Islandhopper
Earning My Ears
- Joined
- Sep 15, 2021
Hello, I hope you are well. We stayed at Disney World from August 22 to the 31, 2021. With the pandemic still looming over us it was probably not the smartest thing we have done, but we wanted to get a trip in before the Holidays, etc. We enjoy Disney, but we are not Disney fanatics. We try to experience a new place at least once a year, however since we have a family member who is a cast member we find ourselves visiting them, and the Parks, on a semi-regular basis.
What we experienced on this trip was truly sad.
First the Resort. We stayed at Disney Movies. Check-in was a nightmare. As the line grew and grew it went out the door. I don’t know what was taking so long however one person, (and sometimes two people), checking people in was simply not enough. What made it worse was every now and again a cast member would come out and walk down the line asking if everyone was okay? Finally a couple guests suggested they get behind the desk and help with the check in. With that they went back and got a Manager because a third person finally materialized. It was ridiculous.
When we finally made it to our room we were pleased to find a much, much needed upgrade. I removed my sneakers and spent a couple minutes unpacking the essentials. To my surprise, my white socks turned totally black. The floors had not been cleaned in who knows how long.
We appreciated all the pillows on our bed however had no choice but to place some of them on top of the murphy bed. A ton, and I mean a ton, of dust fell from the top as this too, was probably never cleaned since they installed the bed.
As mentioned we appreciated the room upgrades including multiple usb ports, a mini cooler/fridge, coffee maker, etc. Unfortunately some of the outlets did not work. Not a big deal as we shuffled things around.
There was a beautiful new rain shower head in the bathroom however since the water pressure had been turned down my wife had a very hard time rinsing her hair in the shower. Speaking of the shower, the only soap they provided was “face soap” which I found a little strange.
What made it worse was there was no housekeeping service. No housekeeping service but yet they still managed to charge us a record amount for the room.
Why? You probably already heard … “cut backs”. Disney is also claiming they “cannot find people to work”. Are you kidding me? Would you like me to come down there and find people to work?
The pool, which once opened early so guests could grab a couple laps before hitting the Parks now does not open until 10 AM. The kids are out of their minds waiting around to swim. You cannot charge $200 a night and keep cutting and cutting. The pool chairs were dirty because nobody is cleaning them off. Nobody is even spraying them off.
As a matter of fact the entire hotel and grounds felt unkept and dirty. Everywhere you look it just was not “Disney”.
I have heard the cast members have become downright unfriendly. I did not believe this for a second until I experienced it first hand at a variety of places. At our hotel a cast member was down right angry when my wife asked to see the “pin board” in the gift store. At another time a little girl asked to see the pin board and the cast member said with great attitude, “We put it away at 7PM”. There were eight cast members standing around in the gift shop. What the hell is a matter with you? This little girl wanted to see the board. It should never be put away. How about I put my wallet away at 7 PM and not purchase any gifts?
Regular Disney visitors will quickly notice the cutbacks. I assure you, the Parks, and the many resorts we visited for meals, etc., never ever looked this bad. From weeds growing everywhere to buildings in desperate need of paint, it was depressing.
Another problem was the constant, and I mean constant pressure to use the “app” to order food, etc. We entered Flame Tree at Animal Kingdom and a cast member stopped us and said, “you should really use the app”. My wife said, “my phone is away I am just going to order from this gentleman at the register”. The cast member kept it up telling us it was easy, better, etc. At this point it became ridiculous and we said, “we know how to use the app, the guy is standing there, we are just going to give him our order”. Unfortunately looking back I believe they did something to our food because when we asked for water they gave us two cups of warm water.
The buses were another issues in itself. Disney no doubt has found it cost effective to hire charter bus companies to handle some of their transportation needs. The problem is, first, the drivers are not “disney trained” and therefore a little out of touch. Additionally, the charter buses drive super, super slow as I am guessing they are saving gas by making fewer trips. One night when leaving Disney Springs on route to our hotel the driver got lost and it took just short of an hour. Another time the driver was so busy talking to another charter driver a guest got off the bus and asked her what the hell was going on? The driver got annoyed so again, drove super slow, catching every traffic light.
In the past we always enjoyed "Disney food", from the better restaurants to the table service we were always more than happy despite the prices being on the high side. This trip the food was not consistent. Smaller portions, higher prices, and what seemed like lower quality food apparently is the "new norm". A perfect example is the pizza at our resort, which was once about twelve bucks, has now escalated to $29. Yes, I know it comes with a salad a few bread sticks, but for all the families who just want a pizza $30 is insane, period.
Speaking of food we opted for the refillable mugs as we always do. Again, the price is a little high, but it allows us to grab some soda after returning from the parks or while enjoying some pool time. What was extremely annoying was if you purchased the mugs the chip in the bottom monitored your mug however the soda machine readers were allowing any mugs/containers to be filled at most stations. I know they have issues with this at times, however this needs to be addressed. I spoke up on two separate occasions, (something I don't normally do), as one gentleman was filling up his Yeti with soda and another person was filling up their mug from many years ago.
The Parks had a mix of good and bad. The “controlled attendance” was a blessing because it allowed us to “walk on” most rides and shows. Some of you regulars can imagine how awesome that was. On many rides we simply got right back on again. The new Star Wars ride was the only ride we had to join a virtual cue in the morning. However again it was sad to think about what is coming and that is yet another way to extort money from the guests by charging for a new fangled fast pass when the crowds return. I wonder if “enough is ever going to be enough”?
