When Disney bites, bite back!

[Chester's Mum]

Life happens. Sometimes you're the bird, sometimes you're the statue.

I love that saying!

 

[Allegro]

You know I NEVER see the harm in asking. If the answers no then its no. Would I be upset if I received no compensation -- probably a little but it wouldn't ruin my day or anything. However -- something small like a fastpass would have me raving about how great the service was all day and probably have me forgetting the broken down ride completely. Small gestures go a long way.

 

[mrsnj91]

1st I can't see why this board harbors rude commenting people. We are all adults I assume Amazes me when I open a post and see such lovely comments.

2nd I can see both sides. You paid to enter the park and you expect to be able to use the things they promised. I guess if I waited an average wait time of 20 min to get on a ride and then it broke down and I had to wait again to be rescued, a FP to get back on later would be nice.

BUT....I never got to ride the coaster at MK because it broke down four times on me over the two days I was there. The one time, just as I got to enter it. Then we went to AK and I got a FP for the coaster there, waited over an hour, came back and lightening shut down the ride as I was handing in my FP. (Personally I was starting to get a complex!) I waited the 15 min after a strike rule along with all the people that had been waiting in the regular line only to have a downpour and thunder storm start up again at the 15min mark. Bad luck on my part. My kids STILL tease me about having such bad luck. BUT it didn't ruin the vacation. I didn't ask for another FP. I just found something else to do. I was disappointed. I was a little mad over the coaster at MK breaking down so much. BUT I still had a good time and I didn't get to use my FP's on either ride my whole trip. I was coaster deprived.

I guess that, FOR ME, a FP would have been nice. But it didn't bother me that I didn't get it. I wasn't expecting it either.

 

[momtoBrandon&Jacob]

I'm trying to figure out the title of this thread "when disney bites, bite back". Sounds a bit rude to me so I can picture the attitude of the OP and why he/she thought the CM was rude. If someone posts a title like that it sort of gives a bad impression of yourself. JMO though.

 

[theparsons]

What about the expectation that things go wrong? Why does every mishap in the world need to be rectified with the user's desire? Why can't people realize that things happen & simply deal with that fact? What if your car breaks down on the expressway & holds up everyone behind you. Should you be responsible for reimbursing everyone that you held up? Why can't we just every once in a while expect things to go wrong in life & simply be happy when they're fixed?

 

[Mickiethepooh]

Epcotmat,

The OP knows rides break down. that was not the point, you imply in some of your posts that the OP was WAITING for the ride for ten minutes, or even ten additional minutes due to the breakdown. in that case I would agree you don't get a fastpass.
BUT the OP was ON the ride at the time it broke sitting there in the dark waiting, they had already waited however long in line to get ON the ride, so they have a right to expect to experience the ride as it is intended. IF it breaks down, then yes things happen, they are STILL entitled to experience the ride as intended, hence when you exit a ride interrupted for ten minutes or twenty or thirty you SHOULD be issued a fast pass to ride it again or they should have you stay on the ride and ride again, but you should not be expected to wait in the line AGAIN to do so.
That was the OPs point.

 

[UrsulasShadow]

... Once again we rode Test Track, once again the ride broke down. And despite a bunch of us being stuck for 10+ minutes in the dark, I was very surprised to witness noone else approaching the attendant upon unloading and requesting some kind of compensation for our wasted time and ruined ride. ..... But listen up folks, since Disney isn't handing fast passes out for ruined rides, it's up to us to demand them! It's only fair!

I don't disagree with the OP wanting/requesting some sort of compensation for those precious 10+ minutes of their time. I really do disagree with the call to arms about it. I certainly don't make a stink about 10 minutes of an unforeseen delay in my entertainment schedule, and I resent being told that I'm somehow defective for not demanding compensation. That, to me, smacks of "entitlement". If the OP feels entitled, go ahead and ask for whatever you feel due. Just leave me the heck out of it.
What the OP doesn't seem to realize is that to keep the FP system working smoothly, you have to limit the number of FPs given out. If every single "inconvenienced" person demanded a FP for every perceived wrong, the system would cease to work. Thank goodness there's enough sensible people out there who will just smile through the little bumps in the road, and not make everything such a big issue.

 

[micksterlee]

Guess you could compare it to sitting in a restaurant waiting for your food for a long time and having the wait person come to the table and telling you they are having problems in the kitchen.I would imagine most of us would expect to be compensated in some manner like free desert or a discount.

 

[sydconmom]

Well, then if you arrive at Disney (or when you book your vacation) and a ride is scheduled for rehab, should your ticket be discounted since it is affecting what you are entitled to by paying admission? I agree that we need to draw the line somewhere. And, do you know for a fact that is was broken down for 10 minutes? Are you POSITIVE as others have said they werent loading a handicapped person? Everytime you ride SE do you expect a fastpass to ride again (because that one stops everytime we are on it at least once...for loading purposes). I agree life is too short to sweat the small stuff!

 

[jarrdisney]

On two separate occasions I was stuck on Jurassic Park at IOA. We sat in the sun and on the incline for a total of at least 45 minutes. Not only did they not offer us an immediate re ride, fast pass, or other compensation, but there wasn't even a manager there to apologize. Personally, I don't let a 10 minute stop on a ride bother me that much, but if it had been my first time on it, I would definitely want to ride again the way it was intended to be ridden.

