Disney Magic lack of "Pixie dust"

[mmouse37]

No, not jealous. I compare it to my Armani tux, which was quite an expensive investment. I got it and wear it because it is high-quality, looks good on me, and I know it will last. But I don't go around showing off the label or asking folks all the time how much they like my Armani tux. Some women like to use purses with gaudy logos all over them just to show off that they bought an expensive purse (and the funniest are the fake ones), while others simply care about quality and don't give a hoot about other's opinions of them based on what they buy.

I carried my key card in my pocket all cruise, and never yearned for a lanyard. On my next Disney cruise I will likely not even take a silver lanyard at check-in because I just don't think I'd ever use it.

I also compare my experience to that on HAL, where they have given folks medals and lapel pins to commermorate various numbers of days at sea or levels in their loyalty program. While I will wear my "bling" to events specifically for loyalty program guests, I don't spend the entire cruise showing off how amazing I am to have some of the good swag. And I could see Castaway Club members wearing their lanyard at check-in or to Castaway Club events, but it just came across as pretentious the way some of the folks on board carried themselves (if you've ever seen the movie "Bean" where he flashes his first-class plane ticket to other boarding passengers you'll know what I mean).

Sorry you had to experience some cruisers who were pretentious....but, I believe I have run into some pretentious people who were not wearing Gold or Platinum lanyards....I don't think you can sum up people that way.

I am a Platinum and proud of it. I will wear my lanyard as a convenience. I don't yearn for them and in fact I have so many lanyards that on our Alaskan cruise I brought them all with me and handed them out to my family and friends who were first time cruisers and would not get any laynard at check in. I did not do it to brag "look how many I have" but the opposite...I did not want them to feel left out for not getting anything at check in. They did not even know the difference between the lanyards and I didn't bother to explain...it meant nothing....it was someplace for them to carry their cards and added a bit of magic to their cruise.

The Platinum laynards looks so much like the original non tiered CC laynards from years ago that I feel not many people even realize what they are. I have very few pockets and don't enjoy carrying a purse around the ship.....but even if I did wear it to show how many cruises I had as long as I treated people with dignity like I do anyway...who should anyone care.

Being pretentious and overbearing has nothing to do with how many cruises you have....

If you were at a function where they gave out Armani suits to wear at the function and you didn't have another suit with you...wouldn't you wear it?

MJ

 

[nick262]

I really do not think that Iceman is meaning the lanyards per se. This cruise had more than a normal cruise would have of returning cruisers so the lanyards were everywhere so I think he just noticed that the obnoxious people happened to be wearing them.

As for the obnoxious people, there were loads of them and yes they happened to be wearing gold and platnum lanyards LOL. Luckily there were far more nice people, but the obnoxious ones took the cake.

One lady brought on a HUGE bear (bigger than my 8 year old). She insisted that it go everywhere she did, including the dining room. She insisted that the bear be served as well. Yes I mean it got its own food and drink at every meal. The server got chewed out one night for not meeting the lady at the entrance of the restaurant to carry the bear.

Then there was the lady that I would have happily thrown overboard. At one point, my husband had to step between us because it was going to come to blows. It is a very long story so I will not bore you with the details but lets just say it was because of her entitled attitude and cussing at other passengers, CM's and myself. Her behavior was beyond acceptable and noone was willing to call her on it and when I finally did, I was called a filthy name. How is that for magic??

These are just two of the examples of entitlement that was seen and experienced on this cruise from many of the passengers. This was in fact my only complaint about this cruise and it is really nothing that DCL can do anything about it.

All of this being said, I had a WONDERFUL time and would do it all again in a New York Minute, even if the same obnoxious people were on board.

 

[extechie rbd/wdt]

It is a very long story so I will not bore you with the details but lets just say it was because of her entitled attitude and cussing at other passengers, CM's and myself.

Maybe not appropriate on this thread, or not even appropriate at all, but the curiosity of just how bad this Guest was is getting the better of me!

Ex Techie

 

[MandyGirl]

One lady brought on a HUGE bear (bigger than my 8 year old). She insisted that it go everywhere she did, including the dining room. She insisted that the bear be served as well. Yes I mean it got its own food and drink at every meal. The server got chewed out one night for not meeting the lady at the entrance of the restaurant to carry the bear.

The bear was just a couple tables away from our dinner table each night, and I can honestly say it looked as if his waiter poured more attention on him than the children received at our table. One mom at our table had shared she didn't have help at lunch juggling her 8 month old and pram, yet right in front of her a waiter was carrying the bear. (And yes, babies pay a fare AND a tip... but stuffed animals seemed to get the attention.)

 

[nick262]

Maybe not appropriate on this thread, or not even appropriate at all, but the curiosity of just how bad this Guest was is getting the better of me!

Ex Techie

I do not have the time to type it out today but will try over the weekend or Monday. I can make it DIS friendly. LOL

The bear was just a couple tables away from our dinner table each night, and I can honestly say it looked as if his waiter poured more attention on him than the children received at our table. One mom at our table had shared she didn't have help at lunch juggling her 8 month old and pram, yet right in front of her a waiter was carrying the bear. (And yes, babies pay a fare AND a tip... but stuffed animals seemed to get the attention.)

