Unhappy Disney trip

[imagine]

I want to start off by saying that the trip I am about to discuss wasn't exactly unhappy, but there were unhappy parts, and I wanted to share it with you all, to get your opinion.

My aunt and uncle went to Walt Disney World this past February. They hadn't been to WDW in about 5 or 6 years, and this was the first time they brought their two grand-daughters (aged 7 and 9). Like my family, their family adores WDW and try to go as often as feasible. However, on this past trip, they were very disappointed. They told me that the parks were a lot dirtier and messier than they remember. They said that none of the restaurants they visited were very good, nor very memorable, and that even the ones that they could classify as "good" were way too expensive for the type of food they received. They went to restaurants such as the Flying Fish Cafe (at the Boardwalk), the Whispering Canyon Cafe (at Wilderness Lodge) and Chef Mickey's. They felt that the whole Disney package was a big money grab. Everywhere they turned, Disney was trying to take way more money from them than necessary.

They said that they certainly still had fun, but they weren't as impressed by Disney as they had been in the past. Can anyone that has gone recently comment on this and tell me how they feel about the cleanliness of the parks and the price of items (souvenirs and food) in the parks? I'm going in August (and haven't been since July 2005), and I'm wondering how much the parks have truly changed since my last trip.

[DooDah]

As far as cleanliness, maybe WDW was just having a bad week with the custodian cast members. Everytime we go we are thrilled with the way they keep up the park. As far as the expense... There ain't nothing cheap about Disney World. We budget in other areas of our lives but, when we go to Disney we cut loose and do whatever we want. We don't go to eat, we go to play. I have never been impressed with the food at Disney (except the California Grill). We choose our restaurants based on how much fun we are going to have eating there. If the food turns out to be good, we consider it a bonus.

[xnera]

I went in September 2006. Two disappointments come to mind. First: my mom needs to have coffee every morning, so on our visit to Epcot we stopped at the Fountainview. Service was unbelievably slow: the worst I've ever experienced at WDW. i pointed out to my mom that as this was in between seasons, they may be experiencing a turnover of cast members and that these cast members may be new. Still, it was very disappointing, and we grumbled quite a bit during the wait.

The other experience was also in Epcot. I ate dinner in the Land late one night, and had chinese/japanese (can't recall which). It was not very good at all, and I was quite disappointed. It may have been because it was so late in the day; many of the food stations were closed. If you eat in the Land, I would not recommend this particular station. (I also had a scary moment where I choked on the food; there weren't many people around so I panicked a bit, but luckily was able to dislodge the food myself).

Otherwise, I didn't notice the parks being any dirtier than normal. In fact, my dad and I had a lovely conversation with a custodian while waiting for my sister's family to emerge from their ride. :)

It sounds like your aunt and uncle ate at some of the more upscale restaurants. They may have saved money if they had used the Dining Plan. We had considered it, but decided it was too much food for us, and we planned on eating breakfast in our rooms anyway. We had ADR for lunch at the Castle, Germany's Biergarten, and breakfast at 'Ohana, and all meals were fabulous (especially the Castle and 'Ohana). I also ate at the Sci-Fi Drive-In by myself, and really enjoyed it. My sister and her husband ate at one of France's restaurants and said it was superb.

Disney DOES try to get your money (old joke in our family: "Q: How do you know you're in WDW? A: You get off an attraction and exit immediately into a gift shop."). I would argue that part of the cost for meals is the presentation and service, not just the food. You're buying an experience, not a meal, and that makes it worth the money in my opinion. And besides, I tend to splurge on vacations, anyway. Went to Detroit one year and had an expensive (to me) steak dinner in the hotel's restaurant, which was more money than I really should have spent given my finances at the time, but dammit, I was on vacation! :D

[d_glass_slipper]

I never had a problem while working in 2005-2006, but things could have changed.

The one trip I was always dissapointed with was my Disneyland trip in August of 2006. It was horrible! The parks were dirty, the CM's were too busy chatting about their party they had last week to converse with Guests, let alone stay in character, and the service was horrid everywhere! We ran into only a couple of wonderful and magical CM's. My hat was also stolen from me that I had purchased for my BF, and when I went to Town Hall for help, I got the run around and pretty much called a liar! I was in shock!!!! Never had I had the place that started it all disgust me so much. Sad thing was, that trip, I had decided to become an AP holder.... and I've never once used it after that trip. Sadly, I had purchased the AP in the start of the trip. I even called WDW in hopes I could transfer it, but no such luck. However, the AP people there were very kind.
I will never return to Disneyland sadly, until I hear of a change. Many people I know had similar problems at Disneyland. I am very dissapointed by it, and will only return to WDW as I feel this park at least listens when there are problems. I know when the bathrooms were horrid at Norway and my mother mentioned it to a passing manager, he was on the walkie right away to get it cleaned up. And they did! You will always see a manager passing by at WDW and can always voice your concerns with them. That's what they are there for. :)

