Return to normality tracker

[Casper Gutman]

Hey guys any news regarding the SOUVENIR RESORT HOTEL DELIVERY?
thanks

Yup, it’s fully back at Universal, along with daily housekeeping (they’ve both been back for a long while). Of course it’s going to be slower at Disney because that resort is so much less expensive that they can’t afford… wait… hmmmmm….

 

[MagicHappens1971]

Yup, it’s fully back at Universal, along with daily housekeeping (they’ve both been back for a long while). Of course it’s going to be slower at Disney because that resort is so much less expensive that they can’t afford… wait… hmmmmm….

While I don’t like that Disney has been slow to bring things back, the resorts are two different beasts. Universal has 2 parks, Disney has 4, universal has 8(?) hotels, Disney has 28.

 

[Casper Gutman]

While I don’t like that Disney has been slow to bring things back, the resorts are two different beasts. Universal has 2 parks, Disney has 4, universal has 8(?) hotels, Disney has 28.

And they enjoy massive benefits from their expansive size along with the challenges it brings. If those challenges are so overwhelming that Disney is unable to offer basic services like parking lot trams, regular housekeeping, and package delivery, it’s time for the resort to contract in size until it reaches a point management can handle.

But of course, Disney is just as capable of meeting the challenges presented by the size of their resort as is Universal. They just choose not to. It may change, and I fear it will, but right now Universal feels it is in their interest to offer a high level of service while Disney doesn’t.

 

[mikejs78]

And they enjoy massive benefits from their expansive size along with the challenges it brings. If those challenges are so overwhelming that Disney is unable to offer basic services like parking lot trams, regular housekeeping, and package delivery, it’s time for the resort to contract in size until it reaches a point management can handle.

But of course, Disney is just as capable of meeting the challenges presented by the size of their resort as is Universal. They just choose not to. It may change, and I fear it will, but right now Universal feels it is in their interest to offer a high level of service while Disney doesn’t.

It's a staffing issue at Disney. Uni doesn't have the same constraints.

 

[MagicHappens1971]

And they enjoy massive benefits from their expansive size along with the challenges it brings. If those challenges are so overwhelming that Disney is unable to offer basic services like parking lot trams, regular housekeeping, and package delivery, it’s time for the resort to contract in size until it reaches a point management can handle.

But of course, Disney is just as capable of meeting the challenges presented by the size of their resort as is Universal. They just choose not to. It may change, and I fear it will, but right now Universal feels it is in their interest to offer a high level of service while Disney doesn’t.

Disney has a major staffing issue. And I would rather universal not offer those services and find more hospitable team members, I have been to universal countless times over the past few months and nearly everyone that works there is so unfriendly and disconnected from the customer service aspect of their jobs

 

[CaptainAmerica]

And they enjoy massive benefits from their expansive size along with the challenges it brings. If those challenges are so overwhelming that Disney is unable to offer basic services like parking lot trams, regular housekeeping, and package delivery, it’s time for the resort to contract in size until it reaches a point management can handle.

But of course, Disney is just as capable of meeting the challenges presented by the size of their resort as is Universal. They just choose not to. It may change, and I fear it will, but right now Universal feels it is in their interest to offer a high level of service while Disney doesn’t.

We're coming out of a once-in-a-century global pandemic you lunatic.

 

[Disney Glimpses]

And they enjoy massive benefits from their expansive size along with the challenges it brings. If those challenges are so overwhelming that Disney is unable to offer basic services like parking lot trams, regular housekeeping, and package delivery, it’s time for the resort to contract in size until it reaches a point management can handle.

But of course, Disney is just as capable of meeting the challenges presented by the size of their resort as is Universal. They just choose not to. It may change, and I fear it will, but right now Universal feels it is in their interest to offer a high level of service while Disney doesn’t.

This is really a silly thing to say. As much as I love and respect the work that they are doing, Disney's operation simply dwarfs that of Universal.

 

[Casper Gutman]

We're coming out of a once-in-a-century global pandemic you lunatic.

And Universal was immune?

What Disney’s defenders are saying is that it is relatively easy - or at least doable - to find employees to staff 8 hotels, 2 theme parks, a water park, and an entertainment district while also constructing an entirely NEW campus with a theme park, 3 hotels, and an entertainment district, but it is absolutely impossible to find employees to staff 24 hotels, 4 theme parks, 2 water parks, and an entertainment district while constructing a cloned coaster begun seven years ago and a large landscaping project. Somewhere in there is an arbitrary line between “possible” and “impossible” that even the worlds largest entertainment conglomerate can’t alter, regardless of policy and financial decisions.

This claim also depends on completely ignoring Disney’s behavior in the decades before the pandemic, their repeated public statements, and their continuous pattern of cutting existing employees, especially in entertainment.

But of course, it is absolutely absurd to think that a multi billion dollar entertainment conglomerate could find employees to drive parking lot trams. Just madness.

Let me ask - for how many years do these excuses hold water? Is there any time limit at all?

PS: I know the regular staffing and construction staffing issues are largely separate, but in both cases Disney and its defenders are using the pandemic as an excuse, so I'm combining two ongoing conversations here.

 

[Casper Gutman]

Disney has a major staffing issue. And I would rather universal not offer those services and find more hospitable team members, I have been to universal countless times over the past few months and nearly everyone that works there is so unfriendly and disconnected from the customer service aspect of their jobs

Experiences are subjective and vary. But based on my very copious experience with both resorts, this nasty little dig is so removed from reality as to only be attributable to someone working very hard to see what they want to see.

