Dear Walt Disney World, I would like to apologize....

[EmOhYouEssE]

I grew up on WDW and thought that DL could never meet my expectations. Boy was I wrong. Other than the ridiculous "small castle" argument, DL beats WDW hands down in every way. We live in Colorado and have AP's to DL, wherein we would never invest in them for WDW. It seems pointless as we can get almost everything we can at WDW in two parks at DLR for much less. The overall cosy feeling at DL can and never will happen in MK.

The people at DL may be mostly locals, but people actually say "excuse me" when they bump you, rather than act like it's YOUR fault when they are pushing through the crowd with their oversized strollers trying to fit every thing possible into a few days with overtired/cranky children. You don't see that at DL, as it isn't necessary; they will be back the next weekend.

The CM's at DL seem to enjoy their jobs a LOT more, and I have never had a bad CM encounter at DL that sticks out in my mind. WDW, not so much.

We even had the infamous "ice cream stand closing" thing happen to us, and the CM said that as long as we were paying cash, they didn't mind because they were trying to balance their CC receipts (makes perfect sense to me, they pull the drawer last after closing the CC batch, as most places do).

They have as many rides between DL and DCA than in all four of WDW's parks; most of them better. DL's Pirates literally blows WDW's away, Toon Town (need I say more for those that have seen both????), the DL railroad isn't just transportation, it's a ride in itself, and the theming of the Train station is incredible (you can see where the trains are on the track on a lit board on the wall). In our three recent trips (DL in March, WDW in May, and DL in July), the cleanliness of DL was MUCH higher than WDW. In DL, the people cleaning the streets will stop and chat and do fun things like try to get into your pictures. I've never in MANY experiences at WDW seen that. And don't get me started on Soarin'. I will NOT mention that we've never waited more then 25 minutes to ride Soarin' at DCA, wherein we laugh at the people that wait hours for it at WDW.

At DL, most of the characters can walk freely around without getting accosted by every family in the world (no pun intended). At WDW, there are always character greeters overseeing everything, as it's a mad rush of people pushing their kids in front of everyone.

I am sorry for the OP's perceived bad experiences, but, it seemed quite nitpicky to me. I will still go back to WDW (not as often as DL, but at least once a year) regardless of two EXTREMELY long waits for service and a check at Coral Reef and LTT, the occasional dirty bathroom (it happens..ask Forrest Gump), and the sometimes not pleasant CM. Do a few bad items negate an entire experience? Nope. That only happens with people that are looking for something for free/retribution usually.

Seems the OP was looking for a way to justify not liking DL and found one :shrug:.

 

[Brommy]

And you seem to be doing the exact same thing against WDW

 

[devoy1701]

I grew up on WDW and thought that DL could never meet my expectations. Boy was I wrong. Other than the ridiculous "small castle" argument, DL beats WDW hands down in every way. We live in Colorado and have AP's to DL, wherein we would never invest in them for WDW. It seems pointless as we can get almost everything we can at WDW in two parks at DLR for much less. The overall cosy feeling at DL can and never will happen in MK.

The people at DL may be mostly locals, but people actually say "excuse me" when they bump you, rather than act like it's YOUR fault when they are pushing through the crowd with their oversized strollers trying to fit every thing possible into a few days with overtired/cranky children. You don't see that at DL, as it isn't necessary; they will be back the next weekend.

The CM's at DL seem to enjoy their jobs a LOT more, and I have never had a bad CM encounter at DL that sticks out in my mind. WDW, not so much.

We even had the infamous "ice cream stand closing" thing happen to us, and the CM said that as long as we were paying cash, they didn't mind because they were trying to balance their CC receipts (makes perfect sense to me, they pull the drawer last after closing the CC batch, as most places do).

