Nothing to See Here...



Wow,

This was a wonderful TR! I absolutely love how detailed you were! Having never been to DL myself I can't answer your question for you buti can definately see your point! Keep us updated on the poopy water email! I would love to know what comes out of that! Did the front desk help you at all?
 
Wow,

This was a wonderful TR! I absolutely love how detailed you were! Having never been to DL myself I can't answer your question for you buti can definately see your point! Keep us updated on the poopy water email! I would love to know what comes out of that! Did the front desk help you at all?

Thanks so much, MickeyNikiNaka, for the nice coments and for taking the time to read my TR (even without fun photos yet!)! I will keep everyone posted on the poopy water e-mail, because I am sure that water wasn't supposed to smell like that! I wonder if the guests before us or after us in the room mentioned anything to the front desk about it. I didn't say anything to the front desk because it wasn't SO enormous of an issue that it would ruin our stay completely (if it had been, I would have called them right away), and I envisioned that we would have to uproot to another room, which would require me to have to re-pack, and I just couldn't bear the thought of that. I think I would have been more inclined to contact the front desk but the timing was always bad. When I first realized the poopy water problem and the haunted drawer, it was late and I was already ready to go to sleep. Then, the next day, we were up and out early and then exhausted when we came back for the mid-day rest, and then up and out again. If we had been there at PPH for a full week, I would have asked to be switched, but to eat into the few of days we had at DLR by re-packing, re-unpacking and relocating didn't seem worth it.

However, in hindsight, I think that if I had complained while there, we might have gotten lucky and perhaps they would have moved us to a nice view room or concierge room or something. We did have a nice view of the pool - we were almost eye level with it - but we might have gotten something better if I had raised a fuss. I just decided to send them the e-mail through the the DLR website because then I could tackle Carnation Cafe and PPH in one swoop. And PPH had a few problems - the drawer, the poopy water and the absent-minded CM at the front desk who forgot our parking pass and attached my debit card with spending privileges to my friend's room key without checking with me first!!

I will be interested to see if DLR just sends out a typical response like, "We are sorry you were inconvenienced...we strive to provide the best service for our guests..." or if they actually call me back. I expect a generic e-mail or letter via regular mail.
 
So My family stays att PPH quite frequently. This past April when my mom and I went we stayed there like always. Except our room had not been cleaned! There was dried sticky pop all over the vanity. Gum rubbed into the carpet, broken pistachio shells all around the night stand, and my mom's sheets were very dingy. (They had not been changed!). So my mom called down to the front desk to complain. I think they gave her a $50 credit to the room and said they would clean it the next day while we were at the parks. So whatever we go about our fun filled disney day and such. Tired as dogs we return back to the room to find everything is still a mess! The only thing that was changed were my moms sheets which were now super white and you could see the creases in them. So my mom called back to the front desk and requested the hotel manager on duty. The girl was very apologetic credited us $200 on top of the $50 and gave us a free character breakfast of our choosing.

My mom also had some issues with the barista down at the bar one morning too but i don't remember the specifics of that.

But yeah we won't be staying at PPH anymore. One it's so out of the way from all the other hotels on site and off. and two the fiasco we dealt with in April.
 


So My family stays att PPH quite frequently. This past April when my mom and I went we stayed there like always. Except our room had not been cleaned! There was dried sticky pop all over the vanity. Gum rubbed into the carpet, broken pistachio shells all around the night stand, and my mom's sheets were very dingy. (They had not been changed!). So my mom called down to the front desk to complain. I think they gave her a $50 credit to the room and said they would clean it the next day while we were at the parks. So whatever we go about our fun filled disney day and such. Tired as dogs we return back to the room to find everything is still a mess! The only thing that was changed were my moms sheets which were now super white and you could see the creases in them. So my mom called back to the front desk and requested the hotel manager on duty. The girl was very apologetic credited us $200 on top of the $50 and gave us a free character breakfast of our choosing.

My mom also had some issues with the barista down at the bar one morning too but i don't remember the specifics of that.

