disney magic? exactly how much do we expect?

[lustergirl]

I'm not going to call out anyone specifically but there is a lot of overblown expectation on this thread and on these boards.

I don't expect towel animals, free upgrades, people to congratulate me on anything, or any of the other occasional nice special things that the CMs do for guests. If I do get anything like that it is an unexpected added bonus, not something I was entitled to. I do expect a clean room, clean parks, decent food (Disney is not for "foodies"), and working attractions.

The entitlement on these boards (not just here but all over) is just plain ridiculous. There are people who claim their trip is ruined because they couldn't get into a certain restaurant, they didn't get a towel animal, no one congratulated them on their <what ever>, or a CM didn't stop what they were doing, sprinkle pixie dust one them, and let them know that they were the most specialist pretty princess of them all.

You are in Disney World, lighten up and enjoy it. You'd think someone being stuck at a Value was relegated to a tree hut in the Ivory Coast waiting to have their hands macheted off based on some of the threads I've seen here.

 

[ols386]

I really don't expect any special magic. If it happens, then it happens, and it really is special. But never go there expecting it.

So immature of people to complain to management about a mousekeeper just because they didn't leave a towel animal. I can't even imagine placing a comlaint about something so trivial.

 

[kellyg403]

I, too, think sometimes expectation of what a person feels is 'magic' is different than mine sometimes. We have received towel animals on several occasions, we have had mousekeeping take my grandd's stuffed animals and make a party on the bed, etc. Lots of little things, but not every time and it sure didn't spoil the vacation! Or the magic as it where. I am glad just to have my family to myself for a few days, to have them in disney with me is just 'more' magic.

I rarely complain, and rarely have I even had something to complain about when in WDW. In all these years I have complained once about something. I didn't expect anything. I emailed about a situation we encountered while we were there but even with my complaint I made sure to tell them we love WDW and this did not change that, we would be back regardless.

Magic is unexpected, entitlement to magic because you spent $$$ on WDW is whole different story. Its a vacation, you know how much your spending going in. If your vacation isn't what you expected in relation to the price, why go back?

Kelly

 

[Disney Doll]

We don't "expect" anything. IF we get a little magic, it's unexpected but appreciated!

Disney IS magic. We enjoy going there so much, and the things that stand out are the memories we make as a family.

People who expect stuff and then get disappointed when they don't get it deserve their disappointment.

People that would say something like that to a Mousekeeper are crass, classless people.

 

[FergieTCat]

I expect a clean hotel room and courteous cast members. Call me an underachiever!

 

[mdsoccermom]

Rudeness and "accosting" are ugly and uncalled for.

But, considering what it costs to stay at a deluxe, I think it is reasonable to expect that a polite request to have towel animals would be honored.

Our kids were delighted by their first towel animals many years ago at Pop Century. They are now young adults. I speak to the front desk at arrival and ask if we could have them delivered once during our stay. It always starts a session family reminiscing about years of vacations at Disney.

The attitude "I flat out refuse to do towel animals for anybody!" reminds me that mousekeeping is a salaried position. I would keep my envelopes with the Disney pictures on the front and the cash inside to myself. Maybe she doesn't "owe" me a towel animal, but I don't "owe" her a tip.

Mousekeeping exists to clean up after your family. To withhold a tip because of a stupid piece of terry cloth is just silly.

 

[wtccheermom]

Mousekeeping exists to clean up after your family. To withhold a tip because of a stupid piece of terry cloth is just silly.

 

[bjgrazi]

Rudeness and "accosting" are ugly and uncalled for.

But, considering what it costs to stay at a deluxe, I think it is reasonable to expect that a polite request to have towel animals would be honored.

Our kids were delighted by their first towel animals many years ago at Pop Century. They are now young adults. I speak to the front desk at arrival and ask if we could have them delivered once during our stay. It always starts a session family reminiscing about years of vacations at Disney.

The attitude "I flat out refuse to do towel animals for anybody!" reminds me that mousekeeping is a salaried position. I would keep my envelopes with the Disney pictures on the front and the cash inside to myself. Maybe she doesn't "owe" me a towel animal, but I don't "owe" her a tip.

You're tipping her to clean the room not for leaving towel animals.

Mousekeeping exists to clean up after your family. To withhold a tip because of a stupid piece of terry cloth is just silly.

I completely agree.

 

[princessmom29]

I'll tell you what isn't magical is walking through the hallways of a deluxe in the afternoon to my room, passing 2 or 3 keepers that are speaking a foreign language, and not even getting a hello or smile from them. They're just having their own little conversation like nobody else is around. Not magical.

This is simply ignorant and uncalled for. It I were them, I wouldn't dare speak to you either. After all, serfs don't address the Lord of the Manor unless spoken to, right?? You might try coming down off your high horse just a little if you would like frendly responses from "regular" people.

 

[ols386]

I'll tell you what isn't magical is walking through the hallways of a deluxe in the afternoon to my room, passing 2 or 3 keepers that are speaking a foreign language, and not even getting a hello or smile from them. They're just having their own little conversation like nobody else is around. Not magical.

That wouldn't bother me in the least.

Wish my scanner was working. I want the defenders to know that DVC, if not WDW hotels, is clearly using towel animals as a marketing tool. I'll try to post a scan if my daughter knows how to do it.

Why do you feel you need to post a picture of it? Did someone say they didn't believe you?

Personally, I don't care if they are using it as a marketing tool or not.

 

[Mkrop]

My sister just lost her house in Joplin,Missouri due to the tornado sunday night, you want to talk about heartbreak.

