Challenging day at MK

[DaisyDew]

My point is being missed here. He took "advantage" of an option for resort guests who are paying up the ying yang to stay there (have you paid those prices, I have) and then they are all shuttled like cattle to the smaller boats to the MK since the monorail stalls. So, there you have guests from the CR (who could not or decided not to walk for some reason), guests from the Poly, guest from the GF and guests who are not paying the Monorail Resort prices waiting on this long line to get to the MK. It was "his" decision to jump on that monorail. He should not be complaining about the long line there, nore should he complain about the generator. Yes, he took "advantage" of the monorail service to get to the MK, instead of using the Ferry. So therefore instead of waiting an hour for the Ferry, he waited 2 for a small boat..
It amazes me how some do not get my point. Yes, he can take it if he wants to but do not blame Disney for that decision. He could have waited like the other MK park guests, and let the Monorail Resort guests have the shorter wait time. I know if I am paying $400+ per night, I don't want to wait in line with every Tom, Dick and Mary because they took "advantage" of what they thought was going to be a short cut and increase my wait times

As I have stated and will state again, he has every right in the world to complain about the express monorail going down and the long lines at the ferry. Disney should have gotten buses out and shuttled the MK park guests over that way, but to complain about being over at the GF, that was his choice to to that route... Disney didn't shuttle him there....

as far as his little comment about parking over at the CR, I have stayed there and come back to the resort from another park only to find I could NOT find a spot.. hmmm would it be due to people parking there when they want to just walk over to the MK. When I am paying the money to stay there, I want the parking spot that comes with it.... I should not have to circle around for 20 minutes or pay for Valet Parking just to park my car (and then there was a fee for it, not sure if there still is for resort guests)

MesaBoy already said it, but it bears repeating. The monorails are available for anyone to use, not just those that are staying at the monorail resorts.

 

[pumpernickel]

That is crazy. Sorry to read about so many rude CMs.

 

[richkaryn]

Oh, I think I get it now. Since I decided to take an alternative route, on a monorail that I was told was open for business, it was my fault that I got stuck at the GF. Makes sense. My bad. Next time I guess I could just park at the CR and walk, that way I can make sure I won't get stuck anywhere.

Lol--- I love your reply! We also had a few less than magical experience this trip (I've decided that maybe it has to do with the fact we went in June instead of in March or April as we have in the past.....we've always had magical trips in the past.) I can personally say you wouldn't have been any better off with a bus---when monorail went back down that same evening we were on our way to dinner at Poly from MK. We went to get a boat with 45 mins to spare. The line was crazy! CMs told us we'd be better off to go get on a bus bc they run more frequently. Went over and got in line they told us to for bus. We were first ones in line and it was over 4o minutes before a bus came then it had to stop at Contemporary first. We ended up making it to the Poly 30 minutes late to our ADR. They got us right in still and understood the transportation situation so it worked out ok. The next day was worse. Because of the storm, they waited until 3:00 to cancel the 6:30 Mickey's backyard bbq. Then because server issues with their system it took 3 hours to get us a different, kid-friendly ADR. I dealt with some less than magical CMs, a concierge who told me "it wasn't her problem and she wasn't sure what I wanted her to do to help me" and stuff. Then on the fb page I got slammed for "blaming Disney for my problem" and told it was my fault for not foreseeing this issue and making alternate plans and that basically my 5 year old was a brat because he was upset he couldn't go to the bbq. (Yeah bc I'm psycic and knew the computer system would be down for 3hours....and nobody makes ADRs 180 days out or anything so I should've been able to snag a new one just like that.....or better yet I should've made an alternate ADR 180 days prior and then just paid the price to cancel when I didn't need the backup since I couldn't have cancelled it 48 hrs in advance of knowing bbq cancelled.) Oh...and can't forget "who cares where you eat, it's Disney--you're not there for the food" (We had the deluxe dining plan and for us it IS as much about the food on our trips.)
Glad you were able to soldier on with your day and hate that people find it necessary to slam you and blame you if you have a less than magical experience at Disney. And I too noticed more rude cast members this trip.....not saying there aren't rude guests too, but I managed a retail store for many years and we weren't allowed to be rude no matter how rude the customers were to us.

