Merged Irma impact on The Fort threads here

[serenitygr]

I don't understand your comment. She's coming on vacation to Disney with 12 people in a couple of days and she wants Disney to let her know where she should check in. It's not entitled, it's kind of a practical concern. At this point, no CM's life is on the line (most likely) due to the hurricane and I say this as someone who went through the same hurricane and I'm still without power. So, yeah, Disney has all our phone numbers and email, get a darn manager in an office and have them CALL each person who is checking in FW in the next week and solve their problem. Not one person on this thread that I've read is asking for too much. What did you think people on a Disney board, on the camping subforum, would be complaining about?

Best suggestion I've heard yet! Can't we have one or two cast members doing exactly that? Managers would be even better because they have the authority to solve the problems then and there! I have no idea how everyone is able to be on their phones ON HOLD for hours on end just to get a very reasonable question answered! My battery would be dead, and that's the least of my problems with this scenario. What are people doing who just simply can't get thru to anyone?

 

[serenitygr]

Here are 3 pictures from the Fort posted by another group that I am a member of. Not sure of the exact date they were taken.

I hate Irma

 

[Mousemommaof3]

We had reservations from the 13-20 for the fort. We were put over at pop century for the week and the CM I talked to at the gate when we came in who was part of the ride out crew said they hoped to open Friday but she didn't think they would. She said there were so many trees down they couldn't even get to the cabins to even assess damage. I can confirm though they are working round the clock to get it cleaned up, chainsaws, heavy machinery etc. I don't think they'd be doing all that just to permanently close. If your scheduled to be there and they're still closed they should have a place to put you and all you have to do is show up at the guard shack and they'll direct you to whatever resort they put you at.

 

[harriettbrawner]

I have good news and potentially good news.

The good news is that my daughter got through yesterday evening and wouldn't give up until the CM called our travel agent....he wouldn't talk to my daughter because we made the reservations through an agent. He miraculously found 3 Little Mermaid standard rooms (4 people each) at AoA that we were able to get for Sept 16-20. Our reservation is through the 22nd and he said if FW (campsites and cabins) doesn't reopen on the 20th they will accommodate us. This does mean we still have to pull our camper over, but at least it's only a 2 hour drive.

The potentially good news is that he was adamant that they are going to get FW open on the 20th, both campsites and cabins. I'm anxious to hear from Rusty Scupper today to see if he agrees, but I know that would alleviate a lot of fears for those of you coming in over the next couple of weeks.

Even with this good news, I'm still going to communicate my feelings about the handling of this situation as far up the chain as I can with management. I understand how the CM's feel, we were in the hurricane too just on the west side where the damage wasn't as bad. We spent the week thinking we were going to get hit with a category 3-5 storm and I was terrified. I'll definitely stand up for the CM's on the phone lines who were clearly as misinformed and unprepared to handle the issues as we were. The buck stops with upper management who should have a detailed plan as to how they would handle a major crisis like this for ANY resort, not just FW.

 

[lindsaynd09]

Hey all, just jumping into the conversation because I'm starting to get concerned. We have a party of 7 going camping (hopefully) at FW from Sept 23-29. It was Sept 9-15, but we decided to bump it out 2 weeks on our own about a week before the original reservation started, because of the storm forecasts. I haven't been contacted by Disney yet about moving or changing our new reservation. Hoping this means they will open again soon!

 

[bigdisneydaddy]

Maybe someone could check with a bus driver and get the straight scoop ?

 

[rajak73]

I hope they reopen at some point, but the Disney magic is fading fast here.

So I don't get this? They aren't working fast enough to clear the fort?

 

[serenitygr]

So I don't get this? They aren't working fast enough to clear the fort?

I know what she means and I agree... she's referring to the lack of communication by the Fort and how this is being handled. People with reservations in the next couple weeks should not have to be desperately trying to get information, nor should they have to be on hold for hours on end...

 

[rajak73]

I know what she means and I agree... she's referring to the lack of communication by the Fort and how this is being handled. People with reservations in the next couple weeks should not have to be desperately trying to get information, nor should they have to be on hold for hours on end...

Okay, thanks for the clarification. That make more sense to me now.

