Have I Become Jaded?

[wendysue]

We said the same thing in 2013 about 2017...and still have not seen enough changes to want to head back. Perhaps it is a brave new world and some of us Disney old heads just cannot ride the wave of the future...I'm willing to accept that the problem is mine and not Disney's. They may be looking for a whole new type of guest and we just don't fit the new demographic. Maybe we are just so in love of our memories of what was that we cannot fathom leaving it behind...either way our dollars have gone elsewhere even though I could write off a vacation in 2018 to a convention attendance in Orlando.

We have been going back and forth regarding our upcoming trip, which is just a couple weeks away now. I agree with this poster, and wonder if this will just be a waste of vacation money. Since we have AP's (which I'm not renewing), we just have a room only that can be canceled 5 days out. We also think that if we have to think this hard on whether we want to go or not, it's probably not worth it. Our memories the first 15 years we went were wonderful, but it really hasn't been the same the last few years.

 

[mitchk]

I don’t know about suing anyone, but if I actually had proof that my credit card was stolen by an employee at a hotel I would absolutely call the police. At a very minimum if there was proof of theft I would expect Disney would want to immediately terminate the employee and would most definitely involve the police themselves. It seems kinda odd to me that the police were not called in this case unless the person just suspected that’s what happened but had no actual proof. My credit card number has been stolen several times but despite having suspicions of the source I never had enough proof to actually press charges.

We had proof, disney said they knew what employee was in the room on the date it was used. The problem was we didn't notice it until we got home. When we called and told them what happened, they investigated it, and the resort called us back with a sorry, and we will refund the money to your card in the next 2 to 3 weeks... that was it. I have no knowledge of if the mouse keeper was fired, or even disciplined. Apparently the mouse keeper found the card, wrote down the card number, then charged $50 to some catalog. If I would have scammed Disney like that I would probably be in jail, or on probation.

 

[POLY LOVER]

So I worked in the hospitality industry for quite a while and studied at Temple University Event leadership program in their school of tourism, although I didn't make it my career I do want to point out a few "truism".

When you are in any type of "customer service" industry, whether it's selling a product or offering a service, First response is crucial. Studies have shown that the vast majority of customers experiencing a problem DO NOT want any type of compensation, what they want is to feel that their problems are taken seriously and that their concerns are being addressed.

When I was in school the famous case studies they used were the Tylenol poisoning incident and the Mcdonalds coffee burn suit.
The makers of Tylenol are the example of handling a horrible situation and coming out relatively well. When the first case popped up Tylenol immediately addressed the problem, reassured the consumer, and mitigated all legal issues resulting in a restored public image.
Mcdonalds is the case of "what not to do". had they simply addressed the womans claims and handle it seriously they would not have suffered the PR disaster they did.

The problem with Disney is their front line staff is ill prepared, disinterested and cannot make any type of decision. Case in point, when you call from your hotel room with a problem you don't even get the desk of your hotel, you get some bs central location. let me tell you I have worked in just about every price point hotel. ABSOLUTELY NO ONE ELSE gets away with that crap. I have a problem with my room and I now have to physically go downstairs to the lobby to get immediate service?? and that's a good business model?? bull.

The reality is HAD the front desk manager shown proper attentiveness and concern, the op probably would not have had to take it a step further. Had guest services swooped in, made an effort and rectified the situation without trying to make crappy excuses (oh it's Florida, of course their are roaches. Seriously??? hell yeah you would have been in hot water with that lousy excuse) I'm willing to bet a huge amount of cash that the 150 would not have been needed.

If you want an example of the difference. My late hubby and I did an anniversary trip to Vegas for my 50th. we stayed at Cesears, the room was gorgeous. anyhoo, a manager stopped by the room about 15 minutes after checking in to make sure our room was satisfactory and my husband jokingly mentioned that the handle on the toilet "jiggled". lol 20 minutes after that a team of bell service arrived to move us up to another room. 2nd room was even more phenomenal than the first. we spent the entire day apologizing to the staff because we were joking. and this happens constantly at Vegas.

With all due respect we really don't know the cast members response, we are getting one side of the story. I'm not saying that their not telling the truth but we were not there and don't really know.