[mickeyspal]

Gee I'm really sorry to hear that Imagine. I haven't been there for years and I'm looking forward to a wonderful, magical trip. I WILL's trip report sounded like he had a marvelous time as did DISmick, Brian of Austin, and Space ranger and the Little Princess (except for the Whack-A-Mole Bully). Maybe your relatives just hit on a bad luck week.:sad20: I hope it's not changing in a negative way. - Mickey's Pal:Mickeywalk: :Mickeyear:

[millikin2007]

As a former college program student who worked in Custodial, and who is going back this summer to take up the pan and broom again, I must say that the custodial staff, at least at Epcot, works very hard to keep the park clean. Sometimes cast members have off days, it's hard to bring that "disney magic" to work with you every day when you might be sick or stressed out about other things, but for the most part the custodial staff works as hard as they can to keep things clean. It might also have had something to do with the time of the year that you visit. The park is split up into several sections, so for example hub 1 is everything outside of the front gates, so the monorail station, bus station, etc. Hub 6 is everything around test track. One person is assigned these areas per shift. During busier seasons, some of these areas can be difficult to keep up with. Hub 6 (the test track one) has between 30 to 40 trash cans to empty, and this is on top of walking around sweeping and that sort of thing. Also, a custodian might have to drop what they are doing to clean up protein spills or other special spills, so trash cans getting emptied can sometimes get delayed. I'm not saying this as an excuse for dirty parks, because there is no excuse, it is our job to ensure the parks are spotless. I'm simply saying that sometimes it can be hard for the cast members to keep up, especially when it's busy. They were probably just having an off couple of days, maybe several cast members called in and they were short on staff. This often happened when I was working there. Please don't let this one experience sway your ideas of Disney forever...we really do all try very hard to make your experience enjoyable.

[d_glass_slipper]

millikin2007 - I just want to thank you for doing what you do. It can not be easy cleaning up everyday, but you make the park more magical than you'll ever know. Epcot is where I worked, and it was always wonderful!!!! And you guys were always on your toes when help was needed. Thank you!!!!

[TestTrack]

Definitely! Custodial works very hard to keep the parks clean, I also worked at Epcot, in the Hub 6 area actually, so I know from seeing the CMs there how busy it keeps ya!

As far as the dining, it looks like a few of the restaurants they went to (Whispering Canyon, Chef Mickeys) are more experience restaurants. I think the food there is good, but its not exceptional to make it worth the high price, what you pay for at those restaurants is the magical experience, and we all know Disney is going to charge as much as they can get away with for that.

Disney is a big money grab. Thats just the bottom line, and thats nothing new, though it is getting worse. Its just something that can shock people when they go and dont know to expect that.

[Mouse One]

My hats off to all the castmembers, especially those behind the scenes that never get the credit due. I am always impressed with the ways the parks look. I think the first time I saw the water being brushed off of Main Street was just mind blowing. Awesome custodial staff!!!!

[mickeyspal]

Thank you Millikin2007-Every trip I've ever made to WDW was magical and wonderful and I've always said that there must be magical 'Disney elves' who clean up. It always looks clean to me even though I hardly ever see any cleaners-and there's tons of people! You guys are the best!:yes: - Mickey's Pal:Mickeywalk: :Mickeyear:

[millikin2007]

Aw..thanks guys, it means a lot to know that guests do notice the work we do. The next time you visit a park, please take the time to stop at least just one cast member, custodial or otherwise, to let them know you appreciate them. I can guarantee it will make their day...I used to call my mom when I got home from work whenever someone said something nice to me.

[iWILLgoback]

I have mixed feelings about this.
Everyone knows and understands that a trip to The World doesn't come cheap. Nor is it excellent value for money.
I guess it comes down to WHY you visit. My trip was mostly about proving to myself that I am beating my illness, remembering our previous trips to the CBR when the whole family was there to enjoy it. We didn't go to experience fantastic food; lets face it, the food at WDW isn't great. Ordering a hotdog and fries gets you just that. It's a bit "no frills". We went to experience, well... the experience!

Even the places we ate where the food was par/below par (Backlot Express comes to mind for me, and Peco Bills we had a problem too), it didn't bother me. Would I have been bothered if i was spending x10 more on a proper sit down restaurant? Probably.

