Reservationists

[Tom]

Here's a good one for you all!

When you call Walt Disney Travel Company or the Central Reservation Office, where are those people? What building? Are they even on Disney property?

And secondly, its obvious that Disney uses one massive, HUMONGOUS database system. All the park turnstiles, restaurants, shops, resorts, and the reservationists access them - since everything is linked. Any idea where they store all that stuff? Where the servers are?

Just a couple things I've always wondered, but most people don't think twice about.

P.S. - NO guesses now people, haha. If you know, please share with us

 

[TravisMT81]

CRO and WDTC building in Orlando is off of International Drive. There is also a res center in Tampa. Also there is one in Houston, disney recently signed a contract with one of the airlines I believe to use part of their call center.

 

[Tom]

Originally posted by TravisM
CRO and WDTC building in Orlando is off of International Drive. There is also a res center in Tampa. Also there is one in Houston, disney recently signed a contract with one of the airlines I believe to use part of their call center.

Do they have the Houston one because of times zones? I know Dell has Tech Support Centers in TX, some other locations, and India in order to prevent overtime for reps, due to being open 24 hours.

As for their database, I bet they've got redundant servers and such, and many locations....any idea where? Like when you swipe your ID/Ticket at a turnstile, where does it check data?

 

[Tinkerbell1220]

Disney has Continental airlines doing there Res. center now... they have call centers...In Salt lake City,Tampa and Houston,,,,

 

[Tom]

Originally posted by Tinkerbell1220
Disney has Continental airlines doing there Res. center now... they have call centers...In Salt lake City,Tampa and Houston,,,,

So, are you saying that they aren't even Cast Members? I find it hard to believe that DIsney has no in-house reservationists. Especially with the WDTC.

 

[Tinkerbell1220]

I am not saying that there are not anymore cast members working in Res. but I know for a FACT a large % of the people that answer the phones for Disney is Continental airlines....Even in "Tampa" they are sending people from the continental call center to disneys call center... I work for continental and I called disney to make a Reservation and I used my Flight Attendant discount and she told me what was going on in the call centers:animwink:

 

[Tom]

Originally posted by Tinkerbell1220
I am not saying that there are not anymore cast members working in Res. but I know for a FACT a large % of the people that answer the phones for Disney is Continental airlines....Even in "Tampa" they are sending people from the continental call center to disneys call center... I work for continental and I called disney to make a Reservation and I used my Flight Attendant discount and she told me what was going on in the call centers:animwink:

That must explain why the quality of the Call Center Reps has goen WAY down!

I called 2 weeks ago to book a room-only vacation for June. A guy (teenager I presume) took my call, and said UH a million times, couldn't work the computer, had it sent to my OLD address even after i had him change it, and he didn't know any answers.

Then, when I finally got my reservation forwarded from my old address, I called in again to see why it went there, and some girl answered. I had to explain to her TWICE, in 3-year-old terms, what had happened....then I ended up walking her through the possibilities to fix it. She was SO DUMB. I guess I was spoiled with the Reservationists from the past.....

 

[All Star Nathan]

The Disney Catalog call centers in Kansas also take dining res during peak periods like X-mas. You can call from your Disney hotel room and wind up talking to the Midwest.

 

[TravisMT81]

the calls and queue times were getting out of control. I am not sure what the contract with continental intails. We had a lot of CM being pulled to work the dining line around the holidays.

 

[DisneyJill]

Originally posted by edwardtc
Do they have the Houston one because of times zones? I know Dell has Tech Support Centers in TX, some other locations, and India in order to prevent overtime for reps, due to being open 24 hours.

As for their database, I bet they've got redundant servers and such, and many locations....any idea where? Like when you swipe your ID/Ticket at a turnstile, where does it check data?

It doesn't make a lot of sense to have CRO and WDTC in Houston for time zone reasons, because neither CRO or WDTC are open 24 hours. They close at 11 and reopen at 7. If they were trying to accomodate later time zone hours, it would make more sense to put a base in California or Hawaii or something, not Houston, which is only a couple of hours in difference from Orlando.

 

[Tom]

Originally posted by DisneyJill
It doesn't make a lot of sense to have CRO and WDTC in Houston for time zone reasons, because neither CRO or WDTC are open 24 hours. They close at 11 and reopen at 7. If they were trying to accomodate later time zone hours, it would make more sense to put a base in California or Hawaii or something, not Houston, which is only a couple of hours in difference from Orlando.

I understand that, but at the time of that post, I could not figure out why Disney would have a call center in Houston - was just looking for any legitimate reason. Seems weird.

Dell does it because they are 24 hours - so I guess WDW just found cheap real estate!

Anyway, service is still pretty bad.....recently

 

[tampabrad]

I worked for CRO in Tampa from 1998-2000. At the time, there was an office in Orlando and Tampa. Our office had WDTC (Walt Disney Travel Company), CRO (Central Reservations), Dining, and at peak times Disney Catalog. The main Catalog office was in Kansas or something. Our training in Tampa was 4 weeks, the longest training in the whole company. We were and they still are Cast Members with all the benefits of regular CMs. We did our two days of Traditions just like everyone else.

