GuardMusic
Castaway Club Platinum
- Joined
- Jul 18, 2005
- Messages
- 1,183
We recently returned from our first stay at Saratoga Springs. After each trip I enthusiastically await the post-stay postcard asking to complete the Guest Satisfaction survey. This time I had even drafted a separate email to convey our feedback. Below is the lengthy, but I feel fair, email and Disney's response.
Email to Disney
I am writing to provide feedback from our recent stay (June 6-10); we were staying on DVC points from a friend. This was my 27th Disney trip (Walt Disney World, Disney Cruise Line, & Disneyland Paris). It was also my 12th different on-property resort stay with multiple previous stays at Animal Kingdom Lodge Villas - Kidani Village, Beach Club Villas, Boardwalk Villas, Old Key West, Animal Kingdom Lodge, Yacht Club, Port Orleans-Riverside (Dixie Landings), Port Orleans-French Quarter, Caribbean Beach, Coronado Springs, and All-Star Music. Unfortunately, per this first stay at Saratoga Springs, it will likely be my last.
Our arrival on Magical Express was efficient. Registration per the on-line check in line was quick... too quick. We were given our Welcome folder, but had to ask where our room was located and how to get there. We had put in a request to be near the main Springs building, but that was not accommodated. We understood this, especially since it was June and we were checking in on a Monday. However, we did not expect to be so far away. Although I had stayed at many other WDW resorts and driven by Saratoga Springs many times, we did not have a good concept of the large expanse of the property.*
We were assigned the Carousel area in room 7236. Luckily, this was very near the bus stop, but even with a good sense of direction, we couldn't grasp where we were located from the main building or how/if we could walk there. It took us until Wednesday to finally navigate our way on foot.
The villa was as expected with all the usual comforts of "home". However, we were struck that there were only 2 plates, bowls, and hand towels since we would not have housekeeping until Thursday.
Our biggest frustration was transportation, particularly to Downtown Disney; this was especially important to us, as we were not going to the theme parks on this trip. Throughout our stay there were considerable consistent waits for the Downtown Disney (DTD) busses. I would expect this in June; however, the theme park busses were readily flowing. We would often see multiple busses to a single park before ever seeing a DTD bus, which was surprising since we were located so close to DTD. Even though our resort did not share busses with another resort, the transport time to/from DTD was more than expected with a stop at the Marketplace, Pleasure Island, Typhoon Lagoon (during the day), and the multiple stoplights on Buena Vista Dr.
*It seemed to take less time to transfer all the way over to the parks to resort hop than switch at DTD. In fact, the day we went to Beaches and Cream at the Beach Club for lunch, we elected to bus to Hollywood Studios and walk. Likewise, the night we went to O'hana at the Polynesian for dinner, we gave up on waiting 25 minutes for a DTD bus, and instead braved the Extra Magic Hour crowds to bus to the Magic Kingdom and then took the Monorail. The return trip via DTD bus was better, but keep in mind that was at 11pm on a week night. What we learned throughout the week was that the boat from Saratoga to Pleasure Island was much faster, more reliable, and more pleasant.