I would not be surprised if the staff received more than one complaint about the attention the bear was getting vs. people. One of the people at the table next to them said that the server had to stop their conversation with his table more than once to go serve the bear. I would have been if it were me.

 

[WilliamK99]

The bear was just a couple tables away from our dinner table each night, and I can honestly say it looked as if his waiter poured more attention on him than the children received at our table. One mom at our table had shared she didn't have help at lunch juggling her 8 month old and pram, yet right in front of her a waiter was carrying the bear. (And yes, babies pay a fare AND a tip... but stuffed animals seemed to get the attention.)

I can vouch that this actually did happen.... the woman is a DIS member, so I am keeping more specifics out of the boards so as not to cause a scene, but yes, what he is referring to, is one of the instances, where some cruisers are out of control...

 

[extechie rbd/wdt]

This lady with the bear.....

I'm going to reserve any judgement on the lady for the time being.
I have asked for more information, maybe curiosity, maybe other reasons.

I'm sure we can all appreciate that a grown up with a bear is unusual, and some people have health problems.

The extent of the persons reasoning to take a bear to dinner and have it waited on is a question I'm not sure can be answered at face value.

Ex Techie

 

[Wadekind]

I can stretch as far as allowing that the bear provided some sort of anxiety therapy but there is no valid reason to serve the bear as if it was a paying passenger. Even more so when serving the bear affects the service received by others. Accommodation is one thing but this is ridiculous.

 

[extechie rbd/wdt]

Even if the person has challenges with their mental health?

Ex Techie

 

[WilliamK99]

Even if the person has challenges with their mental health?

Ex Techie

The problem is, the bear got better service than people who paid, regardless of whether the person had mental health issues, you shouldn't receive substandard service based on someone else's disability...

Disney usually does a fantastic job in this regard, catering to those with disabilities without taking away from those without, but this cruise it was noticeable. Heck the bear even got front row seating in the theatre for a couple shows...Taking away a seat from a paying customer.

 

[extechie rbd/wdt]

WilliamK99,

I'm not disagreeing with what your saying, only that the lady with the bear may not just be seeking attention or feeling that she has entitlement.
It just sound like someone who has all the light's on, but nobody is at home?

Only someone that was there who can describe her, her actions and perceived mental state, can guess what her reasoning is or was.

It shouldn't have been at the detriment of the other Guest's however

Ex Techie

 

[JessicasMom]

Yikes, based on the comments I am now thinking our holiday cruise may be spent walking on soggy carpet, smelling a funky mildew and avoiding silver and Gold lanyard wearing snobs! Haha. Thankful this will be our first DCL cruise, so no set expectations. Have been on Carnival, Crystal and HAL so we understand that each cruise line will have it's positives and negatives. Just excited to be someplace tropical in the dead of winter and hoping the Christmas Spirit fills the air......and not mildew.lol

On another note, I am also a first time Disney and Disney Magic cruiser and am ready to have the time of my life

You'll have a wonderful time...water stained carpets and all! No stress

As for The Bear, it even had a seat in the Walt Disney theater for some of the shows, and a beach chair at Castaway Cay (complete with sunglasses and swimsuit, if I recall correctly).

Mental health is tenuous, to say the least

 

[Wadekind]

Even if the person has challenges with their mental health?

Ex Techie

I have no problem with the person carrying around the bear and if the bear was used as middleman to order for the person I have no problem with that.
Serving the bear it's own real food and taking time away from serving real customers so you can serve the bear is what I have issue with. I feel for the person but to ask for that level of accommodation is unfair to the staff and other passengers.
If the persons mental health is so challenged that they can not deal with the reality that the bear does not need served then that person does not have the coping skills needed to function in everyday life let alone in a closed environment like a cruise ship.

 

[pxlbarrel]

Wow, this thread is getting really bizarre.

Ignoring the whole "why does she have a bear" thing, I want to know how she got the bear to Europe (if she's from North America)... or did she get it in Europe? That thing would have had to flown in its own seat to get there.

As for the server showering more attention to the bear than other tables, maybe there would have been worse hell to pay had he not done so.

 

[extechie rbd/wdt]

As for The Bear, it even had a seat in the Walt Disney theater for some of the shows, and a beach chair at Castaway Cay (complete with sunglasses and swimsuit, if I recall correctly).

Mental health is tenuous, to say the least

In which case, I think it's equally presumptuous to assume the bear's owner paid for it to be a cruise Guest then as well...?

Nobody knows the full story, and unagreeable as a stuffed bear being served at a dinner table, taking up a chair in the theatre or using a chair at SB is to most of us, I'm sure nobody on here can categorically say the Lady didn't pay for "it" to cruise as a person.

Strange yes, but anyone that has visited a Seniors home with people with alzheimer's, and suffering with dementia, whatever makes them happy is the best for them.

But as I said before, any extra attention, shouldn't be at the detriment to others.

