Relax and Enjoy the Magic

[bpadair32]

I just wanted to make a post and say that I think there are a lot of people on the message boards and others around the internet, that would be a lot happier if they would just relax and enjoy the magic of being a Disney.

I find it amazing how many threads I see that are complaining about the resorts, the rides, the FPs, the food, etc. It really is mind-boggling. I have been to Disney many times, and I have never had a bad experience. I have had some things go wrong, or not work out the way that I had hoped, but it never led to a bad experience. I think part of the reason why is that I keep a couple of things in mind.

The first one is that Disney is a company. As such, they are not there to make me 100% happy at all times. Thats simply not possible. They are there to make as many of the people there as happy as they can. While that may sound like the same thing, its not. Every time something is changed, it is going to please some people and upset others. The key thing to not letting it ruin your vacation is to understand that the vast majority of the time, these things are very, very minor. Will I be disappointed if there is not a towel animal in my room when I arrive? Maybe a little. Will it stop me from enjoying vacation, not at all.

The second thing to keep in mind, is that a glitch or a problem does not have to turn into a bad experience. Also, it is far more likely that it will not turn into a bad experience if you give the staff a chance to make it right. For example, we had a problem with Housekeeping during our last stay. I didn't call and get huffy and offended right from the start. I called and explained the problem to the manager. They had it corrected quickly and properly, and the next day when we returned from the park, we had an apology note and surprise presents for the kids waiting for us in the room. There was a problem, it happens. The problem was corrected, and the manager turned the problem into a good experience.

I think the bottom line point that I am trying to make is this. You are going to Disney, they really are going to try their best to make the trip magical, that is what they do. Will they succeed all the time, no. But no one does. But I come back to you are at Disney. If you take a deep breath, step back for a second, and look around. Disney really is a magical place that feels like you are in a whole other world - If you let it!

 

[com_op_2000]

DW and I believe that any day at WDW is better than a day at work, tending to the lawn, paying bills, etc.
We are happy to be there and will continue to be, no matter what anyone else has to say.
IMO, if you do not like what someone on a board is saying, do not read it, let that person feel the way they do, and not let it control your thoughts about something.

 

[bpadair32]

DW and I believe that any day at WDW is better than a day at work, tending to the lawn, paying bills, etc.
We are happy to be there and will continue to be, no matter what anyone else has to say.
IMO, if you do not like what someone on a board is saying, do not read it, let that person feel the way they do, and not let it control your thoughts about something.

I agree that the worst day at Disney is better than almost any day somewhere else. Further, I agree with not letting people on a message board control my thoughts about something, but it just feels like there is so much negativity on these boards sometimes...

I don't know, being a relatively new member of a lot of these boards, I think I wanted to post something for other newbies to let them know that it is not all bad.

 

[disneynutz]

As a seasoned DVC owner I post because I hope that Disney will read them and make change for the better instead of the negative direction that they are taking. The more you experience Disney the more you will open your eyes. Yes they will try and make it right but it shouldn't have been wrong to begin with and Disney has the experience to provide a better product if they wanted to. I sometimes feel like it's easier or cheaper to give out make-up gifts than it is to keep the problems from occurring in the first place.

Bill

 

[mort1331]

As a seasoned DVC owner I post because I hope that Disney will read them and make change for the better instead of the negative direction that they are taking. The more you experience Disney the more you will open your eyes. Yes they will try and make it right but it shouldn't have been wrong to begin with and Disney has the experience to provide a better product if they wanted to. I sometimes feel like it's easier or cheaper to give out make-up gifts than it is to keep the problems from occurring in the first place.

Bill

As a seasoned world traveler and a DVC member as well, I partly agree with you. Having stayed at a number of 5+ resorts around the world I can say that they miss step sometimes too. The volume of travelers and hotel stays at |Disney vs. the mistakes I think the ratio is low. Yes I have had some issues with my DVC and other stays at Disney but they have been fixed to our satisfaction, and not always with a gift. lol. But always with a smile.

 

[jekjones1558]

bpadair, I love your post! It is a great reminder that many people never get the chance to visit WDW even once. Others save money for years to go and still can't stay in accommodations as nice as DVC, not to mention people around the world who are displaced and fighting to survive and WDW isn't even on their radar of wishes. WDW is not perfect, DVC is not perfect, cast members are not perfect because the magical world of Disney is still populated by humans---including some less than perfect guests! Thanks for starting a great thread!

 

[gzmtlock]

DW and I believe that any day at WDW is better than a day at work, tending to the lawn, paying bills, etc.
We are happy to be there and will continue to be, no matter what anyone else has to say.
IMO, if you do not like what someone on a board is saying, do not read it, let that person feel the way they do, and not let it control your thoughts about something.

I agree wholeheartedly! While I am not a seasoned Disboarder and am relatively new DVC (but not new to WDW), I have already learned there are some folks whose posts I skip whenever I see their names. And sometimes leave threads that I followed at one point but don't care for the turn they've taken. Sometimes, whole themes get picked up, and I can tell from initial post titles that I probably won't like the thread. So I just don't view it.

Do they have the right to express their thoughts and opinion? Absolutely!! Just as I have the right to not read them. And visa versa.

That's the beauty of a public forum. Stick around long enough, and you'll find your niche.

