Just got back from WL

[SnowWhite'sMom]

Just got back from 6 days/5 nights at the WL. We had a deluxe room and my DM and DS shared a regular smoking room. Overall the hotel was fine but I have to say it did not live up to all the rave reviews I'd read on this website. Anyway if anyone has any questions, I'd be happy to answer them.

[JJustin8080]

What did you not like about the WL that made it not live up to its "rave reviews"? Did you like the room and the overall feel of the hotel or did it just not do anything for you? How was the transportation, I have heard good and bad things about the bus system, but lately it has been mostly good. We will be there in about 3 months and curious about your opinions.

[SnowWhite'sMom]

Well, a few things went wrong: Upon checkin, my mother got a room with a horrible view (all roofs), with no coffeemaker and no fridge. I was surprised that she got a room with such a bad view because I knew for a fact that the hotel was FAR from full. Anyway we requested a room with a better view and had to ask for a coffeemaker and a fridge. She did end up getting a better view (woods and pool), but was charged $10 a day for the fridge and the maids never left coffee for the coffeemaker. I can't believe they wouldn't fill the "better view" rooms first and leave the "bad view" rooms for when they have nowhere better to put guests. It was annoying that such a better room was available and she was initially put in a dump room.

At the Mercantile gift shop one night, my mother went to buy a $60 train. She decided to have it shipped home to avoid lugging it on the plane. They charged her $10.50 to ship. Which is bad enough. But on further shopping she decided to buy a set of Cinderella and the Prince dolls for $35. She also decided to ship these. They said it would be another $10.50 to ship. I said, "Forget it, Mom, it's not worth another $10.50 to ship it. I can buy those dolls at the Disney store at the mall at home." The saleslady said, "we charge $10.50 to ship anything over $25 dollars. If you had purchased the train and the dolls together we could have combined shipping but since you bought them separately we have to charge two shipping charges." At this point my sister lost it and went off on them, asking how they could rationalize that since my mother had just bought the train five minutes before she bought the dolls. We said we would just return the train, cancel the sale, and then buy the two together and combine shipping if they would not forgo the shipping charge on the dolls. After 15 minutes of going back and forth they finally decided to just ring up the dolls and not charge shipping. So much for the Disney Magic when it comes to customer satisfaction.

Then we get to the Roaring Fork snack bar. We ate there maybe five or six times while we were there, including lunch yesterday before we left for the airport. For three days straight all I heard my mother say was how delicious their grilled ham and cheese was and I had to try it. I finally decided to get one yesterday. I had gone through the line myself as everyone else ordered before me. I placed my order and the cashier insisted they did not make grilled ham and cheeses but I could get a cold ham and cheese sandwich out of the fridge. Thanks but no thanks on the premade sandwich. I told her my mother had them three times in the past 5 days. I looked on the menu and it wasn't there but they must have just made it to order. I mean how simple can you get. But she would not let me order one so I had to get the chicken sandwich. I got back to the table and told my mother about the sandwich fiasco and she went up to the cashier and explained that the sandwich may not be on the menu but surely the cook can whip up a grilled ham and cheese. The cashier said, "Look, lady, we don't serve, make, or offer ham and cheese sandwiches!" She made my mother feel like she was crazy. Again, so much for Disney hospitality. It's not like we asked for a t-bone steak.

The Whispering Canyon restaurant was okay. Menu selection is limited. I got the meatloaf and it wasn't cooked through. No one else at our table was satisfied with their meal either. Kids meals are outrageously expensive.

The transportation is fine except that getting on the boat and bus is difficult with a stroller (we had two strollers and two kids). Every time you have to get on or off the boat you have to fold the stroller which means carrying the child, bags, cups, and stroller on and off the boats. We never had to wait very long for either a boat or a bus. But traveling by monorail is FAR easier. We can't understand why they don't build a walking bridge from the WL to the Contemporary, it would make it so much easier to get there and then access the monorail. Especially since the last boat runs at 10 pm. My husband wanted to go to the Contemporary to watch Monday Night football but would have had to leave at 9:45 to catch the last boat out.