Although the internal bus routes made sense once we figured them out, they were not explained at check in and the bus stop signs did not include this information. Initially getting from the Springs bus stop to the main building was a virtual mystery. I would have never guessed we needed to go through a small gate, through the main pool area, and up stairs/ramp. We felt like we were in a maze. We finally found the internal bus route information in small print in our Welcome folder and after asking one of the drivers. We had originally planned to spend a good deal of time at a quiet pool, but since the Paddock was closed, we could not walk to a quiet pool. We were so tired and frustrated with the busses, we didn't end up using either of the quiet pools. This was a huge disappointment for our non-park stay. Luckily we did have a leftover ticket from Typhoon Lagoon from a previous stay and were able to obtain a "Getaway Glen" that was a great experience.*
Once we figured out how to get to the Springs building, it wasn't that bad of a walk. However, if my 67year old mother had been with us, there is no way she could have made the walk in that heat. Finding Community Hall was also a struggle; even with the maps, we still had to ask for directions. The sign hanging from the ceiling around a corner was virtually hidden. It was a nice offering for DVC members to have free DVD rentals. However, near the end of our trip we discovered my Key to the World (KTTW) card, as the primary guest on the account, did not have DVC printed on it, but my friend's card did! How/why did this happen? This meant we missed out on restaurant discounts during our stay!*
As for dining at the resort, the "food court" is certainly off key. There were only a couple of things on the menu I would eat there, so we didn't have a single meal at Artist's Palette. (I do not expect Brie cheese to be on a WDW food court menu. Food courts are for traditional Americana; leave the cuisine to the table service restaurants.) Speaking of, we did greatly enjoy a late lunch at Turf Club; the sweet potato fries were a nice surprise. The highlight of our stay was our server Melissa from Georgia. She was a perfect Disney server: giving just the right amount of suggestion without showing offense when we selected something else, positively engaging us in personal small talk, quietly waiting to the side for us to finish a conversation prior to clearing plates, patiently waiting for our selections from indecision, and not rushing us to complete our meal. I wish she could be my server at every meal!
Our housekeeping was the day prior to our departure. When we returned for the day, I was stunned. While the trash had been taken out and the dirty towels had been removed, no clean towels had been left, no plates had been restocked, the beds had not been made, etc.! I have never experience this lack of service at any of the other DVC resorts.*
Our departure Magic Express letter arrived with no bag tags and our envelope included another family's letter! Luckily our tags did arrive in a separate envelope later and I trekked to Registration to return the other family's letter.*
Finally, I looked for my folio statement outside our door on the morning of our departure, but it wasn't there. I thought perhaps this was an effort to be more green and not print them. However, upon inquiring about this at Registration I was shocked to hear I hadn't been setup for Express Checkout. How could this be? My credit card had been attached to my KTTW card all week, and I had certainly used it. I was told this should have been setup at check in. Apparently the Cast Member who rushed us through check in had skipped this.*
As my colleagues at work said, only "Disney-ite" like myself would have noticed some of these things; normal guests would likely not think twice or even realize some of these issues. However, many of these things were very out of the ordinary from other stays we have had. It seems this resort is lacking in training, reiteration, or general Disney service expectations. Perhaps this is a case that the resort is simply too big for management to uphold a quality of service easily found at the other resort properties.*
We are still glad we had this quick getaway experience, as any trip to Disney is better than none at all or traveling elsewhere. However, in the future Saratoga Spring will be among our last choice of on-property resorts. Best wishes for future success.
Response from Disney
To make a long story short (too late, I know), I got a call one night. The area code was 407. "Hey, that's Orlando. Disney's calling me I hope!" Then the called ID shows "Hollywood Studios". "HAHA Hollywood Studios/Disney World is calling me!"
Cast Member Darren is calling to follow up on my email. "Thanks for the comments, we take this seriously, we're sorry you had a disappointing experience, we will be addressing the issues, etc." So I think it's cool they called instead of a form letter, etc. But Darren is keeping me on the phone - uhoh, I must have reached a new level in the Research dept or I've been red flagged, etc. Then I think "I wonder if they are going to give me something?" This kinda freaks me out & I say "oh no problem. Don't worry; this won't stop us from visiting in the future, etc" My heart rate is increasing & think how excited I'll be if they want to send me a $50 gift card or something. I just wrote the email to share problem areas for them to fix; I in no way expected any compensation or even an acknowledgement!
No. Darren says they are in fact sending me a letter. Ok. The letter will have an 800 # in it, Darren gives me his name & number, says there is no expiration to it. I am to call the number anytime to book my TWO FREE NIGHTS AT ANY DVC RESORT!
OMG. I feel like I have won the lottery! In fact, when I tell my BFF about this in person, I feel like Oprah on the Favorite Things episode! TWO. FREE. NIGHTS!
After all of our visits and obviously loyalty, they certainly didn't need to do that to keep my business. This just shows what an incredible guest service company this truly is, so yes, I will keep signing my checks over to them with joy! (& now they get all this free & positive publicity since I'm telling everyone I know!)
