Just got back from WL

[dsp2]

Originally posted by montessori
I am still surprised at the reaction of people on here whenever someone writes an honest, yet not totally complimentary, review about anything Disney. I love DW but I know it's not really a perfect place. Some people jump to defend it to the point of being rude and condescending.
I know it's been said before, but I don't think it's necessary to pick apart the opinions and experiences of someone who has had a few non-magical Disney moments.
Just my humble opinion, of course!

Very well said montessori !

I for sure am interested in the flaws that people find in WDW I think it helps people plan accordingly for a trip. Just say a lot of people posted the same issues, would that not make you consider a different approach to what resort you wanted ? I spoke with Snowwhites mom PM this week and she was very helpful on info that I was looking for in regards to requesting a room view for WL deluxe.

This forum is one of the best things going
for the good and the bad and everyone should view it and respond to it honestly

Thanks dsp2

offsite 86
CRB Dec 2000
ASMR sept 2001
WL Jan 2003

 

[SnowWhite'sMom]

Thank you for your support, DSP2 and Montessori. I was feeling a bit beat up by everyone's picking apart my e-mails and offering their own take on every little inane detail. I took the time to come on this board and offer people info on my first day back from vacation. Be assured I had a million other things to do but I know how desperate you get for info on the hotel you are staying at because you are shelling out hundreds if not thousands of dollars and want to be assured you are picking the right place for you and your family. I wanted to share the knowledge with fellow dis boarders while it was fresh in my memory, good or bad. The response I got in here was totally outrageous. I will not be posting any more information on this website and will not respond to any more posts on this thread. Everyone on the board seems to be a know it all anyway, you obviously don't need input from new Disney vacationers.

 

[skiwee1]

Originally posted by montessori
I am still surprised at the reaction of people on here whenever someone writes an honest, yet not totally complimentary, review about anything Disney. I love DW but I know it's not really a perfect place. Some people jump to defend it to the point of being rude and condescending.
I know it's been said before, but I don't think it's necessary to pick apart the opinions and experiences of someone who has had a few non-magical Disney moments.
Just my humble opinion, of course!

Are you serious? I didn't see anyone being rude. I like to hear when things aren't right and like to share experiences. I had a bad opinion about the WL after I got back too and it is nice to hear others feeling the same. Especially after being told that I was wrong! I just went back and read every post to this thread and could not find one rude part about it. Please enlighten me.

 

[skiwee1]

Originally posted by SnowWhite'sMom
Thank you for your support, DSP2 and Montessori. I was feeling a bit beat up by everyone's picking apart my e-mails and offering their own take on every little inane detail. I took the time to come on this board and offer people info on my first day back from vacation. Be assured I had a million other things to do but I know how desperate you get for info on the hotel you are staying at because you are shelling out hundreds if not thousands of dollars and want to be assured you are picking the right place for you and your family. I wanted to share the knowledge with fellow dis boarders while it was fresh in my memory, good or bad. The response I got in here was totally outrageous. I will not be posting any more information on this website and will not respond to any more posts on this thread. Everyone on the board seems to be a know it all anyway, you obviously don't need input from new Disney vacationers.

Wow Snow. I am shocked that you feel that way. Maybe you shouldn't post if you cannot handle an honest response to it. I didn't see anything nasty at all. I agreed with you on some things! Others expressed how sorry they were to hear how rotten a time you had. As far as offering our own take on all the inane details, they were your inane details, ie complaints, that we were responding to. Gosh, that is what I thought we were here for! To post back and forth about our experiences. I know I would feel much better about being charged for a fridge when I know it is a normal thing and everyone has to pay. I also thought you'd like to know that having to fold a stroller for a bus happens on all WDW busses unfortunately, and not just WL. Someone else apologized for rude CMs. I responded to the ham and cheese because I know they didn't have them when I was there a couple of months ago and thought maybe mom got a special. In that case I would not have expected them to make it as they might not have had ham there. They do not have all the ingredients to make their sandwiches there. I saw them unloading a truck with all kinds of pre-made sandwiches one day so they bus in a lot. I know maybe they were a few, including myself, asked about the view you paid for. I thought maybe you booked a standard view as I've heard all kinds of bad stories about those views. That's all. What more do you want? And you think the responses you got were totally outrageous? I'm sorry you feel that way. Please don't stop posting here because of me. I promise I will not respond to you in any post again. That way, you won't feel outraged at my response.

