Concierge Etiquette

[PartyOf5a]

We stayed at the Poly concierge last July. Boy, the lounge was crowded at 5:00. The first two nights there were lines that wrapped around the lounge and out the door. I couldn't believe it. Then I realized what was happening. The sliding door on the opposite side of the Hawaii building (away from the lounge) was broken. Anyone could walk it without key entry and the door would just slide open for you. I confirmed this when a bunch of teenagers walked in telling their friends how they've been getting free food all week.

I did tell the concierge desk about the door and the next day there was hardly a line at all in the lounge as they immediately fixed it.

During this same stay, there was this one family that spent a lot of time in the lounge. They camped out at a table in the corner with a couple little ones. The mess they left behind was unbelievable. Mind you I can understand messes with little ones. I've been there myself (I also clean up after my family)...this was the worse I've ever seen.

 

[DisneyFans4]

I just don't understand these people and how they were brought up to act like that!!
You made me laugh when you spoke of those that ate while going through the line...I saw that many times as well.
I just recalled being in the laundry room at the Poly and a male concierge guest (I knew he was a concierge guest since he had the Poly robe on) was in there with myself and another woman doing his laundry!!

 

[CheezDoodle]

**Donning flame proof suit**

I don't like it when an entire family comes to the lounge in their pajamas. I think it is okay for a toddler, but I think anybody over the age of 4 should come to a public place appropriately dressed.

Certainly not meant to offend...

My mom nor dad does this, but I do. My cousin Lindsey does this too. I'm 10 and Lindsey is 20. We don't do this in the middle of the day, but only if it's later than 11:00pm. It's actually kinda' funny to see us to bums in sweats and oversized t-shirts walking around a five star hotel!

 

[DisneyFans4]

That's exactly what we saw during our last trip...long lines wrapped around and down the hall. I knew guests from the other building were coming in because it's so easy to come in from the outside. The sliding doors don't work well at all!! All you have to do is put pressure on the one side and you can open it. That is why they should take some advice from the Swan and have a book when you enter the lounge and sign in.
It is so unfair for the concierge guest to pay that extra money to have those services and the other guests are getting it for free.
It's probably those guests that come into the lounge looking like they are going grocery shopping!!!
At least you spoke up and took care of it. How many others probably saw the same thing and did nothing. Good for you!!!!

 

[pirateofthecarolinas]

Tammi and Anne, I agree about children going through buffet lines. When we go to the country club for the buffet lunch you better believe my husband and I are with our 10, 8 and 2 year olds. We help them serve their plates. I don't care how many times you tell children not to touch the food, they sometimes forget.

I was grossed out at the Poly by the number of adults in robes and pajamas. One man, a doctor, came to the lounge barefoot. EEWWWW.

I also saw 4 men bring large bottles of their own alcohol to start a private PAR TAY in the lounge. They got so loud and boisterous that several families with children left. The CMs said nothing.

Lori

 

[steveanddonna]

Fortunately in our 15 Poly CL stays we have had mostly good experiences, but there have been a few guests who were unforgettable. Last March there was a 30-something man who wore his very large beer-belly proudly and nakedly above his swim trunks and bare feet. He would come to the lounge every afternoon, eat a PB&J sandwich in one bite, and wash it down with a beer. Twice we also saw him stuffing PB&J sandwiches into his backpack, and this was when they were still served unwrapped and cut in half. Eeeew!

 

[nwdisgal]

I have never stayed Concierge level at a Disney resort, and after reading this post, I have no interest in it for the future. I stay Concierge level at non Disney resorts for business and pleasure all the time. Ducklite is right - there is a different crowd of people (mostly business types) at these other places They are well behaved and understand basic etiquette from my experiences. I am just appalled when I read about people showing up in their robes and pajamas and shirtless with bare feet. That would just do me in.

Yah, I think some people stay Concierge at Disney to supplement their meal plan. I just feel bad for all the people on these boards who like that level of service at Disney and the ammenities are being taken away because people hord water bottles, donuts, and whatever else.

 

[DisneyWisher]

Many I will not post, as some of you may not desire to stay Concierge if I did! The others, are similar to what many have already posted. I've seen the "cookie hoarders" in the lounges, and the soda thieves! They actually take at least 6-8 cans at a time, and place them in a back-pack. On one occasion, a CM approached the woman (presumably the mother of the perpetrator) and requested they cease the pilfering! This woman became so incensed, she raised her voice when replying to the CM, so everyone in the lounge could hear. It was your typical "defensive" scene.

When checking into Poly Concierge, we were told by the CM to feel free to stock our mini-fridge with sodas provided in the lounge. So the lady you were speaking about might have been told the same thing. Just doing what they were told they can do.



