Cheapest Place On Earth

[Dizfreak]

Ok, I'm the first person to stand up for Disney. My family and I have gone there once or twice a year for the last ten years and we love it. We have our problems with it, but who doesn't?

This year our family has been plannin a huge trip for two weeks in October/November. It will be the first time in eight years that the entire family has gone together. We started making plans a year in advance. Reservations were booked November 2002 for Port Orleans French Quarter, our favorite resort. That's a year in advance.

Two weeks ago it's annonced the French Quarter will be closed for refurbishment during our stay. We were offered to stay at The Animal Kingdom Lodge for a largely reduced rate. Wonderful!!! However our room would have a spectacular view of the parking lot. Spoke to several reservations operators, "Sorry, there's nothing we can do."

Ok. So we decide to stay at the Riverside portion of Port Orleans. We request a poolside room. Even through all the inconvienience we have been put through, the room rate is going to be considerably higher than what we would have payed for our poolside room at the French Quarter. Another call to reservations. I ask to speak to a supervisor. Appearently the 1300 reservation people do not require a supervisor because none could be found. By this point I am severely aggitated and leave my name and number and say I want a call within 24 hours. "Well, our policy is 24-72 hours". Not only was i not called back right away as I requested, I was called FIVE DAYS LATER!!!

Again, "I'm very sorry, but there is nothing we can do."

So now I am awaiting a call from the level two supervisor. I expect to year from them in a week or so.

Am I wrong in thinking this is no way to treat a valued customer? Or indeed any customer. How can you not know you're going to close an entire resort a year before you do it???? Especially one which was just closed for "refurbishment." Unfortunately everything comes down to how much money they will make at the end of the day and Disney knows that many people like me and my family will keep coming back.

Let me know your feelings on this.

 

[SpongeScott]

Well, I would have taken the AKL room and run with it. I don't care whether it's parking lot or not--not everyone can stay on the savannah side. I have a friend who was offered an AKL room at a very reduced rate and I think he's taking it. Sounds to me like you are expecting a little much for what they have offered.

My two cents.....

 

[mkt]

i don't wanna sound like an @$$, but it sounds like you may have made the CM on the phone mad, and this is their revenge..

 

[Maria]

As a GR Manager for an international hotel chain myself a while ago, "I´m sorry this is happenning to you Sir, but there is nothing else we can do. Unfortunately, the hotel is all booked for the dates you are requesting and we don´t have other choices available."
Sorry, but as Scott said, if I were you, I would take the room at the AKL. That´s the newest hotel they have and it´s very nice. You can tell everybody that you stayed there and without paying more. True, you won´t have the savannah view, but you still can visit it! Besides, having so many things to do at WDW, how much more time do you plan to spend at the hotel? Hopefully, not that long! :animwink:

Relax and have a nice trip!

 

[Irrawaddy Erik]

Question how long do you stay in your rooms?
When I stay on property with my family we are in our rooms to sleep and thats about it. So I would just take AKL and be happy you are getting a great upgrade to a hard to get into resort for prob a nominal fee.

 

[Nansafan]

Just because they told you that you will have a parking lof view doesn't necessarily make it so. We've had our "standard" view rooms upgraded before just because of a no-smoking request. Another time we were upgraded just because of the time we checked in, late at night and that's what was available. I'd go with AKL myself. IMHO, a the benefits and perks of a deluxe resort outweigh a moderate hands down. Whenever we go for a long trip (5 or more days) we go deluxe.

 

[PhotoDave219]

Honestly, i'd have taken the parking lot view. Sounds like a good deal.

And the way i look at it, a room is a room. Its where i'm going to sleep, its where i'm going to put my stuff, its where i am going to unwind during those few hours between parks. If i get upgraded to a fantastic resort and more amenities, well all the better.

I've stayed at ASM, I've stayed at PO and off prop a few times. All in all, i always find myself spending as little time as humanly possible in my room.

Obviously you care a great deal as to what your room overlooks, and thats great for you. Believe me, i wish i had the resources ($$$) where i can have the choices of room views and consigliere. It would be nice, and if thats your thing, more power to you. But I'm just not the kind of person to sweat those kinds of details.

