Disney Reservation System Stinks

captainkidd

Well-Known Member
Quick background. Decided to switch our summer reservation from Wilderness to the Polynesian. Unfortunately, they didn't have 1 room at the Poly for the entire 13 nights. I had met a TA on the DIS a while back. Very nice woman. She said she would keep checking if she could get me in to the Poly for the entire time. Within a week, she found something. I don't like using TA's as they're usually slow as hell getting back to you and you can't handle your reservation direct, but we really wanted the Poly for the entire time, so I went with her. This is where Disney ticks me off:

We had 3 reservations:
1 was for the first week at the Poly.
2 was for 2nd week at the WL.
3 was for 2nd room at WL for 2nd week.

Obviously, we wanted to get a AAA or AP discount if available. TA said it was, but only for certain nights, at the beginning and end of trip. So Disney forces her to make 3 seperate reservations for each "leg" of the trip. Now, the whole thing with the exception of about $200 was paid off already. Instead of just switching the money paid over to the new reservations, they refunded my credit card, supposedly. I say supposedly because there's still about $1,400 that hasn't shown up yet.

The next part that stinks, is because of the type of reservation it is, Disney won't allow me to pay the balance off until we check in. This doesn't seem like a big deal, but I don't like leaving that much money in my bank account. Twice in the past year alone, I've had to get a new debit card, because somewhere that I shopped had their system breached. One of those times I actually had money stolen from my account.

Why the heck does Disney have to make everything so complicated? It's not like the resorts are privately owned and have seperate accounts. All the money goes to the same place. Easy solution - Make the customer happy:

1.Change reservation so there's only one confirmation number.
2.Let me pay balance off with credit card.

What is so difficult about that? Instead, I have to leave over $3,000 in my checking account for 2 more months. I have to waste my time checking my bank account for this refunded money daily. I'll have to waste time on my vacation, checking out and checking back in, not once, but TWICE!
 

DISMOM

New Member
Disney can be as complicated and as difficult-to-deal-with-as-possible because of the simple law of 'supply and demand'. They have what visitors [all of us] want....More Disney!!! They don't have to be helpful, ..they know that you'll visit anyway.
 
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Master Yoda

Pro Star Wars geek.
Premium Member
While I would agree that there are some areas of Disney reservation system that could be improved I can not see how having to have multiple reservations for your situation would even be possible. You are staying at one resort for one week and a different resort for the next week. I understand that they are both on Disney property and Disney owned but they are operated as separate resorts. If you stayed at the Doubletree on 535 for one week and then switched to the Doubletree on I-drive would you expect them to be on one single reservation?
 
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captainkidd

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
While I would agree that there are some areas of Disney reservation system that could be improved I can not see how having to have multiple reservations for your situation would even be possible. You are staying at one resort for one week and a different resort for the next week.

No - We WERE staying at 2 seperate resorts. We decided now to spend the entire 2 weeks at the Polynesian.
 
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captainkidd

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
So am I to understand that you want the same conformation number to follow 3 changes in your itinerary?

Yes.

I honestly don't see what is so difficult about it. Just cancel the initial reservations if they have to, and rebook a new reservation. If they're going to refund my credit card anyways, why not just make it easier?

We're staying at the same resort, in the same room.
 
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geubux

Member
Let's just try to think about how a database is set up....everytime you change anything in your reservation, it needs to allocate a new reservation number, or a revision number. If you keep the same number, then the person making the ressie needs to call weekly to verify that the ressie is properly setup; correct hotel, rooom, requests, payment, etc. Not a very efficient use of operator's time. If a new number is generated, then that ressie should be exactly as stated by the requestor. Also, different numbers allows any mistakes to be tracked through the system. Without this, any guest could say," but I made this change!" or ,"I didn't request this upgrade." etc, ad nauseum. Sorry they make you keep track.

Also, you should probably get a cc for reservations, not a check card. A credit card allows you to cancel and to not get charged for fraudulent use of your card. A check card is just like cash: if used, it's gone.
 
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Master Yoda

Pro Star Wars geek.
Premium Member
Let's just try to think about how a database is set up....everytime you change anything in your reservation, it needs to allocate a new reservation number, or a revision number. If you keep the same number, then the person making the ressie needs to call weekly to verify that the ressie is properly setup; correct hotel, rooom, requests, payment, etc. Not a very efficient use of operator's time. If a new number is generated, then that ressie should be exactly as stated by the requestor. Also, different numbers allows any mistakes to be tracked through the system. Without this, any guest could say," but I made this change!" or ,"I didn't request this upgrade." etc, ad nauseum. Sorry they make you keep track.

Also, you should probably get a cc for reservations, not a check card. A credit card allows you to cancel and to not get charged for fraudulent use of your card. A check card is just like cash: if used, it's gone.
Thank you for summing that up better than I could. It is much simpler and considerably more mistake free to clean house and start fresh vs. trying to amend an existing entry.
 
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captainkidd

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Let's just try to think about how a database is set up....everytime you change anything in your reservation, it needs to allocate a new reservation number, or a revision number. If you keep the same number, then the person making the ressie needs to call weekly to verify that the ressie is properly setup; correct hotel, rooom, requests, payment, etc. Not a very efficient use of operator's time.

I understand that. Like I said, they should have just cancelled the initial reservation and made a new one.

I'm not going to feel guilty for making a change to our reservation. I'm spending over $5,000 for the room only portion of this trip. If someone at CRO has to do a little extra work to make it more convenient, shouldn't they do that?

