and the hits keep coming!

[A Big Kid]

My BIL shows up today for his first trip. We meet them at the hotel and head out to Epcot so i cab break him in on Mission:Space.

As we get near the area we are, a CM greets us with a very curt,"can I help you?"

When i tell her we are trying to get to M:S, she points to a sign that says that whole side of the park is closed after 3:00 pm.

Niiiiiice. This trip has been a real high ranking on the "hoover" factor.

No magic at all.

[stephicakes]

Oh my! :sad: *sighs* Poor Kid!! It can only get BETTER... right??? :rolleyes: Geez...

[VWL Mom]

My goodness, one heck of a trip so far Kid. I hope it's all uphill from here.
:pixie::pixie::pixie:

[A Big Kid]

So, yesterday, i go order a moosehead beer in canada at one of the parks. I "pay" for it with the compensation on our card from the earlier screw up. Guess what? Moosehead won't pour. Today i go to get that moosehead. While they have the moosehead, they arent taking cards! So, i gotta (everyone together now) PAY OUT OF POCKET.

The incompetence is staggering.

[DizneyFreak2002]

Kid, did they say why that side of the park was closed? Was it a media event for Test Track? Did that whole side of the park lose power?

You aren't catching any breaks at all...

[faline]

I would suspect the park area closing is likely associated with the opening of Test Track. Not sure of the other but I understand some computer stuff has been going on at Disney.

[TheVBs]

Oh geez. :( I am really sorry about this and that you witnessed a CM meltdown. I'm really hoping your vacation gets better!

[buzznwoodysmom]

My goodness! What with all the missteps on Disney's part, and all your posts here on Intercot, I do hope you find time to enjoy your trip. Like others have said, I hope it's all uphill from here!

[A Big Kid]

Kid, did they say why that side of the park was closed? Was it a media event for Test Track? Did that whole side of the park lose power?

You aren't catching any breaks at all...
TT and M:S both closed. Cant go through that "tunnel" next to Mouse Gear, if that makes sense.

Stay away from me, I am cursed this trip! I feel like Schleprock.

[Fangorn]

That side of Future World is closed for the Test Track media event. John's been tweeting from there all evening. I was by there a bit ago. Lots of music and lights.

Steve

[mechanic]

Maybe your initial problem has made you over sensitive to everything else that pops up?

[mechanic]

Just to clarify. I'm not being critical, you just seem so tense and wound over everything.

[gueli]

Dear a big Kid :Having read your earlier posts this is one unforgettable trip. :( I feel bad for you. I think it is like what i imagine would happen to some cartoon character (homer simpson) comes to mind...and it does not seem to want to let up.
The theme for this trip seems to be "more out of pocket" expenses.
I hope it gets better.
Good luck - i hope the weather is good and that you journey home is uneventful...
:mickey:

[A Big Kid]

Just to clarify. I'm not being critical, you just seem so tense and wound over everything.

I don't think so, but I understand your thought.keep in mind, Disney has gotten about $70,000 of my money over the years.

Disney is held to a higher standard because they hold themselves to a higher standard. And they charge dearly for that. If the standards decrease and the price increases, there is a problem.

Our annual trip is always during marathon week in January. Because of a commitment this january, we can't make it; hence this trip. Now, when I get back home today, I am going to book a trip at Universal Studios for next January. After I remove all the personal details (credit card numbers etc) I am going to send a copy of the receipt to Disney with reasons for my dissatisfaction. I don't think they will care because if I don't make a trip, some other sucker, er, guest, will take my place.

[ChipNDale79]

My BIL shows up today for his first trip. We meet them at the hotel and head out to Epcot so i cab break him in on Mission:Space.

As we get near the area we are, a CM greets us with a very curt,"can I help you?"

When i tell her we are trying to get to M:S, she points to a sign that says that whole side of the park is closed after 3:00 pm.

Niiiiiice. This trip has been a real high ranking on the "hoover" factor.

No magic at all.

