I have recieved a reply from a complaint I made...

[mikneyspackson]

I basically forwarded the lows from my trip report from the 14th-17th of April this year to them and thought I would share with you the reply I have recieved.
If you didn't ever get the chance to read my detailed and very thorough trip report, please take the time to read it here: http://disboards.com/showthread.php?t=3101763

Anyway, I forwarded this on through the complaints system on the official website. I didn't really say I was complaining but I just thought it would be valuable to let them know some of the lows of the trip.

And here is my reply if anybody is interested (I was hoping for maybe a free trip in it somewhere a long the lines haha sounds ridiculous but so many people complain about things and seem to get freebies out of it)

Thank you for your correspondence concerning your recent visit to Disneyland® Paris .

To begin with, I would like to apologise for the delay in this reply. I can assure you that this is due to exceptional circumstances and I would like to thank you for your patience on this occasion.

Throughout Disneyland® Paris , the teams strive to offer a warm welcome to all our Guests at all times, and our wish is for each Guest to pass a magical moment in our company. Bearing this in mind, I sincerely regret that we did not meet your expectations on this o cc asion and I am genuinely sorry to learn of your experiences at the Resort.

I was sorry to read about the experience you describe at the Annual Passport Office and I apologise for the inconvenience this may have caused. Please be assured that I have forwarded your comments to the relevant management so that they may be aware.

At Disneyland Paris the priority is the quality of the experience offered to our guests. We constantly try to enrich the offer of our Theme Parks either by rehabilitating existing elements or creating new experiences. Rehabilitation works, such as cleaning and painting, are carried out on a regular basis.

Besides, I would like to assure you that the cleanliness of the Resort is taken very seriously and that there are stringent controls and checks put into place to ensure that we provide the best environment we can for our guests. There are custodial Cast Members throughout both Disneyland® Park and Walt Disney Studios Park that work continuously to do whatever is necessary to ensure the continued beauty of the Resort. Occasionally there may be problems with cleanliness due to the time lapse between the different passages. However, as soon as we are informed of this appropriate measure are taken to rectify the situation. I was therefore sorry to learn of your comments pertaining to the maintenance and the cleanliness of the Parks.

I regret to hear of your disappointment with regards to the attitude that you felt was displayed by the Cast Members at Disneyland Paris. Guest courtesy is always at the top of our priorities here at the Resort and Cast Members are constantly made aware of this. It is unfortunate that your experience did not match the quality of welcome we strive to achieve on a daily basis.

With regards to your comments pertaining to the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction, I would like to clarify that, for technical reasons, some special effects may be temporarily out of order whilst the attraction continues to function normally. This could explain why from one visit to next, the experience may be slightly different.

Furthermore, I can assure you that the quality of food and beverage at each dining outlet is monitored regularly by the chefs and their teams, and mystery visits are also made to ensure that the service and quality provided reflect that which we strive to provide. I am therefore sorry to learn that you found the quality of the food throughout our Resort poor.

Please know that it is never the goal of Disneyland Paris to provide any experience that is felt to be inferior or disappointing in any way. Great care is given to the planning of all aspects of the Resort in order to try and create an environment where the fantasy that is Disney can be experienced. I do hope therefore that despite the described experiences, you were still able to bring home some fond memories of your time with us.

I would like to thank you for taking the time to write to us to advise of your concerns. We do value such initiatives which enable us to fully evaluate the level of customer satisfaction at the Resort. I can assure you that we do use Guest feedback as an integral way of examining our operations and, where necessary, implementing changes that will benefit the overall Guest experience at the Resort. As such, all your comments will be taken into account and reviewed, by the relevant departments.

Disneyland® Paris hopes to soon have the opportunity to welcome you once more to the resort.

Yours sincerely,


Emmy Sanders
Guest Communication

To everyone telling me my lows aren't worth "complainint" about...Guys please!!!!! I don't think I will get anything free and don't expect anything free!
I didn't "complain" as such as I didn't say anything in a horrible matter. I actually told them what a wonderful time I had and then passed on my lows as it is things that could be worked on. I said "these are a few things that could be worked on to turn a good trip into an amazing trip"
I had an amazing time and I told them that. I just thought I'd let them now and did it under the complaints thing on their website because I thought they'd listen then...