 

[bennythepug]

Suggesting that someone "deal with it" isn't particularly reasonable. We pay to go on the ride via admission, and when the ride malfunctions, the expectation should be that we are cheerfully compensated, not that we should have to deal with it.

I totally agree

 

[my3disneygirls]

I guess I'm just a go with the flow kind of gal. I don't feel the need to demand compensation when I don't receive what I'm entitled to. The word entitled sure has been brandied about on this thread. I'm entitled to enjoy the ride the way it was intended to be ridden. The time I wasted waiting I could have gotten on another ride. Geeze people this is vacation. Lighten up. Things happen, this is life and just because it's Disney does not mean that everything will run smoothly all the time. Those of you can demand and or bite Disney back if you wish, but I'm happy knowing that there are many people who are not going to try to take advantage FPs for every minor delay.

I'm sure when our time on this Earth is coming to a close, no one will be asking for a fast pass then.

 

[DonaldTDuck]

Twice on Sunday 9/9 we were given fast passes for rides in MK because of breaKdowns. At Buzz, we were given one good any time that day to return. We were in line when it went down. That night at Splash, we sat at the last incline for over ten minutes, then before the last drop for 20 minutes. This was late in EMH. When we were walked off, we were given fast passes good any time the rest of the month at any attraction in MK. I'm sure many went unused, but we returned on Thursday and used ours. Big Thunder was also down, so EMH was pretty much a bust.

 

[DWDude]

We got stuck on the POTC ride for about 20 min and just loved it.
We had a chance to look at all small details that you miss while your floating along.
They did NOT offer us FPs or anyone else on the ride. We all had fun in there making jokes and looking all around. YO HO YO HO A PIRATES LIFE FOR ME.

I am beginning to see way to many ppl wanting free upgrades, free food, free everything on these boards. Nobody owes us anything, especially Disney. That company has given all of us hours and hours of entertainment and wonderful lifetime experiences we will never forget. Now that I think about it, we were stuck in It's a small world for a while one trip. That was fun as well.

 

[Michigan]

Many times when you think the ride is stuck or broke it has just been stopped because someone in a wheelchair is entering or exiting. I know this because i have 2 daughters in wheelchairs that can't stand or walk. My oldest doesn't want to try test track but my youngest loves it. The seats are deep down. Imagine yourself a person who is unable to stand trying to get back into a wheelchair from those seats. It's not impossible but it does take longer then a person who is able to just stand up an exit the ride.

 

[MrsJackSparrow]

1. It was a 10 minute delay. Did the OP have an appointment somewhere that they missed due to the delay? It seems to me that OP was actually ON VACATION. The OP did, in fact, ride Test Track, albeit an interrupted experience. Was the vacation scheduled down to the second that this 10 minutes negatively affected their day?

2. When will the entitlement trickle down to ADR's? Like I have an ADR at LeCellier at 11:30 a.m. and don't get seated until 11:50 a.m. Am I then entitled to a free appetizer or dessert since I had to wait 20 minutes?????????

3. It's vacation, for cryin' out loud! Relax a little!

 

[Spectro is #1]

Well, then if you arrive at Disney (or when you book your vacation) and a ride is scheduled for rehab, should your ticket be discounted since it is affecting what you are entitled to by paying admission? I agree that we need to draw the line somewhere. And, do you know for a fact that is was broken down for 10 minutes? Are you POSITIVE as others have said they werent loading a handicapped person? Everytime you ride SE do you expect a fastpass to ride again (because that one stops everytime we are on it at least once...for loading purposes). I agree life is too short to sweat the small stuff!

This is always a hot topic and this always pops up.
Closed rides are often (not always) closed during value season so yes technically there is a discount but you are right it is not related to the price of the park ticket. However as a customer I can choose to not visit the park. This is an unscheduled breakdown and although it is unavoidable and it "just happens" the ride was listed as open when the ticket was purchased
So it is not a fair comparaison.

Also, We have all been on a ride that shuts down to load a wheel chair that is not what the OP is talking about. That is so common it goes without saying.


Everyone is different and there really is no right or wrong answer to a ride breaking down.
Your perception is the reality and we all have are own perceptions on what is right or wrong.

 

[mamaprincess]

That is all.

 

[NMAmy]

I've gotten stuck many times on Splash Mountain. One time we ended up having to walk out of the ride after a half hour listening to Zip a dee doo dah. I'd say about 75% of the times I've been stuck on there, CM's have been waiting at the exit and passing out free fast passes good for any ride in the park that day. That's great customer service. Since I know for a fact that they do this on Splash Mountain at least part of the time, I can't understand why a CM would have a problem with a guest asking for one on a different ride. It's not like it's never been done before and they're setting some kind of precedent.

I don't have an entitlement issue--I didn't throw a fit on the 25% of the time I didn't receive a fast pass but just shrugged and carried on with my day. But Disney has raised my expectations of their customer service and it's great when they can achieve that and a little disappointing when they don't.

Oh, and I'll try to let you know when I'm riding Splash Mountain again. It seems to have problems every time I get on that ride!

 

[caroline1851]

That's good that you got the fast passes to ride again, that's the way it should be done.