Letter to Disney - Walt Disney Boards - Message Boards & Forum Discussing The Genius Of Walter Elias Disney!

kathiewe · #1 (**permalink**) 10-23-2009, 01:49 PM

Thanks to Tim I took the time to write a long and detailed letter to Disney about some of the miscues from our vacation. I recieved an automated response that it will be followed up within 10 days -- longer if it needs to be directed to someone special.

Here's hoping they do follow up. Has anyone else had Disney follow up on a letter. If so can you discuss the issues and what was done. I'm torn about what I want them to do -- or if it is just one of those things you file under lessons learned and promise to not let them happen again.

In summary here are the 6 issues I brought to their attention

1) Cancellation with single special event tickets. Believe it or not Disney cannot cancel a singel special event ticket from a reservation -- or at least not easily or well. So when we went to cancel 1 Luau ticket they cancelled the whole thing and then rebooked the tickets for the rest of the group. Unfortunately we didn't bring that credit card with us so they put the re-charge on our room. This was a problem because we had a strict limit on this vacation and only had enough room on the card to meet that budget. My husband went nuts when he saw the bill.....

2) Group seating. I already mentioned this in our trip reports. Large group. Multiple tables. Multiple servers. Results in chaos -- oh and an overcharged bill. This happended 2x then we just cancelled our large group events and did our own thing for meals. In the end we ended up not seeing my sisters as often as we planned as their kids were older and wanted to do/see things that Brenden couldn't. We knew this going in which is why we planned to do meals together, but when meals end in frustration and chaos it just isn't worth it.

3) Luau seating. We bought the most expensive seats with the intent of getting the best seats. Wrong. We were sat behind 8 other people and had a very obscured view. What worse is I am short and they were tall.

4) Food quality. Not sure what is was but the quality and taste of the food was not there. I couldn't tell you 1 very good -- or even better than average -- meal. Even Le'Cellier and Tokyo Dining were lacking. Also the special meals were expensive and not very tasty.

5) Food and Wine Festival. We've talked about this before -- it just isn't the fun, family event it was 5 years ago. We have gone every year for 5 years and will not be back next year. Seeing drunk people in the crowded sun is not our idea of a good time.

6) General service. We all love Disney because they have great cast members who go above and beyond. Not sure where those cast members were, but we didn't get that kind of service. When we had problems they gave us the company line and made it sound like there was nothing that could be done.

As for making Brenden feel special about his special week -- nothing! Even on the one meal that was suppose to be his adoption celebration they didn't even put sparkles on the table. My FIL got a nice birthday kiss on his birthday and they noted my In laws anniversary. But nothing for Brenden. We even had a "I'm celebrating" button with his adoption note and no one ever commented. We have celebrated many birthdays and many anniversaries there so we know the kind of things Disney can do to make you feel special during a celebration. It felt like they didn't understand that this celebration was the biggest one our family will ever celebrate. Very sad.

In the end, DH and I decided that many of the issues were because our group size (well and that F&WF is no longer a good event for families) so we are hoping that our Christmas week will be back to normal. It just seemed Disney was not prepared to address a large group and the many issues that come with such a group.

We love Disney too much to have it be any other way...

StitchedTogether · #2 (**permalink**) 10-23-2009, 07:48 PM

Loved reading this and agreed with everything. Same here, just about. Poor seating at 'Ohana, drunken girls smoking and cursing at the tops of their lungs bent on F & WF. What I will say is I feel like F & WF is a lot like Mardi Gras at Universal. Used to be a lot of fun...the last time I went however, I got two cigarette burns and a bruised shoulder from people who obviously liked Third Eye Blind a lot more than me...Also the shower of liquor pouring over my short figure from the people who should have been cut off weeks ago. I don't know...I want to say that I don't think Disney will change a thing. Honestly, they're probably making a lot more off the rowdy drunks, then the few families searching for wholesome fun and entertainment during their family vacation. But they've lost my business because of it. Even if I were someone who enjoyed pairing wine with food, I think I would have been offended by all of the drunks. More often than not, I saw people drinking huge beers, rather than wine...And saw quite a few groups with shirts on that said "Disney's Food and Wine Festival" And the Food word was crossed through. It's just not what it used to, or should have ever been anymore.

