Segway Tours Cancelled?!

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ocarina's picture
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Segway Tours Cancelled?!

I just saw on the TouringPlans blog that the Epcot Segway tours have been cancelled - is this true? I booked mine last month for my trip in May, and full payment has been taken for me and my fella, but no-one has contacted me to say they've stopped or sent me a refund.

I really hope it isn't true - was really looking forward to it Sad

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Yes it's true

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http://www.wdwinfo.com/wdwinfo/tours.htm

http://blog.touringplans.com/2013/02/15/epcot-segway-tours-cancelled/

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?p=47507081

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ocarina's picture
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Thanks Sally-Ann and mrhub

I'm a little cross they haven't let me know about this. You'd think those who have paid in advance would find out and be refunded before noticing it online. Sad

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Sorry ocarina, maybe you will be lucky and they are only canceling for a month or so and your will still go off. This is a really fun tour.

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I haven't seen any details yet about how long it's been canceled or why they have been canceled. I would give them a call to see what's up!

Don't be cross about seeing it online first though. In the years that I've become active in getting Disney "news" and participating in communities, I have noticed that MOST things come out online first.

ocarina's picture
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Hey Kristen Smile

I rung them today and the very lovely lady told me they don't know the reason why they are cancelled, how long it is- but did try to convince me to take the Fort Wilderness Tour instead, which hasn't filled me with confidence! Apparently they are ringing all people on the tours in the next few weeks with more details.

Oh well. Sit tight I guess!

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Wow!

Thanks so much for the update!

The Colonel's picture
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And I was thinking how cool Segway tours of the other parks would be. Imagine a Segway tour at MK after the park closed. crossfingers

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I posted a question the Mom's panel just to see if they had any information. The answer wasn't posted on the panel but I did receive this email. I got all excited thinking I had some insider information on a new tour. Then I realized that it was the same name as the one that was canceled.

For those who have taken the tour, is the description below the same as the one you took? Or is it different and maybe they are just revamping the tour?

====================================================================

Dear JoAnn,

Thank you for contacting the Walt Disney World(r) Resort.

Epcot has always been at the forefront of modern technology, using the
latest and greatest innovations to enhance our storytelling and share
our vision of the future.

For the first time since Segways? made their debut on tours back in
2005, we're proud to offer a new storytelling experience - Keep Moving
Forward: See the World, Share the Dream.

In this tour, Guest Relations tour guides will take Guests back to
Disneyland(r) Park, where Walt first conceived the World Showcase as
"International Street", a great idea that never made it past the drawing
board in California, but one that Walt cared so much about that it was
always included in designs of EPCOT the city as well as the theme park
from the very beginning. Walt used to say that ?we keep moving
forward?because we?re curious, and curiosity keeps leading us down new
paths.? That simple sentence speaks volumes not just about how Walt
lived his life, but also about how we remember his vision and maintain
his legacy. Epcot is all about the future Walt dreamed of ? using the
power of human imagination to invent, create, and discover. Walt knew
that this gift does not belong to one person or one nation, but to
everyone. We?ve seen how this gift has led to the creation of many
unique cultures around the world and through time, and just like Walt,
we all keep moving forward with a common dream to make the world a
better place. But we can?t get there alone. By sharing ideas and
learning from one another, whether it is with a neighbor or a distant
culture, and combining those ideas with new technologies (such as
Segway?), it is very likely that the fullest potential of Walt's dream -
and ours - has yet to be realized.


Location: Tour starts at the Guest Relations Lobby just inside the Main
Entrance at Epcot to the left of Spaceship Earth. Guests should arrive
at least 15 minutes prior to start time.

Restrictions: Guests must be at least 16 years old, the signature of a
parent or legal guardian is required for participants under 18 years of
age. Riders should be in good health and able to stand for the duration
of the tour.

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Aye - The Colonel! The Epcot one was to start before Epcot officially opened in the mornings, so you'd zip about the place enjoying the effort the put into the park and taking it all in Smile

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Hey JoAnn - that description is how they sold it to me Smile Have a "training" session on the Segway, a tasty breakfast then zip around Epcot before the crowds get in while a guide gives you interesting facts - seemed really brilliant Smile

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I did it twice. Once with no breakfast. This past October they added the breakfast and made the tour three hours long. It was great.

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Really?? A three hour tour? (so sorry, just had to). mickey

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disneydoc wrote:
Really?? A three hour tour? (so sorry, just had to). mickey

Just sit right back and you'll hear a tale.........a three hour tour, a three hour - Hey little buddy! (couldn't resist) rolling

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PirateGirl wrote:
disneydoc wrote:
Really?? A three hour tour? (so sorry, just had to). mickey

Just sit right back and you'll hear a tale.........a three hour tour, a three hour - Hey little buddy! (couldn't resist) rolling

Now all I can think about is the cast of GI riding around Epcot on Segways. Oh Lovey!