They have as many rides between DL and DCA than in all four of WDW's parks; most of them better. DL's Pirates literally blows WDW's away, Toon Town (need I say more for those that have seen both????), the DL railroad isn't just transportation, it's a ride in itself, and the theming of the Train station is incredible (you can see where the trains are on the track on a lit board on the wall). In our three recent trips (DL in March, WDW in May, and DL in July), the cleanliness of DL was MUCH higher than WDW. In DL, the people cleaning the streets will stop and chat and do fun things like try to get into your pictures. I've never in MANY experiences at WDW seen that. And don't get me started on Soarin'. I will NOT mention that we've never waited more then 25 minutes to ride Soarin' at DCA, wherein we laugh at the people that wait hours for it at WDW.

At DL, most of the characters can walk freely around without getting accosted by every family in the world (no pun intended). At WDW, there are always character greeters overseeing everything, as it's a mad rush of people pushing their kids in front of everyone.

I am sorry for the OP's perceived bad experiences, but, it seemed quite nitpicky to me. I will still go back to WDW (not as often as DL, but at least once a year) regardless of two EXTREMELY long waits for service and a check at Coral Reef and LTT, the occasional dirty bathroom (it happens..ask Forrest Gump), and the sometimes not pleasant CM. Do a few bad items negate an entire experience? Nope. That only happens with people that are looking for something for free/retribution usually.

Seems the OP was looking for a way to justify not liking DL and found one :shrug:.

Disney World is like another home to me...a recently adopted one because before December of 2006 I had only been over there for a handful of day trips. I love everything about the atmosphere of a Disney park from the architecture and landscape detail to the blending of the area music as you pass from one area to the next to the level of enthusiasm MOST CMs put into their job! Oh yeah...and my recently newfound expensive hobby of Pin Trading!!!

As I said before I have yet to make it out to Disneyland and just put my deposit down on my week long stay for December of 09 (with airfare being so OUTRAGEOUS and only being a college student, it takes longer to come up with the money for DL than for WDW ). What excites me most about DL is that the whole design process from start to finish....and then the constant additions was overseen personally by Walt Disney himself. I believe that factor alone adds something incredible to DL that WDW can never have.

I'm excited about what you said EmOhYouEssE about characters walking around freely over at DL. Something I do miss about WDW is the random interactions with characters that you really aren't expecting to see. The assigned character spots take away from some very magical moments (ie: having to wait 60 minutes in ToonTown Fair to see Mickey). And if you do happen to see Mickey walking through the park and you want to go up to him, usually the character greeters tell you that you have to wait until they get into their assigned position to visit with them. :shrug:

I'm going to hate having to wait in line for an hour when I have kids just to see Mickey! Infact, I just realized I don't have any pictures with Mickey because the waits are usually too long! :lookaroun

Anyway. I Love WDW....I'm sure I'll love DL too...but I'm really hoping for that little extra feeling of Walt magic when I'm over there!

EDIT: I FINALLY reached 500 posts!

 

[flashinghelmet]

WDW cast members get $6.79 an hour. Unless DL cast members get even less than that (dear god i hope not???), then poor pay shouldnt be a factor.

 

[DisneyMusician2]

First of all, poor pay should never be a factor in how your employees treat customers. I know, I've been the underpaid employee and I've waited tables and I still managed to do it with a smile.

That being said, rude CM's can be encountered everywhere, not just at DL. I've seen my share over the years. Not to say thay we don't expect Disney employees to be held to a higher standard, but I have said many times that the rapid expansion of the parks system has more to do with the maintenace and CM trends than anything else.

In DL, the property is simply much smaller and self-contained, lending itself more easily to better mainenance and upkeep in their budget. WDW has expanded so rapidly over the past years that I think too little thought was paid to staffing numbers and what general upkeep would be on new resorts, rides, and areas (forgetting about maintenance on the old!)

And yet people still complain about upkeep and CM's and new attractions, and then yell when ticket prices go up to cover the costs. WDW is simply a bigger park system, and there are always things that go along with a larger system.

As for a previous post about almost every ride being better at DL, open your eyes. The experiences are totally different, and WDW has plenty of superior offerings and theming. I loved my time at DL, but I really think that the parks are much more balanced than anyone would like to give them credit for.

