Are the Disney Hotels Under a Microscope on the DIS?

[floridalover]

I personally think that people who have complained so much on this site are being very 'petty' and are 'nitpicking.'

Where else in the world would you get a resort so beautifully landscaped , themed and maintained ? and when you consider the discounts and AP rates, you are not paying more than for an offsite hotel.

I have read many posts on hotels I had chosen to stay at and left feeling disheartened at all the negative posts eg. POR.

I think some of the people that post here expect to be treated as royalty when staying at WDW

My first resort I stayed at onsite was All star Movies and it was perfect.

 

[CrzyforPiglet]

I agree with Lotaluck's points that some people will not be happy regardless and that attitude does have a lot to do with it. We checked into a hotel in Chicago walked through the door and knew right away there were people in it. We went back to check-in waited for the next available person and got reassigned to a beautiful room with a view of the water and Navy Pier. A minor snag that we thought about until we unpacked our bags and hit the town. It was not a big deal and people do make mistakes - even at Disney.

As someone who used to work in the service industry it really "burns my cookies" to hear people dig into some WDW employees and I always think the same thing - haven't you ever had a bad day. Yes - there are always legitimate cases of bad service at WDW and everywhere but I think some of it is blown out of proportion. We had a less than cheery CM sign us in at WL - she didn't offer any information about activities and only exerted enough effort to get us our room keys. Did I think about her again for the rest of the trip - no! Do I think some people might have complained to get comped - yes! The resorts comp people more than they should probably b/c it is the only way to solve the situation and get the complainer to stop. Unfortunately the squeaky wheel gets the grease and some people who have legitimate claims are left in the cold. I feel bad for those who really should be comped and need some Disney magic!

 

[mat2672]

I think people on both sides are right to some extent. I feel that some people that complain are probably people that look for reasons to be unhappy about everything under the sun. But, the thing is that if you pay attention to the complaints, you can tell which are legitimate and which are just nitpicking most of the time. But, I dont agree that we have to be all smiles 100% of the time either if there is a legitimate gripe. I know that when i've decided to try a new disney resort, I do come here and try to see what the general consensus is about that resort, but I dont pay attention to the negative posts about petty things that could happen anywhere on an unlucky day. Now, if I see a complaint that seems to be agreed upon by alot of people, then I give that a little more credence. I also feel that when the prices are what they are that we should be able to expect a certain level of service in general. I guess the point im trying to make is that for the people that dont think that any negative thoughts should be posted here, you need to take a reality pill and realize that you should expect alot for your buck and if disney doesnt deliver whats promised then they should catch a little heat. As far as the nitpicking people who complain if the sun rises a minute late, that will never stop and those people will never be happy about anything. But, I think that they are easy to spot.

 

[goofy4tink]

Let me make an analogy here...I needed a fridge. Went to a small shop. Seems the bigger stores didn't think a woman could buy a large appliance all by her little self. This little shop, a little more expensive, delivered my new fridge next day, took old one away. While taking the old one away, they ripped my brand new kitchen flooring. Not a problem. Told me get it fixed, send us the bill. I have since bought every new appliance there. For the prices? Nope. For the quality service and policy. I know that if I have a problem they will fix it, with no whining. I would like to think the WDW is the same way. I don't expect towel animals or birthday cards in my room. Just a clean room. If they ask when I make a PS if anyone if having a birthday or such, then I would imagine that a card/cupcake was coming. If it didn't then no big deal. I'm done.

 

[Trekker]

Folks

I just wanted to interject here that I find this to be an interesting topic.

My personal viewpoint on this is that people are allowed to post their disappointments and their Magical Disney Surprises. People are allowed to post about their good and their bad times at Disney.

As I’ve stated before, the information provided by these postings is invaluable. If I read a complaint from someone I simply look at for what it is, something that THEY found disappointing. And I ask myself, is this something that would bother me? If the answer is no; I simply move on and don’t really think too much more about it. I do not have to post back and tell them they are wrong.

Just because we do not agree that some situation is worth being upset or worried about, does not mean the person posting it is wrong. It just means we do not get concerned about the same things.

