mickeyfan5534
Well-Known Member
You have something against hospitality majors?
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News Club 33 coming to Walt Disney World this Fall
- Thread starter wdwmagic
- Start date
ford91exploder
Resident Curmudgeon
I am not a Club 33 member, but I have dined there a couple times in the last 15 years and I have had a cocktail at the 1901 Lounge (Club 33 satellite location in California Adventure) as a guest of a member. I think you are misunderstanding the service level and operational needs of the Club 33 concept. It is not just a cheesy corporate lounge at Epcot for Exxon employees to get free Cokes and pretzels.
As one example, Club 33 requires a full staff of concierges. And not just WDW hotel "concierges" which are just college kids in ill-fitting polyester suits sitting at a desk in the Poly lounge to tell you that the parade is at 3 o'clock and Ohana is fully booked, all things anyone with an iPhone could do for themselves in 30 seconds. Club 33 concierges are actual, real-world concierges that arrange your guests entire Disneyland stay, from VIP tour guides to airport Town Car pickup to a club box at an Angels game and third row seats to the sold out Michael Buble concert at the Hollywood Bowl next weekend.
Then you've got hostesses at the door that pass out seasonally chilled or heated scented moist towels as you enter (to wipe off the theme park germs), a battalion of waiters and waitresses, bartenders and barbacks, the maitre'd, bussers, an entire kitchen staff, management and member services staff, live jazz bands and singers in the lounge, a live pianist in the lobby, etc., etc. It doesn't just take a village, it takes an army of staff to run Club 33 and 1901 Lounge for a day.
Quite frankly, with a $50,000 initiation fee and $12,000 annual dues after that and a multi-year waiting list to get in, I'm surprised that Disneyland makes much money on the whole thing after seeing the incredible level of staffing and service they provide members and their guests 365 days per year.
WDW management has a huge task to live up to the Club 33 service level. It can't just be a nicely decorated lounge with a bored bartender and a random college kid CM checking ID's at the door. WDW already has that middling lounge service with their "Deluxe Hotel Concierge Lounges" and the Epcot sponsorship lounges for every General Motors or Exxon middle manager and his sweaty kids. Club 33 is something very, very different. And it's not cheap to operate.
I assume TDO and WDW management understand what they are getting themselves into with this.
TDO for sure they dont get it they want the 50k initiation and 12k membership and they want to staff it with CP kids.
Remember this is the gang which removed nuts from Mizners bar because too expensive
ford91exploder
Resident Curmudgeon
Nope but my grandparents did 50 years ago and the thing still chugs along needing a few drops of oil and a new belt every now and then. I think they got their moneys worth.
ford91exploder
Resident Curmudgeon
I think the point being made is Club 33 in Anaheim is staffed by professionals who are at the top of their profession.
WDW's will be staffed by underpaid bored college students whose only tbought is what time is my shift over so i can get out of this dump
Otterhead
Well-Known Member
Or it could be staffed by people who've majored in, and specialize in, hospitality. More likely, an extremely expensive private club would be staffed by CMs with a lot of seniority -- it would be a very plush and prestigious promotion. Otherwise it certainly won't last long.
ford91exploder
Resident Curmudgeon
Possible but unlikely, TDO as an organization has prioritized low cost of labor above all other factors.
Even mousekeeping is now primarily H2B's from the carribean islands (who can get paid sub-minimum wage) CP'ers and a few regular full time CM's as supervisors.
Its why we have the mouse arrest bands so staffing can be bare bones at all times. Its why you can walk into a half empty restaurant and be turned away.
The culture of CHEAP runs deep, And its why we expect this to be staffed by CP'ers
ford91exploder
Resident Curmudgeon
Being a Fan from the Boston area is expecting nothing less than the best from your teams. And tearing the team a new one when they screw up and don't deliver by losing winnable games
The attitude up here after the superbowl win was 'about time you won one after you choked on the previous two attempts'
WDW since imagination 2.0 has been losing winnable games
Kamikaze
Well-Known Member
Being a Disney 'fan' doesn't mean you have to like everything Disney does.
In fact, I'd argue being a real fan would mean you'd disagree with them quite often.
