ehagerty
07-23-2007, 08:42 PM
(At the risk of double posting, I accidentally posted this in the DDP thread, even though I meant to post here. So it goes, some days...)
For this thread, we will consider the Aloha Isle "dining".....
Backstory - we've been WDW regulars for nearly 20 years - and yet, I never had a Dole anything until this year. Not sure why. I am really fond of pineapple (fresh pineapple, anyway). Probably because there always seemed to be a line - and I am not a fan of rapidly melting ice cream.
Fast forward - to the Dining Plan - which shouldn't have been a factor, but was - because you can get a $3.99 Dole Whip in pineapple juice on a snack credit.
WOW. I loved it. It is every bit as good as everyone before me recorded. So good, that I had to go back to the Magic Kingdom - and WAIT for Aloha Isle to open my last full day.
http://ehagerty.zenfolio.com/img/v0/p959155728-4.jpg
What, if changed, would have made the experience even better?
Well, for the Disney people who cruise these boards for customer feedback, I do have a small one - additional details to the WAIT.
I wandered over by Aloha Isle shortly before 10:00 am (park opened at 9:00). Wooden shutters covered the windows. No sign of when it opened.
So - for starters - it sure would be helpful to post a SIGN when Aloha Isle opens TODAY. If it never changes, make the sign PERMANENT. If it varies, have a sign that can deal with it - an inexpensive, useful alternative to ignorance.
Next, a very helpful - albeit, not knowledgable - Disney customer-relations-type person noticed me hanging around. He mentioned that the stand would open at 10:30. Given his uniform, I believed him. After all, he had the means (that is, phone) to ascertain, with certainty, real information - why would he provide misinformation?
Turns out, it didn't open until 11:00 am. Had I known, I could have thought of better ways to spend the next 55 minutes at a greater distance from what turned out to be one of the few, remaining designated smoking sections (about 10 feet away) in the World.
There I stood, waiting patiently, trying to second guess behind which magic door the prize of service awaited. Well, this is not my specialty. Whenever my family asks me which line I would pick - they immediately choose any other. I focus so much on reason that I miss the irrational factors.
Anyway, they weren't with me to save me from going with reason. People started lining up in the best-guess queues and with one sort-of-poky server, I was now about 5th in line for service. I think this was the only annoyed Disney moment I had in 15 days. Not bad, but avoidable.
I probably would have rolled with it better if I hadn't been waiting so long. About 7 minutes later, Dole Whip in hand, I was well past the irritation. Making mental notes about what could have been better - a sign, a queue. Whatever.
In summary - recommendation:
sign - service hours
queue - anything is better than nothing - especially in an environment where this is handled so well everywhere else
For this thread, we will consider the Aloha Isle "dining".....
Backstory - we've been WDW regulars for nearly 20 years - and yet, I never had a Dole anything until this year. Not sure why. I am really fond of pineapple (fresh pineapple, anyway). Probably because there always seemed to be a line - and I am not a fan of rapidly melting ice cream.
Fast forward - to the Dining Plan - which shouldn't have been a factor, but was - because you can get a $3.99 Dole Whip in pineapple juice on a snack credit.
WOW. I loved it. It is every bit as good as everyone before me recorded. So good, that I had to go back to the Magic Kingdom - and WAIT for Aloha Isle to open my last full day.
http://ehagerty.zenfolio.com/img/v0/p959155728-4.jpg
What, if changed, would have made the experience even better?
Well, for the Disney people who cruise these boards for customer feedback, I do have a small one - additional details to the WAIT.
I wandered over by Aloha Isle shortly before 10:00 am (park opened at 9:00). Wooden shutters covered the windows. No sign of when it opened.
So - for starters - it sure would be helpful to post a SIGN when Aloha Isle opens TODAY. If it never changes, make the sign PERMANENT. If it varies, have a sign that can deal with it - an inexpensive, useful alternative to ignorance.
Next, a very helpful - albeit, not knowledgable - Disney customer-relations-type person noticed me hanging around. He mentioned that the stand would open at 10:30. Given his uniform, I believed him. After all, he had the means (that is, phone) to ascertain, with certainty, real information - why would he provide misinformation?
Turns out, it didn't open until 11:00 am. Had I known, I could have thought of better ways to spend the next 55 minutes at a greater distance from what turned out to be one of the few, remaining designated smoking sections (about 10 feet away) in the World.
There I stood, waiting patiently, trying to second guess behind which magic door the prize of service awaited. Well, this is not my specialty. Whenever my family asks me which line I would pick - they immediately choose any other. I focus so much on reason that I miss the irrational factors.
Anyway, they weren't with me to save me from going with reason. People started lining up in the best-guess queues and with one sort-of-poky server, I was now about 5th in line for service. I think this was the only annoyed Disney moment I had in 15 days. Not bad, but avoidable.
I probably would have rolled with it better if I hadn't been waiting so long. About 7 minutes later, Dole Whip in hand, I was well past the irritation. Making mental notes about what could have been better - a sign, a queue. Whatever.
In summary - recommendation:
sign - service hours
queue - anything is better than nothing - especially in an environment where this is handled so well everywhere else