notatallmagic
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Oct 21, 2014
I've traveled a bunch, including 4 multiple day trips to Disney resorts in the past 6 years. I just returned from a total mess of a trip that I hosted as a gift for 10 family members, as my mother has been diagnosed with Alzheimers, and we wanted to create memories with her children and grandchildren while she is still able to travel. What is so upsetting is that I spent at least 8-10 precious hours of this trip standing in line at various customer service desks trying to solve the same problems OVER and OVER. I was told more times than I can count "we can't do that" or "I dont' know why this keeps happening". Instead of spending time with my mother, I got to spend my trip fixing Disney's mistakes.
To start, Disney's main C/S number has no way to book a gift trip for a party of 10. They repeatedly insisted on 3 different reservations, which they INSISTED I could manage by linking them on the My Disney Experience app (not so). This insistence on booking 3 reservations with 3 emails resulted in my family members being sent emails showing how much I paid for their trip (I was told this would NEVER happen); and the inability to link our FastPass reservations for Be Our Guest (the conceeirge was able to fix this-great girl-but I spent over an hour waiting in line...). How is it possible that a great company like Disney can't find a way to book a trip for a party of 10?
Then the Magic Band fiasco-every day there was a problem-room keys that didn't work (once while we were in swim suits, locked out of our rooms); Dining Plan didn't work (randomly - it worked sometimes for some members of the same party, but never consistently). I gave this trip as a gift, and assured my family that they would not need to pay for things (as most are not able), so several of my family members were stranded in the parks with no way to pay for meals and snacks..and it was over 90 degrees and several had young children). The links we had set up to my credit card worked only sporadically; and when the hotel put a credit on our account to attempt to apologize for the inconvenience - that didn't work! Their solution was for me to have the members of my party collect reciepts and they would reimburse me-have you tried to collect 4 days worth of receipts from 10 people? And then STAND IN LINE AGAIN to collect your money back instead of enjoying precious time together? Crazy.
The worst part though was the manager, BRUCE, at the All Star Sports resort. The problems were evident from the first minute of our check-in; but instead of attempting to apologize and be sympathetic, he never once came over (the desk staff was wonderful), but would glare at me, and refused to accomodate simple requests. For example, I had set up "Magic Transport" to take 3 members of the party back to the airport. I'd set it up; confirmed it the day before the trip - but when I called the desk the day before they were set to leave, there was no record of the reservation! So I had to spend several hours attempting the set up again; and was told to stop by the desk in the morning to pick up the vouchers, which of course were not there. Two members of my party are in wheelchairs, so I was a bit panicked not to have transport to the airport. Spent another hour+, and was able to get taxi vouchers, but not after wasting almost 4 hours solving an issue that had been set up months before and confirmed the day before the trip. Pathetic.
I can only say that I'm disgusted with how far Disney has fallen. We've had minor problems with the MagicBands before, but nothing like this. Instead of being able to enjoy my family's last trip together and relaxing with my kids, I was constantly fixing messes and standing in line - I'll bet my kids spent more time waiting on the couches in the lobby by the conceirge desk than they spent riding rides in the parks. This isn't time I'll ever get back, and that's the worst part of it all. Shame on you Disney - if your technology doesn't work, don't pretend it does. You ruined our trip.
To start, Disney's main C/S number has no way to book a gift trip for a party of 10. They repeatedly insisted on 3 different reservations, which they INSISTED I could manage by linking them on the My Disney Experience app (not so). This insistence on booking 3 reservations with 3 emails resulted in my family members being sent emails showing how much I paid for their trip (I was told this would NEVER happen); and the inability to link our FastPass reservations for Be Our Guest (the conceeirge was able to fix this-great girl-but I spent over an hour waiting in line...). How is it possible that a great company like Disney can't find a way to book a trip for a party of 10?
Then the Magic Band fiasco-every day there was a problem-room keys that didn't work (once while we were in swim suits, locked out of our rooms); Dining Plan didn't work (randomly - it worked sometimes for some members of the same party, but never consistently). I gave this trip as a gift, and assured my family that they would not need to pay for things (as most are not able), so several of my family members were stranded in the parks with no way to pay for meals and snacks..and it was over 90 degrees and several had young children). The links we had set up to my credit card worked only sporadically; and when the hotel put a credit on our account to attempt to apologize for the inconvenience - that didn't work! Their solution was for me to have the members of my party collect reciepts and they would reimburse me-have you tried to collect 4 days worth of receipts from 10 people? And then STAND IN LINE AGAIN to collect your money back instead of enjoying precious time together? Crazy.
The worst part though was the manager, BRUCE, at the All Star Sports resort. The problems were evident from the first minute of our check-in; but instead of attempting to apologize and be sympathetic, he never once came over (the desk staff was wonderful), but would glare at me, and refused to accomodate simple requests. For example, I had set up "Magic Transport" to take 3 members of the party back to the airport. I'd set it up; confirmed it the day before the trip - but when I called the desk the day before they were set to leave, there was no record of the reservation! So I had to spend several hours attempting the set up again; and was told to stop by the desk in the morning to pick up the vouchers, which of course were not there. Two members of my party are in wheelchairs, so I was a bit panicked not to have transport to the airport. Spent another hour+, and was able to get taxi vouchers, but not after wasting almost 4 hours solving an issue that had been set up months before and confirmed the day before the trip. Pathetic.
I can only say that I'm disgusted with how far Disney has fallen. We've had minor problems with the MagicBands before, but nothing like this. Instead of being able to enjoy my family's last trip together and relaxing with my kids, I was constantly fixing messes and standing in line - I'll bet my kids spent more time waiting on the couches in the lobby by the conceirge desk than they spent riding rides in the parks. This isn't time I'll ever get back, and that's the worst part of it all. Shame on you Disney - if your technology doesn't work, don't pretend it does. You ruined our trip.
