WDW Summary of NEW DAS changes and Disney Genie - Post ONE is an updated summary

[MKTokyo]

My family member's experience:

8:35 am - into the queue
2:25 pm - "Your message has been transferred to our Video Chat Pre-Registration Team" (no gatekeeper)
2:33 pm - video chat agent arrived, asked questions, started chat immediately
2:40 pm - done with video chat, into queue for advance selections
2:46 pm - chat agent arrived
3:30 pm - finished

I'm a little surprised - I can see the selections in MDE and they booked through 12/12. I thought the chat agents would only do 30 days out? Maybe I misunderstood.

 

[CJN]

My family member's experience:

8:35 am - into the queue
2:25 pm - "Your message has been transferred to our Video Chat Pre-Registration Team" (no gatekeeper)
2:33 pm - video chat agent arrived, asked questions, started chat immediately
2:40 pm - done with video chat, into queue for advance selections
2:46 pm - chat agent arrived
3:30 pm - finished

Your times are very close to what mine were today - about seven hours. Thankfully once the process actually started there wasn’t much delay between steps.

 

[jlundeen]

Well, I got online at 6:00 CT (7 ET) and got in queue to do pre-registration using my Chromebook. After 1-1/2 hours, agent came on, and we filled out forms for each person in my party. He passed me on to the next agent, who picked up about an hour later. That person could not get my video chat to work despite trying everything she knew, and told me I'd have to try again with a different device.

So, I logged in with my laptop at 9:41 CT and am still waiting for the first agent to pick up (over 5 hours!).

This system is anything but customer friendly. Will update if/when anyone ever even picks up.

Reply to my above post (all times are Central Zone):

Yesterday, after the fiasco with my first call, I got on again at 9:41, and finally gave up after 5-1/2 hours - for a total of over 11 hours wasted while simply WAITING for someone to pick up.

Today, I again got into the queue at 6:01 (CDT), and waited until 7:19 when the first agent picked up. After filling out the same forms from yesterday for my parties information, he then put me into the video chat queue at 7:32, and I'm still waiting over 2 hours later for someone to pickup.

I just don't see how this is acceptable to anyone... pardon my frustration. This is really a terrible customer experience.

While the CMs are pleasant and very helpful when you finally do get to chat with them, the amount of time wasted really seems like they are caught in the middle of a very poorly designed process.

 

[Splashboat]

I'm a little surprised - I can see the selections in MDE and they booked through 12/12. I thought the chat agents would only do 30 days out? Maybe I misunderstood.

We have been waiting until 30 days from our last day. Are you saying that has changed?

 

[jlundeen]

Reply to my above post (all times are Central Zone):

Yesterday, after the fiasco with my first call, I got on again at 9:41, and finally gave up after 5-1/2 hours - for a total of over 11 hours wasted while simply WAITING for someone to pick up.

Today, I again got into the queue at 6:01 (CDT), and waited until 7:19 when the first agent picked up. After filling out the same forms from yesterday for my parties information, he then put me into the video chat queue at 7:32, and I'm still waiting over 2 hours later for someone to pickup.

I just don't see how this is acceptable to anyone... pardon my frustration. This is really a terrible customer experience.

While the CMs are pleasant and very helpful when you finally do get to chat with them, the amount of time wasted really seems like they are caught in the middle of a very poorly designed process.

Once again after 4 hours today (after 11 hours yesterday) I was unable to get a video to work. Agent tried sending several times, and something must be blocking on my computer.

For those who have been successful, what browser are you using - I was using Chrome this time, and she claimed many are having trouble with Chrome.

Very frustrated - any ideas are welcome.

 

[MKTokyo]

We have been waiting until 30 days from our last day. Are you saying that has changed?

I'm not sure? I told them I read it was 30 days and they said they were able to book length of stay. This is not my DAS but I can see it in MDE and absolutely they have bookings farther than 30 days out.

 

[jlundeen]

Once again after 4 hours today (after 11 hours yesterday) I was unable to get a video to work. Agent tried sending several times, and something must be blocking on my computer.

For those who have been successful, what browser are you using - I was using Chrome this time, and she claimed many are having trouble with Chrome.

Very frustrated - any ideas are welcome.

Another day, another 6 hours wasted trying to get the video chat portion of the pre-registration to connect.

