Reservation Accidentally Canceled by MS

[jdkdorn]

UPDATE:

What a turn of events. So I was planning on calling this morning, but figured I would check the DVC hotel inventory again across all of WDW before I did so (I’ve been doing this once an hour for a few weeks now, so been used to it). And what do you know, the 2 bedroom villa at BC popped back up on the market for the exact nights I needed, ready to grab. So thankfully I did, and the nights are back in my possession
now.

However, the kicker is that I’m still on the waitlist for these exact rooms for these exact night. So now my question becomes, did they somehow screw up my waitlist too? It clearly states the right info on my dashboard, but how did this room slip through my waitlist and enter the market? Because if I didn’t maniacally login and search the inventory every hour and purely relied on the waitlist that they promised I was atop of, I would have NEVER caught this being available again. Not happy about this situation either as I’ve lost confidence in MS handling my reservations properly, and have also now lost total confidence in the waitlist process.

I’ll def be speaking to a supervisor this week about that part, because the waitlist issue is very concerning to me. And to also convey that this entire experience as a whole was nothing short of terrible and FAR below the Disney standard of service/hospitality. I’m still baffled at how poorly they managed this situation, and how it continued to be mismanaged even after the accidental reservation cancellation. Luckily, in the end, things did work out. Phew. But this particular cast member’s training, and their resolution process, absolutely needs to be redone and rethought based on this experience. Because this was almost disastrous, totally avoidable, 100% Disney’s fault, and somehow remedied by me and not by them.

If anything else comes from my supervisor talk this week, I’ll make sure to update the board further. But thank you all for your help and suggestions with this. It has been greatly greatly appreciated! Stay safe

They only look periodically for he waitlist, I have picked up multiple rooms that were waitlisted. This is a mail process and not run by a computer program. You are lucky you grabbed them, my bet is that had you waited they may or may not have gone to you.

Have fun on your trip, don't let this go though, they need to understand the consequences of their actions. Push for at least the room location, floor, same area for all rooms, and view you want as compensation for their issues.

 

[starry_solo]

YAY for it Working out, even though you had to do it yourself...

 

[cvjw]

I have had something similar happen also. A week before a stay at BLT in a 2 bedroom, I called to correct the name of the lead guest on the reservation. Somehow my child was the lead guest. When they tried to change it to me, the reservation and the 400+ points used to make it vanished from the dvc system. They could not fix it. They had to get IT involved. We had no room and no points and no guarantee they could fix it. Days later, they found the reservation and all ended well. Also, they called and refunded some of the points used for my troubles.

 

[Grumpy by Birth]

Disney IT being a force for chaos cannot be discounted.

 

[martikus]

So glad it worked out - what a relief!

Definitely agree with still complaining because the way that staff member handled it was terrible. As a director myself my staff would have been with me in a hot second asking how to fix and I’d be available to talk with customer.

Just make sure when you write you keep it as short as possible. No one reads novels. But abosolutely they need to know how that staff member handled it was an inappropriate response to an error he made and then made worse by being told 5 days to talk with a supervisor.

I’d ask for assurances that future customers would not face the same results if this error occurred. Otherwise your email as no “action” and you may not get a response.

 

[monstermash23]

So glad it worked out - what a relief!

Definitely agree with still complaining because the way that staff member handled it was terrible. As a director myself my staff would have been with me in a hot second asking how to fix and I’d be available to talk with customer.

Just make sure when you write you keep it as short as possible. No one reads novels. But abosolutely they need to know how that staff member handled it was an inappropriate response to an error he made and then made worse by being told 5 days to talk with a supervisor.

I’d ask for assurances that future customers would not face the same results if this error occurred. Otherwise your email as no “action” and you may not get a response.

Relief might be an understatement for how we feel today. But yea very happy this all worked out thus far.

This is a great suggestion on looking for some type of action to make sure there is a response via email (and to keep it short, I do tend to write novels lol). I’ll make sure to incorporate that element. I appreciate your feedback and perspective given your position. Thank you!

 

[Simba's Mom]

So did you have to drag the mattresses into the woods for the last 4 nights? How did this turn out? (It's really none of my business, but I am curious, LOL).

