Well this really bites and I'm more than a bit upset with WDW!

[Mermaid_Ariel]

What cell plan do you have that doesn't have free night/weekend minutes? I didn't know that was possible??

I gotta chuckle at people who say WDW should provide an 800-number "because they can afford it." Personally, I think the airline should take me to WDW for free - after all, they're going there anyway!!

1) This is the best reason for no 1-800 line.
2) People use 1-800 to SELL product.
3) Calling after you "bought" a ressie is just added cost.
4) With no benefit to Disney.
5) Each line could cost $60,000-$80,000 per year, times 100-200 lines.
6) Why make everyone share these costs?
7) If I make a ressie with just one call, should I pay for you added calls?

These quotes sum up my sentiment on this topic.

 

[Ohana90]

not sure if this # was mentioned but I found a 800#.
1-800-828-0228

Was in the Passporter book. Says Walt disney Travel Co...maybe they can transfer you to ADRS next time. Worth a shot.

 

[strmtroopr96]

not sure if this # was mentioned but I found a 800#.
1-800-828-0228

Was in the Passporter book. Says Walt disney Travel Co...maybe they can transfer you to ADRS next time. Worth a shot.

This # hasn't been working since around October. We used to use this one all the time but actually have free long distance on our land line so don't need an 800 # anymore.

 

[fey_spirit]

You can get a phone card at the dollar store for about half an hour - that's how I keep my costs down when it comes time for Disney Dialing.

I just got my phone bill. My calls to make me resort and dining reservations has *so far* cost me $80!!!! That is totally unacceptable. The wait time is ridiculous and for there to not be an 800 number...... I'm usually pretty nonplussed by stuff like this but that is a lot of money! I'm going to send them a nice little email and let them in on the costs to their guests for this. This just isn't fair.

 

[patsal]

That's a whole lot of long distance, I find it difficult to believe that was for one call to make a reservation and one call to make ADR's. Even one more to tweek or change shouldn't cost that much. Disney doesn't want people calling every day to make day to day ADR's hence the plus 10, and they don't want to deal with those who want to change packages every other day. By making you pay for the call they figure if you bug them then it is on your dime. If your cell phone isn't working well to make LD calls you should stop ina nd talk to someone at your provider, when my cell was always "cracking up" with LD I stopped it, it was a defect in the phone, once replaced no issues!
I do not want the added cost of an 800 # driving up the cost of my trip. I book what I want when I can afford it, don't make changes and wait until about a month into the ADR timeframe to make my ADR's all at once. I think about any changes I want to make and then make them all at once, usually it is just to cancel something that I changed my mind about. Even if I revert to a phone line I think my most expensive call was for a last minute holiday trip and the total for LD was like $12--that was booking three rooms for three different families, and making ADR's for 9.
Best advice I can give is have all your information ready, do not call at 7am, and try to be sure that you are doing what you really want so you don't need to make changes. Though Disney opens up dining at 180 days, it is not difficult to get everything you want at 140 within 10-20 minutes of the times you prefer. Even at 30 there is stuff available with the exception of free dining which is something I'd never have the opportunity to do. The only thing I'd call for at 7am is a princess meal if I really cared about it.

 

[prettypixie]

Disney is obviously checking their bills or the DIS b/c the 800-711-4344 is no longer active

 

[fey_spirit]

On the other hand bet ya dollars to Mickey Bars that if it was on their dime they would streamline the process, and make dang sure their phone people had the right training to get it done in one call.

It's not so much that it's on my dime that bothers me. It's that Disney has the audacity to make me answer all of their freaking marketing questions on MY DIME. They're making me pay to let them collect information on me.

Then they don't bother training they're staff so you end of having to call back over and over again to get everything settled and track down the right answers... and they make me pay for that.

If they got it together I wouldn't mind, but as it stands it kind of ticks me off.

I disagree. While there is likely a better price for the bulk usage Disney would incur, 2.9¢* per minute, times the number of minutes each call takes, times the number of Guests and potential Guests who call every day, plus the base cost of the lines.... "not that large in the greater scheme"? Maybe. A relatively large expense which the merchant - Disney - does not have to incur because people will call anyway? Yes.

*typical rate I found in a very brief search

Okay. How much more would you be willing to pay for your vacation - your food, your room, your tickets, souvenirs - to offset the cost of toll-free lines?

 

[Mickey_Man]

An 800 number would really make more sense. What company's don't have one these days? My cell and home phone have all long distance included so i haven't really thought about it, but you're so right!

 

[Brian Noble]

Why don't they have an 800 number?

Because they know you'll call anyway.

 

[Alexander]

Man...I can't believe this thread is still alive! Geesh, if the OP had one dollar for each post, she would have her bill paid for!