THANK YOU DISNEY! This was far beyond any & all expectations I might have had.
Gayle
Email to Disney
I am writing to provide feedback from our recent stay (June 6-10); we were staying on DVC points from a friend. This was my 27th Disney trip (Walt Disney World, Disney Cruise Line, & Disneyland Paris). It was also my 12th different on-property resort stay with multiple previous stays at Animal Kingdom Lodge Villas - Kidani Village, Beach Club Villas, Boardwalk Villas, Old Key West, Animal Kingdom Lodge, Yacht Club, Port Orleans-Riverside (Dixie Landings), Port Orleans-French Quarter, Caribbean Beach, Coronado Springs, and All-Star Music. Unfortunately, per this first stay at Saratoga Springs, it will likely be my last.
Our arrival on Magical Express was efficient. Registration per the on-line check in line was quick... too quick. We were given our Welcome folder, but had to ask where our room was located and how to get there. We had put in a request to be near the main Springs building, but that was not accommodated. We understood this, especially since it was June and we were checking in on a Monday. However, we did not expect to be so far away. Although I had stayed at many other WDW resorts and driven by Saratoga Springs many times, we did not have a good concept of the large expanse of the property.*
We were assigned the Carousel area in room 7236. Luckily, this was very near the bus stop, but even with a good sense of direction, we couldn't grasp where we were located from the main building or how/if we could walk there. It took us until Wednesday to finally navigate our way on foot.
The villa was as expected with all the usual comforts of "home". However, we were struck that there were only 2 plates, bowls, and hand towels since we would not have housekeeping until Thursday.
Our biggest frustration was transportation, particularly to Downtown Disney; this was especially important to us, as we were not going to the theme parks on this trip. Throughout our stay there were considerable consistent waits for the Downtown Disney (DTD) busses. I would expect this in June; however, the theme park busses were readily flowing. We would often see multiple busses to a single park before ever seeing a DTD bus, which was surprising since we were located so close to DTD. Even though our resort did not share busses with another resort, the transport time to/from DTD was more than expected with a stop at the Marketplace, Pleasure Island, Typhoon Lagoon (during the day), and the multiple stoplights on Buena Vista Dr.
*It seemed to take less time to transfer all the way over to the parks to resort hop than switch at DTD. In fact, the day we went to Beaches and Cream at the Beach Club for lunch, we elected to bus to Hollywood Studios and walk. Likewise, the night we went to O'hana at the Polynesian for dinner, we gave up on waiting 25 minutes for a DTD bus, and instead braved the Extra Magic Hour crowds to bus to the Magic Kingdom and then took the Monorail. The return trip via DTD bus was better, but keep in mind that was at 11pm on a week night. What we learned throughout the week was that the boat from Saratoga to Pleasure Island was much faster, more reliable, and more pleasant.
Although the internal bus routes made sense once we figured them out, they were not explained at check in and the bus stop signs did not include this information. Initially getting from the Springs bus stop to the main building was a virtual mystery. I would have never guessed we needed to go through a small gate, through the main pool area, and up stairs/ramp. We felt like we were in a maze. We finally found the internal bus route information in small print in our Welcome folder and after asking one of the drivers. We had originally planned to spend a good deal of time at a quiet pool, but since the Paddock was closed, we could not walk to a quiet pool. We were so tired and frustrated with the busses, we didn't end up using either of the quiet pools. This was a huge disappointment for our non-park stay. Luckily we did have a leftover ticket from Typhoon Lagoon from a previous stay and were able to obtain a "Getaway Glen" that was a great experience.*
Once we figured out how to get to the Springs building, it wasn't that bad of a walk. However, if my 67year old mother had been with us, there is no way she could have made the walk in that heat. Finding Community Hall was also a struggle; even with the maps, we still had to ask for directions. The sign hanging from the ceiling around a corner was virtually hidden. It was a nice offering for DVC members to have free DVD rentals. However, near the end of our trip we discovered my Key to the World (KTTW) card, as the primary guest on the account, did not have DVC printed on it, but my friend's card did! How/why did this happen? This meant we missed out on restaurant discounts during our stay!*
As for dining at the resort, the "food court" is certainly off key. There were only a couple of things on the menu I would eat there, so we didn't have a single meal at Artist's Palette. (I do not expect Brie cheese to be on a WDW food court menu. Food courts are for traditional Americana; leave the cuisine to the table service restaurants.) Speaking of, we did greatly enjoy a late lunch at Turf Club; the sweet potato fries were a nice surprise. The highlight of our stay was our server Melissa from Georgia. She was a perfect Disney server: giving just the right amount of suggestion without showing offense when we selected something else, positively engaging us in personal small talk, quietly waiting to the side for us to finish a conversation prior to clearing plates, patiently waiting for our selections from indecision, and not rushing us to complete our meal. I wish she could be my server at every meal!
