Disney Service

[Tanooki]

We actually had an AMAZING service from Disney on every trip and 2 very magical experiences with lost items.

My daughter left her brand new hat (purchased the day before at HS) in the Philarmagic theater. We noticed it right away, went back in but couldn't find the hat. Before we left MK that day, we went to Guest Services to see if the hat had turned up. I explained the situation to the CM who was very helpful, but the hat wasn't there. When he took out a piece of paper, I thought he was going to write down a number for me to call, but he actually gave us a voucher to get any hat that we wanted to replace the one that was lost! To this day, my daughter cherishes that Minnie baseball cap

In August 2011, we stayed at Pop Century for our vacation. When we left our room, both my dh and I thought that the other one had the Ipod. When we got home, after looking through all bags and luggage, we had to face the fact that we had left the Ipod in the hotel room. We didn't even try to reach Pop or Disney as we weren't exactly sure where we'd left the Ipod. We just sucked it up and bought a new one. Fast forward to the beginning of December 2011. I get an e-mail from a guy telling me he works for Disney Security (or something like that) and that they think they have my Ipod. He just asks for my postal address to send it back to me, no charge.
The thing is : my e-mail address is NOT on the Ipod, nor is my name or my husband's
They actually used some pictures of a previous WDW trip (in 2008) that WAS on the Ipod to trace us back

The next week, we got our Ipod back in the mail. This was a very unexpected and very magical moment for us and I keep telling that story as an example of the level of service you get from Disney... even after you leave!

 

[Marblies]

Perhaps our experience wasn't the norm, but when my husband thought he left his phone charger at POP when we transferred to another hotel, he alerted the staff. Then he found the charger and forgot to let POP know. 2 weeks after arriving home, we received a postcard with a handwritten apology that they were sorry they could not find his charger. Above and beyond.

I'm curious to know which park this was because I have never waited more than maybe a couple of minutes to be helped at any Guest Relations. And I've been to all four parks offices. That's very surprising and maybe something else was going on so if you had returned, you wouldn't have had to wait 45 minutes.

My daughter waited almost an hour at guest relations at HS in February in the morning, because the ticket machine thought her ticket was invalid. Guest relations ran it with no problem and apologized for her inconvenience and gave her 2 any ride fastpasses for each person in our party. You ever wait standby for TSM? Instead we walked on twice through the FP line. Perfect compensation. Good service.

 

[squirrel4569]

I do think that part of it is perception and generally how you approach things. On our last trip I was at DHS and the key fob for my car disconnected from my key ring. All I had was the emergency key that would open the door, but wouldn't start the car as it has no key hole. Freaking out because the park was closing for the day and I was going to have to take the bus back to the hotel to get my wife's key and then go back and get the car. I head back to the park and security let's me go to Guest Services. I tell them what I was missing and in about 5 minutes I had it back. Crisis averted.

On the same trip I got a text from my mother who wasn't traveling with us who asked me who the other family in our PP share link was. I looked up my pictures and sure enough, there was another family in my pictures and some of mine were missing. I went to the PP counter at MK and they spent a good 45 minutes fixing the problem and finding my pictures and putting everything where it belonged. I was polite and they were apologetic and more than happy to help.

Going back to the perception point and the last thing in your day, our first day on that trip was at Epcot. The kids were grouchy most of the day and we had a hard time really getting into a Disney groove. (we didn't start the trip at MK so I blame it on that) At the end of the day we went to the Character Spot while Illuminations was on. Nobody was in there and we got a pretty much 15 minute session interacting with Pluto, Mickey and Minnie along with 3 or 4 PP photographers snapping pictures with their cameras and ours. A family picture with all four of us plus the gang hangs over our couch in our living room as one of the best memories from that trip, despite half of the day being a complete disaster.

I try to go into situations with a positive attitude most of the time. I do get aggravated with incompetence but I haven't found that at Disney. In the end people make mistakes and computers and various systems fail but as long as people are polite and at the very least try to make things right then I'm satisfied.

 

[sephorachick]

I do think that part of it is perception and generally how you approach things. On our last trip I was at DHS and the key fob for my car disconnected from my key ring. All I had was the emergency key that would open the door, but wouldn't start the car as it has no key hole. Freaking out because the park was closing for the day and I was going to have to take the bus back to the hotel to get my wife's key and then go back and get the car. I head back to the park and security let's me go to Guest Services. I tell them what I was missing and in about 5 minutes I had it back. Crisis averted.

On the same trip I got a text from my mother who wasn't traveling with us who asked me who the other family in our PP share link was. I looked up my pictures and sure enough, there was another family in my pictures and some of mine were missing. I went to the PP counter at MK and they spent a good 45 minutes fixing the problem and finding my pictures and putting everything where it belonged. I was polite and they were apologetic and more than happy to help.

