Our magical moment ruined...

[TravelMom]

As soon as I read the line about "...I have another claim into Disney..." I stopped feeling sorry for the OP. There are people who make a point of complaining about SOMETHING on every vacation (cruises, for instance, or WDW), trying to get the corporation to comp them on a future trip, or give them freebies on their current one.

Keep track of your kid and your cell phone, pay for your child's treats out of YOUR own money (not hers, as you indicated), and if you are lucky enough to receive a Dream or get comped back for something that was likely as much your child's fault (or yours), then enjoy, don't complain.

OK!

 

[LBelle]

Not only was the free doll not the remedy(although I would have been so happy that my DD was ok that I would have bought her the biggest Minnie doll I could find, with my own money), it was not their responsibility. Being Disney, they tried to make an unfortunate situation better by offering her some footwear but that was not good enough. IMO, I am not sure it ever is for some.

I totally agree with you!!!

Wanted to also add that this quote, taken from the OP, raised my eyebrows: I told DD to pick out a nice Minnie Doll. I was going to use the certificate for the doll since DD doesn't like crocs or flip flops. This is a 4 year old child!!! I'm sorry but my 4 year old (or 6, 8 or 10 year old...whatever age) would simply be told that these are the shoes we have to wear today and that would be that!

 

[Doc CW]

As soon as I read the line about "...I have another claim into Disney..." I stopped feeling sorry for the OP. There are people who make a point of complaining about SOMETHING on every vacation (cruises, for instance, or WDW), trying to get the corporation to comp them on a future trip, or give them freebies on their current one.

Keep track of your kid and your cell phone, pay for your child's treats out of YOUR own money (not hers, as you indicated), and if you are lucky enough to receive a Dream or get comped back for something that was likely as much your child's fault (or yours), then enjoy, don't complain.

OK!

I agree with you completely.

 

[luvsJack]

First off, if a 4 year old child is not comfortable then no one is comfortable. I will not wear shoes that are not comfortable to me so why should I make my child? Second, why did they indicate exactly what could be bought with the $25? $25 is $25, why couldn't they just give her a certificate that didn't specify what was to be bought? Or maybe a certificate that says "free crocs, flip flops or sandels"? I just don't think if I had been the CM that I would have only offered crocs or flip flops to a young child (unless that was all I could possibly do). Some kids can't keep them on their feet. Disney may not have been totally "at fault" but it is a liablity for any business for someone to get hurt or put in danger on thier property--which is why the certificate was offered in the first place. As for the other claim the OP mentioned: Someone took her cell phone! Ok maybe they should have been more careful, but I am positive Disney wants to know if someone working on their property is stealing guest's property. Personally, I may not care about getting the money back for the phone, but I would want to know that something was at least done to prevent the problem from happening again.

 

[Newcastle]

When I was younger, my shoe lace was sucked into an escalator and the thing almost "ate" my shoe. Fortunately, my father successfully removed the shoe (and my foot) in time. We were all very thankful that I did not incur any injuries (psychological trauma notwithstanding!). Realizing that it is possible that these types of things happen on escalators, if this were to happen to one of my children, I would be extrememly grateful that they were not injured. Although there would certainly have been some inconvenience involved, I would likely have gone to one of the gift shops and purchased a substitute until I could get to the store and replace the original pair of shoes. I can honestly say that I would not have thought about being compensated at any point and would have been pleased as punch that Disney offered the voucher to buy a pair of shoes to get us through the rest of the day. Especially knowing that my child was in a stroller and didn't need to be walking around the entire day in a pair of shoes that may not have been the most comfortable in the world. I guess it's just a matter of perspective.

 

[LBelle]

When I was younger, my shoe lace was sucked into an escalator and the thing almost "ate" my shoe. Fortunately, my father successfully removed the shoe (and my foot) in time. We were all very thankful that I did not incur any injuries (psychological trauma notwithstanding!). Realizing that it is possible that these types of things happen on escalators, if this were to happen to one of my children, I would be extrememly grateful that they were not injured. Although there would certainly have been some inconvenience involved, I would likely have gone to one of the gift shops and purchased a substitute until I could get to the store and replace the original pair of shoes. I can honestly say that I would not have thought about being compensated at any point and would have been pleased as punch that Disney offered the voucher to buy a pair of shoes to get us through the rest of the day. Especially knowing that my child was in a stroller and didn't need to be walking around the entire day in a pair of shoes that may not have been the most comfortable in the world. I guess it's just a matter of perspective.

You got it!!!!

Some people are just never happy with the nice things that are done for them, especially when they didn't have to be given anything at all!!! It's pretty sad, actually.

 

[teresajoy]

The moral to this long story? Someone at Disney does care, sometimes it's just not the person helping YOU.

