deide71
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Aug 14, 2005
- Messages
- 1,669
First off, I am glad to hear your son is doing fine. I am also glad to hear how well the cruise line did in the crisis. It just seems so particularly sad when something like that happens during a vacation you have been so eagerly anticipating. We had something similar happen in March of '07.
We were staying in a rental home offsite, but I got a garden wing room at the Contemporary on an AP rate for one night to celebrate my sons 5th borthday. He loves the monorail, and I thought it would be fun for him, as well as provide a convenient location for our MK day.
After checking in that morning we took the walking path to the MK. If anyone is familiar with that route you know it crosses a pretty busy road. Well, my son got so excited when we reached the intersection he ran out into traffic and was hit by a car.
I can't go into much detail without getting really emotional but suffice it to say he was unconscious. EMS responded within minutes (they must have a rig at the MK) and while I traveled with my son, the guest relations manager of the Contemporary drove my husband and 2 other children to the hospital.
At the hospital my husband and I stayed in the ER and CAT scan with my son while the manager from the Contemporary fed and entertained my other children. My son required emergency surgery, and Disney sent another employee to take care of the kids while we waited. This man was amazing. He must have had early childhood education, the kids loved him. He brought them to the playground, played games with them. He truly was a godsend, as we were too worried to entertain them.
Once we knew my son was out of surgery and going to be OK my husband and kids were driven back to the resort while I stayed at the hospital. The put them in a tower Magic Kingdom view room, it had balloons and stuffed Mickeys. They had dinner at Chef Mickeys, and turn down service with cookies and milk. This really helped take their minds off of what they had witnessed that day.
Disney Comped the room, and the manager at the Contemporary told my husband they could stay as long as they needed. This was over spring break week and this particular room must have been very expensive. They only stayed the one night. It just seemed wrong to take advantage YKWIM.
So I guess, yes Disney is a business, and they need to make $$$. But in my opinion, in a crisis the human element of the individual employees comes out and they go above and beyond.
For their part, this incident could have lost them customers. Can you imagine wanting to return to the place you experienced a trauma like this? Well, we have been back twice since then, with another trip planned for Feb. This is due in no small part to the kindness of the employees...and a lot of luck and pixie dust (not to mention the skill of the Neurosurgeon at Arnold Palmer Childrens Hospital...shout out!) for my son.
Oh, but next time we stay at the Contemporary...we will take the monorail to the MK!
We were staying in a rental home offsite, but I got a garden wing room at the Contemporary on an AP rate for one night to celebrate my sons 5th borthday. He loves the monorail, and I thought it would be fun for him, as well as provide a convenient location for our MK day.
After checking in that morning we took the walking path to the MK. If anyone is familiar with that route you know it crosses a pretty busy road. Well, my son got so excited when we reached the intersection he ran out into traffic and was hit by a car.
I can't go into much detail without getting really emotional but suffice it to say he was unconscious. EMS responded within minutes (they must have a rig at the MK) and while I traveled with my son, the guest relations manager of the Contemporary drove my husband and 2 other children to the hospital.
At the hospital my husband and I stayed in the ER and CAT scan with my son while the manager from the Contemporary fed and entertained my other children. My son required emergency surgery, and Disney sent another employee to take care of the kids while we waited. This man was amazing. He must have had early childhood education, the kids loved him. He brought them to the playground, played games with them. He truly was a godsend, as we were too worried to entertain them.
Once we knew my son was out of surgery and going to be OK my husband and kids were driven back to the resort while I stayed at the hospital. The put them in a tower Magic Kingdom view room, it had balloons and stuffed Mickeys. They had dinner at Chef Mickeys, and turn down service with cookies and milk. This really helped take their minds off of what they had witnessed that day.
Disney Comped the room, and the manager at the Contemporary told my husband they could stay as long as they needed. This was over spring break week and this particular room must have been very expensive. They only stayed the one night. It just seemed wrong to take advantage YKWIM.
So I guess, yes Disney is a business, and they need to make $$$. But in my opinion, in a crisis the human element of the individual employees comes out and they go above and beyond.
For their part, this incident could have lost them customers. Can you imagine wanting to return to the place you experienced a trauma like this? Well, we have been back twice since then, with another trip planned for Feb. This is due in no small part to the kindness of the employees...and a lot of luck and pixie dust (not to mention the skill of the Neurosurgeon at Arnold Palmer Childrens Hospital...shout out!) for my son.
Oh, but next time we stay at the Contemporary...we will take the monorail to the MK!
to Disney for a job well done.
