The State of DL

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  • TylerDurden
    MiceChatter
    • Jul 2011
    • 1362

    [Review] The State of DL

    I am currently enjoying five days at the DLR (overlooking Paradise Piezr from my GCH villa as I write this) and am, of course, having a great time. However, there are some things I have noticed that concern me a bit about the direction of this wonderful resort.

    1. The Staff--this one surprises me...usually I see nothing but happy CMs at any Disney park, but this time around boy is it different. Never have I seen such a collection of incompetent, unhappy, and downright rude employees. If they know what they're doing, they are extremely rude about it. If they are actually somewhat pleasant they are completely clueless and hold up your day. For instance, our waitress at the Carthay Circle was a very pleasant woman, but our service was dreadfully slow (at 5 PM) and we had to tell her about our World of Color reservation before we were given that menu/our tickets. Then when you see people who are capable (crowd control, attractions, etc) they don't know the words please, thank you, etc they just boss around orders. The absolute worst are the ticket takers who are both unpleasant AND inefficient--hardly any greetings from anyone, but a lot of slow people not sure of what they're doing (this problem is only exacerbated by the fact that they now have the insane policy of checking photos BEFORE scanning the ticket--seriously get the fingerprint system!!!) I am not looking forward to interacting with anymore CMs on this trip

    2. The Condition of the Parks--peeling paint everywhere, dirty sidewalks, and its not even peak season. Though I do commend them on using themed construction walls around BTMRR, the deteriorating state of the rest of the parks worries me a little. The gold standard set by Disney is being violated by Disney. Also, I've seen more busted AA's and show effects on the rides here than in any WDW park, meaning I can't take anymore criticisms of WDW seriously anymore...which brings me to...

    3. Maintenance--maintenance is a joke here. Never have I been in a park with SO many rides breaking down a day. It's ridiculous, and nowhere else would you find such poor maintenance of rides...not Universal, not Six Flags, not even WDW as so many people like to hate on. Never in WDW have three major rides been down at once. And this is not just this trip--it's a common theme for every DL visit for our favorite rides to be broken several times throughout the day, especially when we want to ride them. I feel bad for one-time visitors who can't experience the big name attractions because they're constantly broken. And I also feel bad for locals who come to parks full of broken rides.

    Other than those issues, I have had and will continue to have a great time here. But DLR just isn't as perfect as it used to be, or as perfect as people make it out to be. Hopefully by my next trip it will be back to living up to its name.
  • DrFink
    The doctor is in
    • Aug 2012
    • 3628

    #2
    Re: The State of DL

    I noticed problems with CMs last time I was there. It isn't the majority but a decent amount are rude.

    Take a stop at City Hall before you leave and mention it. If not, write them an email when your trip is over.
    Merrily on our way to nowhere at all.











    Comment

    • DCAfanatic
      Unhelpful User
      • Aug 2008
      • 711

      #3
      Re: The State of DL

      Disneyland is not the perfect place we all want it to be , just have fun and enjoy life and stop complaining about every little detail eventually it will get fixed , remember everything has a solution.

      All in all I know you have vent out your frustrations but don't let these things ruin your vacation and try to have a good time!
      Last edited by DCAfanatic; 06-19-2013, 08:13 AM.

      Comment

      • Attic Haunt
        Lurking in the corners
        • Apr 2013
        • 758

        #4
        Re: The State of DL

        Ah, DCAfanatic, it is imperative that shortcomings be pointed out, especially in the area of customer service. Management can't help but see peeling paint and faulty anamatronics, but they may not be aware of the depth or frequency of failings in their CMs.
        sigpic
        ​I'm blogging here again!

        Comment

        • Jayce
          Vidia's Minion
          • Sep 2010
          • 843

          #5
          Re: The State of DL

          Well we do have a new DL president...

