Useful Concierge Information

[MomOf2DisneyKids]

DB'03! Hope you're happy with the change to YC!!!!!

I'm having much better luck w/WL IPO this past week.... Good luck to everyone else waiting to hear!!!

 

[DisneyBride'03]

Momof2DisneyKids.... thanks..me too..wil keep you posted...happy planning!

Troop...YC is exactly where you mentioned...I really love the MK area as well, although YC has been on my list.
My emails were not personalized either...I had two different names, one you mentioned..but all emails seemed automated...generic...never made a referance to one personal comment I made
Regardless....I am sure this is not the norm..especially with Momof2 having a better response.
Sounds like you're a great DD and planning a wonderful trip for your family

 

[jmkrat]

Troop...good luck, I am hoping to hear some positive comments regarding WL IPO. I was recently booked, but unhappy with the communication, or lack thereof.
Happy to say we are now at YC CL....
I sent WL CL an email last Tuesday to their email...never heard a word. I am giving them til this Tuesday, and will write another, to perhaps someone else.
I will be looking forward to your comments I really do hope you receive better service than I

DisneyBride,
I don't know if you are using this e-mail address, but it is one they sent me on June 10 of this year. I was going to stay there and changed my mind. JoAnn had informed me that they were upgrading their system and to use this new e-mail. She had said to direct all future e-mails to this address Wilderness.Lodge.Itinerary.Planning@disneyworld.com . Hope you hear from them soon.

 

[DisneyBride'03]

thanks jmkrat!
However, that is the email I have been using. Hopefully I will hear something...looking foward to YC's IPO

 

[Secondgradememories]

I'm near to blind after reading this thread, but have some great info! Thanks everyone! I'm hoping some of the info about other CL resorts will apply, but hope someone has some specifics for BC too. We're off in a few days and I'm just curious to see if anyone has any reveiws, advice, or stories to tell. Thanks!

 

[Troop o' Goofs]

My emails were not personalized either...I had two different names, one you mentioned..but all emails seemed automated...generic...never made a referance to one personal comment I made
Regardless....I am sure this is not the norm..especially with Momof2 having a better response.
Sounds like you're a great DD and planning a wonderful trip for your family

Update: I received an email that was not "generated" IMHO. My email to IPO was point by point and the reply I got this time, by a different CM (Sarah this time), was point by point as well.

I have to verify with my wife the itinerary plans that we sent and we will be sending another email when we have things nailed down to times/dates and I will give another update.

 

[DisneyBride'03]

Here is my "concierge" update...

Sent an email to the YC IPO...within an hour...or less, I received a response!
Not an automated response either
SHE introduced herself and responded to my statements!!
What a breath of fresh air...I told her that too!!
It is amazing the differance between IPO's!!!

Good luck Troop

 

[Troop o' Goofs]

Here is my "concierge" update...

Sent an email to the YC IPO...within an hour...or less, I received a response!
Not an automated response either
SHE introduced herself and responded to my statements!!
What a breath of fresh air...I told her that too!!
It is amazing the differance between IPO's!!!

Good luck Troop

Thanks, looks like I may need it. Only 1 response and it seems like it is 24 hours apart. At this point it would be too much of a pain to change ressie's to another resort since my mother and father in-law have also booked at WL (non-concierge).

If it gets to the point where I feel like I need to call someone I will. As it stands, we are not planning on adding anything additional yet.

Once Sept. comes and we start to think of other things it may change. (Wife and I both work in the schools and don't get paid in the summer, hard to plan when you aren't sure of your budget for such things), lol.

Now I sit and wait, reading and being jealous of all the people who are counting down single digits...

 

[grannyminnie]

Last year I asked for them to sign their e-mails, because I never knew who to respond too. They said they didn't do it because they didn't want guests t address to one CM, then the pool of CM's couldn't answer the e-mails. This year I got my one e-mail signed. The original IPO letter was sent, I believe, by an automated system. I received the same generated one from the Boardwalk. It just said welcome with an itinerary and the different concierge e-mail addresses. I did just send my 3rd e-mail, I wish I could find out if Calvin is still working Contemporary IPO, he was amazing. They seem to switch resorts from time to time.

A comment on the responses I have received from IPO...
when booking WL concierge for this past April, I always received signed email responses, and always answering my questions. They did seem to be from the same person each time, but it may not be that way with all IPOs.
Now this time, for AKL, I've heard from the same person except for once, and even then, the original responder (is that the correct word??) answered that email also! From that, I kind of felt like he was "mine"!!

 

[MomOf2DisneyKids]

Here is my "concierge" update...

Sent an email to the YC IPO...within an hour...or less, I received a response!
Not an automated response either
SHE introduced herself and responded to my statements!!
What a breath of fresh air...I told her that too!!
It is amazing the differance between IPO's!!!

Good luck Troop

DB'03--glad it's working out for you!!!

 

[DisneyBride'03]

Thanks Momof2DK.....
The planner I am working with is awesome so far!!!

 

[peter1706]

I'd like to get everyones opinion on how the concierge has responded to me.

If i have a request such as...

