2006 October DisneyWorld Trip *Complaints*

[Denicio]

1st Post here on this wonderful forum. My family and i just got back from 8 days in the Orlando area. We have been 8 times since 1997. The 1st 6 times have been beyond my wildest expectations, then in 2000/2001 we noticed a change for the worse. It appears that who ever is watching over the parks is letting quality and customer service slip...and fast! Here is the letter i sent to disney. Seeing that Disney used to be the biggest cheerleader of "Legendary Customer Service Training" which is one of the formost Customer Service training camps, it pained me to see the parks in this much disfunction. Here was my letter i sent to the general disney mailbox they sent me when i registered. Does anyone have a way to reach "Someone that matters" at disney?

I hope this does not fall on deaf ears...........

Greetings,

My family and I are Disney junkies. We go from Memphis to Orlando about every 2 to 3 years. I guess you could say we are a typical Disney vacationing family. We have many many other choices but we always choose Disney.

We JUST got back from our trip this year (October 6th thru 14th) and was our 1st time staying off property. There are many pluses and minuses for both sides, but if we were to do it all over, we'd stay on property. The hassle of driving is too much.

Let me get to the point of my letter.

What has happened to the Disney Parks? The quality seems to be rapidly slipping away from you guys. I am SO VERY PRO DISNEY and would never say an ill word about the parks, but as we were there, we mentioned many times how things seem to be changing for the worse. Last time we went, back in 2001 we had a couple of rude cast member experiences. But this time trouble seems to have manifested its self all over every aspect of the park. I could not believe what we were experiencing.

Let me go down a quick list of things we all noticed.

1. The monorail system smells like a petting zoo. It smells like the abandon side streets here in Memphis on beale street that the bums use as bathrooms. Walt would not be happy about this at all. We noticed this last time too.

2. A bus driver driving a Disney Resort bus mounted a curb and almost ran over my kids. No kidding! This happened at Downtown Disney. Its not like we snuck up on this bus, we were in plain sight and the driver just kept coming. I sat there stunned at what I saw.

3. The audio tracks on Haunted mansion kept coming in and out, like bad cell reception. This is NOT acceptable. The same thing happened on Test track. It would start, and stop in the middle of a word.....a minute would go by and it would resume. It would make no sense to a 1st time visitor. We know these rides well and my kids even asked what was wrong. Why would Disney allow this to be a normal thing?

4. The safari drivers at Animal kingdom sounded like they dreaded the next word they had in their script. This was my sisters families 1st time at Disney. It took some convincing to get her to come down, and she mentioned that it sounded dull, monotone and tired. One of the drivers passed us in the queue and she looked madder than hell! Happiest place on earth?

5. The ride Haunted mansion and Spaceship Earth stopped at least 5 times in the middle of the ride. And on Spaceship earth we had a Cast Member who was seating us get verbally forceful with my wife. Not nice at all.

6. We LOVE dining at Si-Fi, its a must do for each of our Disney trips. We do it EVERY time we come. This time the food was horrible, the waiter helping us looked 'put out' that we were there, service was really bad, the cast members always have interacted with the funny 'b' movies on the screen, which adds to the si-fi experience...not a sound. AND we did not get Frisbee's with our 2 kids meals. Now I could swear the prices did not go down on my meals, but what I got was sub par service, and a far less of a Disney experience. I sat astounded.

7. This one is a minor one, but we went to the SLUSHY store over by Pirates of the Caribbean, and they have 4 things on the menu...2 of which are slushi's....guess what was broken? Its like going to a seafood restaurant and them telling you they have no seafood. If this were a 7-11...its no big deal, but this is DISNEY, who ONCE prided themselves in "legendary customer service"...I know cuz I took the course!

What I witnessed this time was heartbreaking. The prices are sky high, but the level of service has truly fallen. I always wondered how Universal Studios could compete with Disney. I felt they could never RAISE the bar high enough...what is sad is they don't have to...Disney is lowering the bar so low that its easy for them to catch up.

