The Miscellaneous Thought Thread

[TP2000]

I had a resevation this December. was our first time there. It took us over an hour after checking in for our appointment for us to get in. This is only because I took the initiative to go up and talk to them two different times. Somehow we were forgotten.

No apologies or comps for this. I'm a patient guy but this was just awful customer service.

The line to talk to the person at the host stand is 10 minutes alone and they are swamped.

Inside it's cool and all and we enjoyed it, but service is slow as even during the busy holiday season they only had one waiter.

So tired of Disney constantly cutting staff over the last 20 years.

Pathetic, and yet entirely believable.

Next time you want a tiki experience in Anaheim, try Strong Water. Vastly superior service and experience compared to the World Class Guest Service! at the DLR.

Strong Water Anaheim

www.strongwateranaheim.com

 

[CaptinEO]

Pathetic, and yet entirely believable.

Next time you want a tiki experience in Anaheim, try Strong Water. Vastly superior service and experience compared to the World Class Guest Service! at the DLR.

Strong Water Anaheim

www.strongwateranaheim.com

Wow this looks great! Much better than reserving something 6 months in advance to wait an hour in the cold!

 

[mickEblu]

Wow this looks great! Much better than reserving something 6 months in advance to wait an hour in the cold!

Yeah but is POTC in walking distance? Or you’re hotel room? Don’t get me wrong I completely agree but they can get away with it because not only are we all hooked but you are paying the on property convenience up charge. It’s a shame of course because they used to care about customer service.

 

[CaptinEO]

Yeah but is POTC in walking distance? Or you’re hotel room? Don’t get me wrong I completely agree but they can get away with it because not only are we all hooked but you are paying the on property convenience up charge. It’s a shame of course because they used to care about customer service.

This was definitely not a convenience. We weren't staying in the hotel. We walked 15 minutes from Disneyland to the Disneyland Hotel and then waited 10 minutes to see a host to "check in" to our reservation and waited over an hour to get our table (this is even with me talking to them after a half hour had passed.

Once we left we had to go through security again and walk back to the park.

I don't see any convenience. An up charge is a pricing category, not representative of bad customer service. I paid the premium price for bad customer service.

 

[mickEblu]

This was definitely not a convenience. We weren't staying in the hotel. We walked 15 minutes from Disneyland to the Disneyland Hotel and then waited 10 minutes to see a host to "check in" to our reservation and waited over an hour to get our table (this is even with me talking to them after a half hour had passed.

Once we left we had to go through security again and walk back to the park.

I don't see any convenience. An up charge is a pricing category, not representative of bad customer service. I paid the premium price for bad customer service.

Haha I know. I went recently and their was a huge line waiting just to talk to the hostess and at the same time she was being bombarded with questions from people trying to understand the seating process between Trader Sams and the Quick service next to it.

My point was if I’m at Disneyland and want some Hawaiian food and tropical drinks I’m walking to Trader Sams. I’m not getting in the car to drive somewhere else. It’s still more convenient and less time consuming than going elsewhere. I guess what I was trying to say was comparing restaurants at DLR to restaurants outside of DLR is a moot point.

 

[TP2000]

This was definitely not a convenience. We weren't staying in the hotel. We walked 15 minutes from Disneyland to the Disneyland Hotel and then waited 10 minutes to see a host to "check in" to our reservation and waited over an hour to get our table (this is even with me talking to them after a half hour had passed.

Once we left we had to go through security again and walk back to the park.

I don't see any convenience. An up charge is a pricing category, not representative of bad customer service. I paid the premium price for bad customer service.

I bet you could have taken an Uber to Strong Water round trip for about 15 or 20 bucks. And it's a shorter walk from the main entrance to the Uber pickup lot on Harbor than it is for the walk to the Disneyland Hotel.

You probably could have saved a half hour of time and a lot of headache by Uber'ing off property.

That this is now a consideration for people trying to escape Disneyland's World Class Guest Service! should be terrifying to TDA, but they are too stupid and clueless about their actual product to care.

 

[mickEblu]

I bet you could have taken an Uber to Strong Water round trip for about 15 or 20 bucks. And it's a shorter walk from the main entrance to the Uber pickup lot on Harbor than it is for the walk to the Disneyland Hotel.

You probably could have saved a half hour of time and a lot of headache by Uber'ing off property.

That this is now a consideration for people trying to escape Disneyland's World Class Guest Service! should be terrifying to TDA, but they are too stupid and clueless about their actual product to care.

Oh is it that close?

 

[TP2000]

Oh is it that close?

It's in downtown Anaheim, behind the Muzeo. It's a 2 mile drive up Harbor from the Disneyland drop-off zone. So, with tip, comfortably 10 bucks each way. If you've got a group of more than 3 and need an UberXL, or want to roll in like Mayor McBucks in an Uber Black, it will be a bit more.

On Google Earth, it's a 2,800 foot walk from the Disneyland exit gates to Trader Sam's patio.