1. How can i reserve a cruise or

2. How do i book the child care club at the resort or

3. I'd like to take one the Epcot tours.

I asked one of those questions and they replied with a phone number and told me to call and book it myself.

Shouldn't the concierge give me info on the requests and offer to book it for me?

I'm curious if I justhave the wrong idea here.

Thanks

 

[hedwig]

the IPO office should book those things for you. In fact that is their job. I would resend your request as (for example)- " We would like for you to book for date, Month, year- a reservation for 2 at the Polynesian Neverland club for our two children."

Which IPO/CL are you working with/going to be staying at?

 

[cara loves the poly]

I'd like to get everyones opinion on how the concierge has responded to me.

If i have a request such as...

1. How can i reserve a cruise or

2. How do i book the child care club at the resort or

3. I'd like to take one the Epcot tours.

I asked one of those questions and they replied with a phone number and told me to call and book it myself.

Shouldn't the concierge give me info on the requests and offer to book it for me?

I'm curious if I justhave the wrong idea here.

Thanks

If you have reserved a club level room, that SHOULD be done for you! That is what you are paying them for!

 

[TammiMcMan]

Peter, I agree with the others that these are things the IPO staff should be doing for you. Unfortunately, I've had the same responses from some of the CM's. This is part of why Disney concierge cannot be confused or compared to concierge services at a high end resort. Their service is just way too unpredictable. Quite frankly, I probably would be PO'd enough to send an e-mail back asking just what exactly the increased price is getting me, if not assistance with pre-planning. I would ask for the name and direct contact for that CM's manager as well. That's just not acceptable.

 

[Lilysmom]

I'd like to get everyones opinion on how the concierge has responded to me.

If i have a request such as...

1. How can i reserve a cruise or

2. How do i book the child care club at the resort or

3. I'd like to take one the Epcot tours.

I asked one of those questions and they replied with a phone number and told me to call and book it myself.

Shouldn't the concierge give me info on the requests and offer to book it for me?

I'm curious if I justhave the wrong idea here.

Thanks

If you have the wrong idea than so do I. I just returned from a trip and we stayed WL Concierge and I was mildly disappointed. I thought the IPO staff was less than remarkable before we arrived and once we got there I found the staff on Club level to be less than amicable. We traveled with our three daughters the youngest of whom is 7 weeks old. Because the baby isn't really on any sort of a predictable schedule yet there were times that I would be walking her around CL and I'm going to assume that the CMs didn't see me. One night I overheard one of the CM remarking to another about how someone had requested a specific beer that wasn't in the fridge and how he should just be happy with what the selection was because it's free. That kind of irked me because the stuff isn't "free." It's all figured into the cost of your room which is why you pay upwards of $200 more/night to stay CL. They also started to break down the lounge every night around 9:45. One night my 2 and 4 year old went out for cookies and milk and the CM rolled her eyes and audibly sighed. The next night she passed a remark to another CM about people coming in at the last minute. I get that they want to get home and try to get a jump start on the cleaning but I shouldn't be made to feel like I'm inconveinencing them when it doesn't technically close until 10, KWIM? I had booked the Yosemite Suite for my parents and when they checked in there were dead bugs behind the curtains on the ledges that surrounded the balcony. When my father called conceirge to have it taken care of they told him to call housekeeping. Overall we had a nice trip so I'm not complaining but it certainly isn't the level of service I was expecting and having paid a little over $1500/night for the two rooms I wasn't that impressed. We are supposed to be staying again for a November trip but I'm debating cancelling it and seeing if I can get CL somewhere else or just staying in a deluxe standard room.

 

[peter1706]

Thanks for your replies everyone... I've heard pretty good things about this particular CM but i thought these types of responses were odd.

I'm working with CR/GF IPO and they have been better this time than a trip i had some time ago but still...

 

[peter1706]

If you have the wrong idea than so do I. One night I overheard one of the CM remarking to another about how someone had requested a specific beer that wasn't in the fridge and how he should just be happy with what the selection was because it's free. .

Wow that is pretty bad! It is a shame there are some CMs like that.

I've been lucky that the concierge staff i've met while there have been great even if the pre-planning hasn't been.

 

[CastleLight]

Thanks for your replies everyone... I've heard pretty good things about this particular CM but i thought these types of responses were odd.

I'm working with CR/GF IPO and they have been better this time than a trip i had some time ago but still...

Just to add my 2 cents...
We just returned from our honeymoon trip, part of which was spent at the GF RPC before going abroad. I made very few requests of the IPO or the CMs on site (I made the majority of my own ADRs including waking up at the crack of dawn to reserve the coveted V&As chef's table and to book one of the GF cabanas). The one request I made to IPO was to have a congratulations-type card from one of the characters sent to my husband. I knew he would really get a kick out of that. It didn't arrive day 1. I asked about it on day 2 and was assured it would come - in fact I was told they put in another request just to be sure - it didn't come. Again I asked on day 3 - it never arrived. I just find this to be inexcusable - that we are paying for a service and such a simple request can't be satisfied.

I love the GF - but they really need to work on training the CMs. It used to be a flawless experience where your every wish was granted.

 

[peter1706]

I'm sorry that you happened. I guess you never got the card?

I guess this is what Tammy means by unpredictable service.