Did you have any disappointments while visiting WDW?

[cnaumann]

cnaumann..... please don't think this rude...
But I think your post should be on the debate board.
These don't sound like "disappointments" but "opinions" about the state of things at WDW.

That is not rude at all. I am new here and I am still learning my way around. Thanks for the feedback.

 

[smkjt]

MGM Studios is a tiny park, and in my opinion has only two major venues. Tower of Terror and The Rock’n Rollercoaster are top-notch, must see attractions. They are two of my favorite rides. But what do you do in the park for the rest of the day? It is fine that MGM is supposed to be a working Studio, but that does not really impress me that much as a park guest.

CNAUMANN................YOU NEVER MENTION "LIGHTS MOTOR ACTION" SHOW! A MOST SEE!!!

 

[offkilterfan]

Let me start by saying that we go to Disney every year, and we aren't one to complain about the little things, but this is the first time we ended several days on a bad note. First, at Blizzard Beach, we had someone go through every pocket and zippers in our bag and left it in the open, open for anyone else who might want to take something. Good news is that they were only after cash or credit cards. We never leave anything of value in the bag or if there is, we get a locker. There was nothing to take except for our change of clothes and towels, which they left behind. It was an "unmagical" way to end the day. Remember not to leave anything of value out.

The very next day, we had another situation occur. Once again, we are used to the way PS's/ADR's work and have never had an issue before. We check into the Rose and Crown for our 8pm ADR's and got the usual, it will be 10-15mins, here's your pager. While waiting to be checked in, there is a couple in front of us without ressies, who are begging to get in and asks the hostess to go "talk to her manager and see what they can do for them". Now if we aren't standing listening to all of this, it wouldn't have been so bad. So we now have been waiting 15-20mins, watching several other families that came after us, getting seated...still not that big of a deal. Then the hostess comes over and gets the name of the couple without ressies and tells them they will get in, but will be about 10-15mins. So we have now been waiting about 25-30mins and you guessed it, they get beeped and we are still sitting there. The best part is when the gentleman "smirked" at us, when they got beeped.(we had been sitting in the same area so we saw everything that was going on.) I go to the counter right behind them and ask when we will be seated and they say it will be just another moment. Needless to say this did not make us too happy. It had been almost 45mins. Probably, the icing on the cake was when the couple without ressies also got the last outdoor seating(by the time we got seated it was time for Illuminations) and we were seated next to the kitchen. There is no guarantee you will be seated outdoors, which would have been fine again, if we didn't already know that the other couple didn't have ressies and we did and they got the preferred seating. We spoke to the CM, they gave the standard answer that the couple had ressies and were being seated according to check-in time, which was not true! The service was slow and the food has been better. We have eaten here before and has always been good. Just wasn't the ending you want.

On a good note, we had a great dinner at the Yatchman Steakhouse. Oscar was our server and he was great.

 

[dixipixi]

The only complaint I've ever had with a Disney hotel was the Caribbean Beach. Our room was in serious need of a thorough cleaning/updating. The mousekeepers did a good job everyday, it was just that the room needed far more serious cleaning (carpet shampooing, new paint, cleaning the tile grout).

But, it must not have been that bad because we've been back 4 times since then!!!!(we did stay at different hotels, however).

I can honestly say that we have NEVER had a bad waitress/waiter at any Disney restaurant. Maybe we're just lucky...but our waitperson has ALWAYS been exceptional. As for the food, we've never had terrible food either. Sometimes it's just ok...but we've never had anything that was truly bad or unedible.

I was also disappointed with EMH. It didn't work for us at all. After we attempted it on 2 separate occasions, we just decided to give it up. It was a big disappointment, however, because it was one reason we stayed onsite.

 

[Disneymaddness]

The only disappointment we have ever had was this past July 17. Something went wrong with the Wishes music and after we wished for Genie's freedom the rest of the show was silent, only fireworks! That was near the end of our trip so we weren't able to see Wishes again. So I feel like I haven't really seen Wishes yet. Very disappointing.

 

[milmore104]

We only have one re-occuring disappiontment...

WE HAVE TO GO HOME!!!!!

 

[russtwinsmom]

They changed the Tiki Room.

 

[Ardenne]

Our biggest disappointment that Disney could have done something about was the overcrowding on the busses. They had standing room only at least half of the time, it seemed. I realize a lot of people go to the parks at opening and leave at closing, but it still seemed like they should be able to handle the volume better, especially considering that the time we were there wasn't that crowded overall compared to the busy times of year.