But less than half that distance to the Uber pickup area. Only a 1,250 foot walk from the exit gates.

Both options require re-entry through Park Security Screening to get back into the parks.

I would bet you'd save at least a half hour of headache by commuting in an Uber for 10 minutes each way for 10 bucks by going to Strong Water via Uber than dealing with the poorly trained, poorly managed, and poorly performing CM's at Trader Sam's.

And Strong Water is a snazzy yet locally owned small-business run by a dedicated team of hard working young guys. If you had a problem with your drink (doubtful), or a snotty hostess (never!), or a bad table (maybe obnoxious neighbors?), the manager is right there and would jump in to make it right quickly.

As @CaptinEO described, he went up and spoke with the hostess twice while he waited for an hour past his reservation time. And all he got was a tight smile, a big bill, and a corporate "Have A Magical Day!" back in reply.

I'll just put these two things here for future reference...

Strong Water Anaheim

www.strongwateranaheim.com

https://www.uber.com/

 

[TP2000]

I will say, the few times I've been to Strong Water, it's a pretty hip young crowd. I dress up and do my best Mr. Howell impersonation but wear a tropical shirt under my blazer, and the fellow drinkers nearby seem to accept me and are happy to chat. The cocktail waitresses and bartenders are charming, polite and fun!

There's always a Strong Water manager type hovering around like a casino pit boss, just watching and supervising and swooping in to help when needed. I got to chatting one evening with one of them, which is how I learned how dedicated they are to their business. (That's something you don't see at Disneyland anymore. The Dockers-clad managers at Disneyland dining locations now seem to be detached and untrained observers, or look so frazzled and stressed out you think they might snap if you mention your entree is cold or dare ask them for extra mustard.)

Most importantly, the drinks are superb, the food is expertly served, and the environs are lavish and exotic.

 

[mickEblu]

I will say, the few times I've been to Strong Water, it's a pretty hip young crowd. I dress up and do my best Mr. Howell impersonation but wear a tropical shirt under my blazer, and the fellow drinkers nearby seem to accept me and are happy to chat. The cocktail waitresses and bartenders are charming, polite and fun!

There's always a Strong Water manager type hovering around like a casino pit boss, just watching and supervising and swooping in to help when needed. I got to chatting one evening with one of them, which is how I learned how dedicated they are to their business. (That's something you don't see at Disneyland anymore. The Dockers-clad managers at Disneyland dining locations now seem to be detached and untrained observers, or look so frazzled and stressed out you think they might snap if you mention your entree is cold or dare ask them for extra mustard.)

Most importantly, the drinks are superb, the food is expertly served, and the environs are lavish and exotic.

Oh wow. Sounds like a cool spot. We’re going to DL on 4/23 and a making a little trip out of it by staying at the new Westin for the first time. We would totally go check this place out if weren’t with the kids. That’s another thing- you can’t hop in an Uber with young kids. Staying on property is just way easier for a large number of guests who visit DLR. But I’ll the be the first to say the hospitality at Disneyland has gone way downhill and I hope you are right and that they wake up sooner than later.

 

[mickEblu]

@TP2000 then again there is so much that’s difficult to do with young kids. We were so sure we wanted to do a nice vacation this Spring but after a going out with the family recently for a couple breakfasts from hell we decided to hold off. Lol. We ll be doing short staycations for the foreseeable future. I wish the cruise industry wasn’t so strict with their vaccine mandates. They don’t even accept negative tests. That would have been the perfect trip for us right now. Just park your car in San Pedro and your in Mexico the next day. We had swore off cruises too but a cruise sounds like the right trip for us right now.

 

[Phroobar]

Why is Strong Water's concept art better than anything Disney came up recently? I guess they have someone that can actually use Adobe products.

 

[TP2000]

@TP2000 then again there is so much that’s difficult to do with young kids...

Oh, children. I always forget there are many folks who are continuing to replenish our species and thus have different requirements.

Staying on property is just way easier for a large number of guests who visit DLR. But I’ll the be the first to say the hospitality at Disneyland has gone way downhill and I hope you are right and that they wake up sooner than later.

You're right. An Uber off property isn't a good option for many. Which probably helps TDA realize they can continue to lower standards and make the customers go through heck to get anything. Once TDA has captured them on property, why bother?

Why is Strong Water's concept art better than anything Disney came up recently? I guess they have someone that can actually use Adobe products.

That's not concept art. It's an actual picture of the main bar area from some random evening from a Google search. It really does look like that.

 

[Phroobar]

That's not concept art. It's an actual picture of the main bar area from some random evening from a Google search. It really does look like that.

Really? They must be using some kind of light filter. Everything is kind of soft and blended. I'm sure it is gorgeous looking in real life but the background looks blushed and blurred. It kind of reminds me of the old 70's version of the Barefoot Bar at Mission Bay. They had a cave you would walk down into following footprints that would start walking on the ceiling. Great fun for a six year old to follow.

