Vent....Need to blow steam!

[mechurchlady]

Sorry, that's not how I meant it to sound - of course she should be able to order a cake. It's just that a 1 year old really doesn't give a mouse's butt what the cake looks like, as long as it can be smushed all over the place and taste good when some of it finally makes it to the mouth region. The OP seemed too stressed out on making a huge impression for a 1 yr old, IMO.

cough sputter cough


I was at ARiel's Grotto twice in the past week. I agree that too often the kids under 5 and especially 2 and under ofter do not really care if it was Cheech Marin dressed as a bunny or Ariel. the parents are the ones who want the baby to have a great party but the kids too often are busy playing with the crayons and stickers or even the tableware.

I do feel that us with special diets are often not treated fairly at DLR like I get blood orange sorbet, ptui, instead of chocolate candy or even one peice of something. NOT FAIR that we with allergens cannot have goodies. This time I brought from hoem the most yucky piece of cherry pie and ate what I could to show the chef that we can have real pastries and chocolates.

Waits for Sue to send me to the nap corner and take away my Dole Whip. Lucky I got on my deep pocket pants and keep plastic baggies for such situations.

 

[greenpea89]

I'm so sorry that you are feeling frustrated. I completely understand and sympathize. Having said that, I have ordered several cakes and the cake line has typically asked for my credit card number in our initial contact. I know they have access to email because at one point I was sent a photo of the cake we were interested in ordering. I would suggest trying to get that email address from your contact so that you can try to communicate directly with the GF bakery. If you are too frustrated to continue dealing with your contact CM then some ideas would be - if you are staying at a resort with private dining they can arrange a personalized cake (not with special decorations typically but personalized with your child's or DF's name) through private dining (try to give them as much advance notice as possible) also, the table service restaurants do have cakes on hand they just can't be personalized, be sure to request birthday stickers when you check in and have the baby and your DF wear them - you never know what will happen , my final suggestion would be to contact the Disney Florist, they also have email contact details, I would suggest requesting it from your contact CM, and they can make all sorts of wonderful and special birthday arrangements.
I agree with a previous poster that your BF will not be upset if he doesn't have a cake and that the focus is really your little one. It sounds as if your contact CM was trying to make something happen for your little one but there appears to be a lot of miscommunication and confusion on both sides. Can you request another supervising CM as your contact?
Best of luck and happy birthday to your baby and DF!

 

[Disneyadore]

This may sound stupid but I understand you are staying in the GF.

Didn't you receive an ip planner in your mail?
I got one and didn't even now they existed but they work wonders.

Please don't get frustrated because you're not alone.
Yesterday we received the phone bill and the costs for making dining reservations was way over 100 Euro's.
And this were only the dining reservations.

Not because I'm deaf but just because the language is difficult fore me to pronounce.
Frustrations is all around so I'm sending you big

 

[greenpea89]

One other quick note, the reason your were being asked to pay $90 instead of $46- may be because you are requesting a specialty cake. Specialty cakes, like the one you requested with pooh and friends on it, can be much higher than a standard cake at Disney. Specialty cakes at Disney can run into the hundreds (yep, that's plural) of dollars. It depends on the size and complexity of the cake. Sorry, I just remembered that we ordered a Princess cake one time that cost more than you were being asked to pay so that might be where the price discrepancy is coming into play. Again, best of luck and I hope you can get it worked out!

 

[kimsuenew]

Firstly, huge hugs for you Tammy . I'm so sorry you're having such problems organising a special trip for your family. I know it may not feel like it now, but you guys will have a magical holiday, whatever you end up doing.

I'm sorry I can't offer a huge amount of help, but I'll give you what I can. Keep chasing your contact until you get what you need. Work out exactly what it is you want from them, and stick to your guns. If you just want any nice cake with a candle in it, at a certain restaurant or location, tell them that; if you want a particular flavour, design or size, let them know what you're willing to be flexible about (e.g. location). I'm sure you've already done this, and I don't mean to suggest you don't know what to do (you sound like you're handling them pretty well already!), you just have to make sure they know what you will and will not compromise on.

If they have problems with something, or are too vague, ask if you can email one of the chefs to discuss it directly with them. Disney do try to do right by their Guests, but unfortunately they're a big company and things do get lost in the pipelines (I'm not saying this is an excuse for all the trouble you've been through, of course).

