Living the nightmare of multiple reservations on MDE..............

[dkrauss]

Just returned from our Disapaloosa trip............more on that coming this weekend..............

Some quick background........I had previously rented DVC points for a trip this coming January. In that time I saved the money for our park tickets via the Disney Vacation Account. When the account amount was met.........I used the money to purchase a 5 day park hopper ticket (believe me that transaction wasn't as smooth as it should have been). This past April I purchased a 4 day/3 night PACKAGE via the Disney website with BASE ticket.........that was for this past weekend..........Disapalooza. Finally a few months back........I reserved a MyWay package for July 2016 that included room and a 4 day hopper ticket.

Last Friday when we checked into AoA...........I purposely asked the CM to verify that our trip would work against the 4 day BASE ticket..........this info was confirmed.........or so I was told. So we get home last night after a great trip..........I went on MDE and had 11 messages! 1 was for the MagicBands that have been mailed for our January trip. 10 others were telling me I didn't have an appropriate ticket for the FP's I set up for that same trip.

So...................I called Disney customer support! Long...long....story short I was told that during our trip this past weekend we were using the 5 day park hopper ticket...........WHAT! I wasn't happy but did my best to maintain my cool...........after being on hold 2 different times for about 15 minutes total. I got to the appropriate CM.............I had to explain myself 3 times! Finally the CM got my point.......which I explained must be fixed ASAP..............and surprise surprise..........she needed to go to the "expert"! THE EXPERT? How does something as simple as linking tickets to a reservation ID.......need an EXPERT! So because of the EXPERT she took my phone # and said she'd call me back..........that was at 9am..........its now 11:15am...............

This is beyond unacceptable............I work in IT............the issue here is LINKING tickets to a KNOWN reservation ID! You offer the variations on reservations...........online.............it has to work! I should just be able to do this............I don't need no frick'in EXPERT! BUT I CAN'T!

I have an offer for DISNEY............I do QA Software testing for a living............apparently YOU DON'T. Pay me 1.5 times what I'm making now...............and I'll mange your MDE QA and Customer Experience testing! Because your current team isn't! That's gotta be less than what your paying your current QA staff........................ Oh no...........I'm sorry you probably pay them 1/2 of what I make................so YOU get what you pay for...................we resort guests do to!

Doug

 

[Robo]

..............

 

[TiggerBouncy]

Based on the tone of the email, I am guessing they won't be calling offering you a job anytime soon.

 

[dkrauss]

Based on the tone of the email, I am guessing they won't be calling offering you a job anytime soon.

Never expected it..............lost the tongue in cheek emoji!

Doug

 

[AngiTN]

I think the problem came from the CM at the resort.
My understand from needing to do this in the past, they can't prioritize tickets. The GS at the park has to do it. Resort CM should have told you to go there and they would have fixed it correctly.

 

[HopperFan]

IF I am reading this correct.
1 - You purchased a 5 day park hopper ticket (your plan was to use 1/16).
2 - You purchased a 4 day base ticket (your plan was to use 12/15).
3 - You purchased a 4 day hopper ticket (your plan was to use 7/16).
4 - You went to Disney this past weekend.
5 - You asked hotel check-in CM if your 4 day base ticket would be used.
6 - You did not go to Guest Relations nor check your MDE during your trip to address your tickets.
7 - You got home and looked at your MDE and saw your 5 day ticket was "gone."

IF what I wrote above is correct, then what happened to your tickets was what was suppose to happen to your tickets.
- Tickets are not attached to the specific reservation you ordered them with.
- Personally I've had numerous tickets on MDE and DO NOT want them attached as I use them in different ways.
- Attaching them would cause many guests issues because many, like myself, have tickets we HAD to buy to get a package.
- Many of us do not want to use those tickets as we have APs or other tickets to use, hence saving tickets for later.
- I don't think attaching them has any purpose when you can direct how to use them.
- Your tickets are in an imaginary queue line in the order you got them, so the 5 day ticket was first.
- The computers saw your 5 day ticket as your "prioritized" ticket and pulled from it.
- It's been discussed often here, if you have more than one ticket, always stop by Guest Relations and have them put in correct order of use.
- If you are still worried, go on MDE and deactivate the tickets you do not want them to use.
- Both options are very easy and I have done them both.
- If you have more than one set of tickets, it is a good idea to always be checking MDE for use BEFORE you leave.
- It's very easy to get it fixed at GR while you are there.

 

[hiroMYhero]

In addition to deactivating your tickets, you can move them to a phantom profile in your MDE for safekeeping. When you are ready to use them for a future trip, just reassign them to the correct people.

The phantom profile would have safely held your 5-day hoppers. I much prefer to manipulate my own tickets rather than trusting a CM.

