Disney complaint line

[LPZ_Stitch!]

Disney might not be able to accomodate every single complaint they get, but Disney sometimes DOES make changes based on guest input.

Several years ago, I wrote Disney a letter about our trip. I praised the things they did right (almost everything), but we did have a couple of issues.

Our DS is disabled and in a wheelchair. Now, Disney is a *fantastic* place to take a wheelchair-bound child (light-years ahead of most other entertainment venues); however, one of our biggest issues was that seating for disabled kids at the Playhouse Disney Live show (DHS) was all the way in the back, with all the adults in their ECVs. Since this show is very much for children, the disabled kids were kinda being "left out."

Well, we received a letter from a Disney Executive and an invitation to talk to her *personally*! We spoke on the phone with this exec. for about 45-minutes (talking a lot about our general "Disney experience"), but the practical result was that they've now changed the seating so that disabled *kids* are let in early and brought up front so they can participate and the normal kids just fill in the space around!!

No company is perfect, but Disney is very much in the business of keeping customers happy.

 

[Dawn68PA]

On the flip side thought - we went for free dining and had a wonderful trip - I think that there are way more that would want the FD verses those that don't want it. Was there something in particular that made it bad or just the mixture of the crowds/heat? I am getting ready to fire off an email about the bus transportation with wheelchairs and parties that are allowed to hop on with them - on more then one occasion we missed getting on a bus and being late somewhere b/c a wheelchair would pull and a bunch of people would get on and would fill up quicker leaving those of us that had been standing and waiting for awhile not able to get on the bus!

The answer to this would be more busses. According to ADA wheelchairs must board first for safety reasons. Disney will allow their entire party on for this reason:

When the bus arrives, everyone disembarks except the wheelchairs. They have to wait. In addition, after they are off the bus they would have to wait again for the rest of their party on another bus. It's almost like being punished for being in a wheelchair when all you want is to have a fun Grand Gathering vacation.

Disney does need more busses. Hopefully with the improvement of the economy they will hire more drivers.

 

[LPZ_Stitch!]

I am getting ready to fire off an email about the bus transportation with wheelchairs and parties that are allowed to hop on with them - on more then one occasion we missed getting on a bus and being late somewhere b/c a wheelchair would pull and a bunch of people would get on and would fill up quicker leaving those of us that had been standing and waiting for awhile not able to get on the bus!

I don't want to turn this into transportation debate, but I can tell you with *certainty* that the OPPOSITE also happens to those of us with disabled, wheelchair-bound children, a lot more than you probably have ever noticed!

If there's more than two W/Cs (or ECVs) waiting for the bus, the third W/C gets left behind while all of the other guests (whether they got there after that third W/C or not) get to ride back to their resort....

Also, when emptying out the parks after big evening events, Disney often double-parks buses to get twice as many people loaded at the same time. BUT, the W/C riders are NOT allowed on the "outboard" bus for safety reasons. So, again, tons of people who've gotten into line long after us get on one of the buses and are heading back to their resort while we get left standing on the curb, still waiting....

 

[lilpapsgirl]

If you haven't been back since (especially at busy times) to see if anything has changed, then it's not really fair to say that Disney didn't act on what your mother complained about. If they did, it's not likely that they'd have written to tell her about it, unless she specifically asked to be told if anything was being done. So Disney could well have made changes to make busy times more workable. They may well have listened to those types of complaints and found ways to help ease some of that congestion. It's not likely that they'd release info about that to the press, though, so the only way you'd know is to visit again and see.

Oh, I have been back plenty during busy times of the year, Memorial day, Fourth of July, Thanksgiving, Presidents day, Just not during Christmas. I don't think my mom was expecting a hand written note back or anything, I think she just more wanted Disney to know that it really affected our trip and probably several other peoples trips.

 

[swald91]

I've always wondered why Disney doesn't have buses just for guests in wheelchairs & their families. I understand the situation on both sides-when my dad was alive he used a wheelchair & although we were 1st to get onto a bus we all would have rather had him be able to walk! Anyway, I also have seen people who are totally able to get out of the chair, fold it up & walk onto the bus so more guests & their families could board but refuse to b/c maybe there is a huge line waiting...I've also seen how these families had to wait b/c of the buses being too filled. There are spaces for handicapped parking why not a bus for their families too?