That is very funny!
------------------------------------

OP, I'm sorry that this happened to you and your daughter! I don't understand why you weren't allowed to pick out any shoe, or why they didn't tell you to file a claim. Personally, I also don't know what the big deal was about them letting you get something else. Your daughter doesn't like Crocs, why spend $10 of your own money on them??? I wouldn't want to spend $1 on shoes my kids weren't going to wear, much less $10. She was in a stroller, so the shoe thing wasn't such a big deal for that day. I think they should have offered to reimburse you for the same type of shoe that you lost, and you are not greedy for expecting them to do so.

 

[LBelle]

Hmmm.......the OP has been MIA for a long time now.

Wonder if this was just a troll thread after all????

 

[Osjah&Landon'sMom]

I don't think it is a troll thread, I think the OP was upset that we did not jump on the band wagon and pat her on the back for snaking some extras out of Disney. I almost got the feeling she was disappointed that her little one didn't have a scratch on her... imagine what a toe might have brought her in freebies. Sorry but this whole thread ticks me off and everytime I get another e-mail with another comment about this it ticks me all over again. It's just a lot of greed and a sense of entitlement and I can't even look at crocs or a stuffed mickey/minnie the same way....

 

[madge]

First off, if a 4 year old child is not comfortable then no one is comfortable. I will not wear shoes that are not comfortable to me so why should I make my child?

Then you take advantage of Disney's kindness, buy a replacement pair of shoes and go back to your hotel room and get a pair of your child's own shoes to wear. No one required the OP to buy the shoes and remain in the park.

speaking of the OP, it's clear that she's not coming back to this thread ... is there a reason to keep discussing all of this?

 

[Mariposa]

I don't think it is a troll thread, I think the OP was upset that we did not jump on the band wagon and pat her on the back for snaking some extras out of Disney. I almost got the feeling she was disappointed that her little one didn't have a scratch on her... imagine what a toe might have brought her in freebies. Sorry but this whole thread ticks me off and everytime I get another e-mail with another comment about this it ticks me all over again. It's just a lot of greed and a sense of entitlement and I can't even look at crocs or a stuffed mickey/minnie the same way....

Gosh, I wonder why the OP wouldn't want to come back to this thread. Seriously people, there's a HUGE difference between stating you disagree with someone and saying that you think the OP was disappointed their daughter wasn't MANGLED ON AN ESCALATOR IN ORDER TO GET FREE STUFF.

You wanna talk about sick and rude?

I mean, I know I'd want to rush back here if I were her, she's been called selfish, entitled, a bad parent, and now an intentionally abusive parent. Good show, Dissers, good show.

 

[KatyTheFairyPrincess]

First off, i don't agree with the bad parent comments, but I do however agree that this whole thread is a bit mixed up.

Ok so first off, the ids shoe gets caught... very traumatic for the kid, although it happened to me at that age (not a WDW) and i can't remember a thing about it.

Secondly, a very kind and shocked CM, who is probably just as shook up as the parent offers FREE money to buy replacement temporary shoes. Very good cast member in my opinion.

Next, the coupon/voucher thing isn't enough to cover the full cost of a pair of flip-flops/shoes that you could find. Why not go to guest services and ask if they have any kids shoes avaliable in the park for $25 or less, if not what arer the cheapest shoes they offer.

Ok, so lets say crocs are the cheapest, at lets say $35 (no idea of actually pricing in the parks), the kid will probably like the choice of colours availiable, and lets be honest... at 4 i was totally dressed by my parents, i wore HIDEOUS stuff, but only because i was fashion aware, as about 99% of kids arn't.
Now the crocs might choose to be the best pair of shoes the kid has ever worn, never wants to take them off, alternativley, they wear them for the day, then never touch them again. Thats not the end of the world, sell them on ebay when you get home, or give them to another child that you know.

I don't think trying to buy a plushy is the best way to go though, ok the kid will have cried for a bit, but kids that age are pretty resiliant (sp?), they fall over scrape their knee then run straight off, by the end of the day they were probably fine, only problem occurs when the parents remind the kids constantly of what happened "are you ok, honey? did the nasty stairs try to eat your shoes?"
Back to the point, the kid will not have needed a plushy, and you had $25 of FREE disney money to spend on shoes, so if you're not going to use it, give it too a family whos kids might have lost their shoes (fallen off while in stroller for exmple)

Although it is something you as a parent will find it had to forget, theres no point loosing sleep over it, your kiddy is fine. You're very fortunate.

