You guys were right - the GF "Ain't what it used to be"

[boomer626]

Wow - maybe time to take this to the debate board. Which is a lot of fun BTW. Looks like the GF got lost in the dust.

 

[Mr.MouseFan]

Originally posted by tonyk
Typin an anonymous comment about an anonymous waitress on a message board is hardly "highly pretentious and downright rude". Lighten up.

I really don't want to start an argument here and, in hindsight, I probably never should have posted what I did. However, working in the customer service industry, one of my LEAST favorite things is when someone takes it upon themselves to "remind" me of my job duties. Granted, I'm not a food server, but if I were I would be just as offended by that "anonymous comment about an anonymous waitress". Like I said, have some compassion for these people....everyone has a bad day and/or makes a mistake. "Lighten Up."

 

[crs7568]

Not to jump in on the OP's thread, but is it really considered rude to have the concierge purchase things from the gift shop in advance of your trip? I have asked the itinerary planner at the Polynesian to purchase a few stuffed animals and a Pal Mickey for me. He was incredibly nice and I would hate to think that he felt like I was using him as my personal errand boy...he definitely did not give that impression. I would think that Disney would encourage that practice. It gets your tab up before you even step foot on the property.

 

[Mr.MouseFan]

Hindsight being 20/20, I just want to apologize to the OP. Perhaps it was "highly pretentious and downright rude" of me to call your remarks "highly pretentious and downright rude". While I may not agree with the OP's remarks, a simple "I disagree" would have been sufficient. I'm a big enough person to admit when I'm wrong and hurling insults was definitely the wrong thing to do and for that, I apologize.

 

[CarolA]

crs7586,

No it is not rude to ask for those purchases. At a normal hotel, you would tip the concierge for these services, the tip amount is normally dependent on how much work they had to do for you.

Now, I don't really know what the tipping is at Disney. The hotels I have used these services at are in places like NY where the concierge servces the entire hotel and is not assigned to classes of guests.

As for the overall theme of this thread, all I can say is that I found GF to be lacking over 5 years ago.

 

[Darian]

Originally posted by CarolA
crs7586,

No it is not rude to ask for those purchases. At a normal hotel, you would tip the concierge for these services, the tip amount is normally dependent on how much work they had to do for you.

Now, I don't really know what the tipping is at Disney. The hotels I have used these services at are in places like NY where the concierge servces the entire hotel and is not assigned to classes of guests.

As for the overall theme of this thread, all I can say is that I found GF to be lacking over 5 years ago.

Oh no!!! Did someone say.... "Disney Tipping"?!?!??!? (shudders as he recalls a thread about this very subject.) LOL!

Darian

 

[MOQ3424]

Did yuo stay at the same place we did?

We stayed in the GF concierge we loved it...... We would stay there a lot of more times!
But we do get discouts so we don't pay as much as you..




BUT STILL IT WAS GREAT PLACE!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[gepetto]

Originally posted by CarolA
crs7586,

No it is not rude to ask for those purchases. At a normal hotel, you would tip the concierge for these services, the tip amount is normally dependent on how much work they had to do for you.

The Disney concierge staff aren't allowed to accept tips so I question how appropriate it is to get them to do a lot of extra duties and errands that in another hotel I would tip very well for a staff member to do. I don't think Godiva chocolate and Myrtle Beach taffy count as a "tip".

The concierge desk at some of the larger hotels where I've stayed in NY and Chicago was available to everyone. It was more on the level of service as the guest services desk in the resort lobby of the WDW resorts.

 

[MJS]

gonga - I am sorry to read about your recent experience at the GF RPC. We stayed there last year for about 2 weeks, and it was really bad. I am sorry to read that things have not improved. Perhaps with the Four Seasons coming to town, Disney could send the RPC CMs over there for some training!

We travel alot, and love going to WDW. We have stayed in concierge at several Disney resorts, and we have reached the conclusion that Disney simply does not provide this level of service well. We joined the DVC to stay in a villa, and now we provide our own concierge services. We take care of our transportation needs, PS's, snacks, etc. I have to say that our vacations now are true vacations, and we enjoy WDW much more. We do not have to deal with snotty/incompetent concierge CMs. We also can now enjoy breakfast in our room in our underwear without dressing up for the lounge!

In some ways I think the RPC is a marketing tool for the DVC. We fled the RPC and ran straight to the DVC to get a nice room and no concierge!

 

[gepetto]

Originally posted by MJS
We also can now enjoy breakfast in our room in our underwear without dressing up for the lounge!