But yeah we won't be staying at PPH anymore. One it's so out of the way from all the other hotels on site and off. and two the fiasco we dealt with in April.

Well, I am glad they finally gave you $200 additional credit, though they should have done that right away when you complained, because I was thinking that $50 credit sounded low. And the free character breakfast was cool - I hope you picked the most expensive one at Goofy's Kitchen (tee hee) - but that is really uncalled for, walking into a room that is basically holding someone else's filth in it! Yuck! There is no excuse for that. Even though PPH is the most 'economical' of the three DLR hotels, it still costs quite a bit of money to stay there. It is not Motel 6. Cleanliness of the room should be a given. I still don't know why the water in our bathroom faucet smelled poopy. I am not sure if that was the treatment they used on the water or a plumbing issue, but it was gross. My friend couldn't even rinse with it after a while because the smell was making her nauseous! I suppose that complaining WHILE I was there would have garnered better results than waiting until I got home (like I doubt they will give me a free character breakfast now that I am home!), but I didn't and so hopefully, they will at least fix the haunted drawer and the poopy water in Room 513 for the next guests!!!

IF ONLY I had the money to stay at GCH every trip. It was so much more convenient for us, we got much more done, and it was lovely. The thing I was most happy about in staying at PPH this time was getting the Mickey-head shampoo bottles!
 
Welcome back, Sherry E. I love your trip report! Such fantastic details! I have to take notes myself in order to remember anything by the time we get home! It sounds like you had plenty of good times at the park but it's too bad about the disappointing stuff. We have never stayed in a Disney property but I do know I would be pretty aggravated if I had spent that much money and had the sort of problems you did with the room. On the bright side, hopefully the smelly water was just sulfur and not toxic! I do agree that PPH is not the best choice at the end of a long day. It's a long way back there!

You had some great dining reviews to keep in mind. I am definitely going to have top look for the hostess CM from Texas at Blue Bayou and see if she can pull any strings for us! :laughing:

I got a good laugh out of your near "Love Connection" while waiting in line for Toy Story Mania! November will be our first time to ride it so I hope we enjoy it as much as you did. Glad to hear that the targets are easy to hit.

In response to your question "is TOO much never enough, or does a little go a loooong way?" I'm not sure I have an accurate answer but I do know we push ourselves to total exhaustion just to get the most out of our time while we are at the park. At the end of our 2 weeks I am so ready to go home..... but at the same time, still always ready to go back! I can honestly say there is no other place I would rather go on vacation.

Thanks for sharing! Can't wait for the pictures! :thumbsup2
 
Welcome back, Sherry E. I love your trip report! Such fantastic details! I have to take notes myself in order to remember anything by the time we get home! It sounds like you had plenty of good times at the park but it's too bad about the disappointing stuff. We have never stayed in a Disney property but I do know I would be pretty aggravated if I had spent that much money and had the sort of problems you did with the room. On the bright side, hopefully the smelly water was just sulfur and not toxic! I do agree that PPH is not the best choice at the end of a long day. It's a long way back there!

You had some great dining reviews to keep in mind. I am definitely going to have top look for the hostess CM from Texas at Blue Bayou and see if she can pull any strings for us! :laughing:

I got a good laugh out of your near "Love Connection" while waiting in line for Toy Story Mania! November will be our first time to ride it so I hope we enjoy it as much as you did. Glad to hear that the targets are easy to hit.

In response to your question "is TOO much never enough, or does a little go a loooong way?" I'm not sure I have an accurate answer but I do know we push ourselves to total exhaustion just to get the most out of our time while we are at the park. At the end of our 2 weeks I am so ready to go home..... but at the same time, still always ready to go back! I can honestly say there is no other place I would rather go on vacation.

Thanks for sharing! Can't wait for the pictures! :thumbsup2

Thanks for the kind words, Marie! I am either the type who gets total writers block OR I start writing and can't be stopped!! It just floooooows! I was on a roll!

