Not Gonna Lie......not the best week

[Haley R]

Ohhhh Japan, that is exciting. And for sure it is different. But I've heard good things about it especially DisneySea.

My husband had to go there for work several years ago and I so wished I could have gone with him. He enjoyed it with what he was able to see that is. I'm not positive if I'm remembering correctly but I believe he was mostly in Osaka though. On a random note he did a long layover in Oahu to break up the long traveling time (long enough to rent a car, go sightseeing a bit then go back to the airport) and him talking about the place led to us really looking into it. Originally Hawaii was a pipe dream to us we just never thought we'd be able to afford to go there. Well with Delta Skymiles points for 1 ticket, a stay in a for rent by owner condo (with a killer view and what ended up being a very private beach), and a good deal on a rental car through Costco we were able to go. So sometimes adventures lead to other adventures lol

Disneysea looks absolutely amazing and we’ve never been to Disneyland so tokyo Disneyland will have lots of new things for us. The merchandise is so fun! We are bringing an extra suitcase each to get stuff.

We will be in Tokyo, hakone, Kyoto, Osaka, Hiroshima, and some other places. Dh and I haven’t been out of the country together so it’ll be fun to experience something new. We were able to book business class seats and some hotel stays with credit card points so we really haven’t paid hardly anything to go to Japan so far.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Disneysea looks absolutely amazing and we’ve never been to Disneyland so tokyo Disneyland will have lots of new things for us. The merchandise is so fun! We are bringing an extra suitcase each to get stuff.

We will be in Tokyo, hakone, Kyoto, Osaka, Hiroshima, and some other places. Dh and I haven’t been out of the country together so it’ll be fun to experience something new. We were able to book business class seats and some hotel stays with credit card points so we really haven’t paid hardly anything to go to Japan so far.

That'll be an amazing trip for sure Hope you have a really good time

 

[georgina]

We just returned from a week's stay in a Universal Hotel, Royal Pacific Resort, and everyone there was friendly and helpful. We drove over to Disney Mon, Tues, and Weds, and found it rather crowded, but fun. Got day-of ADRs for Spice Road Table (late lunch, fantastic meal!) and Mama Melroses at closing time.

I'm sooo jealous of that ability. lol. I often wish I had a higher tolerance and didn't let things other guests do bother me so easily. I think it's because I never had kids - so loud neighbors, screaming babies on planes, rambunctious kids at higher end restaurants...and similar stuff bugs me more than most parents I know. They seem to take more things in stride. It's a continuous work in progress for me.

Solution - Bose noise-cancelling headphones. They are so great on a plane!

 

[kaytieeldr]

Funny b/c we just returned from a week at Grand Floridian Club Level and we received no special help with anything. No one assisted us to our room or even offered at check-in, it just didn't feel any different than non club level, other than the food availability.

I think you have to ask.

 

[disneyvoice]

Have you thought about trying a trip without scheduling anything in advance? I used to be a die hard pre-planner and had every second of our trips planned out, but once our son got older and/or it was just my husband and myself going I decided to ditch the necessity of pre-planning. We MUCH prefer taking WDW at a leisurely pace. I do still make some FPs but often just the day before or day of going to a park and it is pretty common for us to cancel them because we decided on a different park or just don't feel like racing across a park to make a FP time. The good thing about taking a relaxed pace is that we find we aren't bothered as much by larger crowds. If the stand by lines are too long (typically anything over 30 minutes for us) we just choose not to ride

We found that we started noticing more interesting/fun details all over WDW when we slowed down and relaxed. We enjoy spending time at the resorts or just walking around. We enjoyed our new leisurely pace so much that we decided to move right by WDW.

 

[tex1989]

I think it all comes down to where you are in life, what you value, and does a trip to WDW meet your expectations. There in lies the problem, expectations. If I need a particular tool for a one time use I go to a place called Harbor Freight, cheap, always has coupons and they give me something for free every trip. No if I was a contractor using my tool every day, I would never buy anything there. But being a weekend warrior and using things one time I have no issue with the place. My satisfaction comes from a)the cost, b)the understanding of quality, and c)does it perform to the level I need it to?

