Was I wrong to be disappointed by this?

[IRLdisneyprincess]

Hey all! After almost ten months of waiting, I went on my first Disney cruise on the Halloween on the High Seas September 17th Wonder sailing from San Diego to Mexico. It was five awesome days and I had a great time and they almost had to drag my friend and I off the ship... I'm not kidding, we just did not want to go home!

This was a five day sailing and I participated in an FE (which made the cruise even more magical and I'm so glad we did it). I mention this because my friend and I did the FE with a FB group for our sailing and even as of right now the page is still active with people posting photos from the cruise and discussing the sailing.

My friend and I were shocked to find out that a lot of the people we sailed with were unhappy with our cruise. Apparently lots of people got seasick, dining was rushed and many others felt that the service was unusually "off". I have seen complaints about the quality of food, etc. The general consensus seems to be that our sailing was not Disney as its best. Well, you coulda fooled us! We honestly had a blast and were overwhelmed and impressed by how much was going on and how amazing the ship was. It was our first cruise and it was my first ever experience with Disney... I was seriously impressed. When I read these complaints, I thought, "Well if this was "okay" then what the heck is above and beyond for Disney?!" But talking it over with some of the others, I started to understand that some of them were on their 5th or 10th time with Disney and were comparing the quality to past sailings. Us not being seasoned cruisers, we didn't really pick up that it was an off sailing. We didn't know anything was out of the ordinary. But overall I was pleased with the quality of the cruise and I didn't have too many issues with anything.

Well... except this one thing...

I'd like to start out by saying that I feel bad for feeling this way lol. I feel like I got my feelings way too hurt over it. But I was really disappointed with character interactions. The lines for photos weren't that bad, and I do realize that the meet and greets were supposed to be short that way people could get pictures and move along. But it was obvious from the getgo that the characters were not going to pay much attention or do cute interactions with the adults, only the kids. During the dance party the characters would only dance with the kids or the other adult cast members. Again, that's fine, but even while my friend and I danced nearby and waved to the characters, they would still ignore us. We eventually just left because even though it was fun and everyone was being taught a new dance (and the party was for all ages) we realized that the characters were focused on the smaller kids more than anyone.

Same with photos... the CMs would rush us and only let us get two photos, while they let the families with kids get twenty... that and the Princesses talked to them for longer to both the kids and the adults in those families.

I mean, I know that I'm an adult but I'm still a huge fan of Disney and heard they were known for having awesome character interaction. I've watched videos filmed at Disney World where the characters are great about interacting with EVERYONE, not just the kids. I expected that level and what I received on the cruise was way below that.

In the end I got my pictures and was happy, but I felt rushed and was sad that the characters didn't interact with me more. Especially since I've waited so long to meet all of them. I couldn't wait to talk with the princesses or strike funny poses with Mickey and Goofy... not to sound like a baby, but I was disappointed.

 

[mevelandry]

Hey all! After almost ten months of waiting, I went on my first Disney cruise on the Halloween on the High Seas September 17th Wonder sailing from San Diego to Mexico. It was five awesome days and I had a great time and they almost had to drag my friend and I off the ship... I'm not kidding, we just did not want to go home!

This was a five day sailing and I participated in an FE (which made the cruise even more magical and I'm so glad we did it). I mention this because my friend and I did the FE with a FB group for our sailing and even as of right now the page is still active with people posting photos from the cruise and discussing the sailing.

My friend and I were shocked to find out that a lot of the people we sailed with were unhappy with our cruise. Apparently lots of people got seasick, dining was rushed and many others felt that the service was unusually "off". I have seen complaints about the quality of food, etc. The general consensus seems to be that our sailing was not Disney as its best. Well, you coulda fooled us! We honestly had a blast and were overwhelmed and impressed by how much was going on and how amazing the ship was. It was our first cruise and it was my first ever experience with Disney... I was seriously impressed. When I read these complaints, I thought, "Well if this was "okay" then what the heck is above and beyond for Disney?!" But talking it over with some of the others, I started to understand that some of them were on their 5th or 10th time with Disney and were comparing the quality to past sailings. Us not being seasoned cruisers, we didn't really pick up that it was an off sailing. We didn't know anything was out of the ordinary. But overall I was pleased with the quality of the cruise and I didn't have too many issues with anything.

Well... except this one thing...

I'd like to start out by saying that I feel bad for feeling this way lol. I feel like I got my feelings way too hurt over it. But I was really disappointed with character interactions. The lines for photos weren't that bad, and I do realize that the meet and greets were supposed to be short that way people could get pictures and move along. But it was obvious from the getgo that the characters were not going to pay much attention or do cute interactions with the adults, only the kids. During the dance party the characters would only dance with the kids or the other adult cast members. Again, that's fine, but even while my friend and I danced nearby and waved to the characters, they would still ignore us. We eventually just left because even though it was fun and everyone was being taught a new dance (and the party was for all ages) we realized that the characters were focused on the smaller kids more than anyone.