The hotel itself is fine but the wilderness lodgey thing does nothing for me. I am not into the western look at all. But for someone who IS into that it would be a great hotel for them.

Sorry this message is so long!

Snow White's Mom

[skiwee1]

Wow! I only had problems with the transportation there and you had problems with everything but. :D Seriously though, I don't understand about folding the stroller before boarding the boats. We used the boats all the time and rolled the stroller right on, kid and all. Maybe the drought has had an effect on the lake depth. The WL cannot be held responsible if that is the case. I do know that you do have to fold up the stroller no matter what bus you board whether you are staying at the Grand Floridian or the WL. That is just the way it is at WDW. As far as fridges are concerned, they are by request only and not guaranteed. Same with the coffeemaker. Everyone pays $10 a night for one unless you are in concierge. As far as your mother having a grilled ham and cheese, she could have been mistaken or maybe it was just a special. If that is the case then there really is no reason you should expect to get one if they do not have them. I do know they didn't have them when I was there in May or I would have gotten one for my little girl. :D I really liked the Whispering Canyons and thought it offered more then enough for us. I loved the all you can eat skillet they had! Did you get to try that ? The kids prices were on par with all the other restaurants we ate at. I really can't comment on how they select rooms. Did your mom book a standard, woods, or courtyard view? Personally I didn't think I would like the WL at all and only went as a last resort. After staying there I thought it was breathtaking and I am not into western either. I won't go back there again for one reason only. All the transportation went to the FW after picking up the WL. It took twice as long to go everywhere then it normally would. The CBR has much better transportation then the WL by far. Hopefully you will like the next hotel you stay at better. I am staying at the Poly next month and won't have to deal with that nasty boat again. LOL! :cool:

[SnowWhite'sMom]

We were not allowed to roll the strollers onto the boat no matter who the boat captain was. They always made us dump out the kids and all the contents every time. And my mother was not mistaken about having a grilled ham and cheese. We all saw her eat one for three days in a row. It was not a special either, the specials were things like a Philly Steak and Cheese and Chicken Parm sandwiches. The point is a grilled ham and cheese is simple to make even if it is not on the MENU they would have no problem whipping one up which they obviously did three days out of four. It just so happened that on day four we got a non-helpful cashier. Another thing about Whispering Canyon was we got no plates or utensils, had to ask for them and then were only given utensils, no plates for bread, etc. Had to eat the bread off the table; the kids were starving so we had to eat and not wait for the plates. Oh well Skiwee1, one satisfied customer, one dissatisfied customer. That's the way it goes I guess.

[skiwee1]

Originally posted by SnowWhite'sMom
Oh well Skiwee1, one satisfied customer, one dissatisfied customer. That's the way it goes I guess.

Like I said, I wasn't totally satisfied and won't be going back there myself. Hopefully someone will listen up and take care fo such complaints!

[TigrLvsPooh]

I'm curious as to what room catergory you booked... courtyard, woods, standard, etc.

Thanks...

[Eeyore1954]

I am a big fan of WL, but I realize that this resort is not everyone's "cup of tea." In my case, I don't care at all for the Poly (:p ). I am sorry you encountered problems, and hope it did not spoil your vacation.

I noticed the CMs on the boats never let people roll on strollers with children in them. To me it made sense as a safety issue -- the boat is just tied up, but still bounces/floats around. It could move, a wheel slips and someone gets hurt. That'd spoil a vacation for sure.

As for the other CMs, they may have certain rules to follow. However, that doesn't excuse rude behavior. Things can be explained in a proper way. We may disagree, but sometimes there are reasons for the way Disney does things. Some CMs may not believe they are empowered to "magically" suspend the rules.

I hope you had a good time despite these concerns.

[Steffi]

I'm sorry your stay wasn't everything you'd hoped for. Have you stayed anywhere else on property that you did like? Did you enjoy your visits to the parks? Would you go back again? I've never ever had a bad stay at WDW and I feel bad that yours wasn't as magical for you:(

[skiwee1]

Originally posted by Eeyore1954

I noticed the CMs on the boats never let people roll on strollers with children in them. To me it made sense as a safety issue -- the boat is just tied up, but still bounces/floats around. It could move, a wheel slips and someone gets hurt. That'd spoil a vacation for sure.