 

[POLY LOVER]

We had proof, disney said they knew what employee was in the room on the date it was used. The problem was we didn't notice it until we got home. When we called and told them what happened, they investigated it, and the resort called us back with a sorry, and we will refund the money to your card in the next 2 to 3 weeks... that was it. I have no knowledge of if the mouse keeper was fired, or even disciplined. Apparently the mouse keeper found the card, wrote down the card number, then charged $50 to some catalog. If I would have scammed Disney like that I would probably be in jail, or on probation.

Does Disney have a firing squad for cases like this? Execution in the court yard would that have been ok. If this is true they certainly dismissed the worker. No need to worry!

 

[eliza61nyc]

With all due respect we really don't know the cast members response, we are getting one side of the story. I'm not saying that their not telling the truth but we were not there and don't really know.

absolutely.

 

[Jedi Stitch]

I'll be honest. I have only been to WDW once. We spent a lot of money and even tacked on a cruse. For our first time, we had a great time. We had a bad experience on the first full day. To be honest I didn't understand the DDP, and our server at the time must of had a bad day and din't do too well in helping us understand. We had out Hangry melt downs. We had the "well thats why you spend more for the nicer resort" when 4 to 1 bus ratio to the resort you are going to compared to the near empty que of the nicer resort with more buses. You do make your own magic sometimes when you have to. I plan to return some time in my life. I bet going to WDW twice yearly or better you would notice the difference more, and might be seeing things in a Jaded point of view. I have been getting Jaded in my Opinions lately, but I just miss Disney. Since you can't have an all inclusive package at DLR like at WDW, I have a harder time being Jaded at WDW. I do read everyone elses posts, but some are just from the do you recall your worst experience, and everyone has one. Unless you're Katiebug, then it shouldn't be that bad.

 

[mitchk]

Does Disney have a firing squad for cases like this? Execution in the court yard would that have been ok. If this is true they certainly dismissed the worker. No need to worry!

I'm not worried, to be honest I was mad, but I got the money back. Was it an evasion of privacy.... Yes. Could I have got the name of the cast member...Yes, from the credit card company. That was gonna take 2 months, and I was already to plan my next vacation, so when my lady at coustmer services worked out the free dinning, I felt no need to take it any further..... I probably wouldn't have regardless

 

[eliza61nyc]

Does Disney have a firing squad for cases like this? Execution in the court yard would that have been ok. If this is true they certainly dismissed the worker. No need to worry!

LOL in reality maybe not a firing squad but in this age of social media, review sites and yelp, companies most definitely have executioners. most small businesses and small restaurants Donot want bad reviews on line

 

[Chef Mickey]

I don’t know about suing anyone, but if I actually had proof that my credit card was stolen by an employee at a hotel I would absolutely call the police. At a very minimum if there was proof of theft I would expect Disney would want to immediately terminate the employee and would most definitely involve the police themselves. It seems kinda odd to me that the police were not called in this case unless the person just suspected that’s what happened but had no actual proof. My credit card number has been stolen several times but despite having suspicions of the source I never had enough proof to actually press charges.

Absolutely. I'd call the police too and make a huge deal about it. I don't like being taken advantage of, but on vacation and by employees at a company like Disney? No. They need to be made example of and it needs to be a zero tolerance matter.

 

[Kamikaze]

My response was directed at the OP. I didn’t read anything about a stolen credit card in that post.

If my credit card information was stolen and was proven it was a Disney employee, I would sue them (Disney).

That would be a waste of your lawyer fees. You would have to be able to prove that Disney knew that the employee stole the card and allowed or encouraged it. All credit cards are 0% fraud liability in the US (its a law). That means you are not responsible for anything someone else does with your card if it is stolen. You would file with your credit card company, complain to Disney about it, and move on. No lawsuits.

 

[Mander]

So I worked in the hospitality industry for quite a while and studied at Temple University Event leadership program in their school of tourism, although I didn't make it my career I do want to point out a few "truism".

When you are in any type of "customer service" industry, whether it's selling a product or offering a service, First response is crucial. Studies have shown that the vast majority of customers experiencing a problem DO NOT want any type of compensation, what they want is to feel that their problems are taken seriously and that their concerns are being addressed.

When I was in school the famous case studies they used were the Tylenol poisoning incident and the Mcdonalds coffee burn suit.
The makers of Tylenol are the example of handling a horrible situation and coming out relatively well. When the first case popped up Tylenol immediately addressed the problem, reassured the consumer, and mitigated all legal issues resulting in a restored public image.
Mcdonalds is the case of "what not to do". had they simply addressed the womans claims and handle it seriously they would not have suffered the PR disaster they did.