Wow man, Ive been reading your post about your trip, I'm sorry you guys are having all these issues. I understand things happen, but dang, it just seems like its one thing after another on this trip.

Hopefully things get better, and Id be pretty upset after all of those issues and I couldnt get my Moosehead, talk about needing a drink.:beer:

[Jim&AngieMarriner]

Big kid, I swear if you wrote your trip report in the right Pentameter, it would be a Shakespearean tragedy. How can so many bad things happen to the same guy. :confused:

Best of luck on improving the remainder of your trip.

[SBETigg]

I'm sorry for your disappointments. I think we can all handle one or two bummer moments on our trips, but when they seem to keep coming at you it's upping the frustration level a bit more each time. I hope it gets better.

[Stu29573]

Big Kid, I know what you are going through. Like I said in an earlier post, this same thing happened to me at Thanksgiving in 2010. I was compensated for the problems (which I had to ask for, by the way) but that really wasn't the point.

It was my seventh WDW trip (8th to Disney properties) and we were celebrating my wife's birthday. I really had my expectations pretty high, I guess. Our honeymoon trip a couple of years earlier had been wonderful.

It was the contrast to those high expectations and memories of former trips that was the most shocking. I know this sounds naive but for the first time I saw Disney not as a place of wonder and magic, but as just another huge company trying to make a profit.

I hope to go again, and reclaim some of that magic feeling, but I'm frightened that it may be gone forever. Once you know the magician's tricks, they don't impress you any more. Still, I can hope.

My point is that I understand Disney is a huge money making enterprise. However, Disney needs to understand that they represent so much more to people than what they really are; and if that dream is damaged it may be gone forever. A free night won't fix that problem.

[MississippiDisneyFreak]

Oh man, you are definitely not going to look back on this trip with warm fuzzies....sorry about all the mishaps, I believe Disney needs some better management and training in customer service:(

[Roger's #1 Fan]

Stay away from me, I am cursed this trip! I feel like Schleprock.

Huge Flintstones fan, love the reference! :thumbsup:

Sorry about the bad mojo.... hopefully things will turn around. :beer:

[pixiesmimi]

I think Disney owes you a free trip after all of this! I would persue it up the ladder. Hopefully this won't be our experience in 2 weeks. If it is, it will be our last trip. Especially after our trip in July where we paid for club level at the Beach Club and had a small room next to the service elevator that ran and banged all night long. We were not happy with this and it was the last room available, they told us.

[A Big Kid]

It got better, but it wasn't Disney-like for sure. Two events in my mind that stood out in particular that made me shake my head:

Riding the ToT. I guess they decided to open the second shaft and were short of costumed CM's. So they had non-costumed CM "escorting guests" into the elevator! He had on khaki slacks, a white shirt, blue jacket and his oval name tag.

Riding the GMR: the CMs are not acting at all.they are just reciting their lines as fast as possible. Of course, it didnt help that the microphone wasn't working for squat. It kept cutting in and out.

Finally, I am not sure I will hold this against Disney, but I will mention it anyway. My wife and BIL/SIL we having dinner at th California Grill Friday night. My birthday was Sunday. I didn't have a CLUE that my wife planned a birthday surprise with a cake. Seriously, I had no clue.

When we were checking, I went to was my hands and my wife was was excited because she as able to finalize the details. Well, as I came out of the restroom, the man showing us to our table asked me, "How old are you today?"

I was confused. I didn't understand why he asked me the question. Then he said, "I guess you arent the one having a birthday today?"

You should have seen my wife's face! She said something to the effect of "So much for a surprise" and we we're escorted to our table with nary an apology.

[waymickey]

I Disney is held to a higher standard because they hold themselves to a higher standard. And they charge dearly for that. If the standards decrease and the price increases, there is a problem.

Absolutely right!


Disney needs to understand that they represent so much more to people than what they really are; and if that dream is damaged it may be gone forever. A free night won't fix that problem.

Very True! Disney IMHO is losing the magic and becoming a Six Flags.

