UPDATE: Rant about the GCH...and Undergarment Thief

poptart90

DIS Veteran
Joined
Dec 28, 2010
Ok, at GCH now. Beyond irritated. This is not like the wonderful magical stay we had three weeks ago. The CM and cost-cutting measures are showing...

1. Arrived at room that was not “cleaned” and ready for guests. I picked up popcorn kernels off the floor and we were missing several of the basic elements (towels, etc). Thankfully I travel with disinfectant wipes, so I did my own clean before I let the kiddos touch anything. Still, $700+ a night and I have to pick up popcorn on the floor? Yeah.

2. Barely any hot water available in the mornings (like early, when EVERYONE is up for EMH) so did they crank down the hot water tanks after SWGE tanked??

3. Sprung for our first ever Cabana at the pool. Only half day cause that’s was the only thing available per GUEST SERVICES the night before. So we book. Been a helluva year, wanted to “taste the life” lol
#1: Our reservation did not get added to the list for the next morning. Apparently Disney can’t update a Rez list in the AM...uh, I can update my email every 15 seconds if I choose to?! Fine, whatever and who cares. Except that the Cabana CMs made us feel like we were trying to pull one over on them!!! Seriously?? Yeah, we decided to pony up the $300+ dollars for a special family treat to be spoken to in a condescending tone inferring they had no record of the “so called Rez” my husband made the night before, but they are SO HAPPY THEY COULD, AHEM, ACCOMMODATE US???” Really? Wow. Thanks. Perhaps you could have started with “how-to-treat-guests-101” and called Guest Services to ask if we had made a reservation! They had the record. They charged our room!! I guess we weren’t Cabana material.
#2: Paid $300+ to be treated like steerage and then had to listen to the GCH Craftsman Bar being jackhammered to shreds over HALF the time. Very relaxing. Like a root canal...

4. One laundry facility completely out of order with a “Sorry!! Have no idea when it will be fixed!!” Ok. Guess we’ll make the hike to the other laundry a mile away. For reference, we travel lite and do laundry halfway through. Easy peasy. Arrived to fine the stacks of laundry 6 deep and was told, “just add your to the line and sit here for hours” Nope. DH graciously offered to wait until super later when the place should be deserted.

5. PANTY THIEF. Ok, this is gross. So DH (I would classify an OCD type person) went to do the fam’s laundry. Hiked there, started loads, hiked back. He, naturally, has it timing on his watch and arrives PRIOR to wash completion. He transferred the loads and hiked back again. Timing commenced. He arrived BEFORE the dryer had shut off, removed all clothes, hiked back and we began to fold.... to find that I’ve been left ONE pair of panties. Wow. Someone opened our running dryer, rummaged around, removed all but ONE of my panties, closed and restarted our clothing... well that’s worth $700+ a night!! BLEHHHHH!!!!! Threw the sad remainder in the trash. Yeah, I will NOT be wearing the sad offering you chose to “throw back” after who knows what. But thanks. Really.

Now, I know there is seedy in every corner of the world & it’s not Disney’s responsibility. However, if they had PAID to fix the second laundry room or PAID the staff able to fix the laundry, perhaps I could have done my family’s laundry in the crisp sharp air of daylight, sunshine, and passers-by!!! Instead, I’m going home commando. Oh yeah.

Regrettably, there was a full moon at the Galaxy’s Edge tonight...under wraps, but nonetheless present. Magical.

Anybody know where Iger’s office is? Perhaps I could deliver him a pressed ham...



UPDATE:

Wanted to update on our complaint journey.

I sent an email yesterday to the General Manager of the GCH and Josh D'Amaro (thank you for suggesting that @theluckyrabbit!) and I received an email from the GM requesting a phone call today. Just hung up.

Overall, the interaction was ok. I felt like he understood my concerns about the Cabana CM interaction. (On a side note, I had forgotten when I initially shared our story that the CM also did not remove the "Available. Please Call Guest Services" sign from our Cabana. Everyone else had a sign with their name on it. We looked like we were squatting in a Cabana in the whole time!:rolleyes1 sheesh) He admitted that of all the things I shared, this was the one that bothered him the most. He said all the right things about how our experience was not up to the standard of guest service.