I honestly don't think there's much the CMs could have done. With their current specials, it sounds like on-property rooms are going like hotcakes. It sounds like they went as far as they could go and were trying to work with you.

As MKT said, i don't want to sound like an @$$ but being offered an upgrade to AKL from PO for very, very little just doesnt sound like an inconvience to me.

However, it does sound like you need a phone call from a supervisor just to smoot things over and to try and work everything out. I've worked in a call center before, and i'm sure that everyone can come to a reasonable compromise where everyone is happy.

I wish you luck, but i'd have taken the AKL.

 

[MicBat]

What more could they have done?? They already moved you from a moderate to a deluxe resort just like that! Really.... like Erik said... How much time are you actually going to spend in the resort?? If you actually want to look at the animals out on the savanna, you can always do it from the lobby or other areas around the resort. I hope you'll have a good time either way!

 

[wdwfan22]

It sure sounds like your trying to get something for nothing.

 

[Main Street USA]

Originally posted by PhotoDave219
However, it does sound like you need a phone call from a supervisor just to smoot things over and to try and work everything out. I've worked in a call center before, and i'm sure that everyone can come to a reasonable compromise where everyone is happy.

Now that the situation has escalated to this, I think this quote here is now THE most important thing for Disney to do. I think DizFreak is understandably agitated with the situation. I know I would be. However, as most have said I would have taken the AKL room, but that doesn't mean that DizFreak should.

I also see it from the CM's side, though. If you spoke to several different people, and they all said they were doing all they could, then they probably were. To them, the AKL offer is probably seen in a different light, and I would imagine that most of the people that are in your situation have jumped at it without a second thought.

It simply sounds like you don't like the offer, which is perfectly understandable, but if there's nothing else that can be done, what can you do except pay more or stay at AKL?

 

[wdwforus]

Although myself personally I would have probably taken the upgrade or maybe tried to negotiate something else of similar value I can see your point in a way. They have known for quite sometime that this closure was going to happen and I would have thought they could have given you a little more notice as to changing your reservations. Your obviosly very excited about this trip or else you might not have been so enraged by the "customer service" you recieved. You have put alot of time and energy into planning this vacation and now something isnt what you planned. Youve been talking to everyone about where youre going to stay for months and now your not staying there. I just hope you dont let it ruin your vacation. I remember somewhere that someone once said ask for the room view when you check in and you might have a better chance of getting it. As far as the "customer service" goes I wouldnt let that go. You want to speak to someone with more authority and you should be allowed to. Where I live, which isnt to far from you, there is a company famous for its customer service and the minute you say you want to speak to a supervisor it happens. And they are taught to give a customer what they want because he will be back for more. Sooner or later people will be fed up with crappy sevice and it will show. Have a nice vacation. What I wouldnt do right now to have your dilema!:hammer:

 

[disneydentist]

Originally posted by Dizfreak
Ok, I'm the first person to stand up for Disney. My family and I have gone there once or twice a year for the last ten years and we love it. We have our problems with it, but who doesn't?

This year our family has been plannin a huge trip for two weeks in October/November. It will be the first time in eight years that the entire family has gone together. We started making plans a year in advance. Reservations were booked November 2002 for Port Orleans French Quarter, our favorite resort. That's a year in advance.

Two weeks ago it's annonced the French Quarter will be closed for refurbishment during our stay. We were offered to stay at The Animal Kingdom Lodge for a largely reduced rate. Wonderful!!! However our room would have a spectacular view of the parking lot. Spoke to several reservations operators, "Sorry, there's nothing we can do."

Ok. So we decide to stay at the Riverside portion of Port Orleans. We request a poolside room. Even through all the inconvienience we have been put through, the room rate is going to be considerably higher than what we would have payed for our poolside room at the French Quarter. Another call to reservations. I ask to speak to a supervisor. Appearently the 1300 reservation people do not require a supervisor because none could be found. By this point I am severely aggitated and leave my name and number and say I want a call within 24 hours. "Well, our policy is 24-72 hours". Not only was i not called back right away as I requested, I was called FIVE DAYS LATER!!!

Again, "I'm very sorry, but there is nothing we can do."

So now I am awaiting a call from the level two supervisor. I expect to year from them in a week or so.

