Thoughts on Recent Trip

[Sammie]

Recently made a short trip to WDW and have some thoughts to share.

SSR: Still really like this resort alot. Stayed in Grandstand and while the views are beautiful and its pool is nice, we will not request this area again for us. We are drivers, we eat out each night at a Disney resort and this area is congested to drive in and out of. The road leading in and out comes out right at the guard shack and it is hard to get out during heavy traffic. Also they did not make the road wide enough and we were run in the grass several times by Disney buses. We prefer Paddocks for easy coming and going.

DVC valet parking: If you use this make sure when you pull up you go to the valet desk and show them your DVC card and ask for the member free parking. If not you will be billed to your room. There is a different color ticket you get from paying guests. When we did this we did not have any problems with it getting billed to our room.

Outsourcing valet, was hit or miss. Service was either good or horrible. I will be sharing my thoughts on this with Disney about the bad times. Most always it was at the Beach Club.

Nonsmoking: not going to debate the wrong or right of it, but many smokers are smoking in the hallways and patios and balconies and seem to have no concern for doing so. I complained and it was addressed but according to the manager I spoke to at SSR, very few complaints so unless people complain when they actually see someone not agreeing to the guidelines then people will smoke where they want.

Trash: some people are just too lazy to take it to the trash room and really don't care who knows it. We had some slobs for neighbors. I will be surprised if their room is not infested with bugs.

Years of Disney vacations. I think we are ready to start using our DVC to trade out to other destinations. Crowds were heavy this trip and people were ruder than ever. It truly is sad.

I will say we experienced many very helpful kind CMs but the rude guests we encountered more of, certainly put a damper on things.

 

[CherCrazy]

Thoughts on the trash room... It's not really posted too well about where it is and what to do with your trash. Maybe some direction at check in would help. Our first DVC stay found us looking all over for the trash room.

 

[robinb]

Years of Disney vacations. I think we are ready to start using our DVC to trade out to other destinations. Crowds were heavy this trip and people were ruder than ever. It truly is sad.

Wow. Have you stayed at less busy times before and were shocked at the number of people or do you think you've outgrown Disney? We always go at busy times and the crowds don't bother me a bit.

 

[BCV23]

I don't like going in the summer in large part because there seem to be so many rude guests. Limited experience though.

Anyway, I'm sorry to hear that your trip was not as it should have been.

Do you think the new nonsmoking rules were clearly explained? If it is just in the newsletter I'm sure many repeat guests don't even read them.

Chercrazy, I agree with you about trash although our last stay or two there was some kind of explanation in our BCV villa.

 

[jmatias]

I agree about the trash being hard to find at SSR. I think it would have been better to have a trash room on each floor. We were on the 3rd floor and had to walk our trash down to the 1st floor trash room. Signage wasn't the best. I think this is why so many people left their trash outside their rooms.

 

[alldiz]

I agree about the trash being hard to find at SSR. I think it would have been better to have a trash room on each floor. We were on the 3rd floor and had to walk our trash down to the 1st floor trash room. Signage wasn't the best. I think this is why so many people left their trash outside their rooms.

I agree....At SSR my room was on the 3rd floor......far from
the trash.....although I did bring it down....yuck...

Sammie, Sorry some of the magic is lost
Do you think it was the crowds and heat that made people cranky?

Although I think rude people are just that way....

Any ideas where you want to trade.
Thanks for sharing
Kerri

 

[dclfun]

We just returned from WLV and our neighbors across the hall left their child's dirty diapers out in the hallway! Meanwhile the trash room, clearly marked, was only steps away in that same hallway. It's not something you want to see, or smell, when leaving your room in the morning. We also had a real challenge with medical equipment/luggage being lost for hours and I almost had to make a trip to the hospital because of it- meanwhile the reason for our short trip- to celebrate my son's birthday- was ruined as we didn't get to use our dinner ressies at Artist Point since I was busy with paramedics in the lobby until 9:30 pm. I've never had these problems before and hope to never have them again. It's hard for me to think if I just ignored things more before and was so excited to be "in the magic" that trash and people's attitudes didn't matter as much as they do now since we've been so many times. Also I have high expectations at Disney so maybe my expectations are too high? Not sure...but I know what the OP is talking about!---Kathy

 

[DVCtinkerbell]

I completely agree with the previous posts about garbage. As members we need to take ownership of our own garbage and see that it gets to the appropriate trach area.

Shame on the neighbors who put baby diapers in the hallway! If you don't want to smell your baby's diapers, why should anybody else?

Ultimately, I think we, DVC owners, make for better neighbors than non DVC guests at non DVC resorts. Not to sound like a snob but I think that DVC owners are less stressed and tend to enjoy their trips more than others. I think DVC guests tend to enjoy the moment. We no longer do the commando style trip. We like to "chill" at our resort more and more. My girls laugh about how much fun we had one day watching the cable soap opera channel, old Ryan's Hope episodes! We don't even do that at home.

 

[Sammie]

Thoughts on the trash room... It's not really posted too well about where it is and what to do with your trash. Maybe some direction at check in would help. Our first DVC stay found us looking all over for the trash room.

Some might not realize they are supposed to take the trash to the room but it is very well marked, basically if you can find your room, the elevators, the vending and ice machine, you can find the trash room. Same markings and signs. I asked our neighbor very nicely if she knew about the trash room thinking maybe truly she was not aware and she said No damn way was she walking over there to dump trash. So as I said, some people are just slobs.