That must be a new thing. When we were there in May we spent 10 days. We used the boats at least twice a day and were always told to wheel them on! We had a female captain and two different male captains. There is even a sign on the dock that says sometimes it is necessary to fold strollers and wheelchairs due to water depth. So that to me means that having to fold the stroller up is a rarity. Maybe they changed it due to safety issues but we never had a problem rolling it on. Wheelchairs rolled right in also. Just another thing I would greatly dislike about WL transportation! LOL!

[Gary M]

DW and I have stayed at the WL several times and will be back three times this winter. We have stayed on WDW property 26 times, since 1992. After staying at GF, Poly, BWI, AKL, WL and DL we have settled on the WL as our favorite. Even though the Poly gets rave reviews on this board, we will never stay there again. The stay at the Poly was the only bad situation at WDW, for us.

It's great that WDW offers several resorts and if we aren't happy with any one of them, we can try another.

If I were you, I would contact the powers to be at WDW about your dissatisfaction. If you go back to WDW, I hope your next stay is much more to your liking.

[jwfla422]

I find the stroller issue kinda inconsistent with WDW. I know when we have taken the (smaller) boat to GF or POLY, we've had to fold up the stroller and I can see why since that boat is rather small.

We just stayed at WL a few weeks ago and they never asked me to fold up the stroller on that boat. DD wasn't in it though, she did walk on, so maybe that's why they didn't ask. Don't know??

I agree there was no reason for a CM to be nasty, I've never ever experienced that yet in all of the years we've gone, sorry to hear that. I also think the CM at the gift shop should have suggested canceling the orders (even if it's more work for them) and re-ring it together to solve the shipping costs' problem, that would be the "Disney" thing to do.

And, of course, as someone already mentioned, what view was reserved for your mother? You had said something about a smoking room, I do believe there are a limited amount of smoking rooms and that may be why she ended up with a lousy view?

Did CRO tell you that a frig was included in the price of the room? That could have been a misunderstanding, it is correct that all WDW resorts charge $10 a day for a frig (we bring a small one from home which plugs into our lighter in the car and has an adapter to plug into the wall). The S/D hotels have a wet bar which can be cleaned out for a fee. It is true that you also have to request a coffeemaker if you want one (at the WL), did you call down to housekeeping when they didn't refill your coffee & request more? I don't know if this is a "regular" item that housekeeping stocks on their carts there.

Sorry about your "bad" experience. We had a more than "magical" stay at the WL a few weeks back (my only complaint was that our room was noisey:)), you may have a better experience next time with a monorail hotel. Personally I like the S/D:) by EPCOT, but still love the WL.

[melomouse]

Snow White's Mom -

I am so sorry you were unhappy with WL. It sounded like you were upset for your mom's room, coffee,fridge, food,etc.

What about you and DH and the kids? Bunks or 2 queens?Did you use the big pool or kiddie pool? Did they like the waterfall and geyser? Are your kids able to share kids'meals so it doesn't get too $$? I'm sure they enjoyed the parks tremendously.

I know how annoying it can be with the stroller, and you had 2! I was told that the reason strollers have to be folded is in case of an accident, the baby isn't strapped and thereby trapped. Such an extra hard time travelling with 2 strollers!!!

We stayed at WL recently and had an entirely different perception. Although I read the "rave reviews", too,, I also read about transportation, coffee pots, fridges, coffee supplies, views, smoking and non locations, etc. I knew what to expect and what not to, and certainly posted tons of questions, "silly" or not, because I can only feel less anxious and more confident if I have lots of info.

If you EXPECT WL to supply free coffeepot & makings and fridge, for example, you're going to be frustated to have to ask for one and be charged. When you have something shipped from the shops, they're going to charge anywhere from $7.50 - $12.00.

I'm not sure if you were more disappointed, or you were wishing Mom were happier. I just went through this, because my DM joined us on the last trip. I had gotten her a refillable mug ahead of time and she went down and refilled it every morning herself, loving the AM walk around the property. I am the one who will be bringing coffee supplies next time, because I am NOT fond of WDW coffee!