I know weird comparison but put it in terms of a WDW vacation. a) Cost, the more you pay the higher the expectation and the more b) quality you expect. Then when you take your trip does it c) perform out to your satisfaction?

In our case we will be taking our third vacation to WDW this year on Saturday. We are staying at PoP and have AP's and flying round trip from Texas on points and cheap fares that cost us $250. $1,000 for the room for the week and a sunk cost in tickets plus food and purchases and we will go relatively cheap. So does that mean our expectations are lessened because of what we paid? Not really but the fact we go so often and we have gone a lot since 1989 we have seen the changes to FP's, dinning, airport transfers, and all the other changes that our expectations are more in line with the current state of affairs at WDW. Believe me if we had not been in four years and were just returning without a first hand knowledge of the changes the trip could turn out to be very disappointing.

We find the joy of our trip does not center around the room we stay in (we have liked some, not liked others) because we spend very little time there. We love to go to the parks, and just as important at this time of year go to other resorts to see the decorations. We have certain places we like to eat that are not the headliners so they are easy to book without the 6 AM start time. We book FP+'s but don't over plan so don't worry if we don't get headliners first thing in the morning.

At this point to be honest we don't ask many CM's questions because quite frankly we are at a point where we actually know more than most of them do. We actually find ourselves helping others by answering their questions when CM's can't.

I will never question another family's experience on their trip because like all things in life, some folks like chocolate, some like vanilla, and some like strawberry. Some folks love WDW and some will visit once or twice and check it off their list, and that's fine.

 

[Inlovew/disney]

I think it all comes down to where you are in life, what you value, and does a trip to WDW meet your expectations. There in lies the problem, expectations. If I need a particular tool for a one time use I go to a place called Harbor Freight, cheap, always has coupons and they give me something for free every trip. No if I was a contractor using my tool every day, I would never buy anything there. But being a weekend warrior and using things one time I have no issue with the place. My satisfaction comes from a)the cost, b)the understanding of quality, and c)does it perform to the level I need it to?

I know weird comparison but put it in terms of a WDW vacation. a) Cost, the more you pay the higher the expectation and the more b) quality you expect. Then when you take your trip does it c) perform out to your satisfaction?

In our case we will be taking our third vacation to WDW this year on Saturday. We are staying at PoP and have AP's and flying round trip from Texas on points and cheap fares that cost us $250. $1,000 for the room for the week and a sunk cost in tickets plus food and purchases and we will go relatively cheap. So does that mean our expectations are lessened because of what we paid? Not really but the fact we go so often and we have gone a lot since 1989 we have seen the changes to FP's, dinning, airport transfers, and all the other changes that our expectations are more in line with the current state of affairs at WDW. Believe me if we had not been in four years and were just returning without a first hand knowledge of the changes the trip could turn out to be very disappointing.

We find the joy of our trip does not center around the room we stay in (we have liked some, not liked others) because we spend very little time there. We love to go to the parks, and just as important at this time of year go to other resorts to see the decorations. We have certain places we like to eat that are not the headliners so they are easy to book without the 6 AM start time. We book FP+'s but don't over plan so don't worry if we don't get headliners first thing in the morning.

At this point to be honest we don't ask many CM's questions because quite frankly we are at a point where we actually know more than most of them do. We actually find ourselves helping others by answering their questions when CM's can't.

I will never question another family's experience on their trip because like all things in life, some folks like chocolate, some like vanilla, and some like strawberry. Some folks love WDW and some will visit once or twice and check it off their list, and that's fine.

Well said.

 

[QueenElinor]

I just came back from a magical trip with DD12. We went Jersey Week. The crowds were higher than we expected but we still had a great time. The resorts (POFQ and BWV) were both amazing. CM's were good. Nothing extra magical happened but they did their jobs well and with a smile. It truly was an amazing trip!

