|
Backing up to the Great Movie Ride, we went on it last May and our Cast Members were decent actors. It's the script that's cheesy. I don't love the ride, but I wouldn't skip it. You never know when you might get a good CM host.
|
#
¿
Jul 28, 2013 02:17
|
|
|
|
| # ¿ Apr 28, 2024 20:05 |
|
|
I haven't noticed anyone mention this but forgive me if it's already been covered, but the Swan and Dolphin hotels are not actually owned by Disney and therefore do not participate in a lot of the Disney discounted programs. You're not going to be getting free dining at Swolphin. I also wanted to mention that I work as a travel planner who specializes in Disney vacations. You can find my Facebook page (still working on a proper website) at whodatmouse.com. I'm happy to answer questions or give free quotes.
|
|
#
¿
Jul 28, 2013 02:57
|
|
|
TheBigBudgetSequel posted:While not a question about a specific travel, I am headed down in December, and I booked everything directly through Disney. Would I have saved money going through a travel agency? You would have saved money by booking with me. I have a discount rate for December. You save about 30% on Deluxe level resorts with a 10% ticket discount. We have some Mod and Value options as well, but the greatest savings are on the Deluxe resorts. I would always recommend people use a reputable travel agent. We can get discounts that the general public can't because we have the volume to book at group rates and then offer the savings to our clients.
|
|
#
¿
Jul 28, 2013 14:29
|
|
|
The way our discount works is that our agency books a block of rooms at a group rate discount. At that rate, we are taking on the risk that we will either sell those rooms or pay for them ourselves. We cut out our ticket commission so that we can offer the tickets at 10% off to our clients. The agency is taking all the risk here and the client gets the benefit of discounted room and ticket rates.
|
|
#
¿
Jul 28, 2013 18:33
|
|
|
If you want more info, send me a PM and I'll let you know what I can offer.
|
|
#
¿
Jul 28, 2013 18:49
|
|
|
DNova posted:What is the actual setup of the scam? The problem is that a lot of the tickets are previously used ones that have unused days left on them. When you first use a ticket at a park they take a fingerprint scan. When the original guest uses it, their fingerprint gets attached to the ticket. When the second guest tries to use it, the fingerprint isn't going to match and the ticket is confiscated.
|
|
#
¿
Jul 31, 2013 00:09
|
|
|
Free dining has been extended for Fall. Dates are Sept 29 - Oct 2, Oct 18 - Nov 2, Nov 11 - 23, Dec 12 - 22, 2013. Book by Sept 15. Excludes Art of Animation, All Star Movies, Port Orleans French Quarter.
|
|
#
¿
Aug 1, 2013 22:45
|
|
|
Some of my colleagues were on hold all day. One was on for over five hours only to be told the reservation system was down. She cried. You might try back in a week when some of the courtesy holds will have expired. I heard that a lot of agents will put holds on rooms just to thin the gen pub inventory. Which is evil if you ask me. Braksgirl fucked around with this message at 03:44 on Aug 2, 2013 |
|
#
¿
Aug 2, 2013 03:41
|
|
|
Yeah that does suck. I'm getting the travel agent rate there when I go in Oct but I have clients at AoA that would appreciate the savings.
|
|
#
¿
Aug 2, 2013 05:40
|
|
|
Another of my colleagues spoke with a Disney cast member today that said that this free dining promo is so limited because they're about to kill the promo altogether. I don't know how true that is since they've been threatening that for awhile now.
|
|
#
¿
Aug 3, 2013 04:03
|
|
|
I hate Disney's websites. For a multi billion dollar conglomerate you'd think they could afford decent IT.
