Bad experiences

[Georgi Zhukov]

I've been to WDW in each of the five decades it's been open and it's just as special as it's always been. The only significant way it's changed in terms of the overall experience in my opinion is that it's WAY more expensive - as everything else seems to be these days!

Most people (guests and CM's alike) we meet at WDW are lovely. Do we run into the occasional jerk? Of course, but that was as true in the 1970's as it was during my last trip in 2012.

I think Kelly said it best. If you expect a perfect vacation (or anything for that matter) you are going to be disappointed, ESPECIALLY when dealing with people - who, as we all know, are far from perfect (except me of course ).

Have a great trip!

 

[Waltgirl]

Funny you posted this. My wife and I, along with our 2 kids, just came off a 10 night stay at WDW. We had a GREAT trip, as we always do, this is our 8th with the kids, but something was definitely "off".

There were a LOT of rude people in the parks. I saw things I never saw before, like a guy literally hopping out of the boat on Pirates to take a picture. Yeah, really. I saw things like people letting there kids walk into the gardens around Epcot to take pictures, and many more things I have either not seen, or been oblivious to before. This is not meant as a negative, but I noticed quite a few of them to be non english speaking guests. They were down right rude.

I also noticed the cast members were far, far, FAR less happy, Disney, magical than they have been in the past. Yeah, we still got some good ones, but overall, I think they are sick of the rude, idiot guests too. I know I would be.

Regarding issues with rides. We had at least one major attraction in each park break down, or be down all day, during our trip. Never had this before either.

I've been going to Disney for a long time. I'm 45, and been doing this since I'm 10. It HAS gotten worse, and it is NOT the same as it was even 10 years ago. Does Disney care? Probably not. They are raking in more money than ever, and frankly, I don't think they care about much else anymore.

Will I continue to go? Sure, for now, as it is still a good value compared to other things, but if anyone thinks it hasn't changed for the worse, they are wearing some Disney goggles or something.

Steve hits one out of the park. Thank you.

I wasn't planning on doing surgery on the restroom floor, but I remember when it WAS clean enough to do it, if necessary. We should bemoan the fact that people are willing to accept it now, in that state, not that others want it back to the surgical state.

When you accept mediocrity, you will only get mediocrity.

Waltgirl

 

[nessz79]

This post reminded me of some articles I read from the early 1900's. The people in the articles were talking about how disrespectful the youth of today are and the general decline in society.

It was funny because they could have been written yesterday.

Yup.

When do many people think this was written?

“I see no hope for the future of our people if they are dependent on the frivolous youth of today, for certainly all youth are reckless beyond words. When I was a boy, we were taught to be discrete and respectful of elders, but the present youth are exceedingly wise and impatient of restraint.”

Many would think this was written in the past century. It was not. This is a quote from the Greek poet, Hesiod, over 3000 years ago.

I'm not saying things don't change...they certainly do. But so does our own perspective during our own lifetimes.

 

[luvthemouse71]

I had a bad experience at the store at Wilderness lodge while I was there last December. I paid with a 20 and got change, did not count at the time and when I got back to my room realized I was $10 short. I went back down imediately...this was early in the morning...store had only been open a short time. I told the CM at the register (same person who completed the transaction) he responded by telling me I counted the money when I put it in my wallet, I then told him that I did not count it, just organized it and put in wallet. He then argued that he gave it to me. He was very rude/confrontational...he said he could count the drawer but would need to get a manager...I agreed. He came back and just gave me the $10....It was not about the $10, I would have much rather the drawer be counted at that point and find out that I was right. If the drawer was correct I would have appologized and figured I dropped it somehow on my way to the room.

This is weird, because when I was there in May, I also got shortchanged by a male CM in the WL shop. In my case, I realized it right away and there was another CM standing there, so I ended up getting the proper change back.

When I worked retail, we were always told to put the bill on top of the register keypad while we made change so this doesn't happen. Either this guy is just bad with money,or there's something dishonest going on..

 

[UpstateMick]

Without a doubt, each trip is less magical. It is certainly not what it used to be in the mid 90,s, but it's still a great vacation spot. Overpriced and significant decline in guest services and overall appearance. People are people no matter where you go...some great, most good, many rude and obnoxious. We just go in another direction if we experience rude,loud,or annoying guests or groups. Disney is so big, there is always somewhere else to go

 

[airforcemomof2]