With that said, the cost of a WDW vacation......I'm borderline on it's worth. Since it was just us two, spending money and eating wasn't too bad. As a family of four I probably wouldn't have felt it was worth it. Paying for meals, souvenirs, etc.

I like to stay at deluxe resorts when I vacation (Disney or not) since for me vacation is about splurging. I have no desire to stay at a value. Maybe if I did I would feel better about the price.

My kids are 18 and 12 now and still want to go back in a few years. If we did we would have to get two rooms. I would rather take a trip to Europe. I feel like I would get more bang for my buck.

My 3 kids are now n their 20's and we are all in the same room still- I asked if they wanted separate rooms and they didn't because they don't see each other all the time anymore. I was kind of surprised by this- so you never know! But I am springing for a pricey room at BWI to accomplish this, because there was no way I was going to crowd all of us in a standard deluxe 5 person room even if we technically could. The cost was about 20% less than 2 rooms. I am praying for some room-only discounts to show up soon!

We actually have a Japan trip booked for May so we are super excited! Still going to Disney there though lol but it’s completely different

My eldest son went there for a conference in grad school- met a wonderful academic over there who ended up being a long-distance advisor. He loved the people and being into computers, games and anime, the culture was familiar to him. The only downside is that he forgot to pack his suits- and there was NO WAY my 6'2' son was going to find anything to fit on short notice. So in all the conference pics he's that underdressed American, haha!

Now, because of his job & his security clearance, he hates overseas travel, it just creates a bit of extra trouble for him. But he still loves Disney so that's why we're going to WDW instead of abroad. We'll set aside lots of time to visit the Japan Pavilion!

Funny b/c we just returned from a week at Grand Floridian Club Level and we received no special help with anything. No one assisted us to our room or even offered at check-in, it just didn't feel any different than non club level, other than the food availability.

No matter how they try, the deluxe resorts at Disney are never going to match up to luxury hotels elsewhere. They're never going to be 5 star. Maybe a weak 4 star. Service is really what differentiates the two levels. It's hard for that big of a hotel to really operate at that level- too much standardization to hold down the costs. The GF is a Disney copy of the Hotel Del Coronado in San Diego and/or the Breakers in Palm Beach, which is why I won't stay at the GF after having been at the Hotel Del and the Breakers. No way will it ever measure up to those truly 5 star resorts. Although it costs about the same. Disney is giving us other perks that those hotels don't have, and so service has to go or the cost would be astronomical. I guess I have made my peace with that.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

The only downside is that he forgot to pack his suits- and there was NO WAY my 6'2' son was going to find anything to fit on short notice. So in all the conference pics he's that underdressed American, haha!

I know totally unrelated to the actual thread but now that we've been going on a tangent for a lil while---My husband is 6 ft 5 1/2 inches. He was there in Japan for an equipment test (his division of the company he works for builds and retrofits powerplants). Anywho he took a pic of his safety clothing he had to wear. It was so comical how it fit on him. Luckily he didn't have to change pants it was just adding their shirt over his for the test but that shirt was sooo not meant for a person his height. The hard hat was a bit..off lol but still worked for actual safety.

 

[QueenElinor]

I know totally unrelated to the actual thread but now that we've been going on a tangent for a lil while---My husband is 6 ft 5 1/2 inches. He was there in Japan for an equipment test (his division of the company he works for builds and retrofits powerplants). Anywho he took a pic of his safety clothing he had to wear. It was so comical how it fit on him. Luckily he didn't have to change pants it was just adding their shirt over his for the test but that shirt was sooo not meant for a person his height. The hard hat was a bit..off lol but still worked for actual safety.

That's right, function over form! DS's Japanese colleagues took him to a sauna/spa and the kimono was a bit... comical. It did provide actual safety there, too. For the most part.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

That's right, function over form! DS's Japanese colleagues took him to a sauna/spa and the kimono was a bit... comical. It did provide actual safety there, too. For the most part.

OMG too funny!

