Just Back From CBR ..... good and bad ....

[kevin_cambs_uk]

Back from 2 weeks at CBR....

Good and bad points really ....

Good

1 Nice resort, beautifully themed and lovely at night
2 Lovely room, great AC, excellent the 2 wash basins
3 You feel safe there
4 Food at OPR was actually quite good, and it has a good feel and atmosphere, but I expected it to be bigger inside

Bad

1 Beer can on the beach of the resort, don't expect that

2 Pool area near room, needs seriously updating, I was shocked at how bad they looked, broken paving, poor tiling around the pool, looked very tired and not what I expected at all
Umbarellas and tiles looked tired and needed re newing and more of them

3 Staff at CBR most were okay but on quite a few occasions there were staff there who were just not with it at all, one person never even ackonowledged me one day when paying for breakfast and never said thank you or anything, just took the money and kept looking down at the till

4 Housekeeping, changed the sheets twice in 2 weeks, never cleaned the sink areas, did not vacuum very often

Overall my wife and I were on more than one occasion a bit disillusioned with the overall Disney experience, on a number of occasions there were mistakes or things not up to scratch that left us feeling that the disney sparkle had some what gone a bit dull.

On most days there were events that took place that we just did not expect, one Disney Cast member was rude to my wife for getting the wrong exit at the Toon Town rail road station....

Not enough staff at the Epcot Entrance, and people waiting while they got it together, and one cast member who was outright rude to a guest who got the parking mixed up at Epcot one day, I was astonished at how she spoke to the woman in the car.

On one of the trams to the parks, the microphone system did not work, you could not hear what the cast member was saying...

This was my 5th visit and first time on a disney resort, I tried to imagine what set apart the CBR from the value resorts...

Overall an okay holiday but nt as magical as before.....

 

[Sweethappiness]

We honeymoon at CBR.
Sorry to hear about what happened. I agree it is a beautiful resort
I also think that the food court could be a little bigger but overall
I had a good time there.

 

[Disneydenise]

I think you should have reported the housekeeping problems immediately. I have never had a problem with the housekeeping in any resort on the property that I have stayed in. I change my sheets at home more frequently than that.
Sorry to hear about the rude CM's , I wonder if it has to do with the overall downsized staffing and over working.
To me the things that set Disney apart from other resorts are the staff going the extra mile to make sure you are content.
I think that the training that the staff once recieved is not given any longer.
As far as the trash on the beach well that is because the guest are rude as well as the lack of staffing to patrol for the lazy folks.
I still think that the size of the room at the CBR is worth the difference in the price for the value resorts but if it is just 2 people it may not matter that much to you.

 

[tiggerrules]

I also just came back from the CBR. I was in Aruba 5501 and the sheets were changed regularly, housekeeping left little "towel animials" and I never saw a thing out of place. The staff was attentive and fun and the only rude person I ever saw was at the Magic Kingdom when some guy complained that the Haunted House was too scarey for his son.

Where did you stay at the CBR?

 

[kevin_cambs_uk]

The thing is when I am on holiday I hate to complain ! its what being british is all about !

But we never got any animals made of the towels ever, which was a shame. We stayed in Jamaica 44, the location was great next to the car park.

We actually visited the Contemporary , and GF, and decided one of those for the next trip.

I must admit, we did feel the disney sparkle has gone somewhat, and like one person said this is what sets it apart ....

But never mind, we went, we enjoyed and I am sure we will go back sometime !

Thanks to all who have read and replied.

 

[mimimom]

and also had a problem with housekeeping, and like you (I am not British but I do not like to complain either) I said nothing to anyone. One day we returned to our room the maid had been and gone and the pile of dirty towels we had used that morning were still laying in a pile next to the sinks and then I went to make a pot of coffee(I drink coffee no matter what the temp is outside) and she had not left any.(luckily I had brought some from home) The last day we were there I was checking under beds etc. to see if anything had rolled under there and it looked like it had not been cleaned since the renovation there were dust bunnies and cobwebs all underneath the beds Now I am not the cleanest housekeeper myself and I can overlook a few things but this was just too much. No I didnt complain because we only had till the next morning in the room but I have e-mailed to let them know about it. All in all I loved the CBR especially for the atmosphere. Will I stay there again? I doubt it. Mimimom

 

[kevin_cambs_uk]

Glad its not just me then, I was beginning to think i expected too much ....

Shame that we pay so much and have to have service like this, its not one expects.....

 

[safetymom]

If the service was not what you expected you should have called. That way something could have been done about it. If no one says anything nothing changes.

I know you don't want to complain but I would still write Disney and inform them of your experience.

They need to know that you didn't find the same magic this time.

 

[KarenMick]

I was just wondering if you left a tip for housekeeping each day? We were at AKL in May 2003. The first morning we forgot to leave a tip, well everything was clean but not out of the ordinary. The next day we left $5.00 by the sink and we had extra towels, soap, shampoo, and the housekeeper wrapped our toothbrushes in washcloths and put them in a glass that was wrapped with a washcloth. Also, our daughters two stuffed animals from home were cutely arranged on each of their bunk beds. After that we left a tip for her every morning and everything was great, it is a shame to say, but money does talk.

 

[kevin_cambs_uk]

Yep fair point, maybe I should have made a fuss, its just that if they can't get it right first time why should I bother? I won't go there again ....

as for the tips, we never did, as I thought that I spent nearly $5,000 on the holiday at Disney though merchandise, tickets food etc, it seems a cheak to have to tip someone to get better room service when you have already paid a lot to staying there already

In England no one leaves tips in the room for housekeeping, we assume that if you pay the room price you expect it to be cleaned....

maybe I am being naive ?

 

[TimeWarp]

We always tip housekeeping. Our normal tip is $2 if we are staying at a moderate hotel. We tipped $2 at All Star Sports and everyday the boys couldn't wait to see what housekeeping had done. They were really creative. They would set up a fighting scene with their dinosaurs from AK and leave extra everything. It was worth the $2.

 

[safetymom]

kevin_cambs_uk, the reason you want to say something is because it might have been only one area of the resort or employees not doing the job they were hired for. They can't possibly know everything that happens. By you telling them of your problems they had a chance to make it right for you and everyone else that follows. You are saying that you won't go back when if you had said something you could have been eager to return because they made it right.

I am sure the Disney magic slips every now and then. It is our job to let Disney know that one of the reasons that we come is for the Magic. If they don't care then you have a right to vote with your feet and stay somewhere else.

 

[epcotfan]

I just got back from WDW last night. I stayed at CSR but did go to visit CBR to check out the food court renovation. I thought the grab and go area was a nice addition. The food court seemed smaller to me since the renovation. We had to go to the custom house to grab a cab to go back to CSR since it was late. One of the baggage handlers told us a taxi would take awhile and he offered to drive us back to Coronado Springs. What a nice guy! True Disney magic. He really didn't have to do that so we tipped him well. We also had a nice conversation going back to Coronado Springs.

 

[Dznypal]

they got back Thur (8-14-03) and when they got bck to their room they were changing to go swimming and found mold growing by the AC!!! not only that but there were mushrooms growing!!!! yiiiiicccccckkkk My DD called the front desk and they sent bellhop over and changed their room that was all find and dandy the CM apolized and they were satisified.

The next day they happened to be talking to a manager who heard about their room and not only upgraded them to a water view room but gave them the first nite free and 50% off the second nite!

They were so happy and my DD didn't complain she just told them straight out about the room and just wanted a different room!! The rest was just disney magic!!