He was far less concerned with the laundry theft. And was kind of dismissive. He initially misunderstood and thought there were other guests in the laundry room when my panties were stolen - he said he couldn't tell me "for sure" whether my panties were stolen or misplaced due to other guests using the laundry. When I clarified that my DH was the ONLY person doing laundry in the middle of the night and that my panties were taken from a running dryer...which the perv graciously RESTARTED for us...LOL. He laughed (I did too) and was then a bit speechless.

He didn't have an answer to whether the laundry room door was locked at all times with the key slot working, but told me that it would be highly unlikely that a person off the street would wander in and find that particular laundry room. In his words, he said it was not an obvious location and someone off the street would have to be "really looking for a laundry room to find it -haha." He said he thought it was probably a guest. He wasn't sure if they had any video footage, but said that he could look into that. But then he followed by saying if they had any video it would likely only show someone that wasn't my husband and nothing they could do anything about really... Well, I guess that's true. Unless its a CM or Security person! Just sayin. I think it was pretty dismissive to assume anything without first doing the tiniest bit of leg work first to get some answers BEFORE calling me. Or am I crazy?

Granted he initially did not read my letter slowly enough (because I perfectly described the empty laundry room and how someone deliberately removed my panties and restarted our dryer) but after understanding on the phone that he was mistaken, shouldn't he have said he would like to make a few phone calls and get back to me? Is that too much to expect? I think an answer to whether there is a working lock on that door is not too much to ask when safety is on the line. This a not a Dorm. I would have preferred to hear "I confirmed the key card slot is fully functioning and working" rather than, "I don't think you need to worry about security at the hotel. We have hotel security and DTD security"...ok. That feels like a brush off. Cause I had to go commando for 3 days. So...glad you don't think I need to worry. Would you like to do your job without drawers for 3 days??

Especially since the ONLY reason my DH was doing laundry in the middle of the night was because the large second floor laundry room was not operational during our stay. Is that the hotel's fault? No. Things happen. But it's not my either. And the result of not getting the laundry room fixed in a timely manner was the consequence we were faced with....hours of waiting in line, or come back to the laundry room late when NO ONE else is around. Or we thought!! LOL

So is it the hotel's fault that some weirdo stole my panties? No. But had the second floor laundry been operational, we would have done the laundry during the daytime when it would be less likely that someone would take the chance of rifling through a stranger's clothes. Especially since my DH or I frequently just wait there and don't travel back and forth. DH came back to the room because we were getting the kiddos to bed and getting things ready for the next EMH.

In a funny way, my biggest complaint with the Cabana Host ends up being the same complaint after speaking with the GM. Both should have made a few phone calls before speaking. A little leg work on their part would make it easier to swallow the explanation and feels less like a brush off. Mistakes happen. I don't expect perfection. But I think I deserved functioning hotel facilities and a simple safety questioned answered. Either one could have prevented my diminished guest experience at the Parks the next three days.

So! The result is that he is refunding our Cabana fee. Then I requested to also receive the room category discount we were told upon arrival that we would receive, but never did....he agreed.

I'm toying with writing him another email, just reflecting on his guest service to me. Should I bother? I don't want to seem like I'm fishing for something more. I'm not. I just think he shouldn't have been so dismissive about a woman's experience with an obvious sexual deviant as a result of failed hotel maintenance. And yes, I laughed and he laughed....but really, it's more creepy-disturbing-funny-after-the-fact than downright Ha-Ha funny. I certainly was NOT laughing that night. Or the next three days.:sad2:

Thoughts or other advice?
 
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Sorry about that! Please send in a detailed comment to the GCH general manager, cc to Josh D'Amaro (DLR Pres.). Don't be emotional, but do be as specific and detailed as you can be about what happened in each circumstance, how it affected you and your family's experience, and how it could have been better. Management needs to be aware of what is going on and how it is affecting guest experience. If you can actually speak to someone higher up before you check out, that might help.
As for the laundry thief (eeewww...), if your DH can pinpoint the date and times (and he can), the thief is probably on the cc video. There must be a security camera or two set up in the laundry room. GCH security will be able to confirm your story.
 
I'm so sorry all that happened! I truly hope you spoke to the staff there and they made it up to you!
 




You need to address this to management. Especially your treatment by the CM's at the pool. That is awful!