 

[Haley R]

My 3 kids are now n their 20's and we are all in the same room still- I asked if they wanted separate rooms and they didn't because they don't see each other all the time anymore. I was kind of surprised by this- so you never know! But I am springing for a pricey room at BWI to accomplish this, because there was no way I was going to crowd all of us in a standard deluxe 5 person room even if we technically could. The cost was about 20% less than 2 rooms. I am praying for some room-only discounts to show up soon!

My eldest son went there for a conference in grad school- met a wonderful academic over there who ended up being a long-distance advisor. He loved the people and being into computers, games and anime, the culture was familiar to him. The only downside is that he forgot to pack his suits- and there was NO WAY my 6'2' son was going to find anything to fit on short notice. So in all the conference pics he's that underdressed American, haha!

Now, because of his job & his security clearance, he hates overseas travel, it just creates a bit of extra trouble for him. But he still loves Disney so that's why we're going to WDW instead of abroad. We'll set aside lots of time to visit the Japan Pavilion!

No matter how they try, the deluxe resorts at Disney are never going to match up to luxury hotels elsewhere. They're never going to be 5 star. Maybe a weak 4 star. Service is really what differentiates the two levels. It's hard for that big of a hotel to really operate at that level- too much standardization to hold down the costs. The GF is a Disney copy of the Hotel Del Coronado in San Diego and/or the Breakers in Palm Beach, which is why I won't stay at the GF after having been at the Hotel Del and the Breakers. No way will it ever measure up to those truly 5 star resorts. Although it costs about the same. Disney is giving us other perks that those hotels don't have, and so service has to go or the cost would be astronomical. I guess I have made my peace with that.

That’s funny about him forgetting all of his suits lol. We love the Japan pavilion! I practiced the little Japanese I know with the cashiers. It was really fun and I’m sure they enjoyed it lol

 

[4evryoung]

I would like to offer some support to the original OP and counter some of the comments appearing earlier in this thread. I too have experienced a less than 4 star experience at multiple 4 star Disney hotels.

Some people in the thread have stated that resort visitors now want to, and should be expected to, self-serve information. I would suggest that if this is so simple, hotel CMs should be trained to do the same searches and provide the right, accurate, information if the customer has not done so. Answering any inquiry at a 4 star hotel desk should be basic skills set for CMs working that desk. You cannot argue that the temporary visitor should be more skilled at accessing accurate information than the CMs working day-on-day in the 4 star hotel. You do not deserve 4 star status if you cannot train your staff to provide an adequate service.

Pre-planning -- various board members have suggested that planners can do very well under the Disney system and have a fantastic vacation if they have the technical know-how and time to use the tools available. This flies in the face of Disney's propensity for changing park hours, canceling transport options/ closing pools/facilities/rides etc within weeks of "planners" arrival, and closing some counter service locations on the day, thus throwing many "planners' " plans into serious disarray. It also ignores the experience of very many visitors to WDW who do not populate these boards and who have no idea about the asmount of planning required. Hands up everyone who has overheard a family at 11am on a 7 or 8 crowd day at MK saying "well guys, I guess we need a plan..."

Some posters have said FP+ has been in place for three years or more and 180+ ADRs for longer, so the experience has not deteriorated since then for planners. Some have gone so far as to say that you don't need to plan and can have a great vacation without knowing about FP or worrying about it. This flies in the face of the real changes. The app-- and the regular advice on the Boards to keep refreshing in order to get more FPs -- disadvantages anyone who wants to actually spend time talking to their kids rather than staring at their phone screen. Believe it or not, there are still very many Disney visitors who do not want to be staring at a screen rather than enjoying the company of those they are on holiday with.

