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?

 

[kstella]

When I was there over spring break I bought snack stuff ahead of time and kept it in my room. No, it wasn't exactly what I wanted, but it served the purpose. I love the Chip & Dale snack mix, so that was my snack of choice. I agree about the internet, though. In the internet age it would be nice to have Wi-Fi.

 

[kimmychad]

Eh, I guess we're paying for the things Disney does well, at the exclusion of things they don't do well, or don't want to do at all.

Minibars aren't as big a deal for me. A: I don't drink that much. B: Minibar prices = We almost always drive down, and when we don't, we rent a car. We hit a store and get smoe beverages, maybe some booze though not often, cheaper sodas and snacks, throw them in our fridge. Poof, instant minibar. And probably all for the price of two of their little bottles.

We're DVC members so I guess free Wifi isn't as much of an issue for us. :wave: However, I have a motorola Q with internet access via the cell system, so I'm not out of touch. I've even written wdwmagic posts while waiting on line at WDW! And as iphones slowly take over the world (yeah, like most of you don't want one), it'll cease to be as much of a factor for most of us as well. Would make sense for WDW to have wifi everywhere, though. I know, we're suppsoed to leave our cares a world away and all that, but if we're in a situation where we need to be kept in contact, it's nice to have that option. Don't want to keep plugged in, you can leave your coputer at home, win-win for everyone.

And PPV? Meh. Between my laptop playing DVDs and my Archos filled with movies I either ripped (FROM MY OWN COLLECTION!) or recorded off cable (take THAT, ipod owners ), on the off chance I'm not exhausted from the parks, I've got options galore. I was the most popular guy on line at Splash Mountain one trip, playing clips form Song of the South to kids who had no idea what the deal behind Brer Rabbit was all about.

So your issues are not my issues, though I'm sorry you have those issues. And while I see your point - for the money you spend, more amenities doesn't seem like that big a deal, I find my way around those lack of amenities with a minimum of fuss or cost.

What I think would be great (AND WILL NEVER HAPPEN) is for the resorts to offer satellite radio. No biggie, I get Sirius online, and I'm sure some people would ruin it by playing Stern or Shade 45 at top volume.

lol, i wouldn't take an iphone if it was free. love the abuse and water resistance my phone has, if i get it dirty i wash it off. :lol:

 

[sweetpee_1993]

To the OP, you have some good points. Don't feel like you're the minority. I've thought of these issues (well, not the holder-of-the-devil's-tinkle-water one) so you aren't alone.

Yep, if you're a night owl and don't go to sleep until late later or early early depending on the perspective there isn't much to do unless you bring something from home. A book, a deck of Uno cards, a puzzle, etc. PPV would be great for this! 2 summers ago we did a little impromtu overnite stay in Galveston and I stayed up after the rest of the family went to sleep watching Meet the Robinsons on PPV. The PPV could feature Disney movies both current and past.

I also think that if the resorts don't want an eatery open all hours at least have the little sundries shops open 24 hours. They have cold drinks, beer, wine, pre-packed ice cream (I looooove to sit up in bed late at night watching movies eating ice cream), etc. available to midnight munchies crowd. More importantly, the sundries shops have medicines and other incidentals that might be useful for the unexpected things that pop up during off hours.

Free WiFi...OMG...Yes! This is so badly needed! I think I'd be dancing around like the village idiot if this finally became available property-wide. What do I need it for??? Hello.....banking!!!!! I like to see and track everything flowing thru my bank accounts daily at least. Hello. Throw a girl a bone here. I neeeeeed the internet and it ain't just to sit in my room surfing the net all day, I assure you.

 

[Mr Starky]

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?

