Have I got low standards?

[Buttercup]

I often read posts about how people are disgusted by their rooms at various Disney resorts. But in all honesty, I've never really come across anything horrible in 30+ years of going to WDW.

The worst thing I've encountered was when I stayed one night at All Star Music (the rest of my reservation was beginning the next day at Ft. Wilderness). It was a very busy time of year so all the rooms were booked full - and since I was only there for one night, I think I got relegated to the absolute furthest room from the main building/lobby! Normally no big deal -- the only thing I noticed was that the shampoo/conditioner set in the room was the old-style red & black mickey bottles (before the current blue ones that have been around quite a while). So my guess is that nobody had stayed in there for a long time since the old shampoos were still there! But it wasn't a dirty room or anything. Just something I noticed!

So really, are my standards super low? I always find the beds comfy, the sheets clean, the bathroom in good shape...
When people say their rooms were awful, what was so bad about them?

[lawgirl]

Interesting post...I've never had a bad room either. I've never had a dirty room- the bathroom has always been spotless, beds comfy, etc...of course its not the Ritz or Four Seasons, but I've always found the rooms to be very comfortable, and the theming immaculate.

[retiredfigment]

Agreed. Of course the family does call me 'Pollyanna'. Never a bad experience and always the most magical place on Earth.

[2Epcot]

I don't think I've ever had any bad room experiences. There are resorts I liked better than others for various reasons, but the rooms themselves have always been great.

[gauvin4]

I have never had a bad experience either and I have stayed in value, mod & deluxe resorts. Like a previous poster said I have my favorites but it doesn't have anything to do with cleanliness of the rooms.

[Gregandmel]

I don't think your standards are low - I think sometimes other people's standards and expectations are too high maybe?? We stayed at POFQ and I was a bit nervous as some people posted how much they didn't enjoy their experience - the rooms were dated, etc.... but we were thrilled with our accomodations. We are always just so darn happy to be having a Disney vacation that we probably overlook the little things that other people may pick out. But we are pretty easy to please anyways but I think it's usually "all about the attitude". However, some people do have legitimate complaints that I've read. Disney isn't perfect - but it's pretty close in my opinion!

[SBETigg]

I don't think your standards are low. I think complaints stand out more. Since you mentioned it in a positive light, this whole thread will probably be taken up by most of us who have had great experiences and no complaints about our rooms.

Also, I think Disney vacations might stretch the budget for some. Some people are possibly paying more than they normally pay for a room, so they're expecting perfection along with some bells and whistles. But the fact is that just because it's Disney doesn't mean regular hotel issues won't come up, like an occasional shabby patch on a rug, a spot on a comforter, or a bug in the room. Things happen. I have stayed in lots of hotels and many different price points and what you're paying for is usually location, while rooms, beds, and baths are much the same at any hotel-- with some outstanding exceptions on both ends of the budget.

[Mickey'sGirl]

We have spent hundreds of nights at WDW hotels ... at all different levels ... and we have only had issues once (at the Wilderness Lodge )... and the one time we caused the issue at POFQ (But that's another story!) I think people like to complain ... especially when things don't turn out how they imagine them to be when looking forward to a holiday. I think because there is such a cost associated with staying at Disney, that we expect things to be a certain way, and topped of with Pixie Dust and Neverland Dreams. When a hotel room is just a hotel room, there's space for disappointment.

[Ms. Mode]

On our second trip to WDW we stayed at POP and our room was not kept at the same standard that it had been two years before. Having said that, the room was still as good or better than other resorts we have stayed at in the past. I always say that a room at WDW is better than any place else...and it's true!

I guess, like others have stated, that people think they are paying for perfect...actually it's more like..location, location, location.

[BugeyedMuggy]

We have always been happy with mousekeeping but we do leave a note if anything else is needed so you don't dwell on it all vacation. The cost of Disney hotels (esp at peak) is a bit higher than most comparable outside the World but that's what you pay extra for. That may be why people want more for their money.

[DizneyRox]

Surprisingly, I was thinking the same thing. I don't think I've ever had a disgusting room, or at least nothing stands out. I have stayed elsewhere and found unmentionables in rooms, food, etc, but never at Disney. I've gone so much that the law of averages would seem to indicate I should have however. I'm also not all that demanding on vacation. Everything doesn't have to be perfect because I've paid a ton of money and I deserve it...

The cast at the resorts is another issue, but the rooms, not so much...

[cajunprincess]

I have never had a terrible room either! The only complaint I have EVER had at a Disney hotel was when we broung my son who was 22 months at the time, he spilt his fruit loops on the floor. Of course we picked them up but the crumbs stayed in teh carpet for our entire 9 day trip. I am one of the people who NEVER complain unless the a/c isn't working but in my opinion, a room at any Disney Resort is better than being anywhere else on the entire earth!!!!!