A poster suggested that some people will complain about the weather interrupting their very expensive holiday. As someone who experienced 10 days constant heavy rainfall in May of this year, I would say that nobody blames Disney for weather -- but you can blame a 4 star resort for not looking at the 10-day weather forecast and putting measures in to make the guest experience more bearable -- any 4 star resort I have stayed in elsewhere would have had umbrella stations (or even staff with umbrellas) to shepherd guests to un-sheltered amenities (WL & Akl did not). Any other 4 star resort would cover at least a proportion of their deck-furniture so that some of it dried out between rain storms. No other 4 star resort I have stayed in would close their only hot food counter service facility without putting on an alternate as Beach Club did (we walked in the rain to the Swan/Dolphin). If you are charging the high rents, you need to provide the service. At the moment, many people would argue that Disney's 4 star resorts are not stepping up to the level customers' might expect.

Final point (in a long post) is the state of the bathrooms. The Parks are making the job of custodian staff a thousand times more difficult because they are not providing fit for purpose TP. The stuff they wrap your gifts in in the shops is thicker, more resilient than the paper on the rolls in the bathroom. Try following a child into a cubicle and you will see the devastation spread across the floor because the stuff disintegrates as they try to access it. It may be a "be more environmental" initiative, it may be a "buy cheap" initiative, or it may be that the sewers are clogged, but the end result (if you buy TP that is not fit for purpose) is that you have disgusting bathrooms that even the most dedicated custodian will struggle to keep clean.

 

[Ninja Mom]

No matter how they try, the deluxe resorts at Disney are never going to match up to luxury hotels elsewhere. They're never going to be 5 star. Maybe a weak 4 star. Service is really what differentiates the two levels. It's hard for that big of a hotel to really operate at that level- too much standardization to hold down the costs. The GF is a Disney copy of the Hotel Del Coronado in San Diego and/or the Breakers in Palm Beach, which is why I won't stay at the GF after having been at the Hotel Del and the Breakers. No way will it ever measure up to those truly 5 star resorts. Although it costs about the same. Disney is giving us other perks that those hotels don't have, and so service has to go or the cost would be astronomical. I guess I have made my peace with that.

I see that Disney is Choosing NOT to provide that level of service but they ARE choosing to charge that level of pricing. I disagree that "service has to go or the cost would be astronomical". Disney is currently conditioning guests to pay astronomical prices for poor service. In the past it was not like this at all. From many observations the Disney company has lost its focus on the guest experience.

This is the new Disney: The entire focus of the company is to prop up the stock price. This focus is coming at the expense of everything. For example: the guest experience. The rooms are dirty upon check in because the appropriate amount of time and staff was not allocated to cleaning and maintaining the rooms. Park hours have been reduced and in some instances replaced with up-charge access events. It's obvious to long time observers that the deferred maintenance is taking its toll on the parks. I could go on, but if you are actually paying attention to what you are experiencing now versus how things were handled in the past, you could easily see that the guest experience has taken a back seat to profits.

This 'New Disney' is all about charging the maximum price and providing the minimum in return. It's almost like a psychology experiment where one continually pushes the envelope to see how much they can get away with.

Another key point is that, frequently, prices for tickets, food, and resort rooms are increased to make the the quarterly statement show profits. Most humorously Disney management justifies this by saying that the parks are too crowded so they have to increase the prices to keep out the riff raff clogging up the parks... and many people allow themselves to be gaslighted with this propaganda.

If the parks are SOOOO Crowded how come Disney isn't doing phased closures like they have to do during Christmas day and other special holidays. The parks aren't too crowded. The parks are understaffed and poorly maintained. Rides are intentionally being operated at less than full capacity.

I lay the blame for running the Disney experience straight into the ground at the feet of current management. I believe we are seeing the dark ages of this current era of Disney. The accountants are in charge and any creativity seen at Disney today is entirely focused on finding ways to extract the maximum amount of cash from the guest while providing the minimum effort or experience.

The Disney that we came to know and grow so fond of is dead and most of us don't even realize it.

I would like to offer some support to the original OP and counter some of the comments appearing earlier in this thread. I too have experienced a less than 4 star experience at multiple 4 star Disney hotels.

