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News Round Up 2017

lockedoutlogic said:
They just..."gave up"...long ago. They should be embarrassed...but people keep drinking whatever it is on tap.
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Very true, and a pretty apt metaphor for something at Epcot.

I do still have hope though. I think Universal is pushing them reluctantly off their laurels. Maybe something will come along with the alleged Epcot update in the works. Once they open Pandora, Toy Story, Star Wars, it will give Epcot and MK a little breathing room to refurb things.

My dream would be to see them get rid of the play area for a little more attraction space, and make a really top-notch, trackless dark ride. Something like Mystic Manor in HK.
 
rteetz said:
We talk a lot here about the negative side of Disney. Here I write about something that was truly positive from my trip last week.

http://www.wdwinfo.com/walt-disney-world/how-disney-made-the-best-out-of-a-bad-situation/
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It was good customer service, but not wildly out of the norm in the industry. On my recent Dec 2016 trip to Christmastown at Busch Gardens in Williamsburg, we had a spectacular weather day which unfortunately led to the very late cancellation of both scheduled performances of Elvis Stojko's ice skating show (also for safety - the safety of the performers). I had bought 6 reserved seats with dining (dinner/drink/dessert) and hot cocoa cups for $180ish weeks before our scheduled park day. By the time they canceled all the performances, I had already used all the meal components of the package, but not the cocoa cups. Busch Gardens employees told me at the ice skating performance to head to the front and get a full refund on my package. And I got one, with about 1 minute of discussion (back to the site). Yes, that means they bought me 6 free dinners/drinks/desserts that night, so what could have been a sad ending to the day ended up being a really good one. I never had to argue that I might have skipped dessert if I was eating without the package or might have gotten less full meals or might have canceled the package when I 1st got to the park if I knew they wouldn't run them. Nope, Busch Gardens made the decision quickly, easily, and in my favor 100%. Thankfully, we were heading back the next day, so during the transaction, we grabbed just the reserved seating for 6 for $60 (since we were having a buffet with Santa) and enjoyed an amazing show. My husband kept being amazed that they gifted us $100+ worth of food without me having to even complain...he was like "wait, I just saved $120 from what I already had paid this trip AND they bought us all free dinner tonight? Really?!" Yeah, made his trip:)...And to be fair, we had wasted time and had extra long walks around the park trying for both shows before they announced the cancellations very late, so BG knew they hadn't done everything they probably should have to make the cancellations easiest on their guests...but still:)...
 
TwoMisfits said:
It was good customer service, but not wildly out of the norm in the industry. On my recent Dec 2016 trip to Christmastown at Busch Gardens in Williamsburg, we had a spectacular weather day which unfortunately led to the very late cancellation of both scheduled performances of Elvis Stojko's ice skating show (also for safety - the safety of the performers). I had bought 6 reserved seats with dining (dinner/drink/dessert) and hot cocoa cups for $180ish weeks before our scheduled park day. By the time they canceled all the performances, I had already used all the meal components of the package, but not the cocoa cups. Busch Gardens employees told me at the ice skating performance to head to the front and get a full refund on my package. And I got one, with about 1 minute of discussion (back to the site). Yes, that means they bought me 6 free dinners/drinks/desserts that night, so what could have been a sad ending to the day ended up being a really good one. I never had to argue that I might have skipped dessert if I was eating without the package or might have gotten less full meals or might have canceled the package when I 1st got to the park if I knew they wouldn't run them. Nope, Busch Gardens made the decision quickly, easily, and in my favor 100%. Thankfully, we were heading back the next day, so during the transaction, we grabbed just the reserved seating for 6 for $60 (since we were having a buffet with Santa) and enjoyed an amazing show. My husband kept being amazed that they gifted us $100+ worth of food without me having to even complain...he was like "wait, I just saved $120 from what I already had paid this trip AND they bought us all free dinner tonight? Really?!" Yeah, made his trip:)...
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This was a half marathon not a show cancellation. People train for months for this type of event. runDisney did not have to do anything they could've just said it's cancelled sorry see you next year. They not only gave us one refund option but four! They also gave us our medals and like I said in the article so many went out and did the half marathon on their own. Disney cast members didn't have to come outside and set up water stations for those running on their own either. Disney would normally not promote doing something like that when an event is cancelled.
 


rteetz said:
This was a half marathon not a show cancellation. People train for months for this type of event. runDisney did not have to do anything they could've just said it's cancelled sorry see you next year. They not only gave us one refund option but four! They also gave us our medals and like I said in the article so many went out and did the half marathon on their own. Disney cast members didn't have to come outside and set up water stations for those running on their own either. Disney would normally not promote doing something like that when an event is cancelled.
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The medals were bought and made and dated...they weren't gonna be reusable, so it was trash them or give them out, right?

Canceling and keeping the money before the lightening actually happened (b/c they canceled the night before) would have opened Run Disney and probably Disney to a huge lawsuit and total lack of customer goodwill. No one wanted to pay to support the next day when it might have been canceled anyway (and then deal with even unhappier runners), so they decided to cut their losses and offer the refunds with no actual monetary refunds. But if you look at your race terms, they are supposed to actually look at any and all ways to run the race safely before canceling, including delaying it.
"Weather

The race will be held rain or shine. If there is lightning in the area, the race will either have a delayed start or, depending on the intensity of the weather, be cancelled. The determination will be made by the Event Management staff."