 

[Fantasia4Ever]

The problem inherent with any message board of this size is that inevitably there will be varying degrees of support for any particular topic. The original poster also gave an opinion that was a mostly negative view about something which a lot of posters feel very positive about. Herein becomes a major issue, the positive posters about a topic will attempt to ensure that any negative perception is dealt with while people with negative opinions are generally (not always though and I'm not saying this is the case here) looking for people to agree with them on their certain point.

What may have been a point of contention is the fact that the original post clearly states that she did not agree with all the rave reviews. By that statement, either intentional or unintentional, the poster opens up the debate from both ends. Whether she wanted negative feedback to her post or not, she invited it by disagreeing with the majority.

As was mentioned by one of SnowWhite's defenders, Disney is not perfect, although it is seemingly held to a higher standard. How we choose to view that standard causes a lot of debate. As for the Wilderness Lodge, I think SnowWhite's post is a good lesson as to the possibilities of what can go wrong so that we can determine whether or not they were error on the part of the poster or error on the part of Disney. As with anything, if you set the bar of expectation too high, you are only setting yourself up for a bigger disappointment.

 

[helenk]

We never did find out what kind of room her mother had booked. It would be interesting to know as she was so disappointed in the view that they were given.
I do not think anyone was rude, just mentioning reasons for the strollers and observations that they had made or incidents that had occurred to them. When you post on the boards you have to expect responses or you would not post.
We are staying at WL in December and I read all the post, good and bad. I think we will be happy with our decision, but every person is different and likes different things. It would be very boring if we all agreed on everything.
....
any way room type did you book? standard, woodsview or court yard ? It sounds as though your mother got a standard view from the description.

 

[melomouse]

Originally posted by SnowWhite'sMom
...I have to say it did not live up to all the rave reviews I'd read on this website.

Snow White's Mom -

I think I responded to those words personally as a DISer, then became a little frustrated reading your "inane" complaints.

The two contradict. If you use these boards to only read the "good stuff" but don't bother to find out about the place and some of those "inane" details, it's a set up for disappointment.
It sounded like you almost blamed the DIS for inaccurate information when maybe you needed more research. Kimmar's WL thread is now well over 125 pages. How much did you read?r

All of the rooms at WL probably seem like a "dump room" if you have a deluxe suite. And, yes, after spending that kind of money on a deluxe suite - maybe I'd prop my expectations up QUITE a few notches, too!

I, myself, wasn't necessarily defending Disney, but trying to support both you and the boards"rave reviews", but more importantly, the need to educate yourself before you go. I had noticed you only had 10 posts.

But now you want to not post here ever again because of the "outrageous comments"? This thread you are reading thoroughly. Most of us here do try to be fair - and maybe you need to be fair, too. We also ask alot of questions before trips so we can pass the time, soothe our anxieties, or avoid unrealistic expectations and thus, disappointment.

And if I'm way off here, somone will be sure to let me know.

 

[DisneyFreaks]

For what it's worth SnowWhitesMom, we had a bad experience at WL too and do not plan to ever stay there again. We had booked and paid for two rooms courtyard view. We had requested connecting rooms due to medication our daughter had to take during the night. We knew this could not be guaranteed but we figured since it was a medical reason they would at least put our rooms close. Nope. They had us practically in different sections. When we argued about this they kept telling us there was nothing they could do. At one point they were going to switch us to woods view so the rooms would only be five rooms apart and mail us the difference in cost. I insisted on talking to the manager and believe it or not she just happened to find two connecting rooms on the sixth floor with a gorgeous courtyard view. I could not understand why the check in CM couldn't have found this herself and I still don't. It really soured our vacation right from the start. Just too many things weren't right at WL. We just feel it's a nice place to visit but we would never stay there again.

 

[Chip 'n Dale Express]

I'd like to add a tidbit on the Stroller Issue, from a Disney Transport cast member.

Strollers may be rolled onto the Monorail, with no problem. The only exception is Double-Wide strollers *MUST* be folded to fit into a regular car. Although they will fit into a Wheelchair-accessible car, guest must understand that if a guest travelling with a mobility device comes along, they are the ones who get priority into that section.

Strollers may also roll onto the Ferryboat. This is the large boat that travels from the MK to the TTC. (General Joe Potter, Admiral Jow Fowler, and Richard F. Irvine)

Depending on Water Levels... Strollers may or may not be rolled onto Cruiser Boats. "Cruisers" are the medium size boats that travel from the MK to FW/WL. (Castaways, Bon Voyage, and the Mermaid I) The same applies to the Friendship Cruisers, that are out of the Epcot/Studios Resort area.