Some people in the thread have stated that resort visitors now want to, and should be expected to, self-serve information. I would suggest that if this is so simple, hotel CMs should be trained to do the same searches and provide the right, accurate, information if the customer has not done so. Answering any inquiry at a 4 star hotel desk should be basic skills set for CMs working that desk. You cannot argue that the temporary visitor should be more skilled at accessing accurate information than the CMs working day-on-day in the 4 star hotel. You do not deserve 4 star status if you cannot train your staff to provide an adequate service.

Pre-planning -- various board members have suggested that planners can do very well under the Disney system and have a fantastic vacation if they have the technical know-how and time to use the tools available. This flies in the face of Disney's propensity for changing park hours, canceling transport options/ closing pools/facilities/rides etc within weeks of "planners" arrival, and closing some counter service locations on the day, thus throwing many "planners' " plans into serious disarray. It also ignores the experience of very many visitors to WDW who do not populate these boards and who have no idea about the asmount of planning required. Hands up everyone who has overheard a family at 11am on a 7 or 8 crowd day at MK saying "well guys, I guess we need a plan..."

Some posters have said FP+ has been in place for three years or more and 180+ ADRs for longer, so the experience has not deteriorated since then for planners. Some have gone so far as to say that you don't need to plan and can have a great vacation without knowing about FP or worrying about it. This flies in the face of the real changes. The app-- and the regular advice on the Boards to keep refreshing in order to get more FPs -- disadvantages anyone who wants to actually spend time talking to their kids rather than staring at their phone screen. Believe it or not, there are still very many Disney visitors who do not want to be staring at a screen rather than enjoying the company of those they are on holiday with.

A poster suggested that some people will complain about the weather interrupting their very expensive holiday. As someone who experienced 10 days constant heavy rainfall in May of this year, I would say that nobody blames Disney for weather -- but you can blame a 4 star resort for not looking at the 10-day weather forecast and putting measures in to make the guest experience more bearable -- any 4 star resort I have stayed in elsewhere would have had umbrella stations (or even staff with umbrellas) to shepherd guests to un-sheltered amenities (WL & Akl did not). Any other 4 star resort would cover at least a proportion of their deck-furniture so that some of it dried out between rain storms. No other 4 star resort I have stayed in would close their only hot food counter service facility without putting on an alternate as Beach Club did (we walked in the rain to the Swan/Dolphin). If you are charging the high rents, you need to provide the service. At the moment, many people would argue that Disney's 4 star resorts are not stepping up to the level customers' might expect.

Final point (in a long post) is the state of the bathrooms. The Parks are making the job of custodian staff a thousand times more difficult because they are not providing fit for purpose TP. The stuff they wrap your gifts in in the shops is thicker, more resilient than the paper on the rolls in the bathroom. Try following a child into a cubicle and you will see the devastation spread across the floor because the stuff disintegrates as they try to access it. It may be a "be more environmental" initiative, it may be a "buy cheap" initiative, or it may be that the sewers are clogged, but the end result (if you buy TP that is not fit for purpose) is that you have disgusting bathrooms that even the most dedicated custodian will struggle to keep clean.

Thank you for a well written post. Just think... for every person that takes the time to chime in here with observations about poor experiences, there are many more who are not connected to message boards and social media who have experienced and noticed the same problems. I'm sure that Disney management is aware of these problems yet they choose to ALLOW them to continue and get worse. That is a 180 degree turn around from the Disney of the past.

~NM

 

[Nancyg56]

I see that Disney is Choosing NOT to provide that level of service but they ARE choosing to charge that level of pricing. I disagree that "service has to go or the cost would be astronomical". Disney is currently conditioning guests to pay astronomical prices for poor service. In the past it was not like this at all. From many observations the Disney company has lost its focus on the guest experience.

This is the new Disney: The entire focus of the company is to prop up the stock price. This focus is coming at the expense of everything. For example: the guest experience. The rooms are dirty upon check in because the appropriate amount of time and staff was not allocated to cleaning and maintaining the rooms. Park hours have been reduced and in some instances replaced with up-charge access events. It's obvious to long time observers that the deferred maintenance is taking its toll on the parks. I could go on, but if you are actually paying attention to what you are experiencing now versus how things were handled in the past, you could easily see that the guest experience has taken a back seat to profits.

