WL Magic is disappearing

[dreamflight99]

CaliforniaDreaming & Kaycee~Thank you, dear friends, for your kind words! The "DISNEY MAGIC" and the "DISNEY SMILE" are but only two small parts of the puzzle which IS WDW. In a way, it's sort of like the Da Vinci Code....but on a MOUSE SCALE....(LOL). So pleased, (as always), to know you BOTH appreciate life in the same manner as I do. Awaking each day, just HAPPY to be (alive). No special requests, no grand expectations...just, plain and simple, old~fashioned...HAPPINESS. It's a WONDERFUL life. Happy to be a part of this world, with all my senses and faculties in tact, and sharing this planet with the two of you (and all of our other MAGICAL, SMILING DISer Friends!). Happiest of Holidays to you and yours!

TTFN...always~~~DF99

*Tomorrow....tomorrow...I LOVE YA, Tomorrow...you're only a day away! Just never sweat the "small stuff", (Because... EVERYTHING is small stuff!!)

 

[Hayley]

Originally posted by dreamflight99
Awaking each day, just HAPPY to be (alive). No special requests, no grand expectations...just, plain and simple, old~fashioned...HAPPINESS. It's a WONDERFUL life. ", (Because... EVERYTHING is small stuff!!)

Nobody's arguing about life being great. I just want a good value for my money -- especially when I'm spending about double than what would normally be reasonable for a comparable room in a non-WDW location. I pay the extra money for the elusive X-factor -- <i>the Disney magic</i>.

If people can't feel that they can post any negative feelings about their stays on this board, then this will be a pretty useless board. I look here for information, not Disney commercials. When I read one person's negative reaction to something, I may or may not let it affect my feelings about a resort. But if others have the same reaction, then I'd be stupid not to pay attention.

If you didn't have the same experience as the OP, that's helpful to know, too. It's good to hear all sides. But once we start telling people that they are nitpicking or being too critical, then people wll start being afraid to post, and those like me who want information not always pixie dusted will have to look elsewhere for help in trip planning!

 

[Dana49]

Amen! I'll bet "GasMan 65 " just wants this whole thread to disappear. Cheer up GasMan, at least you were honest and stated your feelings, whether others agreed or not. Please don't let it stop you from posting again. Happy Holidays!

 

[sm4987]

It's strange to read this post. It is hard posting your true feelings on something without everyone coming back and telling you how wrong you are. I didn't like the WL when I went either. I don't think that there is anything wrong with that. That is why Disney has something for everyone. I hated the boat service and thought it was extremely slow, the quick service didn't offer enough variety of foods, and my room was never clean. That is why I switched to the CR, and everything there was wonderful. I think that everyone has a unique visit and time. Don't flame because there visit wasn't as great as yours or someone else's.

 

[terribm]

I too loved the smell in the WL lobby when I was there in '98. However, when we returned for a stay in Nov of '02 it was different. I learned since that the Whispering Canyon rest. in the lobby used to have a working smokehouse where they smoked and prepared all there delicious dishes. At some point between my visits, this changed and they now have the food brought in from somewhere else. This was evident in the food taste in my opinon as our latest trip there was not nearly up to they quality that it was prior and obviously has a lot to do with the aromas in the lobby.

 

[jann1033]

now* that*( change in cooking) would be MUCH more upsetting!!!

maybe we need to start a"kinder and gentler" board so if someone wants to give their opinion with out blazing repercussions they can post there and not be sorry they ever said something

 

[Sammie]

Originally posted by jann1033
now* that*( change in cooking) would be MUCH more upsetting!!!

maybe we need to start a"kinder and gentler" board so if someone wants to give their opinion with out blazing repercussions they can post there and not be sorry they ever said something

While I agree that everyone should disagree with courtesy, it would be a very boring forum if only one side of an issue was discussed.

I think anyone that posts on Internet forums has to realize that some are going to disagree with their opinion or observations. That does not make either wrong, just interesting.

If I post about my personal experiences at at resort, it does not bother me if someone does not agree. It does not make my observations wrong, just different from someone else.

If someone is going to participate on a regular basis on a forum you can not be thin skinned and survive, you just take it all with a grain of salt and read on.

Also I think everyone needs to realize there is a difference in disagreeing with someone's observations about a resort and flaming them over it. To me unless you state the person is outright lying and making up the negative remarks then both sides are allowed to state their views.