 

[gap2368]

with all the days you will be at disney why did you just not get an AP I think if reading right might have saved you some money then you would not have to worry about what tickets get used when

 

[mom2rtk]

$2 Billion just doesn't buy what it used to.

I hope they get things cleared up for you soon.

 

[tjmw2727]

I had a similar issue this time last year, luckily we checked at GR and found they had been accessing the wrong tickets and were able to correct it.

For those reading along, IMHO if you have more than one set of tickets the best place to prioritize is guest relations at the parks and even though it requires some time I would check again on the last day to be sure the correct tickets were used.

 

[dkrauss]

IF I am reading this correct.
1 - You purchased a 5 day park hopper ticket (your plan was to use 1/16). Correct
2 - You purchased a 4 day base hopper ticket (your plan was to use 12/15). Correct
3 - You purchased a 4 day hopper ticket (your plan was to use 7/16). Correct
4 - You went to Disney this past weekend. Correct (Disapalooza!)
5 - You asked hotel check-in CM if your 4 day base ticket would be used. Correct
6 - You did not go to Guest Relations nor check your MDE during your trip to address your tickets. Correct
7 - You got home and looked at your MDE and saw your 5 day ticket was "gone." No (I called due and found out from DISNEY my 5 day ticket was used)

IF what I wrote above is correct, then what happened to your tickets was what was suppose to happen to your tickets.
- Tickets are not attached to the specific reservation you ordered them with. Obviously the case, which makes no sense to me
- Personally I've had numerous tickets on MDE and DO NOT want them attached as I use them in different ways. OK
- Attaching them would cause many guests issues because many, like myself, have tickets we HAD to buy to get a package. Point #1 I question
- Many of us do not want to use those tickets as we have APs or other tickets to use, hence saving tickets for later. OK
- I don't think attaching them has any purpose when you can direct how to use them. Point Point #2 I question
- Your tickets are in an imaginary queue line in the order you got them, so the 5 day ticket was first. Point #3 I question
- The computers saw your 5 day ticket as your "prioritized" ticket and pulled from it. Point #3 I question
- It's been discussed often here, if you have more than one ticket, always stop by Guest Relations and have them put in correct order of use. Correct and my bad
- If you are still worried, go on MDE and deactivate the tickets you do not want them to use. Point #4
- Both options are very easy and I have done them both. OK
- If you have more than one set of tickets, it is a good idea to always be checking MDE for use BEFORE you leave. How? Since the tickets aren't linked?
- It's very easy to get it fixed at GR while you are there. OK but why can't I control it? Also why should I have to go to GR.....I don't want to be there working on tickets when I should be in the MK

I really do appreciate you spelling out my problem You did a better job than I did (this is not a cut......you did explain it better than me ). The MDE is portrayed as a way for guests to control their Disney vacation, and for the most part that has been the case for me. What I've learned is that from a ticket perspective, when you have more than one trip planned (room reservation), the MDE doesn't know what to do........apparently even when you purchase the tickets as part of the original reservation. I planned the January 2016 trip first, as a room only last January. I opened a Disney Vacation Acct to pay for the tickets.

In April I booked the Disapalooza trip as a Magic My Way package (room and base tickets)...........why wouldn't/shouldn't the tickets purchased with the package be linked? #1 - what difficulties are caused here? Or............why within the MDE can't I assign tickets to reservations. #2 - I don't see a difference between attaching/linking and directing them. I also don't see a way to "direct" them on the MDE either. So do I have to get on the phone to direct? Well that works against the concept of the MDE?

In September I reached my goal with DVA and paid for the January 2016 trip tickets. I specifically asked the CM who I purchased the tickets with that they would be attached to the January 2016 trip. That caused a 10 minute "on hold". When she returned she said they maneuvered (what?) my tickets so the 4-day base ticket would match up with the December 2015 trip. #3 - Here's where I believed the tickets were prioritized. Shouldn't I have the ability to do that? With a link of tickets to reservation # that could be easily accomplished.

Then in October I booked a trip for July 2016 as a Magic My Way package (room and hopper tickets)......so now I had 3 reservations on MDE, 2 booked as room & ticket package.........yet the Disney system apparently made the decision to use the tickets I purchased outside of the Magic My Way process. #4 - Why should someone have to "deactivate" their tickets, to line them up........especially when purchased as part of a Magic My Way package. Why not "link" the ticket's to a reservation............make it conceptually easy for the customer. It wouldn't be difficult to develop a process/system in the MDE that allows you do "link" tickets to room reservations. In fact on the MDE I don't see an "obvious" way to deactivate tickets.

As for getting an AP, where saving for that now using DVA. We'll be able to purchase it in September of 2016 in time to use for the 4th trip (3rd currently on my MDE, which I booked today )

My issue is that this could be resolved within the MDE pretty easily......today it's left to the imagination of Disney computers.... . That, in my mind goes completely against the MDE.

