Customer Service at Disney World?

[adelaster]

You are in a discussion forum. You posted here. The door was left open based on what you wrote and we responded. You can and will get every answer possible. Those of us (including me who IS A MAN.. Talk about insulting, thanks ladies?) who have traveled there know and have seen your type of person there.

We aren't being mean so much as being realistic. When you come on asking what levels of compensation are adequate for not getting what you want, that throws up flags to the rest of us. Btw, you were looking for parkhoppers for attractions being down, discounted rooms if you didn't get the one you wanted...

If you don't want your "feelings" hurt then public discussion forums may not be for you.

You planned poorly. Period. Disney is honoring what you have made accommodations for. They owe you nothing for scheduled refurbs or for room assignments. If the room is not adequate upon entry into the room, that's different than requesting specifics.

As said above, don't cry now that myself and others have weighed in... As you... Requested

It is true, you have had the benefit of experience to give you a better sense of what is realistic. I have not. I said "ladies" because I had reason to believe that at least that 3/4 people identified as ladies. If I offended you, I am sorry. Again, I reiterate, I came here looking for insight, not criticism or conflict. I am glad to report you don't in fact "know my type of person" and you've never seen me at Disney before. I am a planned first time visitor on a tip board looking for tips. You and your associates have made it clear that you think I suck and plan terribly and expect something for nothing. None of that is in fact true, but you are entitled to your opinion. I am respectfully asking that you choose to spend your time productively with kind words or else leave me alone. Crying and empathy are nothing to be ashamed of, and I believe that everyone deserves respect, especially in public forums. If we disagree on that as well, so be it. I came to these boards because I found the podcasts welcoming and informative.

 

[verleniahall]

sounds like you did alot of poor pre-planning

since you are so unhappy, maybe canceling the trip and booking it at a later date might be better

and more research - defiantly do more research

 

[adelaster]

sounds like you did alot of poor pre-planning

since you are so unhappy, maybe canceling the trip and booking it at a later date might be better

and more research - defiantly do more research

We can't cancel for numerous reasons, including nonrefundable flights. However, I am very interested if you have a source for knowing when things will be closed six months or more in advance. I did look, and I did read quite a bit online. I even asked on the phone when I booked. If I am missing some resource, please share it.

 

[verleniahall]

check here on the dis - its posted as soon as it is released - things go on refurb - if they didnt' - everything would be broken down - like regular amusement parks.

and what all sites have YOU used for research - because most of them talk about refurbs when they are announced

 

[Scootypuffjr]

I was a travel agent for a few years and clients that had your level of expectations were always disappointed when they came back from their trip (and I always felt bad for them because I knew there was nothing I could do to help them avoid that). When you book your resort, you should book at a place and in a room type that you would be happy in regardless of where it is located. If that's not the case, then that's probably not the resort for you. As far as attractions go, everyone's "must do/see" list is different. The rides and shows that I love are not necessarily the same as anyone else's. If you start your trip disappointed you will continue to be disappointed. We waited for 1 hour at DL to ride Space Mountain on our last visit only to have the ride go down as we boarded and were ready to launch. We then waited for 30 minutes for them to come and let us out (people stuck in worse places are let out first). For our inconvenience we got a Fastpass to any ride we wanted and we were happy with that. The reality is, they didn't have to give us anything. DS5 was upset, but he got over it.
The kind of compensation that you're hoping for is not easy to come by at Disney, nor should it be. We've stayed on property dozens of times and got a discounted room once for a truly horrendous SERIES of issues and that compensation didn't even come until after we got home. In all my years of going to DL and WDW, I've never heard of anyone getting free park hoppers. As far as rides go, the only compensation I've ever heard of are fast passes and I've never heard of them given out for scheduled closures. I'm sorry if you feel like you're being attacked, but I think that what you're looking for just isn't realistic. I hope that you can figure out a way to make this trip magical for you and your family.