I had a horrible stay a few years ago at Boardwalk Inn Club Level when they were doing renovations. The CM's at the Innkeepers Lounge all knew about the room we had, we were't the only guests unhappy with the room. They told me to talk to management, as their request to block off that room had fallen on deaf ears. When I attempted to talk to management, I got the brush off at the front desk that they were in a meeting. I gave them my contact number and waited 3 days for a response . . . crickets. So, I wrote them an email about our stay and how disappointed I was that they failed to contact me (left out emotion, only stated facts and how this was unacceptable for Disney standards) I was contacted within a few hours and our next stay was comped.

For the rate you are paying, this is unacceptable. I'd be fuming too. I hope Disney makes it right! :flower3:
 
5. PANTY THIEF. Ok, this is gross. So DH (I would classify an OCD type person) went to do the fam’s laundry. Hiked there, started loads, hiked back. He, naturally, has it timing on his watch and arrives PRIOR to wash completion. He transferred the loads and hiked back again. Timing commenced. He arrived BEFORE the dryer had shut off, removed all clothes, hiked back and we began to fold.... to find that I’ve been left ONE pair of panties. Wow. Someone opened our running dryer, rummaged around, removed all but ONE of my panties, closed and restarted our clothing... well that’s worth $700+ a night!! BLEHHHHH!!!!! Threw the sad remainder in the trash. Yeah, I will NOT be wearing the sad offering you chose to “throw back” after who knows what. But thanks. Really
Yikes!! This gives me horrible flashbacks to those college dorm days. I’m pretty sure nearly half of my clothes went missing due to people opening the machines and taking stuff out of them :sad2:

I really hope you speak to the management. Dirty rooms, rude service, and run down facilities should not be happening at the price you’re paying. I hope they make it right for you! Give us an update on what happens!
 
...had to listen to the GCH Craftsman Bar being jackhammered to shreds over HALF the time. Very relaxing. Like a root canal...
Pool bar only opened a month ago. Disappointing that repairs or changes are already needed.
...Barely any hot water available in the mornings (like early, when EVERYONE is up for EMH) so did they crank down the hot water tanks after SWGE tanked??
Please share you room number (perhaps after check-out).
...One laundry facility completely out of order with a “Sorry!! Have no idea when it will be fixed!!” Ok. Guess we’ll make the hike to the other laundry a mile away.
In a recent thread about laundry room etiquette, I noticed LaundryView showed "unknown" status for the larger laundry room (near Napa Rose elevators).
It seems the room has been out of service for over a week.

The smaller laundry room is always unlocked (there is a keycard slot), but the larger room does require a key.
Anyone can sneak in there to steal...
 
Definitely report your experiences to management. That is unacceptable how the pool CM treated you guys, and the state of the room upon check-in.

I cannot believe someone stole your panties. That is incredibly creepy! What is wrong with people?!
 
Definitely report all this to management. The cabana treatment and laundry service were nowhere near par.

I hope they make it up to you in some way.
 
The first time we stayed at GCH we had a horrible experience. It took over an hour just for us to check-in to our room. We had a similar issue with our cabana reservation (even though I showed them our confirmation) and, once we were in our cabana, the attendant left to get us blankets (it was super cold) and extra towels and didn’t return until almost lunch time. And when she returned, she offered no explanation, apology, and didn’t even bring anything she left to get. The people who arrived after us just found their names and sat down. No one was there to check them in. The service was so awful that I called and spoke to a manager as soon as I returned to my room. That is something I hardly ever do. Housekeeping didn’t come at all during our stay. When we returned from the parks, we had to call down to get extra towels because our room hadn’t been serviced. When we were checking out, I waited over an hour for a bellman to pickup and store our luggage. And then is just a few examples of what happened during this stay. It’s not nearly as bad as yours, but it left me wondering where all the hype come from.

Because my poor experience seemed to be caused by understaffing, we decided to give GCH another chance. Twice. While we didn’t have a repeat horrible experience, the level of service just doesn’t meet my expectations for this price point of a hotel. We now stick to the DLH and usually get a concierge level room.
 
Yikes! I’m staying there for the first time later this month and now I’m worried about how it’s going to go :(

I definitely agree about sending emails and letting them know about your experience, they can do better than this!
 
Yikes! I’m staying there for the first time later this month and now I’m worried about how it’s going to go :(

I definitely agree about sending emails and letting them know about your experience, they can do better than this!

