Pre-Trip Nightmare WDW Misleading!

[givens718]

My husband and I decided we wanted to take our 7 & 9 yr. olds to WDW. This will actually be the first planned trip we've taken as a family. Back in January 2011 we started browsing the WDW site and came across a special offer called "kids stay and play free" when you book a 4 night 4 day magic your way vacation package. Sounded like a plan! I clicked on the offer and was asked what day we wanted to check in. I put in May 9, 2011 and the system automatically filled in May 12, 2011. I continued with my information, booked the trip, and paid for it.
Now, here we are, a month before our trip and we begin the planning when I get to planning the dates out and realize it's actually only 3 nights. So, I call WDW cust. serv. where I get transferred from one person to another only to have their final stand as "I changed the date to 3 nights". I argued that I did not change anything, the system automatically filled in the check out date. Then, after being transferred to another person, she tells me ,"well that package was for the value resorts" and I chose a moderate. Then why does my confirmation say "kids stay and play for free offer"? It's a complete cop out. They offered a package and now won't stand behind it. Of course now my husband is completely livid because here we are making plans around a 4 night vacation and we're minus 1 night of accommodations and meals, which we included with purchase.
One of the agents I talked to recommended that I send an email explaining what happened to WDW guest communications. Well, I did that and I got an immediate response saying that they've received my email and they would be in contact with me within 10 days. So, I will post an update later with the results of whether they plan to honor the advertisement or not.
I just wanted to write this post to help anyone that may be planning a trip to WDW and want to take advantage of any special offers. You really need to double check that you are getting what is advertised. What's worse is I'm becoming less and less excited about this trip and it should be a happy occasion. My sister and sister-in-law have both been with their families within the last couple of months and they both came back complaining about the crowds and portions of the parks being under construction. Of course, they both went during spring break which would understandably be crowded. Hopefully we'll miss some of that being as we're going in May. In closing, just make sure you're getting what they're advertising!!

[Dsnygirl]

I'm really sorry to hear this happened to you... it sounds like quite a bit of miscommunication, and I hope you receive a positive e-mail back from Disney!

Here is what I found on the offer from Disney:

Kids 3-9 Stay & Play Free!
Purchase a Magic Your Way Vacation Package that includes room and theme park tickets, and children age 3-9 can stay and get a theme park admission ticket FREE. Offer is available for stays most nights 2/17/11-4/16/11, 4/28/11-6/14/11 and 8/14/11-10/1/11.

The free children's tickets are Base Tickets (admission to one theme park per day, with no park hopping) valid for the same number of days as any adult tickets purchased as part of the package. Note that kids 17 and under always stay free in a room with parents at Disney, so the actual value of this package is from the free tickets for the kids.

Ticket upgrades such as the Park Hopper Option and/or Water Park Fun & More Option can be added to the Base Tickets, but you will pay the full cost of upgrading ($57.51 per ticket, per option, tax included).

Book by 2/13/11 for stays 2/17/11-4/16/11; book by 3/27/11 for stays 4/28/11-6/14/11 and 8/14/11-10/1/11. 3-night minimum stay required. The number of packages available at this rate is limited. Child must stay in room with adult. Base Tickets are for one theme park per day and must be used within 14 days of first use. Maximum of four Guests per room.

It doesn't mention it being for value resorts, but it does say a 3-night minimum stay is required. So maybe that is why the booking site automatically put in May 12th... if you wanted the 4-night offer, maybe you had to change it -- but that certainly doesn't seem clear. I know when the offer first came out, it was a 4 night/4 day offer for Visa cardholders... this offer for the general public that came out a few days later was a bit different.

I really hope Disney can work the bugs out for you and bring the magic back -- and I hope that once you get there, no matter what, you have a GREAT time!!

(oh, and I think you'll find the crowds MUCH different than what your family has experienced... we've been in May, and the crowds were very low and manageable. I do believe there are still some scrims up on Main St in MK, but other than that, I think you'll find most everything "normal". )

[faline]

Sorry you didn't get what you thought you were getting. Did you get a confirmation? Typically, your confirmation would have all your vacation information on it including your check in date and the number of nights you were going to stay.

It won't help you for this trip but, for any future trips, I'd suggest working with Magical Journeys. They'd make sure you got what you expected without any hassles on your part.

I know I've had a few experiences with an online resource automatically plugging in information it thinks I want so I always try to be doubly careful in doing things like booking airline tickets and hotel rooms.

