A Mi11ion Dreams = 2018 - Day 4. From St Augustine to the most Un-magical Disney welcome ever.

[walt4it]

Welcome to Day 4.

I will open this whole day with a bit of awareness building - this has possibly been the most difficult day that I ever typed up. I know it will make for a very difficult read, I apologise for that but I hope you understand why.
Make your self a cuppa before you start - this is a long one!

It was the worst day that we have experienced in 'The Disney Bubble'
It burst that big time!

I have even run all that is typed past the whole family before I post and I also asked my DFIL to have a read just to look from a different perspective.

They have all decided that I have been more than polite in my writing and many others who I have discussed this with, believe I really should have kicked off and got to a resolution that was more rewarding.

As always - we do what we always do (I will always remain proud of that) , unfortunately today is fuelled by other people who didn't do what they should do

If you missed all that went before …

DAY 3 is here


The whole index is here


If anyone who is reading this and wants to see all that has gone before - all the trip reports can be read here.



Welcome to...

Sunday 29th July 2018


Our Day 4 -


I will again start with a warning - food photos do not appear until after a whole lot of words that I hope make more sense written now than they did in the experience on the day.


DISNEY DAY!



We all slept well, apart from me who was awake at 5 again, and 6 and then thankfully Alison woke so we both then spent our time awaiting the boys waking up!

They lasted until 8.45 which would have been great, had it not been for the fact we needed to check out by 10!
All that walking and the repeated late nights and early mornings were evident already.

We simply packed up again, enjoyed the apple and cinnamon treats we got in Publix and got in the car.

This was a moment way too soon, a moment that we really never wanted to be experiencing.

That TV Dale moment, just months before and only booking two nights had hit us all - this was one place that we all could not understand was on the itinerary of anyone who visits Florida, until seeing it on Dale’s Florida Fly Drive we never would.

This place is a must see – a place that is off the beaten track and I have to admit – we need to return. There was so much left unvisited, Old Jail and much, much more.

We all acknowledged we will need to return.

That was not helped when with the car packed we went to explore the lighthouse and the Beach parts of St. Augustine and were interested to see how little there was in that area.

The beach looked beautiful though and it is a place where you really could cut yourself off from mankind.

We had loved being in the centre of St. Augustine- we felt the true heartbeat of the place, had been part of it for such a short period of time and to be really honest, had we saved a few quid in booking somewhere on the outskirts or beach.
I think we would never have achieved what we did had we stayed elsewhere.

It is difficult to describe how we felt driving away, we had seen so much, walked so much and admired St Augustine with a heartfelt passion.

Hidden Gem – yet the oldest Gem in Florida. We will be back!

Having seen the beach, lighthouse and the town one last time we turned our thoughts to the unsaid, unwritten , unacknowledged, unimagined part of the rest of the holiday.

As we had lived from day to day, so far, we had that buzz in our hearts that real horrible feeling - we recognised what was coming next, the feelings that only a Disney trip can build and become.



We were Orlando bound and with E Street Radio to keep us company, we made good time, only stopping to fill with petrol – admittedly with a bit of haste as it was building and building and building that whole excitement vibe in the car… we were going to Disney

As we passed the Universal signs, and onto the roads we knew so well there was a rising anticipation as to what was about to happen - we were closer and closer and closer…

We drove through the signage, we showed the ID to the security at the gate we were at that stage where you are all perhaps in that state of shock, awe and hyper excitement.

As a grown up scuttling for the check in folder in the boot, I felt it. We all did. We walked into Port Orleans Riverside for the first time, 8 feet tall and bouncing with excitement.:

What happened next popped that whole bubble, balloon call it what you might – it was not magic!

We went to check in – simple enough or so we thought -or so everyone else would ever think!

Within 30 seconds …

Our Disney package was showing on ‘The American’ system, as only having quick service dining plan (all of our paperwork stated we had upgraded when we originally booked last September – to full dining plan and had been paid in full at the time – their system had no record of any of that)

The CM checking us in was in touch with the Disney 'care' team by phone, who I can only describe as being as much use as having a chocolate fireguard in the Florida sun.

