[Soundgod]

I opened my mail and was surprised to find a WDW e-mail "alerting" me to the end of year Florida resident room rates. Right now, I've got a split reservation at WL for 12/13-16. The first night we're in a club level room, the other nights we're in a regular courtyard room. The website told me that I could now get the courtyard room for all three nights. I quickly checked the AP availability and saw it was available that way as well. So in the time it took me to grab my wallet, dial WDW, and get a person, the room went away! Even worse, it took something like 20 minutes of back and forth, plus the CM calling guest services, before I was told the room was gone. I'm not a happy camper! I might as well have never made the call for all the good it did me.
Even worse, two and a half months out, tickets for MVMCP on the 14th are now sold out. They were there just yesterday, but now it's either the 9th or the 16th. Both dates don't work. Not if we're going to Caveyfest as well. I'm not doing 4 days in WDW just so that I can go to the party! Not with all the money we'd have to lay out just to do it!
Is it just me, or is central reservations becoming a real pain in the rump lately?

[Dopey]

ouch! Sorry about your trouble Doug. I always book with an agent, so I don't know how beastly Central Reservations can be.
This stinks. What are you going to do?

[tinkerbelle24]

I have central reservations too. Why in the world do you need to answer 1000 questions just to get a rep online?

[Soundgod]

Originally Posted by Dopey

What are you going to do?

Well, with DW's work schedule, none of the remaining dates even work, except for 12/16, and that's kind of pushing it. We'd have to be on the road by 9 AM so we can be home by noon, so she could get 7 hours of sleep before she goes on shift. (Yes, she's probably got personal days she could take, but I'd rather not waste a day for this)
In the end, I think we'll head for home on 12/15 and save the $235 for the room at WL, $100 for the party tickets, and an easy $120 for food. That close to Christmas, I think I'd rather hold on to the extra $455. Also, looking at her work calender and the money we'd have to lay out, we're not going to do New Year's Eve in WDW this year either. I think we'll just do without MVMCP this year altogether. It's not like we'd really be missing much that we haven't seen or done for the past 3 years. There is always next year (economy willing). Either that or we bag Caveyfest(Tiggerfest) and arrive on 12/15 and head for home on 12/17, maybe even just go for one night. My final option would be to hang out in WDW all day on the 16th and drive home at midnight. And that's not much fun! I've done that a few times in 2006 and 2007 when I was going nuts taping all the fireworks shows and driving right home.
What I find craziest about the Christmas party this year is how few tickets seem to be available on October 1 for December when the past 3 years we didn't even buy tickets until after Thanksgiving.
All this against reports in some Florida papers that Disney raised ticket prices to make up for shrinking crowds! Shrinking crowds my butt!!

[Dana]

oh wow...that's frustrating Doug. Yes, CRO can be EXTREMELY frustrating. I had issue with them not this last trip, but the one before....I hope it all works out.

[mickeysgirlz]

Originally Posted by tinkerbelle24

I have central reservations too. Why in the world do you need to answer 1000 questions just to get a rep online?

At least it's voice animated and now I know what she is going to say I interrupt her!

Wow, sorry about everything getting messed up . . . the parties seem to ALL be selling out . . . I don't know why? Maybe push back your trip, since after the 19th the holiday festivities are going to be daily happenings anyway?

[Soundgod]

Originally Posted by mickeysgirlz

Maybe push back your trip, since after the 19th the holiday festivities are going to be daily happenings anyway?

Can't. Caveyfest is set for Dec 13. So, scheduling is revolving around that little party. Also, DW's shift runs 7 days straight from 12/17-24. Now we're smack dab in the middle of Christmas week! I've been to the Magic Kingdom on 12/26, and you can keep it! Also, we're still talking about the round trip from the Broward/Palm Beach line costing something like $100 between gas and tolls, and that's a bit much twice in one month. That's part of the equation that has us not doing New Year's Eve this year as well.
I think skipping the Christmas party altogether this year might just be the right thing to do, given the current economy. I'm already getting over it.

[Jennatrz]

Your frustrations are felt by many. I basically had the same type of problem when I called them for a room. It seems very hard to get the rates that they sent in the email. They just told me on the phone today that there were no rooms available when
I was just on the website like you. So I went ahead and booked it online and got the original rate that the CM said wasn't available. So frustrating!

[Soundgod]

Hi, I'm back. I've been having a little problem with Firefox properly displaying the WDW main page. All I get is the help page and an error message. I decided to check using Internet Explorer. That works, for whatever reason. So I decided to go straight to the ticket store page. Guess what?! The MVMCP for 12/14 IS available! Apparently, if you're logged on as a passholder, you're only shown a page with the advance purchase discount tickets only, and there are very few dates that are offering an advance purchase discount. But, if I'm willing to pay full price ($56) I can get tickets for pretty much every date! By the way, some of you might recall one of our fellow posters not seeing adult tickets for November 21, only children's tickets. Well, they have adult tickets for that night as well.
So, we have one speed bump eliminated. But the question remains: "Why wasn't I able to see all available dates in the first place?"

[LURK]

Disney's computers need some major help. "problems", "bugs", "glitches", all seem too kind. Is there a better word to describe them?
For everyone excited about the possibility of seeing - let alone making - ADR's online... BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR!!!

[MissDisney]

This doesn't help you much, and I don't know if you are even considering DVC, but if you are, you'll be happy about how smooth booking rooms (including non-DVC rooms) is through Member Services. Dining reservations also. It has been such a quick and nice experience that the ease alone is worth the balloon payment.

[Soundgod]

Miss Disney, thanks for the advice and suggestion of DVC. I looked at it a couple years ago, and felt it wasn't a good fit for us. Today, with the Contemporary DVC tower nearing completion, along with a few other perks, it remains a thought on the back burner, largely because of the initial cost to buy in, especially as prices of fuel and food going up, (Yes, gas prices have been falling recently, but they still are well above where they were only a year ago.), but the heat is being turned up under that pot. We'll see what next year brings.

[MissDisney]

I can totally envision you standing on the fireworks platform on the top of BLT, video camera in hand, enjoying the new angle on the show!

[Soundgod]

Originally Posted by MissDisney

I can totally envision you standing on the fireworks platform on the top of BLT, video camera in hand, enjoying the new angle on the show!

I hadn't thought of that. You're probably right, especially after I can finally set aside the money for an HD camcorder.

[mickeysgirlz]

Originally Posted by Soundgod

Can't. Caveyfest is set for Dec 13. So, scheduling is revolving around that little party. Also, DW's shift runs 7 days straight from 12/17-24. Now we're smack dab in the middle of Christmas week! I've been to the Magic Kingdom on 12/26, and you can keep it! Also, we're still talking about the round trip from the Broward/Palm Beach line costing something like $100 between gas and tolls, and that's a bit much twice in one month. That's part of the equation that has us not doing New Year's Eve this year as well.
I think skipping the Christmas party altogether this year might just be the right thing to do, given the current economy. I'm already getting over it.

You're right! We are doing MNSSHP and the girls wanted to do MVMCP too, but the hard ticket cost is really high now . . . I think I paid $10 more/ticket then last year! Since we are like you and go often, crowds etc, don't really bother us . . .if it's too busy this time we go next! (lucky us!)

Anyway . . . things always happen for a reason . . . and I'm sure either way you'll enjoy the festivities of the holidays! Glad you figured it all out!