chrisnfran · #3 (**permalink**) 10-23-2009, 08:08 PM

We had similar experiences at most of the restaurants; our old favorites were the most disappointing- Brown Derby, Garden Grill, and Liberty Tree Tavern. We spoke with someone at the Contemporary because we had initially chosen POR to save money, but at the last minute decided the convenience of the monorail with 3 kids in the July heat was important enough to splurge. A tragic accident meant no monorail- certainly not something anyone could have done anything about. Our request, after 3 days without monorail use and no clear answer as to when it would be back in service, was to be moved to POR and refunded the difference in cost. We were not rude, but we clearly communicated that we had paid for one vacation and were experiencing something considerably less. The response was basically "it's just a monorail. you're still at Disney World". The final outcome was 6 generic fast passes- good for any ride in any park on any day. The next afternoon the monorail was back on track,our vacation was definitely much better and we were thrilled to be at the Contemporary. We discovered some new favorite dining choices- the 50's Prime Time Cafe, Chef Mickey's, and the beignets at POR. Unfortunately, our family all agreed the economy has forced some major losses in quality of food and staffing levels. Of course we still love Disney and can't wait to go back. Hopefully things will get better soon.

**hms1016** · #4 (**permalink**) 10-23-2009, 08:11 PM

This unfortuately is getting more and more typical of Disney. If I get one more automated email I am going to scream and half the time they don't even answer your question. I still haven't heard back about the D23 disaster.

**MML** · #5 (**permalink**) 10-23-2009, 09:07 PM

What happened, Heather?

masterbret · #6 (**permalink**) 10-23-2009, 09:23 PM

huh, i went just over a month ago, and had a totally different experince.

where were you located, i know we ate in the parks, and also hd great experince with all cast members we met.

i guess we all have different experinces

kathiewe · #7 (**permalink**) 10-24-2009, 12:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by masterbret

huh, i went just over a month ago, and had a totally different experince.

where were you located, i know we ate in the parks, and also hd great experince with all cast members we met.

i guess we all have different experinces

We were also there at the end of August with just the 3 of us and had a great trip. I just think our large group -- even when we were not the total 18 we were 10 and that is a lot -- was overwhelming to Disney. It seemed to us that they are more used to working with small family groups not large multi-family parties.

So when we had a problem like group seating in a restaurant or cancellation from a large pre-pay event they didn't know what to do. Which is OK if 1) they didn't make such a big deal about Grand Gatherings and 2) they acknowledged that they were having problems and gave us some indication that they were sorry for our problems -- they work with us to resolve our issues. I have never ever felt that management was giving us a "corporate line" until we had problems on this trip and then this trip we felt like we were getting it all of the time!

As for Brenden's adoption celebration, while very very important to us, it is out of the standard template happy birthday, happy anniversary, or congrats on your wedding that Disney is use to. So they either 1) they didn't realize what a BIG deal this is to those of us who are blessed by adoption, 2) didn't know how to celebrate such an event, or 3) didn't recognize it as a celebration. I'm going with 1 and 2 because 3 is just not what I believe is the Disney way.

kathiewe · #8 (**permalink**) 10-24-2009, 01:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chrisnfran

A tragic accident meant no monorail- certainly not something anyone could have done anything about. Our request, after 3 days without monorail use and no clear answer as to when it would be back in service, was to be moved to POR and refunded the difference in cost. We were not rude, but we clearly communicated that we had paid for one vacation and were experiencing something considerably less. The response was basically "it's just a monorail. you're still at Disney World". The final outcome was 6 generic fast passes- good for any ride in any park on any day.

Another example of something happens out of our control that we are not comfortable dealing with and therefore do not know what to do about it. Everything is great at Disney until there is a problem. Yet, it is when there is a problem that those experiencing issues really need Disney to be at its best.

kathiewe · #9 (**permalink**) 10-24-2009, 01:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hms1016

This unfortuately is getting more and more typical of Disney. If I get one more automated email I am going to scream and half the time they don't even answer your question. I still haven't heard back about the D23 disaster.

What happened, I don't remember.

kathiewe · #10 (**permalink**) 11-06-2009, 07:12 PM

So today we recieved this letter from Disney in response to our letter. Paul is very disappointed with the response as it sounds like a form letter. He said that if someone had written the same sort of letter to his restaurant he, and likely the owner, would have made a personal phone call, listened to the problem, appologized for the specific problems, and sought some way to show their appreciation for the guest.