Of course we had a good time. We paid through the nose for room and food, however enjoyed our time there. As we left I felt bad for the many families and couples who soon will not be able to afford a trip to Disney.
What we experienced on this trip was truly sad.
First the Resort. We stayed at Disney Movies. Check-in was a nightmare. As the line grew and grew it went out the door. I don’t know what was taking so long however one person, (and sometimes two people), checking people in was simply not enough. What made it worse was every now and again a cast member would come out and walk down the line asking if everyone was okay? Finally a couple guests suggested they get behind the desk and help with the check in. With that they went back and got a Manager because a third person finally materialized. It was ridiculous.
When we finally made it to our room we were pleased to find a much, much needed upgrade. I removed my sneakers and spent a couple minutes unpacking the essentials. To my surprise, my white socks turned totally black. The floors had not been cleaned in who knows how long.
We appreciated all the pillows on our bed however had no choice but to place some of them on top of the murphy bed. A ton, and I mean a ton, of dust fell from the top as this too, was probably never cleaned since they installed the bed.
As mentioned we appreciated the room upgrades including multiple usb ports, a mini cooler/fridge, coffee maker, etc. Unfortunately some of the outlets did not work. Not a big deal as we shuffled things around.
There was a beautiful new rain shower head in the bathroom however since the water pressure had been turned down my wife had a very hard time rinsing her hair in the shower. Speaking of the shower, the only soap they provided was “face soap” which I found a little strange.
What made it worse was there was no housekeeping service. No housekeeping service but yet they still managed to charge us a record amount for the room.
Why? You probably already heard … “cut backs”. Disney is also claiming they “cannot find people to work”. Are you kidding me? Would you like me to come down there and find people to work?
The pool, which once opened early so guests could grab a couple laps before hitting the Parks now does not open until 10 AM. The kids are out of their minds waiting around to swim. You cannot charge $200 a night and keep cutting and cutting. The pool chairs were dirty because nobody is cleaning them off. Nobody is even spraying them off.
As a matter of fact the entire hotel and grounds felt unkept and dirty. Everywhere you look it just was not “Disney”.
I have heard the cast members have become downright unfriendly. I did not believe this for a second until I experienced it first hand at a variety of places. At our hotel a cast member was down right angry when my wife asked to see the “pin board” in the gift store. At another time a little girl asked to see the pin board and the cast member said with great attitude, “We put it away at 7PM”. There were eight cast members standing around in the gift shop. What the hell is a matter with you? This little girl wanted to see the board. It should never be put away. How about I put my wallet away at 7 PM and not purchase any gifts?
Regular Disney visitors will quickly notice the cutbacks. I assure you, the Parks, and the many resorts we visited for meals, etc., never ever looked this bad. From weeds growing everywhere to buildings in desperate need of paint, it was depressing.
Another problem was the constant, and I mean constant pressure to use the “app” to order food, etc. We entered Flame Tree at Animal Kingdom and a cast member stopped us and said, “you should really use the app”. My wife said, “my phone is away I am just going to order from this gentleman at the register”. The cast member kept it up telling us it was easy, better, etc. At this point it became ridiculous and we said, “we know how to use the app, the guy is standing there, we are just going to give him our order”. Unfortunately looking back I believe they did something to our food because when we asked for water they gave us two cups of warm water.
The buses were another issues in itself. Disney no doubt has found it cost effective to hire charter bus companies to handle some of their transportation needs. The problem is, first, the drivers are not “disney trained” and therefore a little out of touch. Additionally, the charter buses drive super, super slow as I am guessing they are saving gas by making fewer trips. One night when leaving Disney Springs on route to our hotel the driver got lost and it took just short of an hour. Another time the driver was so busy talking to another charter driver a guest got off the bus and asked her what the hell was going on? The driver got annoyed so again, drove super slow, catching every traffic light.
In the past we always enjoyed "Disney food", from the better restaurants to the table service we were always more than happy despite the prices being on the high side. This trip the food was not consistent. Smaller portions, higher prices, and what seemed like lower quality food apparently is the "new norm". A perfect example is the pizza at our resort, which was once about twelve bucks, has now escalated to $29. Yes, I know it comes with a salad a few bread sticks, but for all the families who just want a pizza $30 is insane, period.
Speaking of food we opted for the refillable mugs as we always do. Again, the price is a little high, but it allows us to grab some soda after returning from the parks or while enjoying some pool time. What was extremely annoying was if you purchased the mugs the chip in the bottom monitored your mug however the soda machine readers were allowing any mugs/containers to be filled at most stations. I know they have issues with this at times, however this needs to be addressed. I spoke up on two separate occasions, (something I don't normally do), as one gentleman was filling up his Yeti with soda and another person was filling up their mug from many years ago.
The Parks had a mix of good and bad. The “controlled attendance” was a blessing because it allowed us to “walk on” most rides and shows. Some of you regulars can imagine how awesome that was. On many rides we simply got right back on again. The new Star Wars ride was the only ride we had to join a virtual cue in the morning. However again it was sad to think about what is coming and that is yet another way to extort money from the guests by charging for a new fangled fast pass when the crowds return. I wonder if “enough is ever going to be enough”?
Of course we had a good time. We paid through the nose for room and food, however enjoyed our time there. As we left I felt bad for the many families and couples who soon will not be able to afford a trip to Disney.
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