You got dressed to go to the lounge for breakfast? I always see plenty of people in their concierge robes, jammies and no shoes at breakfast. Four Seasons will attract a different clientele that what you find at the WDW concierge lounges. The service will probably be superior, but a lot more decorum and formality will be expected from the guests.

 

[MJS]

It was a joke! is intended in my posting to show that it is a joke.

I disagree about the clientele at the the Four Seasons being different from Disney concierge guests. We stay at Four Seasons resorts all the time. They are marketing hard to families with children, and we have not found the atmosphere to be more formal, at least not recently in Scottsdale, Hawaii and Chicago. The Maui resort offers a club floor just like the RPC, except the service is outstanding. There were plenty of robes, etc. in the lounge. I doubt that the company will change their strategy in Orlando, and we look forward to staying there someday.

 

[gepetto]

Originally posted by MJS
It was a joke! is intended in my posting to show that it is a joke.

I disagree about the clientele at the the Four Seasons being different from Disney concierge guests. We stay at Four Seasons resorts all the time. They are marketing hard to families with children, and we have not found the atmosphere to be more formal, at least not recently in Scottsdale, Hawaii and Chicago.

I knew you were joking. Not everyone is polite enough to dress for breakfast at the WDW lounges, however. I have never seen anyone wandering about in jammies at Four Seasons, though.

 

[MJS]

Actually, we saw several people in their jammies on our spring stay in Scottsdale. The bobcat in the parking lot had alot to do with it. We were there for more than a week and saw lots of robes, sweats, jammies, etc.

 

[KaterBell]

Originally posted by BounceyOne

Katerbell, I must agree with you Lauretta and Patty are the best

They really are - Consistent service over the years - and they've both been there over 12 years.

While we were in WDW last week, we went over to the GF and called Patty at the "bat phone" concierge # so we could see her... she let us up to the 4th floor concierge to chat with her... I told her I was her biggest fan.

 

[richard3330]

I'm sorry that you didn't have the best of stays. I hope that you recieved some kind of compensation for all of the trouble caused.

We are staying in The Grand Floridian's Concierge next march - hopefully it will be improved by then!

Richard.

 

[justynsaunt]

My family has reserved a concierge room in Sugar Loaf for this December. They really didn't want to stay on the property prefering to stay at the Portofino which gave us fabulous service last December.

Unlike Disney hotels, they have a concierge desk that serves everyone staying at the hotel regardless of the type of room you've payed for (like most 5 star hotels I've stayed at). They were exceptionally kind & helpful. The last thing that the front desk clerk asked when we checked out was "What could we have done to make your stay better?". In all honesty I told him not a thing. Our toilet backed up one morning and by the time we returned from the park that day it was fixed. The room was very clean with warm colors and we had a view of the quite pool, the bacci court and the Italian gardens.

Frankly, I didn't want to stay in a concierge room but because we have a family member who works for an airline we get a nice discount and the only tower lodge rooms still available under the discount were for the concierge level. I even called the concierge desk directly a few weeks a go and questioned the woman on duty about the complaints that are being posted about the GF. She explained that they (the satff) are aware of the concerns of the guests and are trying to get management to 1) make changes and 2) make the concierge service consistant throughout WDW which I think most would agree it isn't. She said the reason that beverages are not just out on tables is because management feels that it doesn't go with the hotels old world elegance theme. She said all you have to do is ask and that they can supply you with whatever beverages you want. I told her that guests could care less. You don't want to have to ask (at least I don't)...you want it readily available. She said that that the kinds of foods they serve are varied and plentiful and mentioned several things that sounded appetizing to me. I felt better after having talked to her but now I'm not so sure.

I could switch to the Poly but we really want the extra space of a tower lodge room for the kids. Also I really didn't care for...well the family collectively didn't care for many of the decors of the various resorts. They seemed just too cute. Not very warm. That may sound kinda minor but if I have to stay in a room for a week I have to be able to like the decor. A good example is to compare the Poly decor with the Royal Pacific decor. The rooms at the Royal Pacific are aboout 100 sq ft smaller but the decor is much richer and warmer.

I will just have to have faith that it will all workout in the end. I didn't even want to go to Florida last December and really had a ball.

 

[RickinNYC]

"If I had a million dollars...
If I had a million dollars...
If I had a million dollars...
If I had a million dollaaaaaaaarrrrrsss....
I'd stay at a WDW concierge!!!""



Sorry folks. I can't afford concierge, probably will never be able to. I'll just settle for a regular old moderate or deluxe standard view room and buy a diet coke in the gift shop! LOL!