 

[CThaddeus]

WDW cast members get $6.79 an hour. Unless DL cast members get even less than that (dear god i hope not???), then poor pay shouldnt be a factor.

No, you're right. It is slightly higher. However, the cost of living here is MUCH higher. Take for example, apartments. Just as a quick comparison, I ran a search for one in the Anaheim area versus one in the Orlando area. The difference was shocking. The least expensive apartments in Orlando ran $759-$1059 a month, while in Anaheim it was running $1065-$1860.
I'm not saying that is an excuse for poor service. It most definitely isn't. When I worked at Disneyland, I held two jobs...and Disneyland was not considered my primary one. I made enough money there to blow in their Company D (employee store) every week, and that was about it. Disneyland for me was never anything but a "fun" job. I didn't do it for the money, I did it for the honor of being able to say I worked at Disneyland. And because I loved the place so much, I was often asked by guests why I always had such a big smile on my face. And I would always answer, "Because I'm happy to be here." And I truly was. I think you'll find that to be true on both coasts. Yes, you'll find some bad eggs out there. As I've already stated in a previous post, they happen. Someone can put on a good act in an interview, then show their true colors later on. Normally, those people will not last too long, but sometimes they escape detection from management for awhile.
Bad things happen to good people. I'm sorry for Jimbo's experiences on his last trip, but I honestly don't think they're representative of the experiences most of the rest of us have...just as any bad experiences I might have had at Disney World aren't representative of the World as a whole.

 

[tirian]

In DL, the property is simply much smaller and self-contained, lending itself more easily to better mainenance and upkeep in their budget. WDW has expanded so rapidly over the past years that I think too little thought was paid to staffing numbers and what general upkeep would be on new resorts, rides, and areas (forgetting about maintenance on the old!)

You are definitely right. WDW expanded way too fast for its own good, and didn't develop its existing parks enough to handle the sudden Guest increase. The Studios only had four real attractions and two good shows for a decade. DAK opened with three attractions. Ater the TL upgrade in 1994, the MK was left untouched until the refurbs began in late 2004. With the exception of Test Track, all of Epcot's changes just made the park even more outdated—look how much steel trash they have to get rid of now. At least everything is getting the refurb it deserves now. :sohappy:

As for a previous post about almost every ride being better at DL, open your eyes. The experiences are totally different, and WDW has plenty of superior offerings and theming. I loved my time at DL, but I really think that the parks are much more balanced than anyone would like to give them credit for.

I don't understand the DL-vs.-WDW argument either, because they're two different experiences. I'll admit, the MK needs more attractions to absorb Guest flow, but it never needs to match DL because Florida has four parks. California had one for decades—of course all the attractions went into DL!

(That said, I prefer WDW because I would rather have breathing space than crowded attractions. )

WDW cast members get $6.79 an hour. Unless DL cast members get even less than that (dear god i hope not???), then poor pay shouldnt be a factor.

Off Topic: That's super-bottom-level entry pay. Many positions start higher than that. Also, some office jobs start out at the same rate, while some park positions pay considerably higher. Then there are people like me, who sit in front computer screens all day...

 

[mermaid1]

I am sorry you had such a bad time with some CMs who really should not be there. Every place has it's share of rude employees. I saw some at WDW when we went in May.

I don't think that what you experienced is typical. DL has been our home park from when we were kids in the 1960's and we love it. We love how small the resort is. It is cozier and there are MANY, MANY great CMs there. We try to get there at least 3 times a year, cause a trip there is less expensive and we can go for a 3-4 day trip and get our Disney fix. With WDW we have to plan a longer trip, much more expensive and we go only once a yr there.

I am just sorry that you had several bad experiences. I would have been upset as well and gone straight to City Hall. But better yet, write Disney Corporate. They cannot change what they don't know about. Enough complaints about particular CMs, will change things.