Soemtimes our experiences are different too, depending on kids' ages and expectations at the time. I wish you a happier stay next time and wish the boards could have been more helpful for you.Good Luck!

[Chance's Mom]

Even the GF , CR, and Poly charge the $10 fee for the fridge.

[epcotfan]

Originally posted by SnowWhite'sMom
Well, a few things went wrong: Upon checkin, my mother got a room with a horrible view (all roofs), with no coffeemaker and no fridge. I was surprised that she got a room with such a bad view because I knew for a fact that the hotel was FAR from full. Anyway we requested a room with a better view and had to ask for a coffeemaker and a fridge. She did end up getting a better view (woods and pool), but was charged $10 a day for the fridge and the maids never left coffee for the coffeemaker. I can't believe they wouldn't fill the "better view" rooms first and leave the "bad view" rooms for when they have nowhere better to put guests. It was annoying that such a better room was available and she was initially put in a dump room.

Depends on what you booked and paid for. You never said what you booked. Disney doesn't dole out rooms based on the nicest view first. They issue rooms according to the view people have paid for. They certainly are not going to issue rooms that have been pre-booked by other guests.


Fridges have always been $10 a day.


At the Mercantile gift shop one night, my mother went to buy a $60 train. She decided to have it shipped home to avoid lugging it on the plane. They charged her $10.50 to ship. Which is bad enough. But on further shopping she decided to buy a set of Cinderella and the Prince dolls for $35. She also decided to ship these. They said it would be another $10.50 to ship. I said, "Forget it, Mom, it's not worth another $10.50 to ship it. I can buy those dolls at the Disney store at the mall at home." The saleslady said, "we charge $10.50 to ship anything over $25 dollars. If you had purchased the train and the dolls together we could have combined shipping but since you bought them separately we have to charge two shipping charges." At this point my sister lost it and went off on them, asking how they could rationalize that since my mother had just bought the train five minutes before she bought the dolls. We said we would just return the train, cancel the sale, and then buy the two together and combine shipping if they would not forgo the shipping charge on the dolls. After 15 minutes of going back and forth they finally decided to just ring up the dolls and not charge shipping. So much for the Disney Magic when it comes to customer satisfaction.

Actually $10.50 is a pretty good shipping price for one of those trains (if I'm thinking of the large kind). Considering the size, weight and bulkiness of it I'm surprised it wasn't more.

Then we get to the Roaring Fork snack bar. We ate there maybe five or six times while we were there, including lunch yesterday before we left for the airport. For three days straight all I heard my mother say was how delicious their grilled ham and cheese was and I had to try it. I finally decided to get one yesterday. I had gone through the line myself as everyone else ordered before me. I placed my order and the cashier insisted they did not make grilled ham and cheeses but I could get a cold ham and cheese sandwich out of the fridge. Thanks but no thanks on the premade sandwich. I told her my mother had them three times in the past 5 days. I looked on the menu and it wasn't there but they must have just made it to order. I mean how simple can you get. But she would not let me order one so I had to get the chicken sandwich. I got back to the table and told my mother about the sandwich fiasco and she went up to the cashier and explained that the sandwich may not be on the menu but surely the cook can whip up a grilled ham and cheese. The cashier said, "Look, lady, we don't serve, make, or offer ham and cheese sandwiches!" She made my mother feel like she was crazy. Again, so much for Disney hospitality. It's not like we asked for a t-bone steak.


It is fast food. Perhaps your mom had a chef that was willing to do that for the past couple of days. If they were busy then doing custom meals probably wasn't possible. Full service restaurants are usually more willing to create something special.

The Whispering Canyon restaurant was okay. Menu selection is limited. I got the meatloaf and it wasn't cooked through. No one else at our table was satisfied with their meal either. Kids meals are outrageously expensive.

I have heard good and bad about this restaurant. Everything at Disney is expensive.

