Who do I call/write?

[mickeystoontown]

instead of leaving notes which mousekeeping may not have seen they are not suppose to be looking at notes or things in the room, why didn't you call housekeeping and have someone come right away and tend to it?
What is the point of writing about it after the fact? they are not going to seek out who happened to be cleaning your room during your stay and tell them to do better. If you had spoken up at the time it would have been dealt with.

I had a few minor problems during our June, 2007 stay at the CBR. Nothing major so I didn't make a big deal out of it. I, too, left notes for mousekeeping right beside their daily tip. I know that mousekeeping read it because they even left a "Have a magical day" and other little notes right beside our notes to them.

Also, my husband had purchased a Tinkerbell necklace for me and I didn't open it until I had gotten home at which time I realized it was broken.

I got back home and went to www.disneyworld.com. I went all the way down the page and found "contact us". I used that page to let Disney know of my problems.

About three weeks later, I received a telephone call from the executive offices of Walt Disney World. The lady was very kind and apologized. She said that all letters such as mine are directed to the mousekeeping training staff and are used as examples in their training. She also directed me to the correct department to return my necklace (at no charge) for a replacement.

And, last but not least, she gave me a refund of 10% of our entire vacation.

So, I do believe that it is important to let Disney know of anything that you were satisfied or unsatisfied with during any of your Disney vacations.

 

[Allegro]

So, I do believe that it is important to let Disney know of anything that you were satisfied or unsatisfied with during any of your Disney vacations.

Or you can just whine and complain to your imaginary friend and hope that next time things will be magically better.

 

[mill4023]

Food poisoning will only take a few hours to manifest. The symptons will begin to appear when the person begins to digest the offending food. It can vary from person to person because we all digest food differently, but it will never take 24 hours or several days.

At least one other poster already mentioned it, but you are incorrect.

While some common infections like Salmonella have an incubation period of 12-36 hours, there are others that are much longer. Campylobacter is the number 1 most common cause of food poisoning and it's typical incubation period is 3-5 days.

Salmonella also typically causes illness that lasts 4-7 days, so unless the OP's husband was sick for that long, it probably wasn't Salmonella.

Is it possible that the illness was a result of eating contaminated food at Crystal Palace? Sure. But it's also possible that the infection was picked up from touching something that was contaminated by one of the thousands of guests who were in WDW during the trip.

 

[Mom2JoeyandBen]

I got food poisioning at disney a few years back. We did write a letter to them about it and they did call us about it. I was interviewed about it because they say they take these types of things very seriously. It was a mircobioloigist who called to speak to me. She did say it would take 24 hours to show up, but I know that after I ate my chicken wrap, which didn't taste good to begin with, I was sick within hours. They did send us $25 disney dollars for our problems. It is good to report it since maybe you weren't the only ones who had a problem. CP also made my DH sick a few years back too. In fact the memory of his illness kept him away from there for a LONG time. We just started going back there last year.

Good luck with everything!

 

[mill4023]

I got food poisioning at disney a few years back. We did write a letter to them about it and they did call us about it. I was interviewed about it because they say they take these types of things very seriously. It was a mircobioloigist who called to speak to me. She did say it would take 24 hours to show up, but I know that after I ate my chicken wrap, which didn't taste good to begin with, I was sick within hours. They did send us $25 disney dollars for our problems. It is good to report it since maybe you weren't the only ones who had a problem. CP also made my DH sick a few years back too. In fact the memory of his illness kept him away from there for a LONG time. We just started going back there last year.

Good luck with everything!

Again, I think people mistake correlation for causation.
People get sick and just assume that it was caused by the last meal they had, which is usually not the case. If you eat a meal and immediately start to feel ill, it's probably because you were already infected and the food made things worse.

In any case, writing a letter and explaining what happened is a good idea. But don't go insisting that you are 100% sure it was food poisoning and it came from CP. Just tell them what happened and where you ate during your trip. That way, if they do end up getting a lot of complaints of illness from people who all ate at the same place, they can investigate further.