This 'New Disney' is all about charging the maximum price and providing the minimum in return. It's almost like a psychology experiment where one continually pushes the envelope to see how much they can get away with.

Another key point is that, frequently, prices for tickets, food, and resort rooms are increased to make the the quarterly statement show profits. Most humorously Disney management justifies this by saying that the parks are too crowded so they have to increase the prices to keep out the riff raff clogging up the parks... and many people allow themselves to be gaslighted with this propaganda.

If the parks are SOOOO Crowded how come Disney isn't doing phased closures like they have to do during Christmas day and other special holidays. The parks aren't too crowded. The parks are understaffed and poorly maintained. Rides are intentionally being operated at less than full capacity.

I lay the blame for running the Disney experience straight into the ground at the feet of current management. I believe we are seeing the dark ages of this current era of Disney. The accountants are in charge and any creativity seen at Disney today is entirely focused on finding ways to extract the maximum amount of cash from the guest while providing the minimum effort or experience.

The Disney that we came to know and grow so found of is dead and most of us don't even realize it.




Thank you for a well written post. Just think... for every person that takes the time to chime in here with observations about poor experiences, there are many more who are not connected to message boards and social media who have experienced and noticed the same problems. I'm sure that Disney management is aware of these problems yet they choose to ALLOW them to continue and get worse. That is a 180 degree turn around from the Disney of the past.

~NM

I agree that if you have a poor experience you need to share that with Disney. I think that if we all decide that it is acceptable to have dirty bathrooms, lines that never end, and lackluster experiences this is what we will have. I do Believe that every day is a choice, however, and and how we choose to view our surroundings and those we interact with makes a difference in our overall experiences. If we choose to spend money on deluxe rooms, we need to expect deluxe conditions. If we stay in a value, we need to expect spotless rooms, and deluxe interactions. The cost of a room should not reflect it's condition or the level of services offered for that resort. You pay extra for amenities, not for cleanliness and courtesy.

I am not at all sure that Disney is aware of all the issues. I know that when I shared my experiences with the General manager she had no idea that the "boots on the ground" were so overwhelmed that guest experiences were impacted. She knew that things were hectic, however if no one tells her their own personal experiences, objectively and with clear examples, how can a correction be made. It is not easy to dismiss complaints if you are reasonable and you give details, but how many people will do that. We see countless posts about problems that people complain here about, but did not address in real time to the people who could make a difference.

I frequent a FB page that has had some very sad stories detailing how CM's have been treated this week, and it makes my heart sad. It is no wonder some retreat behind a phone or try to avoid contact after a guest blasts them for weather, lines, or the cost of a Mickey bar.

 

[snappy]

While I do not condone bad behavior by guests, the way Disney is continually cutting corners that end up negatively impact guests, the company is undermining their front line CM’s that have face time with guests. I find that sad too.

 

[Nancyg56]

While I do not condone bad behavior by guests, the way Disney is continually cutting corners that end up negatively impact guests, the company is undermining their front line CM’s that have face time with guests. I find that sad too.

Of course. I have never been in favor of staffing cutbacks as a means to save money, and feel that the move can actually be counterproductive. What I am saying is that when you encounter a CM who is not behaving to am expected standard, perhaps it may be best to give the benefit of doubt, or to go out of your way to make a difference yourself. When I say every day is a choice, I truly mean that, and with very that one exception years ago, I have never had less than magical experiences with CM's. That means I do not wait to be greeted, but will often initiate the interaction. I smile. I remember to use names, tell people when they make a difference, and I never take my bad mood out on anyone, especially those who are not empowered to make a change.

