On-line vs. Phone Reservations

[JZCubed]

My 180 +10 window opened yesterday and I went to make a few reservations on-line.

Much to my surprise, none of the times I wanted were available.

I then called 407-WDW-DINE and it was suggested to me by the Cast Member that the computer screen she has would likely only provide the same times I saw myself on-line.

She was incorrect.

I was able to receive each and every time I want for all of the ADR's I wanted.

Why must customers be told untruths?

 

[cceandme]

we have found the CM's on the phone dont always know what they are talking about. always insist they check for reservatons even if they are "sure" non are available. it seems there is not much communication on that end. good luck with making all your reservations.

 

[darkwing818]

Can't speak to CMs & untruths.
But we've never had any issues booking dinner/resort reservations over the phone. In fact we've had CMs go out of their way with us on the phone, double checking things, making alternative suggestions etc. (been very happy with CM suggestions).
But on the other hand, you probably just talked with some one who didn't know what they were doing. I guess we've been lucky.

 

[Cafeen]

The pool of tables between online and call is "theoretically" the same. The CMs and Web Users do have different portals that access these pools. Sometimes, the way they are accessed cause issues and potential unavailability (quite often seen in large blocks of unavailable stuff, rather than ones and twos).

So, they're partial untruths . (Plus, the CMs have different ways to search for stuff than we do, which helps find "hidden" availability that we may not look for ourselves.)

As a note, I've also seen it the other way around, where I could see availability on my end that the CM couldn't. The IT/Development-side of WDW is far from magical...

 

[nkereina]

The new Disney web site has many glitches. In addition, if you are searching reservations by checking "breakfast" "lunch" or "dinner" rather than specific times, then the computer may not spit out an alternative for you. I have found that if I want 5:30, I search by the time and if it's not available, then 5:20 or 5:40 will show up (for example). So, essentially I would assume the CM was saying that if 5:30 isn't available for you, it wouldn't be available for them either (which is true) but the web site can be finicky sometimes.

 

[JZCubed]

Thanks all for your replies.

By the way, one of my requests for Narcoossee's was to get out early so that I could see the MK fireworks from the top of BLT, and not from Narcoossee's.

In other words, the on-line system was only offering 'prime time' seating, when I wanted to be seated much earlier.

But as one post pointed out, Disney IT is not always magical.

I guess my take-away from all this - if you cannot get what you want on-line, call instead.