Aaaahhhh! Why did I look at Tripadvisor????

[Dis2times]

I read part of the thread about the posts on tripadvisor.com. I've never been to tripadvisor.com, so I took a peek.

Someone please remind me that bad reviews are not the norm. Now I'm all freaked out because a number of reviews mentioned really slow check-in (1hr) and really slow boat service from WL to MK. One of the main reasons we've selected WL is the boat transportation...we figured it would be faster than buses.

I know, I know, not all bad experiences are the norm. And I know some people LOOK for something to be wrong (saw a .25 inch spot on the wall behind a bed that was only visible if you put a flashlight to it=terrible stay, etc.) But it can plant the seeds of doubt in your mind, kwim?

Someone order me to never go over there again!

Lisa

 

[Dis2times]

HEY! I just noticed I'm a Mouseketeer now, lol!!!!

Lisa

 

[rcraw45425]

Our check in there in October was not that long at all. The boats aren't bad but take into concideration that the boats to MK aren't as big as the one that goes over from the Ticket & Transportation center and it also goes to Ft. Wilderness. There is also a boat to the Contemporary but it is completely open to the elements, by all means take a jacket! We almost froze at 6PM in October on it. We had no bus issues during our stay either. I agree about some people just looking for something to complain about.

 

[goofy4tink]

When we stayed at the CR last summer we took the boat to WL many times. It was wonderful. I think you'll find that more people post their bad experiences than good ones.

 

[Kimberle]

I've looked at tripadvisor a little bit. For WDW advice, I much prefer the folks on the DIS. You can kind of get to know a disers posting "style". I have found quite a few people who seem to have similar tastes as I do. I tend to "value" their opinion more than others. KWIM?

What I'd do, read the reviews of a hotel(s) that you have already stayed at. If you find the "measuring stick" fairly similar (once you weed out the really really "good" and really really "bad" ones) to your stay. Then you can see if these folks have stayed at a resort you are looking to stay at.

Also, I've found (on the dis as well), that there are some folks who are "experts" at all aspects of a resort when they have only stayed there one time for one night.

Anyhow, that's kind of how I "sift" throught the tons of information available.

Hope this makes sense!

(PS, during our WL stay, we LOVED the boat. We found it better than the monorail during our CR stays. Our check-in also was pretty quick.)

 

[Disney Ag]

My last trip to WDW was in June 2004 and stayed at WL for the first time. My family and I have stayed at other resorts and think that this is one of the best. I don't remember check-in being any more involved that at PORS or FtWC. My DDs(2&6) LOVED the boat ride to MK. That was one of the great parts of our stay. You will love it!

 

[Nolcrest]

Also keep in mind that many people will post a negative comment yet not even mention a pleasant one.

 

[rcraw45425]

Amen! We too loved the boat. We would have booked WL for this weekend except I thought that the crowds would make boat travel a little tedious. It's so neat to take the boat to MK, gives you a little time to gather your thoughts and wake up in the morning. You also get to see a different side of the resorts that you don't see from the monorail, bus, etc.

 

[Luv2trav]

Also keep in mind that many people will post a negative comment yet not even mention a pleasant one.

I agree with this statement. When people are upset they look for a way to express their feelings.

 

[wld]

The boat was one of the few things we really enjoyed about our stay at WL in June 2003

 

[jenjersnap]

I've looked at tripadvisor a little bit. For WDW advice, I much prefer the folks on the DIS. You can kind of get to know a disers posting "style". I have found quite a few people who seem to have similar tastes as I do. I tend to "value" their opinion more than others. KWIM?

What I'd do, read the reviews of a hotel(s) that you have already stayed at. If you find the "measuring stick" fairly similar (once you weed out the really really "good" and really really "bad" ones) to your stay. Then you can see if these folks have stayed at a resort you are looking to stay at.

Also, I've found (on the dis as well), that there are some folks who are "experts" at all aspects of a resort when they have only stayed there one time for one night.

Anyhow, that's kind of how I "sift" throught the tons of information available.

Hope this makes sense!

(PS, during our WL stay, we LOVED the boat. We found it better than the monorail during our CR stays. Our check-in also was pretty quick.)

