Website Issue - anyone seen this?

[polynesiangirl]

I have been trying to change our room to one with a better view. On the disneyworld.com site, it shows these views as being available. I go through the proper steps to change it, get allllll the way to the checkout page (to pay the additional deposit I'd owe,) and it hangs, followed by an "error adding payment method." The first 10 times I tried, I assumed I'd entered something wrong. I even tried a different credit card. I backed everything out, re-added the changed view, started the checkout process again -- nothing.

So I call. The CM on the phone tells me that according to her computer, those views are not available. OK...except that your website shows that they are. I even get to the checkout page for them, and the error message I'm getting doesn't tell me anything useful about why it didn't process. She was like, "huh, I don't know what to tell you. Sorry about that." Thanks?

I don't even really care THAT much about changing the view, but it was clear the CM on the phone just thought I was a dork who doesn't know how to use the Internet. I can assure you, as both an IT professional and a dedicated online shopper, I was following the proper steps to purchase a different view. I just checked right now and sure enough, it still shows the view I want as a option, and lets me go all the way to the checkout before bombing out.

So, anyways -- has this ever happened to anyone else?

 

[Hakunamatata]

Customer facing systems and internal facing systems sometimes don't communicate?

 

[polynesiangirl]

Customer facing systems and internal facing systems sometimes don't communicate?

Yeah, I assume it must be something like this...it's just weird that it's been showing apparently incorrect information to me for multiple days now. Usually when something like that happens the data corrects after a bit of time.

 

[Hakunamatata]

Yeah, I assume it must be something like this...it's just weird that it's been showing apparently incorrect information to me for multiple days now. Usually when something like that happens the data corrects after a bit of time.

It's frustrating. We have issues constantly where I work with this issue. Frustrating for the customer and for us.

 

[DarthVader]

I prefer talking to someone when making a change to an existing reservation - that's just me. I've had trouble booking our "surprise" November vacation, the site kept incurring an error. I was able to nail down the reservation with a very low rate at the ASM. I wanted to lock that in given I was looking at 105 per night.

 

[englanddg]

I have been trying to change our room to one with a better view. On the disneyworld.com site, it shows these views as being available. I go through the proper steps to change it, get allllll the way to the checkout page (to pay the additional deposit I'd owe,) and it hangs, followed by an "error adding payment method." The first 10 times I tried, I assumed I'd entered something wrong. I even tried a different credit card. I backed everything out, re-added the changed view, started the checkout process again -- nothing.

So I call. The CM on the phone tells me that according to her computer, those views are not available. OK...except that your website shows that they are. I even get to the checkout page for them, and the error message I'm getting doesn't tell me anything useful about why it didn't process. She was like, "huh, I don't know what to tell you. Sorry about that." Thanks?

I don't even really care THAT much about changing the view, but it was clear the CM on the phone just thought I was a dork who doesn't know how to use the Internet. I can assure you, as both an IT professional and a dedicated online shopper, I was following the proper steps to purchase a different view. I just checked right now and sure enough, it still shows the view I want as a option, and lets me go all the way to the checkout before bombing out.

So, anyways -- has this ever happened to anyone else?

Yep, experienced it.

Nope, not unusual. The site is wonky. I prefer to call for reservations (room and ADR), and only use it for things like FP and minor changes.

 

[polynesiangirl]

Well I'm glad at least someone else has seen this. I mean, it's fine if we can't move our room, it's not going to ruin the trip or anything. It just stinks to get false hope (and waste time). Also, the most obnoxious part of this was being on hold with WDW and listening to a HUGE recorded spiel about how I didn't need to call in -- I can just edit my reservation online! Aaaaargghh -- not if it doesn't work, I can't!

 

[englanddg]

The DCL site is significantly worse, if that makes you feel better? (Wink)

 

[lostpro9het]

And the DVC site is worse than both of them .

 

[polynesiangirl]

Hahaha, yes, the DCL site is HORRIBLE, like, "is this some high school kid's senior project?"-horrible. Aulani's is tolerable only because the site is so limited, but it still runs the same backend as WDW so it's slow and annoying to navigate. And while I haven't been on the DVC one, I'm more than willing to believe it's worse. My in laws are DVC members and my MIL just calls in by default, always.

It's just kind of baffling to me, from time to time, how awful their internet sites are. They should be SO much better than this and I should at least feel confident that the information being shown to me is accurate. Sheesh.

 

[englanddg]

Disney's Website Team...

 

[englanddg]

Yesterday Disney released this:



And, well, having planned a lot of trips with MDX, I couldn't help myself but to parody it.

So...I present to you...the REALITY of MDX! (at least for now, this is tongue in cheek, because it's getting better all the time, and to be fair to Disney, this was a monumental undertaking...but, that doesn't mean that timeouts and other errors aren't frustrating!)