He is too disappointed to call her, do you think I should? What am I going to say? What do you think, is this adequate or what we should have expected?

Here is an excerpt from the letter....

************************************************** ******

We are pleased to learn that you and your family visited our Resort as a Grand Gathering and as in celebration of your special occasion. We are glad to learn that you are Disney Vacation Club members, as well as Florida Seasonal Passholders and appreciate all of your dedication to our Resort. However, we are truly sorry that your experience with your group fell short of your expectations, as it is our goal to provide an exceptional experience to all of our Guests. We regret the challenges you described during your stay and for any inconveniences your party experienced. I wanted to personally assure you that your feedback has been taken seriously and let you know how much we appreciate your comments. Our Guests? feedback allows for our continual growth and the preservation of the magic Walt Disney dreamed about.

I am available Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday between 7:30 a.m.
and 6:00 p.m. EST should you have any questions.

Mrs. Ebaugh, thank you again for sharing your experiences with us. We look forward to your upcoming plans to visit our Resort for your son's special occasion and hope your visit is filled with special memories.

StitchedTogether · #11 (**permalink**) 11-06-2009, 08:13 PM

I think this is a terrible response. I get the feeling in reading it that there is little personal responsibility the Resort feels it holds. As if to say "We're sorry it wasn't up to your standards. Um, Better luck next time eh?"

I'm so disappointed in this...Wow, Bless your heart for not busting down her door. My God, to me it would have been better if they hadn't said anything at all. At least then I could entertain the idea that it somehow got lost in the mail. But this? This is terrible guest service. It never ceases to amaze me however.

Let me ask everyone something. What is guest service anymore? And I'm not pitching any "Customer is always right" stuff. I'm just saying...

For instance, just tonight at our hotel, a woman asked when our fresh cookies would be available, and I accidentally told her that the cookies would be out by 7...Not even realizing that today was Friday, and we don't offer them on Fridays and Saturdays. But you know what? I didn't tell her "Sorry, I was wrong. We don't have any cookies tonight" Instead, I went right to the kitchen and made a plate of oatmeal raisin cookies to take up to her room. When I think to myself "That's just good service" I guess I just expect everyone else to hold themselves to as high of a standard. I feel like when you show out a lot of time, and money into a trusted Disney Vacation, you're being promised great memories, clean facilities, and world class guest service. But when you get a letter like this...It's like a "We don't have cookies tonight, sorry I told you wrong."
It's just not right...That's all. What's becoming of Disney? Is it just me?

**Oh Pooh** · #12 (**permalink**) 11-07-2009, 08:09 AM

Kathie
I am not sure but it does sound like a form letter

We had serious problems when we stayed at the GF Royal Club level back in 2005 & it makes yours pale in compassion. We complained heavily when we were there to all the managers & even had the CM speak in defense but to no avail. When I got home instead of giving me credit as they said they would they didn't but charged me more. After several weeks of going back & forth they took off the charges but never gave me the credit that was due (I even had a credit receipt) Long story short I email Disney & two days later I was called by this nice lady & she listened to my story & said she would look into it & talk to the CMs involved. She called me back in two days & said my story checked out & she was really sorry what happened to us. Since we were going back down the following year but to the WL (I would have said no more Disney after what happen & yes it was that bad but we were taking our DS & DIL down so we decided to go back) She gave us two free nights and as she put it the credit didn't even amount to what she wanted to give us.
I am not sure what to say. Disney has slipped in a lot of cases why I don't know. But when we have problems we addressed it then & take it from there. Give them a call never know what will happen

Good luck

kathiewe · #13 (**permalink**) 11-07-2009, 08:59 AM

Wow Barb, quite a story... glad you had a happy ending. I will follow your lead and call them on Monday. Really we are not looking for anything from them -- just a sincere appology.

BTW -- If it had been 1 problem we would have been ok with that, I mean things happen. It was just that we seem to have problems all week. The whole week we would put 1 incident behind us and move on with our vacation when something else happened. It wasn't that we had any 1 big problem like yours it was just a series of small problems.

Let's see what happens Monday.

To be continued.....