If anyone has any special dietary needs, talk to Brenda Bennett about special cakes.

As to not getting a response on the TTY, this isn't acceptable, and isn't very 'Disney'. Write a letter of complaint to them, outlining exactly what problems you've had, how long you've been trying to arrange this, and how you feel they can fix things (getting people to answer their textphones, would help for a start!). I've heard very good reports of Disney's complaints' department, so hopefully you'll get a satisfactory resolution.

I don't know if this has been discussed on another thread, so I'll just be brief. Your DF might find touring the parks easier if you rent an ECV, so he can speed around with you all day. To take some of the stress off your back, you could talk to Guest Relations at the first park you go to about getting a Guest Assistance Card, to allow you to use your DD's stroller as a wheelchair. This will let you take it into lines and pavillions, so you don't have to carry her. I've heard mixed reviews on how easy it is to get a GAC for this, but if you have any problems just ask to speak to a supervisor. Information on both ECV rentals and GACs can be found in the FAQ section, if you haven't considered these yet.

I hope none of this sounds patronising; I most certainly don't want to suggest that you don't know what you're doing! I just know how easy it is to get locked into these things, especially when you're so emotionally invested in the results, and sometimes a fresh pair of eyes can push you in another direction.

Good luck, and I hope you have a truly wonderful time!

I believe the child would have to have the disability in order to use a GAC accomodation (stroller as wheelchair), not the parent. Perhaps not, that was just my understanding. The intention of the GAC is that it will allow the guest with a disability to enjoy/partake in the parks the same as a non-disabled person... it accomodates the guests needs. Sue would be an awesome person to ask about this (mod in the disability section). OP, I hope you have a magical trip! A baby turning one is lots of fun!

 

[mechurchlady]

In theory the mother could get the stroller as a wheelchair GAC for her child or herself, not sure which, as she cannot carry the child. I saw a pregnant grandmother with a stroller in line at Innoventions at DLR. There was no way she was carrying that child around in her statethus she got that GAC to take the stroller into the rides.

 

[OneLittleSpark]

I believe the child would have to have the disability in order to use a GAC accomodation (stroller as wheelchair), not the parent. Perhaps not, that was just my understanding. The intention of the GAC is that it will allow the guest with a disability to enjoy/partake in the parks the same as a non-disabled person... it accomodates the guests needs. Sue would be an awesome person to ask about this (mod in the disability section). OP, I hope you have a magical trip! A baby turning one is lots of fun!

Kim, this is a good point, and I wasn't certain either way on it. I thought I'd heard people here saying they had got such a GAC, but I also remember other people saying they had problems getting one. The OP could argue that it is to allow her daughter to enjoy the parks, as they would have to cut their days shorter without the GAC, but I can see that some CMs might insist that only the person with the disability can have one. Tough situation. I hope that a bit of persuasive talking (to a supervisor if necessary) and Disney magic will sort everything out

Good luck Tammy, and I hope you get all you wish for!

 

[Tammy296]

This may sound stupid but I understand you are staying in the GF.

Didn't you receive an ip planner in your mail?
I got one and didn't even now they existed but they work wonders.

Please don't get frustrated because you're not alone.
Yesterday we received the phone bill and the costs for making dining reservations was way over 100 Euro's.
And this were only the dining reservations.

Not because I'm deaf but just because the language is difficult fore me to pronounce.
Frustrations is all around so I'm sending you big


We aren't staying at the Grand Floridian as far as I know...

 

[Tammy296]

This may sound stupid but I understand you are staying in the GF.

Didn't you receive an ip planner in your mail?
I got one and didn't even now they existed but they work wonders.

Please don't get frustrated because you're not alone.
Yesterday we received the phone bill and the costs for making dining reservations was way over 100 Euro's.
And this were only the dining reservations.

Not because I'm deaf but just because the language is difficult fore me to pronounce.
Frustrations is all around so I'm sending you big

Oops I was trying to respond to this poster and wasn't sure how!

 

[SueM in MN]

I believe the child would have to have the disability in order to use a GAC accomodation (stroller as wheelchair), not the parent. Perhaps not, that was just my understanding. The intention of the GAC is that it will allow the guest with a disability to enjoy/partake in the parks the same as a non-disabled person... it accomodates the guests needs. Sue would be an awesome person to ask about this (mod in the disability section). OP, I hope you have a magical trip! A baby turning one is lots of fun!

