Disneyland show?

[DisneyAndreaM]

I am so happy that Tom has been back! He makes it for me.

 

[The Loop]

Listened to this week's show and I have to say I'm really disappointed Pete didn't stay at the Anaheim Hotel like he said he would and I am prepared to hear how that hotel, where I have stayed at least a dozen times, is a horrible place next show when I know full well it isn't. This really shows I am not the target audience for this show, I don't want to spend $2000 on four nights my lodging when I can spend $600, I just simply would rather spend that extra money on another day in the parks. I'm mentally preparing myself for having to move on (again) to a different podcast to get my Disney fix after next week.

 

[EastYorkDisneyFan]

Listened to this week's show and I have to say I'm really disappointed Pete didn't stay at the Anaheim Hotel like he said he would and I am prepared to hear how that hotel, where I have stayed at least a dozen times, is a horrible place next show when I know full well it isn't. This really shows I am not the target audience for this show, I don't want to spend $2000 on four nights my lodging when I can spend $600, I just simply would rather spend that extra money on another day in the parks. I'm mentally preparing myself for having to move on (again) to a different podcast to get my Disney fix after next week.

I'm going to be staying at the Anaheim hotel in may and i'm planning on taking any review they give with a grain of salt and don't plan on changing hotels unless they say in the review that they had hookers and drug dealers come into their room every night or they found a dismembered coupes in the room or on the grounds. I think they seem to be overly tough on hotels when they review them and don't let things slide like the average guest would.

 

[Teleclashter]

I'm going to be staying at the Anaheim hotel in may and i'm planning on taking any review they give with a grain of salt and don't plan on changing hotels unless they say in the review that they had hookers and drug dealers come into their room every night or they found a dismembered coupes in the room or on the grounds. I think they seem to be overly tough on hotels when they review them and don't let things slide like the average guest would.

Tom and Ryno found a dead roach on their floor and waited to see how long it would take for housekeeping to notice and clean it up. Want the spoiler or can you guess where this is going? But why would the average guest want a clean room? That’s just us being overly tough.

 

[Teleclashter]

Listened to this week's show and I have to say I'm really disappointed Pete didn't stay at the Anaheim Hotel like he said he would and I am prepared to hear how that hotel, where I have stayed at least a dozen times, is a horrible place next show when I know full well it isn't. This really shows I am not the target audience for this show, I don't want to spend $2000 on four nights my lodging when I can spend $600, I just simply would rather spend that extra money on another day in the parks. I'm mentally preparing myself for having to move on (again) to a different podcast to get my Disney fix after next week.

I have stayed in three other Good Neighbor hotels in the area that are the same price point, managed better, and less filthy. If you’re moving on because you don’t want us to bash a place you love, that’s fine, but the 5 people who did stay at the hotel are the ones who travel on a budget and typically stay at hotels in this price range.

 

[tweedletwin]

My personal opinion re:hotel reviews.

I would MUCH rather go in prepared to be disappointed and then be pleasantly surprised, than the opposite.

I’ve stayed in a variety of hotels at a variety of price points. Everything from Motel 6 to a lodge in Kenya where the room’s previous occupants included Prince William and Kate. And I’ve been perfectly happy at BOTH ends of the spectrum because I knew what I was paying for.

Bare minimum, everywhere you stay should feel clean and safe. The staff of the Dis Unplugged can only report upon their own experiences, and considering the vlogs drive traffic to Dreams Unlimited, it’s their prerogative to be honest in their reviews. It wouldn’t be a great business plan to do otherwise!

 

[SorcererHeidi]

My personal opinion re:hotel reviews.

I would MUCH rather go in prepared to be disappointed and then be pleasantly surprised, than the opposite.

I’ve stayed in a variety of hotels at a variety of price points. Everything from Motel 6 to a lodge in Kenya where the room’s previous occupants included Prince William and Kate. And I’ve been perfectly happy at BOTH ends of the spectrum because I knew what I was paying for.

Bare minimum, everywhere you stay should feel clean and safe. The staff of the Dis Unplugged can only report upon their own experiences, and considering the vlogs drive traffic to Dreams Unlimited, it’s their prerogative to be honest in their reviews. It wouldn’t be a great business plan to do otherwise!

Very nicely stated, @tweedletwin . And I wouldn't give a great review to (nor actually really want to stay in) a room with a dead roach in it either! I also personally always check for bedbugs anywhere I stay, ever since they became epidemic, and were all over the news, some years ago.

 

[EastYorkDisneyFan]

Tom and Ryno found a dead roach on their floor and waited to see how long it would take for housekeeping to notice and clean it up. Want the spoiler or can you guess where this is going? But why would the average guest want a clean room? That’s just us being overly tough.

I'm not saying that stuff like that doesn't happen but I think sometimes a bigger deal getsg made about things. That being said if I walked into a room of a hotel anywhere and saw that I'd walk back to the front desk and tell them and not wait for housekeeping to show up or I might just pick it up myself and not care unless it happens multiple times.