Please remember to keep this thread on the original topic "Are the Disney Hotels Under a Microscope on the DIS?"

It is beginning to digress into a thread about “People should post this” or “People should not post that” Please do not turn this into a debate about what people should or should not post.

Now back to our regularly scheduled thread!

 

[autumnblue]

I don't get to vacation very often but when I do it is usually to WDW. I can sometimes put 1 - 2 years of planning into a one week vacation at WDW as well as several thousand dollars.

I think it is very important that people share there experiences on these boards because it helps me choose. You often see trends developing. No not everyone staying at the same resort is going to experience the same things.
For the time and money I invest into my disney vacation I intend to be a well informed customer and this site really helps. So as far as I'm concerned complain away, if I don't like it I won't read it but more often than not the complaints are legitimate.

My two cents

 

[mat2672]

my final 2 cents. To answer the original question, yes, the disney hotels are under a microscope here on this forum. Call me crazy, but if you have a discussion forum based on resort discussion, then its likely that all of the conversation will be about the resorts, therefore they are under a microscope and should be. I also dont think Disney minds one bit.

 

[perd]

I wonder what Walt would think about the complaints? I bet he would make sure things were run so that the things people are complaining about DO NOT HAPPEN. I think like so many other things, once the person with the original idea is gone, the people carrying on lose site of his vision.

I think Disney needs to look seriously at the complaints and do something about it. It's quickly getting a reputation for not being so magical anymore.

To answer the original question - yes, Disney is under a microcope. But they could use that to their advantage. They obviously are not as top-notch as they once were. They obviously are not as customer-oriented as they once were. If they got things together, made sure the rooms were clean and in good repair and that people were getting their money's worth, people would be on these boards raving about how wonderful they are, just like they used to. There wouldn't be a question of people being compensated for any little complaint, because the complaints would be few and far between if people were getting what they expect (and rightfully so) from Disney.

All Disney has to do is institute a policy of "that is not acceptable here" regarding such things as dirty rooms and rudeness and bad attitudes on the part of CMs whether in the parks or in the resorts and keep all their rooms/properties remodeled and in tip top shape. I would expect Disney to refurbish rooms BEFORE they need it, so not one guest ever has to experience an old yucky room. They can certainly afford to do that and not doing it, to me, looks like the money is going to upper management and not to maintain Disney World. I think each hotel room should be maintained as well as the landscaping is at Disney. They never let the landscaping and grounds and resort lobbies get tacky looking (at least not that I have seen) - so why would they let the individual rooms be tacky?

When I stay in a hotel away from Disney, I research before I go and make sure the hotel is not more than a couple of years old; preferably brand new. Just a quirk I have - I don't like OLD anything. At Disney I knew the hotel was not brand new, but since it was Disney I DID expect it to be nice anyway because I thought that's the way Disney did things.

It kind of bothers me that some people act like if you stay at Disney and there are problems with the room you should just let it go and not be so "picky." I don't think expecting a clean room is being picky at all and I don't think we should just let it go. No, I don't think Disney should offer compensation to everyone who is not happy with their room - I think they should make sure there is no reason to BE unhappy about the room in the first place. I think Disney has to make some changes before they start losing customers.

 

[Robinrs]

Originally posted by markb
Eyesnur,
“From those much is given... much is expected.”

Awesome quote, markb, from an awesome movie!

 

[perd]

What movie? I know it's in the Bible; I just assumed that's where he got the quote from...

 

[countrybears111]

