Pretty bad trip!!!!

Just go back and i have to say that it was really bad. Stayed at WL and i really think this resort is highly overated. The only good thing that happened was that we got a room with a good view of the lake. Every day we had trouble getting food at the food place because it is simply too small. The bus service was a joke this week. I dropped tons of "F" bombs while waiting for buses. At one point it took about 1 1/2 hour to get to a park. Next complaint on my list is FASTPASS, I know many love it but i really believe it is ruining the parks. I couldn't get on test track with my son because all the fastpasses were out by early afternoon and the regular line is now pretty much secondary and takes forever. I think fastpass is especially a waste of time on rides like buzz lightyear and haunted mansion. Example: On our first day we waited forever to get on buzz light year, but on the night of the halloween party with a line way out the door we still only waited a few minutes. This was my fourth trip since 98 and cost me the most. It was by far the worst. Now we can talk about how many rides are in disrepair. I can't even begin to count how many things were not working!! Most of all i am truly embarrissed because i had 10 friends go with us that i had been telling what great job disney does and every one of them said they would not go back!! I can tell you it will be a very long time before we go back.

 

[PixiePower]

I have to agree with you I hate to say. We were there the 11th-15th and it was by far the worst trip I have ever been on. The only highlight of this trip was the Halloween party. That was great!!! If it were my first visit there I don't know that I would be keen on coming back again. And I have been there in the height of summer! Still trying to figure out why this past week was such a bad trip but it won't stop me-I have 2 more planned before the end of the year. Guess we all end up with a not so great trip once in awhile....it just stinks when it happens!!!

 

[matrtj]

Hay Kunzeworld,

Sorry to hear you had such a bad trip.

I agree with you about fastpass. If it gets so busy that the normal line is not moving they should suspend the fastpass line until the queue dies down.

Which rides were closed? Please don't say Whinnie the Pooh??

M

 

[PixiePower]

Winnie the Pooh was open all last week!

 

[matrtj]

Good news! Now, if they'll just keep it nicely oiled till December... :slurp:

 

[cherrynegra]

KUNZEWORLD, I sympathize completely with your feelings of having a horrible trip. However, may I offer an explanation that perhaps the aftermath of the hurricanes may have affected your trip? I noticed another member reporting that the October crowds were insane and that after speaking with some CMs, found out that a lot of people who delayed their vacations in September due to the hurricanes returned enmasse in the past two weeks. Combine that with the school holiday schedule in England, the Food and Wine Show, and well, it's a recipe for disaster for your vacation.

Now, I certainly can't say that any or all of the reasons I offered were the cause of the crowds. Which seems to be the main reason for your displeasure.
But I would perhaps return again but this time at a different time of year. Perhaps the first two weeks of December. Don't let the crowds rain on your parade. I'm sure you have some good memories from the trip. :wave:

 

[KUNZEWORLD]

I realize that the crowds were partly due to the hurricanes and although i was bummed i got over it but, I also had many other complaints that were direct disney issues. I think the wl is in pretty bad shape. Peeling wallpaper, scratched walls, badly worn furniture in the rooms. I was really let down. I have heard so much about the wl and have to say that i am not impressed. As far as the parks go I am especially disgusted with FASTPASS. My friends waited in line for the indiana jones show and when it opened they let all the fastpass people in and then told all the people in line that it was full!!!! I think in theory fastpass is a good idea but if they really want to make it special i feel it should only be available to resort guest or people who pay. I am told that universal has the same thing but it works much better. I was told that you have to pay extra and that they have seperate lines for loading. I think this is where it fails at disney, because it interupts the regular line.

 

[nibblesandbits]

I kind of have to agree with you on the fastpass thing. While I do like it and think that it is a good idea, I have to say that the way Disney handles it is not the best. I went this past May and both my dad and I were pretty upset with it. We decided not to get Fastpasses for Big Thunder Mountain because it really wasn't that busy and the standby line was supposed to be like 30 minutes. It ended up being a LOT longer because they took all the Fastpass people when they came up (and they always seemed to come up staggered and in humongous group) and that caused our wait to be increased. It really made us upset. We both thought that they should switch off when letting people in either line onto the ride. For example, take some of the Fastpass line and then tell them to wait a few minutes while they let some of the standby line go past. To me that is the only way that is fair. Especially at those times when all the Fastpasses are gone for the day, so you are stuck waiting in the standby line. Ok, enough of my ranting...

 

[Pumbas Nakasak]

I guess the greatest compliants about fastpass are from people who havnt sussed out how to use it effectively. I get upset nowadays when they suspend it or it runs out of tickets. OK its no where near as good as Universals Express access for resort guests but hey they only have three resorts.

WL maybe I was lucky but my room was OK and the resort was lovely though those nasty winds did rearange the shubbery.

I can identify with the break down problem it is increasingly annoying the number of hours E rides are down in all parks, a definate sign that prevenatative maintenance is being cut on ageing attractions.