 

[Textual Healing]

Long time listener, first time caller...

I'm sure I missed the press release, but where in the world is Tony Spittell?

 

[SorcererHeidi]

Long time listener, first time caller...

I'm sure I missed the press release, but where in the world is Tony Spittell?

Hi, welcome, hope you'll stick around. I wasn't a religious watcher of the DL edition, but Tony hasn't been in any vlogs that I've watched for awhile, not since the rearrangement of the DL team, as far as I know. Have no idea if he'll be back or not.

 

[disneyland_is_magic]

I want to try to add to the discussion. I thought it was a poor fit, the Grand Legacy and the Anaheim Hotel are pretty bare bones and as I stated up-thread I genuinely didn't think they would like it. I tried to word it as gently as possible but it seemed like a car crash waiting to happen. This is not a reflection on the team at all, just knowing the reputation of these two motels.

I believe both are now GNH hotels but they haven't been for long. I was looking at the old archived screenshots of the DL GNH list and even a year ago the Anaheim Hotel wasn't one, it used to be called "The Anaheim Plaza Inn and Suites" is that right? That also wasn't one at least for the time periods I checked. This for me is a huge yellow flag, motels that fall on and off the GNH list. The Grand Legacy (formerly the Ramada) was one several years ago but hadn't been one for some time.

Something kind of funny happened about mid 2017. They started 2017 with 40 GNH (and had maintained a list of about 40ish for several years so that seem to be kind of a target number) and by summer of 2017 there were 47, now there are 49. Obviously, there was some new construction but I always wondered if the standards didn't loosen to increase occupancy in GNHs. The Grand Legacy became a GNH during that sweep.

Another thing that changed is Disney used to rank the GNH by economy, moderate, superior and suites. The old economy rank probably is where both of these fall. To me, the old system seemed to make practical sense and was a good guide, with some people probably choosing to avoid certain tiers. Then they got rid of "economy" and all those became moderates which lumped a bunch of hotels together that simply are not remotely equal. The new system I think is worthless and some of the most beloved GNH are actually ranked at the bottom, which is just silly.

Anyways, it feels like a better investment to review the tried and true GNHs that have been on the list year in and year old. Those are the ones I am recommending to friends. If someone was coming for a "one and done" DL trip, I would recommend one of those because they tend to be solid choices and also some have a bit of charm/nostalgia to them i.e. The Candy Cane Inn.

Long time listener, first time caller...

I'm sure I missed the press release, but where in the world is Tony Spittell?

Tony has only appeared on a CWW episode. I will say I would love, love to see/hear from Tony.

 

[Diszona]

I think I am going to wait to actually hear what their experience was with the Anaheim Hotel before I can say whether their review is hyper-critical or not (Craigs spoiler makes me think it probably wasn't). I do wish they would stay at one of the ones directly across the walkway (Tropicana, BWPPI, Park Vue, etc.). I would like to hear the thoughts of some non-Disneyland regulars like Craig and Ryno (or people who are used to WDW) on the balance between the more motel-vibe of those hotels (though I think the ones at those locations tend to be some of the nicer motel-y ones) and the location being the closest hotels to the park gates.

 

[Teleclashter]

I'm not saying that stuff like that doesn't happen but I think sometimes a bigger deal getsg made about things. That being said if I walked into a room of a hotel anywhere and saw that I'd walk back to the front desk and tell them and not wait for housekeeping to show up or I might just pick it up myself and not care unless it happens multiple times.

A bigger deal does get made, because there are lots of people who do count on our reviews in their decision making process and the worst thing we could do is just sweep stuff under the covers because the average person might not care. If we say it's not that bad, but its not the greatest and a Dreams client or follower of one of our shows ends up booking it and walks into a room with dead roaches and spiders in beds then they might not write it off as a one time misstep and the trust is broken. If the hotel was truly a bargain fleabag place and constantly 100 less a night than everything around it then I do agree that the standard has to be taken into consideration, but when I searched a weekend in May that I was considering traveling to Disneyland, the rates for it are within $10 of the HoJo, Hilton Anaheim, and my personal favorite hotel in the area, the Hotel Indigo. If you're paying the same prices as those hotels you should get something more than bad service and a Pizza Press.

 

[EastYorkDisneyFan]

A bigger deal does get made, because there are lots of people who do count on our reviews in their decision making process and the worst thing we could do is just sweep stuff under the covers because the average person might not care. If we say it's not that bad, but its not the greatest and a Dreams client or follower of one of our shows ends up booking it and walks into a room with dead roaches and spiders in beds then they might not write it off as a one time misstep and the trust is broken. If the hotel was truly a bargain fleabag place and constantly 100 less a night than everything around it then I do agree that the standard has to be taken into consideration, but when I searched a weekend in May that I was considering traveling to Disneyland, the rates for it are within $10 of the HoJo, Hilton Anaheim, and my personal favorite hotel in the area, the Hotel Indigo. If you're paying the same prices as those hotels you should get something more than bad service and a Pizza Press.

