Refurbishment coming to Disney's Grand Floridian Resort lobby

[TheCoasterNerd]

It comes across as overly casual and unprofessional to me. Borderline sloppy

They do it at universal hotels too… I saw it at Stella Nova
It’s also done at all sorts of other non-theme park hotels worldwide, even the super fancy ones

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

They do it at universal hotels too… I saw it at Stella Nova
It’s also done at all sorts of other non-theme park hotels worldwide, even the super fancy ones

I’ve never seen it outside of Disney, but that doesn’t matter. My opinion doesn’t change if others do something sloppy as well.

 

[Disone]

It comes across as overly casual and unprofessional to me. Borderline sloppy.

I get that but this is the standard across all front desks at Walt Disney World. And some of the motivations here are actually genuine. I'm a critic of the company but I'm going to give him a pass on this one. It removes a barrier between the cast member and the guest, the desk itself.

It all so allows for the cast member to make an approach towards the guests as they walk into the lobby versus the guest having to get the desk.

Now often when you walk into the lobby to check in the cast member approaches you, often you never stand the line they check you in as you stand somewhere in the lobby and then off you go to your room.. It's a nice check-in experience for sure.

Sometimes it's busy and so forms a line in which case they will revert back to standing behind the stations / desks for the sake of crowd organization.

But barring that they're out from behind the desk meeting and greeting with guests making for a far friendlier and welcoming experience.

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

But barring that they're out from behind the desk meeting and greeting with guests making for a far friendlier and welcoming experience.

I personally prefer the traditional experience.

What you are calling “friendly and welcoming” I am calling “overly casual and sloppy” - I’m not arriving at a friends home where we all have a seat on a couch. It’s weird.

But that’s me. Haha

 

[Vegas Disney Fan]

I personally prefer the traditional experience.

What you are calling “friendly and welcoming” I am calling “overly casual and sloppy” - I’m not arriving at a friends home where we all have a seat on a couch. It’s weird.

But that’s me. Haha

I wonder if this is a generational thing? I prefer online check in where I can completely avoid public interaction but if I have to check in in person I highly prefer doing it over a desk rather than in a random open area, it’s just an awkward situation, a desk or counter creates a natural boundary between their space and my space, standing in an open lobby creates a similar feeling in me to those awkward situations where you don’t know what to do with your hands.

 

[MisterPenguin]

They need to make Victorian steampunk cases for them.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

I wonder if this is a generational thing? I prefer online check in where I can completely avoid public interaction but if I have to check in in person I highly prefer doing it over a desk rather than in a random open area, it’s just an awkward situation, a desk or counter creates a natural boundary between their space and my space, standing in an open lobby creates a similar feeling in me to those awkward situations where you don’t know what to do with your hands.

Hey…I did a brief tour as a manager behind that desk

When they stil had the key hooks behind it

I say BURN it down!!

 

[Mr. Sullivan]

The movement toward iPad based guest interactions has been a godsend for hotel employees. I've got a few in my family (not for Disney, but one does work for a luxury hotel that uses it), and it's a move that many employees have pushed for in that industry.

It makes their job a lot easier, the employees more comfortable, and their surveys have shown a majority of their guests prefer it. Now, that is a survey of their hotels, not Disney's. But I have to imagine the sentiment is similar regardless of where the hotel is located.

If it's something that makes the employee's job easier, then I'm all for it. The traditional way comes with inconveniences that this way does not and I could never support giving people who work in hard environments like this more inconvenience. The success of my stay is dependent on them enjoying their job so it's in my best interest to be in support of what they feel helps them enjoy their job more.

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

It makes their job a lot easier

How? (Genuine question, not sarcasm).

 

[surfsupdon]

I get that but this is the standard across all front desks at Walt Disney World. And some of the motivations here are actually genuine. I'm a critic of the company but I'm going to give him a pass on this one. It removes a barrier between the cast member and the guest, the desk itself.

It all so allows for the cast member to make an approach towards the guests as they walk into the lobby versus the guest having to get the desk.

Now often when you walk into the lobby to check in the cast member approaches you, often you never stand the line they check you in as you stand somewhere in the lobby and then off you go to your room.. It's a nice check-in experience for sure.

Sometimes it's busy and so forms a line in which case they will revert back to standing behind the stations / desks for the sake of crowd organization.

But barring that they're out from behind the desk meeting and greeting with guests making for a far friendlier and welcoming experience.

You should check into Pop...a line exists at most times! I agree at the Deluxes and Mods it is a lesser line.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

You should check into Pop...a line exists at most times! I agree at the Deluxes and Mods it is a lesser line.

It’s just a reflection of the movement towards precheckin…more than anything

Moderates at Disney used to be hell…and still would be if not for that

2-2.5 hour waits at Caribbean most weekends back in “the day”

It’s a simple function of room
Numbers

Pop has about 2600

The three bigger mods had 2100 (Coronado now has more…Caribbean less)

All stars had 2000 each (music now less)


Just numbers…not really price. It should correlate rather proportionally

 

[nickys]

I get that but this is the standard across all front desks at Walt Disney World. And some of the motivations here are actually genuine. I'm a critic of the company but I'm going to give him a pass on this one. It removes a barrier between the cast member and the guest, the desk itself.