As far as getting in line late at a place to get food or ice cream, well, what if 5-10 more people saw YOU in the line and just wanted that last scoop of ice cream to end the night as well? Should they wait on EVERYONE and get in trouble for being overtime. The union at DL is different than WDW's. There are lots of internal problems that the CMs have to deal with from management that we as guests are not privy to unless you have a few CM friends. It is not pretty between CMs and managemant at DL and there are alot of work issues that need to be taken care of. Ithink people should plan better and make sure they are getting to a store or counter service restaurant more than a minute before the place needs to close. Right?
Why should the CM get in trouble for waiting on more people after they are supposed to be OFF the clock and believe me they can get in trouble for doing that!

As far as complaining about the walk from the Paradise Pier, that is just not as big a problem to complain about. Heck, you are going to be doing a LOT of walking at Disney Parks, no mater where you go. And a whole lot more at WDW! I don't mind the walk over to the DL Parks from the Hotel. We stay at PP sometimes, but mostly at the DL Hotel because of its rich history. And we have gone so much that the CMs all know us and treat us as family.

There is so much to love about DL and I wish you had had a chance to see the more positive things about it. Don't give up. Give it another try sometime.
We also love WDW, but for other reasons. It is bigger and has more to do.
We are going to try our first cruise next year and I hope it has as much magic as the Parks!

We love DL because it is the original Magic Kingdom. Yes, it was called that long before WDW's Magic Kingdom came to be. And it has so many fond memories for both DH and me. It is where we grew up loving everything Disney. We have had bad experiences with CMs there too and I immediately report it. I don't think they belong there if they have that bad of an attitude. They should not be treating the guests any other way than excellent and most do.

Give it a second chance. Stay at the Disneyland Hotel. You will love it. The monorail USED to be right at the hotel, until they remodeled the whole area and built Downtown Disney. Now you just have to walk a short distance to the monorail or the front gate of either Park from the DLH. But the whole area is magic and we choose to walk to the gate throught DtD to see everything and maybe stop and get a sweet from the bakery or a hotdog later in the day. I love smoothies and we always stop there in DtD on our way to or from the Parks! There is much to enjoy about DL and I hope you will give it another chance!

mermaid1

 

[mermaid1]

My feeling is that cast members at DL assume that every visitor is a local and perhaps even a dreaded annual passholder. At Disney World the vast majority of guests have traveled a great distance to vacation there. Cast Members are trained to make their vacation special. The "we're on vacation" excitement rubs off on WDW CMs a bit too. This excitement in guests is not as prominent at Disneyland. I think many Disneyland CMs figure that their visitors are there for their 100th day-at-the-park that year and certainly aren't on vacation.

I agree with this 100%. Many of the people visiting DL are locals and have an ownership feeling about the place. It still should not make the CMs act rudely to anyone. But this is true, more people at WDW are coming for a big trip and it is more expensive and a real *have to save for it* vacation. The locals in So Cal have all sorts of specials they can get and some can be very demanding. Not all, but I think that is the pervasive feeling there.
mermaid1

 

[JimboJones123]

My parents used the "remember now, it's the end of summer" on me. I didn't fall for it though. Be glad that at DL that means highs of 84 and 15% humidity. WDW's 97 degrees with 75% humidity makes you think you are in heaven.

Equal to my disappointment in CMs was my disappointment to upkeep at DL. DCA was BEAUTIFUL from top to bottom, but after such a major overhaul just 3 years ago, I expected the place to look a bit fresher.

That and the Bass Ackwards way they run things there.

-Autopia. All guests must watch at least 4-5 minutes of uninteruped Cheveron commercials in the circular walkway before making their way to the final part of the line to the attraction.

-Innoventions. The brand new house of the future that featured dozens of computers to dim you track lighting and change the music in your MP3. VERY LAME.

-Half the AAs on the way to Star Tours broken.

-The total stand still the park goes through from 1hr til Fantasmic 1 until Fantasmic 2 ends (7:30-11, no moving or walking in much of the park, and forget getting ANYWHERE when fireworks start).

