So disgusted Im about ready to cancel our 20th Anniversary trip

[lvs_eeyore]

I have had the WORST time trying to book this trip.

I called Disney Club last thurs to book a Lagoon View Concierge for July of 2003. Those rooms werent released yet but the lady went over everything that booking through them offered. I was told they could book it with the current discount for 2002 and that it would just go up or down when they decided what the 2003 discounts would be. I would only have a 100.00 depost and that all Disney Club cancellation policies ect would be in force. I was very clear about dates and I asked a LOT of questions

Well I called Friday....the day the rooms were supposed to be released and booked. THEN I find out NO discount, a 200.00 deposit and I would have WDWTC policies on cancelation etc.... I booked because I WANT this room and then asked to speak to a manager about the bad information I was given the day before. After going round and round with Guest Services telling me they did NOT give me bad information the day before he finally said they would except the 100.00 deposit and I would NOT have a problem if I called in to give them the deposit.

Well I got my confirmation today. When I called in to give them my deposit I was told they could NOT accept 100.00 it had to be 200.00 and that NO note was made on my ressie even though the Guest Services manager told me it would be on there AND they are charging me 8 dollars and something for a sports complex or mini golf admission which I was not told. I am SO mad. Now they have Guest Services calling me back UGH

This is a VERY important and expensive trip. Its our 20th anniversary and I really wanted everything to be perfect. So far its been a mess. Im so disgusted Im about ready to cancel the whole thing. I went as far today as to call the executive offices and leave a message for someone to call me back. I am SO sick of getting wrong information etc.....

 

[TigrLvsPooh]

I'll tell ya... I am sooooo sick and tired of the crap from CRO and WDWTC that I will NEVER call them again! I am convinced that 90% of the idiots working there don't know there *** from a hole in the ground. (as my Mother would say) EVERYtime I call I get wrong information. They almost ruined our April trip by cancelling our AKL ressies.

Why don't you try booking with a travel agency? Maybe DU? Then you won't have to deal with the idiots yourself. LOL Or, better yet, rent DVC points. That is the ONLY thing my family and I will do from now on. It's just not worth ruining or family vacation to have CRO or WDWTC mess it up.

Good Luck! I'd tell you to complain, but it didn't work for me. I STILL haven't heard back from the 5 emails I sent to top Disney exec.'s back in April. It's really a shame they can't keep things straight. Maybe they need fewer CM's making ressies? Then they could concentrate on EDUCATING the good ones who actually have brains! (You can tell this is a sensitive subject for me).

Don't let it ruin your anniversary.

 

[Carrieberry]

I'm so sorry! That is awful! I do know that if you book a Disney Club pkg, and it is a basic package (no park passes), then it will include either miniature golf or an admission to the sports complex. I also know that if the ressie is listed as a DC member package then the deposit is $100 and all DC cancellation policies are in force. Did you call the DC direct to book this or CRO/WDW Travel? I know that the regular travel company does charge a $200 deposit. This must be why they are giving you the runaround. If they can't book you a discounted room because they are not available yet, then they have to book your trip as a regular travel package which is why they want the $200. I would re-book it without a discount just to be sure you get a room, and then call back the DC number every day until the discounts come out. That would buy a you a couple of weeks until the deposit is due for those new rates to come out. I didn't think the DC discounts came out until 6 months prior. Your only choice might be to pay the regular package deposit and then have it switched when the new rates do come out at the end of the year. I hate CRO, if I had a dime for every thime they have given me the wrong information I could probably live at WDW. Still, the DC should be able to book this for you even with no discounts with the $100 deposit. they are all so screwy! Keep calling!

 

[doxdogy]

I am sorry to hear that you are having so much trouble. I was told the same thing. One said $100 deposit and another said $200 deposit. Also, go on DC's website and send an e-mail. I did that when I was having problems getting into their website after I renewed my membership. After several e-mails I finally told them to have a manager e-mail me. One finally did, and I received an apology and that I was correct in the fact that no one was properly reading my e-mails.