Sharon, our lovely CM at check in , was losing the plot with them and totally understood our annoyance, when they suggested that we should just claim that Dining plan upgrade cost back when we got home-

OK I will read that back again –“just claim that Dining plan upgrade cost back when we got home”- And we should just go with the QSDP and claim the money back later – their words not mine


When you have a load of DDP reservations booked and linked to your tickets and highly looked forward to…etc etc you know where I am coming from – possibly everyone who reads this will know where I was coming from except the Disney call centre.


I actually think those moments of excitement , that bouncing feeling changed in an instant.
What we booked – was not on their system.

What we booked was quite simply a few days at Port Orleans Riverside , with the QSDP upgraded to the DDP. 21 Tickets included.

Nothing more, well you would have thought we were looking for the crown jewels.

The phone support people were useless and their contact actually meant that the face at the desk had a much harder job than we had ever experienced in any Disney hotel we have ever booked into previously. ( Is that because it is not a DVC resort or a deluxe resort? I don't have that answer)

After an hour and 20 minutes of help and dogged assistance being offered by Sharon, We asked for a manager - as there was clearly no way she was going to be able to sort this out, as it was stated on the phone support by Disney in America that “the WDWTC in the UK had failed to pay for the upgrade to full dining plan.”

“they are only deemed as being an agent for Disney” was the reply from the manager. (noted and will get back to you on that)


I did remind him that we had used them, as they were a recognised WDW travel company and since they closed at 4pm UK time (really handy given that is 11am Orlando time) there was no way that they could bring this to a resolution at our time in the day, without rebooking all of our dining and tickets.

Had we booked with all of those lovely companies who offer Disney Tickets and accommodation as travel agents - I honestly think we would have had a better reception!

If you can’t get in touch with the WDWTC UK you are up the creek.

We were and that is something that to this day I feel is shocking.

Also, there is nothing I hate more than being lied to – yet in all of the places in all of the world, this was the very last place I would have had to have my holiday magic exploded.

I had been lied to twice already,

"WDWTC being nothing to do with WDW" and that "they had not paid Disney for the upgrade of Dining Plan. "

I even went to the car to get my laptop to visibly show the evidence of my WDWTC invoices and from there you would have thought there could be no denial.


In my ‘conversation’ with the manager I did explain that had I booked into the Holiday Inn Express, I perhaps, would have foreseen such an issue linked to any holiday – this was such a staggeringly shambolic situation I would never have expected from Disney, the WDTC and to be totally honest from any check in at any on site Disney hotel and any hotel for that matter.

I don’t believe in shouting and finger pointing in order to get something sorted out and yet I felt my buttons being pressed.
The steam was apparent to everyone in the family – they just left me to it, and they know I take a long time to come to the boil. I would probably have blown big time in a place I had no affiliation, I was in shock as to what was happening and I have possibly too much information as to what was happening.

The ‘manager‘ person was once again given a factual rerun of what we were experiencing.

It was as if we had robbed a whole Disney holiday!

I ended up on repeat mode 40 minutes later– I actually think he had tried to buy a little time to see if the situation would sort itself out.

NO it hadn’t!

I actually did ask it was now better to book in to the Holiday Inn instead of this place – even now I try to type this without the emotion, the anger and the sheer disappointment of just checking in hits me again.

Sounds so stupid, yet our next few days was all about being onsite and this was a total shambles from the minute we arrived at the desk, just because their computer systems do not talk to each other.

At this point I was close to starting a thread on The Dibb stating WDWTC UK – not fit for purpose- I had free wifi ! Had I done so, I’m not sure I would be here now typing all of this – the expletives would have me banned for life.

We were in a place where you actually felt in suspended reality – sitting around not actually knowing what was happening and it all being out of your hands and the anger of which was prevalent in adults, yet felt by both of the boys who just did not know fully what was happening, and we took great measures in order that they were not at the cutting edge of that – yet they deep down knew, we were being messed around.