Look I get that your review is based on your stay there it's like what Kevin and John would always say about the dining reviews they did "they are just a snapshot of their visit" I've looked at reviews from other sources which I hope others do as well before deciding on hotels as well and not just base it off of what their favourite podcast say.

 

[The Loop]

A bigger deal does get made, because there are lots of people who do count on our reviews in their decision making process and the worst thing we could do is just sweep stuff under the covers because the average person might not care. If we say it's not that bad, but its not the greatest and a Dreams client or follower of one of our shows ends up booking it and walks into a room with dead roaches and spiders in beds then they might not write it off as a one time misstep and the trust is broken. If the hotel was truly a bargain fleabag place and constantly 100 less a night than everything around it then I do agree that the standard has to be taken into consideration, but when I searched a weekend in May that I was considering traveling to Disneyland, the rates for it are within $10 of the HoJo, Hilton Anaheim, and my personal favorite hotel in the area, the Hotel Indigo. If you're paying the same prices as those hotels you should get something more than bad service and a Pizza Press.

I probably overreacted
Well roaches that they do not clean up is a problem for sure, probably impossible to get that visual out of your head. I may be thinking back to when rates at the Anaheim Hotel were commonly 40% less than the other hotels between it and the parks and the savings meant I could afford to eat at table service in the parks. Given the choice I would pick the cheapest room that is right by the park and if they were within $20 or $30 a night I would pick something that isn't the Grand Legacy or the Anaheim hotel. I know we aren't supposed to criticize Pete, but he really gives off the vibe that he is too good to stay at anything that isn't the lap of luxury and I projected that onto the rest of the crew. I do appreciate that all the Florida people that aren't Pete are willing to stay in the off property hotels and I look forward to more reviews.

 

[WebmasterMaryJo]

The Disneyland Board (so far) is in agreement with this week's show's assessment of the hotel. https://www.disboards.com/threads/the-anaheim-hotel.3744649/

 

[EastYorkDisneyFan]

The Disneyland Board (so far) is in agreement with this week's show's assessment of the hotel. https://www.disboards.com/threads/the-anaheim-hotel.3744649/

It's like any place you read a review on more people will leave negitive feedback then positive reviews. Yes I agree that they had a terrible stay that was handled very porly by the staff. The whole moving rooms thing sounded realy stupid to me. What I don't get is why didn't they report the cockroach to hosekhouseke or the front desk when they saw it instead of leaving it there.

 

[jarestel]

It's not so much that the crew had some issues at the hotel, but the rather anemic response by the hotel staff that sends up a big red flag for me. Things happen at all hotels but inevitably it's the reaction of the hotel to try and mitigate the problems that I tend to remember. I would personally have a difficult time finding my way to a stay at the Anaheim Hotel based not on the issues (though they were certainly not trivial) but more for the hotel's inept handling of legitimate guest concerns.

 

[gdrj]

It's like any place you read a review on more people will leave negitive feedback then positive reviews...What I don't get is why didn't they report the cockroach to hosekhouseke or the front desk when they saw it instead of leaving it there.

In my experience hotel reviews tend to be more balanced. It is not only people that have issues but also people who have a positive experience. If a hotels reviews are trending negative over an extended period of time, it probably indicates an ongoing issue with the way the hotel is run.

The cockroach is pretty simple, does housekeeping clean? If it was there when they checked in, you could argue it just happened etc... When it is there throughout your stay it speaks of training, staffing and organization.

Staffing is the industry is only going to become more challenging for lower wage unskilled workers. With near full employment there is not a large pool of applicants

 

[disneyland_is_magic]

I thought the review was fair. Though sorry Mary Jo..I saw it more as them agreeing with the boards, meaning the boards could have spared them.

I do think the sheets not being changed has to do with serious drought issues in California and common hotel policies meant to conserve. Often you can get fresh towels or sheets anytime by asking.
The bed bugs in reviews was thrown in at the end, yes it can be in issue in Anaheim. I do know the OC Weekly has done stories and has not been shy to point out Disney hotels and other higher end hotels in the area have also seen issues. Just check your room, yo.
I wish they had mentioned the dead bug to the hotel, I’d been interested to hear guest recovery on that, then hey there are bugs in California.
I kinda didn’t follow the room type story why two queen beds wouldn’t work. I have found in Anaheim because of room blocks and lots of 3rd party travel agency reservations room types are more requests in the area. Aren’t king rooms at the Disney hotels by request only? But yeah, they need to state that clearly from the get go if they have a similar policy.
I would take the room where you won’t have to move from the start and then politely but firmly insist they adjust the price to reflect any difference and just get back to the vacation.
But yeah no question the service was completely tacky and lacking. I thought their scores were generous considering.