I think my friend envisions the PPH walk as being much farther than it is, but nonetheless, we still got much more accomplished when staying at the GCH last year. PPH is the least expensive of the three hotels but it STILL costs much more than many people think it is worth. It is not cheap, even during 'discount periods.' So to have a piece of furniture jutting out and asking to be banged into and poopy water coming from the bathroom faucet is not okay for a DLR hotel. However, I am discovering in my Have you Ever Sent A Complaint? thread that DLR is not always the greatest when handling hotel and restaurant complaints. Surprisingly, their attitude and customer service is sometimes lacking. In my opinion, I feel like if someone tells you that your food made them sick, you should immediately comp them for the meal or offer another free meal. That seems like good business to me. However, as posters are revealing in that Complaint thread, it usually does NOT happen that way! I mean, I LOVE the Mouse and all things Disney, and that will never change, but they did set the bar for themselves in customer service and they have always risen above every other non-DLR place in that department. I hate to see them not living up to their own standards and basically doing nothing to make it right with the guests.

Yes, by all means, play the Texas card if you happen to see Alyssa (or Lyssa, whatever her name was!), the hostess from Texas at Blue Bayou!! She was a little on the 'cold' side to people until these Texas folks came up to her! If you can make that work for you and get seated sooner, go for it! I don't know for sure that she helped them get seated sooner, but to us, it seemed suspicious! I really think that, with as popular as Blue Bayou is, DLR needs to start setting up real reservations for them and dispose of the PS system there (just in BB). They overbooked guests. That wait is too long, the room is hot, we couldn't sit down, everyone was packed in. And hour is too long to wait to be seated anywhere unless I am getting an excellent table by the water - which we did not! And $36 for a steak is too much for me to pay unless I am getting an awesome waterside table! Then again, we were there at night, on a Saturday. Maybe it would not be as bad, say, during the day, on a Wednesday?? Who knows? Clearly, BB has a lot of devotees so they must be doing something right!!

Yes, that family in the TSMM line was funny. Now, I am far from being a sexpot or anything. In fact, I was probably looking about as schlumpy as I could get at DLR (have to be comfortable). Seriously. I am also, more or less, Pooh-sized right now (but working on it)!! But maybe I look motherly or something. When the two adult sons were chatting, I could tell one of them was kind of making excuses to talk to me and I didn't know why. I thought that maybe it was because he was sick of talking to Dad and Grandma and needed to chat with someone closer to his own age. But, when they got OUT of the line after the ride broke down temporarily, the Dad was the one who dropped some sort of hint to both of us about leaving his e-mail address with us (we didn't take it)! So I wasn't sure if he was trying to get his son(s) hooked up or if they had been trying to find someone to fix Dad up with to get him out of their hair!!! In any case, it all seemed very diabolical, so I wanted no part of such debauchery!!:rotfl: :laughing: :rotfl: :laughing:

I felt really guilty when I was having my moments of "Okay, I am over this...this is getting old..." at DLR last weekend, because it was not the fault of DLR, and though the crowds were pretty thick, they were not as bad as I have seen them, say, in December, for example. I always look back at a trip after it is over to see how it can be improved the next time, to maximize our rest and entertainment. Sometimes I think it may be necessary to stay a full week at DLR just to be able to really take the time to see all the details/things I want to see and look in all the stores for those hidden gems, etc., but still be able to rest a lot. I know without rest, my friend is an unhappy camper. She could rest all day! And after a while, I just get discouraged and think, Well, this is turning out to be a bust. There has to be a happy medium - a good balance between rest and activity that can be reached - where I don't end up feeling exhausted but like I missed out on a lot. Two days is really not enough during a crowded season. Three days isn't even really enough when you take mid-day rests. The only answer I can come up with is to extend the trips and make them longer (when money allows - not now!). Stretch them out by a couple of extra days. That way, there is enough time to do everything without having to cram a bunch into a couple of days, miss a bunch of stuff and burn yourself out!


Great trip report! Thanks for sharing. I can't wait to see the pictures!

Thank you! I know you also had a less than wonderful Blue Bayou experience and a good Goofy's experience, such as we did! Did you end up having breakfast with Shamu in Sea World? I can't wait to see your photos, too!

