Don't Read If You Are Heading Down to WDW: This will bring you down
If you are headed to WDW, don't read this. It is not my intention to spoil your excitement. But,if you have been treated badly at WDW before, you may want to read this. I wish I had found this thread before I wasted over $5,000.00 this past May. DVC sales monitor Intercot: so,if I am flamed,I will assume it is someone who works at Disney.
There was no bigger Disney fan than I. Nine new families go because of our recommendations. I never had a single complaint about ANYONE who worked at WDW. In fact, I always believed that every single cast member I ever dealt with always went well beyond any expectation I ever had. I have a son with Asperger’s Syndrome, and I credit WDW with lots of wonderful breakthroughs for him.
Our newest “favorite” Disney hotel was the Beach Club Resort.It had casual elegance, an unbelievable pool, and unbeatable location. We had stayed at the BCR two other times without any incident.
Our third visit to the BCR occurred this past May. Disney is advertising 2010 as the year of celebrations. What better place to go for our wedding anniversary and son’s birthday combined? And while every other place and cast member on Disney property rose to their usual above and beyond outstanding service, a few staff at the BCR ruined every single day of our stay, except one. Keep in mind, I don’t think I have ever lodged a complaint against anyone, at Disney or anywhere else.
During our stay at the BCR this May, the staff at the hotel started our vacation by telling us in a very belligerent tone that our standard view room wasn’t ready, and check in was at 4 pm. Even though I was bewildered at the tone of voice and even though I knew check in was at 3 pm, I said, ok, just asking, no big deal. We dropped off our bags, and walked to Epcot. Hours later, while we were having a great time, I received a call telling me that our room wasn’t ready. In fact, the room that we had chosen from a list they had given us to choose from, had been trashed by people who stayed there the night before. I asked about the state of the mattresses. The manager on the phone hesitated and didn’t answer. We were then offered another standard view room instead, and we were checked in a little after 3 pm. The next day, my husband discovered that the front desk had “lost” my husband’s credit card information! He had placed a cc on our room key at check in, and was put in embarrassing situations when he discovered the room card had no charge priviledges. BCR called us and told my husband that he needed to place a cc on the room key. When he replied that he already had, he was subjected to a very nasty, smug cast member who made my husband angry enough to complain to a wonderful manager, who reimbursed my husband the amount he (the manager) deemed fair. My husband came back totally pixiedusted! Day three was great, no problem.
Day 4, the day before our wedding anniversary, we came back from lunch to discover that my beautiful bathing suit was missing from my room! So, while my family went to see a flower power concert at Epcot, I spent the evening dealing, once again, with the BCR managers. I was reimbursed the depreciated value of my suit, because it was a year old, and I told them that. From this point on, I was getting upset at the BCR, but was trying to be a lady.
But, now my Asperger Syndrome son is afraid to leave his camera equipment in the room: he’s afraid of theft and “people looking through my stuff”. And, my time in Stormalong Bay is gone, ½ the reason we booked at the BCR to begin with, because it seemed that finding a one piece swimsuit in my petite size on Disneyworld property was impossible while I was there.
After the disappearance of my suit was reported to management (my suit was NEVER found), housekeeping did not give us service, which we felt was retaliatory for the complaint about the missing suit. We base this on the fact a male housekeeper told my husband in the hall, “YOU don’t want housekeeping!” very rudely, the day after we reported the suit missing. For two days, we would call housekeeping when we left the room, not to return for 6 or more hours, because we REALLY needed service. No one came. Finally, when we no longer even had toilet paper (not to mention towels, shampoo, or soap); I broke down. I asked a manager in the lobby if it was too much to expect for a Deluxe Disney resort to provide toilet paper? I burst into tears. I just wanted to go home. The manager kept telling my husband that he was too busy, with a hotel at 40% capacity, to be bothered with what he considered our small issues. He snidely accused my husband of wanting to “profit” from this situation (?!?) That night, at dinner, my son had a full meltdown at the Polynesian, where we went for dinner, and locked himself in the men’s room for hours due to the stress . A wonderful young man who worked at the front desk of the Poly helped us talk my son out of his anxiety attack and into a cab back to the BCR, where we slunk back to our room feeling horrible about being trapped there. To this day, I pray for that young man, and the waiter at Le Cellier, who was the only one to acknowledge our anniversary with two glasses of surprise champagne. No one at the BCR cared. In fact, when we told them it was our anniversary, they treated us like we wanted something. Uh, yeah, we wanted what we paid for: deluxe service. I believe everywhere on earth, that does include toilet paper!
The same manager who was rude and insulting, continued his coercion until we went home. I cried several time in the remaining two days, particularly after said manager insinuated that there never WAS a swim suit!! I burst into tears, and gave a minute description to the Yacht Club manager, who was a lovely person who tried to comfort me. The nasty manager at the BCR made it a point to show up to crow triumphantly at our departing backs as the Magical Express drove us away. When I told this man that I intended to write a letter of complaint, he laughed and said, “Go Ahead!” in a way that told me that he knew he could act with impunity.
He was right. I wrote no less than three letters to customer service. With the second letter, I asked to be reimbursed for the days at the hotel (minus the days the first manager reimbursed), at the discounted price that we paid and I listed. I also stated that, instead of money, I would be receptive to reimbursement in the form of another deluxe hotel stay for 5 days. I already knew that 40% capacity was considered a hardship: they had the rooms. Stupid me, I thought it would be a cheaper way for them, considering their mark up on their prices; and the fact that we usually spend tons of money on other things down there, anyway. They would still turn a profit. It would have been a way to show us that we wouldn’t be abused a second time around. I would never consider paying them another $5,000 and placing myself in their power unless they made some gesture. Had Disney shown good faith and remorse for destroying our anniversary, they would have been pleasantly surprised: it is the principle for me. No one in my family even wants to go back, and we don’t have the time anyway. Instead, the woman on the phone said they felt they did all they were interested in doing, and insinuated she had my letters, so to shut up and just take it. I found that puzzling, as I have no problem with what I put in writing at all, including the suggestion to be reimbursed. I believe that it is the right thing for them to do.
Although the person who was delegated the responsibility of our complaint promised to call us last week, she never did. Instead, I had to email. At that, she called, and said she believed the BCR, and they felt they reimbursed us enough with the suit and the first manager. I guess when that manager at the BCR encouraged me to write my complaints, he knew nothing would be done. I guess they felt that reimbursing us for the trashed room, lost cc information, nastiness, and a missing bathing suit granted them immunity from further outrageously bad customer service! My family had to go use the pool bathroom because we weren’t even given toilet paper. At a deluxe hotel!
We are being painted as mercenary for wanting reimbursement for the discounted price we paid for the hotel only. That’s actually funny. The BCR destroyed our vacation and celebration, and WDW doesn’t care. They didn’t back us, the guests, at all. The pixie dust bubble was popped right in front of my face.
We had been to WDW 11 times before where nothing bad happened. Unfortunately, when things did go wrong, WDW did not feel accountable for our time, effort, planning, money, and trust that has been destroyed by some of their BCR staff. The woman on the phone even had the nerve to tell me, smugly, that they would continue to take our money for future trips.When I said it for what it was,they just want our money, she said, “Yup”. Needless to say, I have informed my travel agents. They said , “YOU, of all people, have a problem with Disney??’, and after listening, told me Disney’s behavior toward me and mine was disgusting.
I hope no one here ever experiences what we did. But, I’d like to hear about it if anyone else was ever treated this badly.