As for the crowds dont blame UK holidays they start next week and thanks to President Blair its illegal to take your kids out of school interm time, after all Phony all parents get two months off in the summer like MP's

 

[jordanyosh]

I think whenever you take a large group to WDW it is an extra burden on the one who planned or promoted it. You start to look at your vacation through their eyes. The outcome of your vacation becomes dependent on their view of how things went. They generally didn't like it. It would be hard for you not to be affected by their opinions; after all, they're your friends whose opinions you respect.

I think if it was just your family, your vacation may have been much different. The problems may have still been there and you would probably still have noticed. However, they wouldn't have been magnified by 10. Instead of saying "we won't be back for awhile", you might be saying "we won't be back to the WL"

Many others have posted some of what may be some contributing factors to your disappointing visit. Consider it a Perfect Storm of sorts for you.

Your view of your vacation may not change, but hopefully the insights provided will temper your feelings and give you some explanations...After taking 2 large groups of family and friends in '99 and '03, it will be a long time before I go with a large group again. At the very least, I will not be the one "in charge".

 

[Main Street USA]

I wasn't going to post in this thread, but I just can't help it (and I'm bored).

Wilderness Lodge is beloved by over 99.9% of the people who stay there. In fact, most are overwhelmed with it's beauty and size.

Don't you think that MAYBE it's you, and not the resort? Scratched walls? You're complaining about scratched walls? The restaurant is too small? The busses were slow, the lines took too long, fastpass sucks.......oh my god....enough.

...and a few comments on fastpass before I go....

1. Making people pay for line privilages is a joke. The people with money should get to skip lines? How about the people who had to save $ for 5 years to come to Disney? They shouldn't have the same privilages as others? Disney doesn't discriminate like Universal does.

2. You say that fastpass makes the rest of the lines take longer. Well, of course it does. But don't think for a second that if fastpass weren't there, that your wait wouldn't have been listed longer to begin with. Just because oyu see people going in front of you, doesn't mean you're waiting longer than you would if the system weren't there. The people will be in line, regardless of what time it is. There's a system for letting people with fastpass in front of others and vice versa. It works very well when you know what's going on and just relax a bit.

3. As said above, it seems the people who complain about fastpass are those who have missed out on taking advantage of it. You're upset about waiting in line while others pass you with a privilage that you had EVERY OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF YOURSELF. What's to complain about?

Sounds like you're more important than the rest of the park goers to me.

But all of this is just my opinion, and no one asked for it, so just skip right over this of you feel the need.

 

[nibblesandbits]

3. As said above, it seems the people who complain about fastpass are those who have missed out on taking advantage of it. You're upset about waiting in line while others pass you with a privilage that you had EVERY OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF YOURSELF. What's to complain about?

I know that you aren't trying to attack people and I appreciate that as one of the people who was upset by the fastpass process. I also know that this comment isn't totally directed at me. However, to explain my reasoning behind what I had said:

I understand that the fastpass process works very well and it wasn't that I missed out on taking advantage of it, it just wasn't necessary for me to take advantage of it. As I had mentioned earlier, the line SHOULD have been 30 minutes tops even taking the fastpass people into consideration. However, my gripe with the situation is when there are obviously people in the standby line who have been waiting patiently and they let the fastpass people go through (that part of the situation is fine) THEN the cast member sees people with fastpass coming up the line, however they don't let any of the people in the standby line go past. They continue to wait for the fastpass people to get up to the front of the line. That to me is just not the best way to run the system. If the fastpass people coming up the line are not quite to the fastpass cast memeber, that CM needs to let the standby line people go through. That in my opinion is what the standby line is there for in the first place.

 

[Main Street USA]

I know that you aren't trying to attack people and I appreciate that as one of the people who was upset by the fastpass process. I also know that this comment isn't totally directed at me. However, to explain my reasoning behind what I had said:

I understand that the fastpass process works very well and it wasn't that I missed out on taking advantage of it, it just wasn't necessary for me to take advantage of it. As I had mentioned earlier, the line SHOULD have been 30 minutes tops even taking the fastpass people into consideration. However, my gripe with the situation is when there are obviously people in the standby line who have been waiting patiently and they let the fastpass people go through (that part of the situation is fine) THEN the cast member sees people with fastpass coming up the line, however they don't let any of the people in the standby line go past. They continue to wait for the fastpass people to get up to the front of the line. That to me is just not the best way to run the system. If the fastpass people coming up the line are not quite to the fastpass cast memeber, that CM needs to let the standby line people go through. That in my opinion is what the standby line is there for in the first place.

Well, first, thanks for taking my post the way I meant it. It's no personal attack, just personal opinion.

Everything you said makes perfect sense to me, so I couldn't agree more about letting them through, BUT neither of us are sure what the rules are for the cast member. I DO know that there is a reason they do that, and as annoying as it seems while you're in line, there's a purpose that probably makes more sense than our view from the other side of things.

I'm certain there was another thread devoted specifically to fastpass in the recent past, and it touched on the reason for it, but I can't recall what it is. I remember, though, thinking..aaaaaaaahhhhhhh, so THAT'S why they do that.

 

[DDuckFan130]

Sorry you had a bad experience, but I just wanted to touch upon the FP thing again.