I was just looking at my PhotoPass pictures last night and applying all the nifty borders, inserting characters and all that! I turned 58 photos into 100 photos just by making different versions of each picture! The $60 CD price is really a GOOD bargain. Almost too good to be true! I don't know if I am getting the CD or if my friend is getting it or if we are both getting one, but once that is worked out then I can start posting. I also took some 35mm pics at Goofy's, etc. on an old camera but those will have to be developed. One thing I noticed is that some of the PhotoPass photgraphers were very proficient and their pictures came out great. Others didn't take such great pictures and I could have done a better job! But it is nice to be in everything this time. Usually, I don't get in too many photos because I am the one taking them! I cannot wait to get back to DLR - even if just for one day - to see the holiday decorations and take more PhotoPass pictures!!!

And I just LOVE those gingerbread men with Mouse ears that are sold throughout the parks! So cute! Gingermice!!!
 
Oh, gosh, what a fun trip! Sounds like you and your friends had a great time! Despite your leg pain, you got through the days pretty well! I like how you detailed your food and experience at each meal place! It's good to know in advance for when we decide on where to eat and how good it is. I've never been to Goofy's Kitchen before but I hear many good things about it.

And ugh, the smelly water sounds awful! I don't know about that, hopefully they'll get it fixed. And the haunted drawer, ha! It had a mind of its own, though poor Shawn banged into it! Ouch!

As for the last day, sorry you didn't get to go, but really, you probably didn't miss much. It was October 5, the park was closing at 5 for Miley Cyrus' birthday party, it probably would not have been enjoyable. My family and I were in the area on the 4th, but just to shop around DTD.

And I know how it is when you're not sure if too much is enough or a little goes a long way. We get tired in one visit and I want to come back soon, but it's a long drive and it's almost something we should plan rather than up and go. We've done that too, gone on a last minute decision, and we try to make the best of it each time. If it's crowded, we find ways of having fun at the less popular attractions.

Hope you'll be able to come back soon and your leg will do better! :)
 
Oh, gosh, what a fun trip! Sounds like you and your friends had a great time! Despite your leg pain, you got through the days pretty well! I like how you detailed your food and experience at each meal place! It's good to know in advance for when we decide on where to eat and how good it is. I've never been to Goofy's Kitchen before but I hear many good things about it.

And ugh, the smelly water sounds awful! I don't know about that, hopefully they'll get it fixed. And the haunted drawer, ha! It had a mind of its own, though poor Shawn banged into it! Ouch!

As for the last day, sorry you didn't get to go, but really, you probably didn't miss much. It was October 5, the park was closing at 5 for Miley Cyrus' birthday party, it probably would not have been enjoyable. My family and I were in the area on the 4th, but just to shop around DTD.

And I know how it is when you're not sure if too much is enough or a little goes a long way. We get tired in one visit and I want to come back soon, but it's a long drive and it's almost something we should plan rather than up and go. We've done that too, gone on a last minute decision, and we try to make the best of it each time. If it's crowded, we find ways of having fun at the less popular attractions.

Hope you'll be able to come back soon and your leg will do better! :)

I consoled myself with the knowledge that the Miley Cyrus b-day stuff was happening later on the 5th, and that inevitably meant that DL would be jam -packed early in the day. I think you are right on with that thought - it is probably better I didn't go in because it would have been TOO crowded and ridiculous!!!

I know what you mean about the 'up and go' trips with no planning vs. the 'need to plan' trips. We usually need to plan to an extent - like the PS's for dining and all that - but when we get to DLR and are already tired, and then we seem to 'run out of things to do' (which sounds silly, because there are so many things to do at DLR), then it all kind of falls apart... or fizzle out. I don't want to plan out every second of the day, but it almost seems better if we have an agenda to stick to!

I thought I would be detailed about the food because my TR was lacking photos right now! So what I lacked in photos I made up for in descriptions!!!

Thanks for reading my TR!
 
I consoled myself with the knowledge that the Miley Cyrus b-day stuff was happening later on the 5th, and that inevitably meant that DL would be jam -packed early in the day. I think you are right on with that thought - it is probably better I didn't go in because it would have been TOO crowded and ridiculous!!!

