No hot tubs open, GF, Cont, Poly! January 28,2008

[Lilolvr]

WDW has to close them some time for repair or rehab. The resorts are open 24/7, 365. Someone is bound to hit them when they are closed. Things happen, that's part of doing business. Things happen, it doesn't mean the resort stinks or they don't care about their guests.

Carol A, I've yet to read a review of a resort you like at WDW.

 

[jim and meesie]

I mean after all it's only a "Deluxe" resort. Why should the guests expect things to be in working order? I mean for ONLY around $300 a night you should just be glad they "let you stay there" Don't expect much other wise!

Disney Deluxe Equals so so service, so so amenenities (See Poly NO Hot Tub) but WORLD CLASS pricing!!!!!!

I am sorry, but folks keep defending Disney for FAILURE to live up to the standards for which they ADVERSTISE and CHARGE. If Disney want's to start advertising these resorts as "an Expensive Marriott Courtyard" then maybe you can decide it's still worth it. However the GF is Disneys' FLAGSHIP resort in Orlando...

If you want REAL deluxe in Orlando (often at a more resonable price) may I suggest the JW Marriott or Ritz Carlton. Or just save for a few more years and stay at the new Four Seasons being opened at Disney!

THANKS, I think we are on the same page here. I still enjoy most everything about Disney, that's why I go but I guess I am naive enough to expect a multi billion dollar corporation to provide what they advertise!

Now about this Four Seasons. When and where????????

 

[jim and meesie]

WDW has to close them some time for repair or rehab. The resorts are open 24/7, 365. Someone is bound to hit them when they are closed.

All resorts, even Ritz Carlton and Four Seasons are open 24/7 365 and they mange to keep things operating otherwise they wouldn't maintain their 4 and 5 star ratings! So why are people so willing to expect less from Disney, they certainly make as much money as other resorts!

 

[Lilolvr]

All resorts, even Ritz Carlton and Four Seasons are open 24/7 365 and they mange to keep things operating otherwise they wouldn't maintain their 4 and 5 star ratings! So why are people so willing to expect less from Disney, they certainly make as much money as other resorts!

I'm sure I can search reviews of any hotel and find something bad on tripadvisor or one of those sites. I never stayed at any of them for 365 days to know if its true, everything works all the time.

A quick search on my prat produce these bad reviews.

Four Seasons Philly review
A fine hotel but not worth the money. Several shortcomings. Old fashioned tv, not flat screen. Internet does not work well and is expensive. Fitness center is small, cramped and grid locked in the morning. The front desk messed up the bill, charging it by error to one of my colleague's credit card. Took multiple phone calls and emails to straighten it out. A high end luxury hotel really should do better.

Four Seasons Scottsdale review
My husband and I just returned from a stay at the Four Seasons in Scottsdale. While we thought the grounds were lovely and well maintained and the staff friendly and accommodating, we were extremely disappointed with the quality of our room.

While it was clean and the view wonderful, the room was more in line with what we'd expect in a 3-star hotel, not a Four Seasons. The room was dark and sparsely decorated -- we were actually missing a chair from our room, something we learned only after visiting our friends' room. Even the minimal wall art was mismatched and seemed thrown in to the room as an afterthought. At $675+ a night, we were expecting something more elegant.

This, by the way, was our second Four Seasons experience where our room was less than expected. I guess we need to either change our expectation of what a Four Seasons should be like or change our hotel selection.

Ritz Carlton
I booked the Ritz Carlton to finish off a Queen Mary 2 cruise in style. Sadly during our 4 night, 5 day stay we were not impressed. The staff were very young and seemed poorly trained. We had a park view suite (over £1,000GBP per night!). For example; every day we had to ask for towels; the mini bar was examined in minute detail whilst we were in the room. There were also other niggles regarding the standard of cleaning and the operation of the Club Lounge. I know this might sound like nit picking but at the cost and their reputation the experience should have been a lot better. We stay at top hotels and go on 'no expense spared' cruises and holidays with our two children aged 7 and 9. Disappointingly, this visit to the Ritz Carlton, Central Park, NYC was not up to the standard expected.

Things happen...

 

[jim and meesie]

I sure I can search reviews of any hotel and find something bad on tripadvisor or one of those sites. I never stayed at any of them for 365 days to know if its true, everything works all the time.

You might be able to find something but not as much as you find at Disney. I am constantly amazed how the majority (the 4 and 5 star resorts) of these chains get pretty across the boards amazing reviews. My own experience at the Naples Ritz Carlton, the resort was not "my cup of tea" (visited more than once) but I can't dispute that everything that they could control was PERFECT!

 

[jim and meesie]

I sure I can search reviews of any hotel and find something bad on tripadvisor or one of those sites. I never stayed at any of them for 365 days to know if its true, everything works all the time.