 

[pieface]

Before I would go to Disney Paris they would have to give me a round trip all expenses paid. My son and his wife went there and said the cast members were awful.

 

[tigger137]

Before I would go to Disney Paris they would have to give me a round trip all expenses paid. My son and his wife went there and said the cast members were awful.

Given my recent experience, I wouldn't go again if it was all expenses paid and spending money! This was our 4th time in 13 years and it has got worse each time. During this trip we often said to one another, what must any visiting Americans think? It is dirty, very poorly maintained, badly organised and very few CMs in the parks even acknowledge the guests existence unless they are forced into it.

Why Disney continues to allow their name to be associated with the place escapes me.

 

[JustJonathan]

Given my recent experience, I wouldn't go again if it was all expenses paid and spending money! This was our 4th time in 13 years and it has got worse each time. During this trip we often said to one another, what must any visiting Americans think? It is dirty, very poorly maintained, badly organised and very few CMs in the parks even acknowledge the guests existence unless they are forced into it.

Why Disney continues to allow their name to be associated with the place escapes me.

Must disagree with this strongly. We go back at least twice a year and out of all our trips have only had reason to officially complain once, all be-it nothing serious.

The cast members in general we find great, and whilst they may not be as over-friendly and keen as the americans, we actually prefer this.

Cleanliness wise.. never had an issue at all, barely see any rubbish littering around and only occasionally do the loo's leave something to be desired, but it's really not the parks fault that attending guests don't have any manners.

Technical problems wise.. I agree sometimes rides can suffer from issues.. but I guess that's part of running this sort of machinery most days throughout the year.

 

[mikneyspackson]

Before I would go to Disney Paris they would have to give me a round trip all expenses paid. My son and his wife went there and said the cast members were awful.

It is just different. I agree I wish it was like the American experience in terms of hospitality (I've never been to the American parks but from what I've heard that is) but it's just a culture difference.
The park in fact is stunning in terms of attention to detail and beauty and that is what I love about it. The lack of maintenance is a shame as it then can take away that beauty.
The atmosphere is also I feel quite inconsistent. Sometimes it is buzzing and ever so magical while others it can feel dull and boring. It is what you make of it unfortunately. What are the American parks like, do you get magic chucked at you or do you have to make the magic?

 

[mikneyspackson]

Guys help me, i wanna reply and hint for them to offer me something like a free night stay or something and I know it's not gonna work, I know i know hahah
but you can't fault me for trying

 

[tigger137]

Must disagree with this strongly. We go back at least twice a year and out of all our trips have only had reason to officially complain once, all be-it nothing serious.

The cast members in general we find great, and whilst they may not be as over-friendly and keen as the americans, we actually prefer this.

Cleanliness wise.. never had an issue at all, barely see any rubbish littering around and only occasionally do the loo's leave something to be desired, but it's really not the parks fault that attending guests don't have any manners.

Technical problems wise.. I agree sometimes rides can suffer from issues.. but I guess that's part of running this sort of machinery most days throughout the year.

Our expections obviously differ greatly.

In our experience the CMs in the hotels were friendly but in the parks they made little if any contact with guests unless they had to. Even face to face when paying in shops or at food kiosks, they were far more interested in continuing conversations with their colleagues than they were in serving customers. Similarly in ride queues. We found it to be a poor customer relations ethos and certainly not up to expected Disney standards.

Whilst the main thoroughfares may have been litter-free, beyond that we saw many examples of litter obviously having been left for some time. In gardens, on rooftops visible from ride queues, and in particular if you looked in water areas such as the Storybook canal ride - that quite obviously had not been thoroughly cleaned for months, if not years. And I'm afraid that I do not believe anyone can walk through Disneyland Park and not see that virtually every railing, every fence, every wall has peeling and chipped paint, and is in urgent need of major refurbishment.

It may not be the parks fault that guests drop litter but I don't believe that is any more of a problem at DLP than at WDW or DL, it's just that in the US they put more of the profit into housekeeping and maintenance. CMs in the US are constantly cleaning in every area, in DLP they were noticeable by their absence.

Similarly with technical issues. The US parks also run their machinery 365 days a year but they keep on top of it and fix issues, they don't just cover them up indefinitely and hope that guests won't notice.

DLP is gouging every penny out of their guests but do not appear to be using any of it to improve guest experience.