I know what you mean about the 'up and go' trips with no planning vs. the 'need to plan' trips. We usually need to plan to an extent - like the PS's for dining and all that - but when we get to DLR and are already tired, and then we seem to 'run out of things to do' (which sounds silly, because there are so many things to do at DLR), then it all kind of falls apart... or fizzle out. I don't want to plan out every second of the day, but it almost seems better if we have an agenda to stick to!

I thought I would be detailed about the food because my TR was lacking photos right now! So what I lacked in photos I made up for in descriptions!!!

Thanks for reading my TR!
I will never forget the time I went with a co-worker in April, 2007 and I planned doing rides so well, we got a lot done in an orderly fashion! We got Fast Passes for Space Mountain that didn't return until like 7 p.m. In that time, another FP opened and I got us one for BTMRR. As we waited for that, I pulled us on POTC, HM, and even WTP in Critter Country. Couldn't get on Splash Mountain due to the long wait, but that was all right. By the time we got off WTP, our Fast Pass was ready for BTMRR. We breezed past everyone next to Standby, got on and off the ride and made it over to Tomorrowland to wait a little for our Space Mountain FP to open. I was very proud of myself!

But, yes, plans are always a good thing to have if you want to do something specific there! Heh, I guess I loved your food descriptions because it also made me hungry! Yum!
 
Hi Sherry!

Great report. Looking forward to some of your pictures.

Tomorrow, my DH and I are leaving for Vegas, and then on Friday, going from there to DL to meet my family. We are attending the party that night.
Did you have any favorite parts of the party that we should check out?

Did you see the Beverly Hillbillies? :rotfl:

BTW- My name is Melody.

NIce to meet you! :flower3:
 
I will never forget the time I went with a co-worker in April, 2007 and I planned doing rides so well, we got a lot done in an orderly fashion! We got Fast Passes for Space Mountain that didn't return until like 7 p.m. In that time, another FP opened and I got us one for BTMRR. As we waited for that, I pulled us on POTC, HM, and even WTP in Critter Country. Couldn't get on Splash Mountain due to the long wait, but that was all right. By the time we got off WTP, our Fast Pass was ready for BTMRR. We breezed past everyone next to Standby, got on and off the ride and made it over to Tomorrowland to wait a little for our Space Mountain FP to open. I was very proud of myself!

But, yes, plans are always a good thing to have if you want to do something specific there! Heh, I guess I loved your food descriptions because it also made me hungry! Yum!

Yeah, that is the thing - to strike a good balance between planning and winging it! This was the first year I had made all PS's for our dining, and that helped to a degree, except for the wait at Blue Bayou. I was worried about the lack of spontaneity in deciding where to eat and when we were hungry, but it worked, because by the time we got to all the restaurants we were hungry and we didn't have to waste time thinking about where to go and then waiting in long lines! We had a place to eat, we had a time to eat, and all we had to do was go there, and since we knew when those times were, our bodies knew to be hungry then!

Hi Sherry!

Great report. Looking forward to some of your pictures.

Tomorrow, my DH and I are leaving for Vegas, and then on Friday, going from there to DL to meet my family. We are attending the party that night.
Did you have any favorite parts of the party that we should check out?

Did you see the Beverly Hillbillies? :rotfl:

BTW- My name is Melody.

NIce to meet you! :flower3:

Thanks for the nice comment about my TR! I have always found people named Melody to be very happy, nice, joyful, funny people! I have never met a grump named Melody! Have a great time in Vegas and then in DLR! I can't wait to hear about your trip when you return!!!