 

[jknezek]

Best suggestion I've heard yet! Can't we have one or two cast members doing exactly that? Managers would be even better because they have the authority to solve the problems then and there! I have no idea how everyone is able to be on their phones ON HOLD for hours on end just to get a very reasonable question answered! My battery would be dead, and that's the least of my problems with this scenario. What are people doing who just simply can't get thru to anyone?

Because 1 or 2 cast members won't make a dent. There are 750 spots at FW. They turnover, on average, more than once a week. We are more than 1 full week into this issue, so you are somewhere between 1000 and 1500 "turnovers" most likely that have been affected. Each change to a reservation takes probably between 30 minutes and an hour to find new rooms for people, deal with questions about dining and FPs, and get everything settled in the system. That requires between 1000 and 1500 hours of work. The average work day is 8 hours long. For two people that is 16 hours of work per day. It would take roughly 75 to 100 days of 2 cast members dedicated to this problem to solve the issue. Even if you had 6 people, 3 8 hour shifts 24 hours a day, it would still take 3-4 weeks to deal with everyone.

Again, people want Pixie Dust. Pixie Dust doesn't exist. This is reality. And FW isn't the only resort affected. Thousands of people changed and modified reservations across the entire resort up to and through the event, so Guest Relations can't just focus on FW. And you can't just turn random CMs on to handle reservation jobs they don't know how to do. That way lies chaos.

So could Disney have done better? Almost certainly. Almost every big entity could handle crisis better and usually do post mortems where they try and figure out what that may be. But the expectations people have are very unrealistic. There are only so many cast members and there are literally thousands of people that had to be shifted around. Your vacation is top of the list for you, but its one of thousands to the Guest Relations people and probably one of dozen or two they are trying to handle every single day.

To do what you seem to want would require thousands of Guest Relations people, all trying to book the same rooms at the same time. The system wouldn't handle it even if the humans could.

 

[Taklong1]

We were initially scheduled for Sep 17-23 at the Fort. We received two emails from Disney reservations asking us to call. We have now spent over 10 hours on the phone, most of it on hold and Disney has yet to provide a good resolution. Whats worse is that most of the CMs we have spoken to have been extremely rude and unhelpful. Its almost like we are dealing with sub-contractors who are not CMs. I really never expected this kind of treatment from Disney. I'm just seeing if anyone else have a similar experience in trying to reschedule. From I have read on different forums, it seems like most campers have been placed in other resorts.

 

[serenitygr]

Because 1 or 2 cast members won't make a dent. There are 750 spots at FW. They turnover, on average, more than once a week. We are more than 1 full week into this issue, so you are somewhere between 1000 and 1500 "turnovers" most likely that have been affected. Each change to a reservation takes probably between 30 minutes and an hour to find new rooms for people, deal with questions about dining and FPs, and get everything settled in the system. That requires between 1000 and 1500 hours of work. The average work day is 8 hours long. For two people that is 16 hours of work per day. It would take roughly 75 to 100 days of 2 cast members dedicated to this problem to solve the issue. Even if you had 6 people, 3 8 hour shifts 24 hours a day, it would still take 3-4 weeks to deal with everyone.

Again, people want Pixie Dust. Pixie Dust doesn't exist. This is reality. And FW isn't the only resort affected. Thousands of people changed and modified reservations across the entire resort up to and through the event, so Guest Relations can't just focus on FW. And you can't just turn random CMs on to handle reservation jobs they don't know how to do. That way lies chaos.

So could Disney have done better? Almost certainly. Almost every big entity could handle crisis better and usually do post mortems where they try and figure out what that may be. But the expectations people have are very unrealistic. There are only so many cast members and there are literally thousands of people that had to be shifted around. Your vacation is top of the list for you, but its one of thousands to the Guest Relations people and probably one of dozen or two they are trying to handle every single day.

To do what you seem to want would require thousands of Guest Relations people, all trying to book the same rooms at the same time. The system wouldn't handle it even if the humans could.

I'm sorry but I disagree. Some of what you say is true, but if Disney happily accepts hundreds of campers each day- most of who have planned for over a year for this vacation- they should also hire enough people to handle things when they don't go "magically ". Because in the real world, you need to have a back up plan to run a business if an emergency happens - otherwise your business will most likely fail.

The people booked at the Fort over the next couple weeks deserve better than what they are getting, which is HOURS on hold, sometimes rudeness, and sometimes incorrect answers. I've read ALOT of threads from other resorts and people who had to change reservations, and I'm not seeing this happen at any other resorts, whereas it's becoming almost a joke here for the Fort- except it's not funny

 

[harriettbrawner]

I have some good news for us and possible good news for everyone.

