Disney Resorts lost their advantage over offsite hotels

[avahoneybee]

Not trying to be snarky, but I find this extremely hard to believe. If this is true, why did you not make a complaint? I am more than certain if you spoke to someone and explained the situation, it would in fact be rectified. I think what you are saying is a stretch, and most definitely NOT the norm for most. Matter of fact, I think people just love to skip over positive threads and hang on and dwell on the negative ones. I don't get that.

Plain and simple, yes off -site is cheaper. On site is more convenient hands down, that is what you are paying for.

Hmmm, yes a bit snarky I'd say but no offense taken.

I did call and mention the dirty rooms but I am also understanding of the fact that housekeeping is understaffed and actually feel sorry for the maids there. It's one of the reasons my family continues to frequent Disney resorts and not stay off site. Different from business travelers, some of the clientele who visit Disney just don't care and ask for everything under the sun. I'm a true believer in the idea that towel animal making demands take away from the housekeepers ability to clean the room properly. They obviously do not have ample time in their schedule during the day to do what they are paid to do "clean the rooms."

 

[inkedupmomma]

Hmmm, yes a bit snarky I'd say but no offense taken.

I did call and mention the dirty rooms but I am also understanding of the fact that housekeeping is understaffed and actually feel sorry for the maids there. It's one of the reasons my family continues to frequent Disney resorts and not stay off site. Different from business travelers, some of the clientele who visit Disney just don't care and ask for everything under the sun. I'm a true believer in the idea that towel animal making demands take away from the housekeepers ability to clean the room properly. They obviously do not have ample time in their schedule during the day to do what they are paid to do "clean the rooms."

I honestly was not and am not trying to be snarky. When writing, things get instantly lost in translation!

With that said, you are not giving clear enough examples, that make me feel Disney is not worth staying on property. I am not a big complainer, but no matter where I stay, a "dive" or the Ritz, I have expectations all the same.

If I do not like something, I go directly to the source. Whether that be a mousekeeper or the front desk. Not just a phone call. Disney has a lot more pleasing to do than your average resort, and I think people lose sight of that. I think people have unreal expectations of Disney resorts because it is Disney.They are not super human lol. I'm sure mousekeeping has off days, just like any other hotels. I'm also quite sure if Disney has had to lay off people, other hotels will as well. Where disney is lacking, they make up in other areas. One of those areas being the little things like towel animals.

Honestly, I have not had one person even give an example of what they mean by dirty rooms either?

 

[avahoneybee]

I honestly was not and am not trying to be snarky. When writing, things get instantly lost in translation!

With that said, you are not giving clear enough examples, that make me feel Disney is not worth staying on property. I am not a big complainer, but no matter where I stay, a "dive" or the Ritz, I have expectations all the same.

If I do not like something, I go directly to the source. Whether that be a mousekeeper or the front desk. Not just a phone call. Disney has a lot more pleasing to do than your average resort, and I think people lose sight of that. I think people have unreal expectations of Disney resorts because it is Disney.They are not super human lol. I'm sure mousekeeping has off days, just like any other hotels. I'm also quite sure if Disney has had to lay off people, other hotels will as well. Where disney is lacking, they make up in other areas. One of those areas being the little things like towel animals.

Honestly, I have not had one person even give an example of what they mean by dirty rooms either?

I think we are agreeing here. One of the reasons we've tolerated the less than stellar rooms is that onsite resorts have the magic that off site does not. I truly believe if guests were more considerate there wouldn't be such huge holes in housekeeping.

 

[maxiesmom]

The only dirty room problem I have had when staying on-site was a rug that looked like it needed to be vacuumed. And it was taken care of the next day. It wasn't even that bad, just a little dusty.

I've stayed off-site 3 times, and on-site 8 times. Off-site was good, and we did get a lot more room for our money than when we stayed on-site. But I prefer being on-site. I love the feeling of being on Disney property my whole vacation. It is like being in an alternate universe where everything is happy and magical.And I only get that feeling when I am at an on-site resort.

