USA Today newspaper delivery to guest rooms to be discontinued

[basas]

Yes I read the newspaper and yes I look forward to having the USA Today delivered. No I'm not surprised they found something else to cut out.

A few of you are mentioning that you don't read it so you don't care. That is the thing about constant "little" cuts (Kevin Yee's "Declining by Degrees") is that while this small change might not affect you (although it affects others, like myself), the next one might, and the one after that, and the one after that. Eventually you end up with a product which is vastly inferior to the one you started with.

Well they did just add 16 new channels including those.

Did they add Fox News? They have CNN and MSNBC, but no Fox!

 

[Dads 2 Boys]

Newspapers in general are going to be non-existant in less than 10 yrs anyways and it's a waste of paper. People are going to get the news from their tablets, phones and wifi on their laptops and get it faster.

 

[MKCP 1985]

Yes I read the newspaper and yes I look forward to having the USA Today delivered. No I'm not surprised they found something else to cut out.

A few of you are mentioning that you don't read it so you don't care. That is the thing about constant "little" cuts (Kevin Yee's "Declining by Degrees") is that while this small change might not affect you (although it affects others, like myself), the next one might, and the one after that, and the one after that. Eventually you end up with a product which is vastly inferior to the one you started with.

Exactly!

If we were talking about the deluxe restaurants deciding they won't bring dessert to your table, but will have a dessert bar available for self service, the concept would be similar and there would be people who could argue against it all day long (a. I don't eat dessert, b. the desserts there aren't any good and c. if it is that big a deal, take a short walk from your table over to the dessert bar and you will end up with the same thing) but it wouldn't change the notion that there are certain services that should be provided at a place calling itself a deluxe restaurant and the failure to provide this for whatever reason is a step backwards in terms of being a deluxe restaurant.

 

[Tigger1988]

Are you seriously complaining because you have to walk a little further to get your paper?

It hasn't been cut, the papers haven't been removed from hotels. Seriously people will whine about everything.

 

[Polydweller]

Did they add Fox News? They have CNN and MSNBC, but no Fox!

Yes, Foxnews was added.

 

[Polydweller]

Are you seriously complaining because you have to walk a little further to get your paper?

It hasn't been cut, the papers haven't been removed from hotels. Seriously people will whine about everything.

Ain't that the truth!!

 

[Biff215]

Exactly!

If we were talking about the deluxe restaurants deciding they won't bring dessert to your table, but will have a dessert bar available for self service, the concept would be similar and there would be people who could argue against it all day long (a. I don't eat dessert, b. the desserts there aren't any good and c. if it is that big a deal, take a short walk from your table over to the dessert bar and you will end up with the same thing) but it wouldn't change the notion that there are certain services that should be provided at a place calling itself a deluxe restaurant and the failure to provide this for whatever reason is a step backwards in terms of being a deluxe restaurant.

But couldn't this be seen as simply trying to cut down on waste? Sure, they might order just as many papers at first to make sure there is one there for each room initially. Within a week or two, they will get a pretty good handle on how many they actually need when distributed this way. It will no doubt be significantly lower than dropping one at every door, and as others have said, many of us just aren't interested.

Whether it is a waste of money or a waste of paper, it's waste either way if it only ends up in the trash/recycling.

 

[Brian Noble]

A few of you are mentioning that you don't read it so you don't care. That is the thing about constant "little" cuts

Ordinarily, I'd agree with you. But, I think of the newspaper thing completely differently. Newspapers are dying. Increasingly, people do not read them. As fewer and fewer people actually give a hoot, then eventually this is the right decision. Yes, I subscribe to two of them, with daily* home delivery, but I am more and more the exception and not the rule.

(*: the WSJ does not publish on Sundays.)

I'm also curious as to know how many on the Declining By Degrees bandwagon also made a point of noticing that the resort recently rolled out "free" wireless access throughout all of these resorts. I'd rather have the $10/day access fee comped than a the $1 "news"paper that is USA Today. And, if I really want the "news"paper, I can walk and get one.

 

[Polydweller]

Newspapers and delivering them to the door are a bit different. They are the kind of thing a hotel does to attract customers, much like hotel's advertised color tv and AC in the distant past. But increasingly people aren't reading newspapers and aren't attracted to a hotel because of that service. Eventually no one will be. So increasingly __hotels are not providing papers and cutting back delivery.

If the service isn't wanted and getting complaints (which are now being heard throughout the industry) why provide it. And, like the odd place still showing a sign about color tv ( they are still out there ) if you continue doing something eventually the hotel is seen as being a bit backward. So at some point as with every out of date service you have to stop doing it and try something else to attract customers, like free wifi.

This isn't really a cut back but a transition from an aging service to something new that people want more. Probably in a year the newspapers will be only in the main lobby and no one will notice.

 

[dave&di]

I've always enjoyed finding a newspaper by my door in the mornings, I liked having a perk for staying at a deluxe resort, could they not ask at check in if you would like one delivered? It would seem most on here are not bothered so surely that would save time and money.

BUT it won't ruin my stay or my trip!

 

[Polydweller]

I've always enjoyed finding a newspaper by my door in the mornings, I liked having a perk for staying at a deluxe resort, could they not ask at check in if you would like one delivered? It would seem most on here are not bothered so surely that would save time and money.