Same with photos... the CMs would rush us and only let us get two photos, while they let the families with kids get twenty... that and the Princesses talked to them for longer to both the kids and the adults in those families.

I mean, I know that I'm an adult but I'm still a huge fan of Disney and heard they were known for having awesome character interaction. I've watched videos filmed at Disney World where the characters are great about interacting with EVERYONE, not just the kids. I expected that level and what I received on the cruise was way below that.

In the end I got my pictures and was happy, but I felt rushed and was sad that the characters didn't interact with me more. Especially since I've waited so long to meet all of them. I couldn't wait to talk with the princesses or strike funny poses with Mickey and Goofy... not to sound like a baby, but I was disappointed.

I'm one of those who had great experiences with other cruise lines (after trying DCL). I guess everyone is different and we all have different expectations and tastes. After three DCL cruises I'm still not sure what others are talking about...

You should write to guest services and tell them about your experience with the characters. While I was content with just exchanging a word or two with the princesses and hugs/high five with characters, I can understand your disappointment if you were expecting more.

 

[cruiser21]

I've cruised with dcl 16 times. The more I cruise with them the more critical I become.....are they declining or is it me? I don't know which it is. They've decreased the perks for gold and platinum is one thing. Another thing about DCL is they don't change things. Menus, shows, trivial always the same every cruise.

If the people that are complaining are frequent cruisers maybe that "wow" factor has just worn off. Maybe it's getting stale or maybe dcl is not what it's used to be. It's really hard to tell after you've done something many times

I cruise for the destination now not the ship. I cruised on the Dream this year and was bored to death. I went to Alaska an loved it...Because Alaska was amazing. The Wonder was the same as the first 4 times I sailed on her.
I forgot to add about characters. I've never stood in line for that. I don't know if that's the norm or not. To me their just people in a costume so I've never given it much thought. If it bothered you write to dcl.

 

[cmph]

I had the exact same experience post-cruise with a FB group! My whole family thought it was just wonderful, and I was shocked how many people complained. I think cruiser21 is onto something about how people who have done it a bunch may be harder to please b/c there is just less to enchant them when they've done it a dozen times before. For me, the experience will evolve and change b/c my kids aren't going to be the same age every time. At least that's how I see it.

Most of my character interactions were with one or both of my children, but I was otherwise happy with my non-kid-involved interactions on the Wonder. I was by myself when I ran into pirate Stitch and my Stitch-obsessed 12yo still hasn't forgiven me for my awesome experience with him. But I do know what you're talking about, and it almost seems like the face characters (princesses) have a harder time interacting with adults. Some are great, don't get me wrong, but some are just awkward. I'm a dork and insisted we have an anniversary dinner in Cinderella's Castle a couple of years ago, and some of the princesses just skipped right over us, the rest just took a photo and that was that. The only "good" interaction was with Cinderella for the posed pre-dinner photo. We didn't really care, but it was noticeable. We ate there for the ambience, but it would have been disappointing if we were really into the princess aspect.

 

[Cackyschmackers]

The only characters I meet without my kids are Mickey and Minnie, depending on what they are wearing. I have had fun interactions with both, but they can't speak lol. They went through all the mimes and gestures to interact with me, though, always pointing out my Mickey t shirt or Minnie necklace (or.whatever they could find to interact with me). Always adorable! I have never met with a face character by myself, though, so I can't comment on them. I am sorry for your disappointment.

 

[mcd2745]

Not really relevant to the OPs questions, but I think cruiser21 is onto something. It could be DCL, WDW, your local amusement park, the beach or lake town you visit in the summer, or anywhere. The "law of diminishing returns" is going to begin to kick in whenever you do something enough times. The most important thing I've learned is to not try to exactly duplicate previous experiences. That's setting yourself up for failure. You always need to continue to try to find something "new" in your experiences when you return to a familiar vacation.

 

[Dug720]

One thing I have found on the ships (Dream, Fantasy, and Magic) is that especially with the face characters, you might have to lead to get the conversation started.

Example: When I meet Belle, I always like to ask her if she's read any good books lately. When I meet Rapunzel, I'll ask her about her latest painting or something else that relates to her. Those always lead to fun interactions.

My mom and I did the Princess Gathering on the Magic in February and the only awkward interaction was Tiana - probably because I've only seen The Princess and the Frog maybe twice. But we had awesome interactions individually and together with Cinderella, Rapunzel, and Belle. My dad joined us for Frozen and we had fun interactions there too - talk chocolate with the girls and offer Olaf warm hugs.

 

[mcd2745]

.

 

[Agent