We are back and angry about Disney

[Ware Bears]

Marcus, I'm so sorry your trip wasn't what it should have been.

 

[joolz1910]

I'm sorry that you haven't enjoyed this last trip, Marcus. I agree that WDW seems to offer a lot more for your money at the moment. The prices at DLRP are becoming prohibitive for a short break and that, coupled with declining standards of customer care, might stop people going in future.

 

[lilacgems23]

Im worried about the staggering opening times and the level of service dropping as my DD is soo excited about our next trip. She loves DLRP and it would upset me if its not magical for her

Has anyone else experienced any problems like thesE?

Ive only been twice and the only thing that annoyed me in Sept was the castle and alice in wonderland being closed with no notice.

 

[Raci]

The higher prices for everything. Our last trip was in November and even back then everything was cheaper. Walt’s Burger is now 25€ (was 19€), The buffets at the hotels (SL, NPBC and HNY) cost now the same 28€ (was 24€). And also the prices for drinks are now the same in all hotels.

And what has shocked us the most were the staggered opening times of the attractions. (Some not opening until 12 and some closing from 3pm!). These also were not noted anywhere other than outside the actual attraction so you actually had to go there to find out that it wasn't open. And these new signs outside the attractions are permanent signs. So this seams this will be a new trend.

Hi Marcus.
So disapointing to hear your trip had so many downs this time round. I hope you both still found plenty to enjoy even so and it'l be good to hear more about it.

Just a couple Q's from what you wrote:
How accurate are the menu prices on dlpfoodguide, are they still accurate or have the price hikes you mentioned not been updated?
Would you be able to list at some point any of the attractions you remember as being affected by the staggered openings or was it every ride

 

[BRobson]

So sorry to hear your trip was so disappointing Marcus

 

[marcus.ka]

Please don't get me wrong our trip was not a disappointment we are only angry about DLRP. And to all of you who will go soon you can really look forward to your trip. And if you have children with you will also enjoy the new entertainment. And I think that they won't do the staggered opening times during July and August.

@ Raci the foodguide side is not up to date anymore. The menu from Walt's is from 2007. Walt's Burger is there 19€ but is now 25€.
And the buffets at the 3 hotels around the lake is now 28€ and not 26 or 24€anymore.

And regarding the rides: I can not remember exactly but I think it was
PM opens at 11:00
Indi at 12:00
Alice from 12:00-4:00
Storybookland was closed all days (we had this never before in June)
Stunt Show was closed without prior notice
The train was not running on some days and on some it only started at 1:00 or even 2:00.
And if I remember correctly Snow White and Pinocchio closed at 6:00 although the park was open until 7.
And in Discoveryland the Captain Nemo ride was only open from 1:00-4:00

 

[cap'njack.]

All from memory and from May:

Phantom Mannor opening at 11:00
Indiana Jones opening at 12:00
Alice's Labrynth opening at 12 and closing at either 3, 4 or 5pm
Dumbo closing at 6:00pm
Carousel closing at 6:00pm
Star Tours closing at 6pm
Nautilus opening at either 12:00 or 1:00pm and closing at 4:00pm
Storybook & Casey Jnr open from 10am to 4pm on Fri, Sat, Sun & Mon..Closed Tue-Thur.

Disneyland Railroad: Only Main Street and Fantasyland Stations open for allowing passengers onto the train however you could alight at any station that you wanted to. Periodically they would open and close the other stations as and when guest levels increased/decreased.