 

[mousehockey37]

It is true, you have had the benefit of experience to give you a better sense of what is realistic. I have not. I said "ladies" because I had reason to believe that at least that 3/4 people identified as ladies. If I offended you, I am sorry. Again, I reiterate, I came here looking for insight, not criticism or conflict. I am glad to report you don't in fact "know my type of person" and you've never seen me at Disney before. I am a planned first time visitor on a tip board looking for tips. You and your associates have made it clear that you think I suck and plan terribly and expect something for nothing. None of that is in fact true, but you are entitled to your opinion. I am respectfully asking that you choose to spend your time productively with kind words or else leave me alone. Crying and empathy are nothing to be ashamed of, and I believe that everyone deserves respect, especially in public forums. If we disagree on that as well, so be it. I came to these boards because I found the podcasts welcoming and informative.

Sadly you are not seeing what the rest of us are. At the moment, you are creating the conflict. You came looking for answers: we gave them. Your inability to digest those answers is making it seem like a fight when it isn't. Picking poor arguments that we are being mean because your original post is stating that you are indeed looking for compensation due to rides being down or your lodging isn't specific enough is not the way to make friends here.

And we do know "your type" of people. Do a search on here about the things you are looking for compensation for... You aren't the first and you won't be the last.

At this point I would recommend reviewing the responses, gathering what you will and moving on. You've had experienced Disney vets who work in all different careers tell you the same thing.

Either go with the flow and enjoy your trip, go and fight Disney for compensation you'll never get or just not go.

If you would have maybe written your original post without the parts detailing compensation for your room and free parkhoppers for a few rides being refurbed, maybe this would've turned out a lot better than it did, but your type of people don't see that.

 

[Klayfish]

I'm not going to jump into the fray regarding hotel rooms or dining reservations, because I don't stay on property or eat at their restaurants. We stay off property and pack our own food (with the exception of the occasional counter service for our kids).

However, as far as customer service within the park, to me it's second to none. The cast members are terrific beyond anything you'd see at any other "amusement park" or any other service location for that matter. Is every single cast member always giddy with excitement? Of course not, but 95% of them will greet you with a smile, go out of their way to assist you or just say hello to you. I'm sure they will say "no" and put their foot down if you ask for things you're not entitled to or they simply won't do for any of their guests. Again, I can't comment on the hotels or food, but I have heard them saying no when a guest was asking for something unreasonable. However, within reason (and I suppose "within reason" is subject to interpretation), they go out of their way to make sure you have a great day in the parks. It's a big reason we come back over and over again.

I've been told...and believe...that if you stay on property you have to do an immense amount of planning to make it all go the way you want. Staying off property and not dining in their restaurants takes that pressure off of us. The only real planning we have to do is for our FastPass rides, as well as a general structure to what park we want to visit on what day. Beyond that, a lot of it is freestyle for us.

 

[MaryLovesPoohBear]

As someone with over 15 years of customer service experience, I am not exactly thrilled with what I've seen so far. What is worth expecting out of this? Would they add a park hopper onto our ticket to compensate for four major attractions being closed during our visit? Would they move our room or discount our rate if we have to be in the area of the resort we really want to avoid? Are dining and transportation really that bad? I wanted so badly to just be excited for this, an opportunity to cut loose and "be kids again" ... but the adult in me is really trepidatious about all of it now. It being such a large and lucrative company I could easily see how they wouldn't care about a single customer's experience, especially when we are not the deluxe resort week long stay kind of money. Thanks in advance for sharing your personal wisdom and experience.

For the bold.
No, they will not add park hopper, for free. As others have said, there will always be rides that are not available. They would have to compensate every single guest.

No, they will not discount your room if you don't like the resort or area of the resort. If you go to your room, and there are other rooms available, they may move you.

So, my suggestion is, don't be married to a particular room in the resort. Instead, pick a room type. And know you will be booked in that room type.

Also, read about rides that will/should be open. Also, know that some rides may be shut down without warning. It could be for a few minutes, an hour or a full day. It happens. Think about your car. Even with regular maintenance, they sometimes break down. The rides also carry people. People are known to drop things, throw up or otherwise disrupt the ride. It happens and it can't be predicted.

Disney wants everyone to have a good experience. It doesn't matter if you are staying at a deluxe resort or not. It doesn't matter if you have annual passes or a one day ticket. In fact, most Cast Members will have no idea where you are staying, or how long you will be there.

They just have to cater to everyone, not just one family.

