Very Disappointed! Need Help...

[jmiralles]

My family is leaving for our WDW trip on 4/18, returning 4/24. We booked our hotel, PO Riverside and MYW park tickets through Amex travel. Prior to booking I confirmed with two separate guest services agents that we would be able to addthe dining plan to our Amex package, as long as we called prior the trip (48 hr rule).

I called today and Guest Services said they cannot add it because it was not booked through their travel service (legally they cannot change another agent's reservation). Guest services suggested that I have Amex call them to request the dining package be added, atating that it would go thru. Amex just called and Guest Services told them no.

Any suggestions on a creative work around for this problem (since Disney is unable to come up with one)?

J

 

[mirthmaiden]

I am by no means an expert on this, but I thought you could add the DDP all the way up until your check-in. Doesn't seem right to me. Maybe have your TA call and ask for a supervisor? Maybe somebody else knows more about this?

 

[jmiralles]

WDW Guest Services claims our reservation thru AMEX was really booked by Travelocity as a room only reservation, despite the fact that we have received a voucher for our park tickets from AMEX (according to their reservation system). WDW considers them a wholesaler and will not change the reservation to allow us to purchase anything else (eg. one day of park tickets to convert the reservation to a package, upgraded tickets, etc).

 

[Ryann]

I have no idea about the rules with the various travel agencies, but I can tell you that I booked my disneymoon in January (MYW package) and I called last week and added the DDP with no problems. The only tiny inconvienience was that I had to wait a few extra minutes because the CM that answered the phone was not able to go in and change my ressie, she had to get a higher up CM to do it.

 

[NU2WDW]

Sounds like AMEX has some splainin' to do.

 

[mirthmaiden]

WDW Guest Services claims our reservation thru AMEX was really booked by Travelocity as a room only reservation, despite the fact that we have received a voucher for our park tickets from AMEX (according to their reservation system). WDW considers them a wholesaler and will not change the reservation to allow us to purchase anything else (eg. one day of park tickets to convert the reservation to a package, upgraded tickets, etc).

You are too close to travel dates to cancel and rebook a package, unless you are prepared to pay the entire cost when you book while you wait for refunds on your room and tickets from AMEX (or Travelocity or whoever). And then, it's a question of availability. Being so close to spring break, that's iffy. Seems to me that your TA needs to get it straightend out. Maybe they could cancel and rebook the entire package themselves - of course absorbing the extra charges incurred. You have to have a package in order to get the DDP. It's worth checking. Good luck

 

[Nasus]

For our trip last May we decided to add dining after we had booked the package through Disney. I remember the CM saying that if we had changed within 45 days of our trip there would have been a fee. I'm not sure how you can change yours except to go through Amex?
Sorry for the disappointment.

 

[nbodyhome]

I am by no means an expert on this, but I thought you could add the DDP all the way up until your check-in. Doesn't seem right to me. Maybe have your TA call and ask for a supervisor? Maybe somebody else knows more about this?

No, you definitely can't add it at anytime (and not at check-in). It might be 48 hours, that I'm not sure of - but there is a point where Disney won't add it on anymore.

 

[nbodyhome]

WDW Guest Services claims our reservation thru AMEX was really booked by Travelocity as a room only reservation, despite the fact that we have received a voucher for our park tickets from AMEX (according to their reservation system). WDW considers them a wholesaler and will not change the reservation to allow us to purchase anything else (eg. one day of park tickets to convert the reservation to a package, upgraded tickets, etc).

That is certainly possible. Travelocity might have booked it as room-only and bundled it with tickets (not sure why they would do that), but this isn't something that Disney can fix as you didn't book it through them.

Do you have cancellation/change policies on your paperwork? Availability is really low for that time frame right now, so I am not sure you could cancel and rebook. But there should be something in your paperwork as to whether it is a room-only or package?

 

[Brian Noble]

While this doesn't help you this time, this is just one more example why it pays to book yourself or use a Disney specialist agency.

I've read enough horror stories about "general" agencies botching reservations that I'd never book through one.

 

[pixiedustholidays]

You have to call AMEX and insist that they change it to a magic your way package. They have booked room only and added passes a la carte, so it is not showing as a MYW package in the system, and you need this package to add DDP. It definitely can be done, but you will have to insist and go up the line until you find someone that can do it.

Good luck
Jen
Pixie Dust Holidays

 

[letsgoagainsoon]

I know you can't add it at check-in because we asked our AAA TA, if we decided to add it if we could at check-in and we were told no. I can't remember for sure, but I thought with AAA that you had to add it 2 weeks prior to arriving.

 

[Akelaknowsbest]

when we went last fall....really quick trip, last minute booking; they told me that to get the dining plan we needed to book a minimum of four days in advance. That was the rule as of the end of November/ beginning of December. We booked so that we could have the plan.

 

[Akelaknowsbest]

we booked directly with Disney.

 

[jmiralles]

Before moving ahead and booking with AMEX, I calles Guest Services and explained the ticket and hotel deal I received to confirm that it would be eligible for the Dining Package. Two separate reps confirmed it would be no problem, so we booked with AMEX.

To continue the frustration, I called Disney again this evening to confirm that our MYW base tickets could be upgraded upon arrival at the park. They confirmed yet again that "it would be no problem", but I don't trust the competency level of the reps at this point.

 

[Pacha]

Before moving ahead and booking with AMEX, I calles Guest Services and explained the ticket and hotel deal I received to confirm that it would be eligible for the Dining Package. Two separate reps confirmed it would be no problem, so we booked with AMEX.

To continue the frustration, I called Disney again this evening to confirm that our MYW base tickets could be upgraded upon arrival at the park. They confirmed yet again that "it would be no problem", but I don't trust the competency level of the reps at this point.

Actually what they told you was correct. The base tickets can be upgraded upon arrival to include the water parks or add the park hopper option or the no expiration option. Actually you can upgrade your tickets even after you start using them. BUT the dinning plan isn't part of the tickets. It is linked to your room booking. If you book for say 10 nights, with the dining plan you will have 10 days of dinning, but you only need park tickets for one day

 

[jmiralles]

Thanks Pacha, hopefully we will be ok on tkt upgrade.

As info, I tried to purchase one day of tickets with the rep today to convert my "roon only" to a package (even though we have 6 days worth of MYW tickets) in hopes that it would ake us eligible for DDP. No luck...she said they could not change that room res at all because it was booked through another agent.

My only consolation is that we probably saved enough on our AMEX hotel, air, ticket deal that it will offset the out of pocket cost of dining in the park.

 

[Luv2Roam]

Adding dining to a WDTC MYW package has always been 72 hours (3 days) prior to check-in.

 

[JimMIA]

Whatever Disney CRO tells you in answer to hypothetical questions, if you have a problem with your vacation details, the problem lies with the agent you booked through. Only they could have messed your ressie up, and only they can straighten it out -- if, in fact, it's fixable at all.

You need to be all over whoever you booked through...not complaining about people who had nothing whatsoever to do with your problem.

CRO CMs answer questions to the best of their ability. If you book through Disney CRO and they mess you up, you certainly have every right to complain about their performance or lack of performance. But that's not the case here. You didn't book anything through Disney CRO...for whatever reasons.

Your agent is the problem.

 

[Luv2Roam]

I agree with JimMIA.
AmEx owns the reservation. Only they can change it. (As it is with any TA.)
Calling Disney is really not going to help you. They can't creatively come up with a solution that AmEx created.