Going back to the perception point and the last thing in your day, our first day on that trip was at Epcot. The kids were grouchy most of the day and we had a hard time really getting into a Disney groove. (we didn't start the trip at MK so I blame it on that) At the end of the day we went to the Character Spot while Illuminations was on. Nobody was in there and we got a pretty much 15 minute session interacting with Pluto, Mickey and Minnie along with 3 or 4 PP photographers snapping pictures with their cameras and ours. A family picture with all four of us plus the gang hangs over our couch in our living room as one of the best memories from that trip, despite half of the day being a complete disaster.

I try to go into situations with a positive attitude most of the time. I do get aggravated with incompetence but I haven't found that at Disney. In the end people make mistakes and computers and various systems fail but as long as people are polite and at the very least try to make things right then I'm satisfied.

I love this! I agree if you go in w/ the right attitude & are patient you will be much happier in the end. Being a past CM I know some situations can be challenging but we try to make up anything to the guest that we can.

 

[bdcp]

My friend just got back from their very first trip. They rode Toy Story Mania and their youngest daughter's gun didn't work. As they exited the building she was crying. A CM approached her and asked what was wrong. They told her. The CM immediately brought over a manager who asked why she was crying, she told him. He pulled out 4 fast passes and a certificate for 4 free ice creams. They went and got the ice cream and then rode the ride again. One happy little girl and her family. Those are the kinds of stories that are what WDW is. I think people who go to complain with guns ablazing are more likely to not see the "magic" that is still part of WDW.

 

[pfalcioni]

But as i said in my previous post upon further reflection there were other CM's that looking back on it were great in helping me with the situation and perhaps in my already upset state of mind after losing the item i focused more on the negative parts of the interactions then on the other positive ones.

It's a smart person who can take a step back and see this.

 

[kmb584]

I have never, in all 50 trips, had an issue with Disney's Customer Service and two scenarios from our April vacation come to mind.

#1: On the 4th day of our vacation we realized later on in the night that DD didn't have her brand new, purchased the day before, Glenda Barbie doll. DD insisted she had brought her to our 'Ohana breakfast, I insisted otherwise -- until I found the photographic proof that Glenda did in fact share breakfast with us. We didn't make it back to the Poly until 9pm and the CM on duty were so willing to help but upset because their Lost & Found was closed until 8am the next morning. The man working took down my name and phone number, as well as the name of the resort we were staying at, and at 8:05am the following day my cell phone rang. It was the same gentleman who had been working the night prior calling to enthusiastically tell me that he had found Glenda in the L&F and we could come by to pick her up.

#2: The day we picked up Glenda, we went to MK. The day was going fantastic and by early evening DD was throwing a mini tantrum because she wanted to go on Buzz again (it would have been our 4th spin just the day). I relented. DD fell head first into our "car" and hit her head fairly hard. The CM working saw what happened and not only did she immediately but temporarily shut down the attraction, she called First Aid. DD had a good sized goose bump on her forehead with noted ecchymosis surrounding it but otherwise felt fine. They offered us a trip to the ER but I declined: I'm a nurse and know well the signs and symptoms of a concussion and what to be on the look out for. The next day we received a phone call from Disney just to check on how DD was fairing (very well).

 

[kmb584]

#2: The day we picked up Glenda, we went to MK. The day was going fantastic and by early evening DD was throwing a mini tantrum because she wanted to go on Buzz again (it would have been our 4th spin just the day). I relented. DD fell head first into our "car" and hit her head fairly hard. The CM working saw what happened and not only did she immediately but temporarily shut down the attraction, she called First Aid. DD had a good sized goose bump on her forehead with noted ecchymosis surrounding it but otherwise felt fine. They offered us a trip to the ER but I declined: I'm a nurse and know well the signs and symptoms of a concussion and what to be on the look out for. The next day we received a phone call from Disney just to check on how DD was fairing (very well).

The last portion of the above was cut off, hmph! Before the woman who had called ended the call, she asked a couple of rather odd questions: what park were we at? how many people in your party? who is your daughter's favorite character? After I answered she directed me to head over to DHS Customer Relations in an hour. When we arrived, the man behind the counter whipped out this HUGE tote bag filled to the brim: a Duffy dressed as Woody, a Mouseketeer outfit for Duffy, Duffy ears, a stuffed Minnie, coloring book, activity book, crayons and a FP valid for all 4 of us for the rest of our stay, not the rest of our day.

I was in total shock while DD was jumping around like a loon and grinning from ear to ear screaming "thank you!" It was some MAJOR that was completely unexpected but will forever be appreciated.

 

[princessallegra]

I can only speak for the customer service we have personally received, and it has not declined for us at all. I also lost something on my trip. I left my lanyard hanging on the chair at liberty tree tavern after dinner. I was so upset. I thought it was gone forever. I had pins on it from Hong Kong disney and special pins I had collected over the years, as well as mini vinyls. Totally my fault for hanging it on the chair while i ate instead of putting it in my bag. Anyway we were some of the last people dining there. I remembered after the restaurant was closed. We went to guest services at park closing and nothing had been turned in. They gave us the card for the main ttc lost and found and told us to call. We did, and they did not have anything. They said to call back in a couple of days. When we got home I called back and left a detailed message. They called me back that they had my lanyard! They shipped it back to me free of charge. I was amazed. All the pins and vinyls were there. I wrote to guest services and let them know how happy I was.

