ehagerty
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jul 16, 2001
- Messages
- 2,099
For this thread, we will consider the Aloha Isle "dining".....
Backstory - we've been WDW regulars for nearly 20 years - and yet, I never had a Dole anything until this year. Not sure why. I am really fond of pineapple (fresh pineapple, anyway). It has probably taken this long because there always seemed to be a line - and I am not a fan of rapidly melting ice cream.
Fast forward - to the Dining Plan - which shouldn't have been a factor, but was - because you can get a $3.99 Dole Whip in pineapple juice on a snack credit.
WOW. I loved it. It is every bit as good as everyone before me recorded. So good, that I had to go back to the Magic Kingdom - and WAIT for Aloha Isle to open my last full day.
What, if changed, would have made the experience even better?
Well, for the Disney people who cruise these boards for customer feedback, I do have a small one - additional details to the WAIT.
I wandered over by Aloha Isle shortly before 10:00 am (park opened at 9:00). Wooden shutters covered the windows. No sign of when it opened.
Next, a very helpful - albeit, not knowledgable - Disney customer-relations-type person noticed me hanging around. He mentioned that the stand would open at 10:30. Given his uniform, I believed him. After all, he had the means (that is, phone) to ascertain, with certainty, real information - why would he provide misinformation?
Turns out, it didn't open until 11:00 am. Had I known, I could have thought of better ways to spend the next 55 minutes at a greater distance from what turned out to be one of the few, remaining designated smoking sections (about 10 feet away) in the World.
There I stood, waiting patiently, trying to second guess behind which magic door the prize of service awaited. Well, this is not my specialty. Whenever my family asks me which line I would pick - they immediately choose any other. I focus so much on reason that I miss the irrational factors.
Anyway, they weren't with me to save me from going with reason. People started lining up in the best-guess queues and with one sort-of-poky server, I was now about 5th in line for service. I think this was the only annoyed Disney moment I had in 15 days. Not bad, but avoidable.
I probably would have rolled with it better if I hadn't been waiting so long. About 7 minutes later, Dole Whip in hand, I was well past the irritation. Making mental notes about what could have been better - a sign, a queue. Whatever.
In summary - recommendation:
Backstory - we've been WDW regulars for nearly 20 years - and yet, I never had a Dole anything until this year. Not sure why. I am really fond of pineapple (fresh pineapple, anyway). It has probably taken this long because there always seemed to be a line - and I am not a fan of rapidly melting ice cream.
Fast forward - to the Dining Plan - which shouldn't have been a factor, but was - because you can get a $3.99 Dole Whip in pineapple juice on a snack credit.
WOW. I loved it. It is every bit as good as everyone before me recorded. So good, that I had to go back to the Magic Kingdom - and WAIT for Aloha Isle to open my last full day.
What, if changed, would have made the experience even better?
Well, for the Disney people who cruise these boards for customer feedback, I do have a small one - additional details to the WAIT.
I wandered over by Aloha Isle shortly before 10:00 am (park opened at 9:00). Wooden shutters covered the windows. No sign of when it opened.
So - for starters - it sure would be helpful to post a SIGN when Aloha Isle opens TODAY. If it never changes, make the sign PERMANENT. If it varies, have a sign that can deal with it - an inexpensive, useful alternative to ignorance.
Next, a very helpful - albeit, not knowledgable - Disney customer-relations-type person noticed me hanging around. He mentioned that the stand would open at 10:30. Given his uniform, I believed him. After all, he had the means (that is, phone) to ascertain, with certainty, real information - why would he provide misinformation?
Turns out, it didn't open until 11:00 am. Had I known, I could have thought of better ways to spend the next 55 minutes at a greater distance from what turned out to be one of the few, remaining designated smoking sections (about 10 feet away) in the World.
There I stood, waiting patiently, trying to second guess behind which magic door the prize of service awaited. Well, this is not my specialty. Whenever my family asks me which line I would pick - they immediately choose any other. I focus so much on reason that I miss the irrational factors.
Anyway, they weren't with me to save me from going with reason. People started lining up in the best-guess queues and with one sort-of-poky server, I was now about 5th in line for service. I think this was the only annoyed Disney moment I had in 15 days. Not bad, but avoidable.
I probably would have rolled with it better if I hadn't been waiting so long. About 7 minutes later, Dole Whip in hand, I was well past the irritation. Making mental notes about what could have been better - a sign, a queue. Whatever.
In summary - recommendation:
- sign - service hours
- queue - anything is better than nothing - especially in an environment where this is handled so well everywhere else
I have been salivating for 18 years for another Dole Whip! They are awesome, and I can't wait to have another one, or two, or three, or ... I'll have 9 snack credits...wonder how many of them will be for DW? 
Although I have never had one, it is a "must" on my next vacation to disney 
) , so we asked a CM near the Aloha Isles what time they opened, and she gave us what seemed like a knowledgeable reply. At the time stated, we came back and found the counter windows still closed, so we wandered the shops, came back on the next 1/2 hour .... still closed. Came back an hour later and they were finally opening. 
, and after seeing the picture, will have to try it this August.
