C'mon Disney... You're Better than that!

[PlutoTheDog89]

My ADR window opened today. Like every year, we travel to Walt Disney World during the week of Christmas (12/24-1/1).

I woke up at 5:45am and prepped my laptop. I know Stitch tends to show up a lot on Google Chrome, so I had Safari up and running. I didn't get California Grill on Christmas Day, but oh well.. I'll keep checking..

Booked Christmas Eve at Maria and Enzo's. Then it happened. I go back on the reservations page and the page keeps scrolling uncontrollably. I refresh—same thing. I open it in Chrome, login to my account (which, YES, is linked to my hotel reservation), and I can't make ADRs past 12/25.

I quit Safari and re-open. I finally get through and make my NYE reservations. Next up: Homecomin' on 12/27. Safari starts glitching again. Chrome won't allow me to make reservations past 12/26 now...

I finally get through to Homecomin' and every time I select a time it tells me "Sorry for the Paws..." and that my time is no longer available. I love puns... I love Disney... but holy those puns are far from cute when your family's vacation is on the line...

I had to spend the rest of the morning juggling between my phone and Safari. I'm still logged in on CHrome and it won't allow me to go past 12/26.

Disney is a multi-billion dollar corporation and a random mom-and-pop hotel in upstate New York has a better-functioning website. People drop thousands of dollars and wake up at the crack of dawn 180 days out; then again 60 days out... you'd think they could ensure that you get a solid user experience. I work in digital marketing. My rear end would be fired if this went down at my everyday job. So now I have to call at 7pm and hope I can get the rest of my ADRs. I'm currently checking through my emails to make sure the ones I made actually went through....

/end rant

 

[andee515]

Me too AWWWWWW

 

[quandrea]

This happened to me the fastpasses a few weeks back. I was livid. Wrote an angry letter. Got back the usual sorry to hear that response. They did have the gall to say that despite my troubles, they could see that I secured fastpasses to some of their most popular attractions. Yeah, while at the same time, nearly having a stroke due to frustration induced high blood pressure.

I feel your pain. It’s unacceptable how that site operates (or doesn’t, depending on one’s perspective).

 

[PlutoTheDog89]

This happened to me the fastpasses a few weeks back. I was livid. Wrote an angry letter. Got back the usual sorry to hear that response. They did have the gall to say that despite my troubles, they could see that I secured fastpasses to some of their most popular attractions. Yeah, while at the same time, nearly having a stroke due to frustration induced high blood pressure.

I feel your pain. It’s unacceptable how that site operates (or doesn’t, depending on one’s perspective).

YEAH.. my response would have been "and I can't even go on due to the heart condition I developed after dealing with your system!"

 

[Lisa F]

unfortunately, disney is NOT better than this. Their IT sucks and their website is glitchy as all heck.

 

[andee515]

I was able to get on phone and get everything I wanted till my January dates, the CM said nothing was showing for Jan 1-3,hmm Ill keep trying

 

[rwdavis2]

Disney's web site has been pretty bad since they first created it. If you look at their job postings they are constantly looking for web programmers. I think the problem is that they don't pay all that well. Even Imagineers are not paid that well as a friend that was offered a job can attest. He works with me here in Maryland instead.

 

[2xcited2sleep]

Their IT functionality leaves a lot to be desired and I agree it’s shocking and frustrating. Good luck getting what you’re looking for. Don’t give up hope if not available today. The touring plans reservation finder can be a great tool to do the searching for you (you’ll still need to log in quickly to snag it).

 

[Lisa F]

Disney's web site has been pretty bad since they first created it. If you look at their job postings they are constantly looking for web programmers. I think the problem is that they don't pay all that well. Even Imagineers are not paid that well as a friend that was offered a job can attest. He works with me here in Maryland instead.

imagine how awesome Disney could be if they recruited and paid for the best and brightest.

 

[loves to dive]

That web site has always sucked from day one, so frustrating for a company that prides itself as being tech forward. My honey has his own computer consulting company and I work for a computer consulting company so I get some of the issue of having so many people banging at your servers and the frustrations of trying to hire IT staff but really, when you are one of the biggest corps. in the world there is not excuse. I just don't bother with trying to make resort reservations on the web site, it just call. I rarely make ADRs and FPs in advance, just day of and those I do on the MDE ap. I don't usually have problems with it.

 

[oceanmarina]

I have talked to several cast members and also have heard that Disney's pay is low across the board. Such a shame

OP sorry you went through this. Unfortunately as previous posters have said this is not a rare occurance. It has happened to me more than once on my ADR day. Their web site is notoriously "buggy" as computer techies would say.

 

[sam_rogers]

It really sucks, when my adr window opened a couple of months ago the website and the app wouldn't even bring up any reservations and I didn't manage to get anything booked until a couple of days until after the window opened. Luckily I didn't want any of the really popular restaurants like bog or crt. Living in the uk, spending ages on the phone to the reservation line in the states wasn't really an option. My fp window opens in a few weeks and I've booked a day off work to try and get some decent ones as the window opens at midday here so I'm really hoping the website behaves itself!

 

[I❤️Disney]

I’m so sorry you had a rough this time. All the money it cost to go and they keep raising the price. They should update whatever ( don’t know much about computers) they need to make it run better. Were you able to get the reservation you wanted?

 

[DisneyFansInNYC]

I am sorry. I had the same problem with our FPs. It took me over 1 1/2 hours and I had to stop and leave and finish at the end of the day. It was so so frustrating. I did the same thing - I had two computers going and different web browsers - nothing worked well.

 

[PlutoTheDog89]

I am sorry. I had the same problem with our FPs. It took me over 1 1/2 hours and I had to stop and leave and finish at the end of the day. It was so so frustrating. I did the same thing - I had two computers going and different web browsers - nothing worked well.

All in all - I got most of the ADRs I wanted, except Cali Grill—but I got Narcoossee's instead, which is a solid trade-off. I had to remind myself as I was dialing the Dining phone number that the person I was about to talk to has NOTHING to do with the computer problems I had, because boy was I still steaming.

The woman I spoke to on the phone was delightful. I mentioned the problem in passing and she replied "well then, let's make sure to get you what you want on this side" and she even made recommendations for the ADRs I was having trouble with.

 

[GillianP1301]

All in all - I got most of the ADRs I wanted, except Cali Grill—but I got Narcoossee's instead, which is a solid trade-off. I had to remind myself as I was dialing the Dining phone number that the person I was about to talk to has NOTHING to do with the computer problems I had, because boy was I still steaming.

The woman I spoke to on the phone was delightful. I mentioned the problem in passing and she replied "well then, let's make sure to get you what you want on this side" and she even made recommendations for the ADRs I was having trouble with.

Kudos to that CM, that's a solid save right there. When you can turn a frustrated/angry guest into a happy one with just your tone, approach and service then you are doing something right. Imagine how frustrated the phone CMs must get because they would be having to deal with buggy systems all day every day for their jobs and still be all happy when they answer each call.

 

[disneyvoice]

I didn't have any IT issues this morning but I will say that I was super surprised at all the availability I found for 12/24. We will be locals then so we aren't staying on site so I am limited to 180 days. I expected to find almost nothing for 12/24, instead I got BoG dinner and had my choice of basically EVERY hard to get ADR including Beaches and Cream, Cinderella's Royal Table, and EVERY one of the nicer signature restaurants for the EXACT times I searched for. I'm skeptical that what I was seeing was accurate and won't be surprised if I am notified that the ADRs I got don't really exist.

 

[PlutoTheDog89]

Kudos to that CM, that's a solid save right there. When you can turn a frustrated/angry guest into a happy one with just your tone, approach and service then you are doing something right. Imagine how frustrated the phone CMs must get because they would be having to deal with buggy systems all day every day for their jobs and still be all happy when they answer each call.

Yeah she was very understanding. She even said "you know, the phone is the best route. Unfortunately nowadays by the time 7am hits, a lot of the popular restaurants are booked."

 

[SaintsManiac]

I had the same issue back in March. It was incredibly frustrating and I vowed to never get up that early again for ADRs.

 

[PlutoTheDog89]

I didn't have any IT issues this morning but I will say that I was super surprised at all the availability I found for 12/24. We will be locals then so we aren't staying on site so I am limited to 180 days. I expected to find almost nothing for 12/24, instead I got BoG dinner and had my choice of basically EVERY hard to get ADR including Beaches and Cream, Cinderella's Royal Table, and EVERY one of the nicer signature restaurants for the EXACT times I searched for. I'm skeptical that what I was seeing was accurate and won't be surprised if I am notified that the ADRs I got don't really exist.

No, i was surprised to. Like I said, outside of Cali I was able to get everything.

Not to make you paranoid, but make sure you check your emails at some point today and write down all the confirmation numbers. A few years ago i was POSITIVE I got Be Our Guest breakfast (after it first opened). A month or two later I'm putting together my itinerary and pulling confirmation numbers and couldn't find it. Turns out it never went through. To this day I always recommend taking a screenshot as you go along and checking your emails right after.