I read through almost every posting in this thread. Unless I missed it. No one has suggested using your Laptop to watch a movie. If you know that you are going to be up late prior to going. Bring some movies with you and watch them on your computer. If your tech savvy you can even get an adaptor cable and connect your laptop to the in room TV. As far as snacks go. Get them before you get to the room. My wife and I wanted to have some extra bottled water in the room when we were there in 2005. While we were eating breakfast we happen to see one of the managers. We waved him over, one of the nicest guys you have ever met, and asked if he would have, the bottles we had already purchased, sent to our room and placed in the refrig. He said no problem. He took our info and viola when we got to the room that night there was our water. I know this is not as easy as what you are saying you would like. But these minor inconvienences are easily dealt with.

 

[disneymyway]

I read through almost every posting in this thread. Unless I missed it. No one has suggested using your Laptop to watch a movie. If you know that you are going to be up late prior to going. Bring some movies with you and watch them on your computer. If your tech savvy you can even get an adaptor cable and connect your laptop to the in room TV. As far as snacks go. Get them before you get to the room. My wife and I wanted to have some extra bottled water in the room when we were there in 2005. While we were eating breakfast we happen to see one of the managers. We waved him over, one of the nicest guys you have ever met, and asked if he would have, the bottles we had already purchased, sent to our room and placed in the refrig. He said no problem. He took our info and viola when we got to the room that night there was our water. I know this is not as easy as what you are saying you would like. But these minor inconvienences are easily dealt with.

Your ideas are good - but I never like bringing my laptop - I travel pretty light to WDW and don't want to worry about something happening to it. If I had work to do, I would, otherwise, I leave it at home.

I don't like keeping snacks in my room because then I'll eat the snacks in my room, lol. I don't want actual groceries (if I have a whole bad of oreos I might eat a whole bag of oreos). When I am at nonWDW hotels it's too expensive to raid the minibar, but sometimes I take a pack of crackers or a diet coke. I appreciate having it. There are just times I wish I could grab something little. I like that the snack bar at the Poly stays open 24 hours, that's nice!

Again, not big problems, just the way I wish it was at WDW.

 

[Nemo14]

and I think the OP's point was that for what you pay for a WDW resort, these things should be available to you.

 

[disneymyway]

and I think the OP's point was that for what you pay for a WDW resort, these things should be available to you.

exactly - and get what you get at nonWDW resorts of similar price.

But WDW has other special things that nonWDW resorts don't have. I'm just creating the perfect resort in my mind! :lol:

 

[jhastings74]

Last visit I was at Disney I never knew that New England states was having a snow storm. Stepping off the plane in a wind breaker into two feet of snow was not fun.

Although their are not a great deal of choices on resort tv, the evening news and news channels are always available for weather reports..:lookaroun

 

[November Girl]

I completely, totally agree. Make it optional. On the online reservation system, make it a little box you can select. Then at check-in, they can verify age, along with the ages of the others in your room, provide a key if necessary, etc. They can even give you a drop-down list of things to select that you would like inside of it. This may make extra work for our wonderful Mousekeepers, but somehow, I could see it working.

The above is a quote from a previous poster, but couldn't figure out how else to copy it...

It's a great idea. I would love to be given a checklist of maybe a dozen choices to have my room frig stocked with when I arrive. I'd be willing to pre-pay for the lot of them, just for the convenience. Some sodas, some beer, a carton of milk for my daughter. Maybe some cheese sticks and some chips. If these items were exclusive to the resorts (maybe just labelled to match the resort) I'm sure they'd be a huge hit!

 

[yankspy]

Your ideas are good - but I never like bringing my laptop - I travel pretty light to WDW and don't want to worry about something happening to it. If I had work to do, I would, otherwise, I leave it at home.

I don't like keeping snacks in my room because then I'll eat the snacks in my room, lol. I don't want actual groceries (if I have a whole bad of oreos I might eat a whole bag of oreos). When I am at nonWDW hotels it's too expensive to raid the minibar, but sometimes I take a pack of crackers or a diet coke. I appreciate having it. There are just times I wish I could grab something little. I like that the snack bar at the Poly stays open 24 hours, that's nice!

Again, not big problems, just the way I wish it was at WDW.