As far as the housekeeping, sure the OP could have called them at the time, but there's still no reason not to send a letter. Again, if Disney gets a lot of complaints about the same thing, they are more likely to take some action. No, they probably aren't going to track down the housekeeper who cleaned a particular room on a particular day, but they may have a talk with the housekeeping manager and let them know that they have been getting complaints. And that might cause the housekeeping manager to put more effort into making sure rooms are cleaned correctly.

 

[lighttech]

I don't want to start a thread re: this topic. I know how things tend to take hold and suggestions or rumors turn into panic, but I am curious about CP. On this thread alone a few people have mentioned the possibility of illness after eating there. I realize "food poisoning" can take some time to present, but for those of us w/ sensitive stomachs, sometimes its much more simple. Something that has been sitting too long, or is more greasy than we are used to, or, even something from bacterial contamination can present very quickly and trigger a rxn (spasms, etc.... I won't go into detail) w/o the traditional incubation period.

I have a ressie at CP for myself, DH and DS. DS is SO excited to eat w/ Pooh and friends, but we both have sensitive stomachs, and I must say I'm a little concerned here. We've only got 4 days at the park, I wouldn't want to ruin what little time we have. Anyone else have these issues? Any food in particular that may be the cause?

Thanks so much for any help.

OP - I'm very sorry about your difficulties. I agree that its better to say something up front, but I understand not wanting to deal w/ conflict if its stressful for you... esp. on your vacation. And, if you were truly unsatisfied, then you should definitely make your concerns known to the power that be at the Mouse's house.

 

[dqpowell]

On this thread alone a few people have mentioned the possibility of illness after eating there. [CP]

And if somebody started a thread talking about how they think they got food poisoning at Le Cellier, it will attract comments from others who might also associate a bout of illness with a meal there. Or any other restaurant.

I realize "food poisoning" can take some time to present, but for those of us w/ sensitive stomachs, sometimes its much more simple. Something that has been sitting too long, or is more greasy than we are used to, or, even something from bacterial contamination can present very quickly and trigger a rxn (spasms, etc.... I won't go into detail) w/o the traditional incubation period.

I'm sorry, but bacteria are not going to cause anything approaching 'immediate' responses, even in those with sensitive stomachs. They must incubate, and they must infect the stomach/intestinal linings to trigger the unpleasant responses you hint at.

Now, excess grease can cause a more immediate response in people with sensitive stomachs, but that's not "food poisoning" or contaminated food. It's an individual response. "Sitting too long" doesn't mean anything, really. The implication would be that bacteria have been given time to grow and multiply, but again they'd have to actually infect the stomach and intestinal linings to induce illness. There are exceptions, when bacteria produce toxins that have immediate (or nearly so) effects on the consumer, but typically this is seen with anaerobic bacteria like that which causes botulism. And these don't grow on food sitting out in the open, as there is oxygen present.

Another thing to consider is that bacteria consumed by most adults is in small enough quantities that their stomach acids kill the bacteria before they can incubate and cause problems. High levels of contamination are necessary, in most cases, for any illness to result. However, there are some people that have higher-than-average pH (i.e., low acidity) stomachs. In these fairly rare individuals, even a small amount of bacteria can trigger illness. Yet even in these cases, the bacteria must incubate. So such a person won't get sick any faster, but they will get sick from minor contaminations that won't affect others with lower pH (higher acidity) in their stomachs.

David

 

[AuntBot]

Several years ago four members of my family got food poisoning from Le Cellier. All symptoms manifested within the next two hours and we were sick for about 24 hours. My sister is an infectious control nurse with 20 years experience and realized immediately what happened. She sent my brother-in-law down to the front desk to report it. After a frustrating hour of being given the run around, we were finally contacted by the Disney health office. Being in public health, my sister wanted to make sure Disney knew there was a problem with food handling in their one of restaurants before any others became ill. She specifically asked if we needed to be seen by a physician to verify our illness and was told "no". We were told we would contacted later to follow-up.