I think it's the attitude that customers are trying to get something for nothing by cast members that are causing so many complaints about disney. Why would someone invest thousands of dollars, take their vacation time and their children cross country to swindle a free room out of disney. It just doesn't make sense to most. I'm sure there are people out there like that, it takes all kinds, but they are an exception to the rule not the norm and customers should not be given a hassle because they want disney to fix a problem they are having with their 200.00 plus a night room at the most magical place on earth, it's just not good business, and this does not seem like the principles that Walt Disney built his legacy on as well. If the rooms were kept up to disney standards there would be little to no complaints because they would have no merit, but when customer service and the rooms are not up to par, complaints are given more credit because it is entirely possible that readers have experienced sub-par service themselves and can relate. The solution would be to offer only the best service and the best rooms and be more attentive when something does go wrong then noone could even relate to the complaints and even be surprised when they do read a complaint. I think if disney accepted more responsiblity for a drop in customer satisfaction and sincerely worked to improve it, instead of blaming the customers who are willing to pay high rates in exchange for great service, they would see an immediate return in customer satisfaction. A disney customer may be hard to please but their loyality certainly makes up for that, but I believe bad service coupled with high prices can test even that loyality. I think we just want the disney that we have experienced in the past back.

 

[DJBounce]

countrybears111: I cannot agree with you more. In MArch of 1998 my DW and I had a belated Honeymoon and stayed at ASMo. Last June we stayed at POR and I was amazed at how much difference there was between the two in terms of cleanliness and wear and tear. Granted, when we stayed at ASMo it was relatively new, but I shouldn't see that as an excuse. Disney spends a lot of money building new resorts to compliment the exansion of The World, but I hope they do not lose sight of the fact that the "older" resorts need their fair share of T$L$C.

 

[alyssa810]

we stayed onsite for the first time at the Hard Rock at universal last January, and were so impressed with the service and cleanliness etc, it really psyched us up for our first time onsite at WDW. People sometimes compare the service they get between the parks, and maybe since I haven't had much experience with the deluxe resorts, I don't see a difference. That is, when we stayed at WL in November, the CMs seemed just as nice and attentive as they were at the hard rock.
I suppose the "have a magical day" might have been a touch friendlier, but that's just Disney I guess.

I think we were just so used to staying at lousy, cheapo motels on 192 that staying onsite seemed so awesome, so awesome that I doubt we'll stay offsite again. I can't wait to see how everything is at AKL next week, and the BC in the fall, and I would stay at WL again in a heartbeat except that I want to see different resorts.

Our housekeeping was fine; we always had plenty of soaps and lotions, and like I said, the CM at the front desk were always helpful and courteous. When my brother (who came to visit us for 1 day) mentioned that we had just gotten engaged, that night when we came back to our room, there were balloons and mickey lollipops, as well as a card from Minnie and Mickey that were unnecessary but a pleasant, welcomed surprise.
I really think the resorts do go the extra step, and it makes a difference. Even if they didn't leave us the treat in our room, I was still totally satisfied with our stay, and feel that my expectations were exceeded.
(I only wish the buses ran on a better schedule...or that just could have been poor timing on our part !!!)

 

[Janet2k]

Background:
A few years ago I found out about “unofficial” Disney websites from the mother of a dance mate of my daughter. I grew up on the Internet during my college years, and I had been visiting WDW for a few years, but I had never given any thought to performing my WDW vacation “research” on the ‘net (I usually did it by purchasing various travel guides and magazines, and also by word-of-mouth from friends & family). Well, after that dance class, I went home, logged onto the ‘net, and did a blanket search on the words “Disney World.” Quite a few websites popped up and I checked a lot of them out. I was amazed at the information that was out there. There were people out “there” who were just like me – they had experiences that they wanted to share and questions that they wanted answered. After a few weeks of surfing various websites, my favorite “unofficial” one soon became the Dis. Even though I frequent a few other websites, I pretty much only post on the Dis.

My response to your “microscope” question:
I always try to be an informed consumer. With everything that I purchase. If that means that I have to put my X-Ray Goggles on, I do so. I gather all the information that I can, and then gather some more. Once I’m beyond the super-saturation point, I sit down and sift through the data until I come up with a framework of information that suits my needs. As to my WDW vacations, I enjoy reading the good and the bad posts (nothing in this world is ever black and white). I have been a member of the Dis community long enough to know what threads I should think twice about opening because the poster’s intent is not always something that I agree with. But they have their right to post, just as I have mine. And I expect to read all sorts of things in my quest for WDW vacation knowledge. Knowledge is power. The Internet is, in my humble opinion, the most powerful medium on Earth. Power to the people.