 

[JennSmith]

Wait...you can specify a room with a better view online? I never got that option and when I called they told me that would just be considered a room request at time of check in . Am I on the same page as the rest of you?

 

[Hakunamatata]

Wait...you can specify a room with a better view online? I never got that option and when I called they told me that would just be considered a room request at time of check in . Am I on the same page as the rest of you?

You can't specify a room preference within a specific category. You can include a room request but they are not guaranteed.

 

[Tuvalu]

Wait...you can specify a room with a better view online? I never got that option and when I called they told me that would just be considered a room request at time of check in . Am I on the same page as the rest of you?

No you can't specify a room with a better view online. You may be able to modify an existing reservation to a different category (garden view to water view, for example) but that would incur an additional cost for the category upgrade.

There is no way to request a "free upgrade" until check-in (and highly unlikely one would be given.) You can request a certain building or area before arrival if you call and have it added to your reservation (and it is in the room category you have booked), but a request is never guaranteed.

 

[polynesiangirl]

Yesterday Disney released this:



And, well, having planned a lot of trips with MDX, I couldn't help myself but to parody it.

So...I present to you...the REALITY of MDX! (at least for now, this is tongue in cheek, because it's getting better all the time, and to be fair to Disney, this was a monumental undertaking...but, that doesn't mean that timeouts and other errors aren't frustrating!)

Hahaha, this was hilarious! Well done.

The website STILL shows the category I want as being available. STILL won't let me actually book it. It seems somehow cruel that they're still dangling it out there: "sure, you can totally buy this -- PSYCH, it's not actually available. LOL!"

Disney, for the love of God, I'm actually trying to give you MORE MONEY for some illogical reason. Come on, people, work with me here!

 

[JennSmith]

No you can't specify a room with a better view online. You may be able to modify an existing reservation to a different category (garden view to water view, for example) but that would incur an additional cost for the category upgrade.

There is no way to request a "free upgrade" until check-in (and highly unlikely one would be given.) You can request a certain building or area before arrival if you call and have it added to your reservation (and it is in the room category you have booked), but a request is never guaranteed.

I don't even want a free upgrade...I was just looking to get a view that didn't consist of dumpsters/employee smoke breaks, (I have heard this was a possibility at AoA) and/or a room/building closer to the food court. I never saw any paid options for rooms or buildings either...oh well. As my 6 year old says...I will get what I get and won't throw a fit I guess

 

[Tuvalu]

I don't even want a free upgrade...I was just looking to get a view that didn't consist of dumpsters/employee smoke breaks, (I have heard this was a possibility at AoA) and/or a room/building closer to the food court. I never saw any paid options for rooms or buildings either...oh well. As my 6 year old says...I will get what I get and won't throw a fit I guess

Are you staying in room (Little Mermaid) or family suite (Nemo, Cars, Lion King)? That makes a difference at AoA and probably why there was no "Close to Dining/Transportation" option if you are staying in a room (not a suite) since the LM buildings are the furthest from the main building. The Nemo Suites are the closest.

Edit: I see you are eligible for online check in in five days. You will be able to make a generic request for room location at that time.

 

[JennSmith]

Are you staying in room (Little Mermaid) or family suite (Nemo, Cars, Lion King)? That makes a difference at AoA and probably why there was no "Close to Dining/Transportation" option if you are staying in a room (not a suite) since the LM buildings are the furthest from the main building. The Nemo Suites are the closest.

Edit: I see you are eligible for online check in in five days. You will be able to make a generic request for room location at that time.

We will be in one of the Lion King suites and I cannot wait for online check in and fastpass+ in 5 days!!!!

 

[jaklgreen]

I had an issue when free dining came out. The Disney website had a king bed room at POR available with the free dining. So I put it in my cart and went to check out. I put all of my info, including my credit card in, and got all the way to the last page and got an error. Called right away and was on hold for 20 min to talk to someone. Got a cast member and explained what happened and she said that there were no rooms available anymore for the free dining. I said that it let me put it in my cart and enter all of the info so I should have it. She told me that it is not saved in the cart and that anyone can book it even after I put it in my cart and it could be gone while I am putting in my info. I said, it does not work that way, that it should save in the cart and if I do not purchase it, it dumps it back into the pool of rooms, but if it is in my cart it holds it for me to let me checkout. Asked for a supervisor and she told me the same thing the other girl did and acted as if I was an idiot. I contacted Disney via email and got a call back from an nice kid who works in IT and he said that I was right, that if it is in the cart it should be saved to allow you to check out. (another instance of Disney not training their customer service people). This is why the girls were not seeing availability because it was still in my cart. The guy was super nice and asked if I still wanted that deal. I said, heck yeah! So he was able to create a reservation for me and I got 14 nights at POR king bed room with free dining this Oct. They mess up sometimes but try to make it right.