Fort Wilderness Damage

[21stamps]

Yeah, nah. You might be a Disney apologist? Sorry. But this is far from "all they can reasonably do."
FOR EXAMPLE: Currently, their website states that the resort I'm checking into in less than a week is closed indefinitely. Guess what? They haven't even contacted me yet. After 4 days, I had to call them and waited on hold for 3 hours to get little to no answers. Think about that. Does that sound like they are doing "all they can reasonably do" to you?

This is DISNEY. There is plenty more they can do. Saying 'there is only so much they can do' when I havent even received a phone call, and can't get someone on the phone is rather silly. Anyone with the slightest interest in this Company can see that they have the resources to amend for situations like this.

I don't know what your experience has been with Disney in the past, but Ive stayed there 5 times as an adult and was there 4 or 5 times in my youth. I know and love this company. I also know WDW. And I know they have what it takes to accommodate their guests in these circumstances.
Do you really believe that issuing refunds and downgrading people is t "all Disney can reasonably do" here? Come on. Think about it for a minute... Im guessing you know they can do more.

Are you a Corporate apologist? Because you must realize that a massive corporation like Disney can more than certainly afford to take a slightly bigger hit, until they fix FW.
When you say the hurricane was massive,.. you have to realize that in the end 400mil worth of damage may as well be 450mil. It's called contingency and Disney def has plenty of it.

Its quite simple to see what's happening.
The employees and hierarchy at WDW, dealing with this are following protocol, trying to keep their numbers tight because the word still hasn't come down from above that they should address this problem by spending more money yet. Why? The higher ups, are holding out on the CM's and their managers, hoping they will work harder and resolve it without having to send word down, and spending more, because they only care about quarters and shares and investors and etc. So meanwhile, everyone working there now, is still following protocol.

You booked during the height of hurricane season. This is why everything is cheaper in Florida and the Caribbean during these months. It's also why trip insurance is highly recommended.

I hope for you that it all works out, but having a trip impacted by weather is a huge risk when booking this time of year. I've traveled in September plenty of times, so I'm not recommending against it.. you just need to know that you are taking a chance. A company can't change a storm.

 

[HoraceHorizons]

Look, I'm the farthest thing from a Disney apologist. But this was a massive hurricane. Sometimes there's only so much you can do.

I recommend not booking during hurricane season next time.

You booked during the height of hurricane season. This is why everything is cheaper in Florida and the Caribbean during these months. It's also why trip insurance is highly recommended.

I hope for you that it all works out, but having a trip impacted by weather is a huge risk when booking this time of year. I've traveled in September plenty of times, so I'm not recommending against it.. you just need to know that you are taking a chance. A company can't change a storm.

4 years ago my office in NYC was hit by Hurricane Sandy. It took us a year to fix the building. Everything was displaced and in dismay. The entire building needed to be gutted. Guess what? Every single one of my clients and their families were contacted and notified of a new location for their appointment within 2 days. No one was cancelled. We did whatever it took.

I dont want to come across as more negative about this, but maybe we are displacing our dismay over a hurricane onto the wrong crowd. Disney has the funds. Disney is also a wonderful company. I typically love their customer service and Im surprised.

If they relocate me, Im sure I'll have a great time regardless. But Im hearing people's trips are being cancelled. A phone call is more than reasonable.

Yes. A storm has occurred. This isn't addressing what Im saying.. Im talking about the way Disney has handled it, since the storm.
Im sure that on the ground they are working around the clock, but its been almost a week and the only reason I know my trip may be cancelled is because I tinker around on message boards like these. Can't we agree that's kind of ridiculous?

 

[HoraceHorizons]

That's horrible to be left on hold for three hours. Totally unacceptable.

What resort switch would make you happy with the situation?

I must seem horribly negative but I'm actually pretty easy. Ive stayed at Pop Century, French Quarter, Riverside, and Coronado 2x. I don't mind most accommodations at Disney, but I need 2 rooms. This is an ADULTS ONLY trip, so our decision to choose FW was factored based on that. Disney has plenty of resorts that have these options. I would take 2 adjoining rooms at Pop Century (sans bedbugs yuck!) for instance, but I don't like the idea of a Little Mermaid suite, for 3 grown men. I would hope Disney would consider 2 rooms at a moderate or Pop Century before something like that.

What I really hope is to stay at Fort Wilderness!

 

[Lets Respect]

I must seem horribly negative but I'm actually pretty easy. Ive stayed at Pop Century, French Quarter, Riverside, and Coronado 2x. I don't mind most accommodations at Disney, but I need 2 rooms. This is an ADULTS ONLY trip, so our decision to choose FW was factored based on that. Disney has plenty of resorts that have these options. I would take 2 adjoining rooms at Pop Century (sans bedbugs yuck!) for instance, but I don't like the idea of a Little Mermaid suite, for 3 grown men. I would hope Disney would consider 2 rooms at a moderate or Pop Century before something like that.