 

[mesaboy2]

I know it is not, but when it comes to times like this, they need to do something for the guests who are paying premium prices as opposed to those that hop on to get there faster.... not saying he wasn't allowed, just saying he really should not be complaining. Then to want to move a generator because it is loud.. sorry, but I do not agree there. It is possible it was there because the least amount of rooms were in that area. Like I said, you are paying big bucks to stay there.. and you don't want to hear a generator because a park guest wants it moved away from the line they are on for the boat???? Yes, you are hearing it too while on that line, I get that part

The OP made an unfortunate decision that is obvious only in retrospect, and things snowballed from there. Both monorail lines failing simultaneously was unusual and was the primary cause for the OP's very poor experience, not their decision to get on the resort monorail. That was, at the time, an apparent reasonable and viable alternative to the ferry that I (and I assume other experienced WDW guests) may have chosen also.

FWIW, I agree the generator issue was trivial.

 

[PeterPanic]

I don't have a dog in this race, but, I would like to point out that it was not a generator, it was a power washer (notice the hose hooked up to it). They really could have shut it off for a while, however, I think it is a bit of an overreaction to think that they should. Just because they are on vacation doesn't mean that the people operating the machines are. They have a job to do and were probably in no way responsible for the monorails being down.

 

[Good Morning Dewdrop]

MesaBoy already said it, but it bears repeating. The monorails are available for anyone to use, not just those that are staying at the monorail resorts.

Perhaps because the resort monorail is the only one open early in the day I (for one) have never thought twice about using it just like the express monorail. I know the convenience is a perk for folks staying at those resorts but since Disney doesn't see it as an exclusive thing neither do I.

All of that said I wish they'd make a walkway around the Seven Seas Lagoon somehow (either via the Poly/ GF route which I know has the problem of the canal that the barges go thru) or via CR (which I know has the under the canal car route that people can't take) so that folks could walk from TTC when issues like this arise (if they wanted to). I know a lot of people wouldn't walk but we would.

 

[asta]

My point is being missed here. He took "advantage" of an option for resort guests who are paying up the ying yang to stay there (have you paid those prices, I have) and then they are all shuttled like cattle to the smaller boats to the MK since the monorail stalls. So, there you have guests from the CR (who could not or decided not to walk for some reason), guests from the Poly, guest from the GF and guests who are not paying the Monorail Resort prices waiting on this long line to get to the MK. It was "his" decision to jump on that monorail. He should not be complaining about the long line there, nore should he complain about the generator. Yes, he took "advantage" of the monorail service to get to the MK, instead of using the Ferry. So therefore instead of waiting an hour for the Ferry, he waited 2 for a small boat..
It amazes me how some do not get my point. Yes, he can take it if he wants to but do not blame Disney for that decision. He could have waited like the other MK park guests, and let the Monorail Resort guests have the shorter wait time. I know if I am paying $400+ per night, I don't want to wait in line with every Tom, Dick and Mary because they took "advantage" of what they thought was going to be a short cut and increase my wait times

As I have stated and will state again, he has every right in the world to complain about the express monorail going down and the long lines at the ferry. Disney should have gotten buses out and shuttled the MK park guests over that way, but to complain about being over at the GF, that was his choice to to that route... Disney didn't shuttle him there....

as far as his little comment about parking over at the CR, I have stayed there and come back to the resort from another park only to find I could NOT find a spot.. hmmm would it be due to people parking there when they want to just walk over to the MK. When I am paying the money to stay there, I want the parking spot that comes with it.... I should not have to circle around for 20 minutes or pay for Valet Parking just to park my car (and then there was a fee for it, not sure if there still is for resort guests)

For what it's worth I agree with you. And yes Mesaboy2 I know Disney changed their policy to allow non-monorail resort guest to use the resort monorail. We are only pointing out that when this change was made Disney did not make plans for the boats to carry non-resort guests. This current policy stinks. Transportation that was planned and sized for resort guests is not equipped to handle the volume of guests packed on at TTC. The OP took the risk. It messed up his day but it really messed up the resort guests' day. And the OP added to the problem.