NO photos either - the whole thing was just possibly the most hideous check in to any hotel in the world, just because there was a question about the food package!

A photo was the very last thing I would ever think of, and possibly I should have, we were amid the least magical moment we have possibly ever experienced on holiday as a family – and yes we have travelled with Ryanair!

The 'manager' from the hotel who had been away for such a long time -

He was very apologetic, which was actually a start, for the first time someone recognised we were worthy of that!

He had rebooked everything we had on a brand new booking in order to get the system to accept that we had paid for the Dining plan, he assured us that all of our fast passes were as booked and the dining reservations were also safe.

He also gave us three any time fast passes per day for our entire stay on site and also upgraded the room to one which was better located (than the one we had been allocated) and had recently seen new carpets and a lick of paint.

He also offered to pay for a taxi to take us to Saana tonight, assuming the magic band actually recognises the dining package we had actually booked.


Fuming, having had the whole magic taken away and having now wasted over two hours just trying to sort out something that should have been simple and dare I seem to expect, It should always be magical.

We were given our magic bands exactly 2 1/2 hours after we had arrived.

We headed for lunch still livid. I’m sure you can understand why there is no photos of this whole experience!


We were all in that mix of total uncertainty so Lunch was possibly a welcome point – that early pastry being our sole eating of the day awaiting a nice lunch!

That was now running well late – thankfully beer was part of the new counter service option for this year. It was needed!


Lunch was also bought with the boys having to return a pizza to the counter as they had decided on the big pizza each option – at 2 credits each! (they were very good about it- Counter servers not the boys!)

I’m so glad I spotted this before they reached the cashier.
Many thanks to our local Dibber Elmspenguin, who we meet later in the trip , we had been told of the quality of the pizzas here ( but to remember they were 2 CS credits each! )

Fed, watered and a beer later we were seriously lacking the magic, that anticipation, the Disney bit that had been in each of us on the journey here had been robbed from each of us.

To top it all off the rain was now of near biblical proportions and the thunder rattled around the resort.

It was possibly a time to decide where we go from here – yet neither Alison nor I were ready for that – there was a huge feeling of being let down.

We waited and just let the rain die down a little before heading to the car and driving round to our room.

We left the cases in the car and just headed to the room.


When we got to building 39, we were pleased at what we saw when we opened the door. The room was nice, beds comfy and beyond more than all the stuff that had happened we had made it –


We were here.

Our initial plans already in the bin, we saw out the rain and settled for unpacking a little more than we had been able to in Miami and St Augustine.

We spent a bit of time listening to the rain and just absorbing what we had actually encountered.

Stunned – possibly sums it all up.

Speechless.

Sad.


There were very few words shared, nobody touched their phone – we all just lay on the beds and just tried to absorb what had just happened.

Even now – I don’t think any of us truly could say we understand.
But as a family we knew this was as low as it gets – do you wallow and suffer?

NO WAY !– can do the Disney bar stewards enquiry a bit later - this is our holiday, it is everything we live for, work for and to be bloody honest it is in our dreams for 330+ days of the year.

If you spend that long trying to check in you are not going to waste any more time mulling on it. We decided to park the whole issue, there was nothing we could do about it and holiday mode needed to be pressed.

As the rain eased and the pool opened the boys chanced upon a 30 minute pool session, before the whistle sounded again as another band of lightning was closing in- it was just as well, as we needed to get a move on if we were gong to make it to Kidani Village for dinner tonight.

With thanks to 'the manager' we met earlier, we had been given a voucher for a taxi to get us there. That allowed us that bit of pool time and also meant I was now not having to take the car.

We taxied and arrived in good time, as we got to the desk at Sanaa we were told there was a 20 minute wait for tables due to the weather making people linger longer over their food.
Good opportunity to take some pictures then!