 

[PHXscuba]

I stay onsite because: it's Disney. I want to lay on my bed at CBR and discover the "hidden Mickeys" in the comforter. I want to see the only-at-Disney-style trash cans when I first pull up to the resort. I want to cover all of Tomorrowland during early EMH and still have time to get a picture in front of the castle.

I want my kids to see the magic. DH stayed at the Disneyland Hotel once as a child and still remembers it. So for our first overnight trip to DL this fall, he insists we stay there again so our kids can experience it like he did. Yes, it's a lot more than staying nearby, but we've saved the money so we can give them the memory.

I can stay at a Marriott or Hilton anywhere; I can only stay at Disney hotels at Disney!

PHXscuba

 

[ClareH37]

I stay onsite because: it's Disney.

Totally agree with you, that's why I stay onsite too - because it's 'Disney'.

However, I'm really starting to think hard about justifying the cost of staying onsite at the deluxe resorts, yes, they're very nice but they're not really deluxe by deluxe hotel standards are they. I'm seriously toying with the idea of staying at the Ritz Carlton club level, a friend came back recently after having done a split stay, 7 nights at the Ritz and 7 nights at the GF RPC (I've stayed there also), guess which one 'won'? Not the GF. The Ritz was less than the GF RPC but far superior.

I will stay onsite, just not the whole trip - offsite for shopping and relaxing and onsite for the parks.

 

[Pooh Bear Hugs]

I accidently set mousekeeping a test which they failed. During my holiday this month I was violently ill will a sickness bug. Luckily DH took the kids to the parks as I could barely move, had the Dr out was was told unless things improved by the next day I would be hospitalised.
Sadly I was sick over the bed and all over the bathroom, despite being ill I sorted all the bedding and cleaned the bathroom. Called mousekeeping for help and they generously send two clear bin bags no fresh linen or towels. This was in the morning, I bagged up everything and put it outside. At this time I was in a lot of pain, weak and in tears which I understand isn't Disneys fault. The bags were still there smelling awful when DH came home and sorted out fresh items. Luckily I got better during the night, the next morning I noticed I'd missed a bit of sick on the wall, not wanting to spoil another day for the kids and in all honestly not up to scrubbing the walls down I left it. It was still there four days later when we were leaving so I scubbed the walls over incase there was any more I couldn't see. I also scrubbed the balcony over as it hadn't been touched the whole time we were there. Yes I know I was the one who was ill but a little help with cleaning products or taking stuff away would have been nice.After all AKL is a deluxe you pay for a better service in theory.

 

[maxiesmom]

I accidently set mousekeeping a test which they failed. During my holiday this month I was violently ill will a sickness bug. Luckily DH took the kids to the parks as I could barely move, had the Dr out was was told unless things improved by the next day I would be hospitalised.
Sadly I was sick over the bed and all over the bathroom, despite being ill I sorted all the bedding and cleaned the bathroom. Called mousekeeping for help and they generously send two clear bin bags no fresh linen or towels. This was in the morning, I bagged up everything and put it outside. At this time I was in a lot of pain, weak and in tears which I understand isn't Disneys fault. The bags were still there smelling awful when DH came home and sorted out fresh items. Luckily I got better during the night, the next morning I noticed I'd missed a bit of sick on the wall, not wanting to spoil another day for the kids and in all honestly not up to scrubbing the walls down I left it. It was still there four days later when we were leaving so I scubbed the walls over incase there was any more I couldn't see. I also scrubbed the balcony over as it hadn't been touched the whole time we were there. Yes I know I was the one who was ill but a little help with cleaning products or taking stuff away would have been nice.After all AKL is a deluxe you pay for a better service in theory.

From what I understand, houskeeping doesn't do more than a general cleaning while the room is occupied. They remake the beds, pick up and replace towels, and clean the bathroom. They don't even vacuume every day. So I can see why they may have missed some stuff that was splattered on the walls, they probably don't even give the walls a second glance. I understand not wanting to clean the walls yourself, but I can't understand why you wouldn't at least leave a note when you saw it was still there the next day.

