Hi all -
What I'm about to say may not please everyone....but I suppose it will simply fall into the category of personal opinion. If I offend anyone, my apologies.
You cannot find anyone more dedicated to the "Spirit of Pixie Dust" than I am. I met my brand new husband standing in line at Big Thunder Mountain and we are both.....mouseaholics. Both of us have a LONG history with WDW with many years of wonderful memories. We plan to begin many MORE years of wonderful memories together now.
Having said that, I must express my concern and disappointment at the gradual - but continual decline in the physical condition of WDW and Resort Hotels.
I first noticed the decline a few years ago with the bathrooms in the parks after Disney switched to contract employees - cost savings. Remember those days years ago when you could go into a park bathroom after the fireworks and they were clean? With growing frequency I choose to not....inhale or simply wait until I am back at the hotel. By the end of a long day many park bathrooms are simply too filthy.
On our last trip to the Beach Club we found.....balcony furniture broken, lukewarm water, lobby bathroom odor you noticed before you even entered the bathroom, mousekeepers still cleaning rooms at 6 pm at night, light fixtures along the side walkway to IG were not fastened shut (all the covers were loose and askew), trash in the stairwell was not cleaned during our 8-day trip (we picked up the big stuff but the stairwell was never swept - and it was dirty!), decrease in Holiday decorations not only at resorts but also in the parks, gradual decrease in AP perks and event perks (ie: Halloween and Christmas Party perks), paint worn off of high-traffic doorways - you know, where you naturally grab the door (even on GRAND FLORIDIAN doorways!)
It was the little things....but combined simply were unacceptable for a hotel that charges $315 during VALUE season.
This year we will try the Boardwalk instead even though I have been a faithful Beach Club girl for many years.
My husband works for ABC and after slash & burning of two more bureau's last week, we are all too aware of the devistating cost cutbacks Disney has imposed on it's various cost centers. The Resort and Park managers are doing their best with slashed budgets but you can see the difference.
We are all managing our budgets with more attention.....fuel costs, energy costs at home, college tuition - even that gallon of milk costs more now. I appreciate that Disney must keep their costs in line. It's just disappointing to see the parks and resorts loose some of their "twinkle". They are getting a little "shabby around the edges".
Ok, my 2 cents.
Thanks for the listening.
Cathy