Once we returned home, we were each questioned by phone by someone from Disney. Several weeks later we received a letter saying they had investigated and were sure we did not get sick from their food. We either picked up a stomach virus or food poisoning from somewhere else. Secondly, since we weren't seen by a physician, there was no was to verify what we had. They refused to reimburse for the meal that had sickened us (which was all we asked) and "so sorry-not our problem".

Firstly, we had been on Disney property for two days, so if we had food poisoning, we got it from Disney food. Secondly, I have never heard of four people (who came from different parts of the country) all coming down with a stomach virus simultaneously within two hours of each other.

That was our experience - I hope yours is better. Interestingly enough, when I returned home to NYC, there was a special on one of the local news channel about food poisoning at Disney. It is apparently quite rampant and EPCOT is the worst culprit. Eat at your own risk. Next trip - we're taking sandwiches into the parks!

 

[dqpowell]

Several years ago four members of my family got food poisoning from Le Cellier. All symptoms manifested within the next two hours and we were sick for about 24 hours.

Where did you eat your previous meals (lunch, breakfast, dinner the previous day)? It is entirely possible that you all ate contaminated food at a Disney restaurant, but it did not happen at Le Cellier.

This is a classic example of people associating their most recent meal with illness, when in reality it was too close to be the cause.

David

 

[DavyJonesLady]

Jeez, you think Disney would have a top-notch cleaning service. And food poisoning. Oh god.

 

[AuntBot]

Agreed, dqpowell, but as I recall, the only food item we all ate together was McDonald's french fries in Adventure Land the day before. Otherwise, we all ate different things, but all on Disney property. The severity of the illness matched up with the amount of meat eaten at the restaurant. The two children in the group, who ate hot dogs, were fortunately not sickened. My sister thinks their refrigerator was off by a few degrees, which is all it takes apparently.

 

[dqpowell]

Agreed, dqpowell, but as I recall, the only food item we all ate together was McDonald's french fries in Adventure Land the day before. Otherwise, we all ate different things, but all on Disney property. The severity of the illness matched up with the amount of meat eaten at the restaurant. The two children in the group, who ate hot dogs, were fortunately not sickened. My sister thinks their refrigerator was off by a few degrees, which is all it takes apparently.

It's not impossible that it happened at Le Cellier, if the meat was infected with a bacteria that produces toxins prior to ingestion. This is pretty rare, and if it was indeed the case, Disney should have easily tracked it down when more than just your group got sick.

David

 

[AuntBot]

It's not impossible that it happened at Le Cellier, if the meat was infected with a bacteria that produces toxins prior to ingestion. This is pretty rare, and if it was indeed the case, Disney should have easily tracked it down when more than just your group got sick.

David

You would think. Given the amount of meals Disney serves every day, one would expect the occasional foodborne illness. Clearly, we were not in need of emergency room care, but it was not pleasant and we missed an entire day of our vacation. The thing that really rankles is that we still had to pay for a very expensive meal that we couldn't keep down!

 

[maxiesmom]

Not sure how true this is, but I have heard that many of the so called food problems at buffets are actually serving spoon problems. That is, you touch the spoon to dish up your food not knowing that the person before you just used the bathroom and didn't wash their hands. Some recommended that you purelle your hands after you get your food from the buffet and I plan on following that advice.

Op--I have been sick at Disney, and it is not fun. I hope you don't let it sway you from trying the Crystal Palace again. It is one of my favorite restaurants at Disney. Given how many people Disney serves, I think they do a pretty good job.

 

[Feralpeg]

While I agree that housekeeping should have done a better job on the room and letting management know is the only way things will improve, I can't imagine living with toenails in my room for an extended period of time. Even without small children, I would not have wanted that. I would have gotten some kleenex, picked them up and disposed of them.

