How to address discrepancies between park pass availability?

[durangojim]

We’re staying at WDW next week as for resort guests there’s hardly any availability but for APs there’s plenty. If I call Disney can they get us the passes that would be available for APs?

 

[CaptainAmerica]

No.

 

[nickys]

We’re staying at WDW next week as for resort guests there’s hardly any availability but for APs there’s plenty. If I call Disney can they get us the passes that would be available for APs?

Are you AP holders?

CMs have been booking park reservations for AP holders who are staying onsite from the AP pool instead of the resort guest pool.

 

[durangojim]

Are you AP holders?

CMs have been booking park reservations for AP holders who are staying onsite from the AP pool instead of the resort guest pool.

Thank you for that clarification. We have been AP holders for 18 years but we are also going to be staying at the YC next week. That's where my confusion came in. I thought CMs might be able to help.

 

[nickys]

Thank you for that clarification. We have been AP holders for 18 years but we are also going to be staying at the YC next week. That's where my confusion came in. I thought CMs might be able to help.

So I think you need to call Ticketing Services. I’ll see if I can find the number.

 

[nickys]

@durangojim , here is a number for ticketing services who can book those park reservations out of the AP pool for you. From several reports it seems this is a something they can do as long as there is still AP availability. It’s just that guests can’t override the resort priority themselves through MDE.

Ticket specialist 407-566-4985

 

[durangojim]

@durangojim , here is a number for ticketing services who can book those park reservations out of the AP pool for you. From several reports it seems this is a something they can do as long as there is still AP availability. It’s just that guests can’t override the resort priority themselves through MDE.

Ticket specialist 407-566-4985

Thank you for the info and phone number! Fortunately I was able to get the park passes I needed by checking frequently over the past day. I hope they fix this soon though.

 

[nickys]

@durangojim , here is a number for ticketing services who can book those park reservations out of the AP pool for you. From several reports it seems this is a something they can do as long as there is still AP availability. It’s just that guests can’t override the resort priority themselves through MDE.

Thank you for the info and phone number! Fortunately I was able to get the park passes I needed by checking frequently over the past day. I hope they fix this soon though.

Fix as in how? If you were able to book from the AP pool when staying onsite then you wouldn’t get length of stay. And that’s exactly what did happen when reservations first opened. I’d say this is better, it’s unusual for the Resort pool to run out faster than the AP pool.

 

[LittleMerman]

I had a lot of issues with a park reservation in January that 1) was Disney's fault and 2) could have been easily fixed but I called multiple times and they refused to do anything about it to correct the problem. I got the impression that they are very strict with reservations because of Covid even when the reservation system is very flawed (don't get me started on my issue, it still makes me mad haha). Disney cast members used to go above and beyond and for a while now they just tell you there's nothing they can do when you have a real issue. This started well before Covid. Disney customer service is not what it used to be. I've experienced other issues that could easily be solved but told there was nothing they could do to help. Good luck.

 

[nickys]

I had a lot of issues with a park reservation in January that 1) was Disney's fault and 2) could have been easily fixed but I called multiple times and they refused to do anything about it to correct the problem. I got the impression that they are very strict with reservations because of Covid even when the reservation system is very flawed (don't get me started on my issue, it still makes me mad haha). Disney cast members used to go above and beyond and for a while now they just tell you there's nothing they can do when you have a real issue. This started well before Covid. Disney customer service is not what it used to be. I've experienced other issues that could easily be solved but told there was nothing they could do to help. Good luck.

Well OK then. No idea what the point is of that answer if you won’t tell us what they wouldn’t fix.But yes they are being strict because they are limiting numbers of guests in the parks.

Except the “problem” in this case will be fixed by the CMs as long as thee is still AP availability. It is only recently (in the last few weeks) that this particular issue has arisen for Spring Break. Usually it’s AP holders who are out of luck not resort guests.

 

[LittleMerman]

Well OK then. No idea what the point is of that answer if you won’t tell us what they wouldn’t fix.But yes they are being strict because they are limiting numbers of guests in the parks.

Except the “problem” in this case will be fixed by the CMs as long as thee is still AP availability. It is only recently (in the last few weeks) that this particular issue has arisen for Spring Break. Usually it’s AP holders who are out of luck not resort guests.

