A little dissapointing

[Cubs Brian]

Our just completed 8 day trip was just not up to Disney standards. Now don't get me wrong we still had a great trip and not all of the let down was Disney's fault but most of it was. First of all I caught a nasty virus (Norwalk ?) that had me in bed for 2 days and oldest son caught a bad cold for same 2 days. While I was sick my wife kept trying to get some sani- wipes, explained the situation and kept being told Disney did not have any or use them themselves. 3 different managers told her this. I should tell you that we are DVC members so our rooms don't get housekeeping on a daily occurrence unless you pay extra. So while on the phone with a manager( after a 30 min. discussion) my wife said that she wanted the housekeeping service and she would pay for it. At that point the manager said "oh, I guess we could give you that for free". We weren't looking for free housekeeping. we saw sani-wipes in many different areas of the resort. My wife felt that the mgnt should have taken the initiative and possibly sugg. to have the room cleaned for us. That was our major gripe. But A few smaller ones. Why not have hand sanitizers at the entrance to buffets and foodcourts? I saw a lot(most were not speaking English) leaving bathrooms w/o washing hands. If they can do it on cruise ships they can do it here. Also I think Disney needs to do a better job of screening their employees when it comes to their ability to speak and understand English. Over at the candy shop at the Boardwalk I tried to order a Coke float( it was on the menu)for about 10 minutes trying to explain to Pablo for Brazil how to make it and kept getting a glass of Coke with ice. Very frustrating.

 

[CleveRocks]

First of all, I'm sorry you had those difficulties.

I can't tell if you're blaming Disney for your and your son's ailments. I'm hoping that you're not. Both food poisoning and infectious diseases that affect the gut don't typically develop immediately, they can often take a day or so. It's impossible for any of us to know exactly what caused you to be ill. If it was something at a buffet, it's likely others in your party handled the same utensil or ate the same food, and since you were the only one ill, that makes it more and more unlikely that the buffet was not the cause.

And as for your son's cold ... cold viruses take numerous days to start causing symptoms, so if he was sick very early in your vacation, he could not have possibly caught the bug while at Disney.

I agree that there's no excuse for cast members who interact with guests but are unable to speak sufficient English to functionally communicate with guests. I would also expect management at any WDW resort (DVC or not) to be more attentive to a guest's pressing needs.

 

[Dagger]

Sorry about your experience! I have had similar. A coke float isn't the most common though, is it?

 

[Cubs Brian]

Sorry about your experience! I have had similar. A coke float isn't the most common though, is it?

True it isn't, but they did not have rootbeer. And I'm not blaming Disney for our illnesses, just their lack of concern in trying to help prevent or help minimize the effects. Instead of arguing with my wife and telling her they don't use sani-wipes, they should have offered the housekeeping right away. It wasn't until she talked to her 3rd manager that they said they could not release anything with chemicals to guest. The 1st person she talked to should have told her that.
I keep going back to the days when I was a cast member and if a guest had a problem, Disney was very quick to try and help. Once a family had a flat on their rental car and needed to catch a flight in 2 hrs. My manager over them talking on the phone with the rental car company, told them he would get them a ride. He asked me if I would drive them because I had a minivan. I did, they were very grateful. By the way we worked in food services. And I saw many managers do similar things. You don't see this anymore.
Don't get me wrong we had a very good trip with many pleasant surprises, but it just seems like the customer service has slipped a bit over the years.

 

[wvdisneyfamily]

It's like a curse for me to either get sick while at WDW or come home sick from WDW. It was the worst last year! I brought home on my whole family and they had to go to the doctor. My immune system just gives up when I say VACATION.

That is disgusting that people don't wash their hands. I guess after every trip to the buffet, pull out the germ-x.

 

[Cubs Brian]

It's like a curse for me to either get sick while at WDW or come home sick from WDW. It was the worst last year! I brought home on my whole family and they had to go to the doctor. My immune system just gives up when I say VACATION.

That is disgusting that people don't wash their hands. I guess after every trip to the buffet, pull out the germ-x.