I am so sorry to hear that

Rudeness and "accosting" are ugly and uncalled for.

But, considering what it costs to stay at a deluxe, I think it is reasonable to expect that a polite request to have towel animals would be honored.

Our kids were delighted by their first towel animals many years ago at Pop Century. They are now young adults. I speak to the front desk at arrival and ask if we could have them delivered once during our stay. It always starts a session family reminiscing about years of vacations at Disney.

The attitude "I flat out refuse to do towel animals for anybody!" reminds me that mousekeeping is a salaried position. I would keep my envelopes with the Disney pictures on the front and the cash inside to myself. Maybe she doesn't "owe" me a towel animal, but I don't "owe" her a tip.

I bet if you look at Mousekeeping job duties it is probably to clean the room NOT to make origami figures with terry cloth. You need a piece of cloth to reminices with your family?

 

[Andtototoo]

To add to that, they also use birthdays/other celebrations as marketing tools. They also promote the "magical" Disney experience and going above and beyond in terms of customer service (or at least they used to).

It's not hard to see why people are getting upset when their "celebrations" aren't acknowledged, especially since Disney had an entire ad campaign dedicated to it.

ITA. When we called up to book our vacation, the CM specifically asked us if we were celebrating anything. When I said yes, my dd's high school graduation, the CM said she was making a note of it and we would have a button upon check-in. Inexplicably, my teen dd was very excited about the stinking button. When I called back to pay off the vacation, the CM reiterated our information about the "celebration" -- HIS words. He also said -- again -- that she would have a personalized button waiting for her "celebration."

Well, it wasn't.

We didn't say anything at the desk, because we thought it might be in the room. Well, it wasn't. My dd at that point just said to forget about it and that, "I wished they hadn't promised something they weren't going to deliver." The pixie dust was off the beginning of the vacation, as it were. We brushed it off and went on our way.

Now, a button is no big deal. It's not. We're all grown ups (or in my dd's case, she thinks she is!) But when you are looking forward to a vacation you only take once every two years and this trip is for a specific actual celebration and you are specifically promised something not once but twice, not getting it becomes an irritation, which gets larger when you hear others around you getting congratulated on their celebrations. I did end up going back a few days later and asking for a button, but my dd no longer wanted it by that point because the moment was no longer special.

Now, again the button is no big deal, but my point is that Disney DOES make a big deal about the details like the buttons and the "celebrations" and the "magic". As an event planner, I know the magic comes about due to planning and execution of details and especially: under-promising and over-delivering and NOT by over-promising and under-delivering. The keys, therefore, are in the expectations guests have and their origins and in that, Disney does share a huge part of the responisibility because they go out of their way to promise "magic". Or at least, a stupid button.

When I went back for the button, the CM apologized for not having and told me there was no record of us celebrating anything. I suggested -- gently - that part of their standard check-in greeting should be to ask if the guest is celebrating anything at that time.

The good news is that even though we were at Pop, we did get towel animals. LOL

 

[Respect]

You're tipping her to clean the room not for leaving towel animals.

Maybe for you, not necessarily for others. Different people have different criteria for earning a tip.

 

[Mouse House Mama]

Why can't people just go about their vacations and if something unexpected happens then so be it? If you are seeking it out then it really isn't "magic" it is entitlement. JMHO.

 

[mhsjax]

We always get towel animals, but we are very clean and we leave great tips. If we didn't get them, I would not be upset at all.

Also, I guess we are different, we don't need a button and multiple CM congratulating us for something or wishing by kid a happy birthday. My kids couldn't care less about a pin, and in fact would be embarrassed by the attention as would I be.

Sorry, but I really don't understand teenagers getting excited over a button. That is weird to me.

 

[mhsjax]

Maybe for you, not necessarily for others. Different people have different criteria for earning a tip.

Must be Karma, we have stayed in the Grand on numerous occasions. Everyone is over the top friendly and everyone calls my DD princess. I guess they know rude and entitled when they see it.

And for us, we do realize that being able to stay at the Grand is over the top magic. We didn't need anything else. As for now, we can't afford the Grand, but I don't care I am thrilled just to be on property and at WDW.

 

[FireDancer]

Why can't people just go about their vacations and if something unexpected happens then so be it? If you are seeking it out then it really isn't "magic" it is entitlement. JMHO.

My thoughts exactly. Next time someone starts one of the inevitable "what is a snowflake" threads my new answer will be anyone who expects a towel animal.

 

[Mommison]

I have seen ads where Alice is spinning in the teacups with a couple of kids...does that happen for everyone or is it a NICE SURPRISE AKA MAGIC that Disney has happen. It is cool if it happens to you but you cant expect because of an ad!

Oooh, we had this happen on our last trip - we weren't the ones in the teacup with Alice, but she happened to hop in with a couple of teenage girls right before the ride started. My two girls were SO excited that they'd ridden the teacups "with" Alice and rushed to get their photo taken with her after the ride - it was so cool!

 

[shinysparklybubbles]

Truthfully, I expect nothing more than a smile from a CM. My Disney magic comes from the Chef at Pop Century that remembered my name and allergies from 7 months earlier and greeted me on my last trip like I'd been there just the previous day. Or my other favorite chef who made me the most extraordinary fruit plate ever because he wanted to!

Are they the best or what? I couldn't get over how amazing they were with my son and his allergies! Chef Dan and Chef Elizabeth rocked!

 

[Mkrop]

My thoughts exactly. Next time someone starts one of the inevitable "what is a snowflake" threads my new answer will be anyone who expects a towel animal.