 

[JustJonathan]

Guys help me, i wanna reply and hint for them to offer me something like a free night stay or something and I know it's not gonna work, I know i know hahah
but you can't fault me for trying

I'd say a free night isn't really reachable, but if you let them know you appreciate the response and hope your experience goes better when you next visit (including booked dates maybe?).. then maybe you'll get a bit of extra magic dust.

We got upgraded to a suite after complaining last time.

 

[DLPdaft]

Guys help me, i wanna reply and hint for them to offer me something like a free night stay or something and I know it's not gonna work, I know i know hahah
but you can't fault me for trying

its not going to work. you sent them a communication, they have replied.

 

[tigger137]

It is just different. I agree I wish it was like the American experience in terms of hospitality (I've never been to the American parks but from what I've heard that is) but it's just a culture difference.
The park in fact is stunning in terms of attention to detail and beauty and that is what I love about it. The lack of maintenance is a shame as it then can take away that beauty.
The atmosphere is also I feel quite inconsistent. Sometimes it is buzzing and ever so magical while others it can feel dull and boring. It is what you make of it unfortunately. What are the American parks like, do you get magic chucked at you or do you have to make the magic?

Our experience in the US, particularly in the Magic Kingdom at WDW, is that you leave your cares and the real world behind and are fully immersed in the magic. We have visited many times, at most times of year, for over 23 years. There have obviously been changes, and we ourselves have changed, but it remains a consistently magical place and experience for us.

Over the last few years, with the economic downturn, we have seen some differences at WDW. But the cleanliness and maintenance standards remain high, and we haven't seen any signs of the overall deterioration that we saw at DLP.

 

[DLPdaft]

Our expections obviously differ greatly.

In our experience the CMs in the hotels were friendly but in the parks they made little if any contact with guests unless they had to. Even face to face when paying in shops or at food kiosks, they were far more interested in continuing conversations with their colleagues than they were in serving customers. Similarly in ride queues. We found it to be a poor customer relations ethos and certainly not up to expected Disney standards.

Whilst the main thoroughfares may have been litter-free, beyond that we saw many examples of litter obviously having been left for some time. In gardens, on rooftops visible from ride queues, and in particular if you looked in water areas such as the Storybook canal ride - that quite obviously had not been thoroughly cleaned for months, if not years.
And I'm afraid that I do not believe anyone can walk through Disneyland Park and not see that virtually every railing, every fence, every wall has peeling and chipped paint, and is in urgent need of major refurbishment.

It may not be the parks fault that guests drop litter but I don't believe that is any more of a problem at DLP than at WDW or DL,
it's just that in the US they put more of the profit into housekeeping and maintenance.
CMs in the US are constantly cleaning in every area, in DLP they were noticeable by their absence.

Similarly with technical issues. The US parks also run their machinery 365 days a year but they keep on top of it and fix issues, they don't just cover them up indefinitely and hope that guests won't notice.

DLP is gouging every penny out of their guests but do not appear to be using any of it to improve guest experience.

I get that many guests compare the Disney parks they've been to and that DLP often comes up lacking, for whatever reason.

A couple of bits in bold I've picked out though - DLP is not running at a profit as far as I'm aware.

And I must seriously have my Disney bubble specs on when I go to DLP - as I honestly don't see all or most walls in the main park needing a major refurb?

I think it just goes to show that people do have different expectations, and they do have different priorities. We are all different.

 

[JoeSam]

DLP are firstly not making a profit. In my three Florida trips we experienced more ride breakdowns than we have in all our (numerous) DLP trips. I don't see all the walls and railings in need of refurb at DLP.

So i don't agree with the main points above. Also we have never experienced a problem with a CM at DLP.

I love WDW but also love DLP, they are different yes, but DLP is still magical in a way you just don't get anywhere else.

(no harm in giving feedback, or hoping for a freebie tho!)

 

[MissSkellington]

I'm American and have visited the US parks on many occasions, and will be headed to DLP soon for our third visit since November....the secret is you simply can't compare the various parks.

They are run by people with a very different understanding of customer service, and targeting a very different clientele.

We much prefer Disneyland in California to WDW in Florida. WDW is huge, sprawling, too much to see in a short amount of time. But I don't think I can fault the park for being too large, no more than I'd fault the whole park of DLP for having guests that can't be courteous and not shove in lines (or lack there of) or put trash in a bin.

