Just stayed 10 days at WL. Always visited the place and always wanted to stay there, but since I spend 90% of my time away from the hotel and on WDW property, I never really wanted to shell out $3000+ for a place to sleep. Granted, its got tremenous theming and since I've been to Yellowstone and Yosemite, its a fond reminder; but I basically will only be sleeping there. Regardless I took the plunge and booked it.
Now that I have done my thing there, I have to say there were a few things that just made my stay awful. I sent these complaints to Disney:
Why is it that I can stay at a $75/night motel and get a free continental breakfast, but at WL I would have to bump up to "concierge level" for $400/night to get a free pastry? I actually find this insulting!
Fresh brewed coffee? How hard is this to provide?
Roaring Forks? Menu could be printed on a postage stamp and there are only 18 or so tables to sit at. When you have a 700+ room hotel, where are we suppose to eat? The only other place is Whispering Canyons and as most people know, there are more non-hotel guests there and you cant eat unless you have a reservation! Compounded by the fact I can't even get a decent cup of coffee, it made each morning dreadful. ONE breakfast meat (bacon) and it was basically the texture and consistency of the Beggin Strips I give my dog. I can get custom cooked omlettes, french toast, and other things at the moderates and values. At this Deluxe hotel, all I can get is cafeteria quality scrambled eggs and 3 pieces of bacon. Ugh.
Sharing bus services with other hotels is getting ridiculous. At one point, it took 1 hour and 20 minutes to get from WL to Epcot causing me to miss my dinner at Le Cellier. I got through to the hostess stand and they held my reservation, but the only reason I even got there in 80 minutes was becuase I called the WL front desk to complain. And then once a bus showed up, it literally got haflway to Epcot and TURNED AROUND to go to Ft. W since they had also been waiting forever.
Samething happend going to Downtown and coming back since WL shares a bus with GF and Poly. RIDICULOUS!! Took an hour EACH way!
Sorry, but Disney has always been about the attention to details and little things that matter. I just felt that give the Deluxe rating on the place and the money I spent, it just wasn't worth it. The place is beautiful and the grounds/decorations equally stunning, but the lack of "everyday food" and simple creature comforts like a good cup of coffee really were downers.
Disney responded to me by sending me 3 4-day park hoppers and I'm suppose to get follow up calls from each particular section I complained about. Needless to say, I'm super impressed and I guess Disney really does care. Granted it did not make up for the shortcomings I experienced, but its nice to see that I did not get a canned answer from them or any other corporate BS.