why were YOU disappointed?

[jann1033]

after reading tons of threads where someone was disappointed in some aspect of their vacation what do you think caused you to become disappointed ( attitude, not the actual experience ie an attraction broke down per say) and how did you overcome it?

for example..I was really disappointed in my meals at Boma( same old same old brkfst when i was expecting something exotic like roasted pygmy pheasant in juniperberry sauce ) and Ohana, ( food just so so at best, expensive for shoe leather meat and bad service) because i was overboard in my expectations.i would never pay 2x what i normally pay at home for a less than great meal with bad to indifferent service and be really thrilled about it so why would i think i'd feel differently about it at WDW ? mostly due to taking so many reviews as the "whole truth and nothing but" when in reality i should have taken them as what they are ,opinions ( maybe they hate roasted pygmy pheasantin juniperberry sauce) moral of the story for me : make mental note to not get carried away with reviews

any others or am i the only one

 

[dvcgirl]

after reading tons of threads where someone was disappointed in some aspect of their vacation what do you think caused you to become disappointed ( attitude, not the actual experience ie an attraction broke down per say) and how did you overcome it?

for example..I was really disappointed in my meals at Boma( same old same old brkfst when i was expecting something exotic like roasted pygmy pheasant in juniperberry sauce ) and Ohana, ( food just so so at best, expensive for shoe leather meat and bad service) because i was overboard in my expectations.i would never pay 2x what i normally pay at home for a less than great meal with bad to indifferent service and be really thrilled about it so why would i think i'd feel differently about it at WDW ? mostly due to taking so many reviews as the "whole truth and nothing but" when in reality i should have taken them as what they are ,opinions ( maybe they hate roasted pygmy pheasantin juniperberry sauce) moral of the story for me : make mental note to not get carried away with reviews

any others or am i the only one

Well, I think that reading these boards can set your expectations high, and sometimes cause you to not go to a restaurant or ride an attraction based on bad reviews. Best to do your own thing every now and again and form your own opinions.

One thing about restaurant reviews on this board. If it's a buffet or an all-you-can-eat place, it's automatically going to get a higher percentage of good reviews. People like food in massive amounts. This is why people who love to eat lots of food love cruising. And while cruise ship food is generally good, it's never outstanding in our experience. I've read outstanding reviews of Ohana here for years. We finally went back in 2002 and we thought it was terrible. We went again in 2004 because a big group of friends had chosen that restaurant...again....not so good. The service was fine, but the quality of the food wasn't great. Sure, I could have had five skewers of mediocre meat, I just wanted one skewer of good meat. Same with Cape May...generally gets good reviews here. It got a resounding "Eh" from us.

 

[BuzzAndWoodyBoy]

I totally agree with taking the reviews with a grain of salt. I was really psyched up to see some of the shows (Beauty and the Beast, Tarzan) thinking that were going to be amazing. So when I saw them, they were only ok. I read too much and expected too much. On the other hand I had heard very little about Philharmagic (yeah, I know it's a movie and the others are live action) and both my kids and I thought it was really good.

I had the same experience with some of the restaurants. But I have definately learned to not take those to heart. I absolutely hated Chef Mickey's and Donald's Breakfast. The character interaction was ok but to me the food was really bad and the service was mediocre at best. Spoodles gets lots of bad reviews but we had a wonderful server and really good food. So good in fact that we were going to go back.

We were all disappointed in MNSSHP. I'm not sure why but I just think I was expecting something amazing and it ended up not being much different than a typical night only twice as crowded! We had gone 2 nights before and had walk-ons to a lot of the rides, during MNSSHP, there were lines for everything and the park never cleared out. It was still packed at 10:30.

Overall we had a great time but I think I need to tone my expectations down a bit. My husband and kids didn't expect a thing and I think they were much less disappointed in things. Next time - no expectations = much better time!

 

[Harambe]

I also put too much pressure on myself to plan the perfect vacation, mostly based on ideas I've read about here.

