic bands, mailings about My Disney Experience and pointers about how to use it and where to get more help and explanations, reminders to check in online, reminder to edit online check-in. If Disney didn't expect us to plan they wouldn't have ADR capability one half year before a hotel reservation. They wouldn't have fast pass+ two months ahead. They would have left the legacy fast pass in place. (You know, the fast pass system that you could just show up and figure out what to do on that very day.) Standby lines are much longer than they were before the new system, so if you don't plan you will be in the long line. I don't think Disney realized how a change in their calendar times and days would mess with the plans they encourage us to make. If they want us to plan 60 days ahead they have to have their calendars set and stable 60 days ahead of course! It's only fair.

 

[Ensusieasm]

I am forced to ask. WHERE is the accountability from Disney to us? They want us to plan months in advance, knowing that for most Disney is a dream trip, but then make it a nightmare with changes that can ruin all that planning.
Removing (or even adding) an EMH within a month can disrupt a lot of plans.
Removal of EMH may change the FP that were obtained maximizing the best ride times. For those of us who derive pleasure from watching your family/guests have the best time ever, this is important.
Adding an EMH can have issues as well. If we planned an ADR at CP to take a pic in front of the castle with no one around (which we did) and then having EMH added to that day (which they did) can ruin that experience.
For some, maybe most people, this may come out as complaining over small stuff. For those who love Disney and want to share that love with others, it may make more sense.

I agree!

 

[3DisneyFanz]

They are going to allocate perks -- which EMH clearly are -- in the way they feel maximizes things for most guests. It's in the trying to get a little bit more where people get in trouble. I'm not saying guests are bad or wrong for wanting to do that, but planning to adjust anything around a perk -- a perk WDW lets you know they can change -- sets one up for these kinds of disappointments.

Disney isn't making changes to benefit the majority of their guests. They're making changes to benefit Disney and executive bonuses. The days of being concerned about guest experiences ended about 11 years ago.

 

[whiporee]

Disney DOES design for hyper planners! That's what 60 day Fast Pass+ and 180 day ADRs are for! I guess you havnen't taken a trip to Disney in a while. If you had you would have gotten all the planning reminders that Disney emails and snail mails. Reminders that the 60 day fast pass window is approaching, another reminder on the day to begin making fast passes, reminder to order magic bands, mailings about My Disney Experience and pointers about how to use it and where to get more help and explanations, reminders to check in online, reminder to edit online check-in. If Disney didn't expect us to plan they wouldn't have ADR capability one half year before a hotel reservation. They wouldn't have fast pass+ two months ahead. They would have left the legacy fast pass in place. (You know, the fast pass system that you could just show up and figure out what to do on that very day.) Standby lines are much longer than they were before the new system, so if you don't plan you will be in the long line. I don't think Disney realized how a change in their calendar times and days would mess with the plans they encourage us to make. If they want us to plan 60 days ahead they have to have their calendars set and stable 60 days ahead of course! It's only fair.

They don't care about what you do around your plans or why you planned them the way you did. They can't; there are too many guests. And for every person whose bummed about something like this, there's one whose vacation just got a little bit better.

When Disney talks about planning, they mean planning f within the non-changing guidelines of standard park hours. I don't think they allow you to reserve things during those times that they can flex, and if you're planning around those times, then it's a risky proposition.

 

[aaarcher86]

I haven't read all the replies but I really really really hope you can take a few minutes and call disney and complain. And I mean complain A LOT! It so not fair of them to do this. They have to realize people cannot change plans this soon out. Please threaten to stay off site since you will no longer be able to take advantage of emh.

I'm gonna be real honest....

Calling won't do a darn thing. An email to guest services I'd give a higher success rate, but since there are going to be a ton of people in the OPs situation I don't think it'll help much.

Threatening to stay off site... They'll go ahead and cancel with an apology, but not before letting OP know that they're within 30 days and will have a cancellation fee. Stings, but there's people willing to book up that room and Disney knows it.

 

[whiporee]

Disney isn't making changes to benefit the majority of their guests. They're making changes to benefit Disney and executive bonuses. The days of being concerned about guest experiences ended about 11 years ago.

I know it's a popular sentiment, but I don't think that's true at all. Disney is not perfect, but I believe guest experience is important to them. It's just that the issues they face are a lot more complex than people think they are.

I don't think execs are a bunch of philanthropists or anything, but I don't think there's much real evidence that Disney is callous toward guest experience. If they wanted they could double admission prices (or resort rates) and the place would still be full more often than not. If you want to see money grubbing execs, look down the street where they double the price of admission for an Express Pass during busy times because they know it's needed. That's money grabbing far more extreme than anything Disney does.

 

[nicynot]

Calling won't do a darn thing. An email to guest services I'd give a higher success rate, but since there are going to be a ton of people in the OPs situation I don't think it'll help much.

I feel the same way. If you do call, just be considerate of the employee on the other line..
BUT it does suck that this happened. I plan to heavily at this would suck for a two day planned trip

 

[karasmom]

I have not read all replies so I am not sure if someone already suggested this to you...

Please email your frustration to wdw.guest.communications@disneyworld.com

The more they hear that we aren't happy the better.

While I love the magic band and love the idea of fast pass+ i have and always will dislike having to choose my dining and what ride I want to ride on Tuesday at 10 am SO EARLY! (And unlike someone on here suggested - YES I HAVE to and Disney is FORCING us - unless of course in want to waste a fast pass on its a small world and want to eat at some random eatery that does not appeal to my family!!!).

So let guest services know - they really do forward the feedback they get!

 

[3DisneyFanz]

I know it's a popular sentiment, but I don't think that's true at all. Disney is not perfect, but I believe guest experience is important to them. It's just that the issues they face are a lot more complex than people think they are.

I don't think execs are a bunch of philanthropists or anything, but I don't think there's much real evidence that Disney is callous toward guest experience. If they wanted they could double admission prices (or resort rates) and the place would still be full more often than not. If you want to see money grubbing execs, look down the street where they double the price of admission for an Express Pass during busy times because they know it's needed. That's money grabbing far more extreme than anything Disney does.

I just don't see what is so complicated about honoring a schedule you put in place and expect people to plan around to help you better staff your company. Disney has complete control of their schedules and its not unreasonable to expect them to follow the same rules they put on their guest. They drive people to make ADRs and FP well in advance so they can know where to cut staff and they know that people are planning their vacations around these events and the calendar they create. Changing things after these period have passed is simply not being guest focused. This has nothing to do with concerns about money grabbing and is more of an issue of Disney not holding themselves to the same expectations they make of their customers.