Jim Lewis Fired from WDWCo

[Maistre Gracey]

Corporate errors costing big $$$ demand a sacrificial lamb.

Jim Lewis is that sacrifice.


I don't believe that he would be let go for saving money by being cheap with things like furniture and a lack of valet. The corporation would reward him for these moves.

Now that he is gone, they have a convenient scapegoat for said cuts.

Not so sure... After reading some thoughts from DVC cast members it seems like there was cause other than the Aulani fiasco (whatever that is).

MG

 

[dozerdog]

I could care less about perks, nice but not what I bought. I bought a timeshare that I expect to be clean and in working order when I check in. Lately that has not been the case.

Thanks for stating the obvious. We all just want that Disney quality we all thought we had purchased originally. I don't want the door knobs missing off the kitchen cupboards any more!!!!

 

[Lil' Grumpy]

since we're haven't been members for very long....i really don't know
what to think .

i guess the first reaction is : who's in charge now?


i can't believe i am saying this, but i agree with sammie.

we have used dvc for 3 trips, & no one has ever greeted us. but
that wouldn't have matter if we were not lied too. (just over christmas,
i took time out to visit their office. i haven't forgotten her lying &
we will meet again.) however, the point, is all about how
"un-disney", the dvc, has been for us. if you read some of
the experiences we had over christmas, then it isn't shocking.
( i still feel unsafe @ our home resort & i don't want to take our family
there ever again. * i also read on the dis about others having credit
cards stolen & unauthorized personnel walking in. not even counting the
"ladies" making sells. ) . blt is our home resort.


i think mr. greydon is also right. all anyone has to do is read what
others been reporting to figure a "good house cleaning" is in order.

we bought 3 contacts & our guide vanished after a medical problem.
however, the dvc office did not know he was out. right now , we
don't have a guide. if dvc offer to take back ours & make it "even",
we would. while the room savings are nice, all the problems
are not. maybe they might make make an offer to buy out new
members within a certain time frame?

to me, his firing is the proof that dvc isn't "pro disney" to its members.
but our trust has been gone long before this.

 

[sissy_ib]

( i still feel unsafe @ our home resort & i don't want to take our family
there ever again. * i also read on the dis about others having credit
cards stolen & unauthorized personnel walking in. not even counting the
"ladies" making sells. ) . blt is our home resort.

People also have CC info stolen at restaurants and stores all over the country. There was an issue a few weeks ago at Michaels Crafts stores. That has to do with one or two devious people not DVC as a whole. Who are the "unauthorized people"? Do you mean walking in to a room? I really don't understand most of your post.

 

[Sammie]

Thanks for stating the obvious. We all just want that Disney quality we all thought we had purchased originally. I don't want the door knobs missing off the kitchen cupboards any more!!!!

In our last room we had a closet door fall on us. I am not talking about normal wear and tear, I am talking about rooms that are not being cleaned and maintained even to the standard that value rooms are.

There is something very wrong with that.

 

[Maistre Gracey]

In our last room we had a closet door fall on us. I am not talking about normal wear and tear, I am talking about rooms that are not being cleaned and maintained even to the standard that value rooms are.

There is something very wrong with that.

I agree. We have maintenance and housekeeping issues every time we stay.
We don't mind paying top dollar for DVC, but I want top quality in return.

I'm very happy Lewis is gone.
MG

 

[Tink2312]

I'm a new member and have only stayed on my membership once. I guess I must have been lucky when I stayed at my home resort, BLT, in March as apart from a chip on the table I found no other maintenance issues. Having said that the one thing I was a little disappointed with was the experience with CM at the resort - no welcome home etc and the CM in BLT were very surley (sp?) and unhelpful (although the Contemp CM went above and beyond).
If this solves the issues mentioned then I'm glad, but I'm skeptical and can see JL being used as others have said, as a scapegoat for all the ills of DVC.
Funnily enough I was contacted by my guide only a few weeks ago to check if I was having any issues and whether I was enjoying my membership - wondering now if this was collating complaints data to use against JL??
Anyway, only time will tell if the replacement to JL will be able to fix what clearly seems broken - trust and satisfaction between DVC and its members.

 

[Longhairbear]

I am not going to D23, but a few DVC owners we know are. They'll be on the lookout for anything Aulani, or DVC. They might even ask about JL. I bet they hear nothing, but Aulani is scheduled to open very soon.

 

[disneynutz]

I'm a new member and have only stayed on my membership once. I guess I must have been lucky when I stayed at my home resort, BLT, in March as apart from a chip on the table I found no other maintenance issues. Having said that the one thing I was a little disappointed with was the experience with CM at the resort - no welcome home etc and the CM in BLT were very surley (sp?) and unhelpful (although the Contemp CM went above and beyond).
If this solves the issues mentioned then I'm glad, but I'm skeptical and can see JL being used as others have said, as a scapegoat for all the ills of DVC.
Funnily enough I was contacted by my guide only a few weeks ago to check if I was having any issues and whether I was enjoying my membership - wondering now if this was collating complaints data to use against JL??
Anyway, only time will tell if the replacement to JL will be able to fix what clearly seems broken - trust and satisfaction between DVC and its members.

The CM's at the resorts do not work for the DVC, they work for Disney Parks and Resorts who is contracted by the DVC to provide resort services. They are almost like two different companies who don't really care for each other but they are stuck working together.

The call from your Guide was a common sales call, a way to see if you might want to buy more points.

Bill

 

[doconeill]

I guess you'll all have me to thank. After the Deevy Cee issue of Disney Files, I sent a long letter to DVC. That must have done the trick.