My point was clear

 

[nickys]

My point was clear

That they refused to do anything, sure. But no one can judge for themselves whether they agree it was Disney’s fault or that they should have fixed it.

 

[LittleMerman]

That they refused to do anything, sure. But no one can judge for themselves whether they agree it was Disney’s fault or that they should have fixed it.

I wasn't asking for anyone to judge anything.

 

[nickys]

I wasn't asking for anyone to judge anything.

Fair enough. I’m sorry Disney weren’t able to fix it for you.

 

[donsullivan]

I had a lot of issues with a park reservation in January that 1) was Disney's fault and 2) could have been easily fixed but I called multiple times and they refused to do anything about it to correct the problem. I got the impression that they are very strict with reservations because of Covid even when the reservation system is very flawed (don't get me started on my issue, it still makes me mad haha). Disney cast members used to go above and beyond and for a while now they just tell you there's nothing they can do when you have a real issue. This started well before Covid. Disney customer service is not what it used to be. I've experienced other issues that could easily be solved but told there was nothing they could do to help. Good luck.

Some people need to let go of the belief and demand that if Disney will not do exactly what they want, it is poor customer service. Customer service is not about doing exactly what every guest wants, when they want it, the way the guest wants it; that results in chaos. Each time they break the rules to accommodate a guest demand, it hits the Internet within hours and then for the next week they are getting call after call demanding the exact same treatment. That is simply unsustainable, especially when they are in a 35% capacity constrained operation.

Some seem to believe that anyone staying in a Disney resort should be guaranteed access to the parks at the exclusion of all other classes of guests. It doesn’t work that way. If those who believed that had their way, locals and Passholders or those staying off property would be excluded from the parks. In normal times, the locals and non-Disney resort guests represent 50% (or more) of the people visiting the parks on any given day.

Disney is trying to accommodate all possible guest profiles in a balanced way and they do that with the capacity allocations between the three categories in the Park Pass reservation model. This is not new, it’s been going on for 9 months now and it’s not likely going away any time soon, if ever.

 

[LittleMerman]

Some people need to let go of the belief and demand that if Disney will not do exactly what they want, it is poor customer service. Customer service is not about doing exactly what every guest wants, when they want it, the way the guest wants it; that results in chaos. Each time they break the rules to accommodate a guest demand, it hits the Internet within hours and then for the next week they are getting call after call demanding the exact same treatment. That is simply unsustainable, especially when they are in a 35% capacity constrained operation.

Some seem to believe that anyone staying in a Disney resort should be guaranteed access to the parks at the exclusion of all other classes of guests. It doesn’t work that way. If those who believed that had their way, locals and Passholders or those staying off property would be excluded from the parks. In normal times, the locals and non-Disney resort guests represent 50% (or more) of the people visiting the parks on any given day.

Disney is trying to accommodate all possible guest profiles in a balanced way and they do that with the capacity allocations between the three categories in the Park Pass reservation model. This is not new, it’s been going on for 9 months now and it’s not likely going away any time soon, if ever.

Nothing in your post applies to my situation.

 

[cmwade77]

@durangojim , here is a number for ticketing services who can book those park reservations out of the AP pool for you. From several reports it seems this is a something they can do as long as there is still AP availability. It’s just that guests can’t override the resort priority themselves through MDE.

Ticket specialist 407-566-4985

Shouldn't this just be automatic? If you are both a resort guest and a pass holder, shouldn't it pull first from the resort guest pool and then the AP pool automatically?

 

[nickys]

Shouldn't this just be automatic? If you are both a resort guest and a pass holder, shouldn't it pull first from the resort guest pool and then the AP pool automatically?

I’m not the designer, or the coder, or TWDC, just the messenger.

You’re not wrong about what they could have done but it’s Disney IT and their MO is “just about good enough”.

 

[correcaminos]

Shouldn't this just be automatic? If you are both a resort guest and a pass holder, shouldn't it pull first from the resort guest pool and then the AP pool automatically?

You would think so, but no. Calling to get it fixed is a bit of a pain right now too. They can do it for you though. Also CMs have been known to help in person if there is availability.