They want to "bend over backwards." What should I ask for?

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So, will I recognize you by your face mask at the restaurant or parks, DMRick?
HAHAHA I'm just kidding! :) :)

You could be giving a member of the housekeeping staff as well as a customer service employee a chance to shine!
I think that's a very good point. If you call and ask for assurance that your room is VERY clean- be sure that if it IS spotless or you receive any extra special "care" from housekeeping that you also make sure you call back or write a letter afterwards to praise someone's good work! :)

OH and I also think it's a good idea to just call and kinda hint at what they think would be a good way to make things better for you on your trip. They might come up with more suggestions than you would have asked for anyway and then you don't have to feel like you are asking for anything. :) Then ofcourse if they didn't mention the extra assurances that your room would be clean- I'd add that before hanging up. hehe
 
My two cents: Disney gave you the number-use it! (and free prozac pills for all parents at Disney isn't a bad idea!;) !
 
Carolyn, welcome to the boards! I am just home from nightshift at the hospital, so forgive me if my phrasing or typing is a little off!

I didn't actually read all the posts until now, just the first page and a half approx., so I may have missed some new important details.

From my perspective, there are several comments I'd like to share because you've obviously received a number of varying viewpoints!! LOL

Regarding the cookie crumbs, which may or may not have contained peanut: (Aren't most bakery items now listed as potentially containing traces of nuts just due to the preparation being done with other foods that do contain nuts? - in which case it might not matter whether they were specifically peanut, but that's getting silly!)

Absolutely right to notify the staff about the unclean room with cookie crumbs. I agree that you pay through the nose for a deluxe hotel (or any disney hotel for that matter) so you shouldn't feel you have to accept an unclean room. Heck, when you first enter the room is when it should be at its cleanest, and crumbs on the floor, regardless of any potential allergies, is unacceptable. Of course I say this, and then would have difficulty finding the right words to use when speaking to staff about it! Probably would have found myself tactfully asking them to clean it (then been annoyed at myself later on for being like a doormat!)

The flip side of the coin is in relation to the allergy. True, peanut allergies certainly can bring about anaphylaxis. Haven't fortunately seen it myself although probably will when I work in emergency medicine in my next six month job! By the way, do you carry an epipen? Probably should. You could realistically ask for a fridge to store epipens in while at the hotel. Unfortunately the difficulty with this type of argument about this allergy is that it could occur with non-deliberate contact with anything peanut-related. So as everyone knows, this could theoretically occur anywhere at anytime - despite your being a good parent, you can't possibly be aware of every little thing at every little moment!! You'd have to be a stepford parent for that!
So, my point on this is that the allergy could be triggered at anytime, and it can't be WDW's responsibility to prevent it, except for the usual measures which include well posted food ingredients and hygiene. In theory and hindsight it would probably be best to notify the hotel in advance of this allergy to give them the opportunity to pay extra special attention to the room etc, and organise a fridge for your epipen storage.

About the sliding doors... gosh, I was shocked that your daughter managed to open them (but not disbelieving) as they are heavy and the handles are usually about half-way up them. But, I am aware that they do tend to leave them unlocked. Being three adults we don't normally need to check them, save to make sure that our valuables are safe in the room when we go out. Obviously that is a concern for you and you were right to mention it to the manager in a friendly and concerned way, just as an observation.

I agree that WDW probably doesn't think it owes you anything, but they usually try to be accommodating and I agree they will be concerned that they'll lose you as a guest. So, if the lady gave you a special number to phone, then I'd hang on to it... but I'd probably not go for anything too extravagant myself when phoning it. And also, I'd probably not ask outright, but phrase it round the subject so you steer the conversation in the direction you want it to go in, without being blatently obvious. I think that usually wins people over more than someone who appears pushy. You might like to say that you'd have a few problems on your last vacation and the lady you'd spoken to had suggested calling this number if there was anything you needed help with in your next vacation (i.e. this one). Did you get the lady's name because that would definitely be helpful to mention? You might even ask the upgrade price to a better view etc (but without obliging yourself to take it) and see what they say, or if they offer it free.