(yeah, right)

Actually, it was probably me having to contact Member Services because I forgot to bank that one measly point I had by the deadline and asked them to bank it for me. In my defense, the online system was broken the day I tried, and then I forgot about it...

I'm sure between that and forcing them to reclassify rooms at AKL because of my complaint, I broke everything.

 

[dianeschlicht]

I agree. We have maintenance and housekeeping issues every time we stay.
We don't mind paying top dollar for DVC, but I want top quality in return.

I'm very happy Lewis is gone.
MG

Me too! Unfortunately, the downturn in maintenance and quality is likely now in place enough, that it is the new "normal" and will be the starting point for whomever takes JL's place. Remember, it will likely be the same team hiring his replacement as hired him.

 

[WilsonFlyer]

Does anybody else find it a little odd that this thread originated in "Operations" and was moved to "Mousecellaneous"? I can't imagine anything more Operations that JL being fired and if I were searching for information about his firing in the future, I would most certainly assume I would find such information, if it existed, in the Operations section of the board.

 

[anniet]

I agree. We have maintenance and housekeeping issues every time we stay.
We don't mind paying top dollar for DVC, but I want top quality in return.

I'm very happy Lewis is gone.
MG

Last time I worked at Wilderness Lodge I had a first...I had a member tell me his dues were TOO LOW! He said if DVC can't keep the rooms at a Quality Level then they need to raise the dues to a level where they can. He then went on to say JL is a nice guy but the wrong guy in the wrong position.

 

[OrangeCountyCommuter]

Me too! Unfortunately, the downturn in maintenance and quality is likely now in place enough, that it is the new "normal" and will be the starting point for whomever takes JL's place. Remember, it will likely be the same team hiring his replacement as hired him.

Have you all stayed at the hotels?

This is the Disney standard and I don't think it's going to change.

That said my last few DVC units have been in excellent shape!

Disney is not a hotel management company but thinks they are. They have never had professional management and it shows. My view is at least I am not paying $500 a night for their sub par hotel management and it's after effects.

Disney thinks "dressing" the housekeepers is the "important" part. They really believe that 'cute' is the most important quality (which is why thier "deluxe" hotels are 3 stars with a lot of rating agencies! )

 

[TisBit]

So if you got a dirty room that had multiple items broken you would be ok with that. Or are you saying because you have been lucky enough not to experience it, it does not exist.

I am ok with finding minor issues in a room, as long as they are addressed when I call them in. I don't just take pictures and post about it later on the DIS about how unacceptable it was (not saying you do, but some do).

I have had some minor and major issues at DVC resorts that have irked me and after addressing it with the resort also followed up with MS. But, I also understand that things happen and my vacation is rarely perfect at WDW or anywhere else for that matter.

Me too! Unfortunately, the downturn in maintenance and quality is likely now in place enough, that it is the new "normal" and will be the starting point for whomever takes JL's place. Remember, it will likely be the same team hiring his replacement as hired him.

Very good point. The new person may just try to keep the Status Quo and not make any changes, which can be as bad as someone that makes too many changes. Hopefully the replacement will be great, but who knows.

 

[OrlandoNative]

Per Orlando Sentinel this morning, Jim Lewis fired Friday.

 

[Bellecruiser]

I was thrilled when Karl Holz became JL's boss. . To me, the value proposition of the cruise line (high quality, world class service, respect for their customer, a touch of magic, while being (very) profitable) is the heritage of Disney as a whole, and should be the value proposition for DVC also, IMO. To me, Karl's business unit exemplifies those principles (even with their growth problems), and he needs to DRIVE them back into DVC. JL had moved toward the profit side and didn't have the vision and capability to keep the balance. It sounds as though the Aulani fiasco is a prime example of that...get it open vs do it right. I am glad he is gone, and whoever takes over better get things back on track.

Hopefully, whomever KH and Disney Corp choose as a successor will make it happen. If they are smart they are reading these posts, and will pay attention to what their customers want. Like everyone else, I will be watching, and hoping that DVC moves forward seeking to regain it's balance and niche
as a very special timeshare.

 

[jimmytammy]

So far I like Iger..sems to do OK and no huge blunders..I didn't agree with Cook leaving and so far under the new guy (Ross?) the jury is out.
I loved Eisner when he came in..Read Storming the Magic Kingdom..fascinating and you can thank Roy and that group for saving the entire company. At the end I was in the group formed by Roy to oust him. Sad, really..I think after Frank Wells died things changed quickly for the worse. Remember, Eisner was botching up things with Pixar..final straw for me. I'm thankful under Iger for the Pixar purchase and so far seems like decent leadership, starting with putting the Walt-esque Lassiter at the helm of so much.

I was part of Roys group too. Those were turbulent times, but the people spoke and the Co. finally listened.

 

[Maistre Gracey]

Disney thinks "dressing" the housekeepers is the "important" part. They really believe that 'cute' is the most important quality (which is why thier "deluxe" hotels are 3 stars with a lot of rating agencies! )

Carrying the theme through to the housekeepers is indeed very important to the overall experience.
That said, I want a clean room. Even 3 star resorts are expected to be spotless.

MG

 

[Flossbolna]

Just wanted to add a thought about Karl Holtz. He once was responsible for Disneyland Paris and during his time the resort had the worst decline in maintenance. I know that DCL is very popular and supposedly well run, but if I understand correctly he took over from the previous managers who supposedly were really great. So I really would not assume that Karl Holtz is only wonderful and that his new position will mean only good things for DVC. At least is tenure at Disneyland Paris is not considered a success at all by most fans of that park.