The problem with Disney is their front line staff is ill prepared, disinterested and cannot make any type of decision. Case in point, when you call from your hotel room with a problem you don't even get the desk of your hotel, you get some bs central location. let me tell you I have worked in just about every price point hotel. ABSOLUTELY NO ONE ELSE gets away with that crap. I have a problem with my room and I now have to physically go downstairs to the lobby to get immediate service?? and that's a good business model?? bull.

The reality is HAD the front desk manager shown proper attentiveness and concern, the op probably would not have had to take it a step further. Had guest services swooped in, made an effort and rectified the situation without trying to make crappy excuses (oh it's Florida, of course their are roaches. Seriously??? hell yeah you would have been in hot water with that lousy excuse) I'm willing to bet a huge amount of cash that the 150 would not have been needed.

If you want an example of the difference. My late hubby and I did an anniversary trip to Vegas for my 50th. we stayed at Cesears, the room was gorgeous. anyhoo, a manager stopped by the room about 15 minutes after checking in to make sure our room was satisfactory and my husband jokingly mentioned that the handle on the toilet "jiggled". lol 20 minutes after that a team of bell service arrived to move us up to another room. 2nd room was even more phenomenal than the first. we spent the entire day apologizing to the staff because we were joking. and this happens constantly at Vegas.

First response is so important! I'm a former front desk manager and I learned quickly to never offer explanation for "why" something is happening. Like Florida and roaches, my hotel was inside a national park and we had mice frequently (our building was over 100 years old as well). Having them inside was normal given our location and age of the building but we never treated it as such to a concerned guest. Listening and genuinely caring about guest issues is so important for guest facing roles.

Which brings me to what I think part of the problem is- pay in the hospitality industry is awful. I would love to be working at a hotel again but I can't afford to. My husband works as the "manager on duty" at a hotel and his shift floats depending on need. He has years of management experience and four years in hospitality- he makes $10.25/hour with zero benefits. We get by thanks to my job which has better pay and full benefits. It does mean that, at least for now, I can't go back to a job I was completely in love with. I really think that hurts companies like Disney in the long run- when people who are passionate about hospitality can't afford to work for you.

 

[Chef Mickey]

That would be a waste of your lawyer fees. You would have to be able to prove that Disney knew that the employee stole the card and allowed or encouraged it. All credit cards are 0% fraud liability in the US (its a law). That means you are not responsible for anything someone else does with your card if it is stolen. You would file with your credit card company, complain to Disney about it, and move on. No lawsuits.

You don't know me well enough then. Again, I understand how credit cards work.

 

[Kamikaze]

You don't know me well enough then. Again, I understand how credit cards work.

I don't 'know you' at all. Don't care. It doesn't matter. What I posted are actual facts - you can't argue against them. If you'd want to give a lawyer money for a case that is literally impossible to win, you could knock yourself out.

 

[Chef Mickey]

I don't 'know you' at all. Don't care. It doesn't matter. What I posted are actual facts - you can't argue against them. If you'd want to give a lawyer money for a case that is literally impossible to win, you could knock yourself out.

Lol, you're too funny. You didn't post anything factual. The law is way too complex for you to just dismiss a hypothetical case as unwinnable. You simply cannot know that. I guarantee you I would win if I sued them. Facts, you can't argue against them.

No one thought OJ could win either. Except he did.

 

[JIMINYCR]

We see more and more guests complaining about the lack of a pleasant Disney vacation. I really think the problem with most of the issues stem directly with the massive increase of numbers of guests that Disney continues to draw in. They want to add more events to draw guests so there are no slower times, fill more resort rooms to capacity, build more DVC areas and by doing so they put a major strain on what the parks, transportation and CM's can handle efficiently. When you have a specific number of attractions that can only handle a specific number of riders per hour and you increase the volume, the lines back up. When you have a limited number of tables and seats for dining and you increase the number of guests competing for those seats you get guests making ADR's for places they arent happy with. When a food court has to handle more guests requiring meals at a certain time of day youre going to get overwhelmed and lose orders. Buses can only transport a limited number of guests and the turn around times cant be made more efficiently unless they increase their speeding. Then guests complain about long waits and a not so smooth ride.
Its past the time that Disney puts the brakes on adding rooms and adds another park, more dining spots and more attractions to handle guests flow. Along with that they desperately are needing to increase staff that can accommodate the number of guests needs all across the system and stop trimming down their labor costs.
Theres nothing wrong with Disney wanting more guests bringing in more money, (profits keep a corporation running) but they must at the same time increase the ability to service those guests properly.... and thats what they are forgetting.