          Comment

          • jasmineray
            MiceChatter
            • Jun 2012
            • 1680

            #6
            Re: The State of DL

            I agree with the sc paint. It's disappointing, really. I wouldn't say it's everywhere, but it's definitely noticeable. I've also noticed dirty spots here and there, the most obvious being small world. They need to do some repainting on that one and Toontown as well.
            Princess of Agrabah and Queen of Never Land

            Comment

            • TylerDurden
              MiceChatter
              • Jul 2011
              • 1362

              #7
              Re: The State of DL

              Originally posted by DCAfanatic View Post
              Disneyland is not the perfect place we all want it to be , just have fun and enjoy life and stop complaining about every little detail eventually it will get fixed , remember everything has a solution.
              I have more good things to say than bad, and I am having a great time with my family...the problem is just that compared to our last few trips this one has been a bit underwhelming in the areas I mentioned.

              Comment

              • frollofan
                ********ter
                • Mar 2010
                • 3347

                #8
                Re: The State of DL

                Remember to report anything you have a problem with to City Hall. That is one the best things to do if we are to expect change in the future. I hope you're still have an awesome time though.
                Last edited by frollofan; 06-19-2013, 07:51 AM.



                Comment

                • TylerDurden
                  MiceChatter
                  • Jul 2011
                  • 1362

                  #9
                  Re: The State of DL

                  Originally posted by frollofan View Post
                  Remember to report anything you have a problem with to City Hall. That is one the best things to do if we are to expect change in the future. I hope you're still have an awesome time though.
                  Thats good advice from you all, and I will.

                  And thank you, it's been a lot of fun--peeled paint and rude CMs who I barely have to interact with cant really ruin a vacation for me. As for broken rides, well we have plenty of time to get to them so again, it's all good

                  Hopefully though, DL does kinda get the kick in the pants it needs to get back to where it was

                  Comment

                  • techskip
                    I Break Things
                    • Jun 2007
                    • 12793

                    #10
                    Re: The State of DL

                    price of a Caddy, service of a go-kart!
                    "Happiness is a Low Water Level"

                    sigpic

                    "Creating magical memories and making Managers cry since 1955!"

                    Comment

                    • Big D
                      Expert Churro Salesman
                      • Feb 2008
                      • 3321

                      #11
                      Re: The State of DL

                      It does seem to me like the quality of the CM's has gone downhill since the years that I worked there, but then again I have heard that every CM thinks that!!! I think the pressures they're under between parking (you pretty much have to be pulling into the parking lot an hour and a half before your shift starts in order to be "on time"), insane management requirements, insane guest demands, and ridiculously low pay, and eventually you end up with McDonald's employees. When I worked there the turnover was insane and you could count on the fact that Disney was always hiring, but now that doesn't seem to be the case, so you'd think Disney would be able to hire higher quality employees since they have a bigger pool of candidates to choose from, but it actually seems like they've lowered their standards. Maybe the job candidates have higher levels of expectations in terms of pay and quality of life on the job, so maybe this is the best that Disney can get right now. I don't know that they can do much about the parking (other then have people clock in before the board the parking lot shuttle and pay them for the time it takes to ride the shuttle to Harbor House, go to costuming, change, and then walk across the park to your office), but they certainly could at least pay their employees the same as In N Out.

                      I hadn't noticed too many rides breaking down, so I don't know if that's just bad luck, or if it's just not the rides that I usually go on. My big pet peeve is when they close the rides because of a nighttime show like the fireworks or World of Color. I can't tell you how many times I've been turned away from California Screamin because I go there just a few minutes too late.

                      To me the parks look great, I know that their is peeling paint and burned out lightbulbs here and there, but with the amount of people that that go through the parks, I think they look pretty darn good considering the wear and tear that they have to deal with every single day. I know it used to be better, but I also think that the parks weren't as crowded, and guests didn't climb on everything either, so I don't know if it's a fair comparison to say that in 1960 Disneyland was better maintained then it is today in 2013. I actually think that they look better now then they did when I worked there -- ever since the 50th.
                      Disneyland Cast Member
                      Outdoor Vending
                      1996 - 1999

                      My interview with MiceAge about working at Disneyland:

                      http://micechat.com/blogs/mouth-of-t...ding-crew.html

                      Comment

                      • ravencroft
                        MiceChatter
                        • Jul 2005
                        • 1314

                        #12
                        Re: The State of DL

                        Originally posted by TylerDurden View Post
                        I am currently enjoying five days at the DLR (overlooking Paradise Piezr from my GCH villa as I write this) and am, of course, having a great time. However, there are some things I have noticed that concern me a bit about the direction of this wonderful resort.
                        I commend you for taking the time to express your concerns. I agree with you on all counts.