It all so allows for the cast member to make an approach towards the guests as they walk into the lobby versus the guest having to get the desk.

Now often when you walk into the lobby to check in the cast member approaches you, often you never stand the line they check you in as you stand somewhere in the lobby and then off you go to your room.. It's a nice check-in experience for sure.

Sometimes it's busy and so forms a line in which case they will revert back to standing behind the stations / desks for the sake of crowd organization.

But barring that they're out from behind the desk meeting and greeting with guests making for a far friendlier and welcoming experience.

But if you’re not checking in it’s annoying to have multiple CMs approach to offer help.

Surely there’s a way to identify a guest who looks as if they’ve just arrived and needs help? Like … looking around, seeking out a CM, approaching the desk / concierge etc.

 

[nickys]

I wonder if this is a generational thing? I prefer online check in where I can completely avoid public interaction but if I have to check in in person I highly prefer doing it over a desk rather than in a random open area, it’s just an awkward situation, a desk or counter creates a natural boundary between their space and my space, standing in an open lobby creates a similar feeling in me to those awkward situations where you don’t know what to do with your hands.

This!
When we check in, and as international guests we always do because they don’t send us texts, we have to add a CC, show a passport for one of us in the room, and of course collect room cards.

I’m not going to do that in the middle of the lobby with zero privacy. “Oh sure, let me read out my CC number in full hearing of 100 people I’ve never seen before” because the CM has to hold their iPad and can’t physically take my CC to note it down.

So we just go to the desk anyway. But being intercepted by a CM wanting to be helpful AND then a supervisor, presumably thinking there’s a problem, is just as annoying as eff.

 

[nickys]

They do it at universal hotels too… I saw it at Stella Nova
It’s also done at all sorts of other non-theme park hotels worldwide, even the super fancy ones

Really?
Never come across it anywhere except Disney. I’ve seen self check-in screens at some hotels in London but there’s always a check-in desk - even at budget hotels. But I have never seen a staff member with an iPad in a lobby.

 

[castlecake2.0]

Disney has been doing the iPad check in thing for almost a decade now. There was a lot of verbatim saying the check in experience was too long and people just wanted to get to their rooms. So now you have online check in option to go straight to your room, or you can do a more expedited in person check in with the iPad people, or for more in depth situations they will take you over to the desk. There was a big push to also remove the roped switch back queues at the front desks too.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Disney has been doing the iPad check in thing for almost a decade now. There was a lot of verbatim saying the check in experience was too long and people just wanted to get to their rooms. So now you have online check in option to go straight to your room, or you can do a more expedited in person check in with the iPad people, or for more in depth situations they will take you over to the desk. There was a big push to also remove the roped switch back queues at the front desks too.

I think we had someone come up with an IPad to us once or twice?

It was a bit clunky at that time.

Really the only reason to have an agent now is the room rack…as things are prepaid…

The hotel operation is about 90% getting housekeepers in and out of the rooms on a schedule and dealing with maintenance issues…that will never not be the case.

 

[plutofan15]

This!
When we check in, and as international guests we always do because they don’t send us texts, we have to add a CC, show a passport for one of us in the room, and of course collect room cards.

I’m not going to do that in the middle of the lobby with zero privacy. “Oh sure, let me read out my CC number in full hearing of 100 people I’ve never seen before” because the CM has to hold their iPad and can’t physically take my CC to note it down.

So we just go to the desk anyway. But being intercepted by a CM wanting to be helpful AND then a supervisor, presumably thinking there’s a problem, is just as annoying as eff.

That is not how it works regarding credit cards.

 

[nickys]

That is not how it works regarding credit cards.

Every time we have checked in they’ve asked us for a CC to put against the account. They then run it through.
Not sure how that would happen with an iPad.

 

[castlecake2.0]

This!
When we check in, and as international guests we always do because they don’t send us texts, we have to add a CC, show a passport for one of us in the room, and of course collect room cards.

I’m not going to do that in the middle of the lobby with zero privacy. “Oh sure, let me read out my CC number in full hearing of 100 people I’ve never seen before” because the CM has to hold their iPad and can’t physically take my CC to note it down.

So we just go to the desk anyway. But being intercepted by a CM wanting to be helpful AND then a supervisor, presumably thinking there’s a problem, is just as annoying as eff.

No one is asking you to read out a credit card number even at the actual desk. They have a reader that swipes it, either on a computer or if using an iPad they have a handheld device that reads the card. They don’t even say the remaining balance for the room out loud as a privacy measure.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Every time we have checked in they’ve asked us for a CC to put against the account. They then run it through.
Not sure how that would happen with an iPad.

Reader attachment or integrated into the pads

Incredibly easy

Same idea as when they scan anything jn a park…really