I was going to reply to someone elses thread but was beginning to hijack it so thought I'd have a moan from scratch!
We also went this weekend (10th - 15th December 2008), I'm a big fan of Orlando and as money/time was tight we thought we'd have a quick Chrimbo break as our only holiday this year.
5 nights, 6 days at the Cheyenne with me, my wife, and daughters 3 and 6 months.
We thought we liked Cheyenne when we got there but just not used to Disney Hotels I suppose.
No hot water in the evening (warm but not hot)
Kettle screwed to the desk!!!
No coffee or tea
No towel bigger than a hand towel despite requesting
Had to ask twice for a crib when it was already pre-booked
Only bathroom radiator worked consistently
Turn the ceiling fan on then off (we have an inquisitive toddler) and the tv volume went off
Turn the TV on from standby and really loud
Tiny bath
Poor decoration
Childrens bedding tatty (exactly how much does a duvet cover cost these days, surely they're practically disposable now)
Tiny double bed (I'm 6'5" but that's not that huge!)
Tiny tiny room by other hotel standards
So all in all I'd put the hotel at the 1-2 star mark. It didn't seem in keeping with a Disney Park but I've grown used to Florida so we kept an open mind and tried to enjoy the parks as much as poss.
The park was nice but so badly in need of renovations across the board it was sad to see anything Disney looking so shabby. Paint everywhere was chipped or completely worn off, doors were battered, indoor floors were sticky with spills and outdoor floors were cracked and potholed which soon collected massive puddles as soon as it rained.
Studios was a real let down for us, it was a bit of a nothing park, I'd rather they'd made a full size Magic Kingdom than squeeze in two small parks. Everything in Disneyland Park felt cramped, all the rides were the same Orlando content but in a third less space which really ruined them I think.
As has been mentioned elsewhere before, they really don't seem to be able to manage queues and some of the indoor waiting areas are very claustrophobic. Buzz Lightyear was just a bloomin corridor with a few pictures on the wall. I mean, they could have disguised the emergency exits as airlocks or something!
Finally, the smoking. We were so suprised to find so many smokers in the park. In Orlando there are dedicated smoking areas, carefully crafted to not bother non smokers but provide people with a quick cig if required. In Paris, the last straw was as an ignorant woman in a queue for Dumbo with upwards of 50 toddlers proceeded to chain smoke flicking her ash all over her own children and then finally over mine. I flipped and started shouting at her but she didn't understand and ignored me! I looked like the baddy in the whole incident.
I implore you all, if you can go to Florida, it's a different world, not just a bit better but an entirely different experience. The Magic lives there and it's where we'll be going for our rest and relaxation in future. It's not as expensive as you'd imagine either, there were flights with Thomson for a fortnight for a family of 4 coming to around £550 over Christmas, accomodation is dirt cheap too and the cost when you're in the parks is much lower even with the Dollar rate dropping.
I'm so sorry this is such a big rant but I was so disappointed. I've had no holiday except those 6 days this year and wanted to spend some time with my wife and children and to find the Europeans have either neglected or perverted the whole idea of a magical holiday destination was so infuriating. Roll on May when we're off to Florida for 3 weeks of sun, good cheap food (actually more healthy than the junk DLRP serve) and fun.
And relax. My eldest loved it though so it wasn't all hopeless.
PS Getting stranded in Paris after a train derailments on Saturday was probably the last straw.
PPS BS transports got the wrong car seats on the return journey as so many people had warned me about, be further warned that you need to be on top of everything to make it go smoothly.
We also went this weekend (10th - 15th December 2008), I'm a big fan of Orlando and as money/time was tight we thought we'd have a quick Chrimbo break as our only holiday this year.
5 nights, 6 days at the Cheyenne with me, my wife, and daughters 3 and 6 months.
We thought we liked Cheyenne when we got there but just not used to Disney Hotels I suppose.
No hot water in the evening (warm but not hot)
Kettle screwed to the desk!!!
No coffee or tea
No towel bigger than a hand towel despite requesting
Had to ask twice for a crib when it was already pre-booked
Only bathroom radiator worked consistently
Turn the ceiling fan on then off (we have an inquisitive toddler) and the tv volume went off
Turn the TV on from standby and really loud
Tiny bath
Poor decoration
Childrens bedding tatty (exactly how much does a duvet cover cost these days, surely they're practically disposable now)
Tiny double bed (I'm 6'5" but that's not that huge!)
Tiny tiny room by other hotel standards
So all in all I'd put the hotel at the 1-2 star mark. It didn't seem in keeping with a Disney Park but I've grown used to Florida so we kept an open mind and tried to enjoy the parks as much as poss.
The park was nice but so badly in need of renovations across the board it was sad to see anything Disney looking so shabby. Paint everywhere was chipped or completely worn off, doors were battered, indoor floors were sticky with spills and outdoor floors were cracked and potholed which soon collected massive puddles as soon as it rained.
Studios was a real let down for us, it was a bit of a nothing park, I'd rather they'd made a full size Magic Kingdom than squeeze in two small parks. Everything in Disneyland Park felt cramped, all the rides were the same Orlando content but in a third less space which really ruined them I think.
As has been mentioned elsewhere before, they really don't seem to be able to manage queues and some of the indoor waiting areas are very claustrophobic. Buzz Lightyear was just a bloomin corridor with a few pictures on the wall. I mean, they could have disguised the emergency exits as airlocks or something!
Finally, the smoking. We were so suprised to find so many smokers in the park. In Orlando there are dedicated smoking areas, carefully crafted to not bother non smokers but provide people with a quick cig if required. In Paris, the last straw was as an ignorant woman in a queue for Dumbo with upwards of 50 toddlers proceeded to chain smoke flicking her ash all over her own children and then finally over mine. I flipped and started shouting at her but she didn't understand and ignored me! I looked like the baddy in the whole incident.
I implore you all, if you can go to Florida, it's a different world, not just a bit better but an entirely different experience. The Magic lives there and it's where we'll be going for our rest and relaxation in future. It's not as expensive as you'd imagine either, there were flights with Thomson for a fortnight for a family of 4 coming to around £550 over Christmas, accomodation is dirt cheap too and the cost when you're in the parks is much lower even with the Dollar rate dropping.
I'm so sorry this is such a big rant but I was so disappointed. I've had no holiday except those 6 days this year and wanted to spend some time with my wife and children and to find the Europeans have either neglected or perverted the whole idea of a magical holiday destination was so infuriating. Roll on May when we're off to Florida for 3 weeks of sun, good cheap food (actually more healthy than the junk DLRP serve) and fun.
And relax. My eldest loved it though so it wasn't all hopeless.
PS Getting stranded in Paris after a train derailments on Saturday was probably the last straw.
PPS BS transports got the wrong car seats on the return journey as so many people had warned me about, be further warned that you need to be on top of everything to make it go smoothly.
)
They were like my photos and hand on heart I thought 'oh yeah that MUST have been worth it for you flying all that way!'