I feel all patriotic in side when I see Mickey mouse. Its like a marine seeing an American flag. This time we were soooo disillusioned that we are probably going to just do a Skanky Six-Flags vacation next time. It appears that who ever is overseeing the parks has lost Walt's vision. It kills me to say that, but what we experienced this past week is proof.

We did have some good experiences, it was not all bad, but the bad far far overshadowed the good.

I'd love to talk to anyone who cares about this. I've got all my receipts if you guys need help tracking down the facts.

I hope this does not fall on deaf ears.

Dennis Cupp
Memphis, TN

 

[SeattleMark]

Did you send it here?:

Walt Disney World Guest Communications
PO Box 10040
Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830-0040

 

[Denicio]

I emailed it. But i guess i should also put it in the mail too.

If it were 6 flags, or even universal, these issues would have been easily looked over.

I've been to disneyworld when they were at the top of the game. I've seen what they can do. I've experienced how MINDBLOWING it all can be.

This time was one dissappointment after the next.

I've also noticed many of the cast members are 'moodier', some are less friendlier. This has NEVER been the case.

Dennis aka Denicio

 

[Zippa D Doodah]

That really is a shame that you experienced so many things that took some ofteh luster off of your vacation. We are soon making our 8th trip, and while we have experiencd excellent service 99% of the time, now I'm worried . Let us know how WDW responds.

 

[OctDisney]

We are going in 8 days and I hope we do not experience it.

I believe that Disney like everything else is going to slip since society in general is slipping. I am not sure that disney can keep up with everything as it gets bigger they will lose control.

Also, expectations are sometimes unrealistic.

 

[theresak]

We went two years ago, when my son was 3. I mentioned how fun it will be to ride the monorail again - he said "I don't want to go on the monorail Mom - it smells stinky". He remembers!

I still can't wait.

 

[Missus Toad]

Just a note to say yes, the monorail did smell like a stable for some reason! We all commented on that -- what is up?

 

[A M&Asmom]

Maybe it stinks from all the stinky sweaty people getting on and off it all day. It is pretty hot in Florida.

 

[Denicio]

We are going in 8 days and I hope we do not experience it.

I believe that Disney like everything else is going to slip since society in general is slipping. I am not sure that disney can keep up with everything as it gets bigger they will lose control.

Also, expectations are sometimes unrealistic.

I'd almost agree, but my expectations are based on past experiences.

Every time we go, we do Si-Fi.
This time our waiter didnt smile, didnt cut up, was just a warm body.
Our food was truly terrible. I can eat just about anything. But this HAMBURGER did not even get finished! And i was starved.
In years past the kids meals got frizbee's. Not this time...but your darn tootin' they charged me the same...if not more.
What made it even sadder is that duirng the movies, when the Big Growing Dude gets the shot in his foot...generally cast members scream. It makes it fun when they interact. Based on what we had seen in the 1st few minutes, i told my wife to be silent when it came on the screen to see if they uttered a sound. Almost as expected it was dead silent.
They took my 85.00 lunch tab, but delivered a exceptionally sub-par product.

Thats ONE of several things that really caught me by suprise.
I'd like to think that luck was not on my side this trip. But we saw a slight decline last time we went.

When i married, my grooms cake was Mickey. We honeymooned in Disney and stayed at the Coronado springs. Disney is "Stupid Expensive" and i dont mind paying STUPID prices when i get "Legendary Customer Service" but i felt like kmart had taken over the parks and i was getting raped.

Now, dont get me wrong, we had a good time, but too many bad things stuck out that broke my heart.

I can still remember the 1st trip in May of 1997, when i got home, that 1st week back to work...i felt lost, lissless and missing.....i felt like i had just left a best friend behind..so much so that i took the girl i was dating BACK THAT SAME YEAR in October (that girl became my wife a year later). I was like a coke addict needing a fix...i had to get back to the parks. Part of me was missing and the only way to be complete was to go back to WDW. Its been that way ever since, but this 2006 trip really slayed me. Something is wrong in managment, quality is slipping. Pretty soon they will be stooping down to Six Flags quality.

Dennis

 

[Missus Toad]

Maybe it stinks from all the stinky sweaty people getting on and off it all day. It is pretty hot in Florida.