                        Posting here feels better than taking more valuable time to "Visit City Hall"
                        --
                        http://www.bewaterwise.com

                        Comment

                        • Bob Weaver
                          MiceChatter
                          • Aug 2009
                          • 3675

                          #13
                          Re: The State of DL

                          The people at the top of a company set the policies and standards that ultimately affect the guest's experience. So any blame should go to the upper management because ultimately they are the responsible party.

                          As long as guests pour into the parks in record numbers, upper management has no incentive or motivation to change any policy or standard. The record numbers are their evidence that their policies and standards are correctly set, in their view.

                          Comment

                          • sleepyjeff
                            Spree Candy
                            • Jan 2005
                            • 15345

                            #14
                            Re: The State of DL

                            ^...this....sigh.
                            Waiting for Godot Micechat.com

                            Comment

                            • kkocka
                              Banned User
                              • Jun 2013
                              • 86

                              #15
                              Re: The State of DL

                              Where have you guys noticed the peeling paint? In general I don't notice any extremities and concerns. Keep in mind though you're visiting during the start of peak season: the rides will start breaking down more often.

                              Comment

                              • G24T
                                No Disassemble!
                                • Dec 2011
                                • 795

                                #16
                                Re: The State of DL

                                Originally posted by TylerDurden View Post
                                1. The Staff--this one surprises me...usually I see nothing but happy CMs at any Disney park, but this time around boy is it different. Never have I seen such a collection of incompetent, unhappy, and downright rude employees. If they know what they're doing, they are extremely rude about it. If they are actually somewhat pleasant they are completely clueless and hold up your day. For instance, our waitress at the Carthay Circle was a very pleasant woman, but our service was dreadfully slow (at 5 PM) and we had to tell her about our World of Color reservation before we were given that menu/our tickets. Then when you see people who are capable (crowd control, attractions, etc) they don't know the words please, thank you, etc they just boss around orders. The absolute worst are the ticket takers who are both unpleasant AND inefficient--hardly any greetings from anyone, but a lot of slow people not sure of what they're doing (this problem is only exacerbated by the fact that they now have the insane policy of checking photos BEFORE scanning the ticket--seriously get the fingerprint system!!!) I am not looking forward to interacting with anymore CMs on this trip
                                This has been happening for awhile now. CM's are getting younger because the park doesn't want to update their pay rate to be competitive in the 4yr college bracket. Also they've cut their orientation & training programs down to a shadow of what it used to be.

                                My advice to you if you ever do require the assistance of a CM is to find a much older CM that has a service pin (gold pin on the name tag) with the number 10 or higher, 5 is also ok in some cases. These CM's were trained under the old, more thorough, method and practice it day-in and day-out.
                                Many Bothans died to bring you these fastpasses.

                                Comment

                                • Big D
                                  Expert Churro Salesman
                                  • Feb 2008
                                  • 3321

                                  #17
                                  Re: The State of DL

                                  I used to know all of the different characters for the year pins. I know it's Mickey for 1 year, because I have one of those. I think it's Donald for 5 years, but then after that I don't remember who it is for 10 and who it is for 20. Anyone with more than 5 years though likely wouldn't be working in the park anymore but would be working backstage in a supporting role, so finding one might be a little bit of a challenge. Nowdays, if I have a question and the CM doesn't know the answer, I usually ask to see their Cast Member Reference Guide, which lists all of the times for every possible event (even bands in New Orleans Square), times that things open and close (restaurants closing early like Cafe Orleans, or stores on Main Street staying open an hour later then the park), and scheduled refurbishments. They even tell you what time the flag ceremony is in Main Street. Of course, I don't own a smartphone yet so there's probably an app now that has all of that.
                                  Disneyland Cast Member
                                  Outdoor Vending
                                  1996 - 1999