Today, I used my Windows 10 laptop with Edge browser, turned off pop-up blocker, and cookie blocker, camera and microphone both confirmed to be ON, and logged in to the Disney Website... agent again tried several times to send invitation, but never got any kind of response and I never saw it. The forms portion of the online chat works fine... I receive the form, fill it out, and submit. But there is something wonky about the video invitation.

Yesterday, I tried having my daughter invite me to a zoom meeting, which while different in that it uses email to deliver the invitation, I knew my camera and microphone worked fine.

So for anyone keeping track... that's now 23 hours I have spent waiting by my browser, occasionally communicating with very well meaning CMs in small intervals, without success. At the end of each call, they had to move on to the next caller and could only suggest "trying again with a different device".

So far, I've tried my brand new Chromebook (fail), my laptop using Chrome as the browser (fail), and my laptop with Edge as the browser (fail).

If it wasn't 6 hours of waiting before you know whether a different device/browser/whatever will actually work, I would try with my daughter's IPad....

Tomorrow I will try to see if I can reach a Disney Tech Support person to help try to figure it out.

 

[Liquidice]

Another day, another 6 hours wasted trying to get the video chat portion of the pre-registration to connect.

Today, I used my Windows 10 laptop with Edge browser, turned off pop-up blocker, and cookie blocker, camera and microphone both confirmed to be ON, and logged in to the Disney Website... agent again tried several times to send invitation, but never got any kind of response and I never saw it. The forms portion of the online chat works fine... I receive the form, fill it out, and submit. But there is something wonky about the video invitation.

Yesterday, I tried having my daughter invite me to a zoom meeting, which while different in that it uses email to deliver the invitation, I knew my camera and microphone worked fine.

So for anyone keeping track... that's now 23 hours I have spent waiting by my browser, occasionally communicating with very well meaning CMs in small intervals, without success. At the end of each call, they had to move on to the next caller and could only suggest "trying again with a different device".

So far, I've tried my brand new Chromebook (fail), my laptop using Chrome as the browser (fail), and my laptop with Edge as the browser (fail).

If it wasn't 6 hours of waiting before you know whether a different device/browser/whatever will actually work, I would try with my daughter's IPad....

Tomorrow I will try to see if I can reach a Disney Tech Support person to help try to figure it out.

That is weird - I used Microsoft Edge too and it worked fine for me. When you are on the Disneyworld.com website, if you click on the "lock" icon, does it show Camera and Microphone permissions as Allow?

Here is how mine is setup for Microsoft Edge:

 

[jlundeen]

That is weird - I used Microsoft Edge too and it worked fine for me. When you are on the Disneyworld.com website, if you click on the "lock" icon, does it show Camera and Microphone permissions as Allow?

Here is how mine is setup for Microsoft Edge:

View attachment 620579

THANK YOU... some of these were set to ASK here, even though my network setting were set to ALLOW for camera and microphone..... I guess that mean I have to endure another ?? hours seeing if this works....

I appreciate it, I never knew this display was here!!

 

[Liquidice]

THANK YOU... some of these were set to ASK here, even though my network setting were set to ALLOW for camera and microphone..... I guess that mean I have to endure another ?? hours seeing if this works....

I appreciate it, I never knew this display was here!!

If they were set to ASK, the browser should have had a popup saying something like "disneyworld.disney.go.com wants to use your Microphone?" and then a button to click to allow it and a similar message for your webcam. But its easy to miss seeing the popup and sometimes I've also seen it appear as a "tooltip" in other words a message appearing under the address bar that is much easier to miss. If you set these to "Allow" like I have set - it will work without prompting you to ask if you're sure you want to use it.

With that said, its possible changing these could solve your problem with the video chat.

If you have any kind of advanced antivirus protection that also monitors your web traffic, it is feasible that is also blocking the video chat too - you might see if you can temporarily disable any kind of Internet protection on your virus scan software.

 

[jlundeen]

I wonder if also the settings for the website override the settings for the network. I know I went into the network settings and disable the pop-up for the call, but reset it after the call. When I went into the site settings like you showed above, that was also blocked. But it may have been set that way as a default. I reset it to allow on the website, and then went back and looked at my network settings, which were still set to blocked. I went back and checked the website again after that, and it still had it as allow.

So I just wonder if the site settings override the default network settings on an individual website.

Thanks...I'll report back after another try.

 

[wishesdocometrue]

Just to give everyone an update on my experience today.. I started chat at 9:58(clicking the start button) and even responded "ok" to the blurb telling me that they were experiencing long wait times and continue to wait to pre-register.... and here I still sit at 5:26 waiting for someone to come on chat!! This is utter craziness!

