Talked to a CM friend....

[PamNC]

A CM friend of mine informed me that the new Best Rate Program (which totally has me enraged!) came to fruition because they are trying to cut down on Passholders calling every single day to check on discounts. God knows I have a clear conscious because I was never one of "those." It only takes one bad apple to spoil it for everyone else.....

PamNC

 

[noodleknitter]

Between that and the ones who buy the kid's pass, etc. Many have said, Disney would not allow it if they didn't care about the abuses. Well, they proved the point!

 

[PamNC]

about the kid's pass thing. Are you saying that people would buy a kid's pass, but no adult pass, book a room at AP rate and then hope that upon check-in they wouldn't be asked to show their AP? Ohmygosh. The abuse is worse than I thought. In all the years we've gone, we've only been asked to show our AP once and that was at the Swan of all places. However, I always whipped it out anyway in hopes of reminding the CM to start asking to see them.

The whole world is just too Type A.

PamNC

 

[helenk]

I think that this is something that has been in the works for awhile. I have taken a few of Disney's surveys and they have asked if you would be interested in booking AP rates on line.
In this day and age of booking almost anything yourself online, I am surprised it took this long to get the capability to book the resort by going through the passholder website.
Of course there are alot of people calling about the AP rates wondering when they would be released....but do you really think that there are that many in comparision to all the calls they get in a day? By reading these boards it seems as though alot of people are calling, but I would link that it really only equals a small amount of the calls they get in any given day.
Besides at this point the new plan is in addition to the regular AP rate system.
Now we check on line, but I am sure there will still be phone calls.

 

[PamNC]

You're right - I think there will still be phone calls. I wonder if there will be less phone calls? I hope not.

Ya'll just keep on calling and bugging them and perhaps they will see that their "plan" isn't working....

I'm evil, I know.


PamNC

 

[Selket]

Well that's crazy - perhaps if they came up with a better way of notifying passholders if a discount is available THAT would cut down on the calls. I still don't see the nonrefundable part being thrown in there helping.

 

[lllovell]

You're right - I think there will still be phone calls. I wonder if there will be less phone calls? I hope not.

Ya'll just keep on calling and bugging them and perhaps they will see that their "plan" isn't working....

I'm evil, I know.


PamNC

lol Pam, how do you know it will be bad? I haven't tried to book, but there is a thread here about getting a moderate in November for $85 through the new program. Give it a chance before condemming it so harshly.

As far as there being lots of phone calls, I agree. However, I am sure that the CM's will have to say "I am sorry, you need to access your reservation online and check for any change of pricing there." The people that call 20 times a week will stop calling if they are never given any information and instead are refered back to the website where they made the ressie.

 

[bicker]

I suppose they could have posted the AP discount codes on the web and in the AP newsletter, at least a week before the discounts can be reserved, and then prohibit CRO from providing those codes to guests, or providing the discounts to guests who don't have codes -- having the code before calling CRO would be a required part of getting any information about the AP discount availability. I suspect if they went that way, there still would have been unhappy campers.

 

[LisaS]

A CM friend of mine informed me that the new Best Rate Program (which totally has me enraged!) came to fruition because they are trying to cut down on Passholders calling every single day to check on discounts. God knows I have a clear conscious because I was never one of "those." It only takes one bad apple to spoil it for everyone else.....

PamNC

If they are trying to reduce the number of calls from AP holders asking about discounts, their website is not going to be as much help as they think. As implemented, checking for AP rates on their website is tedious. You enter your dates and see what comes up. No discount? Try shifting your dates by one day. No discount? Try entering your dates one day at a time to see if one particular day is causing the problem. No discount? Try a different set of dates... etc, etc... all with the inevitable internet delays between each click of the "update" button... After a few rounds of this, I'll be picking up the phone to CRO to say "just tell me which dates have the discounts available so I can then go back to the website, plug in those dates and book my trip."

They need to display a calendar showing the rates for each room type on each day so you can see which days have AP rates available for the room type you are interested in. That type of display makes it quick and easy for people to figure out which dates to book and whether you need to shift your trip dates to get a discount and will eliminate a lot of calls to the CRO.

Sorry for the griping, but I'm a software engineer and whenever I see something implemented in such a user-unfriendly way it really gets to me!

 

[PamNC]

I CAN'T give this program a try. I cannot, repeat cannot, book 120 days in advance. And I don't think that I should have to forfeit one night's deposit.

I can see it now. I book my trip 120 days in advance. Okay great. Then my husband, who is an opera singer, gets an offer from the Met to come sing at the last minute. Oh yes, we will turn down the Met for a Disney trip. I don't think I should be punished for not being able to book that far in advance. OR, I book 120 days in advance. My business partner and I land a new account and it means I need to cancel the trip. We don't have regular jobs, THANK GOODNESS, so this just doesn't work for us. I know it's not all about me...but I'm sure there are others out there with unique job situations who feel the same way I do.

Good God Disney - just give us the darn discount - I like bicker's example - and be done with it. Then, the crazy worldphiles won't be calling CRO every day to check discounts.

Don't get me wrong, I'm fine with the new program being an "option." I fear that it will become the only way to book in the future.

I'll show 'em - I'll buy DVC. Then they will really have all my money.
Hmmm...perhaps that is what they are banking on, ever consider that?

PamNC

 

[gepetto]

Sorry for the griping, but I'm a software engineer and whenever I see something implemented in such a user-unfriendly way it really gets to me!

Bingo! I don't have a couple of hours to spend plugging in and changing resorts and dates to try find a discount.