The transportation is fine except that getting on the boat and bus is difficult with a stroller (we had two strollers and two kids). Every time you have to get on or off the boat you have to fold the stroller which means carrying the child, bags, cups, and stroller on and off the boats. We never had to wait very long for either a boat or a bus. But traveling by monorail is FAR easier. We can't understand why they don't build a walking bridge from the WL to the Contemporary, it would make it so much easier to get there and then access the monorail. Especially since the last boat runs at 10 pm. My husband wanted to go to the Contemporary to watch Monday Night football but would have had to leave at 9:45 to catch the last boat out.

I'm glad to hear the boat and bus service was good.

Folding up strollers is standard safety practice from what I've witnessed for the past 15 years. You wouldn't be able to fit everyone on a boat or bus if strollers were unfolded. They take up a bit of room depending on the size. Some people have to fold up on the monorail depending on the size of the strollers and the capacity of the car.

[Loudbmw]

Not to beat a dead horse on the stroller thing but last December we were getting off the monorail when a dad rolled his stroller off the train with his son inside (not strapped in of course).

The wheels of the stroller hit the crack between the monorail and station and the stroller jerked to a stop. His son fell out and landed on his head. The cast members responded right away and it was a good thing the distance of the fall was small.

Needless to say we were all terrified and the incident put a sour note on everyone's day. Except for a lot of crying, the child looked to be OK. Dad got quite an earfull from mom.

Now who wants to question why Disney insists the strollers be emptied when boarding transportation!

[skiwee1]

Originally posted by Loudbmw
Not to beat a dead horse on the stroller thing but last December we were getting off the monorail when a dad rolled his stroller off the train with his son inside (not strapped in of course).

The wheels of the stroller hit the crack between the monorail and station and the stroller jerked to a stop. His son fell out and landed on his head. The cast members responded right away and it was a good thing the distance of the fall was small.

Needless to say we were all terrified and the incident put a sour note on everyone's day. Except for a lot of crying, the child looked to be OK. Dad got quite an earfull from mom.

Now who wants to question why Disney insists the strollers be emptied when boarding transportation!

Well that is the problem. Disney isn't insisting. They did not insist at the boat at the WL when we stayed there. They never say anything about folding up a stroller on the monorail all the years we have been going. We always board the monorail with a kid in a stroller. Big difference is that we make sure the kid is buckled up. I think it has more to do with parenting and being responsible then trying to police everyone. At the WL boats the captains were telling all of us strollers takers to Wheel'em in folks!

[lsyorke]

We were at WLV in July with my granddaughter. We never had to fold up the stroller to board the larger boat, but did have to on the smaller boat to the Contemporary. That was probably the only good thing about the transportation. Going to FW every time continues to be a big problem time wise, and it didn't seem to matter what direction we were going we always went to FW. The Lodge is beautiful, but I think for us there are onsite resorts that better fit our needs.

[SnowWhite'sMom]

Thank you everyone for your commentary.

[montessori]

I am still surprised at the reaction of people on here whenever someone writes an honest, yet not totally complimentary, review about anything Disney. I love DW but I know it's not really a perfect place. Some people jump to defend it to the point of being rude and condescending.
I know it's been said before, but I don't think it's necessary to pick apart the opinions and experiences of someone who has had a few non-magical Disney moments.
Just my humble opinion, of course! http://216.40.249.192/mysmilies/otn/happy/11zwinky.gif

[dsp2]

Originally posted by montessori
I am still surprised at the reaction of people on here whenever someone writes an honest, yet not totally complimentary, review about anything Disney. I love DW but I know it's not really a perfect place. Some people jump to defend it to the point of being rude and condescending.
I know it's been said before, but I don't think it's necessary to pick apart the opinions and experiences of someone who has had a few non-magical Disney moments.
Just my humble opinion, of course! http://216.40.249.192/mysmilies/otn/happy/11zwinky.gif

Very well said montessori !

I for sure am interested in the flaws that people find in WDW I think it helps people plan accordingly for a trip. Just say a lot of people posted the same issues, would that not make you consider a different approach to what resort you wanted ? I spoke with Snowwhites mom PM this week and she was very helpful on info that I was looking for in regards to requesting a room view for WL deluxe.