They were semi-permanant signs...the same as the one by Storybook and Casey Junior that lets you know if it is open or closed (ie the can be moved very easily and can be altered very easily too)

 

[britchic4]

I'm sorry you had some frustrating moments Marcus. We too noticed this time that prices had increased considerably since last year, even after you factored out the currency fluctuations for Brits. It meant that this time we only bought the children one small souvenir, so in our family it lost DLRP money rather than saved them any. We were also taken by surprise, and disappointed by, some of the staggered opening times. We trekked across the entire park to get to the Nautilus only to find it closed - OK it's not that far but it's a long way for a tired 4 yr old to go only to find she can't go into one of her favourite attractions. Had we known the opening times we could have planned our day around it.
Regarding the credit crunch and companies cutting back, of course that has to happen. DH works for KPMG and they have all had to sign agreements stating they can be switched to a 4 day week, with appropriate cuts in pay, at immediate notice. I think BA has just done the same thing. Of course I feel sorry for any CMs who have lost their jobs, just as I feel sorry for everyone else who has lost their jobs, it's tough for everyone at the moment.
However it seems counter-productive for DLRP to make such obvious price increases (for example 14 euros was the absolute cheapest you could pay for a sun hat or cap at DLRP. At Legoland 2 weeks ago you could get one for £6) when they are also making highly visible cuts in attractions offered. When we were there they were only running one train which meant only Main St Station was open and queues were minimum one hour. We always do a circuit on the train but we didn't in May.
Yes perhaps they offered big discounts in the UK - as Marcus points out, only a percentage of their total market - but it's a very short term view to get customers in and then not care about how they feel when they get there. If Tesco did the same thing they wouldn't get many people shopping there again. Possibly they have done some market research which makes them less concerned about repeat custom which would explain the cuts in AP benefits (which is a whole other complaint in itself).
I'm still really looking forward to going in October, and I think the children will love all the theming as it's the first time they'll have seen it. But we'll be eating almost exclusively at Val d'Europe I think, and we won't be souvenir shopping. If the staggered opening hours are still on I'll go into City Hall on the first day and try to get a list of them. If I can get a cheap offsite hotel I might even go back in Feb half term, but I think that will be the last time for a while and I don't think we will be renewing our APs. Going to DLRP is just too expensive. We will be making full use of Merlin Passes instead and imagining our Disney magic.

 

[marcus.ka]

but it's a very short term view to get customers in and then not care about how they feel when they get there. If Tesco did the same thing they wouldn't get many people shopping there again.

very well said. 101% my opinon. I will for sure go back to DLRP (although not a second time this year as I did since 2002). But if this would have been our first visit, I think I would not go back as everything was way to expensive for what you get in return.

 

[jillrobinson]

Oh dear Marcus, this isn't good

 

[Raci]

@ Raci the foodguide side is not up to date anymore. The menu from Walt's is from 2007. Walt's Burger is there 19€ but is now 25€.
And the buffets at the 3 hotels around the lake is now 28€ and not 26 or 24€anymore.

Thanks Marcus, Thats definatly something that needs to be known beforehand, or how do you know how much money to allow

Also thankyou to Marcus and capnjack for the info about which rides/attractions are affected.

 

[jennytablina]

Hi isma where do you get the information sheet from with whats on
We're going 1st july, first time, cant wait although we're staying in santa fe

Bit late in the topic and dont know if you'll check again for a reply but;

Santa Fe isnt awful, you get all the other hotel perks and the included breakfast alone is pretty nifty (In my opinion: I think its neat DLRP gives everyone breakfast in the cost so you don't worry about most important meal of the day!)

It's just that it looks a little dated and the service you get maybe isnt as great as the other resorts. Despite problems during our 2005 trip we have memories of watching world cup games in our rooms at night, meeting characters in the lobby and the first time we had that lovely continental breakfast (in terms of the hotel - we remember the parks too!)

I continue to stress that these problems are not new to DLRP. I think its a bit of a flip of the coin on how things will go at DLRP sometimes and it's not a great year for business which might not make the CM's quite so chirpy. Also inflation is a general problem worldwide right now. So prices are going to go up next year

But I bet if you wait till end of august and next year gets closer they will announce another discount. As the offer this year has brought in more people I think (or I would hope so anyway, as Disney has been pushing DLRP like crazy this year!)

