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Credit: DisneyA recent incident ruined the trip and nearly a decade of a family’s love for Disney after enduring crude behavior from a resort employee.
When fans think about Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida, several things come to mind. From exceptional customer service to long-lasting memories, unique experiences, and more, Disney World has been a world-renowned staple of family fun since the complex opened its gates in 1971.
Spanning over 25,000 acres and housing four theme parks — Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and Disney’s Animal Kingdom — two water parks — Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon Water Park and Disney’s Blizzard Beach Water Park — a shopping and entertainment district — Disney Springs — over 25 Disney Resort hotels, and more, Disney World offers an unparalleled immersive experience for guests of all ages.
Related: Get Unlimited Access to Disney World Parks for Just $79
Each theme park in Disney World offers a unique experience for the young and the young at heart, from the enchanting fairytales of Magic Kingdom to the technological wonders of EPCOT. During this year’s Destination D23 presentation, Disney revealed plans for multiple drastic transformations across Walt Disney World Resort, including new expansions and reimagined lands, massive changes to fan-favorite attractions, new characters debuting at the parks, and more!
Unfortunately, Disney has also been shamefully linked to Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’ crusade against the company, blasting it for “going woke” and opposing him, resulting in over a year of legal and political conflict with lawsuits, appeals, statements, and more flying between both parties. Additionally, guests have reported multiple incidents of theft and violence in the parks, hinting at a concerning decline in guest behavior.
Related: Hundreds Evacuate Disney Resort in Terror at 3 a.m.
Despite these unpleasant situations striking the Orlando-based Disney Parks, Disney World remains a must-do destination for millions of families yearly. And the engines that keep Disney running like clockwork are the dedicated cast members of the resort, who often go above and beyond to provide exceptional customer service.
Unfortunately, after nearly a decade of visiting the resort, a family recently shared their less-than-magical experience dealing with a Disney employee’s crude behavior, ruining the final night of their trip to the Most Magical Place on Earth.
Instagram user @howevermanyhillerichs recently posted a video of her and her family returning to their deluxe Disney Resort hotel on the final night of their trip. What is usually the least enjoyable night of anyone’s trip to Disney turned into an absolute nightmare for the family of nine, as they were locked out of their room past midnight.
Related: Unexpected Drama on Main Street, U.S.A., Guest Behavior Worsens
Halley, the mother of the family, showed her kids sitting and lying on the floor outside their room, zooming into the room’s lock, mentioning that it was out of battery. The mother added that cast member Claude, who she described as “The EXTREMELY sweet and apologetic gentleman from maintenance,” was as kind as he could possibly be and explained what was going on to the best of his ability.
Claude told the family that the battery for the MagicBand reader in their door “was completely dead” and that the family would have to wait for another cast member to bring the master key to be able to open their room. However, “the lady from the hotel who was supposed to be coming up with the master key” made the experience even worse for the family with her crude behavior.
Halley commented, “She arrived at the door seemingly upset that we were bothering her and never apologized, not once. Then when she discovered she had the wrong set of master keys, turned around and walked away without saying a word- leaving all of us still sitting (and sleeping) in the hallway of our hotel room.” The upset mother added that the woman, who she assumed was “some kind of manager,” never apologized once.
Fortunately, the situation was resolved, and the family could enter their room in Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge after nearly an hour of waiting. Halley mentioned that the night manager who eventually called their room was apologetic and kind and that “Disney did end up paying for [their] breakfast in the morning.” However, the mother commented, “After approximately 16 trips to Disney over the last 9 years, this was the only time I’ve been unhappy with anyone associated with the Disney brand. It just stunk that this was our last night in Disney and we needed that extra hour of sleep!” You can see Halley’s video by clicking here.
Have you stayed at a Walt Disney World Resort hotel recently? What was your experience like? Tell Inside the Magic about it in the comments below!
Please note that the story outlined in this article is based on a personal Disney Parks Guest experience. No two Guest experiences are alike, and this article does not necessarily align with Inside the Magic’s personal views on Disney Park operations.