The buzzer sounded just as I had gone to the loo, I’m sure they do this on purpose! I’m glad I left the buzzer with Joe as it could have been a rather interesting experience had it remained in my pocket!

Anyway, I digress, we got seated and were then welcomed by a very nice server who was from New York. She was simply epic as a server, willing to explain everything on the menu and also busted Josh as he was googling an item on the menu!

She really went that bit extra throughout the service, including replacing the sugar free iced tea that Joe ordered (she had warned him he would not like it!)
Although she did bring it with a light up Buzz Lightyear as he really wanted the non alcoholic cocktail but rightly noticed that if you chose the other options you would have free refills for the whole evening! (he has learnt much)

Alison and I went for the wine option and rather nice it was too.

The naan bread starter option was purchased as the smell of it permeated the air in the whole restaurant every time it came out of the kitchen, it was gorgeous. It really does need to be experienced, and despite it not being on the dining plan , it is a simple must for every future trip.

Our main courses were also of a high quality, the tastes and eating experience in this place continues to impress.

As did our server, who on us finishing asked how long we had been here for, big mistake!

We relived our afternoon check in experience and she very quickly brought us another wine each, on the house by way of acknowledging our experience. She didn’t have to do this but she wanted to, she was also now feeling that ire that we had parked a few hours ago.

Dessert was another flavoursome delight and the whole evening was just well worth the effort in booking and getting to Kidani Village at Animal Kingdom Lodge.

The whole Saana experience was brilliant and the server especially made it for us, she totally rescued the day and her understanding of the changes in WDW over the past few years meant that we were totally on the same wavelength.

Whilst the menu had seen some change since our last visit the quality of food and the quality of service remains superb.

We had really enjoyed our evening and as we journeyed back to Disney Springs by bus were certainly flagging in a tiredness sense.

We were finally in our happy place and tomorrow morning it will all become so much more real and possibly/ hopefully a bit more magical.

An Extra Magic Morning and we were determined to make it exactly that.

If you have read all of that above - I thank you.

I hope nobody ever receives such poor service and to be honest if you keep reading we do put it behind us. I still have an issue with WDWTC if they read any of this - but I guess I will be a long time awaiting their reply (even now!)

Day 5 is just a click here away

[mick]

That sounds like a horrible time you had trying to sort out something that should never have happened glad your server at Sanaa helped with some Disney magic.

Joan

[Dutchdisneyfan]

pffff... what a shocking check in :'(
I'm glad you decided to rise above and didn't let it spoil you holiday.

Did you complain about it at WDTC?

[flo-tinka]

Certainly not the prettiest start to the Disney segment for the most Disney-esque family on here! Glad your dinner brought you all around and provided the real kickstart you needed -sounds like a real lovely server 😀

[Jules32]

What an awful experience for you but glad your lovely server managed to make things a little better for you.

[i love jack]

I thought you’d have got a round trip taxi voucher!
Glad your evening at Sanaa helped to make things a little better

[Goldia]

Jeez, what to say? An absolutely horrid experience, no it wasn't an exaggeration. I daresay I'd have struggled to not cry. It's such a ridiculous thing to suggest that you bill them when you get home...honestly. such a shame that you all had to go through that and I'm not surprised you sat shell shocked on the bed for a while. It's hard to put to one side what you want through and I hope you were able to sleep the night in your lovely new beds and focus on the good things in the morning.

[Palm trees]

Wow! What a horrible start to your Disney stay. On a brighter note your dinner looked gorgeous. Your server sounds like she had lots of pixie dust too!

[Pussycat Doll]

I dont think I have sufficient words...

Looks and sounds like you rescued your day though. Food looks fab and your server sprinkled some magic for you.

[joanna23]

Grrrr just rubbish all round! The hotels have definitely lost their magic touch but your experience is just beyond.
We had a slight medical disaster this year and they weren’t the most helpful with us either. Just didn’t seem prepared to want to help.
Glad Sanaa was a big success and gave to back a little bit of magic.