 

[Hootch]

Rooms are not guaranteed. They try to honor them but often they cannot.

We used online check in last trip. As we were getting close Disney sent us a text with our room number. We had requested a specific building but was not initially given a room there. I called and asked if we there was anything they could do. A little later they called and changed our room to the building we had requested.

I wouldn't expect to get my preference every time, but this did allow us the opportunity to seek a change prior to our arrival.

 

[adelaster]

I was a travel agent for a few years and clients that had your level of expectations were always disappointed when they came back from their trip (and I always felt bad for them because I knew there was nothing I could do to help them avoid that). When you book your resort, you should book at a place and in a room type that you would be happy in regardless of where it is located. If that's not the case, then that's probably not the resort for you. As far as attractions go, everyone's "must do/see" list is different. The rides and shows that I love are not necessarily the same as anyone else's. If you start your trip disappointed you will continue to be disappointed. We waited for 1 hour at DL to ride Space Mountain on our last visit only to have the ride go down as we boarded and were ready to launch. We then waited for 30 minutes for them to come and let us out (people stuck in worse places are let out first). For our inconvenience we got a Fastpass to any ride we wanted and we were happy with that. The reality is, they didn't have to give us anything. DS5 was upset, but he got over it.
The kind of compensation that you're hoping for is not easy to come by at Disney, nor should it be. We've stayed on property dozens of times and got a discounted room once for a truly horrendous SERIES of issues and that compensation didn't even come until after we got home. In all my years of going to DL and WDW, I've never heard of anyone getting free park hoppers. As far as rides go, the only compensation I've ever heard of are fast passes and I've never heard of them given out for scheduled closures. I'm sorry if you feel like you're being attacked, but I think that what you're looking for just isn't realistic. I hope that you can figure out a way to make this trip magical for you and your family.

This is good advice, thank you.

I detailed my personal experience to get an idea of what was normal- I had nothing to go off of prior to this thread. I wasn't hoping for that level of compensation. I was providing examples to get an idea of what to expect. Clearly that has been misinterpreted by multiple people, but c'est la vie.

Thanks for sharing your personal experience. All of the stories have given me a much better sense of what to expect. This is all brand new and I had no idea how the resorts worked (ie: your advice to pick a place where you would be happy regardless is awesome- unfortunately that wasn't in our price range) or how many of the parks attractions and events could be down at once. Live and learn!

 

[adelaster]

Rooms are not guaranteed. They try to honor them but often they cannot.

We used online check in last trip. As we were getting close Disney sent us a text with our room number. We had requested a specific building but was not initially given a room there. I called and asked if we there was anything they could do. A little later they called and changed our room to the building we had requested.

I wouldn't expect to get my preference every time, but this did allow us the opportunity to seek a change prior to our arrival.

Thanks! I now have a much better grasp of how the resorts work. I understand a little better how the room assignment staff operate and it makes more sense now.

 

[adelaster]

For the bold.
No, they will not add park hopper, for free. As others have said, there will always be rides that are not available. They would have to compensate every single guest.

No, they will not discount your room if you don't like the resort or area of the resort. If you go to your room, and there are other rooms available, they may move you.

So, my suggestion is, don't be married to a particular room in the resort. Instead, pick a room type. And know you will be booked in that room type.

Also, read about rides that will/should be open. Also, know that some rides may be shut down without warning. It could be for a few minutes, an hour or a full day. It happens. Think about your car. Even with regular maintenance, they sometimes break down. The rides also carry people. People are known to drop things, throw up or otherwise disrupt the ride. It happens and it can't be predicted.

Disney wants everyone to have a good experience. It doesn't matter if you are staying at a deluxe resort or not. It doesn't matter if you have annual passes or a one day ticket. In fact, most Cast Members will have no idea where you are staying, or how long you will be there.

They just have to cater to everyone, not just one family.

This is great advice and feedback, thank you. I appreciate that you understood that I wasn't asking for anything- I was just throwing out examples to determine what the norm is. I expected that some of the rides might be down, I guess I was surprised at exactly how many rides/events won't be happening on our visit. I also had little idea how the resorts reservation system worked, this thread has helped me learn a lot more about that. Still don't have a great idea of how we could have avoided this error- as far out as you need to book flights and resorts for good prices and rooms there was no way of knowing what was down during our visit. Regardless, if we ever decided/could afford to return I will know loads more!