Ok rant over, hope that didn't come across as too harsh

x

 

[MissSha]

I agree wholeheartedly with you and the title to this post bothers me. It is so wonderful that OPs daughter was not injured in anyway and I would feel like that was the most Magical moment at the time. So the other Magical Moment was ruined because she doesn't like Crocs or flip flops??? This is an example of someone trying to do the right thing in WDW and it never being enough. If the escalator was in proper working condition then why is it at all a responsibility of WDW to provide new shoes? Accidents do happen and they tried to help. I just think that the expectations at WDW are so high for some that they can never be satisfied. Lastly, I want to emphasize that I am very glad that the little girl is well and no harm was done to her.

I agree, MissyDVC (like a poem, huh?)

Why is everyone, whether it's at WDW or not, quick to point a finger of blame at someone, and forgotten how to say "thank you" when someone reaches out with a hand of friendship or kind gesture. It always seems that whenever someone tries to fix a wrong, it's not enough, especially at WDW. What, do you think, this says about our society??? Thank goodness the little girl is fine - I'm sure that must have been very frightening.

 

[cdotla]

Sorry OP, but I think what lost you sympathy from a lot of people was your initial indication that you were really looking for a set of Fastpasses and that you were disappointed that all your family got was an hour of attention from a Dream Team Member. (How many of us on this board do you think even got that?)

Then your comment that you couldn't open a claim about this incident because you already had another claim open.

See the trend here?

I cannot believe how nasty everyone has come!!!!

Having worked in claims for many years I would like to say something, if a company is responsible for the destruction of an item they are responsible to replace it. If the company cannot replace the original item adequately-which they could not-they are required to monetarily compensate you for the damages of the loss. I in no way should be grateful they offered an amount that doesn't even cover the cost of the sneakers, it is THEIR responsibility. I was also not looking for a damn free trip to Orlando! Whether I was in Disney or my local mall I would expect the same thing. I think it's horrific that many of you have assumed I'm seeking pain and suffering etc...To respond to some of your other comments...

1. The dream team (or squad) member did not save DD's foot-I DID!!
2. Crocs in no way replace Nike sneakers
3. As far as choosing to get DD a doll as opposed to a pair of shoes she HATES-that is my choice-THE POINT IS WHAT THEY OFFERED DIDN'T EVEN COVER SHOES!!!

As far as my phone goes I would love to see if you would just "let it go" that you left something in your room and within the hour it disappeared.

I wonder if this happened at your local mall, would you react the same way, or are the majority believe that Disney is infallible?!

 

[ilovefh]

Thank you for not being nasty, I think more than one person has been.

Disney is responsible for the shoe because Disney is responsible for the escalator that ate the shoe. Since escalators don't just eat shoes then something must be wrong with their maintenance or equipment.

Fair compensation would've been the $35 the shoes cost me the day before I left for vacation. There was virtually no "wear and tear" on them yet.

A similar situation might be if you rented a stroller at Disney and the stroller fell apart while pushing it (there was no horseplay you were just walking along) and thankfully your child wasn't hurt but your brand new property was wouldn't you do something?

I do agree that Disney has a responsibility to replace the shoe. It was their escalator that ate the show.

That being said I think they handled things just fine. They offered you a certificate to replace a SHOE for a SHOE. Not a shoe for a doll. I believe their thinking was that5 they did not want your daughter wandering with no shoes on all day (which is also pretty unsafe in such a public place, but that is another topic). I think you were being unrealistic and perhaps a bit greedy by asking for a doll instead. Now if a Minnie doll was ruined, just compensation would have been a Minnie doll, but you seem to keep forgetting that it was actually a shoe, not a doll, that was ruined.

 

[Oobiesmom]

Sorry if this was mentioned already, and not trying to be mean to the OP, but after what happened with the shoe being damaged, most parents would want to be compensated for the shoe so their child could continue to walk the parks. I have 3 kids and shoes (no matter what brand) would be a very generous gift & allow us to continue for the day without going back to the hotel to replace them. I am sure the CM had no idea that OP didn't like crocs and would rather have a stuffed animal, could you imagine this thread if she gave a $25 gift certificate for a plushie instead?

I'm glad the OP's child is OK though, it sounded scarey and I will be watching all of my kids toes when we go at the end of the month. I know everyone is different, but my kids would have thought it magical enough to just have the CM taking the time to talk to them!! Sometimes the "magic" is what you make of it and not the "magic" given out.

 

[Madi100]

I'm a bit confused?? Where was the magical moment? The escalator ride? The certificate? How was it ruined? Shoe being eaten? The certificate didn't say free plush??? I think your moment was ruined because you expected a lot more then a pair of shoes. Did your daughter say, "Mom, my shoe is ruined, a stuffed Minnie will make it feel all better?" I'm just really confused.

