Just back CBR-Nightmarish checkin!!

[sandyneck]

Hi everyone, just got back from a week at CBR on the FTP. My magical vacation was off to a rocky start when we entered the customs building and the line to check in was almost out the door. For a resort this large, I was surprised at how small the check in area is. There was wall to wall people. We have only stayed at deluxe resorts so this was a shock to us. We are used to waiting in a nice relaxed atmosphere to check in. This was total chaos, people screaming to each other across the room, others in line swearing about how long the wait was. My husband took one look at the scene and said I had better get him into a deluxe because if I thought he was staying in this madness I was nuts. OK, so I was about to cry but kept my composure. It took over an hour to even get to a window. Then, I was stuck with the rudest, most sarcastic CM I have ever encountered. My husband politely asked about switching resorts and was told all the resorts were 100% booked, now do you want to check in or not? At this point we just sayed yes, and sorry safetymom, no magic with my room request either. The CM would not even check to see if they had a room available in the buildings I requested.
OK, so off to the room. FINALLY_SOME MAGIC!! We were in Jamaica 45 and had been upgraded to a water view in a corner room! My husband started to feel better about the whole thing and we went to the food court which he really liked. Our maid was awesome and gave us towel animals everyday, tons of extra towels and shampoo and soap and did cute things with our stuffed animals. I am actually glad we were across the bridge from the main area, it made my husband feel like he was not immersed in crowds. We all loved the walk over and always stopped to feed the birds and fish. The room was lovely, plenty of storage. The grounds are very lush and the scenery is beautiful. It is just too bad about the check in situation. I guess if there was a better way they would have come up with it by now. Glad to answer any specific questions anyone has. All in all, I think CBR is a great resort, but I will probably stick to the deluxes in the future.

 

[Tinkbell]

Sorry to hear about your check-in situation. I'd be pretty aggitated if I had to stand in a 60 minute line just to get into my room. Glad that it all worked out in the end. I've only stayed at the deluxe resorts too and often consider trying out a moderate, but I just can't seem to do it.

 

[hookedup]

That is a terrible way to start off your stay! Glad things got better from that.

We loved CBR when we went - we checked in at 3:30 in the morning (due to our train arriving very late) and there was no one around then. But I could imagine the chaos when it is super crowded - yuck!

If it makes you feel any better I have had some RUDE front desk agents and deluxe resorts over the years so it can happen anywhere.

When we visited the Wilderness Lodge a few weeks ago (just went over to see it) they had a pretty bad check-in line situation going on - by far the worse line I have ever seen myself at any WDW resort. People were swearing and it was very chaotic - of course the lobby there is quite expansive which helps you not feel as packed in. But a couple told us on the boat on the way back to the MK that they had waited over 45 mins to check in there.

 

[sandyneck]

Thanks for the sympathy about my check in situation. I appreciate it. I am sure every resort has their moments when check in is not the ideal situation. I was thinking if they would put a few lines for people who know everything about Disney and don't need any special help with anything that would be a good thing. I noticed a lot of the people did not have a clue about bus schedules or parks or how anything worked and were spending up to 20 minutes asking all their questions, which is fine, but it would be nice to have an "express" line for people like us who already know everything from our wonderful friends on the boards!!!

 

[Emy'sMom]

My mother always used to say "Bad Beginning, Good Ending". Sounds like that was true. Glad things worked out for you!

Debbie

 

[DebbieB]

Just wondering what day and time you checked in? We are checking in next month on a Wednesday afternoon around 3:00pm, I hope the lines aren't bad then.

 

[safetymom]

sandyneck,I will agree with you that the check in area is small. It does sound like you got some Disney magic with your corner room in Jamaica. I don't know what you wanted but if the resort was full there probably wasn't much available.

I have heard of 1 hour waits at other resorts on property. We usually check in early and haven't encountered long lines in years but had the same thing happen at POR and CSR. I have never stayed deluxe so I can't speak to that. When my daughter was a cast member they still went through everything about CBR and WDW. I am sure they are told to do this and I agree an "express lane" for that would be great. But I could see people complaining about it also. You know the ones that would wait in the long line not realizing it is for Disney veterans and then moan because they didn't receive all the information.

I hope you plan on letting Disney know of your check in experience. They are usually very good at responding to issues. Did you mention any of this to a manager while you were there? That helps sometimes also.

 

[sandyneck]

Safetymom, I had faxed in my room request three days earlier for Martinique of Trinidad N. I understand it is only a request, but the CM said she saw no record of me requesting anything. I am usually very vocal about my concerns but by the time I finished checking in 1 1/2 hours had passed and I did not want to wait to speak to a manager. I will email Disney and let them know. For the other post, we checked in on a Sunday at noon. I did go back later to ask an unrelated question. There were people at the windows, but no one ahead of me and it still took 25 minutes before I could speak to someone. I am going to post all my positive experiences with CBR on the thread later on.

 

[safetymom]

Sandyneck, sorry that they didn't have your preferences. I would in the future make sure that they are noted in your reservation. That way that can't say that they didn't receive them.

That would be great if you could post your info in the CBR FAQ thread.

