Pop century-stay away

[Mom@disney]

wow, just got back from the rudest Disney vacation I have had. Tried to check into the hotel, they have no reservations for me. I showed them my reservations, nothing. I ask for a manager who says someone screwed up and it wasn't them and that there was nothing she could do. I asked if she had rooms, she doesn't know. Can she get me a room, maybe, maybe not. What happens now, you need to call your travel agent and figure t out. I am in a lobby at dinner time with 4 kids and 5 adults waiting on me, we've been waiting on this for an hour, is there anything you can do? No. I finally beg someone to check if they have rooms, THEY DO!! Can I have one? Maybe. I am a customer I am willing to pay again just To get my room and get this over with. Well, she has 3 rooms but doesn't know if I can have one...um, ok? Finally agrees to give me one and charges me a premium rate for a late reservation. Wow, just wow...never again will I come near this resort.

 

[tcherjen]

wow, just got back from the rudest Disney vacation I have had. Tried to check into the hotel, they have no reservations for me. I showed them my reservations, nothing. I ask for a manager who says someone screwed up and it wasn't them and that there was nothing she could do. I asked if she had rooms, she doesn't know. Can she get me a room, maybe, maybe not. What happens now, you need to call your travel agent and figure t out. I am in a lobby at dinner time with 4 kids and 5 adults waiting on me, we've been waiting on this for an hour, is there anything you can do? No. I finally beg someone to check if they have rooms, THEY DO!! Can I have one? Maybe. I am a customer I am willing to pay again just To get my room and get this over with. Well, she has 3 rooms but doesn't know if I can have one...um, ok? Finally agrees to give me one and charges me a premium rate for a late reservation. Wow, just wow...never again will I come near this resort.

Oh my goodness. I have never encountered that while at DW. We have stayed at POP twice and while not my favorite they were nice.
Sorry you had to deal with that.

 

[WebmasterKathy]

Did you call your travel agent to find out what happened?

 

[Mom@disney]

Did you call your travel agent to find out what happened?

Yes, they said Disney has been selling more rooms than they have and when they are overbooked they cancel people who paid the least first. Which is why the rest of our party got their rooms and we didn't.

 

[WebmasterKathy]

That doesn't sound right. In my experience, when they have not had rooms available for various reasons, they have always accommodated the customer even if that meant moving them to a more expensive resort at no additional charge. I'd be very suspicious of my travel agent in this case!

 

[Mom@disney]

Yes, I would have expected that, my travel agent offered to help with this, but the manager refused to help. She just said go away, it's a busy weekend, nothing we can do. The front desk person said that happened a lot and that they were instructed to turn people away. I know Disney usually accommodates which is why I was so shocked at the manager's rude reaction. She actually eventually agreed to sell me a room at her hotel, she had rooms, just didn't feel like even offering me one.

 

[loves to dive]

Before you went was your reservation showing up on MDE? If so, I'm surprised they didn't honor it. If I were you I'd have words with my travel agent and write a letter to Disney, they should have offered you a room elsewhere or at least not charged you for the night twice. Sounds weird to me.

 

[Mom@disney]

Yes, it was very surprising to us. Our travel agent called the hot directly and spoke to the manager and gave her all the confirmation numbers but she still refused. Our agent refunded our night and gave us a small credit To cc over the difference in price. I just didn't expect Disney to make us spend 2 hours begging for a room the had available. At the very least I the first 15 minutes they should have offered an available room that we could pay for until everything else got straightened out as it did. But to be turned away especially with rooms available was surprising.

 

[nikkidds2015]

first disney trip with my daughter coming up in 17 days, we're staying at pop century...i will flip out if i have to go thru what you did, ya'll look for me on CNN...crazy tourist arrested in animal kingdom.
I cant believe that happened to you. i'm so angry for you

 

[HollywoodTowerHotel]

I call shenanigans.

 

[writerguyfl]

Based solely on the information provided, it sounds like the travel agent made the mistake. I simply can't imagine any travel agent offering to pay the difference in price unless it was a problem she or he created. If I'm wrong, that travel agent is a remarkably generous person.

 

[halfpintpeggy]

Yes, I would have expected that, my travel agent offered to help with this, but the manager refused to help. She just said go away, it's a busy weekend, nothing we can do. The front desk person said that happened a lot and that they were instructed to turn people away. I know Disney usually accommodates which is why I was so shocked at the manager's rude reaction. She actually eventually agreed to sell me a room at her hotel, she had rooms, just didn't feel like even offering me one.

Ohmygosh...this in unbelievable! The manager actually said to go away & there was nothing they could do because it was a busy weekend? And the front desk person said, "that happened a lot..."? Sounds crazy & totally un-Disney like!

 

[WebmasterKathy]

The travel agent refunded you? So the travel agent had your money and had not paid Disney? This sounds very shady- what kind of travel agent was this?

 

[BarbieGal457]

first disney trip with my daughter coming up in 17 days, we're staying at pop century...i will flip out if i have to go thru what you did, ya'll look for me on CNN...crazy tourist arrested in animal kingdom.
I cant believe that happened to you. i'm so angry for you

I really wouldn't expect this to happen at all to you. In my many years going to Disney and many (yet fewer) years on these boards, this is the single time I've ever read/heard this allegedly occur. I'm not calling the OP a liar but this is far, far from normal or even somewhat normal. I've heard of times when people have been upgraded because their booked room type was unavailable, but never told to just go away or have the hotel refuse to let them purchase a room even if one is available. Something is just not right with this story.

 

[Mom@disney]

so...spoke with Disney, apparently the employee who pretended was the manager, was actually not a manager and she has been dealt with...

 

[Nettester]

Your travel agent messed this up. I cannot imagine how frustrating that would be! I'm sure you were understandably furious. And if the disney employees got the brunt of that anger, some of them, by human nature, are likely responding with rudeness, or unwillingness to help you out.

I hope it all eventually works out for you. Next time, skip the travel agents entirely and book directly with Disney.

 

[Shanti]

That doesn't sound right. In my experience, when they have not had rooms available for various reasons, they have always accommodated the customer even if that meant moving them to a more expensive resort at no additional charge. I'd be very suspicious of my travel agent in this case!

I agree. I've stayed at multiple Disney resorts, including Pop, and have never had an issue with reservations. Disney's resort rooms aren't as luxurious as some other brands, but what Disney has down pat is the ability to correctly make & stick to reservations, without turning guests away due to overbooking or overcharging guests (common practices in the industry elsewhere). The only times I've heard on the boards about Disney reservations getting messed up is when travel agents were involved. I recommend avoiding them for WDW trips. Disney reservartions are so user-friendly, there's really no reason to go through a 3rd party.

 

[buzzrelly]

I'd be very suspicious of my travel agent in this case!

I am actually quite suspicious of this whole post...

 

[maxiesmom]

I am actually quite suspicious of this whole post...

Me too. At the very least things are being greatly exaggerated. A Cast Member refusing to sell a customer a room when they have them available? Nope, didn't happen. For another no way are they going to admit if a CM is pretending to be a manager and then say they were "dealt with". Something else is going on, or else this story has been heavily edited.

 

[maxiesmom]

The travel agent refunded you? So the travel agent had your money and had not paid Disney? This sounds very shady- what kind of travel agent was this?

This is the million dollar question. Whoever they are I would stay far far away from them.