Last trip, I planned and called and call so more to get a seat atTony's Twon Square in time to watch Spectromagic from our table. The CM said they couldn't gaurantee a seat on the porch, so I should show up 30 minutes prior to our ADR.

I was a wreck about it! Would we get on the porch? Would it be so hot that my family would be able to enjoy anything but a salad? Could they last all day at MK?

The answer to the last question turned out to be 'no' and we left at 5:30, cancelling my much-sought-after 7:30 seating. So I was disappointed, but not so much that I forced my family to stay for that ADR.

 

[sue1013]

I have to agree reading especially the restaurant reviews does get your expectations up. Which if you think about it is kind of crazy since we don't know anything about the people writing the review. Maybe its where I live but I don't feel the dining prices are any different than what I would spend at home, yet I'm always reading how expensive it is to eat at WDW. I've also found places that get rave reviews on the board I haven't liked. While quite a few place I really like seem to get bad reviews. Guess I've got different taste. If a menu looks good to you try it you may be surprised! Having a meal not up to expectation does not make my vacation a dissapointment though I just cross it off my list. I'm sure we've all gone to a restaurant at home and not been thrilled with it but it doesn't ruin my day.

 

[mark&sue]

I like to take our friends with us when we go and after I have raved about something I get disappointed when it is not as good as I remember.



Susan

 

[JRawkSteady]

The cheerleaders during the first or second week of february were incredibly rude and loud until about 2AM (we stayed at CBR)...I'll never stay at a moderate during that time period again. Plus they were incredibly rude in the parks too - nothing worse than a gaggle of giggling cheerleaders pushing their way to Space Mountain. We didn't really overcome it - we just tried to ignore them...didn't work that much.

Also, we had a very rude CM at RNRC who wouldn't let us ride in the front. I can't stand people like this - if I have come on vacation and would like to ride in the very front of a rollercoaster, I think that's a more than reasonable request! Eventually we got in because we asked the other CM there and he said "of course."

 

[psiprez]

Reviews of anything really are just opinions, so I learned to not put too much stock in them. Instead, I use the fact-based info info the descriptions (ex. location, wait times), and for the most part ignore the judgements (ex. food was great/horrible).

Isn't it both funny and unsettling, and sometimes annoying, to read a negative trip report? Many times you can see exactly where they went wrong in their choices, and how you would have done things differently. For me, that is when I learn the most (as long as I am not sucked into the anger and disappointment in the report!).

Feel confident that your research and WDW experience will steer you in the right direction - trust your instinct! Worst case, you will learn not to repeat that experience next time.

So - Here is my overall "dining at WDW" trip report:
When we choose ANY table-service to dine, we expect to rest our feet for an hour, and ho-hum food at resort prices. Anything more is a bonus. (I admit, maybe we are spoiled by frequently dining out in NYC...)

 

[babar41]

Unrealistic expectations.

That was my downfall. A few years ago we stayed at AKL, I was sooooo excited. I had seen the pictures, heard rave reviews, just couldn't wait! The pictures I had seen had me picturing myself sitting on our balcony looking out at the animals wandering just feet away. The reality was we could sit on the balcony and look out at a fence. Having been in the hotel industry both opening hotels and managing them, I usually have more tolerance for problems, but not this trip. Things like it taking 3 days before a coffee pot could be delivered to our room, no shower caps (I have long hair and have to have one), I could go on but that's not the point. We would be staying at a delux at Disney! How great this was going to be! My expectations were so high, and AKL just couldn't reach it.

In looking back at this vacation I realize the biggest fault was mine. I had expected things to be a certain way and when they weren't I let it effect my attitude. It would have been better if I had gone without any expectations, maybe then I could have enjoyed what was there.

Regardless of that, I don't plan on staying at AKL again. IMHO it just wasn't worth the $$$'s, and they do have some problems they need to address. I did learn my lesson though. If you go without expectations and just allow yourself to enjoy what is there it is so much better. The next year we went we stayed at CBR and loved it.