I am sorry you were sick on your vacation, that is no fun at all!

 

[CarolA]

I have wrangled with that decision just recently and decided to go with the GF due to proximity. That is the one area WDW resorts have that will remain an advantage. My off site choice was the Ritz Carlton Grande Lakes. I am staying concierge level at the GF and would have stayed club level at the Ritz. I'm pretty sure the Ritz club level offers better and more food and drink and it was definitely less expensive, but when I factored in having to drive to WDW every day and not being able to hop on the monorail if we wanted a quick swim or snack midday before returning to the parks, I chose to stay on site. Lots of off site properties look gorgeous---my MIL raved about Gaylord Palms--- and I am sure many have excellent service, but for convenience you can't beat Disney resorts. For some of us, it's hard to get past that factor.

I have stayed at both...

GF NEVER AGAIN. Ritz ANY DAY!

The ONLY location that GF is great for is MK and it's the park I spend the LEAST amount of time in. Getting to the other parks was a pain and took forever (it's quicker from the values and moderates LOL!) And if you drive.... OMG it was a NIGHTMARE. Self parking was VERY far away and the valet took 45 minutes and I had to tackle them to give them the car.

At the GF I wrote "Dust me" on the furniture....It was still there when I checked out a few days later


Sadly what this thread says is "It's Disney so we are willing to expect less" So when the MK falls to the level of your local Six Flags is that going to be ok.

Wasn't Walt's WHOLE premise to provide MORE not LESS?


I love Disney, but can rarely justify paying those prices for that quality! And the deluxes are GONE from my list. I have been lucky enough to stay in REAL Deluxe and the difference is just I don't enjoy being ripped off for "cute"

 

[ekatiel]

For me and my family, the biggest advantage to staying onsite is the ability to take advantage of the dinning plan. Knowing that one more thing is paid for prior to arrival takes a huge load off vacation planning. Plus, the food is great!

ITA !

 

[chell]

The majority of people who respond to this thread are going to be those who stay on site. With the economy on the down side I can see why people would be choosing to stay off site, especially with so many specials and great deals being offered.

Last December we had some horrible bus service that left us very frustrated. It did leave us thinking we would drive to the parks next time. But we agreed we would give it another shot. If park transportation keeps being so bad and we start driving to the parks who knows, we may become one of the off site stayers. I'm not saying we will or that we won't, but it is possible if Disney doesn't stay on top of things and keep their guests happy.

 

[Kim&Chris]

I can definitely see how this could happen. My #1 complaint with Disney is their lack of housekeeping. We are DVC members, and almost always stay at OKW. I can't tell you how many times I've found hair (I can only assume it's from the former guest or the housekepper) in the sinks, the bottom of the shower, on the floor, even on pillowcases. It really grosses me out. One instance we found a former guests' dirty underwear shoved into a drawer in the bathroom.

I really wish Disney would put the extra effort into getting the housekeeping issue under control. I believe that's one of the reasons, besides cost savings, that may drive people into staying off-site.

 

[enchantingodin]

I think this really depends on HOW people do Disney. I've never been for over 5 days at a time. So we have always gone comando style. I'm not there to hang out at my hotel, that's for sleping and showering. I'm there to see the parks. For me being a FLR I tend to stay onsite with a discount for 2 or 3 days at a time. Because really - after the hassle of driving to the parks AND paying for parking an off site hotel has to be at LEAST 25 bucks less (parking is 12 now right?) than a vaule for me to even consider it. That being said we did stay off a few years ago because I found an AWESOME deal. But it's not the norm for us.

 

[Colleen27]

I sometimes wonder when reading these threads if we've just been lucky or if I don't have high standards to begin with. We've never checked into a Disney room that has been less than acceptably clean, we've had good housekeeping service while there, and we've only had minor complaints about the buses at any of the Disney resorts we've stayed at.