I think that what all of us are encountering now is a perfect storm of sorts. Disney has continued to make staffing cuts, raise prices, and encourages a lot of preplanning. A lot. Some people know about the planning, and either embrace it or tolerate it, but they do the planning. They research their resorts, meals, park hours and attractions open or closed. Many others have no idea and are blindsided when they arrive. No Chef Mickey. No characters zipping down Main Street to give a welcoming hug. No ginormous room with happy CM's dropping treats on the bed for jumping kids to enjoy, and certainly no half empty trains on the Mountains, indicating the family will just walk on. And then add the entitled people, and we all have read their posts here…..you have potential catastrophe in place. While short staffing makes all of this worse, I have witnessed some tirades that have made my blood boil. We may not have created the problem for CM's but we certainly do not need to make their circumstances worse. What we can do is send out experiences to Disney. Again and again and again. I am not in any way taking credit for changes that I believe took place at the BC, however when I returned there three years after "that" trip, I was blown away by the changes, and I sent a message to guest services and to the GM because I figured if I could take the time to point out the issues, I should take the time to let the management know I noticed the changes, and appreciated them. You see, as a consumer it is important to make sure any business knows you appreciate a specific experience, and therefore will notice if it is gone.

 

[snappy]

I agree, and I sent emails this year about my issues and received call backs. I asked for specific ways to address issues. I absolutely agree that it’s best to smile and address CM’s with friendliness. Not great with always remembering names, but I there was a wonderful post from ninjamom on another thread RE: when you receive good service, take a photo of CM’s who are involved and share with management. If ninjamom sees this, maybe she will post a link to her post as it included the email addresses to send a note with the CM’s names so they can be recognized and hopefully rewarded.

I agree that we should leave our entitlements attitude at home. I sure try to. I have found that a positive attitude and a smile works wonders with the staff at the senior living community where my mom lives. Many of those folks toil for less money and more grief (trust me, I see it daily as I also do contract work there) from the residents and family members. Seniors can be tough customers, and I have found some have a real entitlement attitude when they have paid a boatload to buy in to an upscale community.

So whistle while you work and be happy in line at Disney but please report serious lapses in service in person at the resorts or parks and follow up afterwards to at least try and educate the ivory tower types at Disney and their minions.

 

[snappy]

And by the way, a perfect storm is a succinct way to describe the situation at the moment. Hopefully, the skies will clear. Thanks for providing this description.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

While I do not condone bad behavior by guests, the way Disney is continually cutting corners that end up negatively impact guests, the company is undermining their front line CM’s that have face time with guests. I find that sad too.

I think a business does need to have balance for sure.

I'm really not sure how I feel about the boxes being used in some photopass places even though I never have done character photos. I find that sort of usage to come off as cheap TBH.

On the other hand I actually really liked that after an early day of travel followed by Universal that we could just park and go straight to our room at All-Stars. Sure I know it doesn't always work out for online check in in terms of room assignment but I like that there is that option.

I love planning my own trips. I doubt I'd ever use a travel agent for that reason. That doesn't mean I didn't feel a bit anxious pre-booking FPs for the first time. On the other hand pushing for planning tools to be basically exclusive to the internet poses problems when it encounters problems (such as poor signal for the internet, such as MDE crashes or lagginess).

I understand the need for certain attractions to not be open the entire time the park is open especially if there was a pattern shown that few guests utilized those said attractions. On the other hand you gotta give advanced notice for guests as their FP program is pre-booked.

I understand the need for college program. On the other hand that shouldn't be an excuse for a lax in CM attentiveness, positive demeanor, etc. That does go far beyond the college program because full-time, non-college program employees should be held to the same standard. But I do believe they've hired more college program less full-time CMs.

I understand wanting to reduce staff levels on rides. On the other hand a slight increase in wait times is likely able to be handled. Not so when it's a large one and experienced at multple attractions and even worse if a person experiences this throughout multiple days of their trips.

I understand the desire to squeeze out more profit in a variety of ways. On the other hand some of those ways (ahem parking fees at the resorts among other things) do not help people's impression of the company.

And so on and so on lol

*I didn't even get into the whole housekeeping and security messes of late as that would be quite a lot longer comment than it already is lol.