WeLoveDisney
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Apr 7, 2002
We are just back from an 8-day stay at the Grand Floridian Royal Palm Concierge. Although before we booked our trip we read many negative posts about it, we decided to give it a try and form our own opinion. We have always had very enjoyable stays in Disney before this trip, and had every reason to be this trip would be just as good, if not better. Boy, were we all wrong. Each day brought more and more problems and our complaints to the concierge and to management were either not responded to, or responded to in a truly offensive manner. We will never again return to the Grand Floridian, and if this trip had been my first to Disney, we would have never gone again.
This review will be very detailed, because I think to make such a statement requires me to tell you what aspects were not acceptable to me.
Background - My husband and I are both in our late 30s, with 2 teenage children. We are very fortunate to travel frequently on both business and pleasure, and have stayed many times at Disney deluxe resorts, both concierge and non-concierge level. I think my expectations of this trip were appropriate.
This trip was for a very special reason. My entire family (parents, brothers, sisters, spouses, and all the grandkids) were going to celebrate - my father just sold his business and my mother just finished a long course of chemotherapy. It was the first time we have ever all vacationed together since we were kids. Where else would we go? We are all Disney fans and have been since our first trips there as children. We booked 4 rooms at the Grand Floridian Royal Palm Concierge. My parents owned their own business all of their lives, up until a few months ago, and this was their first vacation in a very long time. It had always been my mothers dream to stay at the Grand Floridian and was so happy that we would all be there together to celebrate her end of chemotherapy and my fathers retirement. We booked 4 rooms on the 4th floor of the main building.
The troubles started before we got there. I heard the word no more times than I can count. The reason we chose the Royal Palm Club was to have the extra level of service promised. I dont think the requests we made were unreasonable. No service would have been preferable to the Obnoxious service we received. A few weeks before our trip, my husband and I made a one-night stay at the Grand Floridian, thinking they would remember us and help with special requests (not exceptional requests - heres what we asked for: close to the elevator, suggestions for the 7 grandchildren with us, and a character breakfast). We were told they would make this stay the magical stay of our dreams and not to worry. We were told that someone would contact us and make all of our arrangements. Well, a few days before the trip when no one had still contacted us, I called and was told Id have to send an email, they were too busy to talk to me and take my requests over the phone. I emailed my priority seating requests, some room requests for extra towels and blankets, and left for the trip.
Throughout the eight days, heres some examples of what we encountered. While each incident seems small, please remember that there were several every day, and we never did receive satisfaction on any of them.
-The priority seatings I had requested were reserved incorrectly (wrong dates). They told me that my email must have been wrong and truly seemed bothered that I asked them to change them all. (I looked at my email and it was right).
We were also told the character breakfast could not accomodate all of us. There were no suggestions made to separate the party, choose another restaurant, etc. Just a NO.
-The room keys didnt work in the concierge elevator. I asked why I had a blue key instead of a gold one I expected and they told me it didnt matter. 3 trips to the concierge later and it still didnt work.
-Length of stay passes could not be arranged for my children who were leaving earlier than me, even though I was told several times before that this would be no problem. When I went to purchase them I was told it is too complicated to do in the reservation system and my bill would be wrong.
-The extra towels and blankets were not in my room. They were not delivered for the first 2 nights even though I called about 4 times for them.
-We received slippers in the room, my daughter (age 14) asked for an extra pair and was told no, only 2 per room).
-My mother called for an extra bathrobe that was never received.
-Park tickets were not on the room keys although we paid for them and we had to stand in the rain at guest services in MK for 30 minutes to straighten out.
-Food on the buffet often ran out too early, and there were no replenishments. Our request for a single cookie, when coming back from EPCOT was met with Theyre G-O-N. I think he meant G-O-N-E.
-The turndown service never turned down all the beds in the room, or made up the daybed in the morning. I asked repeatedly that this be done and it was never done correctly. Concierge told me it was housekeeping's problem, housekeeping told me they were not getting the requests from the concierge. I was in the middle and not getting the service I wanted. I understand sometimes mistakes are made, but in eight nights this was never done right and I called every day.
-Very important and something I had not read here before, is that the A/C in the rooms is motioned sensored. If you are not moving around, it shuts off. We called to complain several times that our room was too warm, and we were told to move around more. Even during the middle of the night when I told them it was too warm to sleep. I am serious. It was impossible to nap or read in the room during the day, which we like to do.
-The buffet attendants were very rude (except for one, Juan). Besides us being told that cookies were G-O-N, we were also told that if we wanted the good stuff (ie chocolate covered strawberries), to get there earlier. For clarification, they were put out on the 8-10 buffet serving but gone by 8:30 - 9 each night.
-The buffet attendants actually made fun of a guest in her bathing suit after she left the lounge. All the other guests heard this. If that had been my daughter or sister I would have demanded their termination. As it was I felt very uncomfortable.