After 10+ phone calls and 20+ hours on hold by our travel agent, her boss, myself, and my daughter we FINALLY have an answer. Our trip is September 16-22 and we will be at AoA for September 16-20. The CM was adamant that the Fort will be reopening on the 20th and we can move there for the last 2 nights, but if not they will accommodate us somewhere.

So, the possible good news is that the cabins and campsites will be back up on the 20th. Hopefully Rusty Scupper will be able to confirm this for us later today.

And yes, to clarify, all of my frustration is directed at Disney corporate for not having a plan in place to communicate with guests whose reservations are affected. It's been total chaos.

 

[jknezek]

I'm sorry but I disagree. Some of what you say is true, but if Disney happily accepts hundreds of campers each day- most of who have planned for over a year for this vacation- they should also hire enough people to handle things when they don't go "magically ". Because in the real world, you need to have a back up plan to run a business if an emergency happens - otherwise your business will most likely fail.

The people booked at the Fort over the next couple weeks deserve better than what they are getting, which is HOURS on hold, sometimes rudeness, and sometimes incorrect answers. I've read ALOT of threads from other resorts and people who had to change reservations, and I'm not seeing this happen at any other resorts, whereas it's becoming almost a joke here for the Fort- except it's not funny

They do have a back up plan and they are working on it. Many people have been moved to other resorts or had reservations modified or changed. You just aren't happy with the pace of it. And I get that. I really do. But it's not correct to claim they have no plan. Try calling Florida Power right now. They have emergency plans also. It just doesn't, and can't, fix things immediately.

Hours on hold is what you get in an emergency. No one staffs for a crisis. You staff for regular use and in a crisis beg, borrow, and steal all the resources you can to do the best you can. But you aren't going to have the same efficiency as in a non-crisis. Again, try calling Florida Power and see if you will be put on hold for a while.

The Fort is a special case because, other than the Treehouses, it was most effected. It's also a special case because it is different than the resorts. If Pop was closed, you'd just move people to another room. But when you have a party of 10 in a trailer, you can't just shift them to one room at Pop or AoA. They need 3 rooms, and due to family units and what not, they probably need 3 rooms next to each other. That is different than someone shifting from a single at WL to a single at Contemporary.

Heck, even 6 in a cabin isn't going to a standard room somewhere else on property.

It's not funny. It's not good. But it is about what should have been expected. I'm sorry it's affecting you and if it was me, I'd be pretty irate also. But from a rational point of view, they are doing about what I expected. In fact, by moving people into 3 rooms without charge when possible, they are going above and beyond what I expected.

From their perspective, a $150 spot at FW was just turned into a $1000 night at a resort. And yes they seem to be willing to swallow that loss as much as practical. As a shareholder that doesn't really make me happy, but as a proponent of customer service, Disney is going above and beyond. I'm sorry it just hasn't trickled over to you yet and I really hope it does soon.

 

[Taklong1]

Just received word from Disney that our dates have been pushed back until Wednesday, September 20. They are very hopeful the Fort will be open by then.

 

[serenitygr]

They do have a back up plan and they are working on it. Many people have been moved to other resorts or had reservations modified or changed. You just aren't happy with the pace of it. And I get that. I really do. But it's not correct to claim they have no plan. Try calling Florida Power right now. They have emergency plans also. It just doesn't, and can't, fix things immediately.

Hours on hold is what you get in an emergency. No one staffs for a crisis. You staff for regular use and in a crisis beg, borrow, and steal all the resources you can to do the best you can. But you aren't going to have the same efficiency as in a non-crisis. Again, try calling Florida Power and see if you will be put on hold for a while.

The Fort is a special case because, other than the Treehouses, it was most effected. It's also a special case because it is different than the resorts. If Pop was closed, you'd just move people to another room. But when you have a party of 10 in a trailer, you can't just shift them to one room at Pop or AoA. They need 3 rooms, and due to family units and what not, they probably need 3 rooms next to each other. That is different than someone shifting from a single at WL to a single at Contemporary.

Heck, even 6 in a cabin isn't going to a standard room somewhere else on property.