This forum is one of the best things going
for the good and the bad and everyone should view it and respond to it honestly

Thanks dsp2

offsite 86
CRB Dec 2000
ASMR sept 2001
WL Jan 2003

[SnowWhite'sMom]

Thank you for your support, DSP2 and Montessori. I was feeling a bit beat up by everyone's picking apart my e-mails and offering their own take on every little inane detail. I took the time to come on this board and offer people info on my first day back from vacation. Be assured I had a million other things to do but I know how desperate you get for info on the hotel you are staying at because you are shelling out hundreds if not thousands of dollars and want to be assured you are picking the right place for you and your family. I wanted to share the knowledge with fellow dis boarders while it was fresh in my memory, good or bad. The response I got in here was totally outrageous. I will not be posting any more information on this website and will not respond to any more posts on this thread. Everyone on the board seems to be a know it all anyway, you obviously don't need input from new Disney vacationers.

[skiwee1]

Originally posted by montessori
I am still surprised at the reaction of people on here whenever someone writes an honest, yet not totally complimentary, review about anything Disney. I love DW but I know it's not really a perfect place. Some people jump to defend it to the point of being rude and condescending.
I know it's been said before, but I don't think it's necessary to pick apart the opinions and experiences of someone who has had a few non-magical Disney moments.
Just my humble opinion, of course! http://216.40.249.192/mysmilies/otn/happy/11zwinky.gif

Are you serious? I didn't see anyone being rude. I like to hear when things aren't right and like to share experiences. I had a bad opinion about the WL after I got back too and it is nice to hear others feeling the same. Especially after being told that I was wrong! I just went back and read every post to this thread and could not find one rude part about it. Please enlighten me. :confused:

[skiwee1]

Originally posted by SnowWhite'sMom
Thank you for your support, DSP2 and Montessori. I was feeling a bit beat up by everyone's picking apart my e-mails and offering their own take on every little inane detail. I took the time to come on this board and offer people info on my first day back from vacation. Be assured I had a million other things to do but I know how desperate you get for info on the hotel you are staying at because you are shelling out hundreds if not thousands of dollars and want to be assured you are picking the right place for you and your family. I wanted to share the knowledge with fellow dis boarders while it was fresh in my memory, good or bad. The response I got in here was totally outrageous. I will not be posting any more information on this website and will not respond to any more posts on this thread. Everyone on the board seems to be a know it all anyway, you obviously don't need input from new Disney vacationers.

Wow Snow. I am shocked that you feel that way. Maybe you shouldn't post if you cannot handle an honest response to it. I didn't see anything nasty at all. I agreed with you on some things! Others expressed how sorry they were to hear how rotten a time you had. As far as offering our own take on all the inane details, they were your inane details, ie complaints, that we were responding to. Gosh, that is what I thought we were here for! To post back and forth about our experiences. I know I would feel much better about being charged for a fridge when I know it is a normal thing and everyone has to pay. I also thought you'd like to know that having to fold a stroller for a bus happens on all WDW busses unfortunately, and not just WL. Someone else apologized for rude CMs. I responded to the ham and cheese because I know they didn't have them when I was there a couple of months ago and thought maybe mom got a special. In that case I would not have expected them to make it as they might not have had ham there. They do not have all the ingredients to make their sandwiches there. I saw them unloading a truck with all kinds of pre-made sandwiches one day so they bus in a lot. I know maybe they were a few, including myself, asked about the view you paid for. I thought maybe you booked a standard view as I've heard all kinds of bad stories about those views. That's all. What more do you want? And you think the responses you got were totally outrageous? I'm sorry you feel that way. Please don't stop posting here because of me. I promise I will not respond to you in any post again. That way, you won't feel outraged at my response. :confused:

[Fantasia4Ever]

The problem inherent with any message board of this size is that inevitably there will be varying degrees of support for any particular topic. The original poster also gave an opinion that was a mostly negative view about something which a lot of posters feel very positive about. Herein becomes a major issue, the positive posters about a topic will attempt to ensure that any negative perception is dealt with while people with negative opinions are generally (not always though and I'm not saying this is the case here) looking for people to agree with them on their certain point.

What may have been a point of contention is the fact that the original post clearly states that she did not agree with all the rave reviews. By that statement, either intentional or unintentional, the poster opens up the debate from both ends. Whether she wanted negative feedback to her post or not, she invited it by disagreeing with the majority.

