Did Disney ruin me.... or is it Covid??

[Kmedders]

My family and I just returned from a trip to Seaside/30A for the first time. It was beautiful. But, service everywhere we went was subpar, we noticed trash everywhere, prices were so high for EVERYTHING, the workers seemed very unhappy to be working, the AC in our condo broke so we had workers in and out for 6 days straight with a box of donuts as an "I'm sorry"..

At one point, I turned to my husband and said "I miss the Disney service and cleanliness."

Has Disney ruined my expectations, or, are these issues a result of Covid? I know in general people are just more irritable now. But, this trip cemented the reasons we go to Disney. I know we all complain about the prices at Disney - but honestly - I felt they were either just as high or higher in Seaside/30A. Our family of 4 did not get out of a dinner for under $150. And we noticed that most restaurants go ahead and add a 20% gratuity up front - so good service really isn't required to get a tip there.

I'm just curious of others thoughts on this - do you expect Disney level service everywhere you go?

 

[Stargazer65]

I would say in general...service everywhere is not as good as pre-covid due to understaffing issues, Disney included. But I do expect a higher level of service at Disney, it's part of the magic, so I expect less at a lot of other places. To a degree I feel I do get a higher level of service at Disney, but I know everyone has differing opinions on that.

 

[dioxide45]

Disney is a controlled environment. Outside the bubble it is pretty much a free for all and you won't have the consistency between restaurants and resorts like you find at Disney. There isn't someone regularly picking up trash that is on public property and each business is responsible for their own spit of land. The service at Disney has gone down just like outside the parks, but there is still a noticeable difference between the two. Seaside is also a planned community and I am sure rents are high and prices go along with that. There are likely cheaper beach towns in Florida. We live in Florida and always stay offsite when in Orlando and have yet to see any restaurants automatically add gratuity.