Hi,
Sorry I just started a new thread when my post would probably fit here better.
I just got back from a very short notice suprise visit to Disneyworld for the weekend, just hubby and I. We had a great time and loved the weather and crowds at this time of your but I have one observation...... Background - I have been three times in the last three years and then there are quite a few not so frequent earlier trips over the last 20 years. I don't yet have trip fatigue and do something different each time as well as visit my favorites. These last three trips though the magic just doesn't seem the same and this time I nailed it down to the attitude of the cast members.......my observation is that the more of the CM just don't seem as happy and customer service friendly as they once were.
I don't know if it is because lot more of the cast members seem to be retirees and they are older and sorry to say this can be a little cochety, (sorry to generalize I really don't have anything against older people and would like to work there when I retire). While I generalized the older people it isn't just the older people. Hubby and I were in a store on Main Street browsing the goodies, it was pretty busy and we inadvertantly got in the way of a young CM with a cart on her way to stock some shelves and she was just pissy, we apologised but she just gave us the most awful look of disgust. This is just an example of what we experienced.
I know these are likely to be minimum wage jobs but haven't they always been minimum wage/entry level positions? Maybe the training isn't as good as it used to be or maybe the management isn't as good. The CM's at the gates, in the stores, at the restaurants don't seem as happy and perky as I once remember. To me their morale seemed low, it isn't eveyone but to me it's on the increase, yes they are doing their jobs but there are more that just seem to going through the motions and not adding to the Disney experience which is how CM's were to me and it was something I loved. Their enthusiasm made my trip even more enjoyable.
What is going on? Is anyone else of the same opinion? Am I wrong?
This is one of the areas that I, as a frequent guest, think they have gone downhill the most. The CM attitudes, which are directly tied to being overworked/underpaid, and flat out nasty, rude and slobbish guests, IMHO, have changed quite a bit. I have seen and heard things the past 4 trips, that I never would have thought I would hear at WDW from staff members. This is an area that is much different over the past 7 years or so.
1. We're not bored or we wouldn't keep going.
2. Yes, there are more parks and more resorts. There seems to be less emphasis on keeping those 2 things clean.
3. Food quality has definitely gone down. There should also be a level for those who don't mind paying cash to get the quality of food that used to be available. It's gone from decent to Golden Corral-edible but not great quality.
1. That's great that you aren't bored - I mentioned it, because we see it over on the DVC boards, as some families go 4 times a year, and then expect Disney to keep changing to suit them.
2. I see a bit of problems with cleanliness, but not huge amounts. Have stayed at every resort, except for GF, Bay Lake (stayed at Contemporary 2x though), and Tree Houses, and all of our resort villas have been clean, as have lobbies and bathrooms. Parks don't look as fresh in some areas, but honestly, it used to bug hubby and I when we'd see Disney re-painting areas that looked fine. Disney used to maintenance too much, and so I think it's good that they aren't wasting money on re-painting and such. That being said, they can spread it out to other areas though, as sometimes bathrooms and garbage cans are overflowing, and we never used to see this 9 or 10 years ago.
3. Food quality has gone downhill, but a buffet is a buffet, so I'm not expecting much there. Plus, it encompasses food and entertainment. The bogus buffet surcharges really bug us though. There are still some very good restaurants on property though - we've eaten at pretty much most of them, including Signatures, so there are still some good ones to be found.
I do not want to look for value and areas where it is STILL good, I want it to be good overall. Universal and Six Flags(again only parks I know) add rides all the time but they do not raise prices. Parks add rides/attractions to keep parks fresh. Disney raise prices every year and in addition it cuts in areas. I do not care about little things as well but there are cleaniness issues and resort management issues and food issues. I cannot justify hotel rates anymore, they just ridiculous. What I pay for and what I get just doesn't match anymore. I do not say Disney gone down hill but it definitely going there.
We stopped going to Universal, as it was same old, same old. They added Harry Potter, but that's about it. Remember, a 1 day ticket to Universal and Sea World is now the same cost as Disney, and those 2 parks have way less stuff than Disney does. Universal has to heavily discount though, as they don't have much there, IMHO, and the food is yucky (except for a few City Walk restaurants). I admit some hotel rates are crazy high, but there have been a lot of discounts over the last few years, that have brought Values and Moderates to very low levels. Again though, you'll always find off-site hotels cheaper, as they have to secure business.
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Hi! I agree. We ate at Chrystal Palace last year. The cost was approximately $35.00 plus tip. The food was sub par! YUCK! Now, we also usually go to BOMA (only when the bogus surcharge is not in effect), and the food is awesome.
I keep hearing that Chef Mickey's dinner buffet is terrible. I personally have never eaten their though.
That's funny, as we don't find Boma that great at all - horrible service each and every time we've been there. Have been to Crystal Palace more times than I can count, and we have always had consistently good service, characters and food, and the prices are still pretty reasonable (except for peak periods of surcharges). Chef Mickey's is not that good, but it also suffers from kids running all over the place - it has greatly improved over the last 2 years though.
It's interesting to keep reading everyone's differing perspectives! Tiger
) so, for the next 8 trips, we can do a water park (and we probably won't this coming dec,. unless it's really unseasonably warm) and water park tickets will only go up, too,so we thought it was a good choice.