I never saw any problems with dirt or litter. Maybe another one of the perks of going in offseason?

To play Devils Advocate to my own post; Disney is expensive. So should we expect the Best of the Best to make it worthwhile?

I'm also wondering if maybe us Brits are more likely to put up with below-par food because of the exchange rate which makes it cheaper for us.

When I returned from my trip, everyone asks the normal questions "Did you have a great time?". For everyone I had the same answer. No. I had an EXCELLENT time. Despite any niggles we had, the Magic makes the holiday.

(Now I had better go and post a couple more days in my Trip Report!)

[Jeff]

sometimes during the peak season at the park it's hard for the cast members to keep up with the guests as far as the cleanliness of the parks go. during the off season times is when it's better.

always try if you can to not buy your gifts inside the parks. it's probably better to head to downtown disney and buy from the $10 and under store there. most of the gifts that they have are no longer in circulation but are just as wonderful as anyothers. plus it gives you a better opportunity to pick up gifts for family members as well.

eating at disney is always tough when it comes to prices. most families will simply just eat a over-the-counter places to keep the costs down. the more expensive places should be held more accountable for the quality of the food. if your disappointed in the quality of the service and food, i'm sure that they have a customer satisfaction cards to fill out. disney is always looking to better themselves when it comes to guests being happy.

[TestTrack]

Disney's guest service email is wdw.guest.communication@disney.com and they really do read everything that is emailed there, if you ever have a problem I would reccomend emailing it and see what happens. It cant hurt!

[mickeyspal]

Dear IWILL.....What is a niggle? - Mickey's Pal:Mickeywalk: :Mickeyear:

PS: Yes please do more of your trip report-I'd love to see it. :yes:

[iWILLgoback]

Dear IWILL.....What is a niggle? - Mickey's Pal:Mickeywalk: :Mickeyear:

PS: Yes please do more of your trip report-I'd love to see it. :yes:

a niggle is a minor irritation. something that went wrong, but didn't really bother you that much.

[lilly028]

yes yes, thank you! i give all the cast members props for what they do.

as far as quality of the food and cleanliness, i think as being Disney fans, we expect things to be the same, if not better then the pervious visit, you know what i mean? if something isn't right, the 'experienced' Disney people will be the first to pick it out. like there could have been Disney newbies there, thinking that the park was so clean and the food was delicious!
welp, that?s my opinion on it, its just unfortunate that they had somewhat of a lesser time.
idk about yall, but i really enjoy the food haha! favorites being: trails end buffet, the plaza, and Mexico!
i think it really does serve its purpose!

[imagine]

a niggle is a minor irritation. something that went wrong, but didn't really bother you that much.

I'm a bit niggled that you haven't written more of your trip report in a while ;)

[Doombuggy]

Hey millikin2007 since you seem to have the inside scoop, I would like to ask a question that has bothered me and my family from our trip this past Feb. There was a guy running a gas powered (read: loud!) sweeper while the park was still open. This guy was inches from park goers heels as they tried to get out of his way on main street. Pretty much ruined the atmosphere. Why would they even think about doing it at that time, intead of after the park had closed? I thought it was just a one time thing but nope 2 nights later there is another one. Can you imagine how loud it is going down main street with the sound echoing off the buildings? As I am leaving the park that wasn't the memory I wanted to have. Ok I guess I've vented enough. Please somebody tell me they stopped this.:banghead:

[Jeff]

most of the time they only use those sweepers after a parade or the fireworks show at the parks. specifically the magic kingdom, since there is a daytime and nighttime parade along with the wishes show that evening as well. it's only because cast members cannot usually sweep up all the trash quickly enough that guests leave behind. but it is not very usual for them just to do it for no reason in the middle of the day.

[millikin2007]

Jeff had it right, they only run those sweepers after parades and fireworks. At Epcot we never got to use them, although we wanted to because they are fun. I believe they start doing that immediately while guests are still leaving because it is unbelievable how much litter accumulates during these times. I think it's kind of a way for Disney to save face a little bit...if it didn't happen, the parks would look really dirty, which wouldn't fit the "Disney look". I don't know that for sure, but I'm fairly certain that's why it happens so soon.

