Back Wheels First (Warning, long post!)

[February]

Hate to have to tell you this, but the Yacht & Beach Club is one resort, administratively. Hourly cast show up for work, they often don't know which end they'll be working in. The same management team governs both.

So if one is good and the other rotten, it may just be the luck of the draw.

Wow, that is really surprising considering how night and day the difference between the two resort casts has seemed to me as someone visiting the resort and not actually staying there- guess I'll be sticking with my MK resorts on the monorail loop! Thanks for the heads up Zazu.

Susi, reading your experiences not only made me mad, but made me cry because I know that feeling of frustration being told different things all the time when you're just trying to A) stay out of everybody's way in your chair/ecv and b) just trying to see the shows and parades like everybody else.

I feel your pain, and I'm sorry that you had such bad experiences. I am even more motivated to get that letter about the Friendships written today and mailed off to Disney first thing in the AM. Maybe if they hear it from enough guests they'll tell those boat people to get their attitudes right.

hugs
Bru

P.s. all I can say about rude people is that several states were on school break the week we were there- and aside from my misfortune of finding probably the only mean British tourist in the history of WDW- every single rude guest we encountered that week was as American as you and I. So I don't think any one particular group corners the market- foreign or domestic travelers, I think that some people are just rude, wherever they happen to live when they're not at WDW!

[February]

I just wanted to let everybody know that while I unfortunately missed the call, I had a VERY long voicemail from a lady at WDW Exec offices regarding my letter about the boats. She promised me that the information was in the hands of the appropriate area managers- and she promised that they would make sure that no one thinks that it's acceptable to load people into the boats without the ramps.

So...hopefully it'll help.

Just wanted to post an update.

Bru

[Ladyfair]

Thanks for the update!

I'll be there tomorrow evening to test it, as we plan to go back and forth a few times on the boats.

Keeping my fingers crossed!

[Ms. Matterhorn]

That is good news, Bru! Thanks for making an impact on the World!

[Cheshire Figment]

Any time I have been getting onto or off the Friendships with my ECV I have always been offered a ramp. Because I know what I am doing, sometimes I will tell them I don't need it. But in those instances there is much less than a 2 inch gap between the dock and the boat, and they are either level or I would have a drop of less than an inch. Then I gun the ECV and go flying.

[reendan]

Thanks for posting the update, and thanks for contacting someone who can make a difference about this. We noticed a real problem last time we stayed at the Dolphin in 2006. There was one CM In particular who gave us a very VERY hard time when we requested the ramp. He would always say no you can make it. Well for me who has a genetic brittle bone disease that make my bones like glass, it just was unsafe and I could have come out fractured.

We leave on July 1 for 9 days at the Swan...will be interested to see how it goes with the boats. I'll be sure to post back here when we get back to let you all know how it went.

[Big Wallaby]

That is like one night on the boats when I was with Elena and Elyse, and the bus driver strapped down their ECV's with only two straps. I came in and adjusted his work. Very scary.

[reendan]

Well the boat situation is no better. We are here now and every day we have to ask for the ramp, and often we get "but it is level, you don't need it" when we persist they get it but they are very obviously not happy about it. I have had I think 3 boat CMs who offered with a smile and never seemed put out by having to get it. We have take the boats a lot as Epcot is our favorite park. One day on our way to the Studios we asked for the ramp and the woman said we didn't need it, then she was NOT happy when we insisted. When we got to the Studios, Dean went ahead of me and asked for the ramp, she grudgingly got it and then as I was approaching the ramp she slid it out from under me and I wound up crossing to the dock without it! I was shocked. It happened so fast! That was very dangerous!

[Shorty82]

One day on our way to the Studios we asked for the ramp and the woman said we didn't need it, then she was NOT happy when we insisted. When we got to the Studios, Dean went ahead of me and asked for the ramp, she grudgingly got it and then as I was approaching the ramp she slid it out from under me and I wound up crossing to the dock without it! I was shocked. It happened so fast! That was very dangerous!

I hope you reported her to Guest Relations immediately upon entering the park. That was extremely dangerous, stupid, and rude of her! NEVER should anything we do for a guest seem like a burden. It shouldn't be as that is why we are there, to give guests excellent service. What parts of "Safe-D begins with me" (on the back of every WDW ID and in numerous other places) and "I am courteous and respectful to all guests, including children" (part of the Disney Service Basics) does she not understand? That is one CM in need of immediate retraining with emphasis on Safe-D and the Basics. If I had witnessed that I'd have reported it to GR right away as a witness. Way to easily could you have gotten hurt by that.

[CMGUY89]

This story completely surprises me. At the Land the CMs HAVE to load the chairs, and we have a completely level loading area. The thought of a Friendship CM not helping or at least offering the ramp is CRAZY! Those boats are real boats and are not level with the dock. I am completely shocked that Disney would allow such dangerous behavior to occur. If we were to ever do something like that it is grounds for a two point safety reprimand!