I will generally stop at the confectionery or a country in Epcot, etc. before returning to the hotel for the night. I like my second dessert when I am at WDW.:slurp:

 

[jmicro59]

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

DVC members get free internet access. All day every day.
Ummm... anyone know if spending $$$$ for 5000 DVC points is worth getting free internet access?? Anyone? Bueller, Bueller?

 

[jmicro59]

I was just saying in a private message to someone - and I think it bears repeating - I hope no one thinks this is a huge deal for me. I just felt like starting a discussion.

Lots of times my daughter and I talk about what we'd do if we were in charge of WDW - once my daughter said she'd outlaw strollers - but that's another topic that would cause lively discussion - and for another day!

I'm going out now. I was doing some boring work at the computer today and you all helped me through it! Thanks for the conversation!!!

DMW, don't let the people on this board give you any caca.
You've been here awhile so you know starting a discussion on here is at best a daunting task. As most "discussions" turn into to juvenile name calling, chest thumping "I'm a CM bull caca" and then a MOD locks it up and we've wasted a whole day on nothing. Good thing I work from home or my boss would kill me for wasting a whole day on nothing. :lookaroun
Have a cold one for me from your mini-bar and watch some good on your PPV. Like the Mom said, it's just so wrong to watch at WDW. And that my friends is what makes it soooo good. :ROFLOL:

 

[slappy magoo]

Just doing some more Devil's Advocate crapola. Most of the resorts' TV sets have AV inputs in the front that allow you to hook up some portable electronics, be it a camcorder, a video game system, a MP3/Portable Media Player...OR a DVD player.

Amazon and many brick-and-mortar stores have space-saving bare-bones DVD players for less than 30 dollars. Many of them are about the size of an average hard-back book, not inconsequential, but something you can throw in your luggage, and even if something goes wrong with it...it's less than 30 dollars. A sad commentary on our disposable society, but really, you're not losing much. You could also buy one, have it delivered to you AT WDW, then stow it with your baggage for the trip home, at which point, if you break it, trip's over anyway. Considering that most DVD rentals seem to go for 5 bucks, you can bring 6 of your own DVDs with you to WDW, buy one of those DVD players, and it more or less breaks even.

For more money, you can opt to buy portable DVD players with its own screen. It'll still hook up to the TV, but this gives you an option to watch in bed with headphones, and not disturb anyone else. You can find portable players for less than a hundred (I've seen models at amazon for 85).

And at the risk of sounding like a shill, instead of an ipod, I own a portable media player called an Archos. They start at 150 dollars (low memory, but can read flash cards) and the newest models go all the way up to 320 gb of memory And amongst the optional accessories is a DVR dock that not only allows you to play audio and video on a TV, it also allows you to record from any source - cable, tivo, dvd player, vhs tape, camcorder, whatever. There are also portable AV output cradles, external batteries that ALSO work as AV outputs, and portable DVR stations. I often record older Disney movies when they air on Turner Classic movies and watch 'em on my Archos during my commute to and from work, not to mention other movies and TV shows. It's not a great deal if you happen to have purchased a lot of itunes music, but for anyone else, especially if you like to have a lot of video to choose from, it rocks. Of course, it's not as cheap as one of those DVD players, but it's much more portable. Rip YOUR movies using handbrake, you've got options galore.

 

[artbell2]

I tend to agree with Disneymyway's points. I think resorts ought to have more around the clock services at least during peak seasons if nothing else. I work 3 jobs and end up eating very late. It's rather sad to have to fend for yourself and not have somebody fix you something. If Disney really wants to push this new celebrations promo through 2009 they better be ready!

 

[disneymyway]

DMW, don't let the people on this board give you any caca.
You've been here awhile so you know starting a discussion on here is at best a daunting task. As most "discussions" turn into to juvenile name calling, chest thumping "I'm a CM bull caca" and then a MOD locks it up and we've wasted a whole day on nothing. Good thing I work from home or my boss would kill me for wasting a whole day on nothing. :lookaroun
Have a cold one for me from your mini-bar and watch some good on your PPV. Like the Mom said, it's just so wrong to watch at WDW. And that my friends is what makes it soooo good. :ROFLOL:

Thank you! But don't worry, I don't scare easy! :ROFLOL: I knew this topic would create some emotion - that's why I said I was trying to provoke a discussion in the original post - it's fun to see what people will say if you criticize WDW.

