Currently a souvenier shortage in parks, WoD

[DisneyAndRedSox]

FYI just got back last night, they have a major warehouse issue with shipping items to the stores. Turns out they are switching software and the warehouse does not have an accurate inventory of what stores have (ironically DH does these software conversions for a career). If you see a souvenier you want, BUY IT, you may not find it again!
I could not buy:

-picture frames
-2008 photo album (most 2008 stuff gone)
-postcards
-decal for the back of my car, stick figure of little girl (was able to get man and woman), now need to beg for someone to pick up for me
-selection of women's clothes and hats horrible

I had held off on buying things since I get 10% off at World of Disney, well they were out of everything I wanted except a hat for DH. My mom wanted a salad bowl and finally found it in another store, but no discount. I wanted postcards for DD's photoalbum, the only thing I could get was one of the castle, NOTHING else, no Epcot, Studios, AK, characters! I even tried Ear Port at the airport and had no luck.

[DDuck66]

We were there this past Saturday and noticed the same thing. I wanted to get some flavored cofee for the office and the only thing they had was one small can of decaf...not even flavored. I thought maybe it was just the after Christmas emptyness but apparently not. First time that I ever spent less than $40 dollars at WoD.

[CaptainJessicaSparrow]

I'm pretty sure I had mentioned this in another thread concerning Ear Hats. It's a property-wide issue, that they identified the problem now. I do know that at MK, we had all of the postcards from other parks.

So, a few simple suggestions:

Please don't yell at CM's if they don't have what you are looking for. Contact Guest Relations instead (they are saying this might continue up through March).

If we tell you we don't have it, trust us. We've already know there is nothing in the back but dust and empty shelves. Please do not go ask another CM because they will tell you the same thing.

Please don't compare us to Disneyland. Our parks are about 20x bigger than theirs and has a lot more merchandise and stores to deal with.

It's frustrating for us as well because trust us, if the budget isn't getting met, we don't get to work and some of us live paycheck to paycheck (i.e. - me). Remember, we're there because you guys are. So please, try to be understanding. We're really trying the best we can with what we have.

Although yes, it is certainly unacceptable and if it were me, I'd be having everyone I can spare sent to the warehouse and using a good old calculator and paper to see what stores needed. Then firing whoever came up with the stupid idea to convert the system.

P.S. We are now officially out of all Ear Hats at MK.

[bleukarma]

P.S. We are now officially out of all Ear Hats at MK.

Wow, I never thought I would live to see the day!

What a crazy thing to be happening!

[biodtl]

-decal for the back of my car, stick figure of little girl (was able to get man and woman), now need to beg for someone to pick up for me

I'm pretty sure I have seen these online. I cna't recall where, but I'm sure a google search would turn something up.

P.S. We are now officially out of all Ear Hats at MK.

That is absolutely amazing to me. If there is one souvenir that says WDW, it's the ears. I hope this is a one-time thing and that someone, somewhere has learned their lesson.

PS. I am sorry that you have to deal with rude people. I can see being disappointed that you are out, but taking it out on a CM is unacceptable.

[Jasper]

Although yes, it is certainly unacceptable and if it were me, I'd be having everyone I can spare sent to the warehouse and using a good old calculator and paper to see what stores needed.

P.S. We are now officially out of all Ear Hats at MK.

I agree with you! How hard is it to figure out that you are losing untold numbers of dollars every day and then get someone on the telephones or in to the stores to take inventory or whatever and then get things sent out!


Obviously someone has lost sight of the fact that taking care of the customer is more important than fixing a distribution system!

[crazeedizneefinatic]

Wow, I cannot believe it has gone this far! Someone somewhere had to notice the depletion of souveniers, and out of ear hats, thats insane. Boy do I feel sorry for the CM's, they are in the line of fire and I am sure some customers can be downright rude. I know I would never get rude but I would be very disappointed. My husband is a supervisor of store replenishment and forcasting for a major store that the corporate headquarters are here in Pittsburgh. I told him about the problem and he could not understand, even with a system change how this could happen. Someone needs to step down or be fired in the WDW replenishment department! I wonder if a job opening will happen soon hmmm.... I know just the person, lol!

[RoosMomKanga]

P.S. We are now officially out of all Ear Hats at MK.

That's just wrong! Glad I'm not taking a first-timer this trip...what's a trip down Main Street without ears with your name from Mad Hatter?

[ljv1975]

(they are saying this might continue up through March).

I hope that they at least get some ear hats by the first week of March. This is our first trip and I did promise DD ears. I never thought I wouldn't be able to make good on my promise.

[DisneyAndRedSox]

First time that I ever spent less than $40 dollars at WoD.

I came home with $56 in unused Disney dollars, SHOCKING! I found nothing for myself, got DH a hat (which I had to drive back to WoD last day to exchange since stiching coming undone) and there was only one style toddler girl's baseball hat to chose from. Trust me the racks aren't empty, they just fill them with a lot of the same stuff over and over.

[adoptionislove]

Oh no, we will be there over spring break. I hope the ears will be there by then!