You're right about the germ x but why can't they put up a couple of dispensers and have an attendant there like they do on their cruise ships?

 

[CAPTAIN HOOK]

Disneys washrooms have plentiful supplies of hot and cold running water, paper towels and/or electrical warm air hand dryers. What else can Disney be expected to do about dirty people who don't wash their hands :shrug:

If people don't use soap and water then they're not going to use a sanitary wipe

 

[smk]

Disneys washrooms have plentiful supplies of hot and cold running water, paper towels and/or electrical warm air hand dryers. What else can Disney be expected to do about dirty people who don't wash their hands :shrug:

If people don't use soap and water then they're not going to use a sanitary wipe

Great point. I got the virus and I haven't been in WDW for 3 months, so it is going around. I never go on vacation without taking a pocket size packet of clorox clean up wipes and always have hand sanitizer in my purse. I am a germaphobe and have traveled extensively with kids so I have learned to be prepared. It is always a possibility, when traveling during cold and flu season, that someone will get sick. :shrug: Sorry it happened to you.

 

[Cubs Brian]

Disneys washrooms have plentiful supplies of hot and cold running water, paper towels and/or electrical warm air hand dryers. What else can Disney be expected to do about dirty people who don't wash their hands :shrug:

If people don't use soap and water then they're not going to use a sanitary wipe

If you have ever been on a disney cruise ship you would know that they also have bathrooms with hot and cold water, soap and towels, but before you enter the restaurants you are required to use the hand sanitizer dispenser before you are allowed inside. Even if you leave to use restrooms you have to use the hand sanitizer upon re entry into the dining room. It's a very simple solution and extremely effective.

 

[Cubs Brian]

Great point. I got the virus and I haven't been in WDW for 3 months, so it is going around. I never go on vacation without taking a pocket size packet of clorox clean up wipes and always have hand sanitizer in my purse. I am a germaphobe and have traveled extensively with kids so I have learned to be prepared. It is always a possibility, when traveling during cold and flu season, that someone will get sick. :shrug: Sorry it happened to you.

My wife also always carries that stuff with her when vacationing and I'm pretty sure I caught the virus down there. Norwalk virus has an incubation period of 1 to 2 days and lasts for 24 72 hrs.I got violently ill on our 4th day and was pretty sick for 2 days. The other 3 adults in our party had a much more mild case( only coming out 1 end) for about a day and a half. This post isn't as much about getting sick but rather about disney not wanting to do something to help out once you are sick. Cruise lines are required to report any foodborn illnesses land based hotels are not. Norwalk virus out breaks on ships have become less common, but on land they are the 2nd leading cause of foodborn illnesses. the only procedurely difference is the use of hand sanitzer gel on the ships. Sure we carry some and use it all the time, but unless eveyone does it lessens the effectiveness. And by putting it up front and requiring its use would help

 

[BuddhasHomeGirl]

It's like a curse for me to either get sick while at WDW or come home sick from WDW. It was the worst last year! I brought home on my whole family and they had to go to the doctor. My immune system just gives up when I say VACATION.

That is disgusting that people don't wash their hands. I guess after every trip to the buffet, pull out the germ-x.

Oh my goodness, it is so true! We were "lucky" this year, no one got sick at Disney which is rare! But my Mother got very ill the day we got home, she has been sick w/ the flu for 2 weeks now!


We bring antiseptic wipes with us, I ALWAYS give the room a once over with them, Lysol also sells really small cans now (travel size) I clean all the handles, door handles, TV remotes...etc. We also carry hand sanitizer with us....gotta take care of yourself I say!

 

[marcriss]

I agree with you that Disney has become much less sensitive to the needs of it's guests. It's not everyone, but there was a time when it was rare to have an un-Disney incident or situation occur. I've found those situations increasing over the past few years. It is also rare to find the CM's who take charge of a situation and correct it. Of course when we find those CM's we send a letter to their superiors so that they can be rewarded for it.

I would write a letter to Guest Services, and copy that letter to the manager of the hotel you were staying at (call the front, they should be able to give you a name to send it to). I think the more feedback they hear about the decline in service, the more likely (I hope) that they'll address the issues.