The person who made a jab at my avatar, while I think she of he did so only because they did not like what I was saying, but didn't really have anything constructive or intelligent to say and therefore lashed out, I think they may have a point and I may change it. So, I know whoever that was was just trying to tick me off, but I think they may have helped me! Thanks!

 

[Pumbas Nakasak]

Being as I always stock up on a few hello cheekys on route to WDW I cant say Im overly bothered about the lack of availability of an over priced mini bar. I do agree that late night food offerings are severely lacking, and it seems once per trip I have to jump in the car and go of in search of a 24 hour eatery or the nearby Walmart (although this goes against the grain.

Sometimes it would just be nice to actually have that option.

 

[PeterPan1985]

Ha!

It would be nice to get an escort to your room after check-in. Has anyone else been lost trying to find your room after checking in?

YES! I hate to admit it, but I found myself wandering aimlessly for about a half hour once, trying to locate my room.

 

[jmicro59]

Just doing some more Devil's Advocate crapola. Most of the resorts' TV sets have AV inputs in the front that allow you to hook up some portable electronics, be it a camcorder, a video game system, a MP3/Portable Media Player...OR a DVD player.

Amazon and many brick-and-mortar stores have space-saving bare-bones DVD players for less than 30 dollars. Many of them are about the size of an average hard-back book, not inconsequential, but something you can throw in your luggage, and even if something goes wrong with it...it's less than 30 dollars. A sad commentary on our disposable society, but really, you're not losing much. You could also buy one, have it delivered to you AT WDW, then stow it with your baggage for the trip home, at which point, if you break it, trip's over anyway. Considering that most DVD rentals seem to go for 5 bucks, you can bring 6 of your own DVDs with you to WDW, buy one of those DVD players, and it more or less breaks even.

For more money, you can opt to buy portable DVD players with its own screen. It'll still hook up to the TV, but this gives you an option to watch in bed with headphones, and not disturb anyone else. You can find portable players for less than a hundred (I've seen models at amazon for 85).

And at the risk of sounding like a shill, instead of an ipod, I own a portable media player called an Archos. They start at 150 dollars (low memory, but can read flash cards) and the newest models go all the way up to 320 gb of memory And amongst the optional accessories is a DVR dock that not only allows you to play audio and video on a TV, it also allows you to record from any source - cable, tivo, dvd player, vhs tape, camcorder, whatever. There are also portable AV output cradles, external batteries that ALSO work as AV outputs, and portable DVR stations. I often record older Disney movies when they air on Turner Classic movies and watch 'em on my Archos during my commute to and from work, not to mention other movies and TV shows. It's not a great deal if you happen to have purchased a lot of itunes music, but for anyone else, especially if you like to have a lot of video to choose from, it rocks. Of course, it's not as cheap as one of those DVD players, but it's much more portable. Rip YOUR movies using handbrake, you've got options galore.

Much easier, IMO to use a slingbox. When we hit WDW during hockey season, we stream HNIC games from our home to our WDW room via the internet.
We rip our DVD's to our server then make that available to the slingbox as well as our MP3's. We tried the portable media player and it just didn't work out for us that well.

 

[jmicro59]

YES! I hate to admit it, but I found myself wandering aimlessly for about a half hour once, trying to locate my room.

Hate to admit this but, even after all of our WDW trips there are still times I just can't find my freaking room. Must be a Canadian thing. :ROFLOL:

 

[jmicro59]

Thank you! But don't worry, I don't scare easy! :ROFLOL: I knew this topic would create some emotion - that's why I said I was trying to provoke a discussion in the original post - it's fun to see what people will say if you criticize WDW.

You criticized WDW?!?!?!? That's it you're off my christmas card list. :ROFLOL: