Disapointed with Wilderness Lodge

[Degli]

Just got back from our family trip to WL. Approx. 4 days prior we had faxed a letter informing the Lodge as to why we were coming. It was our mother's 70th birthday. Six of us were coming and we were asking for 2 standard adjoining rooms. We had asked that if Disney could make it special for my mom would they. Low and behold they didn't have adjoing rooms and what they had was still standard.( I guess I expected some kind of upgraid. ) After mentioning our special curcumstances they did upgrade us to a woods view but the balcony was solid. You couldn't see out of it. My little one was very frustrated the whole week. Maybe this just sounds like sour grapes but it didn't seem special enough. No cake...nothing. Oh well. Anyone with a similar experience?

 

[jel0511]

You should never expect anything for free. If you really wanted a cake sent to your mother's room, you should have arranged it yourself. It is also possible that your fax was never received. I always go into a hotel experience, expecting exactly what I paid for, a clean room. If I get more, GREAT, if not, I at least got what I paid for. I don't think you got less than you paid for, you just expected the WL to go above and beyond the call of duty and when they didn't you were disappointed. I'm sorry you didn't get what you feel you deserved, but I think you got that and more, you got upgraded to a better room type.

 

[>>^..^<<]

Hi there...

Sorry you were disappointed - I know by reading people's trip reports you hear awesome things that have happened for them and then when nothing happens for you - it can be a let down.

It's also nothing personal so don't take it to heart - it's just the luck of the draw.

How was the rest of your trip? Did you enjoy the pool and restaurants, the parks? How was the transportation and were your rooms well looked after by housekeeping?

How was Mom's 70th? Did you have a little party or something?

>>^..^<<

 

[ftwildernessguy]

It seems like we sometimes expect more than what would be considered normal treatment at WDW. I go expecting the norm, and learn to appreciate the little "extras" that Disney always seems to deliver in one form or another. I would appreciate the room upgrade. Hope your disappointment didn't ruin your trip.

 

[safetymom]

I agree with the other posters. We have been many times and don't expect anything more than what we paid for. When we are surprised it really is Disney magic.

I hope you had a great vacation. I would like to stay at WL one of these days.

Enjoy your time with your mother. I sure it would have been special for your motherno matter what you did.

 

[peachgirl]

After mentioning our special curcumstances they did upgrade us to a woods view but the balcony was solid. You couldn't see out of it. My little one was very frustrated the whole week. Maybe this just sounds like sour grapes but it didn't seem special enough.

They gave you a free upgrade and you're not satisfied? If you didn't like the balcony you should have asked to be put back in a standard room.

Lots of people visiting WDW have birthdays while they are there and that they did anything to make it special was more than they had to do. Since we've never gotten an free upgrade of any kind, that seems pretty darn special to me! It doesn't sound like sour grapes, it sounds ungrateful.

 

[kdibattista]

After mentioning our special curcumstances they did upgrade us to a woods view but the balcony was solid. You couldn't see out of it. My little one was very frustrated the whole week. Maybe this just sounds like sour grapes but it didn't seem special enough. No cake...nothing. Oh well.

I am really, really not trying to be rude but if you wanted a cake, an upgrade or anything else... why didn't you pay for it??? YOU GOT AN UPGRADE... at n/c I am assuming. We are going with my whole family to Disney in December. It will be my sister's birthday and my parents 25th wedding anniversary. I want something special so DH and I are having gift baskets delivered and will be taking them on a cruise (either Illuminations or Grand One if we can swing it) that we are paying for. I would never, in my wildest dreams, expect Disney to give me things because I am entitled. If it happens, great but I don't see how and why people expect these things.

Again, I mean no disrespect, but this is one of my biggest pet peeves.

 

[Kim&Chris]

Sorry, but I must agree with the previous posters.

We've been to Disney for our honeymoon, anniversary, my birthday, and my husband's birthday. Each time, we noted it on our reservations but nothing ever happened. No big deal. I think the key is that we never expected anything , so we were never disappointed.

It sounds like you were upgraded for free, which is a whole lot more than many, many other people receive. Sounds like they did make an attempt to grant your wish, which sounds pretty generous to me

As far as a cake goes, I have never heard of anyone getting a cake delivered to the room for free. If a cake was important, you probably should have pre-arranged for a cake to be delivered. I'm sure that Guest Services would have helped you make this happen.

 

[ColetteN]

HI! I am sorry you were disappointed, but hope your Mother truly enjoyed spending her birthday with her family. Did you and your child enjoy the other parts of the trip - parks, etc? I surely hope so.

Unfortunately, you need to be careful when requesting rooms. I learned by reading the WL FAQ thread when it first started (good luck now, it's WAAAAAYY to long ! ) and a worker at the WL explained that 'adjoining' rooms are considered adjacent or near each other, sharing the same exterior hallway, I think. 'Connecting' rooms are connected by a door on the interior of the rooms.

Colette

 

[BethA]

we have been ther for birthdays also-even on concierge level-and never received anythign special--except when we ordered it ourselves. it would be a wonderful surprise to get something and I do always hope for it-but no luck-oh well I never win the lottery either.

 

[married2grumpy]

I would take a free room upgrade over a free cake any day. I think being able to vacation with your Mom for her 70th birthday should be considered special enough. You should be thankful for an experience that others may never have.

 

[gonga]

Hey it sounds a lot better than my recent trip to the GF Royal Palm Club. I paid for the upgraded accommodations and they TRIED to downgrade me! I paid for champagne and strawberries ($175.00) as a surprise and I had to ask them to please deliver it.

I don't know what you're complaining about!

 

[mouseketeerwannabe]

I also agree with the other posters. I think people set themselves up for disappointment if they EXPECT something free because of a special occasion. I wouldn't be surprised if half of the people in a resort are celebrating a birthday, anniversary, or other special event. When we went for my 50th birthday, it was also my daughter's 13th birthday. We wanted it to be very, very special. I had never in my life been on a trip for my birthday. Therefore, we reserved and paid for a concierge room. My husband ordered cakes, and worked with Jane from Gifts of a Lifetime to create a special event for both of us. The hotel did send us a cake with balloons, but I expect it was because we were in concierge. The restaurant also gave us free dessert. You would never expect any other business to give you something for nothing, so why do you expect it of Disney? Anything extra is just "icing on the cake" as far as I am concerned.

I do hope the rest of the trip was magical. How wonderful to have been able to share a Disney trip with your 70 year old mother!

 

[Selket]

Frankly, how many people do you think Disney has there every day that has some sort of special occassion going on? In my immediate family of 4 I think think of 5 months out of the year that it is something (birthday, anniversary). Disney would be overwhelmed with requests if they had to cough up a birthday cake for every birthday guest. Think of the people there who may be sick, dying, etc.? How special should their trip be? What about someone's wedding anniversary? Someone on their honeymoon? Someone returning from a military tour of duty overseas in Iraq who hasn't seen their family in ages? To alter the tune a bit "the magic you make is equal to the magic you take." Both my parents had died by the time I was 26. I'd be happy sitting in a dark cave in the middle of nowhere celebrating if I could be with them.

Part of the problem with these boards is that it *can* lead some people to get overly anxious about their trips - they can't pick a hotel cause someone says something negative about it. Or they didn't get a free upgrade or this or that thing. It ends up ruining their trip in the end if they didn't get something someone else got at one time or another. If they didn't get to see the zebra out their window and just had giraffes or the honeypots were closed, or whatever. There's nothing wrong in asking for an upgrade but don't expect it. If you paid for an upgraded room and cake or champagne you should get what you paid for. It sounds like you did...and more...and you still weren't happy.

CarolG

 

[MOMTOMOOTOO]

I'm with the majority here. You were given an upgrade and for that you should be grateful. I book the room type that I want at all times. I sure would hate to book a standard view room and be counting on an upgrade, and then be disappointed that I didn't receive one. It does seem that people are expecting more because its Disney.

Whenever we are there for a special occasion, I arrange for the extras myself. However, on one of our stays at the Poly, my than 3yo dd was telling one of the staff that it was almost her 4th bd. The next day when we got back to the room, balloons, hat and a cake saying Happy ALMOST Birthday were there. Totally unexpected, and that truly made it magical.!

I hope the rest of your trip was better.

 

[Hillbeans]

I agree with Selket...your vacation is what you make of it, regardless of what "freebies" or upgrades you receive. We'd all love to get upgraded to the best room in the place, but it's just not going to happen for all of us. Am I a little disappointed that the Pooh ride is going to be down for rehab when i'm visiting...sure, but I know that things are out of my control and there's lots of other things to see and do.

That being said, I do agree that your original request of two adjoining rooms shouldn't have been an issue.

 

[zurgswife]

I'm with the majority with this one.....I'm going in dec for my 40th...while it would be a great surprise to have Disney to "do" something I'm not expecting anything....

My DH on the otherhand had better make a few surprises.....

 

[hmp2z]

I have heard some incredible things on the board, but this takes the cake. You got a free upgrade, and you are disappointed because they didn't give you a free birthday cake?!? That is the most bizarre thing I have ever heard. And if your child is too short to see over the balcony, that's supposed to be the WL's fault?!? I have never heard anything so crazy in my life. I hope this is a joke, like those people who say they are going to stuff 18 kids into 1 room at the All Stars.
If you wanted a cake, why didn't you order one ahead of time? Sounds like the free upgrade was a pretty darn good birthday present, and I am sorry to see that they chose to give it to you, someone who obviously didn't appreciate it. I see these posts from other people, who have never gotten free upgrades, and who are still perfectly satisfied because they got what they PAID for, and I wish that one of them had gotten this upgrade instead.
I think you need to do some serious thinking, and ask yourself why WDW should give you a free cake, when all you've paid for is a standard room. Not a standard room with cake. Not even a woods view room. Just a standard room.
An adjoining room request is just that - a REQUEST. Not a guarantee. You haven't paid extra for adjoining rooms. You could have always paid more and gotten a suite, so you could all stay together. But that would involve more $$, something it sounds like you are not willing to spend, not even on a birthday cake for your mother. You count on WDW to plan a big birthday surprise for your mother, who is one of THOUSANDS of people at WDW for a special reason. Birthdays, honeymoons, anniversaries, weddings, graduation, dying cancer patients. You name it, I'm sure it's happening in a room at WDW right now. What makes you think you are owed something by WDW, beyond what you've paid for? I'm honestly curious to know.
Heather W

 

[skiwee1]

Originally posted by Degli
Just got back from our family trip to WL. Approx. 4 days prior we had faxed a letter informing the Lodge as to why we were coming. It was our mother's 70th birthday. Six of us were coming and we were asking for 2 standard adjoining rooms. We had asked that if Disney could make it special for my mom would they. Low and behold they didn't have adjoing rooms and what they had was still standard.( I guess I expected some kind of upgraid. ) After mentioning our special curcumstances they did upgrade us to a woods view but the balcony was solid. You couldn't see out of it. My little one was very frustrated the whole week. Maybe this just sounds like sour grapes but it didn't seem special enough. No cake...nothing. Oh well. Anyone with a similar experience?

If wanted a cake or something to make your mom's birthday special then you really should have done something on your own. I never, ever expect them to do anything for us and don't even tell them about our special occasions. To us it means more coming from the person and not some stranger. I think it was very nice of them to give you an upgraded room for nothing though. Requests are simply that. They are not guarantees.

 

[Jen D]

Um, some posters need to calm down please. Just because you think the OP was wrong to be disappointed doesn't mean you need to go off on a rant. She said she was disappointed, asked what everyone else thought, and she got her answer (and I agree with most of the responses here.)

I think she gets the point. No point in trying to make her feel like a criminal for posing the question.