I don't think anyone has flamed the OP they just did not agree on the Magic of WL. Gasman feels the magic at WL is disappearing for him. That does not mean it is not still there for someone else. Both are correct and both should be allowed their say.

As to the "smell" of the WL, for everyone that liked it, just as many complained. Those that complained affected the change. I doubt those that liked the smell ever let them know. Such is the way with things. Maybe now those that liked the "smell" need to complain about the loss of it. Majority wins.

 

[jann1033]

maybe we need to start a"kinder and gentler" board so if someone wants to give their opinion with out blazing repercussions they can post there and not be sorry they ever said something

WHAT *was* I thinking!!
just so you know I smacked my own hand with a ruler and made myself stand in the corner. bad poster. bad, bad poster :duck

 

[CBRorBust]

I've said it once, and I'll say it again. People need to just relax!

Whether someone thinks the WL is loosing its magic is NOT LIFE OR DEATH! I personally think that some of you WL followers need to take a breather and realize that not everyone sees the Lodge with rose color glasses.

No one on this post has said the lodge was not worth staying at, just pointing things out about their stay that they did not see "eye to eye" with. I'm sorry, but I am so sick and tired of people saying that we "nitpickers" had too high expectations, ask too much, shouldn't think we are were inconvenienced, or WHATEVER you think.

The point is, we have just as much right to post our experiences about WL whether or not YOUR experiences agreed with our stay or not! And we deserve this right without being criticized for it either! Trust me, I didn't let the minor details that I didn't like ruin my vacation. At the end of the day, I'm not frantically freaking out about people not feeling 100% the way I do about a HOTEL!

I think we all need to just move on. Also, let me add if you re-read this whole thread you will notice the majority of those "complaining" about WL were all there pretty much the same week. So excuse us for giving a review of the Lodge that didn't match yours to a T. I'm sorry if I have been too rude for most, and I know I shouldn't let it bother me, but geez! Give me a break already! I feel sorry for the OP, I can imagine the PM's that have been sent!

 

[Geoff_M]

I think we all need to just move on. Also, let me add if you re-read this whole thread you will notice the majority of those "complaining" about WL were all there pretty much the same week. So excuse us for giving a review of the Lodge that didn't match yours to a T. I'm sorry if I have been too rude for most, and I know I shouldn't let it bother me, but geez! Give me a break already! I feel sorry for the OP, I can imagine the PM's that have been sent!

I agree, however I don't think the "treatment" the OP'er has received is anything close to over the top. No one's said that their feelings were wrong, nor do I think that anyone is particularly wearing rose colored glasses with regard to WL. It's just when someone posts comments that give the imression that WL is slipping fast, and others as a result start to openly question their resort choice, some of us think it's a good idea to provide some reasonable explainations about the changes and try and reassure others that, from our personal experiences, WL isn't going to Hades in a handbasket anytime soon.... and that's it.

 

[lindamg]

I guess I'll jump back into this discussion, since I MAY have caused some of the controversy by starting the thread asking for GOOD reports on the Wilderness Lodge. I appreciated both sides of this discussion. I have always found that the truth is usually balanced between the two sides that I read on a board. I read the negative to know what mistakes to avoid, or what to prepare for, and I read the positive to know the best that I can expect. As I stated on my other thread, I always take all reviews with a grain of salt. I usually stay where I want to stay, and let the chips fall where they may.

However, this one trip is special. This is my honeymoon. I've waited until I was 45 to get married, and I don't plan on doing this again. I've known my fiancee for 7 years, and frankly we have been to h*ll and back during some of those years. We've made it through things that many people never deal with in a lifetime, and we've made it out the other side, stronger, better, and with a huge faith in each other, in our future, and in God. We love the Wilderness Lodge - we enjoy just hanging out there. We can sit in front of one of those fireplaces for hours, and hang out on our balcony and never even go into a park. We've read those reports about the rooms being dark and small, and we just don't think so. But under the circumstances, I just wanted a little reassurance that something "big" hadn't gone wrong since our last trip. I know it was probably even silly to ask, but sometimes a little reassurance goes a long way. It was never a matter of one side being "right" or one side being "wrong". As my husband would say, it was just me, being "female".

Thanks to all who expressed opinions on both threads. Sorry to the OP if I contributed to the ensuing bedlam.