I think if you know how to use them, FP's can be your best friends! :lol:. I'll use my experiences as an example. We always use the fastpass for Splash Mountain, and never for Thunder Mountain. So far, the lines have been short this way. At MGM, we use them for RnRC and not for ToT, and it works perfectly. We've used them a few times at Buzz Lightyear or Space Mountain and have ridden the other one with not much of a standby wait. Same thing with Pooh and Peter Pan. Man do we love FP's there when the lines are really bad. And man am I rambling :lol:...sorry! I do think some rides don't need the FP, like HM and Maelstrom and such. But others (especially Splash and RnRC) definitely need them.

My point is, if you can make these little papers work for you, there should be no problem! :wave:.

 

[CAPTAIN HOOK]

I think in theory fastpass is a good idea but if they really want to make it special i feel it should only be available to resort guest or people who pay.

DEFINITELY NOT
You cannot have a two tier park system. One line for those who are willing to pay Disneys higher than average room rates and another line for the poor people.
Next you'll be wanting the parks to reserve exclusive use of table service dining rooms for hotel guests and take away fast food venues for everyone else GET REAL
Fast Pass does have its faults but to have it available "on Payment" terms is stupid

 

[Gucci65]

I have never stayed in the WL, so I don't have an opinion on that. I did however eat breakfast at the Whispering Canyon Cafe & found it to be great!

I can see how people get mad at fastpasses. I use them frequently on my trips and feel lucky that we all have the ability to use them. I do know why people in standby line get frustrated. Last December, my daughter & I were at the front of the standby line (rope holding us back) at TOT and waited 15 minutes (no exaggeration) as fastpass holders continued to file past us into the emply rooms. That was annoying. There would be no fastpassers whatsoever and the CM kept holding us there. Have no idea what their policy is at TOT and didn't want to seem like an idiot by asking. So I waited and waited and waited. Then finally we were allowed to enter a room. Total wait time 40 minutes (25 in the line, then 15 at the rope).

Sorry you had such a bad trip, it will be better next time! :wave:

 

[cru5h]

However, may I offer an explanation that perhaps the aftermath of the hurricanes may have affected your trip? I noticed another member reporting that the October crowds were insane and that after speaking with some CMs, found out that a lot of people who delayed their vacations in September due to the hurricanes returned enmasse in the past two weeks. Combine that with the school holiday schedule in England, the Food and Wine Show, and well, it's a recipe for disaster for your vacation.

Ooh ooh and this is Universal's Halloween Horror Nights month as well. I found accomodations to be harder to come by than last month. Ok..I tried

 

[PurpleDragon]

Last December, my daughter & I were at the front of the standby line (rope holding us back) at TOT and waited 15 minutes (no exaggeration) as fastpass holders continued to file past us into the emply rooms. That was annoying. There would be no fastpassers whatsoever and the CM kept holding us there. Have no idea what their policy is at TOT and didn't want to seem like an idiot by asking. So I waited and waited and waited. Then finally we were allowed to enter a room. Total wait time 40 minutes (25 in the line, then 15 at the rope).

Same thing has happened to me. Look at it this way though, if the Fast Pass system was not in place, you would not have been waiting at the ropes, you would've been somewhere outside in the courtyard. So at least you were within reach instead of wondering how long till you can see the inside of the building. I think the Fast Pass system is great, they just need to adjust the way the CM's are working the lines.

 

[Gucci65]

Same thing has happened to me. Look at it this way though, if the Fast Pass system was not in place, you would not have been waiting at the ropes, you would've been somewhere outside in the courtyard. So at least you were within reach instead of wondering how long till you can see the inside of the building. I think the Fast Pass system is great, they just need to adjust the way the CM's are working the lines.

We did consider it, that's why we kept our mouths shut. It was just funny to be on the other side for a change. I usually fastpass the long line rides, but decided to make an exception. It definately deepend our appreciation of fastpass.

I have seen situations where standby people were screaming at CMs while FP's were walking thru. I feel for the CMs, no telling what would come out of my mouth if I were in those CM's shoes. Better for me to just be a guest! :lol:

 

[nibblesandbits]

I have never stayed in the WL, so I don't have an opinion on that. I did however eat breakfast at the Whispering Canyon Cafe & found it to be great!

I can see how people get mad at fastpasses. I use them frequently on my trips and feel lucky that we all have the ability to use them. I do know why people in standby line get frustrated. Last December, my daughter & I were at the front of the standby line (rope holding us back) at TOT and waited 15 minutes (no exaggeration) as fastpass holders continued to file past us into the emply rooms. That was annoying. There would be no fastpassers whatsoever and the CM kept holding us there. Have no idea what their policy is at TOT and didn't want to seem like an idiot by asking. So I waited and waited and waited. Then finally we were allowed to enter a room. Total wait time 40 minutes (25 in the line, then 15 at the rope).

Sorry you had such a bad trip, it will be better next time! :wave:

That's exactly how I felt. I wish I uderstood why they wait for fastpass people and not let the standby line go by. It really makes no sense, but I'm sure there's a reason.