Has Disney dropped the magic ball?

[itchin2go]

Well Comcast is the devil incarnate , so not really a fair comparison. Your gripe was legitimate as soon as you said Comcast.

Exactly. People are willing to take your gripe seriously if you say Comcast. If you say Disney, it must be your attitude. I think this is dismissive, and poor logic.

And I'm not talking about JUST dirty bathrooms. There's a thread over on the resort board, where someone's husband cut his foot on broken glass in the bathroom (the Poly), which was left by housekeeping. People jumped all over that poor lady. Told her it was just a cut - get over it. It's the leaping to Disney's defense no matter what and assuming the problem is with the complainer.

 

[andyman8]

My general consensus is that, and don't get me wrong, there are so many wonderful CMs who go above and beyond all across property, you tend to find the less kind CMs in the parks. I've visited the parks and hotels a lot, and I definitely get the sense the resort CMs are held to a significantly higher standard. I don't know if that's because they're dealing with less guests or what, but I've gotten some rather unmagical attitude was several in-park CMs recently. That said, I've gotten more than enough magic from CMs, in park and at the resorts, to counter that.

As for the towel animals, these include the Mickey-shaped towel assortments, right? That's a real shame, because I've always found that a cute staple a Disney Resort Hotel. Almost like Mousekeeping's signature.

It's the leaping to Disney's defense no matter what and assuming the problem is with the complainer.

Welcome to DISboards! As Pete Werner of the DIS Unplugged once said, there are two distinct types of Disney fans. The ones that look at everything fairly, keep an open mind, and are open to admit that Disney, like anything else, is not perfect (the vast majority of fans), and the ones who cannot stand to hear anything negative about Disney and will go to any extent to shut the complainer or critic down.

 

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

Right. Take this whole attitude adjustment thing to the max. All the way to worst case scenario. What if nothing's working, if everybody's grumpy, if all the food is cold and gross. Is the attitude the problem then? Of course, we're not nearly to that worst case scenario, but how far do we have to get before people are willing to hold Disney accountable?

To be perfectly clear, it just seems like every time there's a thread like this, people tell the OP that they need to adjust their attitude, lower their expectations, just be happy they're not at work, don't have cancer, etc. If you legitimately have a bad or disappointing experience with a company, is this what you want to be told?

Comcast has been KILLING me lately - not literally of course. But service keeps going out, and my boxes keep dying and every time something happens, it takes at least 3 phone calls of an hour apiece to make any headway. Two days ago, I think it was 7 calls total. It is wearing me out. Now, sure, I don't have a terminal disease (that I'm aware of), and while I'm making these calls, I'm in the air conditioned comfort of my home. Heck, I can even sit on the couch and (assuming comcast is working) surf the net while I'm on the phone. Does any of that mean I don't have a legitimate gripe?

If someone is saying the magic is lost because they didn't get their towel animals, the tendency is going to be to brush that someone off. That really isn't seen as a legitimately bad experience.

 

[itchin2go]

If someone is saying the magic is lost because they didn't get their towel animals, the tendency is going to be to brush that someone off. That really isn't seen as a legitimately bad experience.

Agreed, but I didn't read the post to be strictly about towel animals. That was one example, but there were others.

You're right that if the substance of the complaint is absurd, sure, reject it. But it seems as though some people reject any complaint out of hand if it's against Disney. That's what I have a problem with.

 

[kj2mom]

I responded earlier in this thread..and I honestly feel bad for the families that do not enjoy their trips. With that being said, yes WDW and Disneyland do cost a lot of money. Not everyone is going to receive free gifts, upgrades, towel animals, extra fast passes, etc., I am always so happy for those that do..it wouldn't make my trip any less enjoyable if i didn't receive "extras". Bathrooms should be clean, i agree, but I wouldn't let it ruin my trip..i am more bothered by people not washing their hands when leaving the restroom lol
Cast members should be nice and happy, it's their job i get it..but what if someone just screamed at them for something beyond their control and you just so happened to be the next person they saw..CM's are human and i have seen some REALLY bad guest behavior.
Maybe I am just so happy to be in Disney with my family that I don't let little things bother me or ruin my trip. I spend a lot of money to take a family of 6 to WDW and we try to be as easy going as possible. The "magic'' you make is up to you.. maybe stop and think that there are many children and adults that have never and will never have the chance to go to a Disney park, and instead of focusing on the negatives realize how lucky you are! <3
Enjoy your day everyone

I know completely off topic but a couple of times I used a stall that had a sink inside and when I walked right out the door I wondered how many people thought I wasn't washing my hands.....haha the stupid things that go through my mind.

I was speaking with a friend the other day about how it seems negative things add up during a day but positive ones do not. In other words, we tend to notice when our children have done this bad, this bad and this bad during a day and they all add up to those countless negative things that day but on the flip side our children could do some amazingly positive things during the course of that same day but for some reason they don't all get added to a positive count. Am I making sense?? We have been trying hard to make the positives add up and the negatives remain individual and forgotten!

 

[socrateze]

If someone is saying the magic is lost because they didn't get their towel animals, the tendency is going to be to brush that someone off. That really isn't seen as a legitimately bad experience.

The Op did not say anything of the kind. This was used by other posters to defend Disney at all costs. Sorry, but I do expect clean restrooms and emptied trash cans. I don't think it is too much to expect.

 

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

Agreed, but I didn't read the post to be strictly about towel animals. That was one example, but there were others.

You're right that if the substance of the complaint is absurd, sure, reject it. But it seems as though some people reject any complaint out of hand if it's against Disney. That's what I have a problem with.

And there are just as many people that complain Disney is going to the dogs because they didn't get their towel animals. I remember the thread where Disney was going to pot because 'Ohana replaced their pineapple with bread pudding with bananas foster sauce, which was a total upgrade.

 

[RustManFan]

I thought it was funny that the only time a towel animal was placed in my room was when I was in Orlando on business and my kids were at home in NJ. I couldn't care less if they are gone frankly.

 

[socrateze]

My DD and I received a lot of Disney magic during our last trip this past May. We received a free resort upgrade from a manager! Then we received a free complimentary taxi cab ride from the manager at the other resort to get us to our dining reservation on time. We were in tears and so thankful! Also on our last night, I accidentally deleted our Wishes fast pass and on my DE phone app. I was heartbroken. I went to a Cast Member and explained to them and they put it right back on our Magic Bands. No questions asked. It was a Magically trip for us with lots of Pixie Dust. I am sure there are some grumpy cast members to be found on every trip but I have to agree one of the posts that you have to believe it is going to be a "Zip A De Doo Da Day" and keep the day magical!

If I had a free resort upgrade, free taxi service and lost FP+'s restored, I would think everything was fabulous too. Freebies always make me happy!

 

[DoingDisney]

I've never seen a dirty bathroom there.

Really .... I mean ... really ? Never ? This is just beyond believable even on a fan site like this.

 

[Deborah LeSueur]

We were there 08/07-08/14 and we also had issue with dirty restrooms. This was our 4th trip and in the past, I've always been impressed with the cleanliness of them and in contrast I noticed the opposite this time around. This includes just a decline in general maintenance on them as well, there were several stall doors with broken/missing locks.

As for rude CM's..we also encountered a few, but all the great ones we came across cancelled the rude ones out

 

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

We are halfway through our 10 day trip and I'm disappointed in the Little details that are missing in the parks and the cast members, I.e., no towel animals in our room (at a deluxe resort), ..

The Op did not say anything of the kind. This was used by other posters to defend Disney at all costs. Sorry, but I do expect clean restrooms and emptied trash cans. I don't think it is too much to expect.

Didn't say anything of the kind? On the contrary, it was her first listed complaint and I have quoted the first part of her post again for your reference. And she was sure to point out she was at a deluxe resort. What that has to do with whether one should receive towel animals or not is a mystery. But she included it.

 

[AngiTN]

We were there for 10 days first of Aug. We had a great time. We never saw a rude CM. We did come across a less than stellar CM at check in at the Poly but he wasn't rude at all. We go around with smiles and always seem to get them in return. Our room was spotless each day. I was majorly impressed with the parks and the bathrooms considering how busy it was. Every bathroom I entered has a staff member attending it.

 

[DoingDisney]

I thought it was funny that they only time a towel animal was placed in my room was when I was in Orlando on business and my kids were at home in NJ. I couldn't care less if they are gone frankly.