 

[ScarletFire]

The monorail resorts are overrated! I hate being at the mercy of the monorail or ferries. We stayed at the CR when my kids were young and walked to the MK on a daily basis. I'll not stay at the Poly or GF until the walkway has a bridge to the MK. I LOVE and prefer the Epcot resorts!

I feel the OP's pain; epic fail on Disney's part.

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[maxiesmom]

I feel the OP's pain; epic fail on Disney's part.

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I'd like to know the company that never has any equipment break down. Especially one that is open every day of the year.

And how many people would howl if Disney took the monorails off line to give them the overhaul they desperately need? I think most people would rather gamble that the monorail won't break down while THEY are there.

 

[fla4fun]

Wow. I haven't seen lines for transportation like that since they upgraded the monorails and had to have the system shut down for several weeks to enlarge the openings in CR to handle them (many, many moons ago). I remember being in a crowd for the ferry back then that was actually terrifying - we were pressed so tight together it was hard to breathe!

I think if it had been me, I would have walked to Poly from the TTC and taken a taxi to CR and walked in. Or even taken a taxi from GF once things went south there, to CR and walked in. There are almost always taxis around, and the charge would have been worth the time to me.

I am totally on the side of the CR guests when it comes to trying to park there to go to MK. I've done the circling the lot bit many evenings as a guest at CR, trying to find a space, and it's not fun. I would never even consider parking at a resort to go to a park.

With the additional guests at the new DVC monorail locations (Poly and GF) they are going to have to add some kind of transportation capacity to move people efficiently. Since I doubt that the monorail capacity can be increased, they need to go to a much larger boat, maybe similar to the larger boats servicing FW and WL, so they can move larger quantities of guests.

 

[MaxsDad]

I'd like to know the company that never has any equipment break down. Especially one that is open every day of the year.

And how many people would howl if Disney took the monorails off line to give them the overhaul they desperately need? I think most people would rather gamble that the monorail won't break down while THEY are there.

You are right, but you can still gripe about not having a workable alternative. With the line that long at GF and obvious serious and long delays on the monorail, they should have added buses to the GF and/or TTC. Their failure to recognize, and address, that problem is on Disney. I also realize that may mean rerouting buses from other resorts/parks which could cause longer waits at those areas; however, Disney really needs to establish some sort of contingency plan for when the monorail/ferry are not operating. Especially since, as you noted, they are unable to give the monorail the TLC it really needs.

 

[mikedoyleblogger]

The bottom line in this case is actually the bottom line. It isn't as if the status quo for Disney transportation at WDW is set in stone or unable to be improved. Disney just won't pay for what it would require to take the monorails offline and rehab them--especially in terms of the additional contracted bus service that would be needed.

Some would argue (me included) that there isn't adequate Disney transportation service in the first place. Twenty-minute waits for buses are actually long waits in most major cities, especially at peak times and in the middle of busy days. Disney could shorten those wait times--and save guests time on their expensive WDW vacations (especially since everyone pays for the bus service indirectly anyway, it isn't as if it's really free)--if they wanted to. But they choose not to spend the money to do so.

Every time you wait 45 minutes to get on a monorail or bus at the end of the day at MK, or you wonder what happened to your bus that just won't show up at Pop, or you end up stuck on a broken down Disney transportation vehicle, the fault is not your own. As a WDW guest, you've already paid for that service to be operating, and you have a right to expect that it's operating conveniently, in a timely manner, and in good repair.