[clausjo]

Add me to the list of happy visitors as well. We've stayed many, many nights at various Disney properties, mostly value and moderate and have always been very pleased. As long as the room is clean, I'm happy. I can honestly say that I've never had a room that wasn't clean in any of the times I've stayed there, and that's one of the reasons why we continue to go back.

Off property is another story . . .

[Mousemates]

I think that when it comes to room cleanliness (and many, many other things) at WDW there are two extremes that often come into play.

1. Unreasonably high expectations ...some folks seemingly arrive with expectations that Disney is truly a "different world" where everything is magically perfect and not subject to the general rules of life and its randomness that apply elsewhere on the planet. (i.e. whereas we might not be overly upset when we encounter a less than perfectly clean room with say a cobweb in the corner at the Comfort Inn at Podunk Beach...at WDW it upsets some folks because it pokes a hole in their "perfect world" expectations. And thus that cobweb gets blown out of proportion. And as Disneyrox mentioned above, the higher costs of an on property stay do tend to fuel this mindset.

2. Pollyanna-ism... and what I am referring to here are the folks who also believe that WDW is "Another World" as well...but here instead of overly high expectations making them impossible to please --they actually become less discerning consumers and will become accepting of levels of service that they likely would not tolerate at other places....simply because it is Disney.

folks, who fall into this line of thinking will sometimes try to talk the dissatsified in their parties out of registering a complaint, will make excuses for poor service (they must just be having a bad day), or even get upset with people that point out the deficiencies. Any criticism on WDW (even mousekeeping) is taken as a personal affront.

So are your expectations low...I doubt it. My trips to WDW began in the early seventies and have increased in frequency through the years. We have traveled the entire lower forty-eight and stayed at some pretty nice places along the way...but my favorite place to vacation is still WDW. The overall cleanliness and suitability of our rooms have varied somewhat from stay to stay and we have had a couple times where we refused the room assigned or demanded a move because of in-room issues (once for a musty/smoky smell and the other time because of some water issues related to a leaky sprinkler system in the wall at the CB)...we have also had to make some maintenance requests along the way (broken bathroom doorknob that cut my hand at the Music and an AC issue at CSR).

But none of those issues were trip-ruiners by any stretch of the imagination...and in each case Disney was quick to address the situation and "make things right."

And that is what probably has kept me so firmly in the WDW fold (so to speak)...I do not expect perfection at WDW...but I do expect them to take care of the real issues that I bring to their attention when (in my experience) those rare miscues occur. They have met that expectation.

[mickeefan]

We have not had any bad experiences either. I will add that the most immaculately clean rooms we have ever had are our stays at Boardwalk Villas and Beach Club Villas.

[megustamex]

We've stayed at almost all the Disney deluxe resorts and the values, several times. I really have had the same level of housekeeping at both levels. Where I notice the difference is in the speed of service. At the value resorts, it takes a long time to get more towels or something cleaned, where at the deluxe resorts, they are on it in 5-10 minutes. But it always gets resolved in the end. And the one time it didn't after 3 requests, and I spoke to a manager, they promptly refunded me $50 for one night. But that was a rarity, and we've stayed probably 100 nights in the values. So it's more a matter of patience with the value resorts than anything.

[MOJoe]

I think when people get upset, money is usually the issue. Staying at a Disney resort, especially a Deluxe or even a Mod, is considerably more expensive than comparable accomodations elsewhere. So when people say their room was "awful", what they may mean is that "For what we paid for this room, we expected much more." Like bigger rooms, more luxurious furnishings, marble bathroom floors and such.
I know that the first time i stayed at Disney i was somewhat surprised that the rooms seemed no better than any standard motel room. And though i had no complaints, i would imagine that those who do complain are first timers as well.

[azcavalier]

We've never had an actual room issue, just issues with service. And service, even at Disney, is largely going to depend on the Cast Members, and the kind of day they've had.

And, in thinking about it, in the nine years that we've been going to WDW, I can only think of twice that we had bad service at a resort. Once was at All Star Sports, and then when we went to the Villas at Wilderness Lodge. That time is was more of a miscommunication than a service issue.

[Gator]

I always shake my head when I read all the bad reports of unclean Disney rooms that must need refurbishment. I've been 5 times, and have yet to come back to my room and it was not clean - except when I rented those DVC points and didn't realize that mousekeeping came by every 3-4 days. Even still, I didn't walk into the room, look under the bed searching for dust bunnies, or use a PH test to check for mold in the shower. I don't get the ultra-clean attitude - have these people spent anytime in South America?

[Daisy'sMom]

We have had only one problem and that was at the CSR. The toilet was not clean when we arrived. It was taken care right away and not an issue. People always will find a reason to be unhappy, especially when they are spending alot of their money.