 

[DisneyDoctor]

So sorry to hear about your lack of Guest Service, but not shocked. Disney has dropped the ball lately in the hotels when it comes to responding to every Guest need. I don't think jaded is the proper word, maybe disappointed. Its only natural, especially if you've been visiting often. I'm a local and have taken two 'trips' to WDW with my out of town family over the last month and I definitely noticed some "meh" creep into my thoughts.

I agree with your assessment about crowds, especially the Magic Kingdom. Its getting to a point to be unbearable. For me it isn't necessarily the amount of people (I expect the world's most visited theme park to be busy any day) but its the complete lack of handling of those crowds on Disney's part. Another thing they irritated me was the insane waits in the FP lines. They sell the product as having little to no waits for the attractions and last week we waited almost 25 minutes in the line for both Pirates and Mansion, unacceptable. On the flip side, the advent of Mobile Ordering has made grabbing a bite to eat a seamless experience. I'm shocked at the response some have given you on the matter, not every vacation is perfect and just because someone's is always 100 percent magical, doesn't mean everyone else's will be. Cheer up and enjoy some other destinations in the meantime

First, how could they do a better job managing the crowds? I'm genuinely curious of your opinion on the matter. You state that they mishandled them, but what could've been done better?

Second, FP is free. They don't "sell" FP on anything. Your long wait could've been the product of a ride breakdown, or really anything. Yes, it's very frustrating waiting long with a FP, but don't forget that certain things may happen to increase both general and FP lines that are out of Disney's control.

 

[NickMaio]

The last few trips we have taken we have also noticed this downward spiral as well. It seems like Dis is trying to always have some sort of -up-sell ticket item - Those God awful tents in Tomorrowland - private areas for people to watch fireworks - Line jumpers who take paid tours of the parks- Extra park hours (if you pay extra). There is a perk around every corner, if you want to shell out big bucks for it.
Theme issues
Starbucks on Mains street USA - Come on - It takes Disney forever to create a new ride, not sure why when Universal can create a new experience every year.
Many of the decisions seem to be based on shareholder interest and not on guest experience.
This past summer we did not go because of many things - but mainly it just did not feel like a good experience anymore.
I have sent many e-mails to customer service over our last couple of experiences. Once we were even given free park tickets. At least Disney cares if you let them know.

 

[NickMaio]

Yes - we need a 5th gate park for sure.
When Disney Hollywood Studios brings in more people than Universal - something is seriously wrong with that picture.
Seriously- take a look at 2016!!!
http://attractionsmagazine.com/2016-teaaecom-theme-park-attendance-report-now-available/

 

[DisneyDoctor]

The last few trips we have taken we have also noticed this downward spiral as well. It seems like Dis is trying to always have some sort of -up-sell ticket item - Those God awful tents in Tomorrowland - private areas for people to watch fireworks - Line jumpers who take paid tours of the parks- Extra park hours (if you pay extra). There is a perk around every corner, if you want to shell out big bucks for it.
Theme issues
Starbucks on Mains street USA - Come on - It takes Disney forever to create a new ride, not sure why when Universal can create a new experience every year.
Many of the decisions seem to be based on shareholder interest and not on guest experience.
This past summer we did not go because of many things - but mainly it just did not feel like a good experience anymore.
I have sent many e-mails to customer service over our last couple of experiences. Once we were even given free park tickets. At least Disney cares if you let them know.

They treat it solely as a business. That is such a sad realization given how passionate so many of their fans are. They take and take, but never give. I don't think Uni will ever take over Disney, but they've got the right business plan, listen to the people and build at a faster rate. To quote the greatest baseball movie in American history, "if you build it they will come."

 

[Animaniac93-98]

For me it isn't necessarily the amount of people (I expect the world's most visited theme park to be busy any day) but its the complete lack of handling of those crowds on Disney's part.

Both Disneyland and Disney World now suffer from the same problem. They've filled in the seasonal gaps and have made the parks more consistently busy, but they have not adjusted park hours, entertainment schedules or staffing levels to reflect this. That and a park like MK was never designed to handle 20 million people a year. Until they start adding real capacity to the parks (and they are, but slowly) and increase their daily operating budgets, it's going to be somewhat of a pain to tour the parks without substantial pre-planning.