Linda

 

[jann1033]

Originally posted by CBRorBust
I've said it once, and I'll say it again. People need to just relax!

for some reason things seem really crazy on this whole forum this weekend . now I understand the reasoning of the 'lurkers"! maybe it's stress from other areas??? btw my post a few back was meant as a JOKE but the smilie thing isn't working right

 

[Hayley]

Let me just say that it's perfectly OK to disagree with a poster's negative comments about a resort. If I posted about an unhappy experience at a resort, and people said:

"Oh I didn't find that to be true at all - the CMs were fantastic and our stay was perfect." That gives a comparison. That lets people know that not everyone was unhappy.


and the other hand when people say things like:

"Some people just are never happy and will never be satisfied! -- Your expectations are too high -- find the magic! You should stop sweating the small stuff" Then I'd be wishing I never said anything in the first place.

 

[dreamflight99]

Originally posted by Sammie
While I agree that everyone should disagree with courtesy, it would be a very boring forum if only one side of an issue was discussed.

I think anyone that posts on Internet forums has to realize that some are going to disagree with their opinion or observations. That does not make either wrong, just interesting.

If I post about my personal experiences at at resort, it does not bother me if someone does not agree. It does not make my observations wrong, just different from someone else.

If someone is going to participate on a regular basis on a forum you can not be thin skinned and survive, you just take it all with a grain of salt and read on.

Also I think everyone needs to realize there is a difference in disagreeing with someone's observations about a resort and flaming them over it. To me unless you state the person is outright lying and making up the negative remarks then both sides are allowed to state their views.

I don't think anyone has flamed the OP they just did not agree on the Magic of WL. Gasman feels the magic at WL is disappearing for him. That does not mean it is not still there for someone else. Both are correct and both should be allowed their say.

As to the "smell" of the WL, for everyone that liked it, just as many complained. Those that complained affected the change. I doubt those that liked the smell ever let them know. Such is the way with things. Maybe now those that liked the "smell" need to complain about the loss of it. Majority wins.

And...(contrary to the beliefs of HAYLEY)...this is EXACTLY WHAT I POSTED!! Thank you, for having the insight to SEE all of these posts for WHAT THEY ARE: nice, non-argumentative, DIFFERENCES of OPINION. This is what we are ALL Entitled to post on this forum. Please, re-read my post...it merely states an opinion (mine...and thankfully, some others as well). I never FLAMED the OP, and even added some nice sentiments about a return trip. The OP never had any contention with my post. WDW and LIFE offer something for everyone. Some view the glass as half-full, some as half-empty. I was merely offering another view, in a HAPPY...KIND manner. Nothing wrong with that...right folks?!?


***lindamg~Congratulations! Your post was endearing, and I wish you many, many more wonderful returns to WDW and the "MAGIC" which is ALIVE and WELL there!

 

[Starz723]

I was at the WL from 10/25 to 11/1/03. I had a magical time! I loved my balcony overlooking the otter pond and watched the otter play around. I saw the fireworks at MK just sitting on my bed and looking out the window. I went to WL for the theming and for the self containment of everything. The Moderates and all stars are spread out. Some are huge properties. Also, my room was kept immaculately clean by the mousekeepers.

I put on all the lights in my room, and it never seemed dark. Maybe cause Ive lived in NYC all my life and lived in an apartment that I can adapt better to a smaller space. I didnt find it small. Quite frankly for me, having a terrace was a huge luxury. Ive never had a terrace or a yard for that matter my entire life. So I had a great time!

Ive previously stayed at the POR (2x) , All Stars and off site. I have lots of nice things to say about every resort and a couple of not so nice things. The good outweighed the bad.

As the saying goes: "You dont miss nothing you never had". Sounds like some of the aesthetics that used to be at WL would have been a nice touch. Everything changes doesnt it?

Rudness from CM's is not a good thing. I work PT selling advertising for the NY Times. I do alot of customer service. Let me tell you, I can speak to over 100 people a day, 97% will be very nice, and the other 3% are miserable and try to make your life miserable. One never knows if a CM had just encountered one of those miserable people, or has a difficult supervisor, etc. Thats no excuse for being rude though. For myself, I would just take a trip to the rest room and regroup, rather than allow any of that to rub off on another customer. Dealing with the public is not easy. Im sure some of the CM's either resign or get fired if they cant handle it. I guess Im lucky in all my 15 visits to WDW. I never met a rude or indifferent CM. I think thats pretty good. There is always the exception to the rule. So far, so good for me.

Pixie dust and magical moments to all of you.