Strollers and wheelchairs *MUST* be folded prior to boarding the Launch boats. Those are the small sloop style boats with the wooden seats.

Strollers MUST be folded prior to boarding any bus transportation. Anywhere. This is not Disney policy, but rather Federal LAW. If a driver allows a stroller to remain unfolded, the driver can face a $5,000 ticket, as well as up to $50,000 in fines, depending on the situation. Please understand that this is a serious safety issue. We understand that it may be a pain to fold that stroller sometimes, but, in the long run, we'd rather have you have a safe ride. If for some reason your stroller cannot be folded, then it must be strapped down securely similar to how a wheelchair would be strapped down.

 

[epcotfan]

Thanks Tyler for again being so helpful and reminding us that rules are put in place for safety.

 

[anne60]

I posted something negative about the CR pool once (feel it is not big enough for the size of the resort, lots of bird droppings around the pool area), and about 15 people found it necessary to ask ALL kinds of questions (do your kids splash too much? did you go during peak times of the day? did you find a CM and ask for towels? I think the birds add to the ambiance of the place). Like it is somehow YOUR OWN FAULT if you don't like something.
It's like if someone says something negative about "your" resort, they are insulting you. She went, she found things she didn't like, she posted. These things may not bother you when you go, but if they will, you are forewarned. Is it "right" to expect a grilled ham and cheese? Maybe not, but she got one the 3 previous days (and I think suggesting that her mother was "confused" WAS rude), so she was disppointed and not pleased with the way the CM handled the situation. I just had a similar situation in a local sporting goods store. My son needed baseball cleats, and the clerk had to get on a ladder to get at them because, as he reminded me over and over in a snotty tone, "it's not baseball season, ma'am". Sometimes it is not the message, but the way it is delivered. It is threads like these that make me think maybe Disney has employees trawling these boards and posting "sunshine and light" messages for any that are the least bit negative.

 

[skiwee1]

Originally posted by anne60
I posted something negative about the CR pool once (feel it is not big enough for the size of the resort, lots of bird droppings around the pool area), and about 15 people found it necessary to ask ALL kinds of questions (do your kids splash too much? did you go during peak times of the day? did you find a CM and ask for towels? I think the birds add to the ambiance of the place). Like it is somehow YOUR OWN FAULT if you don't like something.
It's like if someone says something negative about "your" resort, they are insulting you. She went, she found things she didn't like, she posted. These things may not bother you when you go, but if they will, you are forewarned. Is it "right" to expect a grilled ham and cheese? Maybe not, but she got one the 3 previous days (and I think suggesting that her mother was "confused" WAS rude), so she was disppointed and not pleased with the way the CM handled the situation. I just had a similar situation in a local sporting goods store. My son needed baseball cleats, and the clerk had to get on a ladder to get at them because, as he reminded me over and over in a snotty tone, "it's not baseball season, ma'am". Sometimes it is not the message, but the way it is delivered. It is threads like these that make me think maybe Disney has employees trawling these boards and posting "sunshine and light" messages for any that are the least bit negative.

It was not rude to suggest maybe her mother was confused. I didn't say she was senile. I could see if I said your mother was senile and was wrong but I did not. I was very polite. As far as their reaction to the CM telling them they did not have ham and cheese, well THAT was rude. I do not think anyone posted anything nasty or rude to her post. The only negative posts I could find were from the OP and yourself. Both of you calling posters rude and so on.

 

[skiwee1]

Thanks Tyler for clearing up all the misconceptions about strollers and transportation! Now that it comes from the horse's mouth maybe it will be believed. Thanks again for taking the time.

 

[Chip 'n Dale Express]

Originally posted by epcotfan
Thanks Tyler for again being so helpful and reminding us that rules are put in place for safety.

Always my pleasure. And yes, Safety is the key here. A lot of folks I encounter on a daily basis don't quite realize that, and rather think that I get some sort of giggle out of watching them fold thier stroller, and have belongings fall all over the place. I've even had circumstances where I will make people fold thier stroller to board, and then when they get to the back of the bus, they'll unfold it, and have thier child sit down. In such a case, if I see this, I will stop my bus on the side of the road until it is folded. Not trying to be "a rude castmember", but rather one who is looking out for the safety of my guests.