Actually, as the front desk promised me, people DO sometimes cancel at the very last minute. So other peoples' misfortunes (I assume you don't cancel last minute because of something good happening) meant we had a room. So every night we had to move, either to a studio or another 1 BR. The last night we were supposed to be moved to a 2 BR, and we were kind of looking forward to that because we'd never stayed in one before. But at the last last minute we were called "Good news! You don't have to move after all!" So the good news was that we didn't pack and move again, but the bad news is that we still haven't gotten to try a 2 bedroom. We joked that they didn't want the looks of us camping out in front of the resort, so that's why they made sure to find us a room.

 

[monstermash23]

They only look periodically for he waitlist, I have picked up multiple rooms that were waitlisted. This is a mail process and not run by a computer program. You are lucky you grabbed them, my bet is that had you waited they may or may not have gone to you.

Have fun on your trip, don't let this go though, they need to understand the consequences of their actions. Push for at least the room location, floor, same area for all rooms, and view you want as compensation for their issues.

Yea mail vs computer is the best way to describe this waitlist process. I always assumed it was some complex sorting algorithm or something. But nope, never would have expected it to be handled manually like this. But it’s very good to know, especially since we’re so used to “stalking” disney reservation websites for so many years anyway.

We will definitely be giving them an earful though. They will know they messed up here and we’ll def push for some compensation. Room views and better blocking is a great idea too.
Thank you!

 

[monstermash23]

Yes, we did have a reservation inexplicably cancelled on us. And we didn't find out until we were standing at the front desk of the resort. We had made a reservation for 6 days, then added on 4 days as we got closer, and staying extra time gave us better flights, and more time for fun! When we got to the resort, she had us listed as leaving after 6 days, as originally planned. A call to MS, speaking to a supervisor, at first didn't help much. The supervisor insisted it must be us that cancelled the reservation, but finally she agreed to go back and listen to the original recording of our calls (you know how they say "This call may be monitored or recorded for training purposes"? It IS recorded). When she called back a few hours later, suddenly her tone was VERY different and so nice! But this was a time when the resort was sold out, and it was at DHHIR, so there was no other resort to move us to. Our airplane tickets to leave were for in 10 days, not 6. The front desk was so nice (it wasn't their fault), and so for the last 4 days we just hoped for a last minute cancellation day by day-otherwise we threatened to take mattresses and drag them to the little woodsy area in front of the resort (anyone who's been there knows where I mean). Although it happened, it was the ONLY time in 19 years of membership that a reservation has been cancelled. But you can be sure that I DO keep an eye on my "existing" reservations on my dashboard now!

Wow, this is the stuff of nightmares with Disney. I’ve had this kind of thing happen with waterparks (have shown up to TL after purchasing passes that were never properly processed - or something, so no entry on arrival and no on the spot remedy). We complained to Front Desk and they comped us fastpasses, but to show up to a hotel reservation like that with half your flight round trip ticket completed is a whole different ballgame. You handled like it a champ though, I honestly think I might have gone to worse extremes in that situation haha. So I applaud your restraint.

That’s good to know the calls are recorded. Because at the end of the last phone call last night with a different MS CM, the lady mentioned “so you know we don’t just cancel reservations right?” even after I explained the entire situation to her multiple times. Albiet, there were a lot of details so it’s easy to miss some things sometimes I’m sure. But I firmly reminded her that I was personally called by MS by the CM who made the mistake, admitted making the mistake and stated his reason for making the mistake. I didn’t happen to just come across this as the error was so fresh. So I’m glad all of that is recorded somewhere for a supervisor to properly review. Thank you for your feedback and sharing your experience here!

 

[Pluto777]

The risk at the desk isn't so much that they could lose the reservations, but that they could royally screw up your account. The horror stories of front desk modifications include all points from the current reservation going into holding and then new points being borrowed to cover the updated reservation. It's just a different kind of headache. The front desk is not trained in managing DVC accounts.