 

[lvs_eeyore]

This was booked through DC but because their rates arent out for 2003 its considered a WDWTC room only package. I have a ressie for the room I want but with no discount. I knew on the second call where I was given the correct information that this would be the case until the discounts come out. I wasnt happy about being given the wrong information the day before but I booked anyway because I really wanted THAT room. The supervisior I talked to the night I booked the room assured me that they would at least accept 100.00 as a deposit instead of 200.00 since I had been given wrong info the day before. It was sort of a peace offering I guess as he KNEW the person the day before was totally wrong even though he wouldnt admit it. Now I find out he didnt even bother to note the ressie so they wont accept just the 100.00. I have to wait for Guest Services to call me back and go round and round with them again about this. Hopefully it IS noted in their system.

I am just so disgusted with getting bad information, and with people saying they will do things they wont.

I was SO clear on the first phone call and asked very very pointed questions. There was NO way who I talked to didnt know what I wanted and there was no way I could have missunderstood what she told me. This is what the Guest services manager told me on Friday of last week....that I must have just missunderstood. Ive been booking Disney trips for quite a few years and I am a very savvy vacation planner....there is NO way I missunderstood. My exact words to him were "check your profile on me....you will see how many Disney trips we make a year and how many of them were at rack rate. I KNOW how to book a trip and I know what questions to ask etc...." He got strangely quiet after that!

 

[Michelle]

Unfortunately because the Disney Club discounts for 2003 have not yet been released you will not always get consistent information about booking now, as you have discovered.

Typically you would NOT be able to book with the DC deposit of $100 for a package for next year (even the room only Basic Plan) because no DC packages for next year have been released yet. Whatever you book now COULD have the DC discount applied, once those discounts are released, if there is a discount for your room type.

You may just want to wait until DC discounts for 2003 are released (typically in early fall) to book the whole thing. That way your booking would fall under the DC policies and you would definitely get the $100 deposit with the 21 days in advance final payment due date.

Good luck with your anniversary planning!

 

[Tnkrbl2199]

I would recommend using Dreams Unlimited Travel. We used them for our recent trip to WDW in June and our amazing agent got us a great Disney Club discount, they also keep on searching for deals on rooms, airfare and tickets. We loved them and will definitely use them again. They even made my birthday very special-noting on all the PS's they made for us about the birthday and we got lots of special treatment in restaurants, and at ou resort.
I can't understand why everyone doesn't use Dreams Unlimited-why deal with CRO or anyone else when DU will do it all for you AND get the best rate.
Good luck.

 

[lvs_eeyore]

Michelle I would have waited to book but because of the rehab going on in the Poly Concierge section during the time I want I decided to book now to make sure I got the type of room I wanted. All this wouldnt bother me so much if I had been given the correct information the first time I called and if the Guest Services manager had not assured me up down backwards and forwards that he would note my account to accept the 100.00. My ressies would have been canceled had I sent in a check like I was planning to do. It was a very good thing I called and decided to do the deposit by CC. It took them so long to get my confirmation to me that time was running short to get the deposit in.

 

[PamOKW]

Just a hint. Whenever you are getting information or making a reservation, ask for the person's name. I know they usually use "phony" names but they Disney knows who the name represents. You'll have more to stand on than just saying "when I called" if you can say "I called on July 3 and spoke to Sunshine who told me...."

Good luck straightening this out. Just be patient and try to remain friendly but firm when dealing with people about the matter.

 

[lvs_eeyore]

Pam thats very good advice. I always make sure to get the name. I write it down the minute they say what it is. I know the name of the Guest Services Manager I talked to also.

 

[JulesMom]

Things used to be so much less confusing when everything was booked thru CRO. Always the same rules.

Now, with WDWT, it's confusing. I call the same number, but you don't know who you will get!

 

[dcedwards]

I experienced many of the same problems that you did, previously. I solved them by using DU instead of CRO or DC. I submit my request and they tell me what they can do. I accept or decline. A problem? I email the agent and they work it out. It has worked out great for me. It was very nice to have them in the loop last year when they closed POFQ. They were great. Our agent even called me via phone after reading my email as he knew how upset I was.

I have found, though, that by documenting name, time and summarizing info...that when I sent it to WDW ... return receipt .... etc. .... I got a very nice reply and personal phone call. Might think about doing that.

 

[Luv2Roam]

I can tell you from my personal experience earlier this year with CRO that having names and their even a printed confirmation in hand doesn't mean squat. They wouldn't even honor their own confirmation. They go by their own set of rules and whatever they d*&^ well please at that time.
From here on out I am working around CRO. I am using DU for our January trip.