[mickeyspal]

I'm sure that was a lousy experience Doombuggy, but you know whose fault it is? Not the noisy machine....it's the slobby guests who visit such a beautiful place and then carelessly throw trash all over the ground! There is no excuse for such behavior.:nono: - Mickey's Pal:Mickeywalk: :Mickeyear:

[eeyore 204]

i have never seen alitter or dirt problem in disney....i know once while wlaking back from pleasure island i the wee hours of the morning we cut through the marketplace and they were power washing EVERYTHING!!!!!then 1 time i sat down on the curb to watch the british invasion in a white skirt(not my best idea ever) but you know what,my skirt was just as clean when i stood up....i do enjoy the food @ disney @ all the resturants mentioned and most of the others,but i tend to have a weak stomach so the blandish side of food is perfect for me....i know disney is expensive,but i feel you do get what you pay for...a great time,clean rooms and parks and a safe environment to play in.....i feel that i "see" my money going back into the parks and the whole area....am example i like to use @ home is a lot of people here love to go to "montaulk" on the east end of long island,ny....it is boo koo bucks to go there,and the place is falling apart,paint peeling,rooms dirty,and the food is awful,even for me who likes plain food....so that makes me angry,but disney is a lot of money and you get your moneys worth....boy could i go on a bigger tangent than that????LOL !!!!!!!!

[neuonyx]

Sadly, Disney has been on a decline and is falling apart. I have a book about the business aspect of disney. How the customer service is the best in the world, and how they always go 'above and beyond'. I read about the real gold leaf used in the carosel, and how the horse hitches on main street are painted every single night so the park always appears brand new to people the next day.

Sadly this is not the case anymore. Paint is flaking off of the horse hitches and other rides. Concrete is cracking, the tiki room windows have black garbage bags taped over them so people cant see whatever is wrong behind them that isnt being fixed... And to make it worse, cast members have attitudes and are doing less and less.

Basically Disney World is falling vicitim to America's new corporate culture.
Do it quick.
Do it cheap.
Do just enough to get by.
Charge as much as you can.

:(


On a positive note -- Monsters Inc Laugh Floor was a very innovative attraction.. Loved that and was happy to see them doing SOMETHING new. :)
-N

[mickeyspal]

That's sounds depressing....but I'll judge for myself when I go this Fall. - Mickey's Pal

[bambi]

Thats realy sad Neuonyx.... and i hope only hope that it isn't all the time, and you only caught them at a bad time so to speak. Does anyone share Neuonyx's feelings, from a previous trip?

x~bambi~x

[we <3 epcot]

we all went last september/october for our first time and had the best time in our life!!!!. The parks was lovely and clean and the cast members was always so so polite and helpful. Cannot wait to go back !! only 74 days to go !!. Thankyou to all the staff for making our first visit so special and see you august 11th !!!

[bambi]

welcome to the boards we <3 epcot :wave: I;m glad you had a magical trip, and hope it's just the same for your second trip!

x~bambi~x

[we <3 epcot]

thankyou bambi, we are so excited about going back and its months away !!

[DISmick]

The only thing I can say about price is....You Have To Go Into The DINSEY ZONE! the disney zone is where 5 bucks and lower is cheap... I mean you have to open up your mind i mean sure there are things that are well not worth the price then you don't get it. it's all in the disney zone.
-DISmick

[Brian in Austin]

I want to start off by saying that the trip I am about to discuss wasn't exactly unhappy, but there were unhappy parts, and I wanted to share it with you all, to get your opinion.

My aunt and uncle went to Walt Disney World this past February. They hadn't been to WDW in about 5 or 6 years, and this was the first time they brought their two grand-daughters (aged 7 and 9). Like my family, their family adores WDW and try to go as often as feasible. However, on this past trip, they were very disappointed. They told me that the parks were a lot dirtier and messier than they remember. They said that none of the restaurants they visited were very good, nor very memorable, and that even the ones that they could classify as "good" were way too expensive for the type of food they received. They went to restaurants such as the Flying Fish Cafe (at the Boardwalk), the Whispering Canyon Cafe (at Wilderness Lodge) and Chef Mickey's. They felt that the whole Disney package was a big money grab. Everywhere they turned, Disney was trying to take way more money from them than necessary.

They said that they certainly still had fun, but they weren't as impressed by Disney as they had been in the past. Can anyone that has gone recently comment on this and tell me how they feel about the cleanliness of the parks and the price of items (souvenirs and food) in the parks? I'm going in August (and haven't been since July 2005), and I'm wondering how much the parks have truly changed since my last trip.



I'm sorry for getting involved in this thread so late, but since we visited in Jan. of this year I wanted to offer my thoughts. It sounds like they didn't pariticipate in the dining plan, which we did, and it saved us a lot of money. Not to mention that the food at each place, save for one restaruant, was fantastic. I'd like to tell you that we also ate at Chef Mickey's and found it to be a lot fun, though geared more toward children obviously. We did have to wait about 30 minutes, but it wasn't so bad. Yes, they wanted to take your photo before you sat down to eat, but we declined.