You'll learn to take a lot of what you read on these boards with a grain of salt. While you will find lots of great, useful information here, you'll also get a great deal of negativity. I, for one, will share our most recent Disney experience in hopes that you won't worry so much. We just visited the World from 8/11-8/20, our first time going in the month of August. After reading so many negative comments about August (too crowded, too Hot, feet melting on the pavement, etc.), I began making myself nuts early on in the planning stages and had to stop. I began to tell myself that Disney in August was better than no Disney at all and with that I prepared myself for the worst and hoped for the best. Well, I'm happy to say that this recent vacation was the BEST trip we've had so far and I can tell you that I thought all of our past trips were pretty great. Was it hot? Yes it was. Did our feet melt? No and we actually found both the crowds and heat to be very manageable. We are no longer "park commandos" so we toured a little differently. We head out early in the day, left parks by noon, ate lunch, rested by pool side, headed in for quick naps and air condition breaks at the resort, and head back out to the parks after dinner when the weather was much nicer. We managed to do all the things that we wanted to do and the best part of the heat? It forced us to really stop and "smell the roses". I can't say enough positive things about this trip...we loved it so much that we are planning another vacation next August and I'm so glad that I didn't put too much weight on the negativity for if I had, our trip could have gone in a total different direction. Don't stress, go with the right mindset and have a wonderful time!

Thank you for this! Don't mean to hijack the post, but we are planning a Christmas trip, and although I know it's crowded, and I am realistic, I am SOO super excited to be going to Disney at all. The negativity here has been bringing me down a bit and now I'm really nervous about our trip. I will think of your experience when the "man" gets me down

 

[MDChris]

I feel like some of these comments are misconstrued. The appearance isn't the same? The guest services aren't what they used to be? On what scale is the bigger question. Things are not always perfect there but compared to a lot of places they are significantly better.

I don't think every post has to be glamorizing but I do believe some of the posts here paint a negative picture which is not entirely true. Sure, after our trip in December we are going to take a few years off because we don't want to burn out.

I still love the place though regardless of whether the napkins are blank or every single CM doesn't make me smile with glee.

 

[UpstateMick]

I feel like some of these comments are misconstrued. The appearance isn't the same? The guest services aren't what they used to be? On what scale is the bigger question. Things are not always perfect there but compared to a lot of places they are significantly better.

I don't think every post has to be glamorizing but I do believe some of the posts here paint a negative picture which is not entirely true. Sure, after our trip in December we are going to take a few years off because we don't want to burn out.

I still love the place though regardless of whether the napkins are blank or every single CM doesn't make me smile with glee.

For what Disney charges, napkins should be gold and CMs should carry me when I'm tired.

 

[mking624]

Steve hits one out of the park. Thank you.

I wasn't planning on doing surgery on the restroom floor, but I remember when it WAS clean enough to do it, if necessary. We should bemoan the fact that people are willing to accept it now, in that state, not that others want it back to the surgical state.

When you accept mediocrity, you will only get mediocrity.

Waltgirl

It isn't a matter of "accepting mediocity." It's a matter of not expecting perfection. I don't walk into the parks with a white glove running my finger over everything. But neither do I wear rose colored glasses. I realize that there are things that can be improved, but I also realize people are only human and make mistakes. Rides break down...sometimes you just can't prevent that. Bathrooms are dirty...with the amount of people going in an out of them each day, I don't expect a CM to be on each person's heels with a toothbrush in hand to scrub the speck of dirt that may follow. And I have never experienced anything less than stellar guest service. If you want to "bemoan" the fact that I accept Disney for what it is, have at it. I promise I won't lose any sleep over it. I am just thankful I don't have such a critical spirit that I find it necessary to complain about things that simply happen. I'd much rather just enjoy my vacation and the memories that come with it. Especially when Disney is considerably better at what it does than any other amusement/theme park I've been to.

 

[KellyNY]

Steve hits one out of the park. Thank you.

I wasn't planning on doing surgery on the restroom floor, but I remember when it WAS clean enough to do it, if necessary. We should bemoan the fact that people are willing to accept it now, in that state, not that others want it back to the surgical state.

When you accept mediocrity, you will only get mediocrity.

Waltgirl

It is not about accepting mediocrity but accepting reality. Things happen. I had bad experiences as well but while they were upsetting me when they happened they did not affect my vacations. Those few moments simply are not enough to say it is mediocrity, it is perfection with a little room for "life happens", that is all.
And to be honest if I believed that Disney is mediocre, I would just stop going, instead of keep going and keep complaining.

 

[Waltgirl]

It isn't a matter of "accepting mediocity." It's a matter of not expecting perfection. I don't walk into the parks with a white glove running my finger over everything. But neither do I wear rose colored glasses. I realize that there are things that can be improved, but I also realize people are only human and make mistakes. Rides break down...sometimes you just can't prevent that. Bathrooms are dirty...with the amount of people going in an out of them each day, I don't expect a CM to be on each person's heels with a toothbrush in hand to scrub the speck of dirt that may follow. And I have never experienced anything less than stellar guest service. If you want to "bemoan" the fact that I accept Disney for what it is, have at it. I promise I won't lose any sleep over it. I am just thankful I don't have such a critical spirit that I find it necessary to complain about things that simply happen. I'd much rather just enjoy my vacation and the memories that come with it. Especially when Disney is considerably better at what it does than any other amusement/theme park I've been to.