I hope the OP's lost item is turned in. Don't give up! It took a few days for my lanyard to make its way back to the central lost and found.

 

[vicki_c]

We lost a bag from a kiosk purchase at Epcot last year during Flower and Garden. We reported it, it was our departure day, so DH went and repurchased the item. A few days after we got home, we received a package in the mail with our missing bag and some stickers.

Another time they mailed us an item from the resort room that wasn't ours! That was funny. No idea where it came from, maybe it was in the room somewhere when we were there and just never noticed (it was a toy Donald Duck football).

On the Disney Wonder, my DS left his DS under the pillow when we debarked and we didn't notice until leaving the parking lot. They let my husband and son back on the ship and a crew member took them back to our stateroom and retrieved it.

Another time (I know, I know, but we've had lots of trips- we don't lose things every time!), we forgot our camera bag (filled) in the closet at WL and the manger really went out of his way to get it back for us very quickly even though the Lost and Found was closed at the time.

The only items we lost that were not found were a kid's nightgown left under the pillow and my DS lost his camera case on the monorail or bus once (I'm not sure we even reported that one to Lost and Found).

So that's neither here nor there regarding a decline in service, but just overall pleasant experiences with Lost and Found.

 

[princessallegra]

Just wanted to add i have waited at guest services at MK for 30 mins, and i have chosen not to wait at guest services at DHS bc the line was so long. It's entirely possible to wait that long at any given time of any given day at any given park for guest services.

 

[belle032]

I was a WDW CM until very recently and can honestly say 95% of the CM's love their job and are more than happy to make magic for the thousands of families we see everyday. But we are people, not animatronics like some guests seem to think, and we have bad days and bad experiences. Unfortunately, sometimes it does show onstage!

On the flip side, guests have bad days as well I cannot tell you how many times I was yelled at and talked down to during my 4 years there. We understand guests pay a lot of money for this vacation but sometimes just meeting a nice, polite, grateful, happy family is such a breath of fresh air. We will bend over backwards for a nice family! Something as small as saying "thank you" is very much appreciated

To be honest, CMs deal with soooo much more than a lot of people give them credit for. Our numbers have dwindled every year and we definitely aren't paid enough, which is one reason I couldn't keep doing what I was doing. So yes, bad things will happen and I'm sorry it soured the OP's experience, however, one experience doesn't mean ALL Disney service has gone downhill.

 

[GoofyLo]

Believe it or not, cast members are human too. Everyone is bound to have an off day from time to time. I had a co-worker be rather short with me which was unusual for her. When I asked if she was ok, she told me she found out the day before that her dad had lung cancer. You never know what someone is going through.

Collectively, I think Disney does a great job with customer service. We frequently visit since we are DVC members and live fairly close (Georgia), but I have had a few experiences that I would not consider up to Disney standards. However, I don't think you're experience is one of them. They looked to see if they had your item, said you could check back, and gave you a number to call and follow up. Granted, it sounds like you were there at a busy time considering you waited 45 minutes, but the wait for guest services isn't always this long. You had an option to check back, and if the line was long, you could choose not to wait and use the number they gave you. I think having them take your information and contact you regarding the item was an unrealistic expectation considering the number of people who visit parks on a daily basis. IMO, it was putting the responsibility on Disney to follow up on the missing item.

I will say that Disney is excellent in taking care of their guests. I left a few of my DD's hair bows in our room at the Beach Club and didn't realize it. I received a box in the mail with the items. I'd say that's going above and beyond!

 

[3boys4me]

I went earlier this year and didn't have hot water for three days. So it was a ruff trip but they were very nice.
Also in Epcot I needed a band aid so I stopped by first aid when my friends went to the baby care center. They were so nice, very helpful, they gave me extras and different shapes in case in needed them.

I think the customer service is great, everyone is so nice. Even with the water problems they were nice and professional.

As for the little girl getting knocked down, accidents happen. They should have done something about it then. It says they left and went home, and it later turned purple.

I saw a video once where Tigger mowed down a kid when he turned to walk, limited visibility. He stood the kid back up and have hugs and made a big production of dusting him off. It was an accident.

I just can't seem to get past this post. No hot water for 3 days?!? That is crazy. Did they offer to give you a new room? I sure hope so.

 

[WDSearcher]

You guys realize that all these amazing stories are making OP feel even worse, right?

To OP: the point of all of this, really, is that it's luck of the draw sometimes, and the types of responses (huge tote bags of free stuff, etc.) are still the exception, not the rule. I'm sure it must seem as though you got the short shrift in L&F after all these stories. It's tough to read all these stories while still thinking, "I just want my stuff". Hopefully it will turn up and surprise you. But if not, look at it as good karma for a future trip!