Our housekeeping was the day prior to our departure. When we returned for the day, I was stunned. While the trash had been taken out and the dirty towels had been removed, no clean towels had been left, no plates had been restocked, the beds had not been made, etc.! I have never experience this lack of service at any of the other DVC resorts.*
Our departure Magic Express letter arrived with no bag tags and our envelope included another family's letter! Luckily our tags did arrive in a separate envelope later and I trekked to Registration to return the other family's letter.*
Finally, I looked for my folio statement outside our door on the morning of our departure, but it wasn't there. I thought perhaps this was an effort to be more green and not print them. However, upon inquiring about this at Registration I was shocked to hear I hadn't been setup for Express Checkout. How could this be? My credit card had been attached to my KTTW card all week, and I had certainly used it. I was told this should have been setup at check in. Apparently the Cast Member who rushed us through check in had skipped this.*
As my colleagues at work said, only "Disney-ite" like myself would have noticed some of these things; normal guests would likely not think twice or even realize some of these issues. However, many of these things were very out of the ordinary from other stays we have had. It seems this resort is lacking in training, reiteration, or general Disney service expectations. Perhaps this is a case that the resort is simply too big for management to uphold a quality of service easily found at the other resort properties.*
We are still glad we had this quick getaway experience, as any trip to Disney is better than none at all or traveling elsewhere. However, in the future Saratoga Spring will be among our last choice of on-property resorts. Best wishes for future success.
Response from Disney
To make a long story short (too late, I know), I got a call one night. The area code was 407. "Hey, that's Orlando. Disney's calling me I hope!" Then the called ID shows "Hollywood Studios". "HAHA Hollywood Studios/Disney World is calling me!"
Cast Member Darren is calling to follow up on my email. "Thanks for the comments, we take this seriously, we're sorry you had a disappointing experience, we will be addressing the issues, etc." So I think it's cool they called instead of a form letter, etc. But Darren is keeping me on the phone - uhoh, I must have reached a new level in the Research dept or I've been red flagged, etc. Then I think "I wonder if they are going to give me something?" This kinda freaks me out & I say "oh no problem. Don't worry; this won't stop us from visiting in the future, etc" My heart rate is increasing & think how excited I'll be if they want to send me a $50 gift card or something. I just wrote the email to share problem areas for them to fix; I in no way expected any compensation or even an acknowledgement!
No. Darren says they are in fact sending me a letter. Ok. The letter will have an 800 # in it, Darren gives me his name & number, says there is no expiration to it. I am to call the number anytime to book my TWO FREE NIGHTS AT ANY DVC RESORT!
OMG. I feel like I have won the lottery! In fact, when I tell my BFF about this in person, I feel like Oprah on the Favorite Things episode! TWO. FREE. NIGHTS!
After all of our visits and obviously loyalty, they certainly didn't need to do that to keep my business. This just shows what an incredible guest service company this truly is, so yes, I will keep signing my checks over to them with joy! (& now they get all this free & positive publicity since I'm telling everyone I know!)
THANK YOU DISNEY! This was far beyond any & all expectations I might have had.
Gayle