 

[adelaster]

I'm not going to jump into the fray regarding hotel rooms or dining reservations, because I don't stay on property or eat at their restaurants. We stay off property and pack our own food (with the exception of the occasional counter service for our kids).

However, as far as customer service within the park, to me it's second to none. The cast members are terrific beyond anything you'd see at any other "amusement park" or any other service location for that matter. Is every single cast member always giddy with excitement? Of course not, but 95% of them will greet you with a smile, go out of their way to assist you or just say hello to you. I'm sure they will say "no" and put their foot down if you ask for things you're not entitled to or they simply won't do for any of their guests. Again, I can't comment on the hotels or food, but I have heard them saying no when a guest was asking for something unreasonable. However, within reason (and I suppose "within reason" is subject to interpretation), they go out of their way to make sure you have a great day in the parks. It's a big reason we come back over and over again.

I've been told...and believe...that if you stay on property you have to do an immense amount of planning to make it all go the way you want. Staying off property and not dining in their restaurants takes that pressure off of us. The only real planning we have to do is for our FastPass rides, as well as a general structure to what park we want to visit on what day. Beyond that, a lot of it is freestyle for us.

Thanks! Staying offsite seems like something maybe we should consider if we ever return. I am glad you've had such positive experiences, and thanks for sharing.

 

[adelaster]

Sadly you are not seeing what the rest of us are. At the moment, you are creating the conflict. You came looking for answers: we gave them. Your inability to digest those answers is making it seem like a fight when it isn't. Picking poor arguments that we are being mean because your original post is stating that you are indeed looking for compensation due to rides being down or your lodging isn't specific enough is not the way to make friends here.

And we do know "your type" of people. Do a search on here about the things you are looking for compensation for... You aren't the first and you won't be the last.

At this point I would recommend reviewing the responses, gathering what you will and moving on. You've had experienced Disney vets who work in all different careers tell you the same thing.

Either go with the flow and enjoy your trip, go and fight Disney for compensation you'll never get or just not go.

If you would have maybe written your original post without the parts detailing compensation for your room and free parkhoppers for a few rides being refurbed, maybe this would've turned out a lot better than it did, but your type of people don't see that.

Clearly you dislike me, and I guess I have to accept that. I still believe that if you met me or took the time to get to know me this may not be the case.

My original question was misinterpreted by several people, and you have chosen not to give me the benefit of the doubt. For the final time, I was NOT asking for compensation, I am NOT trying to scam the company, I am NOT a something-for nothing person, I am NOT a crappy planner, I am NOT a bad person. Perhaps it was poorly worded, but some people managed to understand it regardless. I was detailing my experience thus far, and asking what to expect moving forward. The examples given were exactly that, examples. Not expectations, not intentions. Again, prior to reading this thread I did not know the answer to my questions. Now I do, and now I understand what to expect. I have not intention of fighting a company. I've told you, several times now, that I had not intention of conflict period. Believe what you will, but for the final time I am asking you, person to person, to let it go.

It is true I did not understand a lot of the things that have been politely explained to me on this thread through stories and experience. Hence why I asked a question in the first place. I did read as much as I was able online before booking all of this, but it is clear that the amount to know is very vast and probably takes years of experience to really comprehend. I doubt I'll have that luxury, so I will take what I have learned so far and use what I can.

I'll admit, I am bummed by the amount of negativity I've received from yourself and four others. However, I also realize that this is a Disney message board, and more people have been kind on here than they have lashed out or made personal attacks. And yes, saying that I am a scam artist and a something-for-nothing generation is a personal attack. I bear you no ill will, but I do find the scenario ridiculous.

If you would like to continue interrogating me as far as my intentions, please reach out to me outside of this thread. Otherwise, let's leave it at peace? Honestly, this interaction is so much worse than anything that could possibly happen at the park.