As was mentioned by one of SnowWhite's defenders, Disney is not perfect, although it is seemingly held to a higher standard. How we choose to view that standard causes a lot of debate. As for the Wilderness Lodge, I think SnowWhite's post is a good lesson as to the possibilities of what can go wrong so that we can determine whether or not they were error on the part of the poster or error on the part of Disney. As with anything, if you set the bar of expectation too high, you are only setting yourself up for a bigger disappointment.

[helenk]

We never did find out what kind of room her mother had booked. It would be interesting to know as she was so disappointed in the view that they were given.
I do not think anyone was rude, just mentioning reasons for the strollers and observations that they had made or incidents that had occurred to them. When you post on the boards you have to expect responses or you would not post.
We are staying at WL in December and I read all the post, good and bad. I think we will be happy with our decision, but every person is different and likes different things. It would be very boring if we all agreed on everything.
....
any way room type did you book? standard, woodsview or court yard ? It sounds as though your mother got a standard view from the description.

[melomouse]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by SnowWhite'sMom
[B]...I have to say it did not live up to all the rave reviews I'd read on this website. [QUOTE]

Snow White's Mom -

I think I responded to those words personally as a DISer, then became a little frustrated reading your "inane" complaints.

The two contradict. If you use these boards to only read the "good stuff" but don't bother to find out about the place and some of those "inane" details, it's a set up for disappointment.
It sounded like you almost blamed the DIS for inaccurate information when maybe you needed more research. Kimmar's WL thread is now well over 125 pages. How much did you read?r

All of the rooms at WL probably seem like a "dump room" if you have a deluxe suite. And, yes, after spending that kind of money on a deluxe suite - maybe I'd prop my expectations up QUITE a few notches, too!

I, myself, wasn't necessarily defending Disney, but trying to support both you and the boards"rave reviews", but more importantly, the need to educate yourself before you go. I had noticed you only had 10 posts.

But now you want to not post here ever again because of the "outrageous comments"? This thread you are reading thoroughly. Most of us here do try to be fair - and maybe you need to be fair, too. We also ask alot of questions before trips so we can pass the time, soothe our anxieties, or avoid unrealistic expectations and thus, disappointment.

And if I'm way off here, somone will be sure to let me know.

[DisneyFreaks]

For what it's worth SnowWhitesMom, we had a bad experience at WL too and do not plan to ever stay there again. We had booked and paid for two rooms courtyard view. We had requested connecting rooms due to medication our daughter had to take during the night. We knew this could not be guaranteed but we figured since it was a medical reason they would at least put our rooms close. Nope. They had us practically in different sections. When we argued about this they kept telling us there was nothing they could do. At one point they were going to switch us to woods view so the rooms would only be five rooms apart and mail us the difference in cost. I insisted on talking to the manager and believe it or not she just happened to find two connecting rooms on the sixth floor with a gorgeous courtyard view. I could not understand why the check in CM couldn't have found this herself and I still don't. It really soured our vacation right from the start. Just too many things weren't right at WL. We just feel it's a nice place to visit but we would never stay there again.

[Chip 'n Dale Express]

I'd like to add a tidbit on the Stroller Issue, from a Disney Transport cast member.

Strollers may be rolled onto the Monorail, with no problem. The only exception is Double-Wide strollers *MUST* be folded to fit into a regular car. Although they will fit into a Wheelchair-accessible car, guest must understand that if a guest travelling with a mobility device comes along, they are the ones who get priority into that section.

Strollers may also roll onto the Ferryboat. This is the large boat that travels from the MK to the TTC. (General Joe Potter, Admiral Jow Fowler, and Richard F. Irvine)

Depending on Water Levels... Strollers may or may not be rolled onto Cruiser Boats. "Cruisers" are the medium size boats that travel from the MK to FW/WL. (Castaways, Bon Voyage, and the Mermaid I) The same applies to the Friendship Cruisers, that are out of the Epcot/Studios Resort area.

Strollers and wheelchairs *MUST* be folded prior to boarding the Launch boats. Those are the small sloop style boats with the wooden seats.