-There was no help from the concierge staff when we needed them most. The day I left I realized I left my wallet behind. My sister who was still there retrieved it and asked the concierge to overnight deliver it to my home. When I called for a tracking number they told me they had no record of receiving it from my sister. No one was returning my calls, and I finally called the manager who found it (it was not yet in the mail 2 days later). He told me there would be no charge for the mailing (there was).
-My sister lost her eyeglasses in the Magic Kingdom and they offered no help, not even a phone call or extension for her. When she went to the concierge desk they told her to go back to her room and dial zero. I would think at a minimum they would have made a call for her.
-My brother in law collects Disney coins and asked for a list of machines (he was given this at the WL). The concierge didnt know what he was talking about so he went to the front desk who helped him (politely and accurately).
-After the screw ups with the park passes, my parents noticed that their bill was wrong and they were doubled billed for the passes. They pointed this out and was told it was too late, it was in accoutings hands and check back in 14 days to make sure it is credited.
There are many other examples like those, and my sister who was with me in a different room will also be posting about her own experiences. The main point of the story is that there was no special service, too many nos, and too many rude comments.
Now, I will tell you the most offensive part. After spending each day talking to the concierge or the manager about my problems, I finally spoke to one of the managers, Kristen. Kristen apologized and told me that my expectations were certainly in line and that she would personally ensure that things would get better. When I was asking her if she thought my expectations were unrealistic, I also asked her what I was paying extra for the concierge service for. She told me that she would credit my account (no amount was ever discussed and this was her idea, not mine). Upon checkout (and I had to call twice for my bill to be delivered when they are usually put on the door), I noticed there was no credit. I called the concierge to ask about it and was told someone would call me back. In the time that took, I decided to count my losses, not go through the hassle, (I wasnt expecting a large credit, more of a token apology) and go home. When the concierge Chris called back, I told him not to worry about it. He should have left it at that. Instead, Chris told me that he spoke to Kristen who said she never said that. He also said that a review of my problems showed that they were not all that significant, or were resolved. He then insinuated that I exaggerated these issues in order to get a credit. Needless to say, I was furious. Being late for a flight I took his managers name (Kristen) and the GM of the hotel and left. This was all ridiculous. The entire reason I booked at the RPC is that I dont mind paying for service THAT I ACTUALLY GET. I would have gladly spent more money receiving the service that I wanted than spending a week on the phone complaining about the BS for a discount.
Also to note, the GM (Georgine Suzanne) has not returned any of my calls. I am so upset by this entire trip that I will not let this drop until I receive a response. This is the first bad experience I have ever had at Disney, and have been vacationing there since I was a child. I am not looking for any monetary credit, I am looking for a response that restores my faith in Disney.
This trip was so important to my parents, who paid more for this vacation than they did for their first house. I told everyone at the concierge how special this trip was and they received nothing. No warm words, no special acknowledgement, nothing. Well, they did receive rude comments and ignored requests.
This review will be very detailed, because I think to make such a statement requires me to tell you what aspects were not acceptable to me.
Background - My husband and I are both in our late 30s, with 2 teenage children. We are very fortunate to travel frequently on both business and pleasure, and have stayed many times at Disney deluxe resorts, both concierge and non-concierge level. I think my expectations of this trip were appropriate.
This trip was for a very special reason. My entire family (parents, brothers, sisters, spouses, and all the grandkids) were going to celebrate - my father just sold his business and my mother just finished a long course of chemotherapy. It was the first time we have ever all vacationed together since we were kids. Where else would we go? We are all Disney fans and have been since our first trips there as children. We booked 4 rooms at the Grand Floridian Royal Palm Concierge. My parents owned their own business all of their lives, up until a few months ago, and this was their first vacation in a very long time. It had always been my mothers dream to stay at the Grand Floridian and was so happy that we would all be there together to celebrate her end of chemotherapy and my fathers retirement. We booked 4 rooms on the 4th floor of the main building.
The troubles started before we got there. I heard the word no more times than I can count. The reason we chose the Royal Palm Club was to have the extra level of service promised. I dont think the requests we made were unreasonable. No service would have been preferable to the Obnoxious service we received. A few weeks before our trip, my husband and I made a one-night stay at the Grand Floridian, thinking they would remember us and help with special requests (not exceptional requests - heres what we asked for: close to the elevator, suggestions for the 7 grandchildren with us, and a character breakfast). We were told they would make this stay the magical stay of our dreams and not to worry. We were told that someone would contact us and make all of our arrangements. Well, a few days before the trip when no one had still contacted us, I called and was told Id have to send an email, they were too busy to talk to me and take my requests over the phone. I emailed my priority seating requests, some room requests for extra towels and blankets, and left for the trip.
Throughout the eight days, heres some examples of what we encountered. While each incident seems small, please remember that there were several every day, and we never did receive satisfaction on any of them.
-The priority seatings I had requested were reserved incorrectly (wrong dates). They told me that my email must have been wrong and truly seemed bothered that I asked them to change them all. (I looked at my email and it was right).
We were also told the character breakfast could not accomodate all of us. There were no suggestions made to separate the party, choose another restaurant, etc. Just a NO.