|
|
#
¿
Aug 3, 2013 22:53
|
|
|
My boss went to an agent training program at Disney a month or so ago and the official Disney word on My Disney Experience is "We're running a bit behind" which I take to mean "This is a giant clusterfuck." I have noticed on the My Disney Experience part of the website that they had a place for getting FastPasses to quick service restaurants, which is pretty crazy, I think. Looks like it's been removed, though. I realize things are running behind schedule, but I wish they would disable the MDE section of their website until they can get it properly functional. It's creating lots of chaos and my clients are freaking out because their reservations aren't showing up properly and then they think I'm not doing my job. Braksgirl fucked around with this message at 15:27 on Aug 4, 2013 |
|
#
¿
Aug 4, 2013 15:21
|
|
|
Happitoo posted:Question: As a travel agent, did you have a bunch of people running off to book their own free dining resort reservations due to the fiasco that was Thursday? Looking at Disboards it's what like half the people were doing while travel agents were trying to revise their existing bookings. People get really mental about free dining. I didn't have any clients run off to book themselves, but some of my colleagues did. When you use a TA to make an initial reservation, the client can't come in and change anything, only the TA can. What happened is that people went ahead and made their own reservations and then cancelled the ones with the TA which is a pretty lovely thing to do. One other thing to keep in mind is that Disboarders are a totally different animal. They're not like your everyday person on the street who likes Disney a whole bunch. For some of the Disboarders, it's practically a religion. They can be quite zealous. And again, free dining makes everyone insane.
|
|
#
¿
Aug 5, 2013 03:17
|
|
|
The new refillable mug program is live. Basically, you pay $5.99 for a plastic mug with an RFID chip in it. For $3 per day you can refill it with as much soda as you want in any resort quick service restaurant. Once your prepaid days have passed, your mug will deactivate. I'm not really sure how I feel about this. I get that people cheat the system, but drat, Disney, cut us a friggin break.
|
|
#
¿
Aug 15, 2013 03:01
|
|
|
The people that steal soda from the machines are the same people that tell me that their kid is 4 but looks 3 so can I just put them down as 2 on the reservation so they don't have to pay.
|
|
#
¿
Aug 16, 2013 02:01
|
|
|
I don't tell them to eat poo poo, but I do tell them that I won't lie for them and if they want to book properly, I'm happy to do it. Otherwise, they can go book themselves.
|
|
#
¿
Aug 16, 2013 03:53
|
|
|
Just found out I got selected to test Magic Bands when I go in October. I'll report back after my trip.
|
|
#
¿
Aug 21, 2013 20:28
|
|
|
I'm not sure. My agency owner got the names of all our agency's clients that would be affected today but I haven't heard from Disney directly yet.
|
|
#
¿
Aug 22, 2013 03:35
|
|
|
Yoda posted:Considering Iger said that they plan to have it fully out before the end of the first fiscal quarter, I'd feel fairly confident that you will have a magic band in December. I'd imagine this October test Braksgirl is in is going to be pretty huge, and possibly the last "beta" before they try to go full on live. If this is the case, I hope they get the glitches worked out during this last test. I've been hearing some pretty awful things about them not working correctly.
|
|
#
¿
Aug 22, 2013 14:40
|
|
|
I'm an agent and I just spoke with my agency owner. She says the deals you get over in the UK are better than what we get in the US. A US agent can book you for everything but the tickets, which are apparently a killer deal where you are. I'd be happy to help you if you need it. PM me.
|
|
#
¿
Aug 25, 2013 18:05
|
|
|
Biggz posted:Thanks for the advice, for reference I was originally looking at a value resort but when I saw this offer it got me thinking. I've never priced for an overseas client, but if you're getting a package with a discount on one element (room,tickets, dining) then you're probably going to have to book it as a package to get that discount. So you wouldn't be able to let a US agent book two elements and not the third. Does that make sense? Personally, if I had to choose between Caribbean Beach, Port Orleans, or Coronado Springs, I'd take Coronado any day. It's a little further away but it has tons of buses, it's a beautiful resort, and the rooms are extremely comfortable and well-thought out. I definitely recommend going Moderate over Value (unless you're doing Art of Animation) whenever possible. It's just good monetary sense, I think. Nothing wrong with Value, but Moderate is just more my speed, I think. If you want me to do some research for you, Biggz, PM me what you've found and I'll see what I can dig up for you. Braksgirl fucked around with this message at 21:12 on Aug 25, 2013 |
|
#
¿
Aug 25, 2013 21:10
|
|
|
Fluffy Bunnies posted:Depends on who you're taking. Coronado is definitely less heavily themed and a kid might not be as impressed with it as one of the brighter rooms. If it's all adults that aren't into all the theming and stuff, I totally agree. Of all the moderates, Caribbean Beach does tend to be a bit sprawling. Port Orleans is much better about it in my opinion. That is true, but my kids enjoyed Coronado when we took them last year. They were 5, 3, and 1. They loved the pool with the jaguar slide, and there was the dig site where you can dig up stuff. I find resorts and who likes which to be very personal, and no two people are going to agree on the merits of one over the other.
