Website for Concerns DUring Trip At Disney

[BuckeyeBama]

I guess that I will be the one to disagree - at least, with your first two "problems". I find it very hard to believe that your husband suffered from food poisoning. Not impossible, but I doubt it and would not have blamed a similar occurance on the restaurant. And I also would not blame the broken glasses on the person opening them to hand back. Glasses in good condition do not break that easily. Not the CM's fault.

I sympathize with you. We have had far worse trips, so I understand. But we didn't blame Disney for things that were not their fault.

I hope that your next trip is better.

 

[Mkrop]

I guess that I will be the one to disagree - at least, with your first two "problems". I find it very hard to believe that your husband suffered from food poisoning. Not impossible, but I doubt it and would not have blamed a similar occurance on the restaurant. And I also would not blame the broken glasses on the person opening them to hand back. Glasses in good condition do not break that easily. Not the CM's fault.

I sympathize with you. We have had far worse trips, so I understand. But we didn't blame Disney for things that were not their fault.

I hope that your next trip is better.

Not accurate...I use to work in an optician's office and glasses can break quite easily.

OP so many things went wrong, that just stinks.

But are you sure about food poisoning, I heard it could take 48 hours for it to happen so it may not have been Tusker House but somewhere else you ate.

As far as AKL customer service, they were not helpful at all. We had a problem once, DH tried to address it with them, they were less than helpful, didnt seem to care. We were transferring to BW that day. We left for AK and stopped by WL on our way to Hoop De Doo. While we were in the gift shop, DH started talking to a manager at WL who listened to our complaint, shook his head in disbelief and got DH a phone number for a higher up to talk to. We were not even guests there and he went out of his way!!!!! Also for us, DVC Member Services was helpful as well.

I would definitely send an email

 

[BuckeyeBama]

Not accurate...I use to work in an optician's office and glasses can break quite easily.

Yeah, if they are in a state of disrepair or are very flimsy. Sturdy glasses in a good state of repair do not break "quite easily". Breaking glasses through normal handling is not the fault of the CM - period.

 

[rebster]

1. We were trying to let Tusker House know in case other people were sick. The issue was how difficult they made it to do this. As a physician I was simply trying to be responsible.

2. My Issue was not that they were broken. They sent us somewhere to see if they could be fixed and then pretended it didn't happen. That is the issue.

Basically...all of our issues were with how things were handled, not that things happened. I hope that is clear. I know it is hard on boards to be clear and tell the whole story and I am sure I could have done things differently. I absolutely could have done a better job of letting things roll off my back and that is one of my goals for the future!

 

[preemiemama]

1. We were trying to let Tusker House know in case other people were sick. The issue was how difficult they made it to do this. As a physician I was simply trying to be responsible.

2. My Issue was not that they were broken. They sent us somewhere to see if they could be fixed and then pretended it didn't happen. That is the issue.

Basically...all of our issues were with how things were handled, not that things happened. I hope that is clear. I know it is hard on boards to be clear and tell the whole story and I am sure I could have done things differently. I absolutely could have done a better job of letting things roll off my back and that is one of my goals for the future!

IMO, you were very clear. It was the lack of customer service/understanding that you received, not that things went wrong, that upset you. You were/are not looking for compensation, just someone to address the attitude of the CMs you encountered that we less than helpful. That is a valid concern that someone should be made aware of- especially since there are a few people on this thread who agree that there are issues with the hotel staff at AKL in general.

We have complained for things we felt were not right, and praised excellent CMs we felt went above and beyond- or just were so nice that it helped make our trip that much more special. Disney needs all the feedback- on both sides- so they can keep people coming back. You are not wrong in letting them know that you were dissatisfied with how things were handled.

 

[disneyfantotheend]

I am a health inspector and have investigated numerous foodborne illness complaints. It is impossible to say that the poster's husband had a foodborne illness.

Day 1 - AKL - had breakfast at Tusker House and my husband got food poisoning. Very classic symptoms (I am a physician, so it was pretty clear).

Well before kandb posted you were pretty adamant that it was food poisoning. Anyway, I agree the customer service was awful and not very sympathetic in any of your situations. It never hurts to bring things like this to Disney's attention. Hope they can make you feel better about what was not a very good trip for you. And I am very happy it didn't turn you off to Disney all together.

 

[rebster]

I still think it was food poisoning. But I am willing to acknowledge that it may not have been. However, that was not the point of our issue either. It followed classic symptoms and I am adamant that they should have taken my concerns seriously. It may not have been, but it likely was. If I'm not willing to admit that I may be wrong about something I am just as at fault at the CMs who made the trip difficult for us.

 

[BuckeyeBama]

I still think it was food poisoning. But I am willing to acknowledge that it may not have been. However, that was not the point of our issue either. It followed classic symptoms and I am adamant that they should have taken my concerns seriously. It may not have been, but it likely was. If I'm not willing to admit that I may be wrong about something I am just as at fault at the CMs who made the trip difficult for us.