Our biggest disappointments that Disney couldn't have done anything about were a) the constant rain and b) rude people. My two worst ones: at one point, I found a park ticket on the floor of a restaurant, and after asking around at the nearby tables, turned it in to a CM... and just as I turned to leave, I heard a woman sitting in the same area saying loudly, "I have no idea where it went. I can't find it anywhere." So I walked up to her and said, "Excuse me, but what did you lose? I just found a lost park ticket, was that it?" She practically bit my head off telling me emphatically that she was NOT talking to me, she was TRYING to talk to her husband, and it was NOT a park ticket she lost, and get out of her face! Sheesh, I was just trying to help. And then on a different day, a woman kept edging closer and closer to us while waiting for a parade, and my 2 yr old DS inadvertently lost his balance and stepped on her toes (she was wearing flipflops.) He immediately apologized, as did I. I expected that to be the end of it, but she went on to lecture him, going on and on and on until he was nearly in tears. I picked him up to comfort him and told her that he had apologized, and to leave him alone, at which point she glared at me icily, remarked to everyone in the vicinity how it's no wonder children are rude when they have rude parents, and stalked off. DS was upset about it right up until the parade distracted him

Mostly, though, our trip was great. The bad experiences are so memorable just because they just seemed so out of place when everyone else was so pleasant and friendly and having so much fun.

 

[Ardenne]

They changed the Tiki Room.

Oh, yes, I was so disappointed by that, too! I miss the old show!

 

[tmanaster]

YES! I expected my children to not fight, to not get irritated with DH, and my toddler twins to not poop in their diapers! It IS Disney...that's not too much to expect right????

Honestly, despite suce high expectations, I love Disney and would go again and again if I could afford it!!

 

[goofie4goofy]

I know this is minor...and not really a WDW thing, but I was really pissed non the less.

On our last trip this past September we stayed at the GF (our fav). it was really hot and very humid, so I decided one afternoon to treat myself and get my hair blown out at the Ivy Trellis salon.
I brought my own products that I wanted to use on my hair (kerastase) which I always use and work to keep my hair from frizzing. This woman "insisted" on using her salon products...ok not bad stuff...whatever.

I told her not to use a flat iron which she also insisted on, and not to put goop into my hair...which she snuck in...My hair looked terrible. The topper of all was it costs $71.00 For a blow out! I also have a very easy style to blow out...I even had a picture of what my hair is cut like since I was reading People magazine and there was a picture of Jessica Simpson (my hairstyle) I told her I was not pleased wiht my hair and I left her a small tip. She just did not listen to me and did what she wanted.

I go to a high end salon where I live where it is not uncommon to spot celebrities...and a blow out is 38...and it lasts for 3 days!
It reminded me of the Seinfeld episode where Jerry gets his haircut from Enzo.

I walked into the room and my husband just burst out laughing...it looked like a wig!..I had to wash and re do my hair. It was literally money down the drain.

never again.....

Other than that, I would have to say Narcoosees was the only other time we ever were disappointed. Since we will no longer dine there we have eliminated that "disappointment"

We love each and every trip to WDW...each is unique and so much fun. We never get tired of it. As a matter of fact we are going on a 10 day trip in a few weeks that many would call a "dream vacation" but the only thing we can't stop talking about is our WDW trip in Dec.
Disappointments are few and far between.

 

[goofy's friends]

Our only disappointment had to do with the characters, which is unfortunate, because it can affect the "magic". We saw the same ones everywhere--mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Plut, and Pooh and gang. The princesses weren't as friendly as before when we went. And everyday of the trip my DS would ask, "today are we going tos ee Mike and Sully?' When we finally got there, they were not listed on the time sheet and we were only able to make one showing. We got stuck on a ride and showed up 15 min. after they were supposed to be out and they had already closed the door---It was raining, but the real waterworks began. It was our last day and he didn't get to see them---The meet and greets seem too organized now, with no spontenaiety.

 

[Ride Junkie]

The first time DH and I went, we were disappointed at the PoTC ride. The one at Disneyland is way better & has a lot more to look at.

On the other hand, we liked Space Mtn and BTMR better at MK! So, with every disappointment there seems to be a nice surprise.

 

[missypie]

My 30th birthday in 2003, we PAID for a waterview room at the YC. I understand that waterview at the YC is either the pool or the lake. We were given a first floor "pool view room." Sure, it was a water view, IF you stood on top of the patio furniture, and stood on tip-toes to look over the 7 foot high hedge that blocked the "pool view." Not worth the extra money we spent, in my opinion.

I am timid, and don't like to complain. DH knew I was upset, but told me he was going for a walk. He came back 15 minutes later with keys to a room that was truely a waterview.

