There is absolutely a trickle down effect in the level of service being offered at the resorts. We were there earlier this month, staying at WL, and stopped at the Contemporary to pick something up at their gift shops. I had valet parked all day, and CHECKED with the valet service, telling them that I was going to the shop and then to e-night. I asked if coming back that late would be a problem with the valet service and was told it would not. When my teenaged daughter and I arrived back at the Contemporary at 12:30, we waited 35 minutes for our car to be brought to us. Their reason? They had only one person assigned to both valet services and luggage handling! This person was leaving to take bags to a room when we arrived, so the entire 35 minutes supposedly was to take one party to their room. Having stayed at the Contemporary, we know that that is an excessive amount of time for one bag delivery. Both the person at the front desk and the valet/bag handler were extremely rude, and the manager I requested to speak to (after nearly a half hour of waiting) never materialized. There were two other parties waiting as well, one of whom just left to catch a bus and left their car there.
Allow me to illustrate my comment that the staff was rude. At the 25 minute mark, the front desk person said that I was incorrect about my estimated length of time and that it had been only 10 minutes. When I requested that the manager find me at the entrance (not feeling comfortable leaving my teenaged daughter sitting by herself at nearly 1 a.m.) she informed me that the manager wasn't just sitting around, she might be anywhere in the hotel and might not be able to come at all, much less outside. When the valet arrived, and I asked him why a simple bag transfer took 35 minutes, he informed me that it had not been 35 minutes, his manager knew "the truth" and why not just say 45 minutes, or even an hour! In 22 trips, over the course of 15+ years, I've never experienced behavior like this.
I spoke with the bell services manager the next day, and he agreed that the staff did not behave in a manner that illustrated the "disney guest experience". I neither asked for nor was offered any compensation. That wasn't the point. I just hope that no other guest is treated in the same manner. I would expect better service from a Comfort Suites or a Ramada. Do I think the GM was advised of the lapse in service?? I requested that they be made aware, but received no communication beyond the bell manager. And, after this experience, my cynical nature has kicked in to the point of thinking that I had reached the level at which there would be the greatest motivation to have the whole episide "go away", so no, I don't think it went any further.
Sad situation.