Although @poptart90 experience was terrible, I don’t think that is the norm.

We have stayed at GCH over a half dozen times (thank you military discount, most recently last month) and thankfully everything has been great. We did have a bad sink drain once, but maintenance was there immediately - seriously, within 5 minutes. When he finished, housekeeping came in and cleaned the sinks again.

Don’t worry. But if something is not right, let management know! :)
 
Although @poptart90 experience was terrible, I don’t think that is the norm.

We have stayed at GCH over a half dozen times (thank you military discount, most recently last month) and thankfully everything has been great. We did have a bad sink drain once, but maintenance was there immediately - seriously, within 5 minutes. When he finished, housekeeping came in and cleaned the sinks again.

Don’t worry. But if something is not right, let management know! :)

Thanks! That is great to know! I’m using the military discount too, gotta love it :) We’ve had great experiences at DLH and PPH in the past so I will stay positive :)
 
Yikes! I’m staying there for the first time later this month and now I’m worried about how it’s going to go :(

I definitely agree about sending emails and letting them know about your experience, they can do better than this!

Please don’t worry. We had such a fabulous stay at GCH in June/July, that we had an opportunity to snag another quick vacay before school starts. So we jumped!! Guess we should’ve quit while ahead😆! But honestly, this has not been our typical experience staying at GCH. This one was beyond bad. Rude staff? No panties for half my trip cause apparently GCH doesn’t lock one of their laundry rooms or bother to pay to fix the SAFE locked laundry room? Yeah, my mommy “I’ll take one for the team attitude and deal with it” mojo was ALL DONE. At the airport now, awaiting clean drawers...LOL

I’m sure your experience will be great!! Have a wonderful trip!
 
Thank you to everyone who replied and gave advice on how to handle this. I can’t tell you what the support meant. Was a rough ending of a trip for me. I asked to speak to the general manager before leaving today. He was “onsite, but in a meeting” and his assistant was unavailable too. But I did manage to get his email address, so that’s where I will start once I have all the pertinent facts in order.

My DH reminded me that the only reason we opted for a Cabana in the first place was that we had paid for a $450 in room celebration and had to be out of the room for an extended period of time. So we purchased another “upsell” (the Cabana) because of a previously purchased “upsell” (the in room celebration)...yeah, so our treatment was even more outrageous. Good plan, DLR, punish the last remaining clientele willing to purchase your ridiculously priced rooms AND the upsell experience and/or trinkets.

Instead, I got the stink-eye from the Cabana lead as she requested to take a photo of my room key card...you know, to, uh “verify” my Cabana-ness?? Lol Have to laugh at this point. Perhaps she had friends coming and she had previously promised them those hours??😆 Or maybe Guest Services and the Cabana staff are having an internal beef about scheduling. Whatever. Not my problem. And I should not have been embarrassed because two Disney hotel departments can not communicate effectively. As I said before, Service 101, IMO.

As I mentioned, we’ve just barely recovered from some really tough times. This was supposed to be some over the top magic. We are digging (feels like clawing, at times!😂) out of four years of the dump. Disney is not responsible for that and they are not responsible for “all dreams come true” on their property. But a gracious smile and an apologetic opening?...well, that can always be the beginning of magic. I think Walt would agree.

I will continue to update!! And please continue to send any other tips or advice! Soooooo appreciated!! Thank you to everyone!!
 
Please don’t worry. We had such a fabulous stay at GCH in June/July, that we had an opportunity to snag another quick vacay before school starts. So we jumped!! Guess we should’ve quit while ahead😆! But honestly, this has not been our typical experience staying at GCH. This one was beyond bad. Rude staff? No panties for half my trip cause apparently GCH doesn’t lock one of their laundry rooms or bother to pay to fix the SAFE locked laundry room? Yeah, my mommy “I’ll take one for the team attitude and deal with it” mojo was ALL DONE. At the airport now, awaiting clean drawers...LOL

I’m sure your experience will be great!! Have a wonderful trip!

We had a great time at the CCH in early July also - although even then you could see that some of the cutbacks were starting to take their toll.
 
Is it possible that the water temp is an issue only in the room you were in? We're at the GCH at this very moment and haven't had any issues whatsoever with water temp this week.

Our room also overlooked the pool, and we didn't hear any jackhammering? What time did it happen?
 

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