GADISNEYGIRL
<font color=red>Maelstromer!<br><font color=purple
- Joined
- Sep 8, 2003
- Messages
- 1,227
Here's the situation: DH and I have always been Disney freaks (as is DS, 3.5). According to Disney's computer, we've made 23 trips...and we've only been married 7 years!! In all that time, we've never booked a package, just room only, and purchased tickets separately.
A few months ago, a family that we're very close to (their youngest daughter and our DS are best friends) mentioned that they'd like to take DDs to WDW, but would like to go with us, as their "Disney experts". After lots of discussion, we began planning a trip with them in February. Our family is planning our "long" vacation in January, and decided long ago that we'd purchase APs for next year. In July, DH, DS and I went on a crazy spur of the moment trip (just overnight), and had a great time. When I told the other family about it, the mom said, Oh, that would be so much fun, we wouldn't even have to go in the parks (we didn't, that trip). She and I had been talking about doing some sort of girls' weekend, anyway, so we decided to go to WDW for shopping/eating. THEN, we found out that the free dining had been extended, so DH and I started looking into the package. Of course, you have to purchase tickets to get the package. DH (my resident Disney caller) called THREE separate times to ask questions about the package. Each time, he explained the situation, which culminated in the fact that our friends (the mom and dad) would use the "package" tickets that we were purchasing for our September girls' weekend~even though only the mom (and myself) would be coming as part of the "package" in September. THREE times, the CM said yes, fine, no problem.
OUR problem was that the first CM we talked to said we would not need the No Expiration Option, because if we never used the tickets in September (we weren't), they wouldn't be activated until they were actually used (in February). Second CM (when we called to ask MORE questions), said we WOULD have to buy the No Expiration, because it would be "activated" when we (the mom and I) checked in to the resort in September. He even went away from the phone to ask someone else. So, one for, one against. I posted on here, and was told that NO, the tickets would not be activated until their first use (which would be in February)~which meant we didn't have to buy the NoExp option. Third phone call to WDW, with more questions. YES, you DO have to buy the NoExp option.
Finally, we decided to go ahead and book the package, and we would just pay the extra for the No Exp option, just in case. DH calls to book, FOURTH CM says great, fine, you're booked, and NO, you DO NOT NEED THE NO EXP OPTION. SHE goes and asks someone else. So we booked it without that option.
Are you keeping track here? FOUR different CMs have now heard our entire story (including HOW we were planning to use the tickets, and WHO was planning to use them). 2 said we needed the NoExp Option, 2 said we didn't.
Last night, DH calls again, just to check (break the tie, I guess). CM #5 says we DO need the NoExp option. However, DH said she didn't seem to "with it" on some of his questions, so he thanked her, hung up, and called back.
CM #6 listens to our story, and says the NoExp option doesn't matter, because Dad (of other family) can't use the ticket in February, anyway. Huh?? Now remember, we've never booked a package before, so we aren't familiar with them. And not ONE of the other 5 CMs we spoke with have mentioned that another person will not be able to use the (never used) ticket~and they all have been aware of our plan, that is, that Dad would use MY ticket, as I won't have need of it, being (at the time) an AP Holder. Well, after about 45 minutes on the phone with this CM, during which time she checked with Guest Services about our options (because we also noticed on our confirmation that there was a $100 fee for cancelling the package~which also was NEVER mentioned to us), DH and I both were pretty upset. The other family had already paid us the money for the September trip: her half of the room, plus the two tickets, since THEY were going to use them in February, not us. We had put the entire amount on our credit card. Finally the CM comes back and says they will cancel the package at no charge, and give us an AP room rate if we still wanted to come. DH explained that we would first have to check with the other family, to see what they wanted to do. She didn't seem to understand that, which was kind of silly, because it was the other family's involvement that had caused the whole situation, anyway! DH asked if there was any way he could call back and talk to her. No, she said, but she would make all the appropriate notations in the computer, so that whoever we talked with would be able to help us. DH hangs up the phone, with both of us extremely frustrated.
Immediately, the phone rings. It's the other family, inviting us over for an evening swim. We head over there (all two blocks), and begin explaining the situation. Mom says, that's fine, whatever you want to do... Because the only difference for the September trip is that now our dining isn't included. She said she was willing to pay for her meals, so it will all work out. Since they've already paid us the money for their tickets, we'll go ahead and purchase their tickets (separately), and we'll still be good to go.
Arrive back home, DH calls again. Different CM (this makes #7). She confirms that Dad will not be able to use my ticket in February. We begin to work on a solution (cancel the pkg, rebook room only, etc). Only guess what?? There were NO notations in the computer that any of that 45 minute conversation had ever happened. No cancelling without penalty notation, no AP room rate notation, nothing. So then SHE has to call Guest Services. Finally she came back and said that we COULD cancel without penalty, but could not get an AP room rate (since we are not currently AP holders). Fine. Cancelled the package, booked room at regular rate. Then DH asked about purchasing the tickets. She resisted, saying that she feared we would have the same situation, if WE paid for the tickets...that other family would not be able to use them.
