They Don't Make It Easy

[ILovePixieDust]

After getting a busy signal ALL day I finally got on just after 4pm PST. Been on hold for 75 minutes so far, phones close in 90 minutes....will I get to book tonight?? Oooohhhhhh the suspense....

Crossing my fingers for you!

 

[ILovePixieDust]

I laughed. I'm on my third beer and second drop call. 1st was an hour in while I was running. 2nd was random at over 2 hours. If this is my biggest issues in life right now, I am okay.

I like your attitude.

 

[Jennifer Xavier]

Crossing my fingers for you!

Anyone know what’s happens is 10pm EST rolls around and we are still on hold? Will they deal with everyone in line? Or we will all get cut off?? Been waiting over 3 hours already...... ugh!

 

[Ravenne]

All I can come up with is a busy phone line doesn't generate as much bad press as a downed website... probably less running around on their end too.

True, but their site has consistently had issues for years. Two years ago, I couldn't check in until I made a dummy special request like bed rails lol. Now, for the past several months, I can't price things (met with the 7 dwarfs error message) while logged into my account. What good is that if I can't look and book while logged in? LOL I have to be logged out to even look at excursions or itineraries. Heck, at the point Disney runs their websites (parks included) they might as well throw opening day booking on there. It doesn't work either way, but might for some lucky folks.

 

[lalariner]

Anyone know what’s happens is 10pm EST rolls around and we are still on hold? Will they deal with everyone in line? Or we will all get cut off?? Been waiting over 3 hours already...... ugh!

Curious if you ever got picked up? I'm still on hold. Hopefully it's not fruitless!

 

[Snowwhyt]

True, but their site has consistently had issues for years. Two years ago, I couldn't check in until I made a dummy special request like bed rails lol. Now, for the past several months, I can't price things (met with the 7 dwarfs error message) while logged into my account. What good is that if I can't look and book while logged in? LOL I have to be logged out to even look at excursions or itineraries. Heck, at the point Disney runs their websites (parks included) they might as well throw opening day booking on there. It doesn't work either way, but might for some lucky folks.

You need to call the tech line, your issue can be easily solved.

 

[cruiser21]

A lot of people don't see it as a "choice" when their budgets are tight... but then, all vacations are a choice. If people want to complain, let 'em. It does suck.

When your concerned about a 15k European cruise going up a couple hundred dollars your budget is not that tight....just saying.

 

[cruiser21]

Can you though? I'm silver and none of the new itineraries are available to me online. I'd either have to wait till tomorrow, or wait on the phone.

Everyone can book tomorrow. I think people on this board have you convinced that prices will double if you don't book on opening day. I assure that's not the case...relax put down the phone. 18 cruises I've never booked opening day and I've never paid more than opening day prices.

 

[nancyjo1998]

Curious if you ever got picked up? I'm still on hold. Hopefully it's not fruitless!

I'm still on hold as well! Almost feel like I will be holding until tomorrow when they reopen the lines. Really curious if they are going to finish all the calls that have been on hold before 10PM.

 

[lalariner]

I'm still on hold as well! Almost feel like I will be holding until tomorrow when they reopen the lines. Really curious if they are going to finish all the calls that have been on hold before 10PM.

Ugh! What time did you call? Also, what song are you listening to?

 

[nancyjo1998]

I've been on hold for 3 hours now. Have tried all day getting the infamous busy signal. Listening to Dig a Little Deeper!

 

[nancyjo1998]

Ugh! What time did you call? Also, what song are you listening to?

Hoping you get through soon! I just got off the phone a total of 3 1/2 hours on hold.

 

[Ravenne]

You need to call the tech line, your issue can be easily solved.

Do you have the # to DCL tech line? The last time I called Disney tech support (for the parks) they messed up my account sooooooooo badly. I ended up having 2 accounts by the time I got off the phone with them, and my reservations...I don't even want to relive that. It was a hot mess.

 

[AquaDame]

When your concerned about a 15k European cruise going up a couple hundred dollars your budget is not that tight....just saying.

"You don't get rich by spending money."