 

[Scot-n-Michelle]

If I offended anyone I am sorry - I do think that Disney needs a better way of handling the whole wheelchair situation - We left the MK one evening a party of 13 showed up - one in a wheel chair - the rest walking - they all got to board before all of us that were standing there for quite sometime waiting for the bus back to POP - by the time we loaded up the 2 people in front of me were the first two to stand - that was a long ride back to be holding my 5 year old son who by then was sleeping - not one person in that group offered their seat. I have no problem with someone who is in a wheelchair but I think Disney needs to rethink how it is all handled. We also encountered a woman at POP who we personally saw running around the park and at the hotel who was on her motorized scooter - load the bus with her big party - about 8 - which also left us standing. To be honest I don't know if Disney can come up with a better plan but after talking to quite a few people in line there were alot of unhappy people. On the flip side - we did witness something that really upset us last year - leaving the AK a family of 4 showed up with their son in a wheelchair who was obviously disabled a family in front of us started to complain about the fact that they had to wait for that family to load - I looked at the family (the one complaing)- took all I had not to punch them and said be happy that your children are able to walk and are healthy - sorry for the long vent!! Hope I did not offend anyone!

 

[wifisker]

I've always wondered why Disney doesn't have buses just for guests in wheelchairs & their families.

That seems like a really great idea. I wonder if anyone's suggested it, or if they've considered that option.

 

[ShannonMB]

I think Disney does a wonderful job of hearing complaints and making amends. Thankfully I haven't had anything big happen that couldn't be rectified right on the spot. But in those instances, they always seem to go out of their way to make things right. Just my experience. I hope my luck holds out!

I love the example of the new seating situation at Playhouse Disney! WAY TO GO!!!

 

[pbthompson]

Thank you all for your replies.

I will not need a lawyer, it wasn't really a big deal, more of an annoyance that I wanted to report so they were aware of it. I am not one to keep my mouth shut especially when I am paying good money for my vacation. I sent my email (nicely worded and not asking for anything in return) tonight. If I get a reply I will let you all know.

As far as the wheelchair debate, I also experienced this. I work with disabled people and honestly I do not have an issue with people that need a wheelchair getting special treatment. It is the ones that another poster mentioned that you see walking around without the chair that get to me. I actually saw one person using their wheelchair to carry food back to their room. When I see this I have to remind myself that sometimes (and I HOPE this is the case with these people) a disabled person can walk for short distances without a chair, walker or a limp it is the longer distances that bother them. I would like to think that Disney requires medical documentation to rent a scooter or a chair, but I doubt they do. I think the special buses for handicapped people would be a great idea, however I am sure people would complain about that too.

 

[LPZ_Stitch!]

We left the MK one evening a party of 13 showed up - one in a wheel chair - the rest walking - they all got to board before all of us that were standing there for quite sometime waiting for the bus back to POP - by the time we loaded up the 2 people in front of me were the first two to stand - that was a long ride back to be holding my 5 year old son who by then was sleeping - not one person in that group offered their seat.

Well, that's just plain rude! It's insensitive people like these that are going to make it harder and harder on those of us disabled folk NOT taking advantage of the system.

BTW, last time I checked, the official "rules" are that *up to 4* people may accompany the W/C guest .... either "preboarding" onto a bus or into the Accessible seating areas ... the rest of the party is supposed to go in the regular line/areas.

When I see this I have to remind myself that sometimes (and I HOPE this is the case with these people) a disabled person can walk for short distances without a chair, walker or a limp it is the longer distances that bother them.

I think this is largely the case ... believe me, our little family tends to be *very* aware of W/C "abuse"! Because if Disney ever has to start making changes, it's going to be harder on us!

Sitting in a wheelchair in the hot FL sun can be difficult; especially if your chair is black! *Lots* of people have mobility issues that preclude them from walking all day in a park, but they can still get up and go short distances. Even our DS13, who has his own custom-made W/C, can walk a little distance to get on the rides; I know he appreciates being out of his chair even for a little while....

I would like to think that Disney requires medical documentation to rent a scooter or a chair, but I doubt they do.

Disney does not, and cannot by ADA law, ask for *proof* of a disability before renting scooters or wheelchairs.

I love the example of the new seating situation at Playhouse Disney! WAY TO GO!!!

Thanks! That's one of the *best* things about our experiences with Disney!

 

[Alesia]

I do not know what happened but sometimes the best way to be heard is to let your lawer to speak for you.

Anyway good luck with your letter.

Like what? We do not know what happened to OP, but she is very upset and she did adressed the issue while she was there. Depending on what happened of couse why not?

The OP seemed irritated. It hardly sounds like one of her loved ones was maimed or killed.

 

[goofy4tink]

On the flip side thought - we went for free dining and had a wonderful trip - I think that there are way more that would want the FD verses those that don't want it. Was there something in particular that made it bad or just the mixture of the crowds/heat? I am getting ready to fire off an email about the bus transportation with wheelchairs and parties that are allowed to hop on with them - on more then one occasion we missed getting on a bus and being late somewhere b/c a wheelchair would pull and a bunch of people would get on and would fill up quicker leaving those of us that had been standing and waiting for awhile not able to get on the bus!