My wife was disappointed that we hadn't received any towel animals on one trip, I just nicely asked at the front desk and the next day there were a few. It wasn't as fun as if I had been surprised by them too maybe, but it still put a smile on her face and I loved it.

 

[kbelle8995]

Lack of towel animals I can forgive. A Filthy bathroom not so much. I have seen them more than there used to be.

Disney knows when there is going to be bigger crowds. Surely they can have a larger number of Custodial to make sure the bathrooms are clean.

And I would also mention the state of Buzz Lighyear queue floor last time I was there. I was afraid that my shoes would stick to it.

 

[JoshuaShaw]

Maybe I am just so happy to be in Disney with my family that I don't let little things bother me or ruin my trip. I spend a lot of money to take a family of 6 to WDW and we try to be as easy going as possible. The "magic'' you make is up to you.. maybe stop and think that there are many children and adults that have never and will never have the chance to go to a Disney park, and instead of focusing on the negatives realize how lucky you are! <3
Enjoy your day everyone

First off, you are right. We are all very lucky. I don't think anyone is bemoaning their overall quality of life because a Disney trip is sub-par. That said...

Where do you draw the line? I've seen people defend bad experiences at Disney with harmless juxtaposition to shoveling snow and going so far as to crassly demand people be grateful because hey, at least you don't have cancer. So my question is, when can people complain? Or because it's an experience only a lucky few will ever experience, is complaining not allowed? If I go to a restaurant and the food is bad, is my complaint less valid because there are starving people who would be grateful to have any food, even burnt food?

I'm not targeting you, and I hope it doesn't seem like I'm picking on you, I'm just trying to understand this ubiquitous rebuttal. I'm not saying a Disney trip has to be completely seamless, that's unrealistic. However, it seems like people on the board are becoming more and more militant whenever anyone questions the integrity of the park experience.

 

[ArwenMarie]

I think the thing is...little things add up. That's what makes or breaks "the magic." You can brush off a few things, but yes, once you start racking up annoying or unacceptable things, you start to feel irritated and disappointed. It's silly to say that seeing one dirty bathroom stall ruined your day, but add it up with a bunch of other stuff and it can. And this is across the entire resort, all of your experiences with your room, food, the attractions, the CMs, all of it is one product when you are staying there on vacation.

And on the flip side, positive experiences add up to what fans would call the magic as well. The Disney details. It's not just one thing in either case.

 

[socrateze]

Didn't say anything of the kind? On the contrary, it was her first listed complaint and I have quoted the first part of her post again for your reference. And she was sure to point out she was at a deluxe resort. What that has to do with whether one should receive towel animals or not is a mystery. But she included it.

I still didn't see that the OP said the "magic was Lost" Where did she say that?

 

[BuckeyeBama]

Really .... I mean ... really ? Never ? This is just beyond believable even on a fan site like this.

I have been to WDW dozens of times - hundreds of park days. I can tell you that I have never noticed a dirty bathroom anywhere on WDW property. Now, does that mean that you would agree that those bathrooms were cleaned sufficiently? Absolutely not.

The reality - we all have different standards, and we all notice different things.

 

[3Gsandme]

I think resort CMs are happier because, well, they're in air conditioning all day. I know how grumpy I would be having to spend all day in the heat. It's one reason why I wouldn't want to work in the parks (even though I do kind of want to work in the parks. )

For me, I'm willing to give an occasional grumpy CM a pass. I worked customer service. Dealing with the public all day isn't easy. Dealing with a public who feels entitled to extra because they paid so much must be even worse. There's no excuse for truly bad service. I don't want it to sound like I'm excusing someone who just isn't doing their job how they should, but I do think some Dis'ers think that CMs should have a GENUINE smile plastered on their face all day, should never be tired or uncomfortable or upset. There should never be construction. Or items that need repair if they need repaired they should be repaired right away, but never in a manner that impacts someone's trip. It's just impossible. Fix things! Build things! But don't impact me!

Bathrooms should be clean. I 100% agree, but you're dealing with such a high volume of people that the overall tidiness and cleanliness of the park is going to suffer. There's just no way it won't.