 

[DVCtinkerbell]

Sammie, hopefully your 'neighbor' visits us here! Shame on her!

 

[Sammie]

Wow. Have you stayed at less busy times before and were shocked at the number of people or do you think you've outgrown Disney? We always go at busy times and the crowds don't bother me a bit.

We have gone in May, June, July, August, October and Dec before so we have dealt with crowds. It was certainly very crowded this year, maybe due to Dreams but people were just rude and there were more of them.

Lots of very rude, dangerous driving on Disney roads, rude neighbors at SSR and rude people at most every place to eat. Lots of kids not being tended to by parents. I was hit by a flying shoe at check in. No apology or anything from the parent or the child.

CMs were kind and friendly and after witnessing rude behavior by many guests I simply do not know how they do it.

However I was not impressed with the valet outsourcing workers, very unDisney like behavior. I will write Disney about this and other issues.

 

[Sammie]

Sammie, hopefully your 'neighbor' visits us here! Shame on her!

Yes it is a shame and the bad thing is that at SSR, they can hose down the hallways, but at BW and BC and VWL they are ruining the hall carpet. The carpet at the BC is going to have to be replaced due to this abuse and every member gets to pay for that.

I suggested better education or materials letting guests know about the trash room. A close friend in resort management said it truly does not help. Those that want to do right, call and ask about garbage or ask a maid, those that don't care wont care regardless of what they do.

As he said, people do not take kindly to someone telling them how to vacation.

 

[Sammie]

I agree there needs to be more of them, we were on the first floor, so our problem was not location.

 

[Sammie]

I don't like going in the summer in large part because there seem to be so many rude guests. Limited experience though.

Anyway, I'm sorry to hear that your trip was not as it should have been.

Do you think the new nonsmoking rules were clearly explained? If it is just in the newsletter I'm sure many repeat guests don't even read them.

Chercrazy, I agree with you about trash although our last stay or two there was some kind of explanation in our BCV villa.

Nonsmoking was very much explained in great detail at check in. I said all along I thought this would make it worse and I still do. Instead of having some rooms for smokers you now have them all congregated in one area. There were literally hundreds of cigg butts in every available ashtray.

I don't smoke and try to avoid it as much as I can but I have friends that do and I respect their right to smoke so I think many smokers are just really angry over this and it is carrying over to make for a very angry crowd of guests.

The walkway leading into the Carriage house had smokers everywhere. Of course it has rained alot while here and that has caused everyone to take cover, including the smokers.

 

[MinnieGirl33]

I was hit by a flying shoe at check in.

Time to clean my monitor as I just spit coffee on it.

 

[Sammie]

Also I really do not want this to be a bash Disney World post but I call them as I see them and I care too much for my fellow DVC Disers not to warn you. Disney is having problems with crime on property. You will see increased police on property including Sheriff and Highway Patrol, please just take the usual precautions and you will be fine, but do not go thinking Disney is a safe haven. It is not.

And an equal amount of it is guest generated.

We did have a good time, SSR is beautiful and one of the most well landscaped resorts. CMs were going out of their way to be helpful and friendly.

Our meals were really good and we got great service at all Restaurants. The Bounty Breakfast at Artist Pallette is delicious and very bountiful.

So I guess I want to try some vacations at other locations and see if people are the same everywhere now on vacation or does Disney truly bring out the worst in a lot of people. No one seemed to be relaxing.

 

[bobbiwoz]

Wow, I'm sorry to read that you have had these experiences. You've been so helpful to many people, and it's a shame that didn't buy you some extra pixie dust for your good deeds. I know life doesn't work like that.

Bobbi

 

[JimMIA]

We just returned from WLV and our neighbors across the hall left their child's dirty diapers out in the hallway!

Did you try hanging the diaper on their doorknob?

[NOTE: If you are going to try that, you have to be really, really careful or you will get yucky, smelly stuff all over the poor guest's doorknob! There's a reason why I know that -- I tend to be kinda clumsy in those situations. ]

 

[Sammie]

Wow, I'm sorry to read that you have had these experiences. You've been so helpful to many people, and it's a shame that didn't buy you some extra pixie dust for your good deeds. I know life doesn't work like that.

Bobbi

Actually we were blessed with several instances of pixie dust, one being an upgrade on our weekend accommidations, which was really nice.

As I said the CMs were fabulous and I was impressed with everyone we encountered at SSR.

I just think we live in a very angry world right now and when you get lots of people together you see it more clearly even at Disney World.

 

[Anthony1971]

On the bright side seems like you had more positive than negative.
It seems people are ruder (if that is a word) all over today.
I find myself being the same way sometimes because I get tired of holding a door for the person behind me and not only do they not say thank you they do not put a hand on the door and give the person behind them the same courtesy they were given.. I have seem doors close in peoples faces because of this....This is the start of a long list...
In
Disney I do not let it bother me I just say so what and walk away -- mostly-- it works for the most part..
Recently --and I have never seen this before where I live-- somone dumped a couch in the street (dead end stret) on the side of my house... I guess it was easier to load into a truck drive to a quite street and dumo it rather than call sanitation dept. to pick it up
So I say again people all over are getting ruder.