This is a fair statement, but not placed into context. WDW deals with many cases of the norovirus every week during winter months. Their reaction was almost certainly a result of this, not a disregard for the safety of patrons. You did the right thing by telling them, but the wrong thing by expecting a specific reaction.

 

[Skullcrusher]

I am a health inspector and have investigated numerous foodborne illness complaints. It is impossible to say that the poster's husband had a foodborne illness. Most foodborne illnesses do not become symptomatic a few hours after you have eaten, unless it is toxin which is rare. You cannot diagnose a foodborne illness by symptoms, as the symptoms for the common "norovirus" are the same.

As far as the pp saying that most stomach illnesses are due to soap residue on the dishes. I have NEVER heard of such a thing and do not believe that is true at all. Any documentation to support that comment?

I served in the navy. While in Recife Brazil I ate at a restaurant and within the hour became violently ill (not to be rude but projectile vomiting and both ends were "open for business"). I was diagnosed with food poisoning and spent the next 3 days hating South America.

 

[BuckeyeBama]

I served in the navy. While in Recife Brazil I ate at a restaurant and within the hour became violently ill (not to be rude but projectile vomiting and both ends were "open for business"). I was diagnosed with food poisoning and spent the next 3 days hating South America.

I think that the other poster was saying that it usually exhibits symptoms very quickly (in less than an hour) - not several hours later. That is only a general rule, though. Depending on the cause of the food poisonong, it can take much longer. But the OP did not specify an exact timeframe, so I wouldn't doubt what she says based soley on this information.

I have only experienced food poisoning once in my life. It was from a chicken dish at a restaurant, and I began vomiting within 45 minutes of eating. The food poisoning was confirmed at the hospital and they notified the local health department (or so they told me). I seriously felt like I was going to die.

 

[kaytieeldr]

I still think it was food poisoning. But I am willing to acknowledge that it may not have been. However, that was not the point of our issue either. It followed classic symptoms and I am adamant that they should have taken my concerns seriously. It may not have been, but it likely was. If I'm not willing to admit that I may be wrong about something I am just as at fault at the CMs who made the trip difficult for us.

But kandb's point was, even if he did have food poisoning it may not have had anything to do with Tusker House. That can take several hours to several days to present itself.

I did a quick search for Tusker House phone number and got this forum https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20111120185713AAksT3s where it's advised to just call the Dine line to get connected to a restaurant. It might have also been possible just to go to Guest Services outside Animal Kingdom. Or maybe the staff at Bona (or Jiko) could have provided better assistance than guest services. Or any assistance.

 

[kandb]

Skullcrusher, it is not BS. I have gone to many educational courses/classes regarding foodborne illness. The first thing they teach you is that people always think the last food item they ate caused the illness. Does foodborne illnesses occur? Yes, absolutely but the majority of the time it is not from the last meal eaten, it is just associated with their last meal. A foodborne illness outbreak cannot be confirmed without a thorough investigation and a complete food history of all the people who have become ill as well as the people who didn't become ill. Sometimes it's not the actual food but a foodhandler who handled food in the kitchen or even a waitress/waiter who handled dishware/utensil and transmitted the illness. It's not cut and dry. OP, I understand you were concerned and you did the right thing by reporting your husbands illness, in case there were other reports for the restaurant.

 

[techtony]

I am a health inspector and have investigated numerous foodborne illness complaints. It is impossible to say that the poster's husband had a foodborne illness. Most foodborne illnesses do not become symptomatic a few hours after you have eaten, unless it is toxin which is rare. You cannot diagnose a foodborne illness by symptoms, as the symptoms for the common "norovirus" are the same.

As far as the pp saying that most stomach illnesses are due to soap residue on the dishes. I have NEVER heard of such a thing and do not believe that is true at all. Any documentation to support that comment?

I was a Hospital Corpsman in the Navy and during a specialized training in food borne illness, it was brought up that dishes not properly rinsed after using dish washing detergent is a major contributing factor to stomach upset. This includes vomiting, diarrhea, dry heaves and can in some cases cause esophageal bleeding and burns. It was also said during this training that you cannot confirm a food borne illness unless a culture is taken from the patient and there was a direct link to the kitchen. Depending on the cause of the illness, most bacterial infections, like salmonella is slow to show symptoms, but others such as a toxin in fish or artificially introduced substances can cause immediate effects.

Back to the soap residue - I was surprised by this as well, but if you think about it, it makes sense. Restaurants and other mass food preparers use industrial strength sanitizing cleaners and rinses to kill off everything it can, coupled with heat and pressure of course. If that stuff is not rinsed off all the way, the chemicals can burn and irritate.

But anywho - I feel bad for the OP. Their vacation was not magical, and that is not good. I hope she understands that sometimes things go wrong and it will not tarnish her feelings towards Disney World Permanently.

 

[rebster]

How about I also list some good things about our trip!

My Husband and I got to go on 2 dates....we never get to go on dates.

I had zofran packed and it helped my husband feel better. Yay!

At least he got sick and better in the first 2 days of the trip.

I was with my family.

I wasn't deployed!