Now isn't this a little ridiculous? Don't thousands of people go to Disney annually, and one person is responsible for making all arrangements for their entire party?? So fine, we didn't purchase the tickets last night. (But keep in mind, we will have to eventually, because they've already paid us the money~which we paid to our credit card company~and we can't just write them a check for the amount at this time!)
I know it will all work out, it is only going to cost us our meals (over what we've already paid, I mean), but we are very, very frustrated with calling Disney. FIVE CMs told us our plan was fine (although they couldn't tell us, definitively, whether we would need the NoExp Option or not~~more frustration and confusion). Then TWO CMs said no, Dad could not use ticket in February which was purchased in September (well, actually purchased in August).
Had we known that, we never would've booked the package, period. We only did it because of the free dining~and in order to get that, we had to buy the tickets. Also, it was helping other family out financially, because they could pay for their tickets now, thereby reducing their cost for the February trip. (Still have to buy tickets for DDs then.)
Remember, too, that we were planning to go in September even before we knew about the free dining. When we found out about it, we made THREE phone calls explaining the situation and asking questions BEFORE we ever called to actually book the package.
Ironically, DH took the Disney Institute training on Disney's way of Quality Service (back in February). Even more ironic, last weekend he presented their program to a church group (this is legal; companies/businesses send one or two people, who then take it back to their company and "teach" it to them~in DH's case, he is a pastor, so his "company" is the church).
So our question is, WHERE IS DISNEY'S CUSTOMER SERVICE??? Ideally, we would have been told up front that we were proposing wasn't allowed. But since we had FIVE CMs approve us, and #SIX said no, it seems that they could have issued a separate (paper) ticket that Dad would be able to use in February (if they were truly interested in customer service). My reasoning for that is that this WAS NOT our fault. There was no mis-communication, or withholding of information on our part. FIVE times we explained in detail what we were hoping. FIVE times we were told that would be fine.
Even though we are still going through with our girls' weekend, now there is a damper on it. And there will be, as well, for all of the (MANY) trip we have planned for 2006, including that February trip we have planned with this other family.
In fact, as we were explaining all of this to them last night, their response was, "I guess Disney is just like everyone else." Yep, it seems that they are.
A few months ago, a family that we're very close to (their youngest daughter and our DS are best friends) mentioned that they'd like to take DDs to WDW, but would like to go with us, as their "Disney experts". After lots of discussion, we began planning a trip with them in February. Our family is planning our "long" vacation in January, and decided long ago that we'd purchase APs for next year. In July, DH, DS and I went on a crazy spur of the moment trip (just overnight), and had a great time. When I told the other family about it, the mom said, Oh, that would be so much fun, we wouldn't even have to go in the parks (we didn't, that trip). She and I had been talking about doing some sort of girls' weekend, anyway, so we decided to go to WDW for shopping/eating. THEN, we found out that the free dining had been extended, so DH and I started looking into the package. Of course, you have to purchase tickets to get the package. DH (my resident Disney caller) called THREE separate times to ask questions about the package. Each time, he explained the situation, which culminated in the fact that our friends (the mom and dad) would use the "package" tickets that we were purchasing for our September girls' weekend~even though only the mom (and myself) would be coming as part of the "package" in September. THREE times, the CM said yes, fine, no problem.
OUR problem was that the first CM we talked to said we would not need the No Expiration Option, because if we never used the tickets in September (we weren't), they wouldn't be activated until they were actually used (in February). Second CM (when we called to ask MORE questions), said we WOULD have to buy the No Expiration, because it would be "activated" when we (the mom and I) checked in to the resort in September. He even went away from the phone to ask someone else. So, one for, one against. I posted on here, and was told that NO, the tickets would not be activated until their first use (which would be in February)~which meant we didn't have to buy the NoExp option. Third phone call to WDW, with more questions. YES, you DO have to buy the NoExp option.
Finally, we decided to go ahead and book the package, and we would just pay the extra for the No Exp option, just in case. DH calls to book, FOURTH CM says great, fine, you're booked, and NO, you DO NOT NEED THE NO EXP OPTION. SHE goes and asks someone else. So we booked it without that option.
Are you keeping track here? FOUR different CMs have now heard our entire story (including HOW we were planning to use the tickets, and WHO was planning to use them). 2 said we needed the NoExp Option, 2 said we didn't.
Last night, DH calls again, just to check (break the tie, I guess). CM #5 says we DO need the NoExp option. However, DH said she didn't seem to "with it" on some of his questions, so he thanked her, hung up, and called back.