They chose the good service path, but it's not off-the-wall amazing. That would have been giving the full cash refund, since they canceled before weather was proven to be a detriment or an issue unable to work around through a delay.

Look, most businesses don't even choose the good service path, so Disney does get kudos for this. I was just pointing out other theme parks have also done the good service for safety calls this winter, and have done it with full cash refunds and more...
 
TwoMisfits said:
The medals were bought and made and dated...they weren't gonna be reusable, so it was trash them or give them out, right?

Canceling and keeping the money before the lightening actually happened (b/c they canceled the night before) would have opened Run Disney and probably Disney to a huge lawsuit and total lack of customer goodwill. No one wanted to pay to support the next day when it might have been canceled anyway (and then deal with even unhappier runners), so they decided to cut their losses and offer the refunds with no actual monetary refunds. But if you look at your race terms, they are supposed to actually look at any and all ways to run the race safely before canceling, including delaying it.
"Weather

The race will be held rain or shine. If there is lightning in the area, the race will either have a delayed start or, depending on the intensity of the weather, be cancelled. The determination will be made by the Event Management staff."

They chose the good service path, but it's not off-the-wall amazing. That would have been giving the full cash refund, since they canceled before weather was proven to be a detriment or an issue unable to work around through a delay.

Look, most businesses don't even choose the good service path, so Disney does get kudos for this. I was just pointing out other theme parks have also done the good service for safety calls this winter, and have done it with full cash refunds and more...
Click to expand...
I don't think any lawsuits would've have been brought up if Disney didn't do anything. runDisney has never really had to cancel a major event like this before.

It was a shock to most that they went ahead and cancelled it rather than delaying it or shortening the course. Disney did delay and shorten the course for the 2015 wine and dine half marathon and many expected them to do that for this race.

There is so much news about Disney being greedy and nickel and diming everyone right now. This is a story about them not doing that.

A key piece of the story which I highlighted is runners going out and making their own half marathons and Disney accepting that. Again CMs didn't have to make water stations and cheer on runners but they did and that to me is how Disney went above and beyond here.
 


rteetz said:
There is so much news about Disney being greedy and nickel and diming everyone right now. This is a story about them not doing that.
Click to expand...
I love that you shared this! I think it's tremendously important for people to know what happened from people who had the first-hand experience.

I also think it's pretty cool that Disney gave runners so many options and let them choose which ever one worked for them. They could have just refunded everyone and been done with it - that would've probably been the easiest with the littlest amount of manpower needed to accomplish it.
 
rteetz said:
I don't think any lawsuits would've have been brought up if Disney didn't do anything. runDisney has never really had to cancel a major event like this before.

It was a shock to most that they went ahead and cancelled it rather than delaying it or shortening the course. Disney did delay and shorten the course for the 2015 wine and dine half marathon and many expected them to do that for this race.

There is so much news about Disney being greedy and nickel and diming everyone right now. This is a story about them not doing that.

A key piece of the story which I highlighted is runners going out and making their own half marathons and Disney accepting that. Again CMs didn't have to make water stations and cheer on runners but they did and that to me is how Disney went above and beyond here.
Click to expand...

Ryan, I had a similar experience a few years ago when the NYC Marathon was cancelled due to Hurricane Sandy. We were devastated, some how we managed to fly into the city before they cancelled it. NYC Marathon was not as gracious in their options. We were given the option to race again for free in the next 3years, but that was it. We only got medals if we wrote in and complained. On the plus side, my friend and I ran our own almost marathon around the city that Saturday. We put in 20 miles and met some of the most wonderful people along the way. On Sunday, we went to Central Park to join other runners in their marathon bid. We put in our last 6 miles. Similar to the Disney impromptu runs, we were amazed at the number of people who came out to cheer, provide water, and the local restaurants giving out food. It said a lot about the people of New York, but also how runners are a real community. They pull together and pull each other through.
 
DizFanFamily said:
Ryan, I had a similar experience a few years ago when the NYC Marathon was cancelled due to Hurricane Sandy. We were devastated, some how we managed to fly into the city before they cancelled it. NYC Marathon was not as gracious in their options. We were given the option to race again for free in the next 3years, but that was it. We only got medals if we wrote in and complained. On the plus side, my friend and I ran our own almost marathon around the city that Saturday. We put in 20 miles and met some of the most wonderful people along the way. On Sunday, we went to Central Park to join other runners in their marathon bid. We put in our last 6 miles. Similar to the Disney impromptu runs, we were amazed at the number of people who came out to cheer, provide water, and the local restaurants giving out food. It said a lot about the people of New York, but also how runners are a real community. They pull together and pull each other through.
Click to expand...
Thanks for sharing!
 
rteetz said:
News

Anti theft devices showing up in Walt Disney World resort stores

http://wdwnt.com/blog/2017/01/photos-walt-disney-world-adding-anti-theft-devices-theme-park-stores/
Click to expand...

Weird that they are installing those just now. I've read and heard multiple stories about shoplifting happening at WDW, especially by members of tour groups (all of them, not one in particular).

I guess that just like with the metal detectors, they didn't want to spoil the magic... Until it was necessary, anyways.
 
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