I wasn't aware of that. However, I would prefer having them make a mess of my account that I should be able to square away later with MS anyhow, then risk losing a reservation and being unable to rebook. Maybe I could just take a 'snapshot' of my points before we head off to WDW just in case they make a mistake later, and then after we get home (or even if I log in on a mobile and check my account at WDW) if I do see a mess simply call MS to fix?

 

[DL1WDW2]

I would still be checking morning noon & night plus middle of night to certify that my reservation was safe until I was back home again .

I am always checking my reservation and now I know why!

 

[Divaofdisney]

Wow what a turn of events! In the end thank goodness you were able to get what you needed. But what if you hadn't? Then what? They need to provide some level of compensation even if it is fast passes or something. It really is not acceptable in the way all of this was handled.

 

[wishicouldgomoreofte]

I also worry when I have a complicated check in with merges, seperate bookings etc. Next time maybeit's a safer way to go by just waiting until you actually check in at the front desk for the first night, then ask them AS YOU CHECK IN if they could merge all the next nights reservations then? Would this way make it safer since you know that you are already there, and so it is less likely an error is made?

Even when it is not complicated, don't let front desk mess with your account. Because they do MESS with it. Just don't dare it. They don't know how, and as people have said, your points go into holding, and new points are borrowed, etc.

OP, I am so glad you were able to find and book your rooms by stalking. But like other posters, I sure would like to know what they would have done if you didn't. I hope you have a great trip and magic happens.

 

[monstermash23]

Even when it is not complicated, don't let front desk mess with your account. Because they do MESS with it. Just don't dare it. They don't know how, and as people have said, your points go into holding, and new points are borrowed, etc.

OP, I am so glad you were able to find and book your rooms by stalking. But like other posters, I sure would like to know what they would have done if you didn't. I hope you have a great trip and magic happens.

I would love to know what they would have done as well. We still haven’t recieved our call from the Supervisor. Since we have what we ultimately want right now, no thanks to Disney, we’re giving the Supervisor some extra time as opposed to our original plan of calling everyday. We will be having a long talk at some point this week though, we’ll make sure that happens.

But in the end, yea I guess we’ll never know how they could have/would have resolved this. I just hope whatever solution they would have given to us or will give to others if this scenario comes up again, is better then the initial service we recieved during and after the screw up.

 

[monstermash23]

UPDATE:

So we received a call from Anastasia at the "Disney Advisor" center. A full 5 days later, as "promised." She was very apologetic, of course. And was very nice about the situation, of course. But here are my takeaways:

Disney will not lift a finger in this situation. They view this as rectified, considering I was able to get my reservation back - totally by luck and not because of anything Disney did. I understand that viewpoint from a logistical level, but from a service and hospitality perspective, not OK in my book. Disney will only go so far as to tell me that they will retrain the cast member, but will not go beyond that in terms of "reassurances" that this will never happen again. They blame the 5 day wait period on Covid and do not have the manpower to handle situations like this urgently, on the spot. Despite a situation like this absolutely demanding an immediate resolution.

I wasn't expecting much to be honest, considering how the situation turned out, but I wasn't expecting to get this little from them.

I'm not sure what has happened with Disney - I know covid of course affects things in weird ways due to ripple effects with service. But this whole experience was downright bad. What would have happened if I didn't get those reservations back by luck? What would have happened if the MS CM accidentally canceled a larger part of our vacation and not the smaller part of it? no chance we would get that back in this eleventh hour. If Disney wasn't short staffed, would this have been handled better? How do I know that Disney will take care of us in the future in the event a mistake is made, like they used to do so well for us in the past? Because in this instance, they truly did nothing and am not sure what they would have done if I didn't get lucky.

In my view, Disney has totally failed here. They are lucky that we got lucky. In the end, I'm thankful I was able to get this reservation back and that everything worked out for this trip. We're excited for this trip. But I currently view Disney as a shell of its former self now. The high standards I held for them in terms of hospitality and service, has greatly diminished in this scenario and with their complete lack of interest in trying to make this right by us. I hope they make improvements and bring their service standards back to where it used to be. But currently, not happy with it at all.

