My beef with the resorts

[disneymyway]

I'll be bold and post a criticism - hopefully it will provoke an interesting discussion.

I really wish they would do things at the resorts a bit more like regular hotels.

I'd like a minibar. Trying to get a simple snack at the Beach Club after MNSSHP was ridiculous. I was reduced to a bag of doritos in the laundry room.

Why no pay per view? I mean, I know they don't want you staying in your room, but there are times that you just don't feel like going to sleep and everything is closed. At least have some more interesting tv channels.

On another board I read that you couldn't even get the baseball playoffs in your room at the resorts! That's just not right when you are paying all that money!

All the things that I would like are just things that would make money for WDW - why do you suppose they don't do them?

There's a hotel in NYC that I stay at and the rate is about $325 - sometimes more, sometimes less. If the WDW deluxes were run like that place it would be so wonderful! It has all the things I love and more - and impeccable service - never a screw up in 10 years I've been staying there.

Don't get me wrong - I LOVE WDW and the resorts are adorable and fun. I just think there is room for improvement here.

Do you agree?

 

[Master Yoda]

While I do agree that there should be some late night offerings food wise I could care less about a mini bar or PPV. I imagine that I am not alone in this opinion as if I were not Disney would definitely not leave either of those cash cows out of resort rooms. There is also the issue that most Disney guests are families and a mini bar can quickly become a problem with kids after mom and dad go to sleep.

 

[Philo]

There is always room for improvement but I'm not sure the things you mentioned would really impact my enjoyment.

I'm sure Disney have considered a minibar and dismissed it because of under-use or because it didn't fit their family friendly atmosphere (or perhaps over excited kids cost their parents a fortune!). I would think that a small, 24 hour 'snack' stall could be made available in each resort. They wouldn't need to carry a lot, just a few popular drinks and snacks.

Pay-per-view - I don't have it at home and I'm not a major sports fan so I don't miss it. I think the reasoning would be that there is so much going on at WDW, why would you need it? Especially as Disney likes to push the 'family having fun together' attitude. There are places like ESPN which would probably air these things (although not being a sports fan I wouldn't know for sure).

The one thing I think the resorts need is free internet access. Again, it wouldn't impact my stay too much but it certainly would be a very useful feature for many.

 

[disneymyway]

While I do agree that there should be some late night offerings food wise I could care less about a mini bar or PPV. I imagine that I am not alone in this opinion as if I were not Disney would definitely not leave either of those cash cows out of resort rooms. There is also the issue that most Disney guests are families and a mini bar can quickly become a problem with kids after mom and dad go to sleep.

Every minibar I've ever seen has a key so I think parents could keep their kids out if they want to.

It was just so silly trying to get a drink and a snack at midnight - not that late - at the Beach Club! I can't believe how early the bar and snack bar close!

And this is why I really don't like going to WDW in January or other slow times - I don't have little kids and I'm not going to bed at 9:00. What do you all do with yourselves at night at WDW? I really don't like going offsite either. Now that PI is leaving, or changing, or whatever it is doing I think it will be either harder for grownup entertainment.

 

[disneymyway]

Pay-per-view - I don't have it at home and I'm not a major sports fan so I don't miss it. I think the reasoning would be that there is so much going on at WDW, why would you need it?

Not everyone is a family with little kids though. I'm not going to watch tv when the parks are open, but when everything is closed, what do you do. We like to go to bed late - I think there should be more for people like us to do at night.

 

[Master Yoda]

Every minibar I've ever seen has a key so I think parents could keep their kids out if they want to.

It was just so silly trying to get a drink and a snack at midnight - not that late - at the Beach Club! I can't believe how early the bar and snack bar close!

And this is why I really don't like going to WDW in January or other slow times - I don't have little kids and I'm not going to bed at 9:00. What do you all do with yourselves at night at WDW? I really don't like going offsite either. Now that PI is leaving, or changing, or whatever it is doing I think it will be either harder for grownup entertainment.

Some do some don't but kids are resourceful little suckers especially when they are between about 5-8 and cookies are involved.

 

[disneymyway]

Some do some don't but kids are resourceful little suckers especially when they are between about 5-8 and cookies are involved.

Well WDW would just have to put a lock on them - easy enough. And do I have to suffer because people can't control their kids?

(Keeping in mind I am just debating this for fun and not arguing with you in a nasty way at all!!! )

 

[Master Yoda]

Well WDW would just have to put a lock on them - easy enough. And do I have to suffer because people can't control their kids?

(Keeping in mind I am just debating this for fun and not arguing with you in a nasty way at all!!! )

Yep. We all do.:lol:

Bottom line mini-bars are big moneymakers for hotels. If Disney has decided for whatever reason not to have them I really can not argue with them. We know that after a certain time all retail shuts down at WDW so we bring a few things with us and put them in the fridge available at the moderates and up to get through this time.