But why suddenly now? Out of the many many trips I've taken, many in the heat of August, why is the monorail suddenly all horsey? It smells like they're transporting cattle after hours!

 

[balletomane]

We are going in 8 days and I hope we do not experience it.

I believe that Disney like everything else is going to slip since society in general is slipping. I am not sure that disney can keep up with everything as it gets bigger they will lose control.

Also, expectations are sometimes unrealistic.

That's a very good point, OctDisney. My DH has a most difficult time finding workers for our business that meet his standards. He says the work ethic is just not there anymore. People do not seem to take pride in their work like they used to. Maybe Disney is having the same problem. Can't hire the people you really would like to have if they are applying.

 

[MyGoofy26]

But why suddenly now? Out of the many many trips I've taken, many in the heat of August, why is the monorail suddenly all horsey? It smells like they're transporting cattle after hours!

If I'm not mistaken, they refurbished the interiors of the monorail a few years ago. I remember going down right after all the talk about it being redone and we walked on and my cousin's 3 1/2 year old pinched her nose, scrunched up her face and yelled, "ewww! Is that Magic Kingdom poop?!" It's not as strong now as it was then (still not GOOD, just not as bad, LOL) but I bet it has something to do with the vinyl on the seats or some other material used inside.

 

[Denicio]

But why suddenly now? Out of the many many trips I've taken, many in the heat of August, why is the monorail suddenly all horsey? It smells like they're transporting cattle after hours!

THe monorails have been operating since the mid 80's if not earlier.

This is a recent phenomonon.

Stinky Sweatty people have been riding it for years, in the hottest of summers.

Its a recent problem.

We rode the monorail at least 7 times last week. ONE did not smell at all. But the rest either smelled of Urine or a Petting Zoo.

Dennis

 

[krismom]

I asked a monorail CM at the Grand Floridian about it and he said that the smell is attributed to a defective glue that was used to adhere the carpeting... they have tried to numerous times to fix it- to no avail.
Not that that makes it ok-

 

[Denicio]

Disney and thier IMPROVEMENTS! Its killing me.

They improved the Monorails to smell like a truck stop bathroom.

They improved Alien Encounter with Stitch.

They improved..................

Enough Already!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Leave well enough alone.

My original thought remains....who is managing these parks? They are doing a tragic job and will be loosing die hard disney fans.

Bring the DISNEY's back to Disney. You'd figure Roy and his kin would have a clue to what Walt's original vision was.

Walts vision certianly was not a urine smelling monorail. He would not stand for it. If they Futzed it up several years ago, why have they allowed it to continue? This is what i am talking about. SOMEONE at disney has to know they stink of a petting zoo....so why have they NOT DONE SOMETHING ABOUT IT?

They spent thousands of dollars ruining Alien Encounter, but leave the Monorail Stank alone....go figure!

Dennis

 

[dbk1029]

The monorail has been running at least since the Contemporary hotel opened many, many, many, many years ago.

 

[phantom728]

Having worked in customer service for the past 15 years, the past 6 as a manager, companies want to know when they are missing the mark. I've worked for several of the largest food companies in the country (all brands most of us use everyday) and they would take every note seriously, however most general mailbox correspondence doesn't make it to the higher ups.

We had a problem last year when we booked a cruise and after searching the internet steadily and patiently, I found the email address for the CEO and President of the company. I sent an email to the president stating what happened and what my issues/concerns were (worded in a nice way of course). I sent it on Friday and Monday morning my TA called me because she had received the initial call from the office of the President (they then followed up with me via email relating the same information and included contact information if any problems when we boarded the ship). They were able to correct the issues to my satisfaction (even threw in some extra cruise credit) and I really appreciated them taking my concern seriously. So many other companies wouldn't and because of this incident, I'll be a loyal cruiser with their company.

I also put a small suggestion in the letter and just recently learned they are offering a new program for military (which they weren't before), so wondering if my wording had any impact, but one will never know.

