Disney Customers Complain About Long Waits for Customer Service

COVID-19 has had a massive impact on customer service throughout the world and even the happiest place on earth is not immune. Guests at Walt Disney World Parks have recently been speaking out and complaining about the quality of customer care at the company's resorts and parks, which are world renowned for their superior levels of service.

Staff cutbacks and an increased reliance on smartphone-based reservation systems have left some Disney customers feeling frustrated, according to a number of recent social media posts. Most of the complaints are related to long phone hold times and a lack of email response from Disney customer service representatives.

“I’m not sure what is going on and Disney World, but I’ve waited on hold on five different occasions, four were over an hour and one was two hours and 20 minutes," wrote a customer in a recent social media post. "I’ve sent multiple emails, and it’s been weeks without a response. I guess everything isn’t magical. If it wasn’t for my kids I’d cancel everything and just go on a different vacation.”

Another report from Inside the Magic relayed the story of a guest who was placed on hold for just under five hours at Disney's direct customer service number for ticket sales and reservations.

"Calling the Walt Disney World Resort once evoked a feeling of happiness, where a simple thing like a ticket change or resort reservation request brought a few seconds of Disney music and a helpful 'cast member' representative," stated the report. "But those calls now are time-consuming, ill-will promoting, and ultimately lead to a training-challenged representative who has no idea what they’re doing. Even Disney apparently has customer service issues still reverberating from the peak of COVID."

Guests have also complained about increased ticket prices at Walt Disney World parks, even as wait times for rides and events have gotten longer. In another report, a guest claimed a wait of 16 hours in total, spread throughout two days, as they attempted to get Disney Accessibility Service (DAS) passes.