As for the parks, we didn't notice an issue per se with more litter or the parks looking "dirtier". Yes, there was work that needed to be done like touch up paint work and the like, but nothing really severe. With cuts in payroll and issues with unions I'm sure those factors played a part in some of what we did see. We were fortunate enough to be able to take part in both the Christmas decorations still being up so we visited the GF and loved it. It was beautiful. We also attended the Hoop-De-Doo Revue and it was great as well and the food was very good.


The level of service was even better this trip than last and all of the castmembers went out of their way with every request we made. We fan into some folks in one of the parks, can't remember which, that were staying at the same resort as we were, Port Orleans, Riverside. (More on the food court there later. ) Turns out the husband had payed for a full fishing trip and invited me along, free of charge. Though I appreciated it I couldn't accept but was very thankful for his kindness. The food court at Riverside was in the middle of a rehab, but again the resort did what they could to offer hot food. And the entertainment in there was great. Can't think of his name, but the piano player is famous for his shows.


To sum it all up, we had a great time and the level of service and the fun we had was even better this trip than our last. Just goes to show that some will take the upside of a trip and weigh out the positives versus negatives and see the glass half full. And the dining plan was GREAT!!!

[Noleen]

I have very few moments at Disney that are bad. I feel sad for those who have. My bad moments have been caused by the pushy guests, however; there is one when 11 years ago at MGM STUDIOS the very first time I saw mickey ever! Mickey told me to calm down. HE ACTUALLY SPOKE TO ME!

[disneyhope]

NoleenMickey actually spoke to you - Oh my Goodness - and asking you to calm down too!Also - DISmicI like the idea of entering The DISNEY ZONE - that's great advice. I'm going to enter that Zone when we visit in October.

I've not really experienced any bad moments and none at all like Neuonyx has experienced/or read about. The parks have always been super clean and CM's have always gone above and beyond any of our high expectations. I know that we as a family expect a lot out of Disney & how we think our vacation should unfold. Having had wonderful vacations in the past - we also want our current vacation to go just as well or even better. So as time goes on and visits grow so do our expectations. Disney & WDW has never failed us. We've not been lucky enough to visit Disneyland - maybe someday. My sister-in-law, her husband, & their 9 yr old son just returned last week from a visit to Disneyland and I can't wait to get their full trip report and see photos.

[mickeyspal]

DISbud, what is the Disney Zone...I've never heard of it. - Mp:Mickeywalk: :Mickeyear:

[Noleen]

DISbud, what is the Disney Zone...I've never heard of it. - Mp:Mickeywalk: :Mickeyear:
Yeah, I have never heard of it either. Mickey did speak to me, and I almost reported it to the "Disney Officials", but I was too embarrised! I was just jumping a little! I never expected to be corrected by Mickey!!:rolleyes2: :sad20:

[disneyhope]

[QUOTE=DISmickThe only thing I can say about price is....You Have To Go Into The DINSEY ZONE! the disney zone is where 5 bucks and lower is cheap... I mean you have to open up your mind i mean sure there are things that are well not worth the price then you don't get it. it's all in the disney zone.
-DISmick[/QUOTE]
Sorry Noleen & MickeysPal - I was referring to the above quote from DISmick. I'm still new to Message Board etiquette. I just thought the Disney Zone idea was a good one.

[Noleen]

I'm sure that was a lousy experience Doombuggy, but you know whose fault it is? Not the noisy machine....it's the slobby guests who visit such a beautiful place and then carelessly throw trash all over the ground! There is no excuse for such behavior.:nono: - Mickey's Pal:Mickeywalk: :Mickeyear::sad20: :angryfire: I totally agree!! :nono: My mom always told me that I should leave a place better than I found it! When I was a kid I thought it was obnoxious, but as an adult, I try to practice her instructions!:yes:

[Noleen]

:lol: [QUOTE=DISmickThe only thing I can say about price is....You Have To Go Into The DINSEY ZONE! the disney zone is where 5 bucks and lower is cheap... I mean you have to open up your mind i mean sure there are things that are well not worth the price then you don't get it. it's all in the disney zone.
-DISmick
Sorry Noleen & MickeysPal - I was referring to the above quote from DISmick. I'm still new to Message Board etiquette. I just thought the Disney Zone idea was a good one.[/quote]

No, that fine, I just thought that it was a specific thing, not a general idea!:lol: