Appreciate everyone’s comments. It’s most definitely a first-world problem, but still annoying! A few follow-up comments below.
I chose to go to guest relations in the park (vs the few guest relations windows adjacent to the tapstiles outside the entrance) for two reasons: the line inside was much shorter and I feel it is easier to talk to someone in person (even with plexiglass) rather than using the window where they are inside and I’m standing outside. I'm sure this is just a personal preference. If I hadn’t been able to enter the park, I hope it would have been resolved as easily using the guest relations (vs ticket booth) pre park entry. Once guest relations agreed to issue the AP, Brad and I had to use the pre-park entry window, but they knew we were coming and issued the AP without issue. I will add that the cast member trying to help people before they get in this line initially tried to send us back to the ticketing windows but let us in line after I explained it’s something they can’t handle up front.
I place most of the responsibility for this debacle on DVC. From my perspective they created a solution for a problem that didn’t seem to exist before; the membership cards worked. Yes, there were some instances of ‘blue card’ benefits being extended to ‘white-card’ members, but that is not substantively different than training on DVC-Y vs DVC-ND. It's possible Disney Parks wants to transition to MagicMobile and DVC was chosen first, but if that was the case it would seem more logical to implement for Annual Passholders first.
In my situation, I have issues with the supervisor, but thankfully, it is rare to encounter cast members like her. She as much said this isn’t her problem and I need to work with member services, which is a far cry from the customer service on which Disney has historically prided itself. Also, as someone mentioned above, and one of the points I made in the email I sent, the implication was that I was cheating, stealing or seeking something I’m not eligible to receive, which is a bad feeling.
Regarding cast members, I appreciate keeping thousands of employees abreast of policies and procedures, not to mention issues and exceptions, is challenging at best. However, the onus is on Disney to either find ways to appropriately convey these details or make the situation right. I try to remember the front-line cast members often endure the guest frustration – and sometimes abuse – for decisions made by others, who are often sheltered from the repercussions of their decisions. I was always calm and respectful towards this supervisor, but her behavior made me less sympathetic to her. She essentially said, ‘it’s not my problem, contact member services’ and couldn’t be bothered to assist. And yes, I definitely included all cast member names in my email, both those deserving praise and the troublesome supervisor.
I agree with others that hopefully the grandfathered-member glitch is resolved soon, but I doubt the technical resolution will alleviate all confusion and issues with MagicMobile verification.
