An article in the travel section of the New York Times (7/31/05) by Charles Passy is entitled - 'Some Ask if the Disney Magic is Slipping'. This article is available at NYTimes.com and these are the first few paragraphs:
'Maybe it was the rollaway bed that didn't materialize because it was suddenly deemed a fire hazard. Or maybe it was the air mattress that surfaced in its place with a pile of bedding that included 20 - yes, 20 - pillowcases and one sheet. Or maybe it was the manager who called and apologized for the mistakes - at nearly 1 a.m.
But as tipping points go, it was hard to top the bill with a $750 error - in the resort's favor. Such a mistake was proof positive that something was terribly amiss, leaving my wife and me to ask, "What kind of a Mickey Mouse operation is this?"
It was a question meant in the most literal sense. We weren't staying at some budget motel off the interstate. We were spending more than $300 a night for a one-bedroom "turn of the century style vacation villa" at Walt Disney World's one-year-old Saratoga Springs Resort and Spa. But we were experiencing little of the celebrated Disney "magic", that bend-over-backward brand of service. Instead, our family vacation was turning into a part-nightmarish, part-comical adventure that I quickly took to describing as Disney meets "Fawlty Towers" meets the "Twilight Zone."
And apparently, we weren't the only ones on this ride. To hear some other guests tell similar stories of inept service at Disney World theme parks and resorts is to realize the Mouse may no longer be as mighty . . . '
The article goes on to suggest that cast members have had benefits pared down, etc. resulting in poor attitudes and poor service for guests. It is disturbing, I think, that even main stream media such as the NYT considers Disney's slip in customer service newsworthy. Maybe Disney will finally start paying attention to what has happened at WDW. I, for one, agree completely that service has slipped in recent years - I'd say the last ten. And I find myself returning despite the service I receive, not because of it.
Like the writer, I recently had a billing error that was more than $1,200 in the resort's favor, and it took me weeks to get the situation rectified - weeks in which they happily kept my money and responded at a snail's pace to my calls and e-mails. I have had many other issues as well ... too many to get into ... but overall I have sensed a definite slippage of 'magic', and I hope it doesn't go too far in the next few years. For now, the memories keep my family coming back ... but it is depressing to see what has happened to CM's and service in general.
This is how the article ends:
' . . . If we wanted the headaches and hassles, we'd stay at the budget motel off the Interstate. Instead, we want the magic. And we'll keep going to Disney World in search of it - for the time being.'
'Maybe it was the rollaway bed that didn't materialize because it was suddenly deemed a fire hazard. Or maybe it was the air mattress that surfaced in its place with a pile of bedding that included 20 - yes, 20 - pillowcases and one sheet. Or maybe it was the manager who called and apologized for the mistakes - at nearly 1 a.m.
But as tipping points go, it was hard to top the bill with a $750 error - in the resort's favor. Such a mistake was proof positive that something was terribly amiss, leaving my wife and me to ask, "What kind of a Mickey Mouse operation is this?"
It was a question meant in the most literal sense. We weren't staying at some budget motel off the interstate. We were spending more than $300 a night for a one-bedroom "turn of the century style vacation villa" at Walt Disney World's one-year-old Saratoga Springs Resort and Spa. But we were experiencing little of the celebrated Disney "magic", that bend-over-backward brand of service. Instead, our family vacation was turning into a part-nightmarish, part-comical adventure that I quickly took to describing as Disney meets "Fawlty Towers" meets the "Twilight Zone."
And apparently, we weren't the only ones on this ride. To hear some other guests tell similar stories of inept service at Disney World theme parks and resorts is to realize the Mouse may no longer be as mighty . . . '
The article goes on to suggest that cast members have had benefits pared down, etc. resulting in poor attitudes and poor service for guests. It is disturbing, I think, that even main stream media such as the NYT considers Disney's slip in customer service newsworthy. Maybe Disney will finally start paying attention to what has happened at WDW. I, for one, agree completely that service has slipped in recent years - I'd say the last ten. And I find myself returning despite the service I receive, not because of it.
Like the writer, I recently had a billing error that was more than $1,200 in the resort's favor, and it took me weeks to get the situation rectified - weeks in which they happily kept my money and responded at a snail's pace to my calls and e-mails. I have had many other issues as well ... too many to get into ... but overall I have sensed a definite slippage of 'magic', and I hope it doesn't go too far in the next few years. For now, the memories keep my family coming back ... but it is depressing to see what has happened to CM's and service in general.
This is how the article ends:
' . . . If we wanted the headaches and hassles, we'd stay at the budget motel off the Interstate. Instead, we want the magic. And we'll keep going to Disney World in search of it - for the time being.'