 

[wishesdocometrue]

Just to give everyone an update on my experience today.. I started chat at 9:58(clicking the start button) and even responded "ok" to the blurb telling me that they were experiencing long wait times and continue to wait to pre-register.... and here I still sit at 5:26 waiting for someone to come on chat!! This is utter craziness!

Just wanted to give an update to my experience....Finally at 9:06 "THOR" texted back.. and texted me the form to fill out did that and almost immediately was transferred to "HOLLY" she then asked me my email that's associated with my MDE which I gave her. Then she comes back and says I can't help you as it seems there are multiple accounts associated with that email and to call IT( and then gives me the generic Disney number) to call tomorrow, and once that is straightened out I can then pre-register...really after 11 hours I have to call IT then start the process again...I think I will wait until we are there and spend 5 minutes at GS!!

 

[SarahC97]

Just wanted to give an update to my experience....Finally at 9:06 "THOR" texted back.. and texted me the form to fill out did that and almost immediately was transferred to "HOLLY" she then asked me my email that's associated with my MDE which I gave her. Then she comes back and says I can't help you as it seems there are multiple accounts associated with that email and to call IT( and then gives me the generic Disney number) to call tomorrow, and once that is straightened out I can then pre-register...really after 11 hours I have to call IT then start the process again...I think I will wait until we are there and spend 5 minutes at GS!!

That's nuts! If I were you, I agree, I'd just wait until you get there. The pre-selections don't seem worth all this trouble!

 

[SueM in MN]

I'm a little surprised - I can see the selections in MDE and they booked through 12/12. I thought the chat agents would only do 30 days out? Maybe I misunderstood.

The WDW website DAS information still says all park days must be between 30 and 2 days from the live chat.

We have been waiting until 30 days from our last day. Are you saying that has changed?

it still says the same thing on the website - my bold
« During the registration chat, you will be able to work with a Cast Member to book up to 2 one-hour return windows for select experiences using our new DAS Advance planning option (you may also make additional DAS selections on the day of your visit). Please note that all park visits must be within 30 to 2 days of the live chat. »

I'm not sure? I told them I read it was 30 days and they said they were able to book length of stay. This is not my DAS but I can see it in MDE and absolutely they have bookings farther than 30 days out.

It does still say 30 days on the WDW website, but I wonder if they are booking the DAS Advance Selections for length of stay when guests have a WDW resort reservation linked on My Disney Experience app. Just from things I’ve read, people have been calling back again to get further out days, so doing length of stay might decrease the number of call backs. I can’t imagine a lot of people are staying more than 30 days at a WDW resort at a time, so it can’t involve a large number of people.

 

[wishesdocometrue]

That's nuts! If I were you, I agree, I'd just wait until you get there. The pre-selections don't seem worth all this trouble!

At this point that is what I will probably do. He's had the DAS for many years so it won't be a problem just very frustrating. And I will call IT this week to straighten that out as it also seems I have double family members linked as well!!

 

[jlundeen]

Well, another 5 hours spent today, and finally talked to the video chat agent, Ronald. He tried his best to figure out what is blocking the invitation from them. We looked at every setting we could find, including my antivirus internet connections and there was just nothing we could find.

So, I'll try calling IT Technical support - but of course get the message "we're sorry, all circuits are busy now, please try your call later".

So...total hours spent on this "great advancement" over the last 4 days is: 27-1/2

So many other things I could have been doing instead of waiting around for this horrendous "Great Advancement!"

 

[Liquidice]

Well, another 5 hours spent today, and finally talked to the video chat agent, Ronald. He tried his best to figure out what is blocking the invitation from them. We looked at every setting we could find, including my antivirus internet connections and there was just nothing we could find.

So, I'll try calling IT Technical support - but of course get the message "we're sorry, all circuits are busy now, please try your call later".

So...total hours spent on this "great advancement" over the last 4 days is: 27-1/2

So many other things I could have been doing instead of waiting around for this horrendous "Great Advancement!"

Sorry it still isn't working for you, I was really hoping the "Allow" for Microphone and Video would help.

 

[sandlsmom]

Started the chat at 11:17 this morning and STILL nothing. Going on 8 hours. They shut down in 2 hours!

 

[Splashboat]

Started the chat at 11:17 this morning and STILL nothing. Going on 8 hours. They shut down in 2 hours!

They disconnected me at 8:30 last night, after 7 hours