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Heatherlee3
07-05-2003, 09:38 AM
Has anyone ever filed a complaint with Disneyland and gotten anywhere with it?

experiment626
07-05-2003, 09:43 AM
What do you mean by "get somewhere with it?"

scaeagles
07-05-2003, 09:54 AM
About 5 years ago, when I-5 was having major construction, the construction crews hit a water main which in turn shorted out an electrical grid. We had been waiting for the Mulan parade for quite a while, and they didn't officially cancel it until 45 minutes after it was scheduled. A cast member happened to ask us how everything was going and we explained to him what had happened. He took us over to City Hall and arranged for reservations and a comped dinner at Blue Bayou. We were very impressed that they were so interested in our satisfaction that even though we didn't go to them, and it really wasn't even their fault, they did that for us.

Heatherlee3
07-05-2003, 09:58 AM
I mean......have you ever complained about something at Disneyland and had a respose other than ....... I am sorry, or we can't do anything about that. Especially when you felt they could have done something.

Heatherlee3
07-05-2003, 09:59 AM
Like this :) Thanks scaeagles :)





Originally posted by scaeagles
About 5 years ago, when I-5 was having major construction, the construction crews hit a water main which in turn shorted out an electrical grid. We had been waiting for the Mulan parade for quite a while, and they didn't officially cancel it until 45 minutes after it was scheduled. A cast member happened to ask us how everything was going and we explained to him what had happened. He took us over to City Hall and arranged for reservations and a comped dinner at Blue Bayou. We were very impressed that they were so interested in our satisfaction that even though we didn't go to them, and it really wasn't even their fault, they did that for us.

HBTiggerFan
07-05-2003, 10:16 AM
If you ultimate goal is to be comped for something, don't go in there acting like you want something and don't be disappointed when you don't get anything but a "sorry".

experiment626
07-05-2003, 10:23 AM
What are you expecting to get by making a complaint. IMO, unless it is something major guests shouldn't be comped something or get something special.

In the example given should they have comped dinner for everyone in the park that was waiting for the parade?

scaeagles
07-05-2003, 10:28 AM
Originally posted by experiment626
What are you expecting to get by making a complaint. IMO, unless it is something major guests shouldn't be comped something or get something special.

In the example given should they have comped dinner for everyone in the park that was waiting for the parade?

That was why we were so surprised. We wouldn't even have complained - we were simply expressing a disappointment to him when he asked. Maybe the cast member just felt badly because our 4 year old daughter was visably disappointed.

HBTiggerFan
07-05-2003, 10:40 AM
Originally posted by scaeagles
That was why we were so surprised. We wouldn't even have complained - we were simply expressing a disappointment to him when he asked. Maybe the cast member just felt badly because our 4 year old daughter was visably disappointed.

And that is Disney magic at work. :)

Heatherlee3
07-05-2003, 06:11 PM
Not saying they should or shouldn't have. I just asked if anyone had been helped out.......and there was an example................



Originally posted by experiment626
What are you expecting to get by making a complaint. IMO, unless it is something major guests shouldn't be comped something or get something special.

In the example given should they have comped dinner for everyone in the park that was waiting for the parade?

Alpha1mom
07-06-2003, 04:55 AM
Every year we visit Disneyland and once we return home I send a brief email to Disneyland.com
I just give them a run-down on our trip, good & bad. (We've never had much negative things to say)
One time I wrote that it was my daughter's BD and we wanted our pic with Mickey. (we waited 2 hrs in line)
We went to pick up the photo on Main St. something happened to the pic, it didn't come out.
When I mentioned this to DL, they had sent a autographed pic of Mickey saying "Happy Birtyhday" to my daughter.
This was sweet, totally un-expected!!!

danyoung
07-06-2003, 05:23 AM
This is a Disney World story, but same company, perhaps the same attitude. I attended the big 25th anniversary of the Magic Kingdom. Roy Disney was scheduled to be there, as well as Michael Eisner and Hillary Clinton OK, I wasn't that thrilled about Hillary, but I really wanted to see the festivities. I was shocked and really ticked off when the stage area in front of the castle was totally roped off - and I mean totally, I couldn't even get a glimpse of what was going on. I was allowed to see the events on a large diamond vision screen that was set up in Tomorrowland. Well, I was just incensed! I didn't come all this way to see the big wigs on tv. I wrote a polite but firm letter, letting them know that I had made this pilgramage for the express purpose of seeing this main event. In fact, the Disney publicity machine had gone overboard to attract me to this event, all to then relegate me to watching it on tv. Dumb, and very poor show.