Of course we're paying more than we would be to stay offsite, just as when we go to the Atlantic coast we're paying more to be oceanfront than we would if we were willing to stay even a few blocks inland, but the location is what we're paying for! So long as the transportation meets our needs and the rooms are reasonably clean and in good condition, we'll continue staying onsite. Not having to drive is worth the mark-up.

 

[toodycat]

I sometimes wonder when reading these threads if we've just been lucky or if I don't have high standards to begin with. We've never checked into a Disney room that has been less than acceptably clean, we've had good housekeeping service while there, and we've only had minor complaints about the buses at any of the Disney resorts we've stayed at.

I totally agree. We've never stayed in a WDW room that I thought was at all unclean. I'm not a "neat freak", but I don't recall any dust, dirty bathrooms, other people's junk or any problems at all. Everything has always been neat as a pin. DH is pickier than I am and would have complained to mousekeeping if he thought something was amiss. He never has had to. The worst thing I can say is that one time the mousekeeper accidentally took one of our refillable mugs with the breakfast dishes, but we were able to get it back, so no harm, no foul. As for towel animals, I really don't see them as an integral part of the maid's job description. If they want to make them, great. Certainly, if you have kids and your kids enjoy the towel animals, that's wonderful; it may also lead you to tip more generously at the end of your stay. But, do I consider towel animals part of my criteria? No.

I haven't stayed at any property where the transportation was objectionable either. The only time I've had to wait a long time for a bus was once from the Beach Club...and we weren't staying there; we had just eaten there. Granted, I missed the last two summers (07, we took a cruise to Alaska, 08, I fell, had multiple injuries and wasn't able to go anywhere), but has everything really gone so far downhill in two years? I hope not.

 

[VegasMike21]

I think "cuts" in the mousekeeping dept. have really shown. I know my parents were at the Poly in December and were talking to the mousekeeper who said her boss was given her walking papers earlier in the week. So basically the mousekeepers are now working without any or minimal supervision so they're basically on their own not to mention I'm sure they let some mousekeepers go as well. So with that, they probably have them clean more rooms then what they were originally cleaning so their "service factor" has gone down. Even with that, as long as the room was cleaned and I had fresh towels/soaps/etc... I would be happy and choose a Disney Resort over staying off property. Esepcially when you can get a value resort for around $100 a night. When you figure in you don't have to rent a car, drive, and convience factor...you would actually probably be saving $$$.

 

[Colleen27]

I totally agree. We've never stayed in a WDW room that I thought was at all unclean. I'm not a "neat freak", but I don't recall any dust, dirty bathrooms, other people's junk or any problems at all. Everything has always been neat as a pin. DH is pickier than I am and would have complained to mousekeeping if he thought something was amiss. He never has had to. The worst thing I can say is that one time the mousekeeper accidentally took one of our refillable mugs with the breakfast dishes, but we were able to get it back, so no harm, no foul. As for towel animals, I really don't see them as an integral part of the maid's job description. If they want to make them, great. Certainly, if you have kids and your kids enjoy the towel animals, that's wonderful; it may also lead you to tip more generously at the end of your stay. But, do I consider towel animals part of my criteria? No.

I haven't stayed at any property where the transportation was objectionable either. The only time I've had to wait a long time for a bus was once from the Beach Club...and we weren't staying there; we had just eaten there. Granted, I missed the last two summers (07, we took a cruise to Alaska, 08, I fell, had multiple injuries and wasn't able to go anywhere), but has everything really gone so far downhill in two years? I hope not.

We've gone 3 times in the last 4 years, and I agree with you. No housekeeping issues like others have posted about. I'm not a neat freak or a germaphobe by any stretch, but I'd have noticed if there were a lot of dust or hair in the drains or anything that obvious.

Towel animals aren't a big deal to us either, though we have gotten at least a couple on every trip except our very first.

