OK, I am posting some of my thoughts here. I have more details on my trip report so here come only few points...
Magic Express brought my DD to a wrong hotel, Poly instead of CBR, and they scanned her ticket,
she arrived much later then suppose to because of that and she was alone, she is 17, flew couple days later then me because of her job, she was disapointed.
Checking in was fast but while having my request for buildings 45, 46 and 51, I was offered building 53 wich is less convenient. I understand request are not guarantee but they did not even try. After I refused they were calling and checking again and again, offering later check in (5PM) and other buildings till they finally found building 51 ready. The sad part is that lots of rooms at this building were actually empty on first day and for the rest of our stay. Why they cound not find it right away is a mystery for me, why to offer me worse cases first and when I firmly refuse finally give me what I wanted.
Room was OK only at first glance. Yes, carpets, walls are clean, so was bathroom, so was bad. I did not look carefully, I did not sleep the whole night before flight, was still packing and I was way too tired. I briefly checked and just fell over covers and fell asleep till around 8PM. After that I went to pool and when I got back and looked at bedding again I found a dead fly pressed on my sheets and had to call mousekeeping to change beddings. They came very fast but honestly sheets had so many yellow spots, they had to retire. Pillows were very uncomfortable, 4 tiny pillows per bed instead of 2 normal once as they used to have, I could not find a right position for them, so bring some cheap pillows with you if you stay at CBR. Also furniture missed some top wood at places and you could say what was new and what was old in a room. Shower curtains had spots, they were obviously washed but those spots did not come off and it looked dirty. Some towels were very old and paper thin while some were still good. So lets me put it this way, room was fine, not great but fine.
Had some issues with mousekeeping. This is something I will write in my survey for sure. If they cleaned room, they did a good job, except that they always forget to put a plastic bag for ice and no towel animals but overall good job. But the key word is "IF". First day I saw a bag with towels at the door at around 11AM( I was sleeping and had "do not disturb" sign, but seriously at 11 AM they leave me towels, how about comming back later. Second day I was about to leave my room at 10:30 AM and mousekeeping knocked on a door. I opened and she already had a bag to hang on my door. She asked me, if I need service or she can just give me towels, did not I pay for service??? I told her that I need service and I will leave room in couple minutes. As I left, she was pretty far already and rooms had bags on doors. I let her know that I am out and she can clean it. We were back to room around 2PM, nothing. Then later my mom heard her passing our room again and pretty much made her clean. First, I thought that maybe it was result of cuts and she had so much to clean that she was looking for any chance not to clean but I had no problem with other mousekeepers. Next day when mousekeeping knocked and I was still sleeping, she asked me when to come back, did not even mention just giving me towels. I did not pay attention to first mousekeepers name, but I will mention dates and room in survey, she was lazy. Why should I run after mousekeeping and make them clean my room? If I wanted no service I would book offsite villa or just rent a villa. If I pay, I want to get what I payed for.
Noticed many indifferent CMs, not rude, not nice, just there. I was conducting an experiment with 2 CMs at CBR store. They were standing and talking about something, I was walking around them and no reaction, zero. I believe one was teaching the other one and they were doing that while customer is right infront of them. The manager noticed that and told them to stop having fun and asked me if I need any assistance. On my way out they were still paying no attention and as I walked by I heard one said to another, lets take a break and they just left. I saw many CMs with blank expression on rides, even on HM where they usually play with guests. I saw however some very nice CMs, mostly at the gate and cleaning CMs, they always said hello and asked about my day, very nice.
Saw some garbage at MK. Bathrooms, some were spotless, one next to Japan was a mess, my DD refused to use it. Bathroom right next to Epcot bag check smelled outside. We did not even go in, we just walked by and it smelled badly like some public bathroom that was never cleaned, shame.
Experinced some rude guests.
Saw 2 Brazilian tour groups, behaved pretty normal, families however, not so much. I cannot say for sure, Brazilians or not but they spoke Portuguese. One family rode with us on ME, plane has bathrooms, airport has bathrooms but for some reason they needed to use bathroom on a bus while people sit right next to it, why? Had interaction with same foreign family twice (since I am not cpmpletely sure of their origin and they spoke very little English). At MK, on a 3D show, we walk and I sit and then an old woman starts screaming at me and shows me that she holds seats for her family, 4 seats, not kidding. She outstretched her hands and held 4 seats, 2 on both sides right in a center of theater. Her multiple family then joined and they were getting to her while everyone was sitting already. Then they clapped and screamed every time a scene was over. As we left, we went to carousel and my DD rode a horse and I set on a carrige/slide, whatever it is. Right infront of me is again the same family with very active grandma. They got all horses in a row. A baby with mom next to him, a father next to baby, a preteen with grandma taking pictures and 2 teens on a same horse. To entertain a baby, father started hitting horse with his foot to shake it, wonderful behaivor. Also saw many nice foreigners so I believe bad behaivor is exception not a rule. Saw line cutting(joining a family) on a 5 min wait ride. A family cut right in front of me as we walked to Buzz and then as we were almost there(2 min later), 2 other family members run through line, basically cutting everyone. What puzzles me, why can't you wait for your whole family when it is only 5 min wait?.. Another woman elbowed my DD to get infront of her in a second room of Stitch, when we were entering the main room, why? We are there anyway, do you need a better seat? Those 2 I described were not foreigners BTW. The rest of the guests I met were pretty normal.
I could not find anything to buy. Everything is generic except RNR store. I could find same things at every store, nothing unique to parks. Even at Epcot you can see much less unique merchandise then used to be. I never heard of sales at Epcot before. At China, my mom asked about a vase and lady told her it used to be $200 but it is $120 now, interesting. Christmas store at Germany, MK and DTD had nothing interesting, tons of birds, Mickeys heads and princess line ($40) ornaments. I used to buy at least 1 ornament each trip but this time I found nothing. I still bought some things, a little bag at Japan(no big bags anymore), 2 tshirts at Planet Hollywood for my DD, parfume for my DD at DTD, Sushi book at Japan, some magnets at DTD and Minnie towels and mitten for my kitchen.
I remember someone mentioned before that Illuminations are less then used to be. It is actually a sad truth. It has less fireworks and it is really noticable. I remember during grand finale sky used to be light because of all the fireworks, not anymore. It is not as spectacular as it was. Of couse for someone new, it will still be amazing show but those who saw it before like me, can see difference right away. I was so disapointed that second day at Epcot we did not even stay for Illuminations, we left hour before it. Wishes still good, I did not notice change if there is a change.
Why there are so much construction going on at MK, not related to expansion. Whose brilliant idea was to have all those walls and huge posters with pictures of a building behind it, while there are expansion walls. BTW, they should make a higher walls for expansion, I could see some construction, it is not magical, just cover it higher.
Overall it was a good vacation because it was a family vacation and we did create our own fun BUT I could not close my eyes on what I saw. I did not look for problems, they were there. When you smell bathroom 20 feet away from it, right next to entrance to the park you do not even want to go in. When you are ignored by CMs, you do not want to buy things from them, when you run after mousekeeping, you feel like staying offsite next time, when I almost fell because of water bottles on a ground at MK, I was not looking for problems, they were right in front of me, under my feet. We spend much less time in parks then usual primarily because of decline in fireworks and overall less magical feel. We were mostly relaxing at resort and DTD. Of couse I will go again but will probably spend less days in parks, rent a car, eat off site and do other things in Orlando, after all there is a life outside of Disney gate.