Thank you for the heads up on "if you see something you want-grab it"!!!!

[CaptainJessicaSparrow]

I'm glad that everyone on here is so understanding! Why can't all of you come down here and tell all the other guests not to be so mean!

I can certainly say that 5 shelves of String Things is hidious to look at. After seeing an entire wall dedicated to pink ear hats and a million of those ugly green and orange fuzzy Goofy hats on the tree.

I know it's impossible for us, but our stockrooms look like we are going out of business. There is nothing back there. And when we do get a shipment in, and I'm being 120% honest when I say this next part, there are literally....one to two items in a box. Like, one whole box had a single postcard in it.

Although...if things continue...we just might go out of business.

[JPL]

I have to say just came back and I think the main problem are some CMs are sending people to other stores saying oh they will have it there and picking up the phine and calling over. You get to the other store and they don't have the item you are looking for. I went through this with a Jacket for my niece. I was in MGM and they told me that they had the proper size at WoD and they even called. I went WoD and they didn't carry it at all. The CM there called AK and said oh they have planty of them there and I got to AK went to the store and they didn't carry it either so at this point I was extremely frustrated. I finally found the jacket in the Magic Kingdom.
It was an extremely frustrating and time consuming process so I can understand why some guests are getting upset. My time at WDW is very valuable and it really makes me wonder if the CMs really called anyone or just pretended to call to get rid of me.

[DisneyAndRedSox]

I'm glad that everyone on here is so understanding! Why can't all of you come down here and tell all the other guests not to be so mean!

I will admit I went a little nutty on a manager (sorry), after being sent to another store in Downtown Disney to buy something that I could have gotten 10% cheaper at WoD and being sent on scavenger hunts all week for items. But that was before someone was honest with me and told me what was going on, before that I was told I could get my items at other stores, just to be sent on a scavenger hunt with no results!

It is just very frustrating when you plan a trip for over a year and you can't buy a few items, in my case a postcard & a 2008 photoalbum! Another thing that I noticed today, I buy a magnet for DD every year since she was 2 months old, 2006 & 2007 say "Walt Disney World" on it, 2008 does not. What are the odds that it is missing the park name so it can be sold at DL, etc? Every year it is becoming a little less magical I hate to say!

[CaptainJessicaSparrow]

I always try to call for a Guest, and I make sure I get the name of the person I spoke to so that if there is a problem, the Guest can know who told me. After all, I'm at the Emporium, not the place I am calling so I don't know if they are telling the truth or not.

Some locations don't answer when we call (like WoD..it's pretty hard to get someone who answers). Most locations don't have access to Data Maitanence (wow that is spelt wrong) which is the complete system search for merchandise - it will tell us how many, what sizes and where it's at. Which I think ALL locations should have it and ALL merchandise CM's should be able to use it to save a lot of trouble and time.

Ah well...I'd be firing people left and right at the warehouse and putting every person I can spare for emergency overtime there to get it all figured out.

[mickey&missy]

This is absolutely crazy!! I can't believe there are no more mouse ears! I hope they get it fixed soon! I want to shop!

PS I promise I won't yell at ANY CM's

[lwhan4]

I'm arriving next week with a couple of first timers that had their hearts set on some ears....are they really sold out? Is this all through Disney property? It's so disappointing - Shopping is usually part of the fun .

[Experiment626]

Hi Everyone

I can tell you that we are NOT out of mouse ears in all shops.

I work in Frontierland and at Big Als as of yesterday we had The WDCT light up ears, Pirate Ears, Adult and Youth Black MM ears, Pink Infant Ears, as well as 2 styles of tinkerbell ears.

We have been low and out of some at Big Al's but we have never been out of all the ears.

In our shipment yesterday we got tons of ear hats, most of them are going right out to the floor so as we sell them things are looking a little bare and we have had to duplicate certain ears. But at no time have we in frontierland been completely out of ears. We are just out of and low on certain sizes, but we do have ears.

[EmiB]

We were there the first week of January and my mom SCOURED every store we passed for the Disney 2008 calendar, and didn't find it until the last day.
This thread obviously explains why, I'll have to tell her.

[CaptainJessicaSparrow]

Hi Everyone

I can tell you that we are NOT out of mouse ears in all shops.

I work in Frontierland and at Big Als as of yesterday we had The WDCT light up ears, Pirate Ears, Adult and Youth Black MM ears, Pink Infant Ears, as well as 2 styles of tinkerbell ears.

We have been low and out of some at Big Al's but we have never been out of all the ears.

In our shipment yesterday we got tons of ear hats, most of them are going right out to the floor so as we sell them things are looking a little bare and we have had to duplicate certain ears. But at no time have we in frontierland been completely out of ears. We are just out of and low on certain sizes, but we do have ears.

Yeah, I was referring specifically to the Classic MM Ear Hats. Now I know where to send everyone looking for them! The other ones are....kinda....well, in my opinion, which I am allowed to have, the others are completely hidious.

I visited today, and they said they got some items today, but still not a lot. The insanity might end soon. Just have to keep hoping.