                                  My interview with MiceAge about working at Disneyland:

                                  http://micechat.com/blogs/mouth-of-t...ding-crew.html

                                  Comment

                                  • Big D
                                    Expert Churro Salesman
                                    • Feb 2008
                                    • 3321

                                    #18
                                    Re: The State of DL

                                    Actually I just remembered that Pluto is 5 years and Donald is 10. And I guess technically, Steamboat Willie is 1, not Mickey Mouse. Still can't remember who is on the 20 year pin.
                                    Disneyland Cast Member
                                    Outdoor Vending
                                    1996 - 1999

                                    My interview with MiceAge about working at Disneyland:

                                    http://micechat.com/blogs/mouth-of-t...ding-crew.html

                                    Comment

                                    • Jj94
                                      New MiceChatter
                                      • Feb 2012
                                      • 35

                                      #19
                                      Re: The State of DL

                                      While I may agree on your first point, I'm not too sure about your second. Nothing has really caught my attention on that particular issue so I'll let it be.. however, as for your third point:

                                      Originally posted by TylerDurden View Post
                                      3. Maintenance--maintenance is a joke here. Never have I been in a park with SO many rides breaking down a day. It's ridiculous, and nowhere else would you find such poor maintenance of rides...not Universal, not Six Flags, not even WDW as so many people like to hate on. Never in WDW have three major rides been down at once. And this is not just this trip--it's a common theme for every DL visit for our favorite rides to be broken several times throughout the day, especially when we want to ride them. I feel bad for one-time visitors who can't experience the big name attractions because they're constantly broken. And I also feel bad for locals who come to parks full of broken rides.
                                      While maintenance may be an issue here and there, I think it is unfair to single out maintenance for every attraction that goes down.

                                      In some instances, it may have been a guest's fault for causing a breakdown. Slowly entering or exiting a vehicle may have caused the ride to back up and force an automatic stop... or a guest may have walked behind a safety line forcing a cast member to stop the attraction for their safety. In other cases, it may have been a ride operator error... Yes, that last example is still Disney's fault, but blaming all the breakdowns solely on maintenance is a little harsh I think.

                                      In 2012, DLR (DLP + DCA) had 23.7 million guests while Universal Florida (Islands of Adv. + Studios) had 14.2 million. (https://www.teaconnect.org/sites/def...1-3_online.pdf). So with so many more guests in their parks, I think it's safe to assume that there may have been more guest related downtimes than at another park.

                                      Without concrete numbers on the number of downtimes, it is difficult to really compare the uptime for each park. You may have just been unfortunately unlucky at DLR while being very lucky avoiding the downtimes at WDW or Universal.

                                      How did you come to the conclusion that it was maintenance's fault? Perhaps that's what the ride operators at the entrance told you but in a lot of cases, they may not know the full story of why they went down. Perhaps you saw maintenance guys at the attraction and made an assumption. I think it's fairly common for maintenance to be there when ride operators attempt to restart the ride as a precaution even if it wasn't a maintenance related issue.

                                      It is unfortunate though that in a lot of cases when a ride does go down, it takes a while to start them back up, frustrating guests who want to ride but have to wait. There are specific procedures to get the attraction up and running again safely and it may take some time unfortunately.

                                      In any case, it could have been maintenance's fault, a guest's fault, a ride operator's fault, or something else, but saying it has all to do with maintenance sounds a little unfair.

                                      Comment

                                      • RacerGT
                                        New MiceChatter
                                        • Sep 2012
                                        • 76

                                        #20
                                        Re: The State of DL

                                        I have to agree with you that the uppers are responsible period. I just hope some of them might take the time to look here (and possibly other websites/forums) to read about Disneylandian's guest and ride standards being addressed. Perhaps, this will help them monitor these challenges properly and in a timely manner for the most beloved of all these parks on the globe.

                                        You would think that they would be "super" on top of everything in DLR, just knowing that this is Walt's original park. I wonder what the man himself would think or imagine in solutions regarding these important details? Seriously, what we are writing about on here is what sets this park apart from all the rest for decades now. (??)

                                        Comment

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