I got a nice letter back from a customer relations lady, who in a roundabout way agreed with me that this could have been handled better, and included 4 free admission passes good for any park, any time. I wasn't writing to get anything, but just to voice my displeasure. The comped tickets were a nice way of saying "oops - sorry about that", or at least sorry that we had a disgruntled guest. Oh, and they sent me a tape of the event - raw footage, unedited for broadcast. It's now one of my treasures. And that, folks, is good show!

experiment626
07-06-2003, 10:22 AM
This is just my opinon on complaining -

If you have a bad experience by all means let Disney now, the only way they can fix what is wrong is by knowing it. But to complaining to "get something" is well wrong. The parade was cancelled, it happens, you shouldn't get something for it. I think there are very few situations that warrent getting "comped" something.

Now if you do complain just to let Disney know so they can fix it and they comp you something, then that is just a bonus, not what should happen.

dsnylndmom
07-06-2003, 01:15 PM
Like Alpha1mom everytime I go to DL I send an email about my trip. I always make a point to gush about great CM's and if there was a problem I point that out too. Last Nov. we were there for my son's 4th birthday and we went to city hall to find out which restaurants offered the birthday buckets, they gave us a list of them and each one we went to did not have them. We finally ended up eating at the Plaza just 'cause the kids were sick and tired of waiting. After we ate we went back to City Hall to let them know what happened and make them aware of it. They apologized and thanked for letting them know and sent us to another place to get his bucket and let him open his present, they said they'd call ahead and let them know. When we got there, no one knew what we were talking about and were very rude to top it off! So we just sat down and took pictures of him opening his presents. My husband went to talk to the manager and I took him to HM(again LOL) we got there it was over an hour wait so we went over to Autopia again an hour wait(it was just not the poor kid's day)when we got to Autopia I called hubby to let him know not to meet us at the HM and to wait for him. He finally got there and the manager had given him two fast passes for our whole party one for Autopia and one for HM and he had hunted down the damn bucket(;) )for us! He was very nice hubby said and understood the problem and was glad that we let him know what was going on, he was very upset that all the places that were supposed to have the little birthday buckets did not. He said to make sure and contact Disneyland when we got home to let them know also.
Anyways, we get in the fast pass line and the wonderful CM handing out the licenses says to my son "happy birthday Shawn!"(he had a birthday sticker from Main Street on)I thanked him profusely and told him he was the first CM to wish him a Happy Birthday all day(it was after 8pm by this time)and Shawn was all excited that "he knew my name" LOL We rode Autopia and when we got off the ride that same wonderful CM was waiting for us and he walked up to Shawn and said "Here Shawn this is a birthday present for you from Disneyland" it was a little Autopia car toy! Shawn was so excited!! I was in tears I thought it was so sweet! He was great! After that we did our HM FP and did some other rides and it seemed like EVERYONE was telling Shawn Happy Birthday! LOL Before we left I made sure to stop by City Hall and compliment the CM and tell them the story.
So when I got home I email the whole story to guest relations highlighting the CM on Autopia(by name and date and time)and the manager that was so nice and helpful and also little other tidbits about the trip that were good. I didn't want to be negative and I did want that CM to be praised. Well I got a reply within 48 hours and Guest Relations said that they appreciated the praise for the employees and our sharing our experience with the birthday buckets and they wanted us to come back to DL on them! So she sent us all(the whole group was 15 total)1 day 1 park passes to come back. We ended up using some of the passes when we went in April(they all had to be used at once)and the extra passes we gave to a random woman standing in line with her little ones, to pass on the magic!;)

Tina

amarvel
07-07-2003, 02:54 PM
3.5 years ago my hubby and I were at DL getting character autographs and one of the characters wrote in our book, something about us being too old (we were 20 at the time) we went to city hall and the head of the characters came out to talk to us, gave us a free new book, a new pen, 4 passes to the front of any ride, and we each got something else (I can't remember) and the character was then removed from the park. We were very satisfied, but we felt like you had to have a valid complaint and you need to voice it to someone higher up than a CM, since the CM's don't usually have the authority to do anything except say , I'm sorry.