I shouldn't have to CALL Disney to handle multiple reservations within the MDE................not with the money they've spent.................or the money they have


Doug

 

[hiroMYhero]

@dkrauss "OK but why can't I control it? Also why should I have to go to GR.....I don't want to be there working on tickets when I should be in the MK"

You can control it by moving your tickets to a new/unused profile with the name of your choice such as "Future Trip." You'd never have to go to Guest Relations or worry about prioritizing. That's what I do with a number of comp tickets that sit in my MDE.

 

[mom2rtk]

@dkrauss "OK but why can't I control it? Also why should I have to go to GR.....I don't want to be there working on tickets when I should be in the MK"

You can control it by moving your tickets to a new/unused profile with the name of your choice such as "Future Trip." You'd never have to go to Guest Relations or worry about prioritizing. That's what I do with a number of comp tickets that sit in my MDE.

I think he's wondering why there's not a way of doing it that you could reasonably expect a guest to think of on their own.

It really should not be this hard.

 

[dkrauss]

I think he's wondering why there's not a way of doing it that you could reasonably expect a guest to think of on their own.

It really should not be this hard.

Exactly.................

Why should I have to create a completely new profile? That's seems a bit much to me.............so now I not only have to watch my profile..........but a separate one too...........because Disney can't programmatically handle multiple reservations on MY MDE!

Doug

 

[MsThumper]

I can empathize with the OP. How would one reasonably know that a ticket is not linked to a particular reservation? I don't have to worry about it as I have an AP. I also spend more hours a day in this forum then I care to admit, as do many other people. It's easy for those of us who do spend so much time on this forum doing research to roll our eyes and just expect everyone to know what we know and sit in judgment as to what should be intuitive to others. And then when the OP did ask a CM, they were given the incorrect information.

I don't see anything in MDE that would indicate that a person needs to prioritize their tickets or deactivate tickets. Just like most of the software and APPS that are written today, there is no documentation and we are all just supposed to know. You shouldn't have to pick up a phone and call someone. I worked in IT for 30 years. They used to teach us logical flow. I don't think that is even a concept anymore. A big part of our job in creating software was documentation for the users. I think Disney has done a poor job of that.

 

[hiroMYhero]

I think he's wondering why there's not a way of doing it that you could reasonably expect a guest to think of on their own.

It really should not be this hard.

I totally agree. It's crazy to think that a guest has to go to Guest Relations to prioritize tickets to enjoy an amusement park.

But by moving valid tickets to a "safekeeping" profile(s), you avoid Guest Relations and also benefit from extra FPs. But, that's another (closed) thread.

 

[mom2rtk]

I totally agree. It's crazy to think that a guest has to go to Guest Relations to prioritize tickets to enjoy an amusement park.

But by moving valid tickets to a "safekeeping" profile(s), you avoid Guest Relations and also benefit from extra FPs. But, that's another (closed) thread.

I'm sure everyone appreciates all of your real world suggestions on how to make the most of this cumbersome system.

 

[Accident]

I didn't do the math but what would it have costed to just upgrade all the tickets to annual pass? You have to be within a couple dollars, that's a lot of tickets for trips within 1 year.

 

[dkrauss]

I didn't do the math but what would it have costed to just upgrade all the tickets to annual pass? You have to be within a couple dollars, that's a lot of tickets for trips within 1 year.

The cost of the 4 day base ticket for 2 adults is $650. Now correct me if I'm wrong but I'd need to cover the difference for what the AP would be.............that number is. The price for AP's is $1596 for 2 non-Florida residents. So I would have had to come up with another $950. Not a part of the plan............and your correct we're doing a bunch of visiting............but when originally booked unfortunately the money wasn't there for the AP. Poor planning on my part

Doug

 

[HopperFan]

Exactly.................

Why should I have to create a completely new profile? That's seems a bit much to me.............so now I not only have to watch my profile..........but a separate one too...........because Disney can't programmatically handle multiple reservations on MY MDE!

Doug

If you are thinking you are making a whole new MDE or new account that is not it. You just add a name to your existing account. Like I have a handful of people on my MDE because they were part of a dining reservation but they don't stay with me, have magicbands or have tickets. So I have moved tickets I don't want used to their names. Or you just make up a name, you could just put in the names Peter Pan & Wendy and give them tickets. It keeps it safe and every time you open your MDE you see them.

I absolutely understand that it would be easier for you and some others, but it would make it a hassle for others like me. We have rarely used tickets that came with a package during that trip. We also have onsite trips booked and offsite trips booked, then we would have tickets that may or may not be attached to a Disney hotel. This way the ticket usage it totally in my control, it would not be if attached to reservations.

Disney is going to make it the least restrictive programming, which it seems to be now. It is up to the guest to make sure they are using the correct tickets whether now via their MDE or during the old school days of pulling the right tickets out of their wallet.