The majority of the people who left while I was working did so because of pay. This may be the reason why they opened another call center in a different part of the country. Tampa is very call center heavy and as new centers opened, they paid much more than Disney offered for people to leave Disney because of their experience and wonderful guest service. Now the Tampa office is left with "what was left" Not saying that everyone there is not good at their position.

I can't see why they would have opened another call center. The Tampa Office was huge and 4 years ago, only half filled. At the time there were about 1000 people employed there. Also, I believe they have shortened Traditions, if they even still have it. I would assume in Houston, you wouldn't be able to go to WDW for two days for it. On a side note: One of the things learned in Trads. was Disney-E's---the Disney way to speak and that included never using "Um". We also had a tour of EVERY resort, including some of the Off Property "Good Neighbor" Hotels. The training was rather intense. We were normally the guests first contact with anyone at WDW, and we also spent the most time interacting with guests. In my class of 30, I remember at least 5 didn't get through training.

As for the systems we used, they were not compatable. Dining was one system, and CRS was another. In house resorts were on a different system and was in Real Time with the Locations. Example, if you called and made a reservation, then called the resort, the resort would not have your information until it was downloaded to the resort about a week before arrival when they then assign rooms. I believe now it is windows based and in Real Time with the Resorts. As for tickets, we had no way of getting any information from tickets. This had to be done at the parks or guest services.

 

[Tom]

Wow, thanks TampaBrad, that was informative.

It gives some insight as to why all of my calls to CRO and Dining in the last 2 months have been about as productive as a screen door in a submarine.

I hate to say it, but the girl who took my initial resort reservations was a complete idiot. She said UM a hundred times, had trouble working the computer, put me on hold, didn't know anything about WDW (so it seemed) and when she confirmed that she ordered me a Vacation Planner DVD, she in fact didn't because it never came.

I called back a week later to add some dining reservations and that person told me that Cinderella's Table was all booked up for parties of 2 on the day we wanted to go. However, I wasn't convinced that she had all of her marbles either, so I called back later that night and got some guy. He looked it up and said there were plenty of seats and booked us. WOW - she should be FIRED!

Oh well, I've just lost all respect for Disney Reservationists. Even up to last year they were intelligent and seemed like they cared. Now, they seem like apathetic high-schoolers with bad grammar, poor manners, and the intelligence of a tree.

 

[TURKEY]

Originally posted by tampabrad

As for the systems we used, they were not compatable. Dining was one system, and CRS was another. In house resorts were on a different system and was in Real Time with the Locations. Example, if you called and made a reservation, then called the resort, the resort would not have your information until it was downloaded to the resort about a week before arrival when they then assign rooms. I believe now it is windows based and in Real Time with the Resorts. As for tickets, we had no way of getting any information from tickets. This had to be done at the parks or guest services.

Still don't do anything over the phone (or they shouldn't) about tickets.

Reservations only download about 10 days before arrival date. People that have reservations starting next weekend only arrived earlier this week.

More often than not, if anything is wrong with a reservation, be it package incorrect, age mix, etc...CMs will rebook/change the reservation to correct it at the resort.

 

[maelstrom]

The last time I called CRO to make reservations, the first person I got on the phone apparently ignored that I said Contemporary TOWER. She quoted me for garden wing. I thanked her and hung up. I called again and got someone else who didn't seem to know how to work the computer, but eventually got to a screen showing Tower Room and Tower Club, and she told me she didn't know the difference and which one did I want. Man, what if *I* didn't know the difference? I could've booked club and paid concierge price when I didn't want it.

 

[Tom]

Originally posted by maelstrom
The last time I called CRO to make reservations, the first person I got on the phone apparently ignored that I said Contemporary TOWER. She quoted me for garden wing. I thanked her and hung up. I called again and got someone else who didn't seem to know how to work the computer, but eventually got to a screen showing Tower Room and Tower Club, and she told me she didn't know the difference and which one did I want. Man, what if *I* didn't know the difference? I could've booked club and paid concierge price when I didn't want it.

Yeah, by the way, according to ONE WDW reservationist, there is no real difference between Riverside's Mansions and Bayous....HAHA! They're "pretty much the same, just that some buildings are closer to the main building". :lol:

 

[TURKEY]

Originally posted by edwardtc
Yeah, by the way, according to ONE WDW reservationist, there is no real difference between Riverside's Mansions and Bayous....HAHA! They're "pretty much the same, just that some buildings are closer to the main building". :lol:

Not really much of a difference once inside.

The only real difference is the Bayou buildings have a trundle bed so you could stick a small, 5th person in the room.

 

[raven]

The reservation center isn't even on WDW property. And most of these reservationists aren't even CMs. That's why when they say "Have a Magical Day" you can tell they don't really care.

And have you ever noticed that when you get your reservation in the mail it says that you can send the rest of your payment to an address in Chicago? Just shows you that they are everywhere.

 

[kadiehl]

No Problems here

You know, I have booked two trips through the WDW Travel Co. this year alone and I have never had any of the problems you guys have mentioned. I have always had very well informed Cast Members who tell me about all of the new programs, attractions, etc. I am very pleased with the service I have received. I have never had any errors with my arrangements either. It has always been smooth sailing for us from the moment we book the reservations until hte days we would arrive and leave the parks. I think they are all well trained!:sohappy: