Total Nightmare @ Disney

[si-am]

How about 11:59 pm on check-in date?

LoL
[kidding]

Let's not go giving them any ideas, now!

 

[dqpowell]

Then, they don't even need to state a check-in time. If there is no specific check-in time, then guests don't have legitimate grounds to complain. Right?????

You might be misunderstanding my point. They couldn't really adopt a "no check-in time" policy. They'd be inundated with people trying to check in at the same time people are trying to check out, and it would be chaos in the lobbies.

What I'm saying is that their current handling of the problem renders the check-in time almost pointless. If I try to check in at (for example) 10 am, they may have a room ready for me. Or they might not, and then I'll have to find some way to kill time until my room is ready. But it's not really their fault that my room isn't ready -- after all, their stated check-in time is actually not until five hours later, at 3 pm.

But if I try to check in at (for example) 3:15 pm, the room should absolutely be ready. Because if it isn't ready, then I have to find some way to kill time until it is ready -- just the same as if I tried to check in at 10 am. But the difference is that it really is their fault the room isn't ready, and I shouldn't have to find some way to kill time waiting for my room. Because they said check-in time was 3 pm, and it's now after 3 pm.

In other words, even though the stated check-in time has a useful meaning for every other hotel or resort I've ever checked in to, it doesn't really have a useful meaning at WDW. But it should. They should have the rooms ready by 3 pm. Or they should pick a time that they can be sure the rooms will be ready and make that the check-in time. The current situation reflects poorly on them.

David

 

[cm8]

Because not everyone cares to arrive at their resort after check-in time and are told, "Sorry, you are too early, your room isn't ready, go away and come back in a few hours."



You know, it really doesn't matter if it says, "at", "starts at", "after", or anything like that. Because they are referring to the time you can "check-in". When you "check-in", you are supposed to be able to take possession of your room. If the room isn't ready, then you haven't really checked in. Disney is choosing to redefine "check-in". If they want to, fine - they should word it as "you can generally check in after 4pm, but your room is unlikely to be available until after 6pm". But then, what's the difference between a 7am check-in and a 4pm check-in then? If you have to wait for the room in either case, why bother saying check-in is at 4pm? Just say it is at 7am and your room will be available whenever they feel like giving it to you, and be done with it.

What is really annoying about this is that this is so contrary to the Disney ideal. Disney is what used to set standards that exceeded that of others, and what others strive (and often failed) to meet. Now Disney is doing the opposite - failing to meet the standards of others.

 

[KellyNY]

*
How bout hiring MORE housekeepers to keep up with the guests coming into the resorts!? Remember, too, attendance is down, that is why they are offering discounts on resorts and the so called FREE Dining. But guests are not breaking Disney's door down either. They have increased prices in everything yet, they are offering guests discounts to stay on property. But with the recession going on right now, people just aren't traveling like they were a few years back.

But hiring more people would be too easy.

 

[brunette8706]

What she (CM8) said ^

 

[ols386]

You might be misunderstanding my point. They couldn't really adopt a "no check-in time" policy. They'd be inundated with people trying to check in at the same time people are trying to check out, and it would be chaos in the lobbies.

What I'm saying is that their current handling of the problem renders the check-in time almost pointless. If I try to check in at (for example) 10 am, they may have a room ready for me. Or they might not, and then I'll have to find some way to kill time until my room is ready. But it's not really their fault that my room isn't ready -- after all, their stated check-in time is actually not until five hours later, at 3 pm.

But if I try to check in at (for example) 3:15 pm, the room should absolutely be ready. Because if it isn't ready, then I have to find some way to kill time until it is ready -- just the same as if I tried to check in at 10 am. But the difference is that it really is their fault the room isn't ready, and I shouldn't have to find some way to kill time waiting for my room. Because they said check-in time was 3 pm, and it's now after 3 pm.

In other words, even though the stated check-in time has a useful meaning for every other hotel or resort I've ever checked in to, it doesn't really have a useful meaning at WDW. But it should. They should have the rooms ready by 3 pm. Or they should pick a time that they can be sure the rooms will be ready and make that the check-in time. The current situation reflects poorly on them.