Am I wrong in thinking this is no way to treat a valued customer? Or indeed any customer. How can you not know you're going to close an entire resort a year before you do it???? Especially one which was just closed for "refurbishment." Unfortunately everything comes down to how much money they will make at the end of the day and Disney knows that many people like me and my family will keep coming back.

Let me know your feelings on this.

This has actually been going on for more than two weeks. Other discussion boards have been carrying it for about a month. From what I've read, your case is the exception, not the rule. The going rate seemed to be a $10/night upcharge for AKL or WL rooms, $20/night for AKL Savannah rooms, and $30 for deluxe resorts (which we took at the Polynesian for an upcoming trip). I haven't heard of anyone else having to pay more to stay at another moderate.

Having said that I have to agree with MKT. You got on someone's bad side. Our exerience with the relocation team was great. The CM on the phone was friendly and accomodating. So were we. This was what most of us expect from Disney.

As far as knowing about closing the resort, I'm sure that the powers that be did. Did the rank and file at CRO? No way. If I was in management I wouldn't tell the public in advance either. From the time you announce it until the actual closing it would be guaranteed to negatively impact bookings at the resort. With the number of rooms that Disney has it's easier to move people around.

 

[Mickeyman819]

Originally posted by sandjhooker
Well, I would have taken the AKL room and run with it. I don't care whether it's parking lot or not--not everyone can stay on the savannah side. I have a friend who was offered an AKL room at a very reduced rate and I think he's taking it. Sounds to me like you are expecting a little much for what they have offered.

My two cents.....

Totally agree with u. I would have kept the AKL. I woudle love to stay there

 

[surfsupdon]

I would not accept a parking lot view either, coming from a pool or lake view at a moderate. Doesnt AKL have anything that overlooks gardens or something?

I'd ask for another Resort, if at all possible, like a Wilderness Lodge or something "lower deluxe resort."

I think it's terrible Disney has not helped you, b/c they ahve helped my family in the past so often!

 

[WDWFanatic]

I would have taken the AKL. I dont look out the window, I'm in the park, and when i get back to the room its dark. I spend my "view" money on better things.

 

[CoraJack]

Gwarsh! I would have taken the Poly at a $30 increase!!! Did they offer you that option at all? At the Poly it doesn't really matter what your "view" is because there is no Savannah to worry about...just being there is enough.

That being said--I don't think AKL is equal to a poolview room in a moderate resort. If they DID offer the Poly though then that's another story--that should have been GRABBED!

You know, if the AKL is so great, why do they keep pushing it in their ads/promotions? We are staying there (yes, savannah view) in June and it's starting to make me wonder. I'm thinking that I will be wishing that I was at the Poly again. But my 12 year old is begging for AKL.

I think that someone needs to call you back and smooth all of this over---and when they do that ask them if you can have the Poly for $30 more a night!!!!! Tell them you heard others were offered the same deal. You will not regret a stay at the Poly.

Christina

 

[WDWhigh]

I would have taken the AKL with the parking view.

I just stayed there this March for the first time, and although I did have a Savanah view and paid through the nose for it with the concierge service, I would stay there again in any room. There are look outs all over the hotel to see all the different savanahs, plus they have so many extras built in that are free - food tours, story telling, and african hosts all over the place who are over anxious to give you private tours and tell you about the artifacts scattered all over the hotel and also about the animals.

The architecture is stunning, the ambience is stunning, and the pool area is wonderful.

just my two cents!

 

[terry55]

I was in the same boat you are I chose to stay at the AKL in a standard room. This cost me only $10 more per night, so I think it is a pretty good deal. But you have to do what is right for you and your family. It took me 4 calls to finally get the rate I have now. The first 3 times they wanted to charge me $30 more per night. It all depends on who you talk to when you call. Some are very helpful others are not.

Good Luck!
Terry

 

[Pippa]

I too am booked to PO FQ in Oct this year and I didn't even get a choice of where to stay instead! Virgin holidays wrote and told me that I have been transfered to Riverside and that was that!

 

[PhotoDave219]

I think the original posters main beef is that the call ctr supervisors didnt/havent called them back to smooth everything over.

Other than that, if a guest chooses not to take the "make good" thats offered, thats the guest's peroragitive. (SP?)