In 1974 I took my first trip to Walt Disney World with my parents and it has been a source of many happy trips. This is the first time I am have returned truly disappointed. There were certainly moments of fun and joy this time, but those were sapped by malfunctions, moments of frustration and an impersonalness by the Cast Members.
The trip was for a night in Polynesian resort, a trip to Boo Bash, then after sleeping in, an afternoon in Animal Kingdom. I brought my 9 year old daughter and her best friend (who had never been to any theme park) as a surprise. They screamed uncontrollably upon seeing the Disney sign upon our arrival.
The problems started with a minor error on a mobile order at Boo Bash that I had to bring up my receipt to prove that I both ordered at the location and it was an omitted item. Not a huge deal, but the start of a pattern that quickly emerged through a series of ride malfunctions. Towards end of night we were stuck on 7DMT for 10-15 minutes . Neither huge problems, but these time consuming problems do suck in a 3 hour event.
Next day our first ride as waiting inline for Kali when it broke down while we waited then when we finally did get on it broke down a second time while ascending the first hill. The ride needed to be brought down and we were evacuated. After a successful ride of Everest, we decided to get out of sun by riding dinosaur. Again, the ride broke down upon getting in line. After it came back up and we rode it successfully, I inquired what to do next. My daughters friend responded, "I don't care, but I don't want it to break down. Maybe we should leave?"
Ironically the worst part was not just the 4 broke rides in 24 hours and my first ever ride evacuation, it was the cast members and how we were treated. Never during the entire trip did anyone try any sort of ability to empathize. The only Disney employees who spoke to my daughter or her friend were giving instructions such as, "pull yellow tab, watch step, etc." The only information ever provided during any of the 4 events was the automated evacuation message. When the two younger children who shared our Kali raft started overheating and crying and the evacuation squad showed up (a team of 2 that did 4 rafts), they did not ask if the young kids or anyone else was even ok. In fact no one asked any of us how we were doing the entire trip. No matter how many things went wrong, no one said sorry the entire trip. They didn't look like bad people. They looked tired, overworked and just didn't care.
At one point a cast member reportedly tried to blame the guests in the neighboring raft for "breaking the ride". The guests went ballistic and started yelling at the cast members. Besides being overheated and tired, now we were very uncomfortable.
After this hour and a half ordeal they gave a small bottle of water and a fastpass for, "Not Pandora." They didn't say sorry. Didn't ask if this was good or how we were feeling. Never acknowledged the girls existence. Just kind of take it and move on please.
The longest wait at this point for not Kali and not Pandora was Everest at 11 minutes. I mentioned this was not really compenation for such a long and uncomfortable ordeal, what else could they do? Her one word response was "nothing." She stared back, I assume waiting for me to vent on her, but I find that neither appropriate nor satisfying. I just left understanding the message very clear as..I don't care if you are happy or satisfied, I did my job, go find happiness elsewhere.
It was really the feeling conveyed of the entire trip, and it is painfully clear to me that the magic of Disney was largely created by the cast members that worked there. Whether through COVID or management culture shift, that impersonal change of treating people as numbers now exists at the cast member level. I am usually excited for my next trip, but not currently. As far as my daughter's friend, somehow I get the feeling that is a potential customer lost forever.