 

[RiversideBunny]

Couldn't you get some of those amenities by staying at one of the DTD resorts or at Swan/Dolphin?

 

[disneymyway]

Couldn't you get some of those amenities by staying at one of the DTD resorts or at Swan/Dolphin?

Yes you are right! I haven't stayed there for a long time but I think they are more like regular hotels in that way! Thanks!

Like I said, I'm just debating this for fun. It's not a deal breaker for me in any way and I'm not going to stay off site because of it.

It just makes me curious - they act like they want to market to people without kids, but they really don't have it set up very well for people like us.

When the parks close early, it's like they are saying to us - JUST GO TO BED! :ROFLOL:

 

[PhilharMagician]

WDW at one time had minibars in the resorts and they were lockable. I am not sure exactly when and what the reasons were for there removal, but they must not have made enough money. Does anyone know when they were removed??

I am also surprised that they do not have a PPV system in the resorts. Many people go to WDW to stay in the resorts and do not even go to the parks. Yeah, I know it is hard to imagine for us diehard Disney fans. I would personally want more TV options if I was not park hopping my life away.

 

[jmmiles]

WDW at one time had minibars in the resorts and they were lockable. I am not sure exactly when and what the reasons were for there removal, but they must not have made enough money. Does anyone know when they were removed??
.

I know we had a minibar at CBR for our honeymoon in 1996. Our next visit was 2002, and there was no minibar that I recall in POFQ.

 

[disneychic71]

I'll be bold and post a criticism - hopefully it will provoke an interesting discussion.

I really wish they would do things at the resorts a bit more like regular hotels.

I'd like a minibar. Trying to get a simple snack at the Beach Club after MNSSHP was ridiculous. I was reduced to a bag of doritos in the laundry room.
?

I'm not sure if this is true for all resorts, but at the Poly the quick-service restaurant is open 24 hours. I remember buying a popsicle there for my daughter at 3:00 a.m. when she had strep throat. I think the 24-hour thing is true at the GF and WL, also.

 

[Eyorefan]

I'm not sure if this is true for all resorts, but at the Poly the quick-service restaurant is open 24 hours. I remember buying a popsicle there for my daughter at 3:00 a.m. when she had strep throat. I think the 24-hour thing is true at the GF and WL, also.

I was just about to mention this. I know Captin Cooks at the Poly is 24 hour.. or at least it was still open at 12:00 am when we stoped in there to get a dole whip last week.

 

[The Mom]

minibars- not a deal breaker for me one way or another. I do remember staying in a hotel that asked if you wanted the key for it when you checked in. I think that would be helpful;if your children are bugging you, you won't be lying if you just tell them that it's locked and you don't have the key. :lol:
I know that my husband has raided them from time to time while travelling.

PPV- again, not a deal breaker. I think, due to the nature of the resort, there should not be any "adult" movies available. Watching at WDW just seems so wrong. :lol:

I would also like to see free internet available. That way we could have even more current trip reports and updates.

 

[RiversideBunny]

.....
I would also like to see free internet available. That way we could have even more current trip reports and updates.

Yes, that's the one item that WDW should surely have at the resorts.
We are now in the internet/cell phone age. It's just basic.

 

[Club Cooloholic]

Mini-bar..eh, if they had that then the the fridges would have no room for stuff guests want to bring themselves.

I would like pay per view as an OPTION. For parents that have kids, it could be as simple as saying when you check in, that you want the pay per view to not work or seomthing.

Free Internet would be huge! Given Disney's resources, I think it would be nice if they offered free wi-fi to to all guests and ran it throughout the grounds.

My personal thing that I don't like? They should have printing center, or at least let you print something to get picked up at front desk somewhere in all the mods an up hotels.

 

[disneymyway]

I'm not sure if this is true for all resorts, but at the Poly the quick-service restaurant is open 24 hours. I remember buying a popsicle there for my daughter at 3:00 a.m. when she had strep throat. I think the 24-hour thing is true at the GF and WL, also.

I know! That's why I was so surprised that the one at the Beach Club was closed at midnight.

 

[The Mom]

My personal thing that I don't like? They should have printing center, or at least let you print something to get picked up at front desk somewhere in all the mods an up hotels.

I never realized how important a business center was until I was travelling after a car accident, and had to keep faxing, emailing, etc with the insurance company and body shop in order to get my car fixed. The same thing happened when I was taking care of my late mother; I had to receive forms, sign them (plus getting them notarized) and fax them back.

 

[disneymyway]

My personal thing that I don't like? They should have printing center, or at least let you print something to get picked up at front desk somewhere in all the mods an up hotels.

I was staying at Poly concierge and asked the concierge staff to print up movie times for us at DTD and they told me they weren't allowed to anymore - that they were told that it was a waste of paper.

I mean - c'mon - those rooms are expensive and we can't get a piece of paper? Stuff like that just makes me crazy.