I am not comparing it to perfection. I am comparing it, as are others, to what it used to be. To the standard that TDC set for itself. That standard was so high, that even as it has fallen, it is stiil, as you point out, heads above the rest.

I am not "bemoaning" your opinion. You are entitled to your opinion. My point was it seems as though many posters complain about posters that bemoan the fact that standards have fallen, rather than bemoaning the fact that standards have fallen.

It's wonderful that you choose to overlook things that "simply happen" but dirty bathrooms are a maintenance (and health) issue that can be remedied, not just a random occurance. It is also nice to hear that you have always experienced stellar guest service and I hope you never have to deal with the opposite. Unfortunately, according to many posts on this thread and others, not everyone has had your luck.

 

[Waltgirl]

It is not about accepting mediocrity but accepting reality. Things happen. I had bad experiences as well but while they were upsetting me when they happened they did not affect my vacations. Those few moments simply are not enough to say it is mediocrity, it is perfection with a little room for "life happens", that is all.
And to be honest if I believed that Disney is mediocre, I would just stop going, instead of keep going and keep complaining.

Accepting reality? Let's consider a hypothetical: Ten years ago, the bathrooms were immaculate. This year, there are overflowing garbage cans, toilet paper and paper towels all over the floor, etc. In your opinion, I should just accept the situation as reality? Why is there a mess? An increase in traffic, cutbacks to maintenance staff? Guests that are more careless? It doesn't matter, because if guests can identify the problem, so can TDC and the reality is it is under their control whether or not to remedy the situation. To make an excuse that "this is the way it is and we should just accept it" is unacceptable to me, about anything in life really, not just Disney. If no one complains about declining standards, nothing will ever improve.

 

[KellyNY]

Accepting reality? Let's consider a hypothetical: Ten years ago, the bathrooms were immaculate. This year, there are overflowing garbage cans, toilet paper and paper towels all over the floor, etc. In your opinion, I should just accept the situation as reality? Why is there a mess? An increase in traffic, cutbacks to maintenance staff? Guests that are more careless? It doesn't matter, because if guests can identify the problem, so can TDC and the reality is it is under their control whether or not to remedy the situation. To make an excuse that "this is the way it is and we should just accept it" is unacceptable to me, about anything in life really, not just Disney. If no one complains about declining standards, nothing will ever improve.

In all my trips I saw dirty bathroom twice, 2 years ago and not a single one this year, so according to your logic, there is improvement in this area.
Thing is, dirty bathrooms always were, are and will be there, you just not always happen to enter during those 10 min when CM did not clean yet. So while you or me can from time to time experience bad things as I said it falls in category "room for error" or simply reality and does not qualify as "problem".
As for complaining about supposed decline, complain where, on Disboard? If it really bothers some people they should complain to Disney, right when it happens, every single time and they should stop going, speak with your money. I do not accept excuses like "I spend less in Disney" or "instead of 3 times I go twice a year". If it truly bothers, there are plenty of destinations other then Disney and if complainer continue to go and continue to look for something to complain, I cannot take those complains serious, it is just complaining to complain, that is all.

 

[Waltgirl]

In all my trips I saw dirty bathroom twice, 2 years ago and not a single one this year, so according to your logic, there is improvement in this area.
Thing is, dirty bathrooms always were, are and will be there, you just not always happen to enter during those 10 min when CM did not clean yet. So while you or me can from time to time experience bad things as I said it falls in category "room for error" or simply reality and does not qualify as "problem".
As for complaining about supposed decline, complain where, on Disboard? If it really bothers some people they should complain to Disney, right when it happens, every single time and they should stop going, speak with your money. I do not accept excuses like "I spend less in Disney" or "instead of 3 times I go twice a year". If it truly bothers, there are plenty of destinations other then Disney and if complainer continue to go and continue to look for something to complain, I cannot take those complains serious, it is just complaining to complain, that is all.

Ah, but it is a problem if numerous people acknowledge the same issue. And many people are noticing the decline at WDW. I only used the dirty restroom as an example but it applies to any of the other complaints people post about. However, it was the perfect example because this is a problem experienced almost universally throughout the world in public restrooms and it is easily resolved. Too many papertowels on the floor? Hand dryers. Too much toilet paper or dirty sinks? Bathroom attendant. Unrealistic in a theme park? Increase the number of employees so it can be inspected or cleaned more frequently throughout the day. You can profess it is not an issue that bothers you, but let's not pretend it's not a real issue.

I agree with you that it is most effective to complain at the time of the incident rather than waiting. But people also have a right to complain on the Disboards or other places where people with the same interests congregate. After all, complaining to other Disney fans has its benefits! The people are familiar with what you are referring to, may have had a similar experience or more often than not have the knowledge to counter with an intelligent argument. There will always be posters that exaggerate or are overly dramatic in their postings. Such is life, but we always have the option to ignore those posts.

As an aside, KellyNY, I am always pleased to see you respond to one of my posts, as you clearly explain your position and are passionate in your opinions.

 

[maxiesmom]

Steve hits one out of the park. Thank you.

I wasn't planning on doing surgery on the restroom floor, but I remember when it WAS clean enough to do it, if necessary. We should bemoan the fact that people are willing to accept it now, in that state, not that others want it back to the surgical state.

When you accept mediocrity, you will only get mediocrity.

Waltgirl

I think a huge part of the parks not being as clean as they once were is that many people are now slobs with no respect for their surroundings. People seem to think that paying to be at WDW means the can throw trash on the ground, because someone is paid to clean up after them.

And how many of us are willing or want to pay even more for a trip to WDW so that they can pay another 200 CMs to clean up after the slobs? It is a vicious cycle--some think that by paying a lot of money for a trip that entitles them to act like pigs. Then they have to charge even more to keep up with the pigs.

I will say too that while did see some messy restrooms during my trip this past March, there was almost always someone in there, trying to clean. I think one time there was not, and that was the restroom by Peter Pan during EMH. It stood out to me because it was so messy, and no one was around. I will never get why it is so hard to put the paper in the trashcan when you are done, and why it is so hard to flush!

 

[mickeyspal07]

I think a huge part of the parks not being as clean as they once were is that many people are now slobs with no respect for their surroundings. People seem to think that paying to be at WDW means the can throw trash on the ground, because someone is paid to clean up after them.
I will say too that while did see some messy restrooms during my trip this past March, there was almost always someone in there, trying to clean. I think one time there was not, and that was the restroom by Peter Pan during EMH. It stood out to me because it was so messy, and no one was around. I will never get why it is so hard to put the paper in the trashcan when you are done, and why it is so hard to flush!

I agree 100%. The bathrooms aren't messy from the lack of Disney janitors cleaning them. They are messy because of the thousands of guests not flushing toilets, missing the trash cans with their paper towels and considering it unsanitary and too much work to pick up, and leaving giant puddles of water everywhere(i may have gone overboard on the last one but i'm self diagnosed OCD so) It seems like where a lot of the issue lies is people think that if they don't do something someone else will. Like if a pregnant woman gets on the monorail and the seats are taken up by a bunch of people who can stand just fine but still won't give up their seat, or when people leave a giant mess at a CS restaurant table, or when people drop something (ice cream, wrappers, etc.)and they just walk around it. I believe that they want the woman to be able to sit down but they don't want to give up their seat when there's other people to do it and they want the park to be clean but they don't want to pick up after themselves because "they are on vacation and there are janitors who will do it" But thats just my 2 cents

 

[mommyrosa2]

Sadly, today it's not just the kids -- but their parents as well...

This exactly! I can't even tell you how many kids I saw on this recent trip "punching" their parents, running around and acting like animals in the most inappropriate times and places and the parents were not disciplining at all and on a few occasions seemed to encourage their behavior. One morning we were at O'Hana for breakfast & overheard a dad tell his two kids who were clearly driving him nuts to go "run off some steam", his words exactly. The waitress had to keep asking them to please sit down b/c they were getting in the way of others trying to take pictures with the characters and the parents did nothing...these kids had to be around 7 &9. Even my youngest DD at 14 couldn't believe what she was seeing

 

[mommyrosa2]

I think a huge part of the parks not being as clean as they once were is that many people are now slobs with no respect for their surroundings. People seem to think that paying to be at WDW means the can throw trash on the ground, because someone is paid to clean up after them.

I totally agree here and saw a lot of this as well.

 

[maxiesmom]

I agree. When I hear people saying that we are becoming selfish and an entitled society, I feel those people don't know their history very well. US or World history.

I don't need to know world history. I know what I have seen and experienced with my own eyes, over almost 30 years of working retail.

I know when I first started we never ever had people using the fitting rooms as a toilet. Now it happens about every other month. We never had to kick the men out of the womens fitting room. They could figure out a fitting room in lingerie was meant for women only. Now it happens all of the time.

People are becoming more and more entitled. As if spending money someplace (or even thinking about spending money) means they can throw stuff on the ground and yell and cuss at the employees. Just this past Friday someone threw a box of shoes at one of my managers because we didn't have the size they wanted! Who does that???

Count yourself lucky if you don't have to deal with the entitlement attitude, but it is out there!

 

[Senator Tressel]

Oh me, oh my. Society has been going down the toilet according to the bitter old people of the time for the past thousands of years. I'm sure THIS MOMENT right now will be the one time it's actually been correct.