-Pirate island that SUCKS. Sure they updated Joe's cave. That was sweet, but that's about it. I don't remember, but Will Turner never owned a Blacksmith shop. He was an Apprentice in the first film. After the wedding was crashed, he didn't ever head back to Port Royale. So why would he have a Blacksmith shop. Unless he gets plenty of spare time between pillages to set up a shop for the team of pirates. Oh, and is the Fort always closed now??

-I had the absolute fastest Jungle Cruise EVER. We didn't hear a line from our skipper til the elephants. After that no talking until the waterfall. We skipped about 1/3-1/2 of the stopping points. We literally caught the boat in front of us before it pulled in.

-I thought they were supposed to add something to the new Space Mountain. It was still basically a giant winding coaster. Sure it was a bit darker, but not really anthing special.



Now, that doesn't mean that some things weren't GREATNESS.

-I officially do not understand the Pooh hate at DL and love at WDW. Everybody says WDW does SO MUCH MORE. That's not really true. Unless the constant sway hives are new, they are fun. It's like the flood scene the whole attraction. I noticed that the Tigger Hop wasn't there. Who gives a flip. We had MUCH more ride audio interaction. More dialogue between characters. Longer scene. Sound effects that complimented the ride scenes. I liked DL much better. Sure, the story order was not correct compared to the film, but it was a better overall ride.

-Splash Mountian has more characters than the 3 bigs in it. This version took FULL advantage of the America Sings AAs. They dumped the leftovers at the end of WDW's, and it will be sad to recognize this fact the next time around.

-Much more variety at CS. Bengal BBQ was AWESOME. More bread bowls too as well.

-DL Face characters were actually interested in their roles. At WDW, you can tell that every suit up isn't quite the same kind of daily auditions that the DL cast constantly works for. These folks really have earned a pat on the back.

-The Animation building DCA if even more superior that WDWs, it puts the difference in Pirates and IASW to shame. I could have taken the Drawing class again and again. TTWC was MUCH longer that WDWs as well. Although I hadn't been on that one for the new building yet. It may be longer now with a bigger theater.

-I got a full back of free tortillias at he factory for my birthday.



It wasn't just at DL though.

Mummy was much weaker at Universal and Atlantis was LAME at Sea World SD compared to their Orlando versions.

We can easily say we aren't missing much by not hitting DL. And I'm okay with that.

 

[CThaddeus]

I know nothing I can write here will make you think otherwise, but I just don't see the same park you're describing...at least not in the negative ways. I was just at Disneyland tonight and while it was insanely crowded, the bathrooms I visited were quite clean, the CMs were all extremely friendly, the AAs in Star Tours were all working just fine, and the Jungle Cruise skipper I had was making jokes throughout. I didn't go on Autopia, but you probably ended up watching those queue videos you hated so much because of something I hate just as much - Fastpass. The line gets held up unnecessarily and thus you are "trapped" in that one area.
As for Fort Wilderness, yes it is indefinitely closed and is now basically just used for storage. No word has been given whether or not it will ever re-open. The rest of the island is fine, though I'm still not happy they felt the need to turn it into yet another ad for the Pirates movies. I feel the same way about the changes in Pirates of the Caribbean, too, but that's another story... I'm just curious, though, what exactly were you expecting? It's really the same Tom Sawyer's Island it always was, just with more pirate themed stuff. As for the Will Turner sign, did that truly bug you that much? Personally, I didn't even pay that much attention to it. I've seen it, of course, but it doesn't affect me any more than any other pirate thing on the island (maybe because I just want it to return to being plain old Tom Sawyer Island).
Innoventions in general isn't the most exciting attraction at Disneyland, but then that's pretty much true of the one at EPCOT Center, too (they have their Home of the Future, as well...at least Disneyland's is more hands-on). Alec Tronic was the last thing I really enjoyed there. At least the Dream Home was something new to visit. The previous lowel level had gotten a bit stale and was really nothing more than just video games. Fortunately, they kept the one good thing about the lower level - Tom Morrow. I could watch that AA all day.
New things were added and many updates were made to Space Mountain. The music was changed, the building was made darker, the queue was reworked, the spaceship above the loading area was redesigned, the effects were updated, and the track was completely replaced (though it's the same layout as always). Sorry you didn't care for it, but as far as I'm concerned, compared to that painful piece of junk at The Magic Kingdom, Disneyland's Space Mountain is a masterpiece.
I don't get the bass-akward management comment, either, but hey, you're entitled to your opinion. You didn't have the trip you thought you would have. You had some bad experiences. If you don't want to come back, no one can make you, but it really sounds like you were trying to find things to hate about Disneyland after the first bad thing happened.
Oh, and as for Mummy and Atlantis, I haven't been on their Orlando counterparts, but yeah, the ones here suck. I'm always amazed when people go on about how great The Mummy is (the movies and the ride!). I assumed they simply cloned the ride in both parks, and I was just missing something.
Finally, to all reading this - one bad experience does not a bad resort make. If you're seriously reconsidering visiting Disneyland or Disney World because somebody (or a few somebodies) had a bad experience, I beg you to reconsider. I've had many wonderful experiences at both resorts, and while there have been bad spots here and there, I never let them overshadow the fact that the majority of my experiences were incredible.