|
|
#
¿
Aug 25, 2013 21:27
|
|
|
I like Coronado because they have queen sized beds instead of doubles. The decor is very nice and it tends to draw fewer families so it's a bit quieter.
|
|
#
¿
Aug 31, 2013 02:16
|
|
|
Disboards is full of crazy people. They have some good advice threads, but past that, holy poo poo. Crazy. I once had a client that was a Disboarder. She had the most complicated split stay setup. It was like 3 nights at the Poly, 2 nights at Coronado, 2 nights at POFQ. Then she had a problem with the dining plan in that she felt that her 13 year old didn't eat enough to warrant paying the adult price so she wanted me to make it so that I got her the child price for her. Which I can't do as ages 10+ are charged adult prices, full stop. Then there was some debate over if she bought tickets somewhere other than with me if they would show up in My Disney Experience. So after numerous changes to her reservation, explaining about the bugginess of MDE, and debating with her about child vs adult prices...she canceled. I was sorry to lose the commission, but the crazy was deep with that one.
|
|
#
¿
Sep 12, 2013 14:22
|
|
|
Happitoo posted:Can someone explain split stays to me, because I just don't get it. Like I understand how they work, I'm not retarded. I just don't understand why people do them like what Braksgirl is talking about. In this particular case, I think this person wanted a level of trip she could not afford. She would have preferred to have her whole stay at the Poly but it was out of her budget. She was booking on my agency's promotional rate and those three resorts were covered, with either Coronado or POFQ being the cheapest of the three (I can't remember now. I've blocked out a lot of the stuff with her for mental self-preservation). It just complicates things with the packages, I think. I wouldn't want to have to deal with checking in and out so much myself, but whatever.
|
|
#
¿
Sep 12, 2013 16:16
|
|
|
You can either go to my Facebook page or send me an email at SSagona@MMVAgent.com.
Braksgirl fucked around with this message at 02:02 on May 31, 2016 |
|
#
¿
Sep 13, 2013 16:53
|
|
|
You're only supposed to use the pool at your resort, however, I think the only pool that's really heavily policed is Stormalong Bay at Yacht and Beach Club. I think Boardwalk is a better location than Port Orleans. You can walk straight into Epcot from Boardwalk, and take the monorail to MK. Ride a boat to Hollywood Studios, and take the bus to Animal Kingdom. As far as it being worth $850, well, that's up to you. Boardwalk is a deluxe and PO is a moderate. Deluxes tend to have better amenities than moderates, but both are very nice. Personally, I like the location of Boardwalk better.
|
|
#
¿
Sep 15, 2013 21:16
|
|
|
TheBigBudgetSequel posted:Here's an odd question. I have heard that if you pay a little bit that they will extend your payoff date. Best to call and see for sure.
|
|
#
¿
Sep 17, 2013 21:31
|
|
|
I got it! Thanks! I sent you back some options. 
|
|
#
¿
Sep 17, 2013 22:25
|
|
|
Beaches N Cream is on our must do list for our trip next month. So good.