It's not funny. It's not good. But it is about what should have been expected. I'm sorry it's affecting you and if it was me, I'd be pretty irate also. But from a rational point of view, they are doing about what I expected. In fact, by moving people into 3 rooms without charge when possible, they are going above and beyond what I expected.

From their perspective, a $150 spot at FW was just turned into a $1000 night at a resort. And yes they seem to be willing to swallow that loss as much as practical. As a shareholder that doesn't really make me happy, but as a proponent of customer service, Disney is going above and beyond. I'm sorry it just hasn't trickled over to you yet and I really hope it does soon.

Actually it doesn't affect me, other than my heart. We don't arrive for almost three weeks yet. So this doesn't affect me now, and may not at all. But someone who has several days of driving- pulling a camper- deserves an answer before they start out, and they should not have to be on hold for hours just to get that answer. Those of you that live close to the Fort don't get that, I know, but because we are 2000 miles away I totally understand why these people are upset!

 

[harriettbrawner]

We were initially scheduled for Sep 17-23 at the Fort. We received two emails from Disney reservations asking us to call. We have now spent over 10 hours on the phone, most of it on hold and Disney has yet to provide a good resolution. Whats worse is that most of the CMs we have spoken to have been extremely rude and unhelpful. Its almost like we are dealing with sub-contractors who are not CMs. I really never expected this kind of treatment from Disney. I'm just seeing if anyone else have a similar experience in trying to reschedule. From I have read on different forums, it seems like most campers have been placed in other resorts.

Interesting thought about sub-contractors. My travel agent had the same experience although my one call was with a very nice CM. Between us it took 10 calls and 20+ hours of hold time over 2 days to get relocated to a hotel for the first part of our stay beginning tomorrow. Disney corporate has done a poor job with this.

 

[jknezek]

Actually it doesn't affect me, other than my heart. We don't arrive for almost three weeks yet. So this doesn't affect me now, and may not at all. But someone who has several days of driving- pulling a camper- deserves an answer before they start out, and they should not have to be on hold for hours just to get that answer. Those of you that live close to the Fort don't get that, I know, but because we are 2000 miles away I totally understand why these people are upset!

I understand why they are upset too. I just think it's a little unrealistic to expect Disney to run smoothly with ongoing issues at this resort. So far we have heard of no one with reservations being sent away. Until that happens, it's safe to assume that if you show up, they have a plan for you. You may not love it, and it may not be perfect, but if you insist on going, when you get there, apparently there is somewhere you will be able to stay. At least so far.

My red line is definitely showing up and being told to go home without prior notice. Anything else is Disney making an accommodation for you, and that is exactly what they should be doing. I agree it would be nice if it was smoother, but jagged edges are what you get following an emergency.

 

[harriettbrawner]

There is no way even 10 CM's could call everyone, but I do think there could have been a dedicated email address that would allow communication without hours and hours on hold. Even if there was a canned response indicating the plan for dealing with each it would be better than what we've gotten. our

In our case, we used a travel agent to book our trip. I had no idea until I called and was told that they could only talk to the agent about my reservation. Forget that they have my $5,000 payment, they can't deal with me because I used a travel agent. Thank heavens she's a friend and went WAY above and beyond to help us get information.

To add to our frustration, we saw in other groups/threads that people with check-in dates after ours already had their relocation information while we were still in the dark. Again, with a disaster, they should have been dealing first with the closest check-in dates no matter the party size and then move out from there. Some people were able to reschedule to another time and if we could have we would, but due to the fact that we had family traveling in from out of town and military tickets that will expire before the holidays,plus other unchangeable circumstances, we didn't have that option. Even if they had told us there was no way to accommodate us on-site, knowing that on Wednesday when we first got the notice about the Fort being closed would have allowed us to make other hotel reservations and not spent all that time in limbo.

At this point, what I believe we should all do is contact Disney corporate with our feelings about their handling of the situation. We do need to keep input just to the miscommunication and incorrect information that we've experienced and offer constructive criticism about the process. I was feeling pretty hopeless this time yesterday, but having answers has helped. I hope we all get the info we need.

 

[Taklong1]

All told we had probably 12 hours on the phone. Today the CMs were helpful and provided viable options. One was to split the time between a hotel and a campsite and the other was to shift our dates. Although if the Fort is not open by 9/20 we will end up at least starting our stay in a hotel. The CM today did make some efforts to make things right. However, overall I would have expected better communication from Disney.