I think that your letter is very well written and explains the why/how, which is very important so the company knows what happened and why it upset you. If you don't get a satisfactory response, then definitely go to the next level. Anymore, if I'm unhappy, I skip levels because I don't want the runaround that can sometimes happen. I've been in the business too long and know too much.

Keep us posted on your outcome.

 

[Denicio]

Having worked in customer service for the past 15 years, the past 6 as a manager, companies want to know when they are missing the mark. I've worked for several of the largest food companies in the country (all brands most of us use everyday) and they would take every note seriously, however most general mailbox correspondence doesn't make it to the higher ups.

We had a problem last year when we booked a cruise and after searching the internet steadily and patiently, I found the email address for the CEO and President of the company. I sent an email to the president stating what happened and what my issues/concerns were (worded in a nice way of course). I sent it on Friday and Monday morning my TA called me because she had received the initial call from the office of the President (they then followed up with me via email relating the same information and included contact information if any problems when we boarded the ship). They were able to correct the issues to my satisfaction (even threw in some extra cruise credit) and I really appreciated them taking my concern seriously. So many other companies wouldn't and because of this incident, I'll be a loyal cruiser with their company.

I also put a small suggestion in the letter and just recently learned they are offering a new program for military (which they weren't before), so wondering if my wording had any impact, but one will never know.

I think that your letter is very well written and explains the why/how, which is very important so the company knows what happened and why it upset you. If you don't get a satisfactory response, then definitely go to the next level. Anymore, if I'm unhappy, I skip levels because I don't want the runaround that can sometimes happen. I've been in the business too long and know too much.

Keep us posted on your outcome.

Phantom,

Thanks for your advise. The biggest problem i have is this...HOW do i get to the 'higher ups' at disney?


Any suggestions?

Dennis

 

[Jennasis]

First of all, I take exception to the notion that the monorail smells like a stable. I OWN a stable, and my barn smells quite lovely. HAHAHA. I couldn't resist.

I always wonder why someones FIRST posts would be a complaint of Disney on a Disney fan board, but hey...whatever. IMO many of you r"complaints have valid reasons.

1. The ride stopping periodically was likely due to CM's needing to load a handicapped rider. Omnimover vehicle HAVE to stop to allow these guests to board.

2. The "pee-pee" smell is due to materials used in the refurb. I did not notice it at all when riding several monorails last October. Perhaps you have a sensitive nose...but then again, I suffer from scent triggered migraines and I was fine. Hopefully the smell will lessen as the materials age and settle over the next few months (or will be replaced).

3. The CM's not being "into" your Sci-Fi dinner. I didn't realize they were part of the show. I've eaten many times at Sci-Fi and never had an interactive meal. I go to 50's Primetime for that (and have had varying degrees of enthusiasm from CM"s over the years). The lack of enthusiasm you experienced as well as the decrease in food quality is PROBABLY due to the Dining plan. CM's are being tipped way less than usual, but the restaurants are filling up because of the food savings so mass production is running rampant. This is a legitimate beef and needs to be addressed. I'm not a fan of the dining plan.

4. Ride audio cutting out. Seems to be a big problem on TT lately. When we were there last year our entire video display screen in the vehicle was black for the whole ride. It stunk...but we just kept on keeping on. I do agree that Disney needs to be vigilant and proactive about repairs.

To this day I have never experienced a rude, unfriendly or unhelpful CM or one that was unwilling or unable to make a bad situation right/happy/magical. Disney's Cutsomer Service is still "legendary" IMO. There is no place I'd rather go on vacation. Disney STILL is head shoulders and ears above the rest. but that doesn't mean there isn't room for improvement. Please let us know when you get a response.

 

[phantom728]

Phantom,

Thanks for your advise. The biggest problem i have is this...HOW do i get to the 'higher ups' at disney?


Any suggestions?

Dennis

Meg Crofton was named President in August of this year. Sometimes you have to search the internet using lots of different searches to find the email or direct address. Any correspondence address to her, this will at least get it noticed.
Typically the email address is the persons name (sometimes with period inbetween) or initials (with last name) @ company.com. (this case disney.com)

Sometimes it can take some really patience and cleverly worded searches, but they are out there somewhere.

Good Luck.