 

[JimboJones123]

I know nothing I can write here will make you think otherwise, but I just don't see the same park you're describing...at least not in the negative ways. I was just at Disneyland tonight and while it was insanely crowded, the bathrooms I visited were quite clean, the CMs were all extremely friendly, the AAs in Star Tours were all working just fine, and the Jungle Cruise skipper I had was making jokes throughout. I didn't go on Autopia, but you probably ended up watching those queue videos you hated so much because of something I hate just as much - Fastpass. The line gets held up unnecessarily and thus you are "trapped" in that one area.
As for Fort Wilderness, yes it is indefinitely closed and is now basically just used for storage. No word has been given whether or not it will ever re-open. The rest of the island is fine, though I'm still not happy they felt the need to turn it into yet another ad for the Pirates movies. I feel the same way about the changes in Pirates of the Caribbean, too, but that's another story... I'm just curious, though, what exactly were you expecting? It's really the same Tom Sawyer's Island it always was, just with more pirate themed stuff. As for the Will Turner sign, did that truly bug you that much? Personally, I didn't even pay that much attention to it. I've seen it, of course, but it doesn't affect me any more than any other pirate thing on the island (maybe because I just want it to return to being plain old Tom Sawyer Island).
Innoventions in general isn't the most exciting attraction at Disneyland, but then that's pretty much true of the one at EPCOT Center, too (they have their Home of the Future, as well...at least Disneyland's is more hands-on). Alec Tronic was the last thing I really enjoyed there. At least the Dream Home was something new to visit. The previous lowel level had gotten a bit stale and was really nothing more than just video games. Fortunately, they kept the one good thing about the lower level - Tom Morrow. I could watch that AA all day.
New things were added and many updates were made to Space Mountain. The music was changed, the building was made darker, the queue was reworked, the spaceship above the loading area was redesigned, the effects were updated, and the track was completely replaced (though it's the same layout as always). Sorry you didn't care for it, but as far as I'm concerned, compared to that painful piece of junk at The Magic Kingdom, Disneyland's Space Mountain is a masterpiece.
I don't get the bass-akward management comment, either, but hey, you're entitled to your opinion. You didn't have the trip you thought you would have. You had some bad experiences. If you don't want to come back, no one can make you, but it really sounds like you were trying to find things to hate about Disneyland after the first bad thing happened.
Oh, and as for Mummy and Atlantis, I haven't been on their Orlando counterparts, but yeah, the ones here suck. I'm always amazed when people go on about how great The Mummy is (the movies and the ride!). I assumed they simply cloned the ride in both parks, and I was just missing something.
Finally, to all reading this - one bad experience does not a bad resort make. If you're seriously reconsidering visiting Disneyland or Disney World because somebody (or a few somebodies) had a bad experience, I beg you to reconsider. I've had many wonderful experiences at both resorts, and while there have been bad spots here and there, I never let them overshadow the fact that the majority of my experiences were incredible.