I love WL and have stayed there twice. We would definitely like to stay there again on further trips. All this is JMHO! I hope I've partly answered what your original post was about, and gathered a few of my own thoughts on what the question seemed to have become.

Have a great time when you next go to WDW, Carolyn!

John
:bounce:
 
DMRick I understand completely what you mean about those who douse themselves in perfume or aftershave. I have intense migraines and this is one of the triggers for me.

Believe me, there have been times when my wife and I have gone to an expensive restaurant (or anyother for that matter) and I had a misserable time from the migraine set off by the person's cologne at the next table or from having been seated too close to the smoking section. This kind of thing can really spoil the situation.
 


Here's another 'Disney Done Good!' story-

A friend of mine was in the MK in July of '99 with her mom, her sister, and their six children, watching the parade from the 'hub' area. It was incredibly hot, and mom fainted and went down hard. CM's and EMS personnel were on the scene immediately, and mom was taken to the nearest hospital, accompanied by my friends’ sister and a CM.
My friend and the kids were taken to an 'apartment' overlooking Main Street, where food, drink and videos for the kids were provided. They were constantly updated on moms’ condition, then all were loaded into a Disney van and taken to the hospital when mom was stabilized and moved from the ER to a room.
When they arrived at the room, they found that the Disney florists had sent a beautiful arrangement.
Mom turned out to be suffering from simple heat prostration and dehydration, and was released the next morning.

The day she became ill was their last day in the parks. They had driven down from Michigan, and had a flexible schedule. So Disney comped them for an additional night at their resort, and gave them passes for the MK, along with a wheelchair for mom, immediate access to al attractions, and a meal at the Liberty Tree Tavern.

When they got home, they received a call from Guest Relations inquiring about moms' health, and were given a 'special' phone number to use on their next visit.

When she returned and told me the story, an expression of awe crossed her face as if she still couldn't believe it!
 
Just a note: Epipens are not supposed to be refrigerated--it could ruin them.
 
Originally posted by Tinkbell
I have not read this whole thread so forgive me if I'm repeating someone else's ideas.:D Since they gave you the phone number, by all means, USE IT! I'd probably ask to be upgraded to concierge. I've read posts from people who ask for upgrades, balloons and cakes for their 4th anniversary or some "normal" celebration that many people on property may be celebrating at the same time. Your request would be made due to an error made by Disney. It does not matter if Disers agree with Disney's decision or not. Disney is offering. Accept and enjoy.:D

Couldn't agree more!

Enjoy & Welcome!
 


Like I say, I don't have much to do with epipens but in our medical health centre which was at one time the largest in Europe, it thought it was the practice to keep adrenaline in the fridge for emergency use. Sorry if I mis-advised. My current specialty is OB/GYN... go figure.

J;)
 
Hey I found some pills on the pillow when we checked into AKL last May...Had I known they were handing out Prozac I would not have flushed them! LOL

Anyway...a couple years ago we had an absolutly HORRIBLE trip to Disney when we stayed at WL. Actually some of what happened we probably could have sued Disney over...but thats not the kind of people we are...But anyway I wrote letters of complaint and Also recieved a phone call along with some Park Tickets ect....The girl I spoke with also gave me a number that I could call if I "needed anything". I didnt ever call but on my last 3 stays at Disney I was upgraded complimentarily....2 upgrades to concierege and 1 upgrade at AKL (to Savanah....but I know they turned people away at that time for Savanah view) The point is...I didnt ask for anything, Disney just did it.

Personally If I were you I wouldnt ask for anything other than "special attention to the cleaning and care of the room" Maybe you could also jsut mention a quick recap of the incedent and say something like "I'd like to make sure this is a special trip for my child since the last trip stressed me out!" (or something to that affect...cause Im sure that did add a little bit of stress to your vacation) I really think that will make you look like you really arent expecting anything...and at the same time if space is available for an upgrade or anything else they may jsut do it on thier own.
 
So, will I recognize you by your face mask at the restaurant or parks, DMRick?

Guess you won't be wearing perfume when we meet, eh? LOL
Although it would be easier to spot me that way!
 