What I really hope is to stay at Fort Wilderness!

Oh ok. So you booked the cabin because it has two sleeping spaces and would like two hotel rooms now.

Good luck! Let us know what they give you, I would be curious to hear what happens

 

[HoraceHorizons]

Oh ok. So you booked the cabin because it has two sleeping spaces and would like two hotel rooms now.

Good luck! Let us know what they give you, I would be curious to hear what happens

Ive heard from others that they have been obliging and the resort is opening again on Wednesday. Maybe they can give us a family suite at All Stars or Art Of Animation. i think the rooms are the priority for us because I dont think my friend who is visiting his GF in Orlando wants to sleep in the same bedroom as myself and my fiance. You know?

 

[John park hopper]

It has just been reported Ft Wildeness do to Irma has been renamed Fort Wilder-mess. Seriously I hope they get it cleand up soon and open for all those who have reservations

 

[larryz]

I must seem horribly negative but I'm actually pretty easy. Ive stayed at Pop Century, French Quarter, Riverside, and Coronado 2x. I don't mind most accommodations at Disney, but I need 2 rooms. This is an ADULTS ONLY trip, so our decision to choose FW was factored based on that. Disney has plenty of resorts that have these options. I would take 2 adjoining rooms at Pop Century (sans bedbugs yuck!) for instance, but I don't like the idea of a Little Mermaid suite, for 3 grown men. I would hope Disney would consider 2 rooms at a moderate or Pop Century before something like that.

What I really hope is to stay at Fort Wilderness!

One Treehouse Villa would solve your issue.

 

[slappy magoo]

There's probably a lot to consider when it comes to all the people who have to be moved - along with their hopes that any day could be the day FW could reopen and then NO ONE has to be moved anymore. I'm not saying they're handling it well, but it has to be an unenviable task. No matter what, some people will be inconvenienced and some people will be disappointed.

You're probably sick of being on hold but I would try to call again and be kind but insistent that you need to know where you'll be staying, you want to shore up your plans - meal reservations and whether or not you'll want a rental car, HOW MUCH TIME, IF ANY, YOU'LL BE TOURING OFF-PROPERTY, etc. - and it's difficult to do without knowing, for sure, where you will be staying. That might at the very least move your issue up to the point where they do offer you a room now so it's one less person they have to deal with later.

 

[MMFanCipher]

Just saw that Disney says the Fort will be open Sept 20th. That's today.

 

[19FW72]

The Fort opened Today!!!! FW is my favorite resort I have been going starting in 1973. Here are some photos from past visits.
https://michaelsphotos.smugmug.com/THEME-PARKS/WALT-DISNEY-WORLD/DISNEYS-FORT-WILDERNESS-RESORT/

 

[drizgirl]

I arrive at FW in a little over a week. After speaking to the resort directly, and relaying my inability to reschedule our trip, I was told that if the resort doesn't open, or if full operations are not up an running, Disney will contact me to help find other accommodations in WDW. I told them that since we are 3 grown men, we would require more than 1 room and I was assured that should this happen we will be "taken care of."

This is the source of some consternation for me, because there isn't really much by way of comparison to the Wilderness Cabins at WDW Resorts, without a considerable upgrade, apart from maybe a suite at the Art Of Animation resort. While this doesn't sound terrible, we are 3 grown men, so a CARS or LION KING ROOM, is a bit... not our style for this trip when compared to FW.

They further advised that since we are looking forward to FW (Ive heard great things about the place) and specifically the Resort Amenities, that we hold onto our reservation until they contact us.

I've never had anything bad to say about WDW Customer Service, but this is my 5th trip in 8 years and 4th year in a row traveling there. Disney itself, does have a reputation for some degree of nickel and diming guests, though. And I can say for sure, without blaming Disney for these unforeseeable tragedies of course, that their business model is very logistics heavy for those planning trips. In some cases, to get my trip right Ive worked for weeks tweaking plans. Given that, I have to imagine they are smart enough to have some system in place for situations like this, and assume they wont shy away from upgrades or DVC resorts, should our resort not be fully operational. A refund doesn't really cut it when you've been planning a trip for 2 months on your free time.

Worse is that Fort Wilderness as a resort, in particular, isn't an example of WDW's Accommodations, where it's acceptable to expect guests to travel outside for Dining and Recreation. If you're at any of the Boardwalk resorts, or say Pop Century you can walk across the lake to Art of Animation. Or if you're at Riverside, you can easily walk to the French Quarter. Its not even easy to get to the pool IN RESORT at Fort Wilderness, and that isolation and recreation options are the draw there. It will be interesting to see how Disney handles it. I wish someone who's reservation is currently being effected could report their experience here.

Just wondering how things ended up working out for you?