 

[hildasmuriel]

Awww Marcus that really sucks.

 

[Fiona35]

Oh No Marcus, this doesn't sound promising at all!!

Sounds like Disney is cutting corners and is starting not to care about repeat visitors!!

I go in Aug and I have budgeted for the food being more expensive, but staggered opening times I wasn't aware of, and I would be rather niggled to get to an attraction and find it had just shut and wasn't reopening until the next day!

 

[xoSnowWhiteox]

We were in DLP the same week as you Marcus and came across the same problems...as you said we did have a good time but with the bad weather, increase in prices and staggered opening times it wasn't quite as enjoyable as usual....

we stayed in the Santa Fe for 5 nights and we found it to be fine, we've stayed there previously and so knew what to expect. We also got it for a more than reasonable price so can't really complain. For any of you who havn't been before and have booked to stay there, it's not bad, it's just basic, if all you need the room for is sleeping then you'll be happy enough!

The staggered opening times were what I found most annoying, as there was no prior notice, you just arrived at a ride to find it was closed! Hopefully this won't become a permanent fixture!

There were still enough good things though about our trip to make me want to return in Sept!

Hope anyone going soon has a wonderful time, and hope the weathers a little kinder to you!

xoxo

 

[davewasbaloo]

Agreed Marcus. Having been over 50 times in the last 17 years, we have had mixed visits. We went in the May half term, and overall we had a great time. the attractions were in great shape in the main (except the poor dragon), and there was some streetmousphere around, which is always great. But the prices have really gone up, there is nothing of interest in the shops, and the worst thing of all was the staggered opening times.

We now stay off site whenever we can, it is far better value. The Disney hotels (excluding the DLH which is extortianate) stopped offering Disney quality service over 10 years ago (ok the HMY closer to 5 years ago), all to try to get rid of the debts, now that we are in the credit crunch, it is even worse. Ironically, DLP should be some respite and escape from the real world, but these tactics are just a much bigger reminder.

We had a lot of fun on our trip and we will go back, but I am in no rush at the mo.

 

[tink too]

Hi - I don't post often over on the DLP boards, I'm usually over on the WDW/DCL side. I have been considering another visit to DLP though, so have been lurking a bit over the past few months.

For us, it's usually cheaper to have a 2-3 week stay in Orlando than have a week to 10 day stay in DLP.

Firstly, I'm sorry you had a disappointing trip - especially since you are a regular visitor to DLP. We stayed in the Santa Fe when it was only a year old, so can imagine that if the hotel hasn't been looked after, it could be in quite a state by now.

We just priced up a trip to WDW and there we got for example the Port Orleans Riverside (water view), 7 nights, including Dining plan and Hopper/Waterpark Tickets for 20 days for only 700€ per adult. This seams compared to DLRP such a great offer. We almost paid the same for 5 nights and 4 days at DLRP.

We stayed at Port Orleans French Quarter last year and loved it. It really is a great resort. Maybe you should give WDW a try as there's so much more to do and dare I say, you could visit other parks - Sea World, Universal, etc.

In WDW alcohol is not allowed and in DLRP they even have free beer?

Alcohol is widely available at WDW - but not in the Magic Kingdom. However, WDW is not the sort of place you see people going to just to get drunk regularly. My DH usually enjoys a beer in Germany in Epcot.

BTW anyone think the 40% is supposed to reflect the fact they knew this year wasnt going to be a great one? I'm looking forward to my trip next week still but willing to accept that for 40% there might be some reason why prices are low

Despite the many emails I've received from DLP to encourage me to visit again, I just can't get a decent price for when I want to travel. The 40% off they keep telling me about is always unavailable.

Here's hoping that things go back to normal at DLP soon. If not, I fear they'll soon find they're loosing even more money by alienating their regular visitors.