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I know..my brain went right to Gilligan's Island too. Can't you see the Skipper and the Professor on the tour?
And Ginger's ball gown getting caught in the tires? mickey

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Now all I can think about is the cast of GI riding around Epcot on Segways. Oh Lovey!

disneydoc wrote:
I know..my brain went right to Gilligan's Island too. Can't you see the Skipper and the Professor on the tour?
And Ginger's ball gown getting caught in the tires? mickey

rolling rolling rolling rolling

Don't forget the head hunters chasing them on segways.....

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And Mary Ann holding her cocoanut cream pie as she navigates on her segway!

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rolling

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I, too, am upset that the Segway (Epcot) tour has been canceled. We were going to do it again--we've done it 5 times, all without the breakfast inclusion. It was always a GREAT time!

One time there were only 2 of us who showed up for the tour and our tour guide, who knew us from previous tours, decided to give us a "back stage" view of the park. We went to places I had never seen before--all behind the buildings instead of in front of them!

I hope this cancelation is just for the Flower/Garden Festival and will be re-instated in late May after the festival closes.

Patti mickey

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Still haven't been contacted to say it's cancelled - or got a refund! So everything crossed it's just a temporary thing. *crosses!*

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Bleurgh, just rung them and was passed around a lot before being dropped on an answerphone. Still no refund or contact from them telling me its cancelled. Not too happy.

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That is pants, so sorry for you. You expect better from Disney. Hope you get an answer soon. I expect there will be someone here who can give you other numbers to ring!

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ocarina wrote:
Bleurgh, just rung them and was passed around a lot before being dropped on an answerphone. Still no refund or contact from them telling me its cancelled. Not too happy.

They may not have decided to cancelled your yet ocarina. This may just be a temporary thing. If you don't want to worry about it though and book something else, I'm sure you can cancel. No where has it been officially announced that the Segway tours have been cancelled for good.

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I'm fairly sure it's cancelled - the customer service people told me it was and tried to convince me to rebook a Wilderness Lodge one (but without my refund from the original - I guess they can book me things but getting my cash back and an explaination is not their job?). When I said I would like to talk to someone about the original booking they transferred me to an answerphone. :/

I'm just annoyed now. Hate being passed about and REALLY don't like it they can tell me it's cancelled but won't apologise or refund me without me speaking to the right person, whoever that is.

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To be fair, I have nothing against the phone people at Disney. They're very polite and have always been very good when they have their script and doing their specific tasks (booking things, checking my ADRS etc), but they are much too keen to make sure they are not the one to sort this out, which has left me in this position with them assuring me it's cancelled and wanting me to book something else but with no apology and no refund and me having to chase them to find this all out.

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Sally-Ann wrote:
That is pants, so sorry for you. You expect better from Disney. Hope you get an answer soon. I expect there will be someone here who can give you other numbers to ring!

Thanks Sally-Ann. I've waited months for them to contact me on it and for a bit thought that they perhaps hadn't cancelled ours - but when I talked to the customer service people on the phone today they were convinced it wasn't going ahead, so now I feel really miffed. I work from home and am very easy to contact, although admittedly am in the UK. But even an email would have been nice.

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I take it when you say answer phone , you are talking about a voicemail to leave a message, and did you leave a message. Also are you calling the same number you called to book the Segway tour? They should be able to cancel directly, and refund you your money without transferring you to anyone else.

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mrhub wrote:
I take it when you say answer phone , you are talking about a voicemail to leave a message, and did you leave a message. Also are you calling the same number you called to book the Segway tour? They should be able to cancel directly, and refund you your money without transferring you to anyone else.

Yes and yes. When I call they keep saying they need to put me through to the 'right person' and it's this voicemail. It was easy peasy booking the tour - I did it with a really lovely lady who certainly sold it to me and I think it may have even been on the ADR line? I've left a message with the answerphone and emailed guest relations. Nothing yet.

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OK, I cracked and phoned and asked to speak to a supervisor. I haaate talking on the phone when it comes to being negative (get very nervous) but have been making myself cross about this too much and just wanted a straight answer.

So. Apparently for all April there are no tours. May might be cancelled but they do not know yet, but will let me know if they do cancel for certain.

So the guest relations staff all think they're cancelled with no possibility of them running, but the supervisors think they're only cancelled for April but might be in May too.

Can't say I am a lot happier.

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