 

[MineeBaby]

When I made our first reservation to go, which was a few weeks ago, i didnt know the difference between WDTC and CRO..and i ended up booking through WDTC..then later on that evening, i was looking around the boards, and found out the difference between the two! Well, we ended up calling the CRO number, ASKED them if they were CRO because we didnt want to be overflow calls to WDTC, and then made our reservation again...this time, the guy was MUCH nice, was VERY interested in what we wanted, and it was such a pleasent experience! When i got my confirmation in from WDTC, even after I cancelled, they had also included the extra golf stuff on it--i didnt ask them to, just said i was booking a room and that was it...so...i REALLY dont like WDTC, but so far, my experiences with CRO have been really pleasent.

 

[DeeP]

I agree with MineeBaby, I have always had great experiences with CRO but the one and only time I dealt with WDTC it was a mess. No more WDTC for me, we have APs so all I need is room reservations and from now on in it is CRO for me or I will hang up and call back. I have also learned to ask specifically if I am talking to CRO.
As for getting a name I do know how much if any help this will be. All the CMs use phony names and many of them use the same phony names. I have called CRO soooooo many times that there is one terrific CM that I recognize his voice and have gotten to know him through many calls over the years. He has used several different phony names, the same names that have been used by different CMs on other calls I have made to WDW. I now know this CM so I now kid him about which name he is using today. He always laughs and kids around with me and has admitted that they do all just pick phony names and that it is possible to have several Ariels, etc working in the same day on the same shift!

 

[Cathy baby RN]

Like DeeP, I will now only book through CRO after this summer.
They really need to train the WDTC on the DC policies. The first time I tried to drop 2 days at the end of our trip this summer, they said I couldn't without a penalty since it was within 45 days.
I said I was a DC member, butr they said since the reservation was a Package(actually it was the basic room only that they call a package).
I later called back and they said they would have to charge $10 because the reservation was already sent over to WL. I really didn't understand that one.....just said"whatever".
We stayed 7 days at the Poly through CRO at AP rates and then 7 days at the WL through WDTC. From now on I will only book through CRO with the 5 day cancellation policy and final payment upon check-in. Too many times changes need to be made at the last minute (especially if you have kids in sports). WDTC was a big hassle.

 

[jldriscoll]

Has anyone considered fowarding a thread like this (or hard copy print) to exec. in charge of CRO?

Would it have an impact to see so many outraged customers looking to "get around" their system?!?!?

You all have got me SCARED disneyless!!!

(Another thing they should know!! Not only are people MAD, but by telling their stories, others will avoid them!)

I was going to book our next trip myself (we've always used travel agents before). Now I think I'll use DU, just to be safe!

 

[zulaya]

Just a thought to consider, the Polynesian Concierge is being rehabbed for 2-3 months next summer. Supposedly, they are moving things to Tahiti Bldg. With such an important trip, I would wait until Tikiman gets back adn reports in the info he finds out from the concierge and the Polynesian about this.

 

[lvs_eeyore]

I called the Poly myself when I kept being told that there were no rooms available for my time frame. They did tell me that yes they are rehabing and that the concierge will be moved to the Tahiti building. He even told me what day they expected to release the rooms to the system. I talked with a resort manager so I know my info was correct. He was right on the mark on which day the rooms would be released also. This is part of the reason why I booked now instead of waiting. I wanted to make sure we got the room we wanted. The thing I wasnt sure of and forgot to ask was whether there were MORE or LESS rooms in each of the concierge types available when they moved it to Tahiti.

jldriscoll I normally book through CRO and really have never had a problem with them except for last years Candlelight Processional....I kept getting conflicting information on it. BUT that was a dinner/show package and not a room ressie. I've never had a problem with room ressies before dealing with WDWTC. I have always had a really good experience booking rooms with CRO. If I get a person on the phone who is even the least bit rude....or if they seem a little less than informed.....only had that happen once..... end the call and call back. The original person I talked to at WDWTC really "seemed" to know her stuff and said she had the rules and regs right in front of her. This is part of the reason I was so shocked and upset when everything changed when I booked the room the next day.

 

[eeyore0062]

Big Question here.... DID YOU GET the NAME of the MANAGER!? If you did, then you will have no problem, if you didn't, well... then it is your word against theirs. ALWAYS get the name of the person you spoke with, and write down EXACTLY what you are told, with the time and date of the conversation.