David

Ok, thanks. I see your point.

But in all honesty, it's never bothered me as a customer/guest.

 

[brunette8706]

But hiring more people would be too easy.

*
HAHAHA!

Then we would have nothing to argue about! LOL

 

[dqpowell]

Ok, thanks. I see your point.

But in all honesty, it's never bothered me as a customer/guest.

Understood. But it has bothered others, and it may bother you too at some point in the future. Maybe if you had two kids cranky and tired after a long journey to Orlando and one kid covered in spilled food or spit-up, you'd understand why some of us expect Disney to, you know, actually meet their stated guideline for when we can get into the room.

David

 

[KellyNY]

*
HAHAHA!

Then we would have nothing to argue about! LOL

We can always find something new.

 

[ols386]

Understood. But it has bothered others, and it may bother you too at some point in the future. Maybe if you had two kids cranky and tired after a long journey to Orlando and one kid covered in spilled food or spit-up, you'd understand why some of us expect Disney to, you know, actually meet their stated guideline for when we can get into the room.

David

I hear ya.

I did take my kids there when they were young, so I have an idea of what you're talking about.

 

[ols386]

We can always find something new.

I have an idea. How 'bout we start a discussion on tipping mousekeeping.

That should get things going. LOL

 

[dqpowell]

I have an idea. How 'bout we start a discussion on tipping mousekeeping.

That should get things going. LOL

Didn't know tipping mousekeeping was a hot button topic. But I have been involved in some pretty vigorous discussions here in the past about tipping the Disney restaurant servers...

David

 

[brunette8706]

Understood. But it has bothered others, and it may bother you too at some point in the future. Maybe if you had two kids cranky and tired after a long journey to Orlando and one kid covered in spilled food or spit-up, you'd understand why some of us expect Disney to, you know, actually meet their stated guideline for when we can get into the room.

David

Good point!

 

[KellyNY]

I have an idea. How 'bout we start a discussion on tipping mousekeeping.

That should get things going. LOL

Baaaaad idea. Do not get me even start on mousekeeping, I actually had a problem with one of them a week ago, too fresh.

 

[tony67]

I think there needs to be a stated check-in time. It just needs to be something that they are actually able to provide.

I agree and if they cannot make their check in time on a regular basis than something needs to be done.

The problem with Disney is that they are not in the hotel business, they are in the theme park and entertainment business.
The hotels are just guest storage IMO.

If any hotel chain treated their guests the way Disney does they would not last.

Mangers who blow off guests, staff that are rude to guests, rooms that are not ready on time, rooms that are not clean after being in the park all day.
These should not be the norm, but they are in Disney. I have experienced all of these things on multiple occasions at Disney hotels.

There is no excuse to not be in your room in time to wash up before dinner, that is completely unacceptable.

At a Starwood (Sheraton, Westin, W, Four Points, Swan, Dolphin) if my room is not ready at check in time I have always received compensation without asking.
Free drinks and appetizers at the bar, a bottle of wine in the room, something for my time.

Still it has only been a handful of times (and I stay at least 25 times a year) , and this is a chain that guarantees its elite guests a 4PM checkout.
Many of the packages at their hotels also include a 4PM late checkout, yet somehow they still seem to always get you in your room by the check in time.

More often than not I am in my room well before check in.
When it is not ready they cannot apologize enough and they would never give a guest a “rude lecture that the rooms could not possibly be ready”.
If I show up at 11AM and my room is not ready they apologize and make every effort to find a room even though I do not expect it. They also put a rush on the room.

And don’t try to say they are not as busy as Disney.
It is not unusual for a Sheraton to be at 100% capacity depending on the season and the events in a local area.

 

[KellyNY]

To be precise, from the Disney general terms and conditions associated with package reservations...

"Check-in time is typically between 3 and 4 p.m., and check-out time is normally between 11 a.m. and 12 noon. (During peak periods, check-in may be delayed one to two hours.) Most hotels will store luggage for guests arriving before check-in time and/or departing after check-out time."