I mention that possibility whenever people ask about the views at YC. We paid for a standard view and were upgraded for free to a "water view" room that overlooked the quiet pool. It was very nice, but if I had paid for water view, I would have expected a lake/boardwalk view.

 

[k_k_100]

The New Stitch Attraction

 

[BankBunny]

DH and I have been do WDW together twice. Both times we've gone in November and both times BTMRR has been closed for refurb So next time we go it won't be in November.

 

[MomofKatie]

My 3 biggest disappointments with our trip this past week were things that weren't Disney's fault.

1) I didn't take time before our trip to get used to the amount of walking we'd do- I felt like an old (or at least middle-aged), out-of-shape lady (which I am!) for tiring out so fast. I didn't get blisters, but my feet just ached so much, and my ankles were so stiff and sore. Next year, I will start walking each day a couple of months before we leave so I won't be in such bad shape again!

2) Both my DH and DD caught terrible colds about halfway through the trip- we spent some major $$ at the gift shop at Pop for cold medicine! We ended up cancelling one night's ADR, and staying in the room for a day, watching TV and sneezing (with me taking care of the sneezers). Doing Disney with a sore throat and a cough is no fun!

3) The weather- the humidity was high, even for Florida. I think the lowest humidity I saw all week was 92%. UGH!!! DH wondered why we even dried off when we got out of the shower each morning- by the time we got dressed and walked to the bus stop, we looked like we had been misted with a big hose. I don't care if we get free dining, big room discounts, etc- we aren't going during hurricane season again!!

The only Disney-related disappointment we had this trip was the extreme distance we had to walk to get to the Value resort busses. We stayed at Pop, and it seemed like we had to hike a looong way to get to our bus stop at each park. Maybe it was because of my out-of-shape body and achy feet, but I really came to hate those remote bus stops by the end of the week. We are planning our next WDW trip now, and we are going to rent DVC points so we can stay at the Boardwalk and have shorter walks to the Disney transportation!!

 

[Lulu's Mom]

Like another poster said my biggest disappointment is rude people. I love Disney and love going there. I feel like I am in a completley different world, that is until I hear someone being rude, see people arguing with each other or with CMs. I hate when people just run you over, or act like you are not even there and cut in line
Just some people seem to have no manners or respect for others.

I know this may sound crazy... but I feel that everyone should be happy and smiling... heck your at DISNEY.

I know that it is impossible to be happy all the time, but some of the people that I have seen and unfortuantly had to hear on our trips makes me wonder why they even went on vacation in the first place.

This past trip however I did not let any of this get to me, and had a great time. I did feel bad for those though who felt the need to be angry, grumpy or sad on their trip, and we saw quite a bit, very sad.

 

[mariolatry]

I'll second whomever complained about MVMCP. We were on-site last year 12/2-12/9 and went to MVMCP on a Tuesday night. The crowds were horrible! We didn't even seen crowds like that during the daytime. 45+ minutes wait for Winne the Pooh, 60 minutes wait for attractions in Tomorrowland. There were CM in the middle of Tomorrowland directing traffic with flashlights, hollering "Keep moving. No stopping and standing" I felt like I wasted money.

 

[mickeyluv'r]

Flying Fish Cafe -the first time we ate there they had a signature lava chocolate cake. We went back with our family, specifically to get the cake, but they no longer had it there. It was still a good meal though.

Mostly, the other disappoinments I've experienced had more to do with my family...the last day is always stressful for us because everyone has something they want to do 'one more time,' and there is never enough time to do all the things on everyone's list...but we also don't want to spend the entire last day apart either. The best compromise we came up with was to spend part of the day apart, and part of the day as a group.

My last concern has to do with other guests in the park...I have come to expect some things, but they still disappoint me sometimes: rude people, parents yelling at their kids (everyone has moments of stress and saying stupid things, but some of the comments you overhear are just plain wrong), and seeing so many unhealthy Americans. I know this is a sensitive subject, and I'd never prejudge a particular person, or make a rude comment. I feel strongly that anyone who has enough willpower to walk around WDW deserves support and encouragement to continue walking after they leave WDW.
At the end of the day though, I worry about the overall health of America. There are MANY overweight people at WDW. Surely not EVERY one of them has a legitimate medical problem which prevents them from maintaining a healthy weight. Don't those Americans know how much damage that extra 75 pounds is doing? Don't they know how much more they would enjoy WDW if they were in better shape? Is there anything we could do to help them make better choices? Is it fair that the people who are making healthy lifestyle choices will have to pay the medical bills of those who have made poor lifestyle choices (i.e. smoking)?
And then I wonder how many more Americans won't even go to WDW because they are too out of shape or worried about people being rude to them.