Why such a long wait to reach the Enchanting Extras team via phone?

[mla973]

This is my third call to try and rent a resort cabana for an upcoming trip. Waited an hour and 40 minutes the first time. Wasn't able to book what I wanted yet (CM said nothing was showing in the system). Called back when the CM suggested, waiting two hours on the phone only to be told the information I received the first time was not correct and to call back at another point. Just dialed at 7:01 this morning, and it says there is already a two-hour wait on the call.

I don't think I've ever tried so hard for Disney to take my money. I know staffing is short, but if they allowed some of these reservations to be made on their website, it would save both parties a lot of time. Now I'm annoyed and cannot wait two hours on hold this morning due to work. I just don't know that I have the patience to continue to call back.

Is it always this long of a wait? This is my first time trying to book a cabana.

 

[ZerasPride]

This was my same experience when I tried to book a cabana for our January trip (we have since rescheduled for May and I dread the long waits I know I am going to experience). As a matter of fact I waited nearly 4 hours to schedule a VIP tour for that trip and since I was at work (permission from my great boss!) with the speaker turned down low, the CM did not hear me when I responded and hung up before I could take the phone off speaker! I was completely done after that! I used my airpods though the next day but still waited on hold for over 3 hours! There should be an easier way to spend so much money.

 

[rangerxenos]

IMO there is no excuse for this. CMs working with phone support are able to work offsite, so the pandemic wouldn't be an issue if they were willing to pay for more staff. And it's OBVIOUS that they need to do that, I should not have to wait hours to talk to someone.

 

[Airb330]

This is my third call to try and rent a resort cabana for an upcoming trip. Waited an hour and 40 minutes the first time. Wasn't able to book what I wanted yet (CM said nothing was showing in the system). Called back when the CM suggested, waiting two hours on the phone only to be told the information I received the first time was not correct and to call back at another point. Just dialed at 7:01 this morning, and it says there is already a two-hour wait on the call.

I don't think I've ever tried so hard for Disney to take my money. I know staffing is short, but if they allowed some of these reservations to be made on their website, it would save both parties a lot of time. Now I'm annoyed and cannot wait two hours on hold this morning due to work. I just don't know that I have the patience to continue to call back.

Is it always this long of a wait? This is my first time trying to book a cabana.

Yes, 2 hours seems common; it has been awful lately. I waited 2 hours, had a cabana nearly booked (they were asking for my security code of my visa) and the call "dropped" on Disney's end. Called back and 2 hours again. Cabana now gone without even a sorry. I asked for a supervisor which took an hour and got no where. I did write a letter to corporate but they really didn't make it right. Six hours on the phone and I did not get the cabana I wanted. They're hardly ever sold out, so it seems very fishy. This stuff should be be able to booked online, it's insane. It is WORK to spend our money with Disney and it's ridiculous.

 

[2x_dis_dad]

I just applied for a Disney part time work from home Customer Service Job. I didn't get it. They didn't say why. Looks like they could have used me. I have been to the parks over 100 times and stayed in most of the resorts. I thought I was a good fit.

 

[AnnaKristoff2013]

Given that we are now two years in to Disney having these multi-hour wait times I think it's fair to say that the Disney Executives have calculated that the money they save by not staffing sufficiently offsets the loss of customer goodwill.

 

[Laura's Dad]

I tried 3 times to book a carriage ride at Port Orleans. The first time I was on the phone for 2 hours and got cut-off, the second time I quit after 2.5 hours because I had to go to work, third time I finally got through after an hour and a half and successfully booked my reservation. I have two questions about the entire process:

1. Why can you book these on-line? There are ways to book tours and other things on-line, why not these?

2. If thy will not do on-line booking, why not allow people to call the resort directly to book these resort specific options?

There has to be a better way!

 

[PurplePigment]

A couple days ago I called to try and book a Beachcomber Shack. Was told it'd be an hour and a half; it was two hours.

Then when someone finally picked up the phone, it turned out I was in the wrong place? Even though I used the phone number on their webpage, picked "rest and recreation experiences" which included resort cabanas, and none of the other options sounded even remotely close (it's definitely not Star Wars or golf). Anyway, I was assured transfer would be quick. The person transferred the call, where I was prompted for some kind of transfer number code that I was never given.

So since I didn't have a code I got thrown to the back of the line. At which point, I decided it would be more convenient to drive to the damned water park when I could and ask if I can just book in advance in person.

I'm not even completely sure what the hell to do if that doesn't work. I wasn't supposed to use the phone number Disney gave me, so...where the hell am I supposed to go? Why does trying to give them more money require I solve a mystery first?