-The room keys didnt work in the concierge elevator. I asked why I had a blue key instead of a gold one I expected and they told me it didnt matter. 3 trips to the concierge later and it still didnt work.
-Length of stay passes could not be arranged for my children who were leaving earlier than me, even though I was told several times before that this would be no problem. When I went to purchase them I was told it is too complicated to do in the reservation system and my bill would be wrong.
-The extra towels and blankets were not in my room. They were not delivered for the first 2 nights even though I called about 4 times for them.
-We received slippers in the room, my daughter (age 14) asked for an extra pair and was told no, only 2 per room).
-My mother called for an extra bathrobe that was never received.
-Park tickets were not on the room keys although we paid for them and we had to stand in the rain at guest services in MK for 30 minutes to straighten out.
-Food on the buffet often ran out too early, and there were no replenishments. Our request for a single cookie, when coming back from EPCOT was met with Theyre G-O-N. I think he meant G-O-N-E.
-The turndown service never turned down all the beds in the room, or made up the daybed in the morning. I asked repeatedly that this be done and it was never done correctly. Concierge told me it was housekeeping's problem, housekeeping told me they were not getting the requests from the concierge. I was in the middle and not getting the service I wanted. I understand sometimes mistakes are made, but in eight nights this was never done right and I called every day.
-Very important and something I had not read here before, is that the A/C in the rooms is motioned sensored. If you are not moving around, it shuts off. We called to complain several times that our room was too warm, and we were told to move around more. Even during the middle of the night when I told them it was too warm to sleep. I am serious. It was impossible to nap or read in the room during the day, which we like to do.
-The buffet attendants were very rude (except for one, Juan). Besides us being told that cookies were G-O-N, we were also told that if we wanted the good stuff (ie chocolate covered strawberries), to get there earlier. For clarification, they were put out on the 8-10 buffet serving but gone by 8:30 - 9 each night.
-The buffet attendants actually made fun of a guest in her bathing suit after she left the lounge. All the other guests heard this. If that had been my daughter or sister I would have demanded their termination. As it was I felt very uncomfortable.
-There was no help from the concierge staff when we needed them most. The day I left I realized I left my wallet behind. My sister who was still there retrieved it and asked the concierge to overnight deliver it to my home. When I called for a tracking number they told me they had no record of receiving it from my sister. No one was returning my calls, and I finally called the manager who found it (it was not yet in the mail 2 days later). He told me there would be no charge for the mailing (there was).
-My sister lost her eyeglasses in the Magic Kingdom and they offered no help, not even a phone call or extension for her. When she went to the concierge desk they told her to go back to her room and dial zero. I would think at a minimum they would have made a call for her.
-My brother in law collects Disney coins and asked for a list of machines (he was given this at the WL). The concierge didnt know what he was talking about so he went to the front desk who helped him (politely and accurately).
-After the screw ups with the park passes, my parents noticed that their bill was wrong and they were doubled billed for the passes. They pointed this out and was told it was too late, it was in accoutings hands and check back in 14 days to make sure it is credited.
There are many other examples like those, and my sister who was with me in a different room will also be posting about her own experiences. The main point of the story is that there was no special service, too many nos, and too many rude comments.
Now, I will tell you the most offensive part. After spending each day talking to the concierge or the manager about my problems, I finally spoke to one of the managers, Kristen. Kristen apologized and told me that my expectations were certainly in line and that she would personally ensure that things would get better. When I was asking her if she thought my expectations were unrealistic, I also asked her what I was paying extra for the concierge service for. She told me that she would credit my account (no amount was ever discussed and this was her idea, not mine). Upon checkout (and I had to call twice for my bill to be delivered when they are usually put on the door), I noticed there was no credit. I called the concierge to ask about it and was told someone would call me back. In the time that took, I decided to count my losses, not go through the hassle, (I wasnt expecting a large credit, more of a token apology) and go home. When the concierge Chris called back, I told him not to worry about it. He should have left it at that. Instead, Chris told me that he spoke to Kristen who said she never said that. He also said that a review of my problems showed that they were not all that significant, or were resolved. He then insinuated that I exaggerated these issues in order to get a credit. Needless to say, I was furious. Being late for a flight I took his managers name (Kristen) and the GM of the hotel and left. This was all ridiculous. The entire reason I booked at the RPC is that I dont mind paying for service THAT I ACTUALLY GET. I would have gladly spent more money receiving the service that I wanted than spending a week on the phone complaining about the BS for a discount.
Also to note, the GM (Georgine Suzanne) has not returned any of my calls. I am so upset by this entire trip that I will not let this drop until I receive a response. This is the first bad experience I have ever had at Disney, and have been vacationing there since I was a child. I am not looking for any monetary credit, I am looking for a response that restores my faith in Disney.
This trip was so important to my parents, who paid more for this vacation than they did for their first house. I told everyone at the concierge how special this trip was and they received nothing. No warm words, no special acknowledgement, nothing. Well, they did receive rude comments and ignored requests.