[/QUOTE]Tammi...thanks for stating the facts! I have more "graphic" images of the unattended children helping themselves to a "taste-testing" while at the table in numerous lounges. Completely ruins my appetite. I actually "alerted" a CM to the problem at the CR...and she quietly addressed both the child & parents in regards to health codes. I've also witnessed children "pile" the food high upon their plates as if they are at some type of dinner buffet. Perplexing & frustrating. [/QUOTE]

Health codes??? If Disney was concerned about health codes, only CM with gloves on would be handing out the food. Since no gloves are used, the person that picked up those tongs 4 people in front of you might have a cold or illness that is now spread to you. My advice is if you are concerned about dirty hands would be to pick up things with napkins provided.

 

[TaurusSES_Sport]

This may be paranoid, but I’m always worried how that the food is left unattended. Anyone could slip something in it and could make everyone sick. Crazy? Maybe, but just a thought.

 

[floridafam]

Well, we've had the pleasure of meeting "booger boy" at YC CL. His parents would bury their faces in the newspaper while he destroyed the entire lounge and then picked his nose and wiped it in the cupcakes.

At WL CL, one couple would come down to breakfast every day with their robes on. The robe barely covered the man and he only had a pair of boxers on underneath.

 

[EthansMom]

I am ROFL!



EthansMom

 

[GoofyinNY]

I agree with EthansMom, I'm just !

 

[tinknsnow]

Well, we've had the pleasure of meeting "booger boy" at YC CL. His parents would bury their faces in the newspaper while he destroyed the entire lounge and then picked his nose and wiped it in the cupcakes.

OMG
Hide the cupcakes!

 

[bard721]

I am both amused and saddened by all these posts. DH and I have been on club level floors at non Disney hotels for business and pleasure and will likely continue to do so. One of the nice perks for us is to get some suggestions about dining, events etc from the people who are working as the host or hostess. I am not surprised that Disney is putting an end to some of the food offerings and bottled water as it seems clear it has been abused in big and small ways. Why not put several bottles of water per day in each guest room for those staying and paying for conceirge. Of course at two to three dollars apiece in the parks, Disney would certainly be losing money if guests at the resorts were taking grocery bags or coolers full of water bottles.

 

[Sammie]

In my opinion...........MY opinion, folks seem to go to a huge extreme with the WDW concierge. I've stayed in quite a few hotels around the country.....and the ones that leave me slack-jawed are the folks at WDW.

I don't care if I get flamed.........if money is sooooo tight and you stay concierge.........and expect to eat all your "meals" from the concierge offerings......you need to stay somewhere else.......somewhere within your real budget.

Wiping out the entire lounge without regard to others is very low class. Going to the lounge in your pajamas is low class.

If you have to "ask" what concierge IS, what the "food offerings" are..........well, ...............

well I guess I will be able to add concierge snob to my list of titles after I share my opinion.

I agree with the others. And as Dreamflight shared if you stay often enough you have seen it all. I to have stayed at concierge at other hotels and agree the abuses are worse. I think when Disney began to discount concierge you have some that suddenly see the cost within their budget, if they use the lounge as a subsitute for meals. Concierge was never meant to be a subsitute for meals, with the only exception possibly being breakfast. It is a snack situation.

I have read the posts on Internet forums, will the food in the lounge save me enough to justify the cost? That is not what concierge is about. I think many at Disney have never stayed concierge and really have no idea what the protocol is.

We had a family group our last visit to the Polynesian, that literally would clean out the offerings on a daily basis. They were a family of 5, even then I could not imagine how they could eat so much. One day while waiting in the lounge for the rest of my family the woman of the group came in later than usual for the afternoon offerings and pickings were slim by then. She was irate, she wanted to know why they did not keep refilling everything like they do at Shoney's. The CM tried to explain they plan on the appropriate amount of food based on occupancy, it is not "all you can eat." She then proceeded to tell the CM she hoped he was happy as her 3 kids would have no dinner because they would not restock the lounge. I guess he felt sorry for the kids and went in the back and did get her some cookies for them. Later on I saw this family going to get on the monorail to go back to the parks and the kids were crying, saying they were hungry. It was horrible. I won't even repeat what was said to them.

I have also witnessed one family staying concierge and having large groups come over to visit them in their room. They had one person go back and worth from the lounge taking food to the larger group. One even had a list of what each person wanted.

I am sure some will say how do you even know this. If you have stayed concierge you are not blind or deaf to the other people in the lounge and they are not quiet about what they are doing either. One of the main reasons we like concierge is to use the lounge to wait on others in your family getting ready to go out. We sit around, have a soda, and read the paper. If you spend much time doing this, in a week's time you know the regulars.

I had the pleasure of being in the room next door to the ones sneaking in the others. They would go to the end door and let them in a few at a time and go in the room. Then the people actually staying there would go to the lounge and make multiple trips to the room with food for all. Plus kids are great about letting the world know what they are doing, they are just so honest.