Yeah, Mummy as an AA mummy and lights the room on fire for one of the scenes. It's AWESOME! Atlantis has a whole dark ride thing going on besides the roller coaster and flume. So it's more like 3 rides in one. The dark ride part is longer than the other parts combined. Not just a lame elevator.

 

[PintoColvig]

My take...
I visited DLR for the first time last year. I thoroughly enjoyed myself far more than I expected especially at DL. DCA was as disappointing as I'd expected. Here's my final assessment...
DL > MK
WDW > DLR

 

[I_heart_Tigger]

Having visted both parks a number of times I have always viewed them as I believe Disney himself had...Disneyland was a great start but there was room for bigger ideas, more improvement and better theming so he bought up some land in Florida.

I have always had a better experience in WDW. DL is a cute little theme park and a great way to spend a day for me, perhaps a 2nd day for the 2nd park but it is not a vacation...it is a part of a vacation.

WDW is a whole vacation in itself. I could spend any length of time there without leaving the property. Perhaps it would be nicer to see the characters wandering around freely as they did years ago but it's not that big of a deal to me and the only major plus for DL.

The attractions are different in both parks in some cases which gives me at least some reason to visit DL but I don't find them so much better that I would make a special trip to Cali. just to see them.

I found the CM's at DL uninformed and bored while the Cm's at WDW are entertaining, all the way from street sweeper, to train conductor to WDW management. I can think of 2 CM's in DL that I found pleasant to talk to (in about 13 visits...that's bad odds) but not comparable to WDW by far.

Walt wanted to improve on DL and he did...and I agree with him when he said "I am doing this because I want to do it better"

If I'm in Cali for other reasons, I'll go to DL but if I want an immersive vacation experience I'll go to WDW

 

[SpongeScott]

I've made one trip to Disneyland (last summer) and I found that the majority of the Cast were just as friendly, if not more, then what we're used to at WDW. To me, it seemed like they really wanted to be there more than their WDW counterparts. But the next time I go, it might not be that way.

Exactly! We did not have one bad CM on our trip last week.

Wow, If it were not for the fact that I have never been to DL, I would like to see what Walt personally oversaw, I'd just as well stay away. I totally love WDW, it sounds like it would be a shock to go from a place where I've never had any problems to a place where the "magic" has gone poof.

There is plenty of magic. You must go and experience it.

Ditto to this... my husband wants to go to DL someday, but all the negative experiences I keep hearing has my putting my foot down. WDW was like a respite from the real world, while DL sounds like it's coexisting with it...

I know that you can run into disgruntled employees anywhere, but the likelihood sounds a bit higher in California. Add in the local misbehaving teenagers (I didn't see any misbehaving folks over the age of 10 in WDW) and I'm sold on visiting only Florida forever.

Pick your foot up and go! DL CM's were probably more pleasant than WDW CM's.

Every CM that I spoke to engaged me in polite, pleasant conversation--everyone. I never heard one CM speak poorly to another park guest.
I read this thread right before we left for our trip, but I encountered the complete opposite of the OP.

Don't let this thread stop anyone from going and enjoying what DL and DCA have to offer.

 

[wesTcoastY]

..I'll keep an eye out for rude CMs.

If you set out looking for it, you'll probably find it.

 

[btwnguy_22]

WDW cast members get $6.79 an hour. Unless DL cast members get even less than that (dear god i hope not???), then poor pay shouldnt be a factor.

Actually WDW starting pay for attraction cast members now is 7.25. A few attractions that involve spieling get a premium. Custodial and several food service and retail positions in the MK get a premium on top of that as well.

BT