 

[DebbieB]

about the kid's pass thing. Are you saying that people would buy a kid's pass, but no adult pass, book a room at AP rate and then hope that upon check-in they wouldn't be asked to show their AP? Ohmygosh. The abuse is worse than I thought. In all the years we've gone, we've only been asked to show our AP once and that was at the Swan of all places. However, I always whipped it out anyway in hopes of reminding the CM to start asking to see them.

The whole world is just too Type A.

PamNC

But there have been posts by people saying they called CRO and asked if a child's pass could be used and they were told YES. So is it abuse? Or a case of poor training or not knowing what their own rules are? They should have said an adult pass is required and required to be shown at check-in. In the many check-ins I have had with either the old Disney Club or AP rates, only once was I asked for the card/pass. That was by a cm who was in supervised training. So is the fault of the people who took advantage of the lax rules or the company who did not make sure the rules were followed?

 

[chipscinderelly]

. In all the years we've gone, we've only been asked to show our AP once and that was at the Swan of all places. However, I always whipped it out anyway in hopes of reminding the CM to start asking to see them.
PamNC

That was true for us as well - however our last 2 trips we have had to show them (Dec 04 and May 05) and not only were they looked at but the dates were checked to ensure they were still valid APs.

I agree it's a crap shoot, but if we have the opportunity to do so we'll take our chances as well and hope for a fabulous rate. In the end I think the AP Best Rates will probably beat the other AP rates and then everyone will be complaining that they didn't get the cheapest rate cause they couldn't book 120 days out or didn't want to give up a deposit.

 

[CharlesTD]

They should offer something like Southwest Airlines and their ding program. All AP holders that sign up for it and download it will get notification of discounts that come up just like SWA does. This would allow them to send sort of a personal notification to the AP holders and the software is based on AP activity so if you have an active AP you get the updates if you don't then you stop getting them.

 

[MNSusan]

The whole world is just too Type A.PamNC

 

[Sammie]

If they are trying to reduce the number of calls from AP holders asking about discounts, their website is not going to be as much help as they think. As implemented, checking for AP rates on their website is tedious. You enter your dates and see what comes up. No discount? Try shifting your dates by one day. No discount? Try entering your dates one day at a time to see if one particular day is causing the problem. No discount? Try a different set of dates... etc, etc... all with the inevitable internet delays between each click of the "update" button... After a few rounds of this, I'll be picking up the phone to CRO to say "just tell me which dates have the discounts available so I can then go back to the website, plug in those dates and book my trip."

They need to display a calendar showing the rates for each room type on each day so you can see which days have AP rates available for the room type you are interested in. That type of display makes it quick and easy for people to figure out which dates to book and whether you need to shift your trip dates to get a discount and will eliminate a lot of calls to the CRO.

Sorry for the griping, but I'm a software engineer and whenever I see something implemented in such a user-unfriendly way it really gets to me!

You won't be able to call and get info about what dates are available for this particular program. This is an online program only.

 

[helenk]

You need to book in advance with the new Passholder Best Rate program but not using the regular AP booking.
You can go to the AP passholder site now and instead of chosing the new program click on the boxes for the summer program or fall program and you can book for a trip between now and October 4th.
The new program is for those who are willing to book in advance with the chance of getting a better rate. You still are able to book getting an AP discount on a short notice trip as well.

 

[BoyLovesBuzz]

about the kid's pass thing. Are you saying that people would buy a kid's pass, but no adult pass, book a room at AP rate and then hope that upon check-in they wouldn't be asked to show their AP? Ohmygosh. The abuse is worse than I thought.

This was not abuse, this was policy. As recently as Dec 2002, this was perfectly allowed to obtain a AP discount, as long as the person holding the AP was staying in the room. Although, I never did this, I confirmed it with CRO multiple times. It was also documented on reliable sources like www.wdwinfo.com (the information site, not these boards), mousesavers.com, and allearsnet.com. I appreciate the frustration, but trying to rationalize a cause and effect for this is foolish.

 

[johnnyr]

A CM friend of mine informed me that the new Best Rate Program (which totally has me enraged!) came to fruition because they are trying to cut down on Passholders calling every single day to check on discounts.

I just don't get it. I am a network administrator in our organization for a large computer network. When we need to get information to various large groups of people, we either post it on our Web site or communicate to these groups via email. They are informed where to look for the information. If all they are doing to try and cut down on calls is to mandate a similar program. Their system should already know who the AP holders are. Just tell the AP holder group where to look for the discounts! Why change the whole program with nonrefundable deposits, 120 days out, $50 change fee. They just need some creative thinking in their IT department.

 

[Sammie]

I just don't get it. I am a network administrator in our organization for a large computer network. When we need to get information to various large groups of people, we either post it on our Web site or communicate to these groups via email. They are informed where to look for the information. If all they are doing to try and cut down on calls is to mandate a similar program. Their system should already know who the AP holders are. Just tell the AP holder group where to look for the discounts!

The problem was not as much current AP holders calling wanting info, it is the " I want info first, I might get an AP later," callers. Many that called, and called and called were not even passholders at the time they called. They were only going to purchase an AP after they booked the room with the rate they were happy with. Some even did not intend to purchase the pass.

So now that problem is solved. Internet forums and even guidebooks have tooted the fact that buying an AP would be sure fire way to get a good discount. However many were only buying one AP to get this discount. I thin this new program is geared more toward the guest who has AP's for everyone in the family and wants a good discount, plans ahead and is comfortable with the cancellation policy.

It will not work for everyone. For those it will work for, it looks like a good deal.

The nonrefundable deposit is to discourage booking of multiple rooms until the last possible moment and then cancelling, leaving Disney with empty rooms.

Even if Disney did post the info on an AP member only site, someone would come here and post it anyway. Allowing those that are not members access to the info. This way only a card holding, active member is getting the best discount.