From: David Lynch <dnl1960 at yahoo.com>
To: james.d.macphee at disney.com <james.d.macphee at disney.com>
Sent: Saturday, May 26, 2018, 3:33:22 AM EDT
Subject: Magical Update 5-15-2018 Nightmare
Jim,
My nightmare began at 7:00 am on May 15th when the window opened to make our family trip's fast pass+ reservations. My daughter, two of my son's, and myself were poised to make our fast pass+ requests.
Within minutes of the window opening, my heart began to sink. The fast pass+ system was not showing us all of our family members, so I called the internet support line to report the problem. Almost immediately, I was informed that the IT department had done what the support representative called, "A Magical Upgrade".
Being a Disney veteran, I knew that each minute that passed, the Flight of Passage, and the Slinky Dog Dash fast passes would be gone. My mind raced with thoughts that the fast pass system was having problems due to the increased demand of the added Disney Springs guests. The frustrations started to build.
I knew that this was not normal for the fast pass+ system. In May of 2017, I used the fast pass+ system to successfully make all my reservations within about 30 minutes. Those fast pass+ selections were based on a schedule built using the wonderful tool on touringplans.com. We had a great time.
This July's trip was also planned using touringplans.com. I spent hundreds of hours talking with family members as to what attractions they want to see, and I built wonderful touring plans for each day of our visit. I also made a spreadsheet to help us divide up the reservations to ensure we acquired the fast passes that would keep us from crisscrossing the parks. We were set and ready to make our fast passes, but your system failed us.
As I watched the Flight of Passage, and Slinky Dog Dash passes disappear, my eyes popped when poof they were all gone. I asked the support representative to escalate my case to someone that could get us Flight of Passage and Slinky Dog Dash passes. The supervisor advised me that she would have to escalate my request for Flight of Passage and Slinky Dog Dash passes up to management, and that could take a few days. My blood boiled.
I spent 12 hours that day trying to get our fast passes reserved. By the end of the day, my touring plans schedule had been totally fragmented. As the day turned into a week, I kept struggling with a broken fast pass+ system to try and defragment our trip. My daughter has two special needs children, and crisscrossing the parks would be an unduly stress on them. Still to this day, at times the fast pass+ system will show only my name as the only person that I can make reservations.
Four days into my nightmare, I was still trying to adjust the fast passes that I did get to match my original tour plans. Many times to make changes to my passes, I had to call the internet support line, since I could not see all the family members. Then just by chance, I saw Slinky Dog Dash pop up as one of the suggested alternatives. I made changes as quick as I could, and I finally secured Flight of Passage and Sliky Dog Dash passes.
My point of contact has been a very nice lady named Linda at your guest services. She has tried to compensate me for the frustrations with the fast pass+ system's failure. She placed a multiple experiences fast pass for each guest for each day of our trip, and a $500.00 gift card.
Before the gift card was granted, I advised Linda that the system's failure resulted in a loss of $4856.84, that is 23.49% of my vacation's cost lost to your Magical Upgrade. I derived the loss by comparing my original touring plans to the plans that I adjusted to match the fast passes that I was able to reserve. Each plan shows total time, in line, busy, free, and walking. I multiplied the plans time differences by the cost per hour of the resort rooms and park tickets. The hourly rate was found by dividing the total cost of the resort reservations and park tickets by the number of hours the parks are open.
I have spent about 100 hours the past 9 days to try and optimize my fast passes. I have gotten the loss down to $3687.27. In my emails to Linda, I have requested that Disney management should compensate my family with free dining plans. We will be walking more, in line more, and on attractions less. If your fast pass+ system would have been functioning properly, I am sure that my daughter, my two son's, and I would have been able to reserve most if not all the fast passes on my original touring plans.
On May 23rd, Linda advised me that Disney management denied my request for dining packages, and that is when she offered the $500.00 gift card.
When I booked each of my children's resort reservations, 13744713 David Lynch, 14847871 James Dicks, 14804051 Steven Dailey, 14790825 Daniel S Dailey, and 14305575 William Staton II, I was asked if there was a special occasion for the visit. I would say yes, "We are having a remembrance of my mother." This year's trip is for a very special person.
On July 13th 2017, I was having desert at the California Grill when my brother called me to inform me of my mother's passing. One year to the day, I had reserved a table at the California Grill for us to celebrate my mother's life. Out of extreme frustrations with the lack of compassion that Disney management has shown me in response to their fast pass+ system's failure, and with a heavy heart, I have canceled the reservation, #480141102711.
I appeal to you in hopes that my family's remembrance of my mother's life will be a joyful one, and that you will agree that my eleven days of difficulties with your corrupt fast pass+ system combined with the loss of $3687.27 is worthy of dining packages for my family.
Regards,
David Lynch |