“Into each life a little rain must fall.” Oh how prophetic. No, we aren’t canceling the Palooza, but today the Palooza planning hit a major snag.
Yesterday, we started Dad and Mrs. Mom’s Disney Palooza 2012 with Dad working feverishly to make our ADR’s (Advanced Dining Reservations). Dad was hard at it because Mrs. Mom’s Mom faked illness so Mrs. Mom wouldn’t have to be up at 5:00 to make our ressies. (Just kidding. Mrs. Mom’s Mom was actually in the hospital and Mrs. Mom was with her. She’s home now and everything should be fine.)
I was able to make 9 days worth of reservations when the SNAG hit. I knew this was possible but when the Disney computer started taking everything I threw at it I figured everything would be fine. Boy was I silly.
Dad and Mrs. Mom’s Disney Palooza includes 15 or so Table Service meals, a Disney cruise and 12 nights in 3 Disney Hotels. It’s the 3 Disney Hotels that caused the SNAG. After making 9 days of ADR’s yesterday, I hit a SNAG. Things have ground to a full stop. I still have another 4 days of reservations to make but no, I can’t do anything. It’s like the Disney computer finally figured out Hey, this is that Dad guy, why don’t we mess with him and throw him into ADR Jail. Don’t believe me? Check this out.
The Palooza will start with a 1 night hotel reservation at the Pop Century for our first night. (Mrs. Mom wouldn’t go to Disney World without eating breakfast at Everything Pop so we are spending a night at our 2nd favorite hotel.) (I’m OK with that.)
As I was making our reservations yesterday, I used the reservation number from our Pop stay because that was the earliest one I could use. It worked. No problem. We didn’t actually need any dining reservations for the first day but I was able to make reservations for the next 8 days. No problem. This is cool. Until.
I tried to make a simple reservation at the Biergarten on our 10th day. The rules say you can make ADR’s for the day you check in plus 10 days. Since I was able to make so many I thought I should be able to continue. Right? But no! No Biergarten. Whassup?
Being an experienced Disney Travel Agent, I did what any normal Experienced Disney Travel agent would do, I screamed at my computer, I beat on my computer, I yelled at my computer. I threatened my computer. (My computer takes a lot of abuse. It’s such a good computer.)
Finally, I picked up the phone and called the super secret number for Disney Travel Agents to make reservations on for “Special Guests.” Not really. Like everyone else I picked up the phone and called (407) WDW-DINE. There was a really nice lady that came on the phone and tried to help me. She tried once, twice, three strikes you’re out. No luck. No way to make that Biergarten reservation. Can’t do it.
The nice lady and I talked for a week or so (in Air Traffic Controller time which equates to about 10 minutes for normal people). We talked about how I was able to make all those reservations the day before. She said I shouldn’t have been able to make them. That there was some kind of computer glitch. No, it didn’t matter what the silly computer did the day before, she wouldn’t make any more reservations for me no matter how much I begged. (I think she should be careful calling computers silly.)
It seems that to make 10 days of reservations you SHOULD need a continuous hotel reservation. For some reason, I was able to make 9 days of reservations that should have been rejected.
Maybe I misspoke earlier. Maybe the Disney Computer figured out who Dad really was and decided, “this guy is so important we’ve got to give him a perk.” Yeah, Dad knows computers and computers know Dad. Now I just have to talk to that nice computer into letting me make the rest of my reservations.
I’m a bit unhappy. I don’t like SNAGS. My Palooza is supposed to be PERFECT. At this rate we’re not gonna get that ‘Ohana reservation at all and that would be a crime!
Tomorrow, Dad will explain why he didn’t use a Disney Travel Agent but you should. (This should be good.)
