I am one that normally does not do online check in. I like to check in with a real person. I say at the current time with all the staff cuts, you should absolutely use online check in. I wish we had.
We just got back from YC last Sunday. We were there from 10/1- 10/9. It was not our first stay at YC, or in YC CL. We have also stayed at BC. For the first time, while we LOVE YC and still had a fantastic stay and would pick it again in an instant, we did feel like it was understaffed in areas and really felt the cut backs. Actually, it was not just at YC--- there were definitely some substantial staffing cuts in several areas around WDW and also things were not being as well taken care of as we were used to (we went to DL this summer and the parks were significantly cleaner than WDW as a whole this year which was surprising to me). Although people have been complaining about cut backs for years-- we have been every year for the last 9 years and last year was the first year we noticed or felt the cuts and reductions at all- and this year we
really felt and noticed it in several areas. It was a definite shift. As far as YC, about every time we passed the front desk, it looked like the lines were long (maybe it was just our timing in passing by- but we really did notice it and we have not in the past). We were staying CL this trip. In the past, we would be greeted when we got off ME and then escorted to the CL floor where you check in for CL. They have eliminated all the greeters. For CL, you are supposed to check in upstairs; however, your band has to work to access that floor. When we arrived, we weren't sure what to do, since there was no greeter or escort and we knew our check in would be upstairs. We asked at bell services whether our bands would work to go up there to check in, or whether we needed to go to the front desk. We were told we had to go to the front desk (although I have since heard that most times the bands should work). The line was long and we had to stand in it until we got to the front, but then they did not check us in there, rather they had to get someone to escort us to the 5th floor to actually check in. We wound up having someone that was working the front desk actually leave their post and take us upstairs (which made me feel sorry for the people behind us in line). Later that week, we actually saw the Captain/Yachtsman himself bringing people up to check in. Also, I don't know if the concierge desk in the lobby was ever open, but it did not appear to be much, if at all, during our stay. DD always wants to look at their pin book and the lobby concierge desk had signs up saying closed every time she wanted to go check on it. We were directed to the front desk for any downstairs concierge service (we just went back upstairs to CL). but it did not look like they had any separate concierge line, it looked like you just had to stand in the regular line (we did not try it- so I can't verify that). We also noticed the CL lounge appeared to be understaffed. The CMs working it were working as hard and fast as they could, but they could not keep up (this was before Hurricane Matthew). More than once, there were no plates available and we had to use bowls and twice there were no forks available. Also, the tables all over the lounge had dishes left behind that were not being picked up. More than once we moved someone's old dishes off of a table to another table that already had dishes so that we would have a clear table where we could sit. Again, the staff that was there was really working hard and trying to get everything done- they just could not keep up. My 10 year old DD (whose goal in life is to become an imagineer and then the CEO of Disney- she doesn't think small) kept saying--- "When I am CEO of Disney, I'm going to fix these understaffing issues". I can't tell you how many times during the week I heard "When I am CEO of Disney..." Lets just say--- she is going to make sure things with faded paint are going to be spruced up; that the restrooms are not filthy, that broken doors and other broken items are repaired, that removed character meet and greets are returned and that villain meet and greets are returned to the Halloween party, that resort are properly staffed, etc. I think she is making a list.
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Dee, when is your trip to the darkside?