 

[Lisa Hale]

Sorry you had the problems you did. One thing I've noticed more than once (and not only at Disney), but in many buffet restaurants. The food can be the freshest, healthiest food ever before it hits the serving line. But, all it takes is one snot-nosed kid sneezing into a dish (and yep, happened right in front of me and a server, who then whisked it away immediately, thank goodness!), or someone dropping a spoon on the floor and replacing it on the line (yep, another kid), or an older person coughing over food, one kid that we had seen picking his nose at the table near us, then proceeded to stick his finger into the macaroni & cheese to see if he liked it. Fortunately, this did not all happen on just one trip, but if I've seen this many problems myself, how many other issues do you think happen and are either not seen or unreported.

Oh, and I have no problem standing in front of a dish and waiting for a server or motioning for one if I've seen something like this happen. I don't want to embarrass anyone, but I won't ignore it and let some unsuspecting person eat it afterward, either. Sneeze guards only cover so much, too and many, many people lean down or in the check out the goodies, and many younger kids are just the right height. UGH!

Moms & Dads, please take your kids up to help them get their food. A child may be fully capable of serving themselves, but a child's idea of cleanliness and germ-control often isn't quite that sanitary. KWIM???

 

[Deb & Bill]

If your husband doesn't have a stool sample from his illness, he has no proof of food poisoning. I got very ill while at Disney, was up all night throwing up. I contacted Disney immediately while we were there and they provided a form for me to fill out. Part of the form requested information from my physician included results of a stool sample. Since I had not done that, I got a "sorry you were sick" letter from Disney. They did check with statistics of others getting sick from the same restaurant as me, but there was no correlation.

As far as the toenails on the carpet, there is a good chance the housekeeper is not fluent in English and would not have been able to read the note you left. Calling Housekeeping while you were there probably would have gotten you a better response.

 

[Mischa]

Sorry you had the problems you did. One thing I've noticed more than once (and not only at Disney), but in many buffet restaurants. The food can be the freshest, healthiest food ever before it hits the serving line. But, all it takes is one snot-nosed kid sneezing into a dish (and yep, happened right in front of me and a server, who then whisked it away immediately, thank goodness!), or someone dropping a spoon on the floor and replacing it on the line (yep, another kid), or an older person coughing over food, one kid that we had seen picking his nose at the table near us, then proceeded to stick his finger into the macaroni & cheese to see if he liked it. Fortunately, this did not all happen on just one trip, but if I've seen this many problems myself, how many other issues do you think happen and are either not seen or unreported.

Moms & Dads, please take your kids up to help them get their food. A child may be fully capable of serving themselves, but a child's idea of cleanliness and germ-control often isn't quite that sanitary. KWIM???

Yes! Yes! Yes! I so agree with you Lisa!

To the OP - so sorry to hear about the troubles you had.

 

[hrh_disney_queen]

So sorry for your troubles.

http://www.wdwinfo.com/wdwinfo/contact.htm

Disney Complaints and Comments:
Walt Disney World Guest Communications
P.O. Box 10,040
Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830-0040

Thanks for this, I had written to a different address with a problem, and heard nothing. I will give this a try.

 

[Shorty82]

Jeez, you think Disney would have a top-notch cleaning service. And food poisoning. Oh god.

I believe the majority of the time the rooms are cleaned very well. With the large number of rooms Disney has there are times where the occasional room won't be cleaned as well as it should.

I wouldn't worry about food poisoning. Disney dining serves thousands of meals on a slow day and probably hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of meals on a busy day and the big majority of people don't get sick from them. Most reported cases of illness probably either came from somewhere other than the last place the person ate or aren't actual food poisoning, just something that didn't agree with the person.

You don't hear about all the perfectly cleaned rooms nor all the meals people have eaten at Disney without getting sick, you only hear about the few rooms not cleaned as well as they should have been and the few meals that made somebody sick.