Source: http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/media/ibc/DisneyWorldIBC/Descriptions/popups/popup_terms.html

Interesting, thank you for posting this. Couple of questions, so this policy is for booking a package, right, so if I book room only what is policy? Second question, when exactly is a peak period? Can we consider every day a preak period?

 

[Donut23]

I have an idea. How 'bout we start a discussion on tipping mousekeeping.

That should get things going. LOL

ahhhhhhhhhh mousekeeper tipping.....let me sharpen my talons!!!!!


Looks like I missed some big changes here...let me catch up.

 

[KellyNY]

So quiet all of the sudden, I am scared.

 

[doconeill]

So quiet all of the sudden, I am scared.

It's the eye of the storm. Everyone is typing really, really long rips into mousekeeping now...

Or we all got tired and went home.

 

[Donut23]

I agree and if they cannot make their check in time on a regular basis than something needs to be done.

The problem with Disney is that they are not in the hotel business, they are in the theme park and entertainment business.
The hotels are just guest storage IMO.

If any hotel chain treated their guests the way Disney does they would not last.

Mangers who blow off guests, staff that are rude to guests, rooms that are not ready on time, rooms that are not clean after being in the park all day.
These should not be the norm, but they are in Disney. I have experienced all of these things on multiple occasions at Disney hotels.

There is no excuse to not be in your room in time to wash up before dinner, that is completely unacceptable.

At a Starwood (Sheraton, Westin, W, Four Points, Swan, Dolphin) if my room is not ready at check in time I have always received compensation without asking.
Free drinks and appetizers at the bar, a bottle of wine in the room, something for my time.

Still it has only been a handful of times (and I stay at least 25 times a year) , and this is a chain that guarantees its elite guests a 4PM checkout.
Many of the packages at their hotels also include a 4PM late checkout, yet somehow they still seem to always get you in your room by the check in time.

More often than not I am in my room well before check in.
When it is not they cannot apologize enough and they would never give a guest a “rude lecture that the rooms could not possibly be ready”.
If I show up at 11AM and my room is not ready they apologize and make every effort to find a room even though I do not expect it. They also put a rush on the room.

And don’t try to say they are not as busy as Disney.
It is not unusual for a Sheraton to be at 100% capacity depending on the season and the events in a local area.

Tony you are sooooooooo right. When you travel often, as I do, you get spoiled especially when you stay with one chain. Sometimes I stop and blink at some of the events at checkin at Disney resorts.



Want a little tidbit of information from the inside?

As long as there is a room available........it can have broken balcony furniture, a view exclusively of blue construction tarps, badly stained carpeting, phone not working,...but has a Mickey head made of towels on the bed, Disney can officially say.....there were rooms available.

How do we know.....we were given such a room at the Beach Club once. Bell services didn't even come in the room with our bags Walter knew we would be coming out heading back to the front desk. "What? You don't LIKE blue tarps?" Walter asked.

Back at the reception desk they showed us our new room location on the map. It was the Yacht Club map and WE had to point it out.

We missed Walter on our stays at the Boardwalk.



One more tought.

There WAS a time where frequent guests were acknowledged for their loyalty. Years ago it was not unusual for me to travel to WDW 3 or 4 times a year. I was a travel agent and airfare, rooms and tickets were wicked cheep. As a travel agent I knew it could be the luck of the draw at checkin.

I remember checking in - chatting with the nice desk person. She looked at my record and said "My GOODNESS you DO stay with us often!". Of course I raved about my Wildie. Now it WAS a very slow time....but she put a resort map in front of me and asked where I wanted to stay. I pointed to the end of the hall overlooking the lake - she gave me the key and it WAS a great room for 4 nights.

I went home, Iwrote a REALLY-REALLY good letter and sent it off to the GM of the Wildie. The next time down, about 4 months later, I asked for her. She had been promoted to a training position within the resort - she said the letter was the tipping point in her favor. Training - probably was eliminated during all the layoffs last year. Not nearly as much invested in training anymore.

Ahhhhhhhhh.......back when the nice desk people knew the difference between the Yacht Club map and the Beach Club map (we were staying at the beach club, by the way).....those WERE the days!