WDW often gets compared to San Francisco in terms of sheer size. If San Francisco had the wait times, breakdowns, and unreliability of service that WDW has, it would be a scandal. In fact, it was--this sort of thing led to the "Muni Meltdown" in the late 1990s/early 2000s. It was a nationwide transit story and it cost tens of millions of dollars to fix. And that kind of cost is why the status quo remains the status quo at WDW. It's just another glaring example of how TDO value engineers the WDW guest experience to the lowest common denominator.

 

[SoonerSean]

^ Agree in many respects.

We've stayed all over the MK and have made the decision, when we can, to stay at CR due to the transportation issues we've encountered over the years.

We've become mini-experts on how to navigate the buses if we stay at Port Orleans or Coronado Springs. But every time I inevitably end up wishing we had splurged on CR just to be able to walk - and of course that only works if you're going to/from MK.

We learned long ago to not stress over needing to use a taxi or finding alternatives like boat launches, etc. There's few things that can dampen the start of a day more than turning the corner and seeing 3-4 buses worth of folks lined up for your park bus or ending a day seeing that many waiting ahead of you to get back to your resort. We try and "roll with it" as part of the experience... but it still slicks you at times.

 

[mikedoyleblogger]

^ Agree in many respects.

We've stayed all over the MK and have made the decision, when we can, to stay at CR due to the transportation issues we've encountered over the years.

We've become mini-experts on how to navigate the buses if we stay at Port Orleans or Coronado Springs. But every time I inevitably end up wishing we had splurged on CR just to be able to walk - and of course that only works if you're going to/from MK.

We learned long ago to not stress over needing to use a taxi or finding alternatives like boat launches, etc. There's few things that can dampen the start of a day more than turning the corner and seeing 3-4 buses worth of folks lined up for your park bus or ending a day seeing that many waiting ahead of you to get back to your resort. We try and "roll with it" as part of the experience... but it still slicks you at times.

I like how you think We pretty much decided next time we go back, we'll do it in low season so we can "afford" (more or less) CR in order to avoid some transportation stress. We have sometimes taken taxis at DLR, and we'll probably add that into our WDW repertoire as well. (Though I think being able to get out of MK in a timely manner is probably half the battle for us, since it's our favorite WDW park.)

 

[dwheaton]

Wow. I just don't understand the point of attacking the OP for not following what you would do in this situation. Given how stressful it can be to get into the MK when there's a mechanical issue, I think it's great that the OP had a good time and didn't just give up. Why are people so apt to defend Disney when they clearly were struggling to help out the guests? I recognize that Cast Members are also people and were trying to do the best they can, but the OP was doing the same thing and trying to have a fun vacation day with the family. It's a tough situation all around, but the way it was handled doesn't sound like the best move on Disney's part.

In terms of customer service, I worked for a bunch of summers in food service at the local zoo back in the '90s when I was in high school and college. It gets very hot in the summer, and I encountered plenty of rude guests who were upset over the silliest things. No matter what they said, the most important thing we could do is be professional. You don't have to smile and take it, but you also have to keep your cool and not get dragged into the muck. This type of service is how Disney made its name! In fact, they used to show videos using Disney as a model at employee orientations. While a CM can't be expected to never get upset, having someone disagree with a guest who had a tough experience is just the worst example of poor service.

I'll say that once we started traveling with our daughter, I've found the MK arrival to be the most stressful part of entering any park. While it was set up to be magical, it's also difficult even when it's working well. When they're facing mechanical issues on a busier day (we usually go in off-season), I can't imagine what it's like. Questioning what the OP did doesn't make sense to me at all, especially to get on the soap box about the Resort Monorail. I would have totally done the same thing.

 

[capegirl]

The bottom line in this case is actually the bottom line. It isn't as if the status quo for Disney transportation at WDW is set in stone or unable to be improved. Disney just won't pay for what it would require to take the monorails offline and rehab them--especially in terms of the additional contracted bus service that would be needed.