Kimberle's tripadvisor method is pretty close to mine. Honestly, even with non-Disney properties, I have generally found that the tripadvisor reviews are a little harsher than my experiences ... and I am not that easygoing when it comes to hotels.

I stayed at WL for the first time last week and fell in love with the place. It was a magical time for DS and myself. I would recommend checking in at an off-peak time if you can arrange it - I think long waits are possible at any of the resorts with so many customers passing through. Also, I found the boats both relaxing and intermittently frustrating (The trip out to FW seemed L-O-N-G and make sure there is no FOG before waiting. We had no idea that fog made the boats not run at all; there was no signage or CMs about to warn us. We were nearly late for our character breakfast after waiting 1/2 an hour for the blue boat to the CR, ended up having to take a cab to the T&TC and then the monorail to MK.)

Good luck and have a great time!

 

[henrylovespooh]

We stayed at WL in 2003 and I thought the boat service was very timely and fantastic. We never waited long for a boat to MK and we rarely waited for a boat from MK to WL. At peak times, more than one boat was running. If you are concerned about getting to MK on a EMH morning or for something important, just get down there a little bit early.

 

[newcomer52]

We stayed at VWL in January. I was a little concerned about the boat transportation, thinking it was a long walk from the Villa. I was completely wrong. The boats were wonderful. Never waited more that five minutes to boat to MK. One night after Wishes the wait back to WL was about 25 minutes, but several boat were running so the line kept moving pretty steady. I think you'll be happy with the boats. We took the boat to CR a lot to board the monorail to various places. Have fun.

 

[J.C.&ALI'SMOM]

The boats do move sort of slowly. You might not have to wait long for one, but it takes a few minutes to get to MK or the Cont. They are not fast transportation. Enjoyable, but not fast.

 

[TheIncredibles]

...and some people go on a vacation and "work at it" for some reason, too.

I would like to tell these people to "let chance have a chance", or "go with the flow", i.e., slow down and get to know your family or loved ones standing with you while waiting for that blasted boat...could turn out to be memorable and valuable 10 minutes...

 

[MickeyMouth]

HEY! I just noticed I'm a Mouseketeer now, lol!!!!

Lisa

We just got mousketeered a last week! It's funny how something like that can make your day!

 

[disneyfan67]

Also keep in mind that many people will post a negative comment yet not even mention a pleasant one.

I made a point to write 3 very good reviews on the hotels I stayed at. In fact I just wrote one on on the Poly even though I stayed there 2 years ago, I just got tired of reading negative reviews of my favorite resort. Some people are way too picky and I called them on it. Some of the comments on the Poly were uncalled for and those bitter few who wrote those reviews will never be happy with anything in life! Having said that, I believe in tripadvisor and shows the power of the net and people like us and maybe some of the hotels will change for the better with the feedback. Hey, if you know what you like don't worry about what others think!

 

[CarolA]

Keep in mind that some people don't understand the whole boat deal. (I was once in Fort Lauderdale where you take water taxis. The woman we were waiting with was berating the resturant since she called the cab 5 mintues ago and cabs always come right away.... she just didn't get the boat concept. She was so bad my BF and I waited on a SECOND cab. My BF said otherwise she was going to swim!)

Check in at ANY Disney hotel can be slow. They usually have lots of people working, but you add in the ticket buying and the 1,000 questions the guest might have.... and it just takes a few mintues.

The other thing about TripAdvisior is that sometimes the same person will post LOTS of times. (There was a poster on the DIS who posted varations on the same basic review about 5 times on a hotel. I could tell it was her by the "storyline")

 

[LukenDC]

I am a big fan of TripAdvisor.com and I use it extensively to select hotels. That said, for my upcoming WDW trip, I have relied more on the DIS. Unlike TripAdvisor, one can engage the reviewers and find out exactly why they liked or did not like a particular aspect of a resort. For information on WDW resorts, the DIS is the place to go.

 

[dkrause716]

I don't know what it is with Trip Advisor. People just seem to write reviews to complain! We stayed at the WL last July and loved it. Transportation was never a problem and the boats especially were very enjoyable. Even at park closing we never waited long. Disney transportation is great in my book and part of the whole experience. Don't worry!