[rmsmith1208]

It sounds like your trip went about as well as ours did. One thing that got me was the cast members and how they really just did not seemed thrilled to be there at all. It was our two daughters birthdays and both wearing pins and maybe a total of two cast members said happy birthday. Hopefully your trip got better.

[Stu29573]

You know, one upside to having a trip like the one we had is that now I'm not dying to get back. I used to start planning our next trip on the plane home (even though it would be at least a couple of years away) now, its like "meh." I'm sure we will go again, but I don't really care when. It's sad, but it does take some pressure off, I guess...

[MissMaryPoppins]

It sounds like your trip went about as well as ours did. One thing that got me was the cast members and how they really just did not seemed thrilled to be there at all. It was our two daughters birthdays and both wearing pins and maybe a total of two cast members said happy birthday. Hopefully your trip got better.

It's a shame how awful some of the cast members are, isn't it? The only positive thing is when you encounter a cast member who is good at their job you appreciate them so much more.

[ronandjulie]

Disney World and Universal are getting so huge that there is no possible way to satff them completely with worthwhile empoyees at the rate they can pay. The bigger it gets, the less Magical it becomes.

[1DisneyNut]

Disney World and Universal are getting so huge that there is no possible way to satff them completely with worthwhile empoyees at the rate they can pay. The bigger it gets, the less Magical it becomes.

Its not that they can't pay them a little more, its that they won't because corporate greed has taken over. I started saying about 4 years ago that WDW was going down the toilet and caught some flack about it but I predicted you would start seeing a lot of these types of threads......and here we are. It has gotten to the point we don't even stay on site anymore. We stay in very nice resorts off site for about what moderates cost inside WDW. We very rarely eat dinner in the parks anymore; we go to nice outside restaurants.....far better quality at a much better price. We actually only went to Magic Kingdom and Epcot this last trip because Animal Kingdom isn't worth the time and Hollywood studios is sort of a mess now. We decided to skip WDW altogether in 2013 and go elsewhere. It is turning into a place of frustration due to paying so much more each time while at the same time get less along with poorer quality. It really makes me sad because I love WDW so much.

[Main Street Jim]

Riding the ToT. I guess they decided to open the second shaft and were short of costumed CM's. So they had non-costumed CM "escorting guests" into the elevator! He had on khaki slacks, a white shirt, blue jacket and his oval name tag. This was more than likely a guest service manager. Since they "just opened the second shaft", I'm guessing that guest volume was higher than what was predicted, and yes, they were probably short on Cast until they could call and get some more CM's to come in.


Finally, I am not sure I will hold this against Disney, but I will mention it anyway. My wife and BIL/SIL were having dinner at the California Grill Friday night. My birthday was Sunday. I didn't have a CLUE that my wife planned a birthday surprise with a cake. Seriously, I had no clue.

When we were checking, I went to wash my hands and my wife was was excited because she was able to finalize the details. Well, as I came out of the restroom, the man showing us to our table asked me, "How old are you today?"

I was confused. I didn't understand why he asked me the question. Then he said, "I guess you aren't the one having a birthday today?"

You should have seen my wife's face! She said something to the effect of "So much for a surprise" and we we're escorted to our table with nary an apology.I wouldn't hold this against any of the Disney CM's. I'm going to guess that your wife, when making the reservation, probably told the receptionist that it was a birthday dinner, but...failed to mention that it was going to be a "surprise" <?>. I'm not so sure that Disney CM's would have needed to "apologize" for something they may not have known was going to be a surprise. (They knew it was a birthday, but not a "surprise").

(OK, after reading again, I guess they shouldn't have made that comment - "Oh, so you're NOT having a birthday today?" I know I sure wouldn't have. On the other hand, if it *was* your birthday, and someone asks you "how old are you?", I think I would have played it off and commented something like "Young enough to be celebrating at Disney World!" :) If someone asks you "How old are you?", and it's *near* your birthday, I'm not understanding why you would have been confused<?>. I guess that's where *I'm* confused.)