Speaking from a family with severe allergies - both DD and myself have to carry epipens at all times because of severe allergic reactions. I am severly allergic to bees, among other things. If a bee gets into my room and stings me, is it Disney's fault - I don't think so! DD has severe asthma, one thing that triggers it is mold. When we stayed in Poly Concierge in 2001 she had MANY problems related to the mold. Did we blame Disney? No, not everyone is allergic to mold. I do not think Disney owes you anything at all. If they felt very strongly that they did owe you something they would have just arranged it without asking. Do you have the right to a clean room? Yes, but it is very rare for a dirty room to be a life threatening situation. As far as the sliding door, I guess I am just in the habit of checking things like that, I do not think that there is a "policy" on whether the doors should be safety locked.
 
Well, for those interested, I called "the number" and left a message. Never heard anything for a week. Then I called the original person I spoke with. Also had to leave a VM. Just said that we'd be there on the 22nd and I would like our room to have some extra attention from housekeeping. I never got to speak to anyone, we just traded VM's.

We go tomorrow. I will keep you posted on our room status. If some people on this board had their way, I think I'd have a lot more than just crumbs left on the floor and an open balcony.

I wasn't out for a freebie. I made that clear to them. I just want what I paid for. A deluxe stay at a deluxe resort.

Carolyn
 
I'm willing to bet you get a little something extra in the room when you check in. You should at least get what you paid for!
Be sure to post when you get back.

Regardless enjoy your stay!
Lisa
 
Carolyn, have a wonderful vacation and I hope it is truly everything that it should be for you and your family. I hope Disney comes through with something special for you all...:)
 
My fingers are crossed for you -- I hope this trip is the most magical one ever!!
 
After reading these posts I just have to share my story.
We were at WL in Aug. We were checked in by a very rude woman. Every other cm was very friendly. We went to our room which was over the service area which I had requested we not be. Opened the door to a dirty carpet, you could tell it hadnt been vac in a while. The room smelled, the sliding glass door was broken and our door wouldnt shut. There was cob webs all over our balcony. The bathroom floor was dirty. The bedspreads were in bad shape.
My husband went back to the front desk and got the rude cm again was told we could move to a room with 2 double beds. My husband is 6'6" and my son is 6'3" so a double bed wasnt an option.
We were really looking forward to staying there and this kind of ruined our trip. I went to wal-mart bought cleaning supplies and a plug in room freshener. I just recently wrote a letter and I do expect some special treatment or compensation. We paid 1500.00 to stay there and didnt even get our sheets changed.
The walls were in bad shape to black marks and shoe prints. Well sorry so long but I do expect to be treated like the paying customer I am. Just my opinion.
 
She asked for opinions and that's what she got. I'm not sure why those who thought she should not call and not ask for anything other than a clean room are being yelled at. There were only a couple with an opposing view and only one that was on the negative side but everytime I read a reply to someone who thought she should get or do nothing but an appology, it was an attack!

How silly.

There's NOTHING wrong with an opposing view. There are many people who are a little sick of people calling and emailing and writing Disney with everything that went wrong with there expensive vacation in hopes of free things. These people also believe that for all the free stuff they give out to those complaining people, the park prices go up, the food prices go up etc....I am not saying that IS what the OP did. She was justified in letting them know her concerns so they can fix the problems.

I'm also not saying that the OP shouldn't call and be sure her room is clean etc... I'm just really surprised at how the people who don't agree with using that special number are being attacked. She asked for all opinions, not just those who think she should get whatever free stuff she can out of Disney.

I hope she has a wonderful vacation with a very clean room and maybe a special surprise in her room.
 
You went to Walmart??? There are very pleasant managers at WL who I am sure would have helped you remedy the situation. I certainly would have asked to speak with them, in fact, I would have invited them to visit my room. Please keep us posted as to the resolution of this... Sheets are not changed every day even in the deluxe resorts. There is a sign stating this in the rooms. I am so sorry you happened to get a rude and ineffective CM. Do you remember her name?? Good luck in solving this .
 
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