|
|
#
¿
Sep 24, 2013 02:51
|
|
|
head58 posted:Any word on how the new Disabled Access System will work at WDW? Will there be kiosks scattered around or will folks need to go to the rides themselves to get the tickets, like FastPass? From what I understand there are centrally located kiosks. You will have to get special FastPasses for a ride from the kiosk and you will not be able to get another one until the first one's time has passed. There will also be a special id card with a photo of the person for whom the card was issued on it. That person has to be the one to collect the FastPass, or at least has to be present at the kiosk. They are really cracking down on this.
|
|
#
¿
Sep 24, 2013 19:57
|
|
|
lamb posted:Do you know how they'll handle using strollers as wheelchairs? In Disney World, they gave us a sticker for our son's stroller, but in Disneyland the gave us a guest assistance card. No, I haven't heard anything about this. If I do, I'll report back. On an unrelated note, my Magic Bands came in yesterday. I really like the way they look and the design for adjusting the size is very cool. The clasp seems a little flimsy to me. Seems like it would come apart easily. I guess we'll see.
|
|
#
¿
Sep 25, 2013 18:58
|
|
|
I'm headed to Disney next month for some training. On one day, they've scheduled us for a "Magical Moment". I'm really curious what that could be about.
|
|
#
¿
Oct 1, 2013 04:04
|
|
|
They retail for $258.80 so if you're getting them for $145, you're doing pretty drat well.
|
|
#
¿
Oct 3, 2013 04:26
|
|
|
If you're a Disney Visa cardholder there's a new discount available for Jan - March 2014. It goes live for the general public on Oct 8. It's discounts on tickets/room/dining packages, minimum 3 night stay. Excludes all of Art of Animation, Grand Floridian Villas, campsites. There's a room only discount of 15% on Values, 20% on Moderates, Deluxes, 35% on Deluxe Villas. Exclusions are Art of Animation, GF Villas, and campsites.
|
|
#
¿
Oct 3, 2013 15:14
|
|
|
There's no optimal time to book for July. There may or may not be a discount for that time. You won't know until closer until your travel date. If you're doing packages, every person in each room will have to have the same dining/ticket options. That's just the way packages work. You will have to make three different reservations for three different rooms. If you want different options for each guest, you'll have to book room only. It can get kind of confusing. If you'd like some help, shoot me a PM or an email and I'd be happy to assist.
|
|
#
¿
Oct 3, 2013 16:27
|
|
|
I won't even read those forums. The crazy is overwhelming.
|
|
#
¿
Oct 6, 2013 14:01
|
|
|
The discount for Jan - March dropped today. Looks like it's definitely discounted dining plus some discount on tickets and rooms. Greatest savings is on Mods and Deluxes, naturally.
|
|
#
¿
Oct 8, 2013 15:45
|
|
|
We're having fantastic luck with the bands working correctly. The problem we're having is that it is loving crowded. Fast Passes are gone before the parks are even open. It's insane.
|
|
#
¿
Oct 23, 2013 20:00
|
|
|
|
| # ¿ Apr 28, 2024 20:05 |
|
|
The problem we were having with FP+ is that all the slots were filling up the night before because the parks were so crowded and so many people were using the FP+ system. We would go in the app and try to choose a ride to make a FP for and it would tell us there were none available. We did have better luck booking them for one person at a time, rather than choosing the whole party and trying to make the arrangements all together. Seriously, though, there were crazy heavy crowds last week. I'm not sure if the dry docking of the Disney Magic was part of the deal, or what, but it was so, so busy. It was my first time at Food & Wine and that was a blast. The chocolate creme brulee at France was delicious. My husband ate the escargot, but I took a pass on that one. Another thing to note, sometimes the Magic Band system wasn't working so we were waved through the FP line without actually having to prove we had FPs. I mean, we did, we're not assholes, but Disney had no way of knowing because the little machines weren't working. I'm sure there were people exploiting that as much as possible. Braksgirl fucked around with this message at 16:33 on Oct 27, 2013 |
|
#
¿
Oct 27, 2013 16:29
|
|