My First Bad Experience with MDE. A Negative Rant Coming...

[PlutoTheDog89]

I need to vent for a moment.

**Caveat - this may come off as a bit over the top. I'm a little heated right now, so I'm using this to digest the frustration**

I'm a HUGE Disney fan. In my eyes - they can't do any wrong. I grew to love the FP+ even though it changed how we structure our trip, I always find the best in what they do and I've never.. I repeat, never had anything negative to say. Until now.

A few months ago, the BOG breakfast was extended. I didn't think twice. I dropped what I was doing, I ran over the MyDisneyExperience and I saw an opening at Be Our Guest. BOOM. I made the reservation, sent my family a group text - "GUESS WHO GOT A BOG BREAKFAST RESERVATION FOR XMAS MORNING?! THIS GUY!" and rollicked in my success. Later that day, I figured I'd add it to my Excel spreadsheet of reservations. I needed the Confirmation #, so I logged into MDE. Nowhere to be found. I learned from past experiences not to freak out. I checked my email. No confirmation email. NO PETE NO! In my celebrations, I never checked my emails. Had I checked my emails, I MAY have been able to log back on and try again.

Fast forward.

Since then, I've been waiting for new reservations to pop back up. I have the MDE app on my phone, which I frequently check for an open ADR. I also know that Disney will be adding hours for the week of Christmas, so I plan on hopping on that small 60-minute window once it's announced. After days of no ADRs appearing, finally - TODAY - an 8:20am reservation on Christmas morning. I clicked on it, the little Mickey head appeared and boom - credit card declined.

What?

I made sure my information was correct, uploaded my billing info and tried again.

Credit Card Declined.

I added another card. Paying extra attention to the numbers as I typed them in. Double check my billing address, dotted my i's crossed my t's and.... Credit Card Declined.

I called Disney reservation and explained the problem. After speaking with the help desk, she returned telling me "it doesn't seem to be a problem on Disney's end.. just try a few more credit cards and see what works." I jokingly said "I'm running out of credit cards to try." She told me to start trying other people's credit card and see what happens. They have a name for that, it's called fraud.

Look - it's not going to ruin my trip. I'm going to Disney for Christmas and we'll salvage a breakfast on Christmas morning. It's more pent up frustration than anything else and the CM was of no help. I'm sure I'll write my trip review and talk about how "happy I was that we didn't get that BOG ADR, because it led to us enjoying a waffle sandwich from Sleepy Hollow and the weather was perfect for eating outside." Who knows. Just a terrible call - and I hate leaving a bad review, but her post-call rating reflected that.

I checked the Disney website and the hours for MK are still listed at 9am-12am. Honestly, I think this was a mess up on their behalf (in releasing the ADRs before updating the hours of operation) and they covered themselves by rejecting ADR requests at the last second. Just my hypothesis. Regardless, a frustration experience and an overall waste of time.

 

[Skywise]

Couldn't you just call the ADR service and order it directly? (And I'm surprised the CM didn't suggest that)

 

[GreatLakes]

Whomever is doing their credit card processing might be having a problem. I doubt Disney is processing those transaction themselves, though I could be wrong, and if the processor is having trouble all cards could come back declined when they shouldn't be.

I would second what the poster above me has said and try to book via the phone. Hopefully whatever system they use isn't having problems at the same time as MDE.

 

[wilkeliza]

Have you tried online not through MDE. I have found dinning on MDE to be terrible and I don't trust it. I only book online unless I'm onsite and MDE is all I have.

 

[shortnsassy730]

The 8:20 time wouldn't be an error. BOG offers pre park opening ADRs at MK. I hope you get in or find something better. The reviews have been awful so maybe it will turn out to be a blessing in disguise.

 

[PlutoTheDog89]

Couldn't you just call the ADR service and order it directly? (And I'm surprised the CM didn't suggest that)

She tried that, and it wasn't there. She figured it may be because it was in my "shopping cart"

The 8:20 time wouldn't be an error. BOG offers pre park opening ADRs at MK. I hope you get in or find something better. The reviews have been awful so maybe it will turn out to be a blessing in disguise.

So I've heard. It's more of the evading prey more than anything else now. My family goes to MK early Christmas morning. There really isn't a good QS option there, unfortunately. We're eating at Trattoria Al Forni Xmas Eve and have considered just grabbing pastries at Boardwalk Bakery and saving them for Christmas morning.

 

[BigAlsGal]

She tried that, and it wasn't there. She figured it may be because it was in my "shopping cart"



So I've heard. It's more of the evading prey more than anything else now. My family goes to MK early Christmas morning. There really isn't a good QS option there, unfortunately. We're eating at Trattoria Al Forni Xmas Eve and have considered just grabbing pastries at Boardwalk Bakery and saving them for Christmas morning.

What about sleepy hollow? They have omelette waffles!!!

 

[Skywise]

If you did that this morning - When you put stuff in your shopping cart they get "held" for an hour and then released back to the pool. It might be back now.

Personally I prefer Crystal Palace for breakfast myself.

 

[shortnsassy730]

[/QUOTE]
So I've heard. It's more of the evading prey more than anything else now. My family goes to MK early Christmas morning. There really isn't a good QS option there, unfortunately. We're eating at Trattoria Al Forni Xmas Eve and have considered just grabbing pastries at Boardwalk Bakery and saving them for Christmas morning.[/QUOTE]

Ohhhh that actually sounds like a pretty good plan. Or even prepark Captain Cooks!

 

[PlutoTheDog89]

What about sleepy hollow? They have omelette waffles!!!

That'll probably be the go-to. In years past, we've done Gaston's. My biggest regret was discovering the cinnamon roll at MSB in its final year. We did Gaston's the next year and it was okay. Last year it was dry and tasted like it had been laying out. It just didn't do it for us - so we decided that was the last time we'd have it for breakfast and we'd look for another option.

 

[nherbert]

You might have checked these already:
- did you get the expiration date correct (I got mine wrong once when booking an airfare and learnt a hard lesson, I got confused with the month numbers), does it expire before Christmas?
- sufficient funds on card (given that BOG is just a hold I doubt this is problem)
- does your card have repeat transaction protection (meaning that if the first attempt went through the system but failed at end, it can't be re-run - this stops a business charging you twice for same transaction) - this happens to me a few times, there is no quick fix other than contacting credit card people

So sorry this happened to you and Christmas Day as well, pretty frustrating - don't give up it could still happen

 

[TheRustyScupper]

I added another card. Paying extra attention to the numbers as I typed them in. Double check my billing address, dotted my i's crossed my t's and.... Credit Card Declined.

I called Disney reservation and explained the problem.

1) Sorry about your problem.
2) Sure sounds like a system glitch.
3) Maybe someone can help straighten it out for you.
4) Or, post your credit card number, 3-digit security code, bank account numbers, birthdate, and Soc Sec Number and we'll see.