I've Been Thunderstruck

This is the latest response from Disney regarding my son’s Toontown issue. Since this is about the third time they’ve stated the same information, their either not reading my emails anymore, or they just don’t have a good answer for me…”good” being one that actually addresses the issue. So, for completeness, here is their latest response:

Dear Mark ,

Thank you for your reply.

Unfortunately, we do not have information available to use as a reference.

Much like any other game, Toontown requires constant care and maintenance to ensure our residents are provided with a smooth, safe and fun experience.

In order to maintain a great game like Toontown, we employ a highly-skilled team of full-time programmers and staff who are constantly working to support thousands of players and make sure the game is fun. While we offer a limited free account, we have to charge for the extended access to the game in order to maintain the level of service and quality our users expect.

We thank you again for your interest in the game, and hope that you can find a way to enjoy Toontown in the near future!

Nobody signed it this time…odd. Here is my response:

Hi,

OK…this is about the third time Disney has responded like this, so I can see we’re getting nowhere. It distresses me a bit that nobody can point me to documentation online that says what parts of the game are free, and what parts aren’t…even in a general way. If you are truly invested in providing your residents a “smooth, safe and fun experience,” I would suggest that a warning be added prior to the start of a mission, letting gamers (let’s be specific…kids), know that they won’t be able to finish their quest until they pay for a subscription.

Again, I have no problems with you charging for content, but I do take issues with the game letting a user go down a free path only to find it terminates in the need for a paid subscription.

You should know that I’ve been blogging this issue at my blog, http://www.thunderstruck.com/, and have been discussing it on Twitter as well (GoNorthWest).

Thank you for your time. I’m probably not done with this yet, but I need to do some research.

Thanks,

Mark

I think my next step will be to scour the Toontown web site for documentation, and see if it fulfills my need for disclosure. If it does, then I’ll let this matter rest. If not, I shall continue.

Here’s Disney’s response to my response yesterday…as well as my response to them! I’ll give them props for trying to resolve this, but so far they haven’t told me anything that I didn’t figure out the hard way. I want them to show me where they have documented what they are telling me.

Dear Mark,

Thank you for your reply.

Free accounts are limited to working Toontasks in Toontown Central up to the final frame of your first chosen Gag Track Training. Once you have completed all of these tasks (including gag training, teleport access, etc.), it is required to purchase a subscription in order to complete your Gag Track Training and continue on to tasks offered for Donald’s Dock.

We are very sorry that this information was not made clearer to your previously and hope to see you return to Disney’s Toontown Online in the future!

Thank You,

Nicole
Disney’s Toontown Online Member Services

And this is what I sent them back:

Hi Nicole,

Unfortunately, we had to figure that out the hard way. Is this documented clearly anywhere? If so, could you point me to that reference?

Thanks,

Mark

I suspect Disney feels I’m being overly difficult about this, but all I’m looking for is total disclosure about the nature of their game. If they’ve documented the restrictions that I’m now finding out about, then it’s on me for not having read the documentation before letting my son get involved. However, I would bet money that >90% of the people who sign up for the free trial don’t read any documentation at all, and many of their kids have experienced the same disappointment. I’ve been very impressed with Disney customer service, and the quality of the Disney experience at their theme park, I’d just like to see this carry over online.