We did not see the Beverly Hillbillies anywhere (but the tune is just stuck in my head, for some reason!):laughing:

Well, as I said about the TOTP, for me, a little went a long way. If I were 23 years old or had kids, it might be a different story! But age tends to make you less patient with things! DCA looks cool lit up at night - the whole Paradise PIer area is beautiful. I really liked the fact that there were special Halloween decorations only up for the party and not during the rest of the day. I liked that a lot of villains came out. I liked the special PhotoPass set-ups. I liked the volume of candy we got (we did not hit every single station by any means, but stil got a lot), though some of my chocolate was stale. All the costumes worn by guests were very elaborate - hard to tell who was Disney CM and who was a regular person in some cases! I liked the special TOTP merchandise, even though I didn't buy any of it! There were a lot of people at the party - it was pretty crowded, and my friend just doesn't do crowds well. I would definitely go again. I just am not one of those who needs to stay for the whole 4 hours, and I don't need to dress in costume, but I love looking at other folks' costumes! I am more of a people watcher than one to be watched! The key is - explore every corner of the park, go into every building (like I didn't realize the Animation Building had a "treat trail") and look at everything, because sometimes you will find less crowded treat stations or character photo spots that are less crowded, etc. Don't leave any stone unturned!!!

The nice thing is with my PhotoPass account, when I was editing photos, they allow you special TOTP borders to add for those photos, and I added Woody's signature to our picture with Woody! They also added a border to our Jack Sparrow pictures without us knowing, that says "I met Jack Sparrow." That was cute. We didn't get to see Mickey and Minnie. If we had stayed longer we would have.
 
Monster trip report. Bummer about Blue Bayou. But at least you did it. I wouldn't wait the hour and we bolted. Wish we hadn't. I've eaten there before and it's worth it. So I enjoyed reading your report -- I felt like I was there!
 
GINORMOUS trip report Sherry !!! But I read it all ;)

I'm sorry that you had so many disappointments on this trip. I had a couple myself. I guess all you can do is try to shrug it off and focus on the positive right ? I can't WAIT to see some pictures !! I'm so stoked!

I am PMing you all the questions you asked me!!
 
Monster trip report. Bummer about Blue Bayou. But at least you did it. I wouldn't wait the hour and we bolted. Wish we hadn't. I've eaten there before and it's worth it. So I enjoyed reading your report -- I felt like I was there!

Yes, at least we did it. An hour is just a tad too long to wait for BB for us, but at least my friend got to experience it. I culd take or leave it! Thanks for reading my TR. That was my goal - to make everyone feel like they were right there with me! I am going to read your TR now (I see you poted one, so that is where I am headed next!)

GINORMOUS trip report Sherry !!! But I read it all ;)

I'm sorry that you had so many disappointments on this trip. I had a couple myself. I guess all you can do is try to shrug it off and focus on the positive right ? I can't WAIT to see some pictures !! I'm so stoked!

I am PMing you all the questions you asked me!!

Yep, I PM'ed you back and sent pictures! I guess some DLR trips exceed any possible expectations, and others disappoint on some levels. It was not a bad trip for me. It was that I think we didn't have enough time in the parks overall, and it was just more surprising to me than anything that the PPH was kind of gross with the poo water and the Carnation Cafe service was terrible, and after reading other posters' comments in other threads about how cavalierly Disney treated their complaints, I don't expect anything from them other than a "We're sorry..." letter! I don't know...I will always love the Mouse and DLR, but they are starting to show many of us signs that they cannot keep up that high level of quality service all the time and are starting to slip in a lot of ways! They set the bar so high for customer service that they made all other non-Disney establishments look bad. Now they are becoming like the other places in many ways!

WOOHOO, me too! :thumbsup2

Add me to the list of those :crazy2: over the idea of brushing teeth with "poo water" and laughing at the attempted Love Connection. :love: :lmao:

I am all or nothing with writing. I either get on a roll and cannot stop myself, OR I get writer's block and totally freeze up and can't think of a single thing to say! Next time I have a DLR trip, I probably won't be able to put two sentences together for a TR!!!

We will soon see what DLR's reply is to the complaint about the poo water!!! And yes, the attempted Love Connection was funny. It would not have been so amusing if I had known who was trying to fix up who with whom, but it was hard to figure out if I was supposed to be with dad or son. Good thing they didn't have grandpa there too - that may even be a little too old for ME!!!:rotfl: :lmao:

Thanks to everyone for reading the whole thing!!!!!:hug: :goodvibes :grouphug:
 

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