I truly hope you are able to resolve this to your satisfaction. This is certainly not the way to begin your first trip!

[buzznwoodysmom]

I don't think the ad was misleading at all. The ad offered "kids stay free" and that's what you got.

When I book a hotel room anywhere, not just Disney, the check out date is automatically put in for me. If there is no minimum night stay then the check out date is automatically the next day, if there is a minimum night stay then the check out date automatically goes to that number of nights. As the person booking and paying for the trip, its my responsibility to make sure the dates are indeed what I want before booking. It looks like you may have overlooked changing the check out date to include your 4th night. Since there was a 3 night minimum, and that's what you ended up with, it looks like the system did an automatic check out date based upon their ad and you didn't catch it until now.

I'm sorry that your first trip is starting off on a bad note. I do hope you can find a way to make that extra night happen, and that when its all said and done you can have a fabulous trip!

[forever a child]

Their system is automated...it does that all of the time and I just have to make sure to change the dates. I never have actually booked on line though. I always call Disney directly and have one of their Cast Members do it....I just like to price it myself online first.

[givens718]

Thanks for all of your comments and I understand what you're saying about the dates, but what I'm upset about is the fact that I'm no professional at booking trips.When I see an advertisement that says "4 nights/4 days" and I click on it, that's what I expect to get. Not the "fine printed", "minimum" number of days of which it does not mention once you're into the booking. If there was a minimum of 3 nights, that should have been printed right after the headline of "4 nights/ 4 days" so there's no confusion.

[KylesMom]

I'm so sorry that you feel like you've been a target of false advertising. Honestly, I think that's the worst feeling in the world, thinking you've been "had". Unfortunately, when you book online, the details are all up to you.

Booking travel, whether directly through a vacation website or one of the many "discount" hotel sites such as pline or ex*** can be tricky if you're not aware of your true check-in/check-out dates, penalties, procedures, etcetera. Just like airfare. For instance, if I were to mistakenly book a ticket from many of the major airline carriers right now, and then change it, it would automatically cost me $150 for each ticket.

I would call Disney again & hope that they can rectify the situation for you. I certainly would not recommend that you wait for a reply to your e-mail message, especially in light of the fact that the Disney site (as well as many others) had a recent compromise to their e-mail address system. Not sure what consequences will be with relation to this.

I learned early on to leave our family's room booking to one of INTERCOT's sponsors, Magical Journeys, which doesn't cost us a thing. Unfortunately you didn't have any guidance when you first booked, and now you're at the mercy of an automated e-mail system.

I hope that you don't think we're unsympathetic to your problem - we're not. I hope all turns out for you! Fingers crossed that you get your magic sorted out of the nightmare.

Welcome to INTERCOT, by the way. I hope we can help you with other any questions to make the trip fabulous for your kids!

[Reedy Creek Buccaneer]

Magical Journeys!!!!!

[forever a child]

I would call Disney again & hope that they can rectify the situation for you. I certainly would not recommend that you wait for a reply to your e-mail message


I hope that you don't think we're unsympathetic to your problem - we're not. I hope all turns out for you! Fingers crossed that you get your magic sorted out of the nightmare.

Welcome to INTERCOT, by the way. I hope we can help you with other any questions to make the trip fabulous for your kids!

I agree....I would not wait. I would keep calling until you find out what can be done for your situation.

We are sorry you have to go through this....but hopefully things will be taken care of and then you can spend your time before your trip planning what you and your family are going to do! You should really take some time if you haven't already on this to make sure your time is more enjoyable once you arrive at WDW. If you post any questions or ask for advise here, I am sure you will find a lot of helpful people as well.

Lastly, Welcome to Intercot!

[gerald72]

I don't see where the problem is. There is a minimum stay of three nights, and that's what you booked. You could have changed it before 3/27 but it is too late to get that deal now. Making sure you book the correct dates is hardly double-checking and you don't need to be a professional to do it. How is Disney supposed to guess how long you want to stay? I don't know if you even stated what you intended to book.
Didn't you think it was odd that the price was much lower than you expected?
I would hope that Disney can simply add more days, but you realize they won't be for free?

[givens718]

I don't see where the problem is. There is a minimum stay of three nights, and that's what you booked. You could have changed it before 3/27 but it is too late to get that deal now. Making sure you book the correct dates is hardly double-checking and you don't need to be a professional to do it. How is Disney supposed to guess how long you want to stay? I don't know if you even stated what you intended to book.
Didn't you think it was odd that the price was much lower than you expected?
I would hope that Disney can simply add more days, but you realize they won't be for free?