 

[adelaster]

check here on the dis - its posted as soon as it is released - things go on refurb - if they didnt' - everything would be broken down - like regular amusement parks.

and what all sites have YOU used for research - because most of them talk about refurbs when they are announced

Too many to recount. Basically I did Google searches on various topics and read through the sites that bounced back. This has been over the course of the last seven months. I only noticed ride closures for our date within the last two months. Another closure was announced this week. There could very well be a resource for knowing that stuff a year out, but I haven't found it if it exists. It doesn't help that there are literally thousands of articles, blogs, and websites about Disney. It's difficult (for me, at least) to ascertain which ones are the most accurate and valuable resources.

 

[Hundredacre]

Personally I am disappointed in Disney customer service. But that's because I have been going to wdw practically since it has opened. Customer service used to be better. No doubt. Food used to be better. The parks used to be a better value. Now for what you get wdw is an expensive vacation. They have cut out so many little things that used to make it great. I could go on and on. But we still love wdw. We have learned to not expect as much. You will have a great time regardless.

 

[Hundredacre]

I should add. The rides being down thing is recent. Like within the last ten years there are always rides down. I suspect the way they are doing ride maintenance now is cheaper. That seems to be their number one priority: cheaper for the company.

 

[mousehockey37]

I should add. The rides being down thing is recent. Like within the last ten years there are always rides down. I suspect the way they are doing ride maintenance now is cheaper. That seems to be their number one priority: cheaper for the company.

There are numerous threads on this. 20+ years ago Disney did not see the heavy crowds they do today. The stress the rides are under is far greater than what the blue prints ever expected. A good example is the monorails. Their life expectancy is something like 25 years then needing to be replaced, well 45 years later they're still going.

Things are going to break down more frequently the older they get.

Sadly, with people demanding the rides be open because they "pay so much to be here", Disney has responded somewhat by doing the bare minimum to maintain the rides when a good long refurb is needed and this, plus the increased wear and tear is killing these machines at a faster rate.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Would they add a park hopper onto our ticket to compensate for four major attractions being closed during our visit? Would they move our room or discount our rate if we have to be in the area of the resort we really want to avoid?

To be perfectly honest and no offense meant at all this quote above is probably what set people off. Any time I've seen people talk about wanting compensation for something that is generally considered normal business it never goes well. It's not that people are personally attacking you it's anyone who comes off with a "you need to give me something" outlook. I don't (at least in my opinion) think people were attacking you but more or less reacting to this statement.

I know you weren't necessarily trying to come off that way but it's not exactly a great way to view your Disney vacation when the thought of "what will they give me if X happens" occurs. There are certain situations that do warrant compensation of some sort but park hoppers are a paid extra. It's more likely they would give you a "anytime fastpass+", as FastPass+ is included in park admission at this time, if something truly happened that warranted it (not getting the room you want or refurbs are not and both can be considered part of normal business).

I haven't stayed onsite yet, actually my Sep 2017 trip will be my first, so I understand concerns regarding wanting the room you want. That being said unless a hotel (and I'm speaking in general terms not just Disney) has a specific building you can book you won't be able to guarantee you'll get what you want and even if they did have a specific building you may get the side of the building you didn't want.

As for refurbs those have happened every single time I have gone to WDW. It sucks it's a big bummer but it happens and isn't something restricted to Disney at all.

I'm going to be real honest even though Disney is very expensive in comparison to other parks like Six Flags, etc what I get at WDW as a whole and Disney Springs is a place with so much to do. There are rides for all to enjoy, walk-through attractions, live-action shows, stage shows, light shows, firework shows, several hundred places to eat, shopping and a side perk for me the close proximity to Universal Studios which I also love to go to.

 

[Hundredacre]

There are numerous threads on this. 20+ years ago Disney did not see the heavy crowds they do today. The stress the rides are under is far greater than what the blue prints ever expected. A good example is the monorails. Their life expectancy is something like 25 years then needing to be replaced, well 45 years later they're still going.

Things are going to break down more frequently the older they get.

Sadly, with people demanding the rides be open because they "pay so much to be here", Disney has responded somewhat by doing the bare minimum to maintain the rides when a good long refurb is needed and this, plus the increased wear and tear is killing these machines at a faster rate.

I agree. It is unfortunate that disney is not making the necessary investments to keep the parks running as smoothly as they were even ten years ago.