Disneyfan&mom
07-07-2003, 03:27 PM
This wasn't a complaint, but it shows the Disney magic, so I thought I'd share our experience from last Summer.

My son ate a big breakfast at Goofy's kitchen, and we made the mistake of hopping on the Matterhorn right after....well, he turned green after that and went to lay down on a bench beside one of those souveneir stands. The CM working there came over very concerned and called for help to get him some cold cloths for his head. Then she called a nurse for us!

I was so impressed. She came with a wheelchair for my son. Then she overheard my daughter (who was 12) saying something about not wanting to miss her day in the park, etc. so she gave her a slip of paper that allowed her to buy herself something in the shop(she picked a little hand-held fan and was thrilled!) and took us back to the First Aid area in her van (behind the scenes- so she told the kids to cover their eyes in case they saw something that might spoil the magic!)

She tucked my son into a cot and reassured me that my daughter would be safe to go exploring for a while and meet us back at the First Aid station later.
She was so excited to go out on her own and rode some of the rides she likes best over and over.

My son felt much better after a little nap and we were able to go back out and enjoy the day. I was all ready to pack it in and head back to the hotel! Thanks to that Disney nurse we didn't miss much at all. It was really great!

Andrew
07-07-2003, 03:34 PM
I love stories like that! CMs like that are a big part of what makes Disneyland special.

dshimel
07-07-2003, 03:48 PM
I made a complaint about the VERY poor attitudes of the people working in the place where you view and pick up your pictures. Very poor show.

It went something like this.....
[hand him the ticket, he pulls up the picture, crops from the knwws down and takes off half the castle, then sticks a DL logo across my crotch.]

Can you leave my feet and include more of the castle? Hurumph, I suppose.
[ leaves my shins, but feet are still gone, and still takes off half the castle.]
Ummm, no. I want all of me. More of the castle. I don't care about too much space on the sides.... Hurumph, sheesh, Hurumph.
[ After 4 more tries, staring at my like I'm an idiot each time, finally gives me what I asked for in the first place. Then puts the DL logo across my face.]
Can you take that DL 2002 off my face? Hurumph, I suppose.

[finally a picture I like]
What are the packages and prices? [answered in a car-commercial-details fast pace] 1 this for that, 2 that for this, 3 this for this, 1 this and 2 that and one of them for that amount. Wow, you went way too fast, don't you have a price list in writing? Hurumph. [even faster and much more slurred] 1 this for that, 2 that for this, 3 this for this, 1 this and 2 that and one of them for that amount.

Ended up just taking one 5x7 so I could get away from the .....

Pay a guy that didn't even look up from the register.

Then a bossy lady for pick up. That what you ordered? Yes. [Trows it in a bag] Here.


I left wondering like they get paid reverse comission. Like they were trying to get me to NOT buy a picture. Were they going for lowest converion rate possible? It was early in the day (3:00) and there was no line. I was asking for a recrop, not for his first born.

Anyway, I complained. Next time in there, I was served by a Japaneese woman that didn't understand what I was asking for. I'm sure they need people that speak Japaneese, however, unless the person can also speak English, they should only serve Japaneese people.

Didn't complain that time. Just gave up. Disney quality is a dead horse. Why beat it?

dav
07-07-2003, 04:27 PM
My brother and I experienced the greatest customer service; almost unprecedented in the industry. Due to the fact that many people go to Disneyland during the summer time, I didn't think anything about it really, when my brother informed me that his bag from the star tours shop had been swiped during fantasmic. We went to City hall not to complain, but to help inform the cast about what was going on in the park.

I expected to fill out a form, and then go buy the stuff again. But the cast members insisted that we return to the shop, where the items we had itemized, would be waiting for us. At no additional charge, hence they took our word for it that we had bought these items and of course, could not produce a proof of purchase, had they even asked for one.

Only Costco has this level of amazing concern, but beware, abuse will never be allowed. I can't imagine anyone claiming these things where the situation did not exist.

-dav