 

[gardenia]

I think writing a letter to Guest Services because management would not give you sani-wipes is beyond petty, especially if you're staying on points. Keeping your villa clean is your responsibilty - you own it. Next time take some down with you.

 

[TURKEY]

Having hand sanitizers as you enter a restaurant isn't a bad idea. However, I don't think its going to to that much good if people won't wash hands after using the bathroom.

I don't think it's worth paying a cast member to hand out wipes.

Plus WDW restaurants are not like a cruise ship. For the most part, people eat at 1 or 2 settings on cruises and have 1 entry into a restaurant. WDW restaurants (quick service anyway) have multiple entry points.

Also, for buffets, do you pay someone else to hand one out as you approach the buffet? Characters aren't going to be that clean. Some people pick noses and at other body parts or sneeze into hands while at the table. You can go to the restrooms and not was at that point after already entering the restaurant.

It just doesn't seem practical or that it would be that effective at WDW.

 

[Emerald Rose]

I am sorry to hear that you and your family were not feeling well during your vacation. I think that it would be a great idea to have hand sanitizers for all to use before dining at a buffet. Place the hand sanitizer right in front of where the dishes are available. What would be the harm? Large groups of people all touching the same serving utensils is such a breeding ground for germs that it makes me lose my appetite thinking about it. Yet I have enjoyed many a buffet. While it may be true there are bathrooms available also and that germs can still be spread other ways (like sneezing) , this is one more safeguard to avoiding illness. As far as the wipes were concerned, I am surprised that there was such a delay in obtaining them. If you saw them used in other areas, I don't understand why they could not be made available to you under the circumstances.

 

[Cubs Brian]

I think writing a letter to Guest Services because management would not give you sani-wipes is beyond petty, especially if you're staying on points. Keeping your villa clean is your responsibilty - you own it. Next time take some down with you.

We did take down a total of 4 packs. But when you have 4 people down with a bug they went pretty fast. And you are wrong, we don't own the villa even on points, I'm sure there are at least 100 other people who use the same room in a year. While I'm there it's my responsibility, but how can you account for the rest of the time. Our complaint as was posted earlier is more about their lack of caring. I hope that their housekeeping scrubbed the living you know what out of that room for the next guest.

 

[Cubs Brian]

Having hand sanitizers as you enter a restaurant isn't a bad idea. However, I don't think its going to to that much good if people won't wash hands after using the bathroom.

I don't think it's worth paying a cast member to hand out wipes.

Plus WDW restaurants are not like a cruise ship. For the most part, people eat at 1 or 2 settings on cruises and have 1 entry into a restaurant. WDW restaurants (quick service anyway) have multiple entry points.

Also, for buffets, do you pay someone else to hand one out as you approach the buffet? Characters aren't going to be that clean. Some people pick noses and at other body parts or sneeze into hands while at the table. You can go to the restrooms and not was at that point after already entering the restaurant.

It just doesn't seem practical or that it would be that effective at WDW.

I'm not asking someone to hand out wipes, just monitor a dispenser. I have worked in several where a host or hostess could do the job in addition to seating responsibilities. And I don't think counter or quick serve spots are the problems, more in buffet lines. And yes the character thing would cause a problem.

 

[diddy_mouse]

To me this whole idea of sani-wipes and hand sanitizer dispensers seems bit extreme for a place like WDW.

While common courtesy and manners dictate that one should wash their hands after leaving the restroom or even before eating, not everyone does it (I'm sorry to say.) Soap is supplied as are touch-free hand driers but some people just ignore them. This could be a cultural thing or some people don't like the soap and prefer to use their own. :shrug: If a guest has their own preference on how clean things need to be, then they should bring their own Purell, Clorox wipes, or whatever else they need. Also think about the backup that would happen at restaurants (especially buffets) if you have people waiting in *gasp* another line just to sanitize their hands?

My point is that there are varying degrees of clean...and I don't think an entire theme park/resort area will be able to cater to everyone's different levels of cleanliness.