Sure, there is trash here and there, the meet and greets can be unorganized and chaotic...and all rides won't look/run perfectly at all times. I would think that's to be expected. I would understand if a room being dirty on arrival, or not as described, poor housekeeping, confused booking, cold food...etc...all those things could be justified by a complaint,and maybe even an expectation of an upgrade or gesture on the part of DLP.

But long lines, grump CMs, and food not to ones liking all seem like typical inconveniences...not something that would warrant a free night? I can't imagine that they would provide that, but I suppose it doesn't hurt to ask. But we're that the case, wouldn't everyone complain about something in hopes of getting something in return?

 

[tennisfan]

Guys help me, i wanna reply and hint for them to offer me something like a free night stay or something and I know it's not gonna work, I know i know hahah
but you can't fault me for trying

Got to agree with others, you shouldn't be complaining in the hope of getting a free trip.

They have replied and it wasn't a standard one. I do think its good to pass on thoughts to management because how else will they be able to change if people moan to others but not pass it on to the right people.

 

[Ware Bears]

I've just read your lows and the only one that really stands out for me is the dirty sheets at your hotel - yuck. As you were staying at the Kyriad that's nothing to do with Disney and you really should have complained there and then about it at the hotel and given them the chance to rectify it. As for your other lows - sorry but none of them are anywhere near the level of complaint to what I'd consider could spoil a holiday.

It's always good to give constructive feedback and it's equally good to see that you've had a detailed non-standard reply.

And however annoying it was to have to queue to invalidate your annual pass it means that next trip you'll be able to march straight up to the turnstiles and into the parks! Any plans to return soon?

 

[the_princess]

Guys help me, i wanna reply and hint for them to offer me something like a free night stay or something and I know it's not gonna work, I know i know hahah
but you can't fault me for trying

I'm sorry, but I'm going to be honest here. I really hope you don't get anything for free. I read your lows and don't see anything that would ruin a vacation for me. I would be annoyed, but I would get over it and enjoy my vacation that I paid a lot of money for. I agree that DLP is nothing like the parks in the States, but now you have complained, they heard you and replied, so I would leave it to that.
I don't like the mentality, that every time something goes a little bit wrong, we want something for free. You went there and didn't like it, then don't go back!

 

[Gisele]

What she said.

 

[kizzabel]

Yeah I wouldn't expect any freebies.
Sometimes DLP is what you make it. Like anywhere if you look for fault, keep noting faults and allow this to impinge on your holiday of course you won't be coming home satisfied.
Yes there's things at DLP that need improvement but tbh normally we are so thrilled to be at DLP and the kids are so excited there isn't much going to detract from that magic.
Yes it's great to give feedback but don't let the little bits ruin your holiday.

 

[Carly_jones]

I'm sorry, but I'm going to be honest here. I really hope you don't get anything for free. I read your lows and don't see anything that would ruin a vacation for me. I would be annoyed, but I would get over it and enjoy my vacation that I paid a lot of money for. I agree that DLP is nothing like the parks in the States, but now you have complained, they heard you and replied, so I would leave it to that.
I don't like the mentality, that every time something goes a little bit wrong, we want something for free. You went there and didn't like it, then don't go back!

I could not agree more.
Re the dirty sheets all you had to do was call reception who I'm sure would have replaced them without too much worry.

I've read your highs and lows and honestly think there is nothing worthy of a free trip and I think it's actually really wrong to complain and find faults just to get a free trip. Bumps prices up for everybody else.

 

[cherrymarzipan]

Ditto. I also think that DLP has done an awful lot of refurbishment in the last year or so and most of the park looks really spruced up to me. There is some let down in garden maintenance in certain areas. Le Pays des Contes de Fees in particular has been full of weeds for a season or two - my recent photo of the Emerald City has a cloud of dandelion seed-heads in the foreground! - but I also think the gardeners do a great job overall with attractive planting in the face of those inconsiderate guests who are happy to trample over it all.

I don't know where else you visit but I think you would be hard pushed to find anywhere perfect with no niggles at all. We all share our Highs and Lows on here and most people have a few lows but as long as they are minor they don't spoil the whole holiday. By all means give feedback, I'm sure the management need and want to know what is working and what isn't in their business but save the freebies for those rare occasions where things have gone seriously wrong.