A quick search on my prat produce these bad reviews.

Four Seasons Philly review
A fine hotel but not worth the money. Several shortcomings. Old fashioned tv, not flat screen. Internet does not work well and is expensive. Fitness center is small, cramped and grid locked in the morning. The front desk messed up the bill, charging it by error to one of my colleague's credit card. Took multiple phone calls and emails to straighten it out. A high end luxury hotel really should do better.

Four Seasons Scottsdale review
My husband and I just returned from a stay at the Four Seasons in Scottsdale. While we thought the grounds were lovely and well maintained and the staff friendly and accommodating, we were extremely disappointed with the quality of our room.

While it was clean and the view wonderful, the room was more in line with what we'd expect in a 3-star hotel, not a Four Seasons. The room was dark and sparsely decorated -- we were actually missing a chair from our room, something we learned only after visiting our friends' room. Even the minimal wall art was mismatched and seemed thrown in to the room as an afterthought. At $675+ a night, we were expecting something more elegant.

This, by the way, was our second Four Seasons experience where our room was less than expected. I guess we need to either change our expectation of what a Four Seasons should be like or change our hotel selection.

Ritz Carlton
I booked the Ritz Carlton to finish off a Queen Mary 2 cruise in style. Sadly during our 4 night, 5 day stay we were not impressed. The staff were very young and seemed poorly trained. We had a park view suite (over £1,000GBP per night!). For example; every day we had to ask for towels; the mini bar was examined in minute detail whilst we were in the room. There were also other niggles regarding the standard of cleaning and the operation of the Club Lounge. I know this might sound like nit picking but at the cost and their reputation the experience should have been a lot better. We stay at top hotels and go on 'no expense spared' cruises and holidays with our two children aged 7 and 9. Disappointingly, this visit to the Ritz Carlton, Central Park, NYC was not up to the standard expected.

Things happen...

Sadly, the things you reference in these reviews ALLL happened in my recent stay at BWV and I accepted those as pretty ordinary parts of traveling to Disney. These just happened in our recent visit and honestly nothing would have happened if I had complained because these are all "business as usual" practices.

"old fashioned tv, not flat screen" my tv in a BWV one bedroom was an old 20 inch with a mis matched remote(which didn't really work) and no dvd or vcr. I was pretty surprised that this room had an older and smaller tv than I had recently given away to a yard sale!

"internet doesn't work and is expensive" Internet didn't work in any of the 1 BRs i was in at the BWV. Worst was in the Boardwalk view above Big River Brewery. The wireless from the restaurant overroad any internet in the room (which I was charged for) but of course I couldn't use the Big River signal without a password.

"Fitness center is small, cramped and grid locked in the morning." Were they describing the small work out center at muscles and bustles?

"The front desk messed up the bill," at BWV the front desk wouldn't admit there was a problem and then didn't know how to fix it.

"the staff friendly and accommodating" We had to check in and out three times. When I asked if we could stay in the same room the same response each time was "we are fully booked and we can't make any changes" one of the front desk clerks was very sweet and sympathetic but the next two days they treated us as if we were getting it for free so what were we complaining about. IT WASN"T FREE! WE PAID FOR OUR DVC POINTS AND DUES WHICH WE WERE USING! Three different one bedrooms each 22 points! (for just 2 people) Every day from 11 to 6 pm we were without a room!

"The staff were very young and seemed poorly trained."
Quite honestly the complaints you did find seem relatively minor, how about the Disney complaints on these same boards, alot more????
Did you find any complaint about ALL of the hot tubs at any of the resorts closed without alternatives? Not likely.

 

[Lilolvr]

Sadly, the things you reference in these reviews ALLL happened in my recent stay at BWV and I accepted those as pretty ordinary parts of traveling to Disney. These just happened in our recent visit and honestly nothing would have happened if I had complained because these are all "business as usual" practices.

"old fashioned tv, not flat screen" my tv in a BWV one bedroom was an old 20 inch with a mis matched remote(which didn't really work) and no dvd or vcr. I was pretty surprised that this room had an older and smaller tv than I had recently given away to a yard sale!

"internet doesn't work and is expensive" Internet didn't work in any of the 1 BRs i was in at the BWV. Worst was in the Boardwalk view above Big River Brewery. The wireless from the restaurant overroad any internet in the room (which I was charged for) but of course I couldn't use the Big River signal without a password.

"Fitness center is small, cramped and grid locked in the morning." Were they describing the small work out center at muscles and bustles?

"The front desk messed up the bill," at BWV the front desk wouldn't admit there was a problem and then didn't know how to fix it.

"the staff friendly and accommodating" We had to check in and out three times. When I asked if we could stay in the same room the same response each time was "we are fully booked and we can't make any changes" one of the front desk clerks was very sweet and sympathetic but the next two days they treated us as if we were getting it for free so what were we complaining about. IT WASN"T FREE! WE PAID FOR OUR DVC POINTS AND DUES WHICH WE WERE USING! Three different one bedrooms each 22 points! (for just 2 people) Every day from 11 to 6 pm we were without a room!

"The staff were very young and seemed poorly trained."
Quite honestly the complaints you did find seem relatively minor, how about the Disney complaints on these same boards, alot more????
Did you find any complaint about ALL of the hot tubs at any of the resorts closed without alternatives? Not likely.

I took the first negative review I found on trip advisor on the first page of the search. I didn't have to "dig" far. I didn't post the reviews to compare WDW resorts to other outside resorts, only to show things happen at all levels of resorts, anywhere. Again, I'm sure if I went through every review on the web, I could find one with something that didn't work.

 

[tinklvr64]

I mean after all it's only a "Deluxe" resort. Why should the guests expect things to be in working order? I mean for ONLY around $300 a night you should just be glad they "let you stay there" Don't expect much other wise!Disney Deluxe Equals so so service, so so amenenities (See Poly NO Hot Tub) but WORLD CLASS pricing!!!!!!

I am sorry, but folks keep defending Disney for FAILURE to live up to the standards for which they ADVERSTISE and CHARGE. If Disney want's to start advertising these resorts as "an Expensive Marriott Courtyard" then maybe you can decide it's still worth it. However the GF is Disneys' FLAGSHIP resort in Orlando...

AMEN!

 

[jewelmicky]

I just found out that the time we are going (2weeks ) the volcano pool will be down for mainenance.
We will be allowed to use another resorts pool facilities?

The hot tub is a bummer too, but since we are doing the Land/Sea I figure we can get our hot tub time in on the Wonder.

I'm not really sure yet how much time we will have to swim anyway....we are staying at the Hilton at the airport the night before we leave for WDW and have a day room for the day we come back.......I think we will use the indoor pools there not at WDW.

 

[maxiesmom]

Stuff breaks down at resorts world-wide. Even at Disney resorts. It happens. Even Disney magic cannot stop it. I don't think it comes from neglect. If you are going to let the hot tub not working turn your vaction into a catastrophie, you need to take a deep breath and relax. I mean the "you" in general, not the OP in particular.

Stuff breaks. You need to roll with the punches. Look at the glass as half full not half empty. Yes it would be a bummer if I went to the hot tub and found it not working, but it wouldn't throw my whole vaca into the fire.

 

[Lilolvr]

Stuff breaks down at resorts world-wide. Even at Disney resorts. It happens. Even Disney magic cannot stop it. I don't think it comes from neglect. If you are going to let the hot tub not working turn your vacation into a catastrophe, you need to take a deep breath and relax. I mean the "you" in general, not the OP in particular.

Stuff breaks. You need to roll with the punches. Look at the glass as half full not half empty. Yes it would be a bummer if I went to the hot tub and found it not working, but it wouldn't throw my whole vaca into the fire.

AMEN!

 

[CPer'sMom]

All resorts, even Ritz Carlton and Four Seasons are open 24/7 365 and they mange to keep things operating otherwise they wouldn't maintain their 4 and 5 star ratings! So why are people so willing to expect less from Disney, they certainly make as much money as other resorts!

I stay at the Disney deluxe resorts (mainly Epcot area) for the convenience and also just because we happen to enjoy staying at these resorts! Although I love 4* and 5*resorts and do stay at those when traveling in other cities, in Orlando I'm there for Disney! Yes, there are sometimes things that bother me or may not always be up to the level of what is considered 'deluxe' but overall it's the experience we choose for our stays at WDW.

As said before, no one is forcing you to stay at a Disney hotel ~ Don't like them & don't feel they are up to the standards you want in a Deluxe resort? Stay somewhere else. Pretty simple.

 

[MermaidsMom]

Stuff breaks down at resorts world-wide. Even at Disney resorts. It happens. Even Disney magic cannot stop it. I don't think it comes from neglect. If you are going to let the hot tub not working turn your vaction into a catastrophie, you need to take a deep breath and relax. I mean the "you" in general, not the OP in particular.

Stuff breaks. You need to roll with the punches. Look at the glass as half full not half empty. Yes it would be a bummer if I went to the hot tub and found it not working, but it wouldn't throw my whole vaca into the fire.

I think the OP's point of posting was to report that SO MANY resorts had "repair issues" at the same time. A better plan would be for them to stagger the maintenance so guests could go to the next resort and use the hot tub there while theirs was being repaired. It's very odd they were all down at once. How often does that happen in the real world?

True, the glass should be viewed as half full, especially while on vacation. But does that mean we should check our expectations at the door?

I laugh at so many people here rushing to defend poor service. Good grief people, why don't you all send a letter telling Disney that you don't really care what they do to you while you're there. Everyone seems so quick to accept unacceptable service, almost welcoming it, that I think you all may have inhaled a little too much pixie dust.

 

[Lilolvr]

I laugh at so many people here rushing to defend poor service. Good grief people, why don't you all send a letter telling Disney that you don't really care what they do to you while you're there. Everyone seems so quick to accept unacceptable service, almost welcoming it, that I think you all may have inhaled a little too much pixie dust.

It's not that I accept it or would accept it, my only point is that it could happen ANYWHERE...WDW, NY, Boston, LA. As you say some here are quick to defend, some here think these things only happen at WDW resorts.

 

[Disneychix]

But isn't it true that if a pool (or hot tub I presume) is closed for maint then disney offers you to use another pool. I've heard of BW people being able to use BC pool and POFQ is now using POR pool.
So when the OP said they were instructed to try the GF and CT and all were not working that IS an issue.

And if that's how someone wants to spend their time on vacation fine with me! Shorter lines at the parks!!!

 

[maxiesmom]

I think the OP's point of posting was to report that SO MANY resorts had "repair issues" at the same time. A better plan would be for them to stagger the maintenance so guests could go to the next resort and use the hot tub there while theirs was being repaired. It's very odd they were all down at once. How often does that happen in the real world?

Two resorts had problems, right? That is not a high number.

And Disney does do the bulk of upkeep in the early months of the year. They have for quite some time, as to impact the fewest number of guests possible. As someone who has been to the parks many times, I find it supprising that the OP didn't know that, or know that the Poly doesn't have a hot tub. And as DVC members the OP did have axcess to a working hot tub at the resort they were booked at. So it wasn't really a huge issue for them, was it?

 

[sotoalf]

Personally I think this is unreasonable. If I pay for a "Deluxe" hotel my ASSUMPTION is that it has certain features.... and I research my vacations extensively.

Plus even if people staying at the GF or CR during the OPs visit "researched" they would have been disappointed!

But it's OK. It's Disney. They are allowed to "be below the standard"

If you conducted research, you wouldn't need to make assumptions. It's simple.

EDIT: I'm not defending Disney – service has deteriorated drastically in the last 10 years – and that's precisely why guests must make no assumptions about what they pay for.

 

[gonemousin']

It's not that I accept it or would accept it, my only point is that it could happen ANYWHERE...WDW, NY, Boston, LA. As you say some here are quick to defend, some here think these things only happen at WDW resorts.

I paid over $300/night for the Grand Floridian and had TERRIBLE service. Our maid service was nonexistent, our bathroom was never cleaned, we never received fresh towels (despite throwing them on the floor for replacement), our tissue box ran out, our toilet paper supply ran out, our room safe didn't work, we never had our coffee packages replaced, our sliding glass door was broken, and I was nearly run down by the passenger golf carts anytime I walked the grounds...I could go on. I'm NOT a picky person, I promise, but if I'm staying in a "deluxe" hotel, I expect that I shouldn't have to call down to the front desk every 2.3 seconds to have something rectified. And when I DID call the front desk, management was aloof and rude. Interestingly enough, we've never had ANY of these problems at Pop Century...where I've paid less than $100/night and enjoyed both visits. I will never stay at the Grand Floridian again and it'll take an act of Congress to convince me to fork over that much cash for another deluxe. (for the record, I'm a frequent business traveler that stays in 4 star and up hotels)

So while I agree that maintenance issues are very common and unpredictable (both hot tubs could have just stopped working at the same time - unforseen), I also think that WDW does a terrible job with their deluxe resorts. They're simply not worth paying for IMHO unless your sole reason is to be in a specific location.

 

[maxiesmom]

Ding Ding! We have a winner! That is the reason the deluxe resorts are so expensive. Location location location! They are NOT like a normal "deluxe" resort. Unfortunately this takes some people by supprise. Disney deluxe is not other world deluxe.

 

[gonemousin']

Ding Ding! We have a winner! That is the reason the deluxe resorts are so expensive. Location location location! They are NOT like a normal "deluxe" resort. Unfortunately this takes some people by supprise. Disney deluxe is not other world deluxe.

I don't entirely agree. Disney spends a lot of money marketing their deluxe resorts as DELUXE resorts. Upscale restaurants, spa services (at GF), more unique theming, bathrobes, daybeds, granite vanities, higher end bedding, balconies, etc, etc. So no, I don't think the only thing making them "deluxe" is location - I simply stated that location was the ONLY thing worth paying more for if it's that important to you.