Not trying to sound rude: But perhaps you should try reading my complaint once more.The advertisement was for 4 nights/4 days. That's what I clicked on. It didn't say 4 nights with a minimum of 3, it said 4 nights. And Disney wouldn't have to guess how many nights I wanted to stay, I clicked on the "4 NIGHTS/ 4 DAYS MAGIC YOUR WAY PACKAGE". What part of that didn't you get?? When the system automatically filled in the check out date, I thought it was for the full 4 nights. And where, in any part of my post, did I say that the price was cheaper than I expected? I thought it was a good price for what I thought I was getting, but I never said it was cheaper than I expected. You should really pay more attention to the comments before you post replies in the manner that you did.

[Tink1]

Call Disney, do not wait for an email. Sweetly explain that you goofed and you need help.

Ask to add a night on to your package. If your resort cannot accomadate an additional night, ask if there is another moderate or view that can. Your price will increase since you are adding a night, but if they can do it you will have all the nights you need.

Remember, sugar not vinegar.


Nanc

[MississippiDisneyFreak]

I don't really think it was misleading...it was just an unfortunate mistake. I agree to try to get Disney to work with you and in the future use Magical Journeys, they are great and will do all the work for you.

[PopPhan]

The advertisement stated the costs for a 4 day/4 night visit for REFERENCE purposes. When you went to book, you should have been aware of the dates it showed you, not just accepted the default (which is normally the minimum that the deal would cover - in this case, 3 days/3 nights)

What if you had wanted 5 days/5 nights? Or actually WANTED 3 days/3 nights?

Just like any other advertising, it is up to you to make sure everything coincides with what you actually want before hitting the ACCEPT button.

Next time, book through Magical Journeys and they will take all of the fuss and worry away!!

[brownie]

I'm sorry you're having a frustrating experience. I hope you're able to work things out.

[Madame Leona]

I have to agree that the default is merely a suggestion. It is your responsibility to enter in the dates that you will be traveling, arrival and depature. I'm so sorry that this misunderstanding happened to you and I hope everything is quickly resolved so you can relax and look forward to your vacation.

[Ian]

I think I'm going to side a bit more with the OP. If I click on a banner ad that says, "4 days/4 nights" I expect that I'm going to get 4 days and 4 nights when I click through to the site. Now me personally, I've learned the hard way to always check my dates to avoid confusion or mistakes. This comes from having once showed up at an airport expecting to fly out somewhere only to find that my admin had mistakenly booked my flight for the following day.

When it comes to Disney, though, I'd say this advice is the best way to prevent these types of things from occurring:

I'd suggest working with Magical Journeys. They'd make sure you got what you expected without any hassles on your part.

[AllDisney]

You have to make sure when you hit the final button that you know exactly what you are agreeing to. ALWAYS double check the dates, # of nights, # of days, what kind of park tickets did you agree on etc.

Try MJ next time

[BrerGnat]

Sorry this is happening to you, OP. This is one of my anxieties about booking travel online. I've done a LOT of online travel booking, and I get nervous every single time. I check, and double check, and triple check everything. I still feel nervous when I hit the final confirmation button.

I agree that you should simply call Disney. Have your confirmation number handy, and politely explain what happened, and ask if there is any way you can tack on an additional night. They might be able to accommodate you with any of the current room only discount offers, and it's very easy to add a day onto your park passes (it's a minimal amount of money to upgrade beyond 3 days).

Try not to feel slighted. The "kids stay and play free" offer sounds better than it is, because kids ALWAYS stay free. The free tickets are nice, but you really didn't get a discount on the room anyway, so they might find you a room for cheaper than you paid as part of that package.

Don't give up hope! Disney wants you to be happy. I've found that when I get an unsatisfactory cast member on the phone, I simply hang up and call back. You'll get someone else; hopefully someone who wants to help you!

Good luck and please let us know how it turns out!

[lovinmesomedisney]

I book every one of my trips on Disney.com. I have never had a problem. Of course, you do have to put in the exact dates you want. I also make sure I have a standard room, and not a preferred. Another thing you need to check out is the hopper and water park and more tickets. I don't want those and I have to actually go in and change to a base ticket. I booked that exact trip of kids stay and play free for friends of mine, and didn't have a problem. I guess all I can suggest is that you check your dates and all before you verify your purchase. Disney is usually pretty strict on their "Book by dates." Had you figured this out during the booking dates, you would have had no problem changing things.