Ex Techie

 

[extechie rbd/wdt]

If the persons mental health is so challenged that they can not deal with the reality that the bear does not need served then that person does not have the coping skills needed to function in everyday life let alone in a closed environment like a cruise ship.

I agree!
But I don't make the rules as to who can and who can't cruise. And a overly doting parent could also make the same demands at a child's wishes.
All I'm saying is I don't know the persons situation, and I wouldn't want to criticize someone with a mental heath problem.

Ex Techie

 

[extechie rbd/wdt]

I guess the only way I can surmise what I was trying to say is this is that no one Guest should dominate a cruise or the attention of servers or other CM's. (Human or otherwise )
But special consideration to those that have other needs should be given, even if those special needs are not always openly visible to the others around them without knowing all of the circumstances.

Ex Techie

 

[MissErin]

Coming out of lurkerdom to say that we were also seated a table away from the bear. My kids were fascinated by the whole thing (in fact the bear even came over to visit our table one night). Based on what the bear's owner told me, the bear 'writes' their holiday newsletter and so therefore has to have pictures taken hither and yon. The last night the owner explained she hadn't intended to take it to every meal but the wait staff had gotten such a kick out it that they did? It was a bit odd, though she seemed nice enough and not mentally disabled in anyway.

We did the EBTA last year (2010) and I would say there was definitely something up with the water issues this cruise. The 8th floor had notices up of a 2.5 hr water shut off when we were in tortolla, though I'm not sure our cabin was ever actually shut off. Our travel mates on 6 had a of day with no water and a major rust and mold problem once it was restored. The other party we were with on 6 had issues with loud pipe banging in the middle of the night several nights. The issues were resolved promptly and I think they received 4 bottles of wine plus a goofy toy sent from guest services as an apology for the issues.

We found our server to be delightful.... But our assistant server might as well not have been on the ship as he seemed to do nothing at all. I thought the dining room food was ok, though several nights were uninspired. Though I'm still chipping away at the 7 lbs I gained (3 gone, 4 to go) so I clearly didn't starve!

My two bigger complaints were that the in room movies didn't change between the two weeks and we have 3 little ones.... So if I see Rango or Kung Fu panda 2 again I might jump out a window...... Also, I had a major wipeout running in port in Madeira, bad enough that I went to medical where for $143 they glanced at me and told me to go take a shower to clean up and gave me advil. They barely offered to check my broken toe, and their attitude was rushed as they were going to lunch. I got more assistance from all the good Samaritans who helped me when I fell (and then who sought me out later to make sure I was ok). I am an avid runner (1500 - 1800 mi a year) and this was a nasty tumble. I had road rash complete with gravel in the cuts on a large section of my chest, a bruised rib, badly banged up knee, and broken toe. Let me tell ya, getting the gravel out on my own was fun.... NOT! I did complain to guest services but its an outside vendor so their hands were tied. I chose to let my frustration go and liberally enjoyed a sangria cure in port.

Overall it was a fantastic vacation.... Though like others we don't plan to cruise Disney again next year.

Erin

 

[TChrist05]

So this is a long thread that I have read every posting.....my DW and I are Platinum cruisers having done 26 cruises on Disney...with the last one last week on the 3 night Dream. Yes...platinum has its benefits.....you do not get a boarding number when you arrive at the port....you go check in at concierge and they walk you up to the front and you are on the ship.....nice little perk but not that important. You get a $25.00 onboard credit for each $100.00 you spend in the merchandise shops....another nice little feature but since we have cruised so much we don't really spend that much anymore. We wear our lanyards each and every day but we also get a DVC lanyard on the first day so we switch off a little bit.....we see rude people and walk the other way.....we are there because we like to cruise.....and feel very comfortable with the Disney brand.....we loved the Dream and look forward to the next time but our next cruise is on the Magic on 12/3....rude people will be rude people and I will not waste any time worrying about them. On every cruise we make it a point to talk with our servers, asst. servers and room stewards. We find out a little about them and make it a point of trying to do something special for them also. Last year we did the the WBTA and had a wonderful time....we took a 36 ct. box of Hershey bars with us and gave them out to many cast members....what a great reaction from them....we got more out of it then they did. Sorry this is so long but we just don't sweat the small stuff.....just go have a good time and enjoy your day....Hakuna Matata......yes....I saw the Lion King in 3D last week on the cruise.
Tom

 

[makaylee]

It was both humorous and sad to see all the people walking around with their gold and platinum lanyards (seriously? for the whole two weeks?)

Wow, sorry you feel this way if you see me around the ship with my lanyard on.
On our first cruise I bought a plain dcl lanyard because they are very convenient. I carry lots of things in it, receipts, palo reservation cards, photo package cards and of course my kttw card. I do not often have large pockets on the ship and I do not carry around a purse on board.
On my 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th sailings I used my silver lanyards because they were provided for free and you can bet your bottom dollar I will be wearing my gold one occasionally on the next trip because it will also be given for free. Or should I go and spend money on a plain one so it's not to flashy?