When I am making big purchases I look to make every dollar count if it's easy/straightforward enough. I buy Peet's gift cards at Costco - $80 for $100 worth. I do a quick search for coupons online before I buy. We order cat box pads online and go pick them up at Petsmart because they're way cheaper that way for whatever weird reason that they decide to do it that way. I don't spend more than I have to, even if I can afford it. A lot of people are like that. Fact of the matter is, if people couldn't spend the time on hold they simply wouldn't. They can, and it's annoying, so they'll lament about it on boards like this with others in the same boat. If someone's time is more valuable than saving a couple hundred bucks then it's all good - to some people its not. That's all I'm saying. No one is more right than the other on stuff like this.

A budget isn't simply the $ you can afford for a thing, to some people a budget is what they're willing to pay. I'm willing to pay what I can get it for on the day my window opens.

 

[MelSpees]

True, but their site has consistently had issues for years. Two years ago, I couldn't check in until I made a dummy special request like bed rails lol. Now, for the past several months, I can't price things (met with the 7 dwarfs error message) while logged into my account. What good is that if I can't look and book while logged in? LOL I have to be logged out to even look at excursions or itineraries. Heck, at the point Disney runs their websites (parks included) they might as well throw opening day booking on there. It doesn't work either way, but might for some lucky folks.

Have you tried using a different browser? I was having a terrible time with Firefox. I used Edge and had no trouble. Others have had the reverse situation. It's weird. I believe it has something to do with the cookies they use.

 

[Ravenne]

Have you tried using a different browser? I was having a terrible time with Firefox. I used Edge and had no trouble. Others have had the reverse situation. It's weird. I believe it has something to do with the cookies they use.

Yep. I've tried Firefox, Chrome, Edge. I have better luck in incognito mode in Chrome, but it can be hit or miss.

 

[FamilyHolidayPlanner]

It's very frustrating that you have to ring them with an OBB. I couldn't get through yesterday. Today I can see a cruise and room I want to book on the website, but I can't book it because I have to ring!!

 

[Snowwhyt]

Do you have the # to DCL tech line? The last time I called Disney tech support (for the parks) they messed up my account sooooooooo badly. I ended up having 2 accounts by the time I got off the phone with them, and my reservations...I don't even want to relive that. It was a hot mess.

Try 407-939-1936
I had 3 accounts. One for my daughter to play games and another for me to play games with her. And a third much older account before the Disney shopping/travel combined with the games division. It’s been helpful and what fixes my account is that they have me change a few settings and clear something out of memory that it gets stuck on and keeps me from signing on.

 

[ProgressCity]

They could cross train there WDW employees. How many of us aren't cross trained in our respective fields probably not too many.

My point was that they really can't. The training for taking dining reservations at WDW is like an hour. The training for the WDW reservations system is around a day. The training for DCL reservations? A month. That's 40 hours a week for a month. You're not going to take cast members away from their regular job for a month in order to train to help out DCL for a few busy days. (And DCL isn't going to pay to train cast members that they're only going to use for a couple of days.) There's not even room for these extra cast members and they can't work out of the other call centers because they're going to need supervisors available to come to their station and help them. That used to be my job. Anytime a new class hit the floor, for the first week, I was constantly having to come to their stations to help them out (and there were always a few people who needed help for several weeks because the DCL system is that complex). How much worse is it going to be for cast members who know this isn't their actual job, it's just a two or three day float? Logistically, it's just not possible. It would end up making things worse because you'd have slow cast members who don't know what they're doing messing up bookings causing guests to call back in and wait in the long queue all over again.

What they should do is just invest in creating a website that can handle the traffic and allow you to book based on your Castaway Club status. Compared to the logistics nightmare of hiring extra people for just a few days, it's relatively simple to re-allocate server resources to handle opening day traffic. I don't know why Disney in general doesn't invest in better websites. They're all a mess.

 

[ProgressCity]

Anyone know what’s happens is 10pm EST rolls around and we are still on hold? Will they deal with everyone in line? Or we will all get cut off?? Been waiting over 3 hours already...... ugh!

For future reference, if you call before closing you'll get in the queue and cast members stay until the queue is cleared. DCL and Disney in general is good about that, unlike some other companies I've dealt with.