As far as buses go, we had a problem at POR with a very long wait for a Typhoon Lagoon bus one day, and more general problems with the sharing buses with POFQ on that trip because several buses were standing room only by the time they got to our stop at POR. Annoying and reason enough for me not to be in a big hurry to stay there again, but not something that detracted from our vacation enjoyment. I worried about the bus service at BC & WL because I'd read so many complaints, but we didn't have any issues and only waited 15-20 mins once or twice (out of a combined 16 days on those two trips).

I think the perception of bus service is partly a function of personality. I'm laid back almost to a fault, and the Disney resorts are so beautiful that I've never been upset/impatient waiting for a bus. We enjoyed watching the turtles and otters from the BC bus stop and assorted animals in the brush from the WL stop for the few minutes we waited for our bus. Someone with a more commando approach who was worried over getting to a park in time for rope drop might experience those short waits very differently, you know?

 

[tinkbyday]

We are AP holders and go to WDW several time a year. Up until recently we have always stayed on-site. Recently though, do to last minute booking unavailability, and the price of what was left, we have been forced to stay off site or not go at all. Obviously we chose off site. We've discovered the DTD resorts and are quite happy with them. We still have bus service, although not as frequently as at a Disney resort, but in a much nicer bus. The price was far less than we were expected to pay for an equivalent Disney resort. Housekeeping was the same --not great but not horrible either. The only thing that we missed out on were the EMH. The dining plan isn't an option for us as we don't eat that much and are usually only there for two or three days. Anyway, I can see how, in this economy, the Disney Resorts aren't getting great reviews. Why spend 150 per night when I can pay 99 per night and get pretty much the same thing. By staying across from DTD we still have the view of Disney so the magic is right outside our window.

I'm not 100% certain on this anymore, but I believe the Hilton in DTD particpated in EMH.

 

[mdezot]

I have never had a bad experience with Mousekeeping. Maybe I am just lucky but the rooms have always been tidy and on our last trip in November our Mousekeeper went above and beyond with notes and towel animals for our children, she even left extras to make up for the days that she had off. My husband and I have stayed offsite in the past, however we choose to stay at Disney when we are going to Disney. Now with 4 trips in the past 4 years and 2 upcoming, we joined DVC. I know my kids are going to miss the Mousekeeping surprises. But when we are coming to Disney we like to get immersed in the magic and happiness. Just my two cents. We have stayed offsite when visiting other attractions in the area and while the resorts are nice, some of the areas look downright dangerous. We like our vacations to be relaxing and not having to worry about dining - DDP, transportation- ME and busses/ monorail, and paying for admission - park hoppers, we don't have much to worry about. A nice change.

 

[specchalakani]

I have gone to Disney all my life. I grew up in Florida and when I moved away kept coming back because it's such a part of my growing up.I had always stayed on property. However, after my divorce, I wanted to continue the tradition with my daughter and had reservations for an on site hotel. When I got a Hotwire deal for much,much less than the Value that I had reserved, I spent HOURS looking at the cost differences. I decided that we would take the Hotwire deal and take our chances on the free shuttle that was being offered. I even had the Hotel e-mail me a shuttle schedule so that I could plan our days around that.

Long story short, it was lovely. One of the best trips to Disney we ever had. Never waited on a shuttle, when there was noise on my hallway, one call to the front desk was all it took, and got an apology from the Hotel. The room was beautiful and all of this cost me, 59.00 a night. In all the years tht we stayed at the Deluxe Disney Resorts we never got a towel animal, so I didn't miss that at all.

Worth mentioning, when we wanted to stay later we caught a cab and it cost less than the 12$$ parking fee.

In the end, what I truly wanted was some one on one family time with my daughter that was warm and easy, and that's what we got. I think that any vacation is what you make of it. That being said, I will never insist on staying on property anymore. There are too many similar/ better hotels in the same neighborhood for much better prices.The decline in service at Disney makes it worthwhile to look around.

Just my two cents.