 

[3mickeys&me]

I've been there soooooo many times and I have never been disappointed at all!! Except with the trip ending and having to come home

 

[Eeyore2003]

The biggest disappointment for me was Cirque du Soliel. It was "built up" to be such a "fantastic", "unbelievable", life-changing", "spirit-filled", "extra-ordinary", "SUPER-magical" (well, you get it!!! ) experience, that after we saw it, we all (4 of us), walked out and said, "That was IT!!!". "It was circus acts, done in a dramatic manner, set to music!!!"

NOW, if it wouldn't have been built up to be "SO" much, I think I would have walked out thinking that it was really really neat. It was the HUGE expectations that ruined it for me.

As far as restaurants go, biggies I found disappointments after "almost" everyone said they're great----Boma, Brown Derby, Jiko. On the other hand, I've been given good advice on many and we like several that not many do. Different strokes for different folks.

Moral of the story----take the advice around here, but realize that everyone is different, and DON"T EXPECT ALLOT (like unbelievable shows, surprise upgrades, magical occasions, out of this world food, etc!!!) No matter WHAT someone says or how many say it!!!

 

[Eeyore2003]

Just as an addition to the Cirque du Soliel...a mother wrote here on the DIS that she was thinking of working a second job to afford the tickets for it, since from what everyone says, it sounds like it will be the "highlight" of her 5 year old daughters trip and she didn't want her to miss that experience.

My advice to her was that, yes, it COULD be the highlight of your daughters trip, but so could that simple "kiss" from Cinderella.

You gotta take it all with a grain of salt and make the best decisions for your family. My BIG excitement this time, treating my neice to the "My Disney Girl Princess Tea". I sure hope I'm not disappointed, but I'll have to thank you for reminding me to look forward to doing this, but not expect a whole lot.

 

[eeyore45]

My list of disappointments became so overwhelming I began to write down names of "nice, kind" CM's, of the magic, I began looking at the vacation thru my dd eyes - that helped.

I was disappointed because I was sick, the heat was overwhelming addition, the crowds, the lines, but mostly the rude CM's at Magic Kingdom, ordering a special birthday cake that was frozen with icing falling off was a last straw... no wait the CM at Toon Town at 20 till midnight telling my dd to go home and go to bed "its late" - the men at MK that would shove their way, or their child's way in front of us, the men that shoved thier candy bag in all three buckets, in front of our faces, demanding more "penny candy"... the fact they ran out of candy at many stations - - amazing... the crowds never let up.

But like I said, on Friday I became determined to focus on the positive. IT helped.

 

[sln88]

The biggest disappointment for me was Cirque du Soliel. It was "built up" to be such a "fantastic", "unbelievable", life-changing", "spirit-filled", "extra-ordinary", "SUPER-magical" (well, you get it!!! ) experience, that after we saw it, we all (4 of us), walked out and said, "That was IT!!!". "It was circus acts, done in a dramatic manner, set to music!!!"

NOW, if it wouldn't have been built up to be "SO" much, I think I would have walked out thinking that it was really really neat. It was the HUGE expectations that ruined it for me.

.I felt the same way about Fantasmic. Everyone here raves about it. We missed it the 1st year and I felt bad. Went the 2nd year and I was underwhelmed.

 

[mommykds]

My only dissapointment was in the crowds. Many people seemed...well kind cranky this trip. People were shoving & somehwhat rude. There we several times when we went to a show like Philharmagic, Ariel, or even the American Adventure where people jumped in the middle row & refused to move down like the CM's were asking..one lady even yelled at everyone saying "I waited longer than you & I am going to sit in the middle!"...I have been in the shows dozens of times & for the most part you can see from anywhere but some people wouldn't budge.

I was just surprised at how on edge people seemed to be..I was like "hey your at Disney..if you can't be happy here. where can you be happy?" Maybe it was the heat, the rain, or the larger than normal crowds for October but I was hoping for more in the way of peoples attitudes...

To be fair we met very nice & helpful CM's wherever we went & that pushed all the negative thoughts out of our minds..there was some pixie dust left at WDW!