Otterhead
Well-Known Member
Oh, I disagree with plenty of stuff they do and have done. But I also don't assume that everything they do these days is going to be automatically terrible, as a knee-jerk ultra-cynical reaction, which is what I see more often than not. Call me crazy, but once in a while I think the folks at WDW miiiiiight know how to run a park better than folks on a Disney message board.
jt04
Well-Known Member
Strangely the same people who apply this standard to Disney do not when it comes to other theme parks. I guess that is what happens when you set the standard.
BubbaQuest
Well-Known Member
That may be true of Club 33, but at 1901 you have a 50/50 chance of getting decent service. Based on my experience they are not prepared to handle a crowd size of more than 2 tables. I've had better service with hand crafted cocktails at other establishments. When 1901 is good, it's really great. When 1901 is bad, it's really bad.
Kamikaze
Well-Known Member
Are there really that many crossover fans? I mean, I love Cedar Point too, but for different reasons. There also isn't anywhere near as much to talk about with The Point.
But I couldn't care less what Universal, Six Flags, etc do on a day-to-day basis. I'm not a fan of those parks. Will I attend them? Sure, if they have something that interests me. But I'm not holding them to any 'standard' because I don't care. You're right, Disney sets the bar. That doesn't mean they shouldn't try to move it up.
Fair, but there are times when they clearly don't. Just because they can run the park better doesn't mean the decisions being made aren't bad. Would having no nighttime parade have even been a thought at DL? Not a chance. But at WDW its not only thought about, it has happened and its 'okay' by TDO standards.
Laketravis
Well-Known Member
When you can get an annual pass that lasts 16 months that is good at any Six Flags park in the country and includes free parking plus add a dining pass that also lasts 16 months and is also good at any Six Flags park in the country and includes unlimited beverage refills, lunch, dinner, and a snack every time you go all for less than $160, your expectations tend to not be all that high
No Name
Well-Known Member
WDW is filled with people from all walks of life and all parts of the world, which is a beautiful thing. A dad I know recently told me he and his family were going to "Disney World, Epcot, and Universal." Uh oh! But that's wonderful, because they are like typical new, first-time guests. Maybe one day, they'll love the place like we do.
Did you throw a fit at WDW when you were little? Were you a Disney expert on your first trip? Today, do you bicker with or make fun of others on an online forum?
You know, it's fun to claim that WDW is overrideen by "white trash" and "blogger whores" and "lifestylers" and whatever derogatory terms we want to call people by.
But many people aught to look in a mirror and realize that they, too, are far from normal. They, too, are far from perfect. As am I. And that's okay... that's wonderful. That's what makes WDW a great place.
A Club 33 is a nice escape for people who don't enjoy being out in the open around a wide range of people, and would rather pay big bucks to hang with "upper-class" folks. Those people need a Club 33. I'll enjoy my time in Walt Disney World.
Did you throw a fit at WDW when you were little? Were you a Disney expert on your first trip? Today, do you bicker with or make fun of others on an online forum?
You know, it's fun to claim that WDW is overrideen by "white trash" and "blogger whores" and "lifestylers" and whatever derogatory terms we want to call people by.
But many people aught to look in a mirror and realize that they, too, are far from normal. They, too, are far from perfect. As am I. And that's okay... that's wonderful. That's what makes WDW a great place.
A Club 33 is a nice escape for people who don't enjoy being out in the open around a wide range of people, and would rather pay big bucks to hang with "upper-class" folks. Those people need a Club 33. I'll enjoy my time in Walt Disney World.
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ford91exploder
Resident Curmudgeon
When dealing with Cedar Fair/Six Flags - You are dealing with organizations with a low quality bar, No one in their right mind would try and hold them to a Disney standard, But when Disney falls below the Six Flags / Cedar fair quality level Disney has a REAL problem.
Kman101
Well-Known Member
Eh. They haven't instilled much confidence. Not everything they do is sky is falling horrible but you're letting one or two people who post the same rants over and over again get to you.
And I'm one to defend castmembers because I've worked with joe public in retail and food service and I know how hard it is and how underappreciated they are, but I've seen a big slip in service at WDW. Not everyone is bad but there are a lot more people who are clearly overworked and frustrated. And it shows.
jt04
Well-Known Member
I was thinking more of Uni. And I would not single them out but they have the deep pockets and should invest at Disney levels.
draybook
Well-Known Member
Correction, the current administration knows how to run a BUSINESS better than most of us. Parks should deliver a touch of caring and theming. Cranking out cash ideas isn't along those lines.