I was a devotee of WDW for decades. I disliked Universal. I still prefer Disney IPs. But over a little more then a decade, Universals now-excellent customer service and Disney’s decline changed my loyalties. Everyone can have their opinion, but this take seems like pure, rather mean-spirited nonsense.

PS: To clarify, I really try to avoid criticizing front line workers at either resort (or anywhere, really) - in general, I think they are all trying very hard under taxing conditions. However, at Disney they are hamstrung by incredibly guest-unfriendly policies and systems. They are understaffed and overworked. They are sometimes poorly managed. And they are part of a corporate culture that makes it clear the guest experience is NOT a priority and the parks are not something to be proud of. They do a brave job in the face of all those limitations - any failures can almost always be laid at the feet of those much further up the ladder.

 

[Zummi Gummi]

Only popping in here to say that Universal’s customer service/ team member training has improved leaps and bounds over the last 5-7 years. Anyone who had a bad experience there years ago probably owes them another shot. The change is very, very, noticeable. It’s on par with, and in some cases, exceeds, Disney’s.

(Now if they’d just improve their entertainment…!!)

 

[Casper Gutman]

Only popping in here to say that Universal’s customer service/ team member training has improved leaps and bounds over the last 5-7 years. Anyone who had a bad experience there years ago probably owes them another shot. The change is very, very, noticeable. It’s on par with, and in some cases, exceeds, Disney’s.

(Now if they’d just improve their entertainment…!!)

Getting real off topic now, but... yeah, Uni needs more shows, especially in IOA, but with Makeup and Animals they do have far and away the two most rewatchable shows in an Orlando theme park. I wish they had a lot more in that style.

 

[Touchdown]

Getting real off topic now, but... yeah, Uni needs more shows, especially in IOA, but with Makeup and Animals they do have far and away the two most rewatchable shows in an Orlando theme park. I wish they had a lot more in that style.

Not to mention the Blues Brothers Show which is timeless thanks to its soundtrack.

 

[mikejs78]

And Universal was immune?

What Disney’s defenders are saying is that it is relatively easy - or at least doable - to find employees to staff 8 hotels, 2 theme parks, a water park, and an entertainment district while also constructing an entirely NEW campus with a theme park, 3 hotels, and an entertainment district, but it is absolutely impossible to find employees to staff 24 hotels, 4 theme parks, 2 water parks, and an entertainment district while constructing a cloned coaster begun seven years ago and a large landscaping project. Somewhere in there is an arbitrary line between “possible” and “impossible” that even the worlds largest entertainment conglomerate can’t alter, regardless of policy and financial decisions.

This claim also depends on completely ignoring Disney’s behavior in the decades before the pandemic, their repeated public statements, and their continuous pattern of cutting existing employees, especially in entertainment.

But of course, it is absolutely absurd to think that a multi billion dollar entertainment conglomerate could find employees to drive parking lot trams. Just madness.

Let me ask - for how many years do these excuses hold water? Is there any time limit at all?

PS: I know the regular staffing and construction staffing issues are largely separate, but in both cases Disney and its defenders are using the pandemic as an excuse, so I'm combining two ongoing conversations here.

The fact that the staffing shortage affected both parks differently. Disney's staff was decimated because they lost the college program and international program, which Uni had no equivalent for. Both of those are recently back, the programs like that take a while to get to full steam. That meant that Disney had a lot more roles to fill that Uni didn't.

The fact that there is a general staffing shortage everywhere, Not just at Disney. Labor is really, really tight right now across the board. Frankly, until the general macroeconomic labor situation improves I won't hold this against Disney.

 

[dreday3]

I'm not sure why people act like everything is just back to normal everywhere. We are still having issues in all our grocery stores with certain items being in stock, people still calling out all the time/staffing shortages. At our hospital patients still have longer wait times to be seen due to staffing issues.
Supply chain is still a mess.
For whatever reason, a lot of places are still having trouble filling positions.

The after-effects of the pandemic are still happening unfortunately. Try having a pet who needs a special diet, almost impossible to get the food they need.

That said - I'm still waiting for resort delivery to return and I'm just not sure it ever will.

 

[RSoxNo1]

We're coming out of a once-in-a-century global pandemic you lunatic.

I missed the news where Universal fired 30,000 people.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

I missed the news where Universal fired 30,000 people.

1. Universal didn't have 30,000 people to begin with.
2. Disney's layoffs were worldwide. The 30,000 number was not a Walt Disney World number.
3. Universal laid off people.

 

[mikejs78]

3. Universal laid off people.

This. If you do a Google search back to 2020, almost monthly you can find a news story - "Universal Orlando lays off 2000"; " Universal Orlando lays off another 1100". "Universal lays off an undisclosed number"...

 

[MisterPenguin]

Gatherings and 'destination events' are back because of something unnamed that may have caused them to go away for a while...

New Disney Destination Gatherings Helps Groups Reclaim Lost Time, Experiences Together

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (Sept. 29, 2022) – As people look to recapture moments, milestones and memories they missed during the past couple of years, Disney Destinations is bringing together its collection of experiences for groups, from family

wdwnews.com

And they're bigger than ever! Unprecedented Demand!

 

[V_L_Raptor]

As far as return to normality goes...

It's small and it's simple, but I was unreasonably giddy at this. Plant cuttings are now available for purchase from the Behind the Seeds tour desk during its open hours. The small store next to Soarin' has not yet reopened, but I care not, for there are plant cuttings available 30 yards or so away. I snagged a redwood and an orchid cactus on my first sighting.

 

[mattpeto]

Fantasmic! returns put the Disney Comeback Index over 90%! It’s been a long road…

Sitting at 92% with some restaurants returning very soon.