 

[disneynutz]

If Disney is charging for a premium product don't you agree that they should provide a premium product?

I hate it when I have to spend my vacation waiting for a room to be re-cleaned, an appliance repaired or replaced, a door lock that won't open or a MB that doesn't work.

At BWV one year in a one bedroom we had our food spoil because the refrigerator wouldn't get cold, (housekeeping often will turn down the thermostat so check). Maintenance replaced the unit. The next day we noticed that the brand new one wouldn't get cold, again they replaced it. The next day the same thing, we tried to change rooms, nothing available, they brought another refrigerator. The CM's finally told us that a Disney buyer had purchased crap units from China at a great price and that maintenance is replacing several each day. Yes they gave us a $200 credit for our trouble but we don't wait all year to go on vacation to deal with things like this.

Bill

 

[gzmtlock]

I experienced a small bit of Disney magic just recently. Not DVC related, but magic none the less. DH and I were tentatively planning a quick trip for F&W. We've been to F&G, but not F&W. As part of the planning, I signed us up for a mixology class. Too quickly. Didn't read the fine print that it was non-refundable.

Well, we decided not to go. So I called Dining to cancel. The CM asked me if I realized it was non-refundable. I said yes, I saw that once I looked closely at the confirmation email, but I had not noticed it while booking. Said it was my fault, expressed no intention or request to get a refund (because I wasn't expecting one; it was my fault for moving too quickly through the booking process). But I told her I wanted to cancel anyway, since we had cancelled our trip and I wanted others to have the opportunity for those spaces.

She refunded my money, which was very kind of her. And completely unexpected. A tiny bit of pixie dust. I love it when that happens!

 

[CarolMN]

I experienced a small bit of Disney magic just recently. Not DVC related, but magic none the less. DH and I were tentatively planning a quick trip for F&W. We've been to F&G, but not F&W. As part of the planning, I signed us up for a mixology class. Too quickly. Didn't read the fine print that it was non-refundable.

Well, we decided not to go. So I called Dining to cancel. The CM asked me if I realized it was non-refundable. I said yes, I saw that once I looked closely at the confirmation email, but I had not noticed it while booking. Said it was my fault, expressed no intention or request to get a refund (because I wasn't expecting one; it was my fault for moving too quickly through the booking process). But I told her I wanted to cancel anyway, since we had cancelled our trip and I wanted others to have the opportunity for those spaces.

She refunded my money, which was very kind of her. And completely unexpected. A tiny bit of pixie dust. I love it when that happens!

I'm sure your attidtude motivated her to dispense the pixie dust. (As many already know, sometimes you really can catch more flies with honey)

Sorry you had to cancel and hope you can schedule another visit soon.

 

[TimR]

If you click on the logo next to a person's post a box comes up with a link to ignore that person's posts. I have a few people in the DVC area that I found were always negative in their posts, ignoring them makes this area of disboards a lot more fun for me

 

[gzmtlock]

I'm sure your attidtude motivated her to dispense the pixie dust. (As many already know, sometimes you really can catch more flies with honey)

Sorry you had to cancel and hope you can schedule another visit soon.

Thanks, CarolMN! I've actually got a business trip to Orlando in October, that I'm looking at adding a night to do MNSSHP and F&W - neither of which I have done before. Not sure yet if it will work out. . .but if not this year, then I'm sure I'll get to both before too long.

If you click on the logo next to a person's post a box comes up with a link to ignore that person's posts. I have a few people in the DVC area that I found were always negative in their posts, ignoring them makes this area of disboards a lot more fun for me

Great tip, TimR! Thanks!!

 

[jdkdorn]

There is some negativity on the boards but I have to agree with Bill and state that in the last 14 years of DVC ownership things have definitely changed. I do not go for the perks and that is not something I complain about. Do we like a great ticket deal? Sure, but that is not something I count on. My issues are the complete lack of responsibility and ownership by Disney for the issues that are cropping up lately. The filthy rooms are a big concern. I pay a lot in fees for both SSR and BCV and the rooms are beginning to be just disgusting. BCV were supposed to have a full rehab this fall but Disney is being greedy for F & W dollars so they put it off again. These are not negatives, they are just the truth that Disney needs to understand. I should not have to call for something to be fixed within minutes of entering my room, the housekeeping supervisor should have seen it when reviewing the room.

That being said Disney is still my favorite vacation destination and we have been there 3 times in the last year and 2 more trips coming up. Disney does read these boards and hopefully they also learn from them. They know when a person is congenitally negative or if it is because they were disappointed in the product that they received, Disney World is a product and if it is not working it needs to be repaired.

JMO

Judy

 

[gzmtlock]

So I've been getting the feeling for awhile, strenghthened by this thread, that this sub-board doesn't really exist for Disboarders to share miscellaneous information with one another, but is primarily used for "sending messages" to Disney. Not sure if that is the owner's intent, but in my opinion, that's what very many threads descend into. In the DVC area in general.

As I stated previously, everyone can find their niche. Time for me to go find mine.

Have fun!

 

[Dean]

DVC is a nice timeshare, nothing more or less. It's not as good as some think it is and not as bad as others do. That said, there is a lot they could do better and a lot they do well. I do feel some things have slipped over the years and that some of that is by necessity and some by choice or lack of effort on DVC's part.