My kids had a great time and were oblivious to my distress.

We were at Disney.

Thank goodness my Dad is the most easy going guy ever or it would have been more stressful.

We got some great photopass photos.

We ate some really good food later in the week.

We are blessed to be alive, breathing, and have a generally healthy family.

Now I feel so much better!

Thanks everyone!

 

[kandb]

OP, good for you for having such a great attitude. It definitely helps in life when you have a positive attitude. Glad some of your vacation was magical.

 

[PSUTraveler]

How about I also list some good things about our trip!

My Husband and I got to go on 2 dates....we never get to go on dates.

I had zofran packed and it helped my husband feel better. Yay!

At least he got sick and better in the first 2 days of the trip.

I was with my family.

I wasn't deployed!

My kids had a great time and were oblivious to my distress.

We were at Disney.

Thank goodness my Dad is the most easy going guy ever or it would have been more stressful.

We got some great photopass photos.

We ate some really good food later in the week.

We are blessed to be alive, breathing, and have a generally healthy family.

Now I feel so much better!

Thanks everyone!

You have such a great attitude! I am sorry to hear that the CMs were unable/unwilling to address your concerns while you were there. Hopefully they will take your story and use it to improve their training and customer service.

 

[Nancyg56]

IMO, you were very clear. It was the lack of customer service/understanding that you received, not that things went wrong, that upset you. You were/are not looking for compensation, just someone to address the attitude of the CMs you encountered that we less than helpful. That is a valid concern that someone should be made aware of- especially since there are a few people on this thread who agree that there are issues with the hotel staff at AKL in general.

We have complained for things we felt were not right, and praised excellent CMs we felt went above and beyond- or just were so nice that it helped make our trip that much more special. Disney needs all the feedback- on both sides- so they can keep people coming back. You are not wrong in letting them know that you were dissatisfied with how things were handled.

MTE! I love WDW and am a repeat visitor. It is my destination of choice. I sing WDW praises. That I am thrilled with the general level of service and value I receive will not negate when WDW drops the ball. They do. Guest services needs to be informed about the breakdown of customer service this guest received while on Disney property.

The root cause of the vomiting is not really an issue here. It is how the restaurant responded.

The broken glasses are no the problem. The lie is.

AKL may not have been able to solve any of these problems, but the manager should have attempted to smooth the path. They can and they do.

I am not suggesting that the OP should be given recompense, in fact I never saw that she asked for it. I am suggesting that simply because many of us have not experienced this level of breakdown does not negate the fact that this guest did, as have others. I was one of those guests, and believe me, for a real Disney fan, it takes a lot to leave a much anticipated special vacation having buyers remorse. Well after ten days of one thing after the next, my DH swore he wold never return....and he is the one who started bringing me and my family to Disney.

I did inform Guest Services and they wanted that feedback. Many times upper management has no idea how the front line CM is responding to problems that they encounter. The root cause of the reaction may be something upper management has no idea is happening, overworked or overwhelmed front line CM's, a manager who does not train or assist, etc. It is up to people who have a realistic expectation of what service levels to inform management if they see those levels falling short repeatedly. Who better to do this than people who care about the parks, resorts and the people who work there?

In my family's case, the Beach Club was undergoing some construction at Hurricane Hannahs, and the staff was clearly overwhelmed. This is a huge resort and the upper management there was not aware of the real impact this was having on their staff but becasue this was just before the Christmas rush, they needed to be told. I experienced a lot of wonderful service, was treated well and liked my trip. I did not love it though. If I was a first time visitor, I would have sworn off of Disney resorts because if what I had experience was taking place at a Deluxe, what could I expect from a Value???? I would have had no benchline with which to compare. Because I am a frequent visitor, and have stayed at different levels I knew that service from the value to the deluxe is stellar, so this was an anomaly. As does the OP.

 

[larryz]

I am a health inspector and have investigated numerous foodborne illness complaints. It is impossible to say that the poster's husband had a foodborne illness. Most foodborne illnesses do not become symptomatic a few hours after you have eaten, unless it is toxin which is rare. You cannot diagnose a foodborne illness by symptoms, as the symptoms for the common "norovirus" are the same.

As far as the pp saying that most stomach illnesses are due to soap residue on the dishes. I have NEVER heard of such a thing and do not believe that is true at all. Any documentation to support that comment?

"Health inspector" vs "doctor"...

I'll go with the doctor's opinion, thank you.

How about I also list some good things about our trip!

...

Now I feel so much better!

Every thunderstorm has a silver lining.

 

[haleofafamily]

OP - you have a great attitude about everything! I have been baffled a few times myself at Disney's guest service in the parks. I avoid them at all cost if possible. Which could be their strategy and I've played right into it

I hope you'll post an update if you hear back from Disney.

 

[kandb]

LarryZ, it was NEVER health inspector VS doctor. We were both just giving our opinions and sharing our knowledge. I know from your posts, you are an
instigator so I will just ignore your ignorant comment. I will stand by my comment that you cannot diagnose a foodborne illness without laboratory tests that confirm it.