No More 1-800 #??

[pooh0601]

Has anyone else noticed the 1-800 # is no longer working for WDW? Does anyone know if there is a "new" number? It's strange b/c it is answered by a WDW CM that says the number is no longer in service and to dial the 407 area code #. So they are still "paying" to have this toll free number but aren't allowing the calls to go through.

[Tygger7]

I just called 1-877-939-3732 and it worked fine. I think it's one of the only ones that still work.

[DizneyRox]

I just called 1-877-939-3732 and it worked fine. I think it's one of the only ones that still work.
For now...

Disney doesn't advertise the 800 numbers. The reason is they pay for the calls. Since books are up, it's obvious that people are willing to pay to vacation in the world. So, they can also now pay the phone bill to get there. It's not a lot for each person, but when Disney is footing the bill for everyone, it DOES add up. We are a very small company and our phone bill is ALWAYS over $25,000. I wouldn't even be able to guess at what Disney forks over.

It's a cost savings, plan and simple...

[pooh0601]

I always used the 1-800-828-0228 #. But that is the one that has stopped working. Glad to hear about a new toll free number. If Disney doesn't advertise it and doesn't want people to use it, then WHY do they have one???

[TammiMcMan]

If Disney doesn't advertise it and doesn't want people to use it, then WHY do they have one???I believe the toll free numbers were designed as a courtesy for travel agents use only, but they were slipped to the masses. I imagine that if the numbers are continued to be used by the general public, they'll build in a safety feature, like having to input a TA code number.

[MNNHFLTX]

Not that I've even used the 1-800 or 1-877 numbers, but I've always thought it was more than a little cheesy that Disney makes their customers potentially pay long distance charges to book their vacations. I would be hard-pressed to think of any other major hotel chain or vacation destination that does not offer a toll-free number. It's just good customer service and good business sense.

:soapbox: Lol! Sorry, but as big a fan of Disney as I am, that has always been a pet-peeve of mine!

[DisneyTwinsMommy]

With cell phones and voice over IP (internet phones) no one should ever have to pay long distance anymore... :)

[TheRustyScupper]

. . . I've always thought it was more than a little cheesy that Disney makes their customers potentially pay long distance charges to book their vacations. . .

1) If you booked a vacation, like a normal hotel room, no problem.
2) But, WDW has so many options, people can talk a long time.
3) For other hotels, the call lasts maybe 15-minutes.

4) Plus, let's look at the non-profitable 800 calls calls
. . . calls to ask about vacation packages
. . . calls to ask about vacation dates
. . . calls to change room ressie dates
. . . calls to change resorts for room ressies
. . . calls to made ADR's
. . . calls to change ADR's 2nd time
. . . calls to change ADR's 3rd-5th time
. . . calls to verify ressie or ADR
. . . calls to ask DDP or ticket questions
. . . calls to re-verify the ressie or ADR's
. . . calls to ask is discounts are available yet

5) Thus, an 800-number for a reservation is much more than that.
6) The phone charges can be big bucks by the time a guest is done.

[Taja]

I don't mind paying for the call when...

1. I don't have to work through a menu that keeps adding options.

2. After navigating said menu, I am on hold for 15 to 20 minutes before someone finally answers!

3. I'm able to speak to someone who knows what he/she is talking about and who doesn't put me on hold three or four more times for a very simple transaction. It's pretty sad when I know more than the CM!

Since Disney has no qualms about wasting my time and money, I have no qualms about using their toll-free number!

BTW, I don't have a cell phone and I refuse to pay for VoIP service.

[King Triton]

This came up in another thread a couple of weeks ago.

The fact is, most people are either:
- On a cell phone with no long distance charges
- Have a landline with "unlimited" long distance or a large block of minutes
- VoIP
- Have a calling card with a large number of minutes long distance at 3 cents a minute or so

As a result, many companies, not just Disney, are getting rid of their toll-free service. I remember I used to hunt for 800 numbers, now I don't care.

[MNNHFLTX]

This came up in another thread a couple of weeks ago.

The fact is, most people are either:
- On a cell phone with no long distance charges
- Have a landline with "unlimited" long distance or a large block of minutes
- VoIP
- Have a calling card with a large number of minutes long distance at 3 cents a minute or so

As a result, many companies, not just Disney, are getting rid of their toll-free service. I remember I used to hunt for 800 numbers, now I don't care.Good point. Although I do remember "back in the day" when I did pay a decent amount of money to make reservations or do vacation planning at Disney World, because you would end up holding for prolonged periods of time. Now with unlimited long distance it doesn't bug me as much.

[pfalcioni]

At work, I still get people who say, 'please hurry, I'm calling long distance'.

Our business is ALL out of state. To me, the only thing I now consider 'long distance' is someone outside the country. Otherwise, if you're worried about 15 cents, I don't think your pocketbook is deep enough for the $1500 kits we sell!

Yes, we do still have our 800 number, used mainly for our dealer network, and it's more of just a convenience issue (easier to remember the number, since it's our name) than a cost issue.

I understand why Disney may not want the 800 numbers used. And I think it's not only because of the cost, but the time involved. For some reason, when we get retail callers on the 800 line, it seems like more frequently these are the 'time wasters'. Terminally relaxed, tons of questions, small ticket sales.

I'm not saying everyone who calls Disney 800 lines is a time waster, but they probably did surveys and found this is a problem.