 

[Dear Prudence]

This will be my first time going to Disneyland since they implemented it that Space Mountain and Indy don't have single rider, which almost 100000% guarantees I am not riding either of them. Which is fine, because I can do Indy first things in the morning and never ride Space Mountain ever since it's basically #theworst (sorry, everybody, it makes me sick). I think it's supposed to give me some impetus to buy lightening lane, but it only makes me resent them even more and want to give them less of my money.

 

[mickEblu]

This will be my first time going to Disneyland since they implemented it that Space Mountain and Indy don't have single rider, which almost 100000% guarantees I am not riding either of them. Which is fine, because I can do Indy first things in the morning and never ride Space Mountain ever since it's basically #theworst (sorry, everybody, it makes me sick). I think it's supposed to give me some impetus to buy lightening lane, but it only makes me resent them even more and want to give them less of my money.

You showed them! You only gave them $150 instead of $170.

 

[Disney Irish]

You showed them! You only gave them $150 instead of $170.

I know you're joking, so this is not against you.

But I've noticed over the last couple years (even before the pandemic) that the fandom (and not just this site) has turn against each other to the point where people now call out others for spending money on Disney. Its such a weird thing how there is some perverse desire to be upset that someone is spending money on something that brings joy to that person, almost like jealousy.

Anyways its just an observation, again not against you specifically.

 

[Dear Prudence]

You showed them! You only gave them $150 instead of $170.

I am not paying them an extra $20 to ride an attraction with any expediency when they're literally all falling apart. If they used the money to finally fix the boulder on Indy, maybe! I don't begrudge people who use LL, but I am never using it

 

[Californian Elitist]

I am not paying them an extra $20 to ride an attraction with any expediency when they're literally all falling apart. If they used the money to finally fix the boulder on Indy, maybe! I don't begrudge people who use LL, but I am never using it

Amen. Why would I pay extra money to ride something that was free a few months ago? Lol nothing’s changed.

 

[CaptinEO]

I bet you could have taken an Uber to Strong Water round trip for about 15 or 20 bucks. And it's a shorter walk from the main entrance to the Uber pickup lot on Harbor than it is for the walk to the Disneyland Hotel.

You probably could have saved a half hour of time and a lot of headache by Uber'ing off property.

That this is now a consideration for people trying to escape Disneyland's World Class Guest Service! should be terrifying to TDA, but they are too stupid and clueless about their actual product to care.

This sounds like a great plan. Better yet we'll go there and skip the themepark all together. What a waste of time and walking to go to my hard to get Trader Sam's reservation I woke up at 3am to get.

It's in downtown Anaheim, behind the Muzeo. It's a 2 mile drive up Harbor from the Disneyland drop-off zone. So, with tip, comfortably 10 bucks each way. If you've got a group of more than 3 and need an UberXL, or want to roll in like Mayor McBucks in an Uber Black, it will be a bit more.

On Google Earth, it's a 2,800 foot walk from the Disneyland exit gates to Trader Sam's patio.

View attachment 632649

But less than half that distance to the Uber pickup area. Only a 1,250 foot walk from the exit gates.

View attachment 632647

Both options require re-entry through Park Security Screening to get back into the parks.

I would bet you'd save at least a half hour of headache by commuting in an Uber for 10 minutes each way for 10 bucks by going to Strong Water via Uber than dealing with the poorly trained, poorly managed, and poorly performing CM's at Trader Sam's.

And Strong Water is a snazzy yet locally owned small-business run by a dedicated team of hard working young guys. If you had a problem with your drink (doubtful), or a snotty hostess (never!), or a bad table (maybe obnoxious neighbors?), the manager is right there and would jump in to make it right quickly.

As @CaptinEO described, he went up and spoke with the hostess twice while he waited for an hour past his reservation time. And all he got was a tight smile, a big bill, and a corporate "Have A Magical Day!" back in reply.

I'll just put these two things here for future reference...

Strong Water Anaheim

www.strongwateranaheim.com

https://www.uber.com/

Love when managers are part of the restaurant and are actively involved.

Practically every restaurant we go to in our town we get amazing waiters/waitresses and have zero issues. These are not multi billion dollar corporations either.

So why does Disney get an excuse, especially when "The Disney Difference" (referring to their amazing customer service) was what made them well loved for decades?

The second time I asked Sams if our table was ready (over an hour after checking in with the host) they asked for my name and then looked at their tablet and said "theres been a mistake I need to get someone" and left me and the massive line of people alone for about 10 minutes and another employee with a tablet came out and said they will seat us in 5 minutes.

No sorrys or even an explanation. I assume we got lost in the computer or something?

I never complained or raised my voice as I'm not that personality and I had better things to do, but boy was that a sucky situation! It was supposed to be a fun surprise for my wife as it was something new for us and a place she hadn't heard of.

Thankfully she's patient and calm and didn't blame me for the poor customer service and massive wait we endured. But the "surprise" went over like a lead balloon.