And no I did not police them, I just shook my head and went on my way. But I won't stay concierge anymore because Disney allows this to happen or they punish everyone by making changes. I will just stay lagoon view and order room service.

 

[queenmichelle]

We had a family group our last visit to the Polynesian, that literally would clean out the offerings on a daily basis. They were a family of 5, even then I could not imagine how they could eat so much. One day while waiting in the lounge for the rest of my family the woman of the group came in later than usual for the afternoon offerings and pickings were slim by then. She was irate, she wanted to know why they did not keep refilling everything like they do at Shoney's. The CM tried to explain they plan on the appropriate amount of food based on occupancy, it is not "all you can eat." She then proceeded to tell the CM she hoped he was happy as her 3 kids would have no dinner because they would not restock the lounge. I guess he felt sorry for the kids and went in the back and did get her some cookies for them. Later on I saw this family going to get on the monorail to go back to the parks and the kids were crying, saying they were hungry. It was horrible. I won't even repeat what was said to them.

That is just disturbing You pay all that money for a room you'd think you could fork over another $30 bucks and get some hotdogs at Casey's.

 

[Lives4Disney]

I agree with Sammie on many of her points. We always stay concierge. Usually only around to take advantage of Bfast. However, on our first and probably only stay last August at the Poly - because of the heat we were around more during the day. I saw so many people acting like GREEDY PIGS I was shocked. People were pushing and nudging to get to the food they wanted. Saw slobs coming into the lounge, making hideous messes, letting their kids be gross and piggy and not bothering to clean up after themselves. Just disgusting. Once or twice we made it back for the evening treats. People looked like they had been there for hours drinking their beers and wine and pigging out. They were using it like a bar. The lounge CMs were not very nice or friendly at all - I can kind of understand why, though. My husband HATED the Poly and this lounge scene had a good deal to do with his opinion. Between the scummy behavior of the guests and the nasty, crabby CMs it is no wonder we didn't enjoy that stay. We felt like the people we encountered there had no manners, class, or discretion. Never saw anything like it before.

It is such a shame that so many things have changed with the concierge offerings, but I guess it is understandable if this kind of stuff goes on more often than I have encountered.

Lives4Disney

 

[uva185]

I travel quite a bit and usually stay on a club level or concierge level room. I have never seen any behavior remotely close to what is described in this post. I have never stayed in a Concierge room at Disney because they have never been available when I make my reservations. After reading this I don’t think I will book a concierge room at Disney. If I do, I will definitely avoid the concierge lounge all together!!

 

[DisneyMim]

Yes it is sad. I've seen people camp out for hours, I know because we've been in there, back to our room to change and relax and have past the lounge on our way out. These people just eat the food in the lounge and they eat everything!! Very rude. The food is a snack, not a meal. I love the guy (and we saw him two years in a row!) who asked every morning for a loaf of bread. He then grabbed handfuls of those little peanut butter packets. I imagine they make sandwiches to take to the park for lunch. I've seen people take ALL the cookies in a bag. I've seen people take whole bottles of water, the large bottles, not the small ones, when clearly the cups that are next to them are meant for people to pour the water from the bottle into them NOT take the whole bottle! Unreal. I know I will sound mean, but concierge isn't designed to help save money by only eating the food that's there, but it has become that.

 

[nasmith]

Yes - Yes- Yes!!! Thank Goodness I'm not the only one who thinks that some guest's behavior in the concierge lounge is ridiculous!! I so agree with all that has been said !!!

We've stopped staying at the Poly concierge due to the fact that it seems to attract the worst of the "All-you-can-eat / camp-out-in-the-lounge/ put my feet up on the table in the lounge / Don't control my kids" crowd. It's ashame, really, because the location is so handy - and the CMs are lovely ---

I've also seen parents who told their daughters to quit whining because they had missed dinner (the 5pm offerings) and that they would just have to eat desserts for dinner that night when they put them out (this was at AKL). Honestly people - a hot dog in Mara's is only a few bucks ....

My favorite was this past December - a Woman and her 20-ish daughter were staying one night in concierge in order to do the sunrise safari ---- and I don't know what they expected - but they were standing in the lobby that night screaming at the CMs (using Language I CAN"T repeat here) because their every need hadn't been met (The luggage hadn't arrived promptly, the food was gone, etc.) (I was waiting to speak to the CMs regarding some PS I needed to make). The next morning at the safari breakfast, the complaining continued ("We have to sit next to the door?" "Eeew gross there is a smudge on the bottom of the plate"---side note - Does anyone else check the bottom of their plate before dining- or am I the only one who doesn't???). It was really quite distracting to those of us trying to enjoy our day, not find every fault with it!...I think they expected to be treated as royalty or something! I was thankful that they were there only the one night - I would have hated to run into them all week!

Okay, enough !omplaining - Thanks for starting this thread!! Jill