Edit: For what little it's worth, I've decided it's not worth it, I'm not giving them my money for this stupid thing, I don't need it.

 

[Her Dotness]

The only thing that will get the message across is if we who've been going regularly for years just quit doing so.

It's rumored that the higherups refer to those of us who love Disney so much we'll keep returning as suckers who'll keep coming back no matter how much they're mistreated and charged more for less.

Even if there's no truth to that, it sure feels like it could be true...

 

[Wendysofftoneverland]

I tried 3 times to book a carriage ride at Port Orleans. The first time I was on the phone for 2 hours and got cut-off, the second time I quit after 2.5 hours because I had to go to work, third time I finally got through after an hour and a half and successfully booked my reservation. I have two questions about the entire process:

1. Why can you book these on-line? There are ways to book tours and other things on-line, why not these?

2. If thy will not do on-line booking, why not allow people to call the resort directly to book these resort specific options?

There has to be a better way!

I had a similar experience, 2 hours or so for a holiday carriage ride at Ft. Wilderness. If you can book dining online, seems you should be able to book recreation.

 

[twodogs]

Agree with all of this. Disney would have to spend money to upgrade their website to accept cabana, VIP tours, etc reservations online. Yes they COULD do it, but no, they don't want to spend the money on it if people will just wait hours to book by phone. They have done the math and have decided it is cheaper to not hire enough CMs to answer the phones with a reasonable wait and to not upgrade their website to allow onlines bookings. They may miss a few bookings from frustrated people who refuse to hold that long, but the number must be small or they would have changed it by now. Super frustrating!!!!!!!!

 

[lziol]

I agree. The waits are ridiculous

 

[MiraclesTakeTime]

I had to call tech support a few days ago and it was over two hour wait. I think they are just all around short-staffed.

 

[mla973]

I agree with this 1,000%. This is my 32nd trip to WDW. It will likely be my last for a while. I know Covid and related issues have played a part, but the planning used to be fun (and optional), but this has been a complete pain in the butt for several things... not to mention learning (and spending $$$ on) Genie+.

I am a die-hard Disney fan, but we'll be diverting family vacation funds elsewhere in the future in the hopes to have new experiences at more reasonable prices.

The only thing that will get the message across is if we who've been going regularly for years just quit doing so.

It's rumored that the higherups refer to those of us who love Disney so much we'll keep returning as suckers who'll keep coming back no matter how much they're mistreated and charged more for less.

Even if there's no truth to that, it sure feels like it could be true...

 

[BrightMorningStar]

Given that we are now two years in to Disney having these multi-hour wait times I think it's fair to say that the Disney Executives have calculated that the money they save by not staffing sufficiently offsets the loss of customer goodwill.

This is it. I believe this 100%.

 

[RyanKough]

The phone waits are not the only thing I have a problem with concerning the Enchanted Extras. They seem to open at very random times. I check at 5:45-6:00 am every morning like I do dining. I was trying to get the fireworks dessert after party. 60 days out, there were no days to choose from. Finally, at 55 days out, the week opened up. However, it opened sometime in the afternoon. How are you supposed to know when you can try for that if they open at completely random times. At least if I tried at 6 and didn't get it, I played the game and lost. Make it open whenever they want to doesn't even give some people a chance at it.

 

[AnnaKristoff2013]

The phone waits are not the only thing I have a problem with concerning the Enchanted Extras. They seem to open at very random times. I check at 5:45-6:00 am every morning like I do dining. I was trying to get the fireworks dessert after party. 60 days out, there were no days to choose from. Finally, at 55 days out, the week opened up. However, it opened sometime in the afternoon. How are you supposed to know when you can try for that if they open at completely random times. At least if I tried at 6 and didn't get it, I played the game and lost. Make it open whenever they want to doesn't even give some people a chance at it.

So long as it sells out Disney doesn't care who had a shot to get it when.

 

[RyanKough]

So long as it sells out Disney doesn't care who had a shot to get it when.

For sure. Just wish there was an actual system like with dining. I doubt Bob Paycheck cares at all.

 

[rwdavis2]

I tried 3 times to book a carriage ride at Port Orleans. The first time I was on the phone for 2 hours and got cut-off, the second time I quit after 2.5 hours because I had to go to work, third time I finally got through after an hour and a half and successfully booked my reservation. I have two questions about the entire process:

1. Why can you book these on-line? There are ways to book tours and other things on-line, why not these?

2. If thy will not do on-line booking, why not allow people to call the resort directly to book these resort specific options?

There has to be a better way!

Why? My guess is that Disney’s IT is not very good as the don’t pay that well. If you go to Disney’s job site you’ll almost always see lots of IT jobs.