 

[steve_rob]

Marcus, I was at DLRP the same week you were and have to admit I had many of the same frustrations with restaurant prices and the staggered opening hours (the weather too, but obviously that can't be helped!). Luckily we didn't have a problem with our hotels or the prices of them, so overall it did mean that the above issues ended up for us, being just a minor blip on an otherwise great holiday, while you weren't quite so lucky.

However from your original post it suggests you weren't there on the Friday, so luckily you missed what was possibly the worst day for rides not being open that week. It was our last day in the park before going home that evening, but we couldn't seem to get anything done.

Peter Pan had been on refurb all week but was set to open Friday, however for some reason it didn't (a cast member was stationed outside saying "try coming back later" but at about 11am they decided to change and say it was closed for the day) and I'm pretty sure there was another Fantasyland ride down (Pinnochio?). Pirates was also down first thing and I never saw it re-open. Phantom Manor had similar technical problems and was up and down most of the morning. Storybookland, Casey Jr and the Maze weren't going to open until after midday, nor was Indiana Jones. Autopia's opening time was 11:30 and Nautilus was 1pm and the only train station scheduled to be open all day was Main Street. So basically for anyone going in to the park at 10am, probably half of it was shut.

Because of that, those rides that were open had huge queues (45-60 minutes was the typical), not only from the on-site guests already in after EMH, but on top of that the parks were packed with day vistors as well (or they might have been people arriving for a long weekend who couldn't check in to their hotels yet). I asked at the tip board if they were going to open some of the attractions that were on staggered opening a little earlier to make up for the amount of rides that were down, but they said no. At that point we gave up and went over to the Studios for our last few hours.

I know that they can't help if a ride starts malfunctioning, but I'd expect them to try and open another attraction in it's place if it looked like it couldn't be fixed. We were just lucky that we managed to ride pretty much everything we wanted on the previous three days.

 

[lilacgems23]

Ive only stayed onsite once but found the hotel service lovely

Im getting worried now though as it sounds like its taken a dive. I was looking forward to it but now im justing hoping Ive not wated the best part of a grand

 

[ScottishThistle]

I'm not at all worried about our next trip. We were there just a couple of months before Marcus and had a great time with no problems at all so would be astounded if standards had slipped so badly and so rapidly over a matter of 8 weeks. I think it's like anywhere, if you visit a lot the law of averages says that it can't be perfect all of the time. All of our trips have been without problem so far but I know that can't always be the case and there probably will be one which we're not as happy with.

I'd imagine that the staggered opening of rides won't happen all of the time, probably just at quieter periods. I also wonder if things like the stunt show being cancelled could have been down to the weather, if the rain was so bad.

Yes, things definitely cost more now than they did even a year ago but that's something that we factor into our plans. We know we're going to go there and spend a fair amount of money so we don't complain about it. No one forces me to spend the money and if I think 25Euros is to expensive for a burger then I won't spend it. I wouldn't go if I wasn't willing to spend the prices - I'd go to Butlins instead

We've stayed in the Santa Fe twice and certainly never saw dirt and trash everywhere. As soon as we finished each breakfast plate it was cleared away instantly and the place was spotless. That isn't to say that it wasn't bad over the period Marcus was there and it isn't excusable if it was, but shouldn't put other people off. It's human nature that we all take notice of 1 bad report but ignore the 1000 good reports about a place.

For me, the magic is still there rain, hail or shine and I haven't been disillusioned by it yet. I suppose I'm just quite pragmatic and think that if there are several thousand people in single place, the chances are at least one of them will have a poor experience and that might be me. It's just one of those things but it certainly wouldn't put me off going again. As long as my room is clean, I don't mind if it's not done twice a day with chocolates on my pillow. As long as my food is good, I don't mind if my menu is on a leaflet, a card menu or even sang to me. I don't mind if a ride opens a couple of hours later on some days - it's just something to do later in the day. Maybe once I've been 18 times, I might find myself looking for problems more but in the meantime I'll just carry on enjoying myself and not allow any minor irritations stop me going back.