If I was staying at multiple resorts, I get needing a seperate reservation and having to check out and check in. But to have to do that staying at the same resort because their system doesn't allow for changes to existing reservations at said resort is really inefficient.
 
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TestTrack

Active Member
Really the difficulty was created by the how late you are making the change and your requirement of getting a AAA rate. There are rooms blocked off for AAA rates. Once they are gone, they are gone. So there may be a room here or there that has that rate. Because you are changing this late, there is no one room that is available for the AAA rate for the entire duration. Hence you need different reservations to maintain this rate. You will likely be changing rooms throughout your stay because of this.

The system makes sense, and only gets complicated when you try to make a 2 week change with very little advanced warning.
 
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captainkidd

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Really the difficulty was created by the how late you are making the change and your requirement of getting a AAA rate. There are rooms blocked off for AAA rates. Once they are gone, they are gone. So there may be a room here or there that has that rate. Because you are changing this late, there is no one room that is available for the AAA rate for the entire duration. Hence you need different reservations to maintain this rate. You will likely be changing rooms throughout your stay because of this.

The system makes sense, and only gets complicated when you try to make a 2 week change with very little advanced warning.

I made it VERY clear to Disney, the AAA rate was not important if I couldn't get the resort I wanted or if I had to change rooms. I understand 100% how the rates work with the special discounts. I wanted a AAA rate, but I wasn't adament about it.

I think I gave them plenty of notice. Trip isn't for another 2 months and I made these changes about a month ago. 3 months seems to be plenty of time.

Here's the thing I don't get - CRO ASSURED me I would not have to change rooms. The rate, though limited to a number of rooms, is not room number specific. Therefore, they can arrange reservation as continuous so we can stay in the same room. If they can work the system like that, why can't they work it to flow as 1 reservation? Doesn't it seem like it would be easier on everyone (Disney included) to use just 1 reservation? For example, you're staying 5 nights. First 2 nights are $300 (AAA rate) and last 3 nights are $400 (rack rate), just price reservation out at $360 per night.

Guess I'm wrong, but I just don't see why that's not possible with their computers.
 
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Disneykidder

Well-Known Member
I have made modifications to my existing reservation 2 times now. Each time, I was able to keep the same number. Last year I must have made 5 or so different changes and it was still the same. I think their system is good and protects them as well as us. Having different reservation numbers and then trying to switch the payments over is a safety precaution, so I think. How do they really know you are the person who made the reservation/canceling person? I can easily call up with someones address that I know and try to switch that payment over to my own reservation. (Not that I ever would!!) It stinks to have to wait for so long, and I do know what that is like (took me 3 weeks to get a $40 refund from my last years trip), but I think it is really for your own benefit.
 
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DisneyJoe

Well-Known Member
For example, you're staying 5 nights. First 2 nights are $300 (AAA rate) and last 3 nights are $400 (rack rate), just price reservation out at $360 per night.

Guess I'm wrong, but I just don't see why that's not possible with their computers.

- MAJOR Contract with AAA
- Inventory Control
- Detailed accounting and reporting

An example - just say we are selling bottles of wine, and you buy 2 bottles at $300 and 3 bottles at $400 - why not just ring up 5 bottles at $360?
 
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captainkidd

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
- MAJOR Contract with AAA
- Inventory Control
- Detailed accounting and reporting

An example - just say we are selling bottles of wine, and you buy 2 bottles at $300 and 3 bottles at $400 - why not just ring up 5 bottles at $360?

Yeah - I guess I can see the issue with the AAA contract. That makes sense.

I don't know. I just think it wouldn't be that difficult to have their system able to handle different rates/codes, but keep same reservation number. As someone else said, apparently their system is not set up that way and the cost is too great to do it.

Working in retail, that's actually exactly what would be done. Clearly, this is more complex, but it was never an issue where I worked. If it was and I screwed up, they never said anything. Then again, that company went bankrupt.:confused:
 
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TestTrack

Active Member
Yeah - I guess I can see the issue with the AAA contract. That makes sense.

I don't know. I just think it wouldn't be that difficult to have their system able to handle different rates/codes, but keep same reservation number. As someone else said, apparently their system is not set up that way and the cost is too great to do it.

Working in retail, that's actually exactly what would be done. Clearly, this is more complex, but it was never an issue where I worked. If it was and I screwed up, they never said anything. Then again, that company went bankrupt.:confused:

Call them up and ask them to just explain to you why things are working the way they are. They should(or the TA) should be able to do this. That will eliminate the guesswork as to why the system is setup the way it is. I don't think I've ever heard of having to pay the balance AT the resort. That seems a bit off. Maybe it has something to do with the way they booked it...such as room only(which they had to do if you didn't go through AAA themselves).
 
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bgraham34

Well-Known Member
I always have problems with the reservation system. It never has my correct phone number in it. And sometimes they can't find my ressies. Last year I had a real hard time accessing my reservations if i did not have my Ressie number.
 
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barbara

New Member
It sounds like your first reservation was booked thru Walt Disney Travel Compnay, and when you changed it, it then was booked thru Central Reservations. Unless things have changed-WDTC reservations are paid off 45 days before trip, CRO reservations are one night deposit, and the balance when you check in.
 
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KnK

New Member
We have booked room only the last 5 years in arow. I have always (except for last year) paid for the whole room before I got there. Something doesn't sound right.
 
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