Some would argue (me included) that there isn't adequate Disney transportation service in the first place. Twenty-minute waits for buses are actually long waits in most major cities, especially at peak times and in the middle of busy days. Disney could shorten those wait times--and save guests time on their expensive WDW vacations (especially since everyone pays for the bus service indirectly anyway, it isn't as if it's really free)--if they wanted to. But they choose not to spend the money to do so.

Every time you wait 45 minutes to get on a monorail or bus at the end of the day at MK, or you wonder what happened to your bus that just won't show up at Pop, or you end up stuck on a broken down Disney transportation vehicle, the fault is not your own. As a WDW guest, you've already paid for that service to be operating, and you have a right to expect that it's operating conveniently, in a timely manner, and in good repair.
.

Yes, I agree. When we purchase our tickets, transportation is included in the price. Ticket holders are not excluded from using resort monorails, or boats. When you pay for a deluxe resort on the monorail, you are paying for the room, amenities, and location; not for the exclusive use of the the monorail, or boats. Many ticket holders have ADR's at these resorts, and they too should expect to get from point A to point B in a reasonable amount of time.
We would rather leave the driving to Disney, but there is no denying that Disney transportation is hit or miss, and personally, our family works around it by either driving to Disney, or renting a car when we vacation during busy times of the year. However, having a car at your disposal, will not protect you from a transportation failure like the OP was so unfortunate to experience. Just consider DTD. Over the years there have been numerous complaints about long waits for busses at this location, and many people will drive to DTD just to avoid it. Same goes for the mass exodus at EPCOT following illuminations. Disney is trying to save $$$ by not increasing the bus service to alleviate these trouble spots. It is a frustrating situation for all of us when you consider that the ticket prices continue to increase. Our vacation time is precious, and we really should expect Disney to be prepared for that out of the blue transportation crisis. As mentioned, if Disney had adequate busses and drivers in service, perhaps the OP would have arrived at the MK much sooner.

 

[PeterPanic]

I'd like to know the company that never has any equipment break down. Especially one that is open every day of the year.

And how many people would howl if Disney took the monorails off line to give them the overhaul they desperately need? I think most people would rather gamble that the monorail won't break down while THEY are there.

Exactly right! In the 30 years I have been going there, never once have I been involved in a Monorail breakdown. It's all timing. Unfortunately, I don't have any control over that aspect. If a piece of machinery new or old is going to breakdown it will. It's just luck! Blaming Disney might make one feel better, but it is a long way from accurate or reasonable. I know it must have been frustrating for the OP in this case, but they also made some bad choices which exacerbated the entire situation. Murphy's Law was in full throttle for them. Even the bad decisions were not foreseeable, they just worked out that way. They could have easily been the wise thing to do. However, Murphy was having none of that.

 

[PlutoCJ]

I posted a complaint on the monorail system in October of 2012. It was a major waste of time to get to the MK. I was there again on June 5, 2013 trying to go to the MK at rope drop. We were delayed 1 1/2 hours going over on the boat, because no one could take the monorail everyone was required to take the boat. On the way back out of the park the monorail system was also down and it took us 1 3/4 hours to get out of the park with it raining. Everyone had to take the boat again to get back to TC or parking. I wish there was an easier way to get to the MK, even if the walk would be long.
On June 5 we lost 3 hours of our day due to the broken transportation system. I do think that is a hardship for the family that we were with that just forked over $400 dollars to see their son's high school band play in the parade and attempt to enjoy the Mk for a day!

 

[jaykorf001]

Why don't they just run buses from TTC when the monorail is down?

 

[chloelovesdisney]

Oh, so sorry OP, that stinks. Since the monorail breaks down so frequently now and they don't seem capable of handling the crowd effectively with ferries and buses, they really should consider building a bridge/walkway so folks have the option of walking. It shouldn't take 2 hours to get from the TTC to the park.

I had an issue at DHS a few years ago and when I spoke with Guest Services I was the first complaint they had regarding the problem. It doesn't seem like when there are major issues in the park or with transportation the CMs report it to Guest Services.