I didn't expect the huge crowds we ran into...that was my major complaint. Those of us that book a year out tend to get shortchanged by Disney's 'offers'. We plan accordingly, for times that have historically been better as far as crowds go, and then Disney changes the scenario..which is completely their right to do! But, it sure does impact those early planners. I had my villa booked, my flight booked.....I couldn't just change things around due to free dining. But, that is my problem not Disney's.

As for those wheelchairs, sometimes I would agree. I did run into a nice, older couple at the BW/S/D bus stop at MK. It was later in the day...and they were waiting patiently to be boarded. They were both using ECVs. Well, the bus drove up, and the driver 'tried' to get them on board, but the lift wouldn't completely unfold. So, he told them they had to wait for the next bus. That would be 3 buses total for them...they had been denied boarding by the previous bus driver! Can you imagine having to sit there and watch others who had just walked up to be able to board a bus, while you had been there for 40 mins already? I would imagine it took them over an hour to be put on a bus.
But, I have also seen abuse by families. I also saw a huge group get to board with 'gramps' and his ECV. There had to be close to 20 of them.....many people, who had been waiting for the bus much longer than that group, ended up either standing or waiting for the next bus. Not fair at all.
Should Disney provide buses solely for those using wheelchairs or ECVs?? I really don't know. Perhaps what could be done is this......the person in the wheelchair stays in the wheelchair area, while his party goes to the regular line. When the bus gets there, the wheelchair is loaded. That wheelchair person is allowed to have another person board with them, but not the entire group. Then,the line progresses, normally, with the ECV person's family boarding with everyone else. At least that would be the fair way to do it.

I fully realize that there is abuse of the whole ECV/wheelchair situation. But, remember, when you see someone get out of their wheelchair and walk onto the bus, or into an attraction...they may have an issue that you can't see. My dad has severe emphysema (and looks like lung cancer now), so 'should' be using a wheelchair rather than walking. He also has an inner ear issue which makes him look drunk when walking around...he tends to list a bit to port so to speak. He refuses to use a wheelchair. But if he did, he would look pretty normal to you when boarding a bus. I'm sure he is one of those people you would be tempted to say was abusing the system. So, don't jump to conclusions.

 

[rgf207]

There are a lot of legitimat people who need ECV's and wheelchairs but it's the ones that abuse the system that put a sour taste in my mouth.

We just returned from WDW about 2 weeks ago. One evening when the MK closed we were waiting in line to get back to AKV. There was quite a large line and we had been waiting for about 15 minutes when a large family (about 15) showed up with 1 person in an ECV. They proceeded to the spot and while we were waiting struck up a conversation with a group of girls in the end of the first row waiting in line. When the bus pulled up, the younger man from the wheelchair group told the group of girls to get in line with them so they can board first and they did. The also did this right in front of the driver who was loading the ECV. We got a seat since we were the first in line but there were a lot that did not get a seat that should have. That put a very sour taste in my mouth and i was absolutly disgusted. My belief is that 1 family member should be able to board with an ECV/Wheelchair and any minors. No more.

 

[5boyz]

goofy4tink...I agree with you about the wheel chair...1 person goes on with the person in the chair and the rest join the line.

 

[danalea10]

I have recently sent Disney an email stating how unhappy we were with out WDW experience last week. Do I want something? No. Well....that's not exactly true. I want Disney to stop offering free dining. I have been to WDW, in August at the exact same time 4 times now. This last time, number 4 stay, was without a doubt the worst trip ever to WDW. I have 20+ trips, in 10 years, under my belt. I've been in Sept (during free dining) twice, in Oct, Nov, early Dec, Jan, April, May, June and August (4 times)...I've even been for the horrific Thanksgiving weekend. Not one of those trips comes close to what we experienced last week. At least during Thanksgiving week, the weather cooperates. There is nothing like being shoulder to shoulder with masses of people, all wanting to ride the same attraction even though it has a wait time of 80 mins, in 95 degree heat and nasty humidity!!! It's the same situation, but minus the heat/humidity, in late November.
So....I wrote my email stating my experiences in various parks. Will Disney stop free dining? I doubt it...at least not based on my email. But, perhaps if enough people send emails/letters stating their dissatisfaction with something, things may change.
There isn't a need to be nasty or demanding. There is nothing Disney can now do to rectify my situation last week. All I know is if I book a trip in the hot/humid months (staying DVC usually) and Disney needs to know how it's customers feel.
Disney can not improve something if they don't know there is an issue. Letting them know of an issue is all we can do....in no way does complaining mean that we want something in return, other than change perhaps.

We also sent our letter voicing our displeasure with the free dining (which we paid to upgrade to the Deluxe plan). We made our ADR's 90 days in advance yet we only got in the restaurants on time once or twice. At the Crystal Palace, we were told it would be a 15-minute wait and we didn't get in until an hour and five minutes after our reservation time. Not a very pleasant wait with three young children, especially when it was raining and there wasn't enough room in the covered areas outside to accommodate everyone waiting. We had multiple people working at the restaurant tell us that people were just staying inside to avoid the rain and they couldn't do anything about it. At one point we took the kids in to use the restroom and we saw some people that started leaving, then looked outside and said "let's go back and sit down, it's raining out."