CM #6 listens to our story, and says the NoExp option doesn't matter, because Dad (of other family) can't use the ticket in February, anyway. Huh?? Now remember, we've never booked a package before, so we aren't familiar with them. And not ONE of the other 5 CMs we spoke with have mentioned that another person will not be able to use the (never used) ticket~and they all have been aware of our plan, that is, that Dad would use MY ticket, as I won't have need of it, being (at the time) an AP Holder. Well, after about 45 minutes on the phone with this CM, during which time she checked with Guest Services about our options (because we also noticed on our confirmation that there was a $100 fee for cancelling the package~which also was NEVER mentioned to us), DH and I both were pretty upset. The other family had already paid us the money for the September trip: her half of the room, plus the two tickets, since THEY were going to use them in February, not us. We had put the entire amount on our credit card. Finally the CM comes back and says they will cancel the package at no charge, and give us an AP room rate if we still wanted to come. DH explained that we would first have to check with the other family, to see what they wanted to do. She didn't seem to understand that, which was kind of silly, because it was the other family's involvement that had caused the whole situation, anyway! DH asked if there was any way he could call back and talk to her. No, she said, but she would make all the appropriate notations in the computer, so that whoever we talked with would be able to help us. DH hangs up the phone, with both of us extremely frustrated.
Immediately, the phone rings. It's the other family, inviting us over for an evening swim. We head over there (all two blocks), and begin explaining the situation. Mom says, that's fine, whatever you want to do... Because the only difference for the September trip is that now our dining isn't included. She said she was willing to pay for her meals, so it will all work out. Since they've already paid us the money for their tickets, we'll go ahead and purchase their tickets (separately), and we'll still be good to go.
Arrive back home, DH calls again. Different CM (this makes #7). She confirms that Dad will not be able to use my ticket in February. We begin to work on a solution (cancel the pkg, rebook room only, etc). Only guess what?? There were NO notations in the computer that any of that 45 minute conversation had ever happened. No cancelling without penalty notation, no AP room rate notation, nothing. So then SHE has to call Guest Services. Finally she came back and said that we COULD cancel without penalty, but could not get an AP room rate (since we are not currently AP holders). Fine. Cancelled the package, booked room at regular rate. Then DH asked about purchasing the tickets. She resisted, saying that she feared we would have the same situation, if WE paid for the tickets...that other family would not be able to use them.
Now isn't this a little ridiculous? Don't thousands of people go to Disney annually, and one person is responsible for making all arrangements for their entire party?? So fine, we didn't purchase the tickets last night. (But keep in mind, we will have to eventually, because they've already paid us the money~which we paid to our credit card company~and we can't just write them a check for the amount at this time!)
I know it will all work out, it is only going to cost us our meals (over what we've already paid, I mean), but we are very, very frustrated with calling Disney. FIVE CMs told us our plan was fine (although they couldn't tell us, definitively, whether we would need the NoExp Option or not~~more frustration and confusion). Then TWO CMs said no, Dad could not use ticket in February which was purchased in September (well, actually purchased in August).
Had we known that, we never would've booked the package, period. We only did it because of the free dining~and in order to get that, we had to buy the tickets. Also, it was helping other family out financially, because they could pay for their tickets now, thereby reducing their cost for the February trip. (Still have to buy tickets for DDs then.)
Remember, too, that we were planning to go in September even before we knew about the free dining. When we found out about it, we made THREE phone calls explaining the situation and asking questions BEFORE we ever called to actually book the package.
Ironically, DH took the Disney Institute training on Disney's way of Quality Service (back in February). Even more ironic, last weekend he presented their program to a church group (this is legal; companies/businesses send one or two people, who then take it back to their company and "teach" it to them~in DH's case, he is a pastor, so his "company" is the church).
So our question is, WHERE IS DISNEY'S CUSTOMER SERVICE??? Ideally, we would have been told up front that we were proposing wasn't allowed. But since we had FIVE CMs approve us, and #SIX said no, it seems that they could have issued a separate (paper) ticket that Dad would be able to use in February (if they were truly interested in customer service). My reasoning for that is that this WAS NOT our fault. There was no mis-communication, or withholding of information on our part. FIVE times we explained in detail what we were hoping. FIVE times we were told that would be fine.
Even though we are still going through with our girls' weekend, now there is a damper on it. And there will be, as well, for all of the (MANY) trip we have planned for 2006, including that February trip we have planned with this other family.
In fact, as we were explaining all of this to them last night, their response was, "I guess Disney is just like everyone else." Yep, it seems that they are.
What a Pain. I know how frustrating it is to get all these different answers.
hehe ). I guess I can see a CM thinking he/she understands what you're asking - but there are so many variables involved that makes this type of reservation out of the ordinary.
)