A stroller as a wheelchair for the baby could be given as an accommodation for a mother with a disability that prevents her from being able to carry the child in line, as people without a disability would do.
The person would need to be able to explain their need pretty well in order to get it as an accommodation for themselves. In the case of the OP, if she uses sign language to speak, she needs her hands free to speak. If she doesn't have anyone else in her party who could carry the child, a stroller as a wheelchair could be a reasonable accommodation for her needs.

 

[chaospearl]

Just to clear something up...

As I understand it, the OP is upset NOT because she wants a free cake, but because Disney won't even allow her to start the planning process and hear which cakes are available until she forks over her CC number. What the OP wants is to talk to somebody who can help her decide on the perfect cake(s) by telling her what is available, how much it costs, and where and when it can be provided -- and THEN she'll decide what she wants to do, and pay for it.

The thing is, Disney is always going to ask for a CC number before you can get down to the nitty gritty and order a cake. However they will not CHARGE your credit card unless you do indeed settle on a cake and choose to purchase it. There is no harm in giving the CC number and then talking to the cake person about what's available and the costs involved. If you don't hear any options for cakes that you like, or you think you're being charged too much, you don't have to buy one just because you told the person your CC number at the beginning of the call. They ask for the CC number to ensure that you're serious and willing to make a deposit for your cake(s). Providing the number doesn't mean you'll be charged just for talking to the cake person. You still have to agree to the cake you want and the price you'll pay before they charge your card, even if you gave them the number already. You can give them the number, hear about all the possible things they can do, and still decide not to order anything at all.

I hope that helps a little.

Jenni

 

[DisneyFanGuy]

I wanted to mention something. I understand how incredibly frustrating it is to hit a brick wall. Whenever we have had it happen at Disney we have asked to be transferred to a supervisor until we finally get to someone who can resolve our issue. The front line CMs, and sometimes even the Leads may not understand or have experience with the issue. The Supervisors and Area Managers always do. Like 10 years ago I began doing that, and it was like a light went on in my brain, and now as soon as we hit a roadblock we ask for a supervisor, and magically we are wisked away to someone who can help us.

 

[Talking Hands]

I think I can understand her not wanting to give a CC# unless she is actually going to buy the specific cake. If I understand her, she is doing all this through a relay operator via TTY. (This is a 3rd party who takes what the deaf person types and speaks it to the hearing person and vice versa. It can make communication very frustrating) These operators are not supposed to reveal anything said between the 2 parties (confidentiality) or take a person's CC# and use it. Unfortunately it does happen. If she could talk to the person directly through TTY she would probably feel more comfortable. I know I don't feel comfortable giving a CC# through the relay operator although I have no problem with doing it through a videophone operator. The reason is simple. Videophone operators are sign language interpreters and have a Code of Ethics they have to live by. If they were to steal a CC# from a person via videophone interpreting and it was found out they could lose their certification. Of course she may only have a TTY and not a videophone. Not every deaf person knows and uses sign language. Hopefully she was able to contact the person I suggested and he has been able to work things out for her.

 

[Cynt]

Time to call one of your hearing family members/friends so the two of you can call the CM and get this issue resolved. Afterwards go and have a good stiff drink and a laugh about how a simple call for two BDay cakes turned into a frustrating experience. Hey, that's what friends are for right?

 

[DCDisney]

Have you considered using a Disney specialist travel agent? I used an agent and they handled everything from special requests to dining reservations for me and we did everything via email. All the allergy stuff was noted onmy reservations, etc. They did better for me than I do when I do it myself. If you already made a reservation yourself you can still transfer it to an agent to get that extra specialized attention. I used the mouse for less but I know there are others who give the same type of service and go through email.

 

[Talking Hands]

Time to call one of your hearing family members/friends so the two of you can call the CM and get this issue resolved. Afterwards go and have a good stiff drink and a laugh about how a simple call for two BDay cakes turned into a frustrating experience. Hey, that's what friends are for right?

Sounds like a good solution but I know some deaf people who are fiercely independant and would not even consider this option. And if they do consider it, it is often the interpreter friend who gets asked do help. I know I am constantly asked to call daughter or auntie, etc when I am with my deaf friends from church or on trips. On a trip I may be the only so called hearing person with the group. I am hard of hearing.