Early on in our trip, we thought a guy at the Sci-Fi Dine-In was a jerk for yelling at the workers there and screaming it was "corporate greed" that those of us with reservations had to wait 25 minutes while people without reservations were sitting around at the tables inside to avoid the rain. By the end of our trip and after multiple long waiting times, we were starting to think this guy wasn't that far off base (although he certainly didn't handle the situation the right way).

 

[Dawn68PA]

I agree with you about the wheel chair...1 person goes on with the person in the chair and the rest join the line.

The answer to this would be more busses. According to ADA wheelchairs must board first for safety reasons. Disney will allow their entire party on for this reason:

When the bus arrives, everyone disembarks except the wheelchairs. They have to wait. In addition, after they are off the bus they would have to wait again for the rest of their party on another bus. It's almost like being punished for being in a wheelchair when all you want is to have a fun Grand Gathering vacation.

Disney does need more busses. Hopefully with the improvement of the economy they will hire more drivers.

I've always wondered why Disney doesn't have buses just for guests in wheelchairs & their families.

That would be "screening" and not permitted by ADA. Think of it as if there would be busses for just men or just kids or just people of a certain race. Wrong all around.

The abusers make it hard on those of us who love Disney for what they offer disabled people. There will always be those like that. Personally, I avoid the busses because I don't want to deal with the "normal" people and their "stupidity" to my invisible disability. Those are as bad as the abusers of the system.

But I can walk around my resort and am thankful. I cannot run with my kids.

I have been around and Disney is a class act for those with scooters and wheelchairs. We went to the beach this summer and I don't think I'll ever go back. The resort was not accomodating, asking for anything was bothersome to the employees and their bus would not accomodate any handicapped accessory. Disney gets my

I'm glad this thread has been decent and not bashing And as an afterthought: Decent disabled peeps do not want to inconvenience anyone else, they just want magic too.

 

[5boyz]

I have nothing against wheelchairs going on first and someone with them to help them...but you said about having to wait at the other end...well we have to wait at this end. There will always be debates about this...no one will ever win including the person in the chair.....

 

[WDSearcher]

We also sent our letter voicing our displeasure with the free dining (which we paid to upgrade to the Deluxe plan). We made our ADR's 90 days in advance yet we only got in the restaurants on time once or twice. At the Crystal Palace, we were told it would be a 15-minute wait and we didn't get in until an hour and five minutes after our reservation time. Not a very pleasant wait with three young children, especially when it was raining and there wasn't enough room in the covered areas outside to accommodate everyone waiting. We had multiple people working at the restaurant tell us that people were just staying inside to avoid the rain and they couldn't do anything about it. At one point we took the kids in to use the restroom and we saw some people that started leaving, then looked outside and said "let's go back and sit down, it's raining out."

Early on in our trip, we thought a guy at the Sci-Fi Dine-In was a jerk for yelling at the workers there and screaming it was "corporate greed" that those of us with reservations had to wait 25 minutes while people without reservations were sitting around at the tables inside to avoid the rain. By the end of our trip and after multiple long waiting times, we were starting to think this guy wasn't that far off base (although he certainly didn't handle the situation the right way).

But all that could have happened just as easily when Free Dining wasn't in play, couldn't it? I mean ... the fact that people were sitting inside longer and not vacating tables was more a factor of the rain than it was of FD. It's not like Disney can go through the restaurant and force people to leave so that the people behind them can sit down. If it hadn't been raining in both of those instances, you probably would have been sat much much more quickly and had no problem at all. I don't think you can blame Disney for the weather! You're talking Crystal Palace and SciFi, both places that are crowded year-round. You could have just as easily run into this scenario on a rainy non-FD day as you did during the promotion.

 

[pampam]

goofy4tink...I agree with you about the wheel chair...1 person goes on with the person in the chair and the rest join the line.

What if the bus fillls up before Dad or Sis gets on board? Should they have to wait for the next bus, while the WC person and attendant have to wait at the other end for Dad or Sis? I believe the ADA wants the disabled to be treated as equally as non disabled people. If non disabled people get to board their whole families together, then shouldn't disabled families get that same privilege? I'm not talking about 20 member families here, but lets be reasonable. Most families today are not that large.

 

[PIRATEGIRL007]

Wow.

Considering I work in a customer service organization for a living and have heard every excuse/complaint/whine and cry in the book I find it truely amazing that people here can still just blow me away. I don't know why but I to some degree I just held the people that visit disney in a higher class than the customers I hear every day, guess I was wrong.