 

[*Fantasia*]

Just relaxing! I am all ears! I'll take the good, the bad, and everything in between. I am just glad to know that we all have difference in opinions or this "World" would be a very dull place to live in.

 

[Hayley]

Originally posted by dreamflight99
And...(contrary to the beliefs of HAYLEY)...this is EXACTLY WHAT I POSTED!! Thank you, for having the insight to SEE all of these posts for WHAT THEY ARE: nice, non-argumentative, DIFFERENCES of OPINION. This is what we are ALL Entitled to post on this forum. Please, re-read my post...it merely states an opinion (mine...and thankfully, some others as well). I never FLAMED the OP, and even added some nice sentiments about a return trip. The OP never had any contention with my post. WDW and LIFE offer something for everyone. Some view the glass as half-full, some as half-empty. I was merely offering another view, in a HAPPY...KIND manner. Nothing wrong with that...right folks?!?


First off, I'm sorry if I offended you. This is all just my opinion and I really didn't mean to make you feel bad. I think that there is a difference between telling someone that you had a different experience they did, and telling someone that they shouldn't feel the way they do about something. If someone had a negative experience, say, mid-May at WL, people can respond, "I know what you mean, I thought the service was a little off, too." Or, "I have to disagree. I was there then and everything was perfect." I objected to, and I don't think in a rude way (sorry if you took it that way) implications that with a different attitude or something, everything would have been better.

I didn't mean to single you or out -- just commenting that I feel we should all feel free to complain about stuff without someone telling us to lighten up. We're paying alot of money for these vacations, and I use these boards in deciding where to spend my money and get the best value. After trying lots of resorts, we've kind of settled on the Poly -- but if all of the sudden I began to see a bunch of negative comments about it, I'd be grateful for the warning and maybe stay somewhere else.

Please everyone, tell me the bad stuff -- I'd rather hear it from these boards than experience it myself! And also the stuff that is different -- I mean, maybe I really look forward to a feature of a resort and someone posts that they were disappointed to see it gone -- maybe it might not mean anything to 99% percent of the people who read these posts, but I'd be grateful to have a heads up about it.

 

[caribbeanme]

a resounding thumbs up to those who air their grievances on the board. as one of those people who is considering wl for a very important trip this coming may, it's nice to get those details about the resort that help you make your decisions. and while some of gasman's complaints are general and not make or break for my decision (sad but may not reflect wl as much as the economy), some things are just key and should not be compromised as much- clean rooms and rude cm's. his post made other people who were unsatisfied post, as well as people who had different experiences.

i'm one of those optimistic people who can make whole lot of things from the lemons life has seen fit to throw my way, but it doesn't hurt to know that you may want to bring some pine scent to counteract the lysol near the fireplace disney has so much variety that it doesn't hurt to hear all those nitpicky things, particularly when you are torn between a couple of resorts. especially because there's a marked difference between making the best out of situations you didn't expect once you're there (dirty rooms, not nice cm's), which we should all strive to do, and deliberately choosing to pay for a place which has had some mixed results lately with dirty rooms and cm's. at the very least, these posts do precisely what another poster suggested-- make clear that we can't expect the magic to slap us upside the head when we go to wl or disney, for that matter...that perhaps we may want to bring some extra magic with us..as i always say, if you prepare for nuclear winters you'll be ecstatic when it's mildly chilly.

i've decided to stay with wl, despite this and other posts, because i just really want to stay at a lodge-y type place. i may, however, reconsider concierge depending on how the posts look going forward. i just don't have the money, and if i know the odds are concierge is gonna be iffy, why do it? and if i do it and it was awful, i was forewarned, so i can quit the bellyachin'...although i will post on the board, positive or negative, either way...

 

[Erica]

I agree with caribbeanme, I come to these groups to find HONEST opinions of the resorts. I don't want a glazed over rose colored story. I want to know if there was a not so great stay. I am sure that Disney would like to know to so they can fix it.

I have been saving up thousands of dollars for this trip and like everyone here I want it perfect. I know that there are going to be good trips and bad ones as well. I take all the information with a grain of salt, but I feel that I am a better educated traveler for it.

With that all said I too am keeping my stay at the WL. Yes I am from the northwest, however we don't have many lodges in the city. I love leisurely boat rides....that is what we call the Washington State Ferries here in Seattle
A 15 minute trip will feel like a speed boat to us.

Thank you all for your HONEST comments.

-Erica, leaving in 8 days!