Customer Service and Quality Control at the Fort?

[WDWFWfan]

Hi everyone, just made a reservation to FW for this July-August. Haven't been there in a couple of years, but in the past it has always been sooo clean and orderly and the CM's have always been SUPER friendly! This is a major part of what makes the Disney experience so magical.

However, I have heard that over the last couple of years that things have gotten worse and are not the way they used to be. CM's are not quite as friendly, comfort stations are not as clean, etc.

Somebody please tell me it's not so?!?

Still looking for that magical experience that's always been there.

 

[Swimnoid]

Well, we stay in cabins so I cant talk about cleanliness of comfort stations but two weeks ago our cabin was very clean and the maid service was great. Every contact I had with any cast member was great.

 

[ynottony99]

IMHO FW is still the standard for campgrounds/RV resorts. Of course you may find a less than helpful, or not so friendly CM from time to time. The comfort stations are checked several times throughout the day, and kept very clean. I know that some have had some not so pleasant experiences, but when people are involved, it isn't always going to be magical......IMHO!!!!

 

[bigdisneydaddy]

Some of the stories have to do with the time of the year also. The Holidays tend to be a little crazy and staff is stretched thin. All in all Fort Wilderness is THE standard in campgrounds.

 

[catalexander]

We've never had anything LESS than a Magical Experience at the Fort!

The comfort stations were always EXTREMELY well maintained (I wish my bathroom at home stayed that clean! LOL! ... gotta talk to MY mousekeeper... oh wait.. that's ME! )

I think it's the old adage that if you make 1 person unhappy they tell EVERYONE, and the person who is happy doesn't tell anyone...

I would venture that more often than not guests at FW have a wonderful time. That's why it is the resort with the highest guest retention rate.

 

[WDWFWfan]

Just to let everyone know, I am not trying to criticize FW (I absolutely love it!) or to compare it to other campgrounds. I do not believe that there is anything else that compares to it.

I was just concerned from what I had read that employee moral was at an all-time low and things weren't quite as pristine as they used to be. I desperately hope that the information is erroneous, just seeking the advice of others who have been more recently than myself.

Somebody, please make my day!!!

 

[WDWFWfan]

... gotta talk to MY mousekeeper... oh wait.. that's ME! )

Catherine, does that mean that you work at Disney?

 

[Rhonda]

Nope - FW is just as wonderful, beautiful, friendly, and clean as it's always been!!

Of course, there's always the chance that a CM will not be having a good day, or you use the Comfort Station right BEFORE they're scheduled to be cleaned so it's not as pristine as you'd expect, etc, etc. But, all-in-all, you won't be disappointed!!

 

[CottontailCurl]

I wish my bathroom at home stayed that clean! LOL! ... gotta talk to MY mousekeeper... oh wait.. that's ME! )

!!!

About not clean CSs at the fort; after many many trips I can only recall one time when I went into a CS and it wasn't up to the standards I was used to; one September during Night of Joy weekend. The loop I was in was maxed out with people. There were several large groups that had 10 people per site throughout the loop so that made for a lot of people using the comfort station. It only makes sense that to keep up with that many people using the CS, they'd have to go in there every 1/2 hour to clean!

 

[GbG]

I was just concerned from what I had read that employee moral was at an all-time low ...

Might well be true. They've been working without a contract for some time and just got another extension without resolution. Unions.... gotta love 'em
(Former unhappy teamster, here)

 

[bigdisneydaddy]

Might well be true. They've been working without a contract for some time and just got another extension without resolution. Unions.... gotta love 'em
(Former unhappy teamster, here)

A union local is only as good as the members make it. Having said that most of the Teamsters I know are rarely happy about what happens in their local. They have too much diversity in the job classes, ranging from Librarians to excavator operators at DPW. Its too hard to keep that diverse of a group happy.

IAFF L1335

Scott

 

[MBMacs]

Only problem I ever had in FW was with security when someone hit my car with a cart. Again, it was security not FW staff, so we just keep going and enjoying our time.

 

[DavidH]

I am a former castmember. We called that "Bad Show" and Bad Show was simply not acceptable. The insistance on Good Show has not changed over the years, but the available pool of castmembers has. When I started in 1989, there were many more applicants than available positions - Disney was able to pick and choose. By the time I left in 1996, we had many empty lines (jobs) and some of the folks we got were not quite the "cream of the crop". Takes a while to weed them out. Disney and the whole Orlando area grew faster than the number of people willing to work service jobs.

Even with that...Fort Wilderness is the BEST campground and Disney is still the BEST resort....

 

[WDWFWfan]

Thanks for the encouragement to all! Who knows, maybe I'll go down there to work as a CM when I retire (about 25 years from now )and do my part to make sure that the magic continues!

 

[Donna]

Might well be true. They've been working without a contract for some time and just got another extension without resolution. Unions.... gotta love 'em
(Former unhappy teamster, here)

It even happens at the deluxes. At our Poly stay last year, i had to call and complain because a tray of food was left in the hall for hours (breakfast food and it was now dinner). After coming back from the parks and seeing it there STILL, i asked the mousekeeper (maybe college program) nicely, to please have it removed first chance she got and her words to me were "huh, welcome to my world". my mouth about hit the floor. I went down to concierge desk and told the CM and she was stunned that i got that response. It was then immediately removed.