 

[poohguys]

Our vacation last week was good. The few things that were a disapointment were that it was a lot more cowded that I ever remember it being this time of year, and the few very rude CM's that we encountered. Most of the CM were very nice, but a few were not. Also expecting some of our TS meals to be better than they were. I guess after reading all of the reviews you kinda expect every meal to be great. The weather could have been a little better, but you can't do anything about that so we just put on our rain ponchos when needed and went on our way.

 

[jenga1030]

I hate thinking about the disapointments, but sometimes I let my expectations get too high and that is always the cause of them.
Sometimes I research too much and I wish I could go there like dh who doesn't expect anything and just has a great time.

We got back last week from POR and I was a little disapointed there. Last year was our first year at POR and we didn't know much about it or what to expect and we loved it so much! It was just the most relaxing, wonderful vacation we've ever had. Plus, we just happened to get a really great corner room, close to everything, with a great view of the river, downstairs, in building 14. This year we went on our 10th anniversary(noted in our reservations) and paid for a water view room so we could get that great view again, but wound up with a pool view room. And it just didn't feel the same. I don't know how to describe it, but being upstairs off the main path of the resort just felt different to me.

Also, the free dining kind of changed our trip. Don't get me wrong, I am so thankful that we got a chance to try restaurants that we never would've been able to try otherwise. And we had a great time at all of them, no complaints. But having always done CS we were surprised at how much time it takes to get ready for, travel to, eat at and travel from the sit down places. I missed our leisurely evenings at DTD, taking the boat back while the kids fell asleep in our arms. Being able to say what do you want to do for dinner? Just knowing that nothing was planned. We got home and didn't feel like we enjoyed the resort nearly as much as we did last year and we stayed longer this year. Last year, the kids played on the playground a lot, we rented bikes and took walks. This year it felt like all we did was eat!

Next year we are definately going back to our no plans type of trip and will probably try a different resort, and go in September! I hate being disapointed but you learn a little each time.

 

[Geoff_M]

There we several times when we went to a show like Philharmagic, Ariel, or even the American Adventure where people jumped in the middle row & refused to move down like the CM's were asking..one lady even yelled at everyone saying "I waited longer than you & I am going to sit in the middle!"...I have been in the shows dozens of times & for the most part you can see from anywhere but some people wouldn't budge.

That's one of my biggest WDW pet peeves. When this happens, we just push across the front of the "squatters" and I don't take great caution at watching out for their toes or keeping my backpack out of their faces as I pass... if you know what I mean.

 

[Milldew]

I agree that often the disappointment is due to overplanning and setting expectation to high. My son is 8 my daughter is 10. They have visited Disney with us 14 times! We obviously love it. What I have found over time is that as I try to plan less the more I tend to enjoy it (I'm a HUGE planner...got the day by day spreadsheet to prove it!) . My family has always enjoyed it but then I'm frustrated because they don't understand why some of the little things bum me out.

I really set myself up for disappointment with the Disney Cruise (3 years ago). I was expecting to be so incredibly blown away that I was completely dissappointed. I still can't understand what people like about it (and I'm a HUGE Disney fan) but I totally blame myself because if I had just chilled out from the beginning I probably would have loved it.

 

[ainmama2001]

I'm a HUGE overplanner. I had a BINDER, no, correction. I had TWO binders...with SHEET PROTECTORS. One was the MASTER binder with all the schedules for parades and such, ME vouchers, reservations numbers. The other was the DAILY binder which had our SCHEDULES for the day in it. You know how much I looked at all of this stuff? NONE! But, I had a BLAST in the months preceeding the trip planning it all and I learned a lot. So, you can overplan and NOT ruin your trip.

I DID learn to take the restaurant reviews with a huge grain of salt. We went in to CRT expecting horrible food, mediocre service and rushed princesses. It turned out to be the highlight of our trip that made my mom and my MIL both cry when they saw my dd with Sleeping Beauty. We LOVED the food and the princesses and servers couldn't have been nicer. It's all a matter of opinion...PERSONAL opinion.