Edit: spelling, grammar

 

[Scott H]

UPDATE:

So we received a call from Anastasia at the "Disney Advisor" center. A full 5 days later, as "promised." She was very apologetic, of course. And was very nice about the situation, of course. But here are my takeaways:

Disney will not lift a finger in this situation. They view this as rectified, considering I was able to get my reservation back - totally by luck and not because of anything Disney did. I understand that viewpoint from a logistical level, but from a service and hospitality perspective, no OK in my book. Disney will only go so far as to tell me that they will retrain the cast member, but will not go beyond that in terms of "reassurances" that this will never happen again. They blame the 5 day wait period on Covid and do not have the manpower to handle situations like this urgently, on the spot. Despite a situation like this absolutely demanding an immediate resolution.

I wasn't expecting much to be honest, considering how the situation turned out, but I wasn't expecting to get this little from them.

I'm not sure what has happened with Disney - I know covid of course affects things in weird ways due to ripple effects with service. But this whole experience was downright appalling. What would have happened if I didn't get those reservations back by luck? What would have happened if the MS CM accidentally canceled a larger part of our vacation and not the smaller part of it? no chance we would get that back in this eleventh hour. If Disney wasn't short staffed, would this have been handled better? How do I know that Disney will take care of us in the future in the event a mistake is made, like they used to do so well for us in the past? Because in this instance, they truly did nothing and am not sure what they would have done if I didn't get lucky.

In my view, Disney has totally failed here. They are lucky that we got lucky. In the end, I'm thankful I was able to get this reservation back and that everything worked out for this trip. We're excited for this trip. But I currently view Disney as a shell of its former self now. The high standards I held for them in terms of hospitality and service, has greatly diminished in this scenario and with their complete lack of interest in trying to make this right by us. I hope they make improvements and bring their service standards back to where it used to be. But currently, not happy with it at all.

Totally agree about the diminished level of service, standard response is they are sorry and that is it.

 

[New Mouse]

The front line cast member you spoke with is nothing but a mouthpiece for the overall lack of integrity from the likes of Yvonne Chang and Terri Schultz.

The talking point that there is a 5 day wait because of Covid...maybe they shouldnt have fired everyone if there was still demand... im just sayin.

 

[monstermash23]

The front line cast member you spoke with is nothing but a mouthpiece for the overall lack of integrity from the likes of Yvonne Chang and Terri Schultz.

The talking point that there is a 5 day wait because of Covid...maybe they shouldnt have fired everyone if there was still demand... im just sayin.

Yea as I dive deeper into this still, the more I see that Terri Schultz is not really the head figure this business segment needs. I considered emailing her about this but ultimately decided I’d find the same roadblocks as I found with CM’s (and supervisor). At least from what I’ve seen on the boards regarding her. Also figured any red flags on my account from this incident would then be affirmed if she decided to side with MS.

IMO, there’s a clear difference between Covid affecting your business negatively, and a business using Covid to cover up their negatives.

Many elements of Disney World as a whole probably fall into the first category, but I think MS now squarely falls into the second category. I’m obviously a bit biased in my thinking now though, given this poor experience.

 

[Roughians_satchel]

I know the "waitlist" isn't automated by any stretch of the imagination. I think it's one person who goes in at any given time of day and checks for people. That's it. They went the most inefficient route when they could have programmed the system to automatically fill the reservations when they're available off the waitlist.

I've heard of plenty of people finding their waitlist available and booking it themselves.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

I know the "waitlist" isn't automated by any stretch of the imagination. I think it's one person who goes in at any given time of day and checks for people. That's it. They went the most inefficient route when they could have programmed the system to automatically fill the reservations when they're available off the waitlist.

I've heard of plenty of people finding their waitlist available and booking it themselves.

The matching part is definitely automated however it's just a matter of how often it looks. From my reviews after cancelling I have no reason to think it isn't constantly trying to match via some process. And I've run into the bit where I "found a room" and booked it. Looked and had taken the "last" room. Cancelled my waitlist and then looked again and saw that the room was now available. Almost certain it had to be because my waitlist had already been match before the room became available again for me to book. The part that people often don't consider is that a match can sit there for some time before it's processed to completion by a CM.