 

[sandyneck]

I did note them in my reservation also. I really think the CM was just very unpleasant and did not want to deal with anything. My package also had a $10.00 GC to planet hollywood. When I asked about it, she said there was nothing there about it. I had my reservation info and showed it to her and it was there in black and white. She went into the back and came out with an envelope with my name and reservation number on it, so obviously it was noted. No sorry about that, nothing. She was just miserable. I will say everyone else I encountered at the resort was EXTREMELY pleasant and helpful and friendly. It is just too bad they have someone like this be the first CM you come in contact with. I wished I had gotten her name, but I didn't. Hopefully she was just having a bad day and is not always like this.

 

[safetymom]

sandyneck, I feel your pain. Several years ago I booked my reservation through Expedia at a great rate. When I got to the check in desk they said that Expedia had made a mistake. I insisted that they hadn't. After going back and forth a few times I said just leave the difference on the reservation. I went to my room and called Expedia and CRO to check on it. When it turned out I was right after all I called the front desk, they insisted that they would have to call CRO. I told them to go right ahead. Of course I was right.

That was the last time I used Expedia for Disney reservations though. The CM's at the desk were just so caught in thinking they were right and I was wrong. They didn't say they were sorry either.

I didn't let that stop me though. Ever since we have gotten wonderful helpful CM's at check in.

 

[izzy]

Been there done that at CBR! Sorry to hear about the long check-in. It sure isn't a great way to start a vacation. It really is a beautiful resort, though. I think Jamaica is my favorite.

Out of curiousity, since the CM who checked you in said all of the resorts were full, what were the parks like? Were the lines long for the rides and attractions?

 

[WDWBetsy]

sandyneck - glad to hear you had a great time even after the horrible experience at check-in.

As a former front desk clerk (oh, about 14 years ago), I remember having lines of people waiting to check-in. We could have the whole desk fully staffed, but it still seemed to take forever.

I always tried to be cheerful with each guest, but I did have some co-workers who were so involved in the check-in process, they didn't care about being kind. Some were downright rude - which always made me mad and I certainly discussed this with my manager. I also tried to upgrade people when I could - especially those on their honeymoon. I enjoyed seeing someone who paid $99 a night get to stay in a $300 penthouse suite. It was great.

However, there were many times where guests (usually men) would swear at me for having to wait in line, or if something went wrong with their stay. I still remember trying to appease them and sometimes nothing worked. I also remember lots of tears in those situations (after they were gone from the desk and no one else there). The hotel was a conference hotel and was often overbooked or really busy.

Having worked in this type of job made me a better person - I am nice to everyone in the service industry. I treat others as I would like to be treated. Usually this pays off. But if I do encounter a rude clerk, I'm sure to tell his/her manager if necessary.

There's no excuse for rudeness from a front desk clerk no matter how long the line is. Sorry to hear that you were treated badly - but I'm glad you had fun at CBR!!

 

[DrmWvr1299]

Sandyneck,

We stayed at the CBR in Feb 2000. We began our checkin around 12:15 and by the time we were finished it was after 1:30p. The lines were horrible. People were screaming and kids were getting yelled at and crying. I see not much has changed since then. But the rest of the stay was wonderful.

 

[amymouse]

Just wanted to add that the longest check-in I ever had was at AKL (not concierge), and the shortest check in I ever had was at AS Movies. So the higher price doesn't necessarily translate into a easier check-in.

That said, I love the beauty of the CBR, and I'm so glad that your rocky start didn't keep you from enjoying it!

Thanks for letting us know about your experience.

 

[sandyneck]

I don't actually believe all the resorts were 100% full. We basically walked on every ride, in every park. The longest we waited was 30 min for Space Mt, but all the other rides were 10 min or less, including Splash Mt, TOT, and Peter Pan. CBR was a beautiful resort and the towel animals made our stay more than worth the aggrevation at check in!!

 

[Sammie]

Originally posted by sandyneck
Safetymom, I had faxed in my room request three days earlier for Martinique of Trinidad N. I understand it is only a request, but the CM said she saw no record of me requesting anything. I am usually very vocal about my concerns but by the time I finished checking in 1 1/2 hours had passed and I did not want to wait to speak to a manager. I will email Disney and let them know. For the other post, we checked in on a Sunday at noon. I did go back later to ask an unrelated question. There were people at the windows, but no one ahead of me and it still took 25 minutes before I could speak to someone. I am going to post all my positive experiences with CBR on the thread later on.

Sorry you had a long wait, we had the same experience with the Polynesian.

Also just for future information, requests that are faxed can possibly be ignored or even lost. I always give my requests when I book my room and ask that they be noted on the reservation. Disney has gotten so many faxes lately for room requests I think many faxes are being filed in file 13.

 

[DisneyFreaks]

Sounds like you had the same nasty check in CM that we had at CBR a few years ago! She was the most negative person I have ever come across. Such a gorgeous resort. You would think the CM's would have smiles on their faces all of the time just being able to work there everyday. So sorry your trip had to start that way. I know from experience how it can affect your whole vacation. Glad you got that pixie dust later.