Escalators are scary things. We were shopping a few months ago and an elderly woman fell face down on the escalator. I was afraid for her life. DH ran over and helped and you know what he got for helping? A Minnie plush, we'll send it to you. I'm sorry, not nice. He got a HUGE thank-you from the woman's husband. He then also thanked all of the people in the store and that's it. We followed the couple out of the store, her in a wheelchair. What I learned from that experience is that I will be even more careful next time I'm on the escalator.

 

[Daxx]

Did you EVEN ask if it would cover sneakers?!?!?! Did that thought ever enter your mind!?!?!? You keep saying "I didn't want crocs or flip flops." Well, Disney sells sneakers, too and you could've asked if they could apply the cert. towards those if your child doesn't like crocs/flip flops. If they said no, you COULD'VE gone to Guest Relations and explained to them that your DD doesn't like crocs or flip flops but would be happy w/a pair of sneakers. But, did you even do that!?!?!?. Did you EVEN think to ask for a pair of those instead?!?!?!

If that happened to my DS, I'd be grateful that he still had his foot and toes! I honestly wouldn't feel that Disney owed me on this. More than likely, I would figure that DS had something to do w/his foot getting caught (ie: putting it close to the edge, etc.).

Second, I would've taken the gift cert. to the gift shop and explained that my child doesn't like crocs or flip-flops, and would've asked if the gift cert. could be used towards a sneaker or other shoe. I'd think that, as long as you're using it for footwear, they'd prob. give it to you b/c that's how they are.

Instead, you tried to CHEAT!!!! You tried to buy a non-footwear item w/a certificate that states crocs or flip flops. Did it ever dawn on you that if the shop CM would've done this, they could've gotten fired!? I would never try to take advantage by trying to buy a non-footwear item w/a footwear only gift cert.! That gift cert. was for a specific use ... not to buy a stuffed animal but to make your day easier by giving your child much needed shoes! Anyway, I thought that you had to have shoes in order to ride any ride.

Be lucky that you received ANYTHING! If this happened in another amusement park, you'd get nothing. We were at a local amusement park and they have this ride where after you're strapped in, the floor opens up and the ride lifts you up, then the bottom closes. They warn you to take off all loose-fitting shoes, sandals and flip flops. A kid lost his sneaker. Guess it wasn't tied tight enough. The ride operator said there was nothing he could do about it. The theme park didn't sell sneakers/crocs/flip-flops, so the family had to leave. That was their only choice. No "Sorry, here's a reimbursement".

Consider yourself lucky, OP, that your child was not hurt and that Disney was willing to make your day in the park better by offering your child new shoes.

Hanging around a CM for an hour trying to get YOAMD gifties makes you sound like a scavenger. Like those pesky birds at the McDonald's Fries stand hoping to get a fry if they pester you enough. I'm sure the CM knew what you were up to. And, trying to get a stuffed toy in place of sneakers makes you sound like a bigger scavenger.

As someone else said, it's not receiving things that makes WDW magical ... it's what you find magical in WDW!!!!

 

[Daxx]

I'm a bit confused?? Where was the magical moment? The escalator ride? The certificate? How was it ruined? Shoe being eaten? The certificate didn't say free plush??? I think your moment was ruined because you expected a lot more then a pair of shoes.

Yep -- my guess, too. After all, why would anyone latch onto a YOAMD CM for an hour when you can be doing other things in EPCOT??

 

[Mermaid_Ariel]

Seriously, what's with the sense of self-entitlement? Is this a lesson that you want to teach your daughter?

This may sound cliche - But, I have a "Magical Moment" everyday by simply waking up in the morning. Heck, waking up at Disney itself is a Magical Moment! If I were you, I'd be kissing those 10 darling toes on her feet and just count it as a blessing.

On what planet are you from would anywhere compensate you for what happened to your daughter? There's a difference between an accident and negligence! You have to consider that hundreds, if not thousands of people used that same escalater that day without incident - therefore, it was an accident and not negligence on Disney's part. Why does an accident need to be rewarded?

Would you sue over your own clumsiness if you tripped and fell onto the sidewalk and there was obviously nothing wrong with the sidewalk? Or would you sue because the sidewalk merely existed? Think about it.

Disney went above and beyond to make sure your day wasn't ruined, that's part of expecting the unexpected Magic of Disney. Maybe crocs or sandals weren't part of YOUR personal style - but I am willing to bet anything that a 4 year old would have been delighted at the superhero CM saving the day by getting her a pair of Mickey crocs or sandals. I know I would have been thrilled as a child even if they were the ugliest thing on my two feet! Sometimes a stranger's intervention (like when I used to get stickers or a lollipop at the doctor from the receptionist) is extremely effective during a child's crisis.

I really think you have some serious soul searching to do. Live and learn.