Excuse me, Eyesnur, while I put my X-Ray Goggles back on. It’s time for me to move along now. I have more WDW vacation research to perform. My next WDW vacation will be here before I know it. “The woods are lovely, dark and deep, But I have promises to keep, And miles to go before I sleep, And miles to go before I sleep.” (Robert Frost)

 

[Robinrs]

Originally posted by perd
What movie? I know it's in the Bible; I just assumed that's where he got the quote from...

It was in the Spiderman movie, hence the picture!

 

[perd]

Sorry! I didn't even look at the picture!

 

[tampafan]

We have stayed at several Disney resorts (ASMu, ASSp, ASMo, CBR, CSR, POR, POFQ, Contemporary, AKL, Poly, Swan, Dolphin) and I can honestly say that we have never had what I would call a negative experience. We have had experiences that were more "magical" than others, but overall, I think that Disney does a great job of providing a quality product.

I must also say that we travel frequently and generally stay at Marriott owned resorts (Marriott, Townsuites, Fairfield, Courtyard, etc.) in various places (Panama City Beach, Atlanta, Jacksonville, Savannah, NYC, Portland OR, etc.) and we have never really had a negative experience at any of them either.

I guess that we are just lucky.

 

[AppleSister1]

I think I may get ripped for this but....

I have noticed that some people expect to get a lot in return for a complaint. Not everyone, mind you, and I certainly have read posts about problems that were not corrected that shock me. But short of moving you to a different room, or fixing a problem, I'm not sure a hotel - even a Disney hotel - owes you anything else. The fact that Disney often offers something above and beyond IS the magic - and magic is most magical when it's not expected.

I travel a lot, stay is some beautiful places - and Disney is right up there. The difference most often is the service. As one previous poster said, when service is amazing my family immediately says "That's so Disney." Have I run into awful CMs? Absolutely! But if you think about the sheer numbers of CMs at Disney, the unimagineable number of guests they deal with - odds are pretty good that if you visit WDW even once a year, you'll run into at least one CM who is grumpy, having a bad day, or just plain mean. Does it have to ruin your whole experience? No, because odds are also high that 99% of the other CMs you deal with are at least pleasant, if not downright delightful.

Eyesnur - I wonder if Disney has thought about tracking their guests. That wouldn't solve the whole problem, because I'm sure not suggesting that first-time guests with complaints should be ignored - but if numbers of repeat and previously happy guests are complaining about the same bad service, dirty rooms, etc., it would certainly help define what the real problems are.

 

[Mis4Mouse]

Since I am sort of new here, I'd like to add that on the whole, I'm finding more raves that rants regarding the Disney resort experience. That may be because I choose to skip many of the subject headings I think might be negative, unless it specifically mentions something I might want to know regarding my own upcoming trip.

I would hope that an intelligent lurker would read these posts and realize that Disney may be "magic" but it's not perfect. I expected to read both the good and the bad here. I was not disappointed! That helps me to believe I am trying to be an educated consumer. If I came to the boards and read only "good" experiences, I would not be able to consider the information here legit.

Statistically speaking, there is a skew here, based on the fact that more people are likely to take the trouble to complain than to compliment, but then again - it's the same as everything else... you mention that your pregnant and you hear every pregnancy horror story under the sun - doesn't stop people from having babies.... you buy a car and hear nothing but quirks and issues with that edition or make... even top of the line cars.

So is the forum unfair to us who are new and trying to gather info? I don't think so. I make it my own responsibility to gather info, sort it for pertinance and relevance to my own needs and go from there. I for one like hearing everyone's experience, good or bad. It won't necessarily make me choose not to stay at a particular place - Is Disney under a microscope here, yes to an extent. The rest is up to us each to decide I think.

sorry to be so long winded - just wanted to add a newbies perspective..
S

 

[awatt]

As in anything,if you charge a premium for what you offer,you should expect to be under the microscope.
And if you deliver what you promised or advertised,you should have no problem.
Stayed at the Breakers last week. Was more expensive than rooms at Disney. But I did not mind as everything was so exceptional,and I feel I got what I paid for.