Strollers MUST be folded prior to boarding any bus transportation. Anywhere. This is not Disney policy, but rather Federal LAW. If a driver allows a stroller to remain unfolded, the driver can face a $5,000 ticket, as well as up to $50,000 in fines, depending on the situation. Please understand that this is a serious safety issue. We understand that it may be a pain to fold that stroller sometimes, but, in the long run, we'd rather have you have a safe ride. If for some reason your stroller cannot be folded, then it must be strapped down securely similar to how a wheelchair would be strapped down.

[epcotfan]

Thanks Tyler for again being so helpful and reminding us that rules are put in place for safety.

[anne60]

I posted something negative about the CR pool once (feel it is not big enough for the size of the resort, lots of bird droppings around the pool area), and about 15 people found it necessary to ask ALL kinds of questions (do your kids splash too much? did you go during peak times of the day? did you find a CM and ask for towels? I think the birds add to the ambiance of the place). Like it is somehow YOUR OWN FAULT if you don't like something.
It's like if someone says something negative about "your" resort, they are insulting you. She went, she found things she didn't like, she posted. These things may not bother you when you go, but if they will, you are forewarned. Is it "right" to expect a grilled ham and cheese? Maybe not, but she got one the 3 previous days (and I think suggesting that her mother was "confused" WAS rude), so she was disppointed and not pleased with the way the CM handled the situation. I just had a similar situation in a local sporting goods store. My son needed baseball cleats, and the clerk had to get on a ladder to get at them because, as he reminded me over and over in a snotty tone, "it's not baseball season, ma'am". Sometimes it is not the message, but the way it is delivered. It is threads like these that make me think maybe Disney has employees trawling these boards and posting "sunshine and light" messages for any that are the least bit negative.

[skiwee1]

Originally posted by anne60
I posted something negative about the CR pool once (feel it is not big enough for the size of the resort, lots of bird droppings around the pool area), and about 15 people found it necessary to ask ALL kinds of questions (do your kids splash too much? did you go during peak times of the day? did you find a CM and ask for towels? I think the birds add to the ambiance of the place). Like it is somehow YOUR OWN FAULT if you don't like something.
It's like if someone says something negative about "your" resort, they are insulting you. She went, she found things she didn't like, she posted. These things may not bother you when you go, but if they will, you are forewarned. Is it "right" to expect a grilled ham and cheese? Maybe not, but she got one the 3 previous days (and I think suggesting that her mother was "confused" WAS rude), so she was disppointed and not pleased with the way the CM handled the situation. I just had a similar situation in a local sporting goods store. My son needed baseball cleats, and the clerk had to get on a ladder to get at them because, as he reminded me over and over in a snotty tone, "it's not baseball season, ma'am". Sometimes it is not the message, but the way it is delivered. It is threads like these that make me think maybe Disney has employees trawling these boards and posting "sunshine and light" messages for any that are the least bit negative.

It was not rude to suggest maybe her mother was confused. I didn't say she was senile. I could see if I said your mother was senile and was wrong but I did not. I was very polite. As far as their reaction to the CM telling them they did not have ham and cheese, well THAT was rude. I do not think anyone posted anything nasty or rude to her post. The only negative posts I could find were from the OP and yourself. Both of you calling posters rude and so on. :rolleyes:

[skiwee1]

Thanks Tyler for clearing up all the misconceptions about strollers and transportation! Now that it comes from the horse's mouth maybe it will be believed. Thanks again for taking the time.:)

[Chip 'n Dale Express]

Originally posted by epcotfan
Thanks Tyler for again being so helpful and reminding us that rules are put in place for safety.

Always my pleasure. And yes, Safety is the key here. A lot of folks I encounter on a daily basis don't quite realize that, and rather think that I get some sort of giggle out of watching them fold thier stroller, and have belongings fall all over the place. I've even had circumstances where I will make people fold thier stroller to board, and then when they get to the back of the bus, they'll unfold it, and have thier child sit down. In such a case, if I see this, I will stop my bus on the side of the road until it is folded. Not trying to be "a rude castmember", but rather one who is looking out for the safety of my guests.