Answered that one back in post 29. It's actually far more complicated and time consuming. And it doesn't attract people to the hotel which is the whole point of any pek.

 

[dave&di]

Answered that one back in post 29. It's actually far more complicated and time consuming. And it doesn't attract people to the hotel which is the whole point of any pek.

Ooops, I read 2 pages and got bored, sorry! I will insist that the GF take a few $$ of my 9 night stay to compensate for my papers in Sept!

 

[rsoxguy]

Ooops, I read 2 pages and got bored, sorry! I will insist that the GF take a few $$ of my 9 night stay to compensate for my papers in Sept!

Bored? With a thread about newspaper deliveries? No! Come on!

 

[WDW1974]

Ordinarily, I'd agree with you. But, I think of the newspaper thing completely differently. Newspapers are dying. Increasingly, people do not read them. As fewer and fewer people actually give a hoot, then eventually this is the right decision. Yes, I subscribe to two of them, with daily* home delivery, but I am more and more the exception and not the rule.

(*: the WSJ does not publish on Sundays.)

As newspapers die (and they are in this country at an alarming rate) and people don't ''give a hoot'' one must wonder what that means for us as a supposedly educated nation and a democracy. Those papers aren't being replaced by social media and twitter and the same story being run by 532 outlets. Those issues are far deeper and much more important than whether Disney places a paper at your door or simply has them near the elevators or the front desk.

I am not sure this is the place for that discussion, but that is one that interests me a whole lot more,

I'm also curious as to know how many on the Declining By Degrees bandwagon also made a point of noticing that the resort recently rolled out "free" wireless access throughout all of these resorts. I'd rather have the $10/day access fee comped than a the $1 "news"paper that is USA Today. And, if I really want the "news"paper, I can walk and get one.

That is a fair point. It's also fair to point out that many chains across the country have offered free wireless for a decade now, so WDW may just be a tad behind the times (and, yes, many of those chains make you walk to the lobby to get a free paper)

~ESR~

 

[Brian Noble]

As newspapers die (and they are in this country at an alarming rate) and people don't ''give a hoot'' one must wonder what that means for us as a supposedly educated nation and a democracy.

Not necessarily. I'd wager that more people have access to (and are consuming more) "real news". It's just not consumed by holding a dead tree in your hands. There is consolidation---rather than hundreds of mediocre newsrooms across the country, there are a handful of very good ones to which most people gravitate. For example: the Wall St. Journal and NY Times in New York, the Washington Post, the LA Times, and a few others. And, some of those papers (notably WSJ and NYT) are making a decent go at actually getting people to pay for it. The local outfits can focus more on local news/events, and with the smaller required staff may be able to make do on advertising and some premium for-charge services. It just might work!

It's also fair to point out that many chains across the country have offered free wireless for a decade now

It depends on where in the food chain the brand sits. The higher you go, the less likely that access is included in room rate. Most of the mid-tier and up business class hotels I frequent don't comp it unless you are in their loyalty program---and usually unless you have status in that program.

Now, granted, most of these properties have had wireless access for some time, rather than relying only on wired. Disney *was* late to the game to add wireless access, and that's especially so in the face of the long-obvious trend to wireless-only devices (pads, pods, etc. etc.) Heck, even the new line of MacBooks has no built in wired port.

 

[C.FERNIE]

when im on hols in another country i always like to have a newspaper, but do not mind paying for it! news is always reported differently across the world and i think it is nice to see another nations perspective with a cup of coffee lol :wave:

 

[GenerationX]

I've been traveling on business for many years. The first notable trend was the switching from local papers to USA Today, and the second notable trend was switching from delivery outside your door to set in stacks in the lobby / restaurants. I'm generally disappointed with the first trend, but OK with the latter.

One of the interesting benefits of staying in another city is reading their local newspaper and watching their local news. I'm so used to reading/hearing my local take on the news that it's cool to read what's important to another area.

I know I'm a dinosaur, but I still subscribe to my local McHenry County newspaper.

I agree with WDW1974 that the more important issue here is the loss of newspapers in general. I appreciate the efficiency in reporting essentially the same events in the same way for multiple outlets, but I doubt that is translating into more time spent on investigative journalism. And living in Illinois (our Governors have a tendency to retire to the Big House), someone needs to be watching.

 

[Brian Noble]

when im on hols in another country i always like to have a newspaper

One of the interesting benefits of staying in another city is reading their local newspaper

There's this thing called the Internet. It allows you to read other areas' news without actually going there.

I appreciate the efficiency in reporting essentially the same events in the same way for multiple outlets, but I doubt that is translating into more time spent on investigative journalism. And living in Illinois (our Governors have a tendency to retire to the Big House), someone needs to be watching.

But, the potential advantage is that the Tribune (which is still a pretty strong paper in terms of journalism) no longer needs to have, say, an international desk, but can instead focus on local issues. Whether they do or not is an interesting question.

 

[NMBC1993]

I look at it like a trade off, wifi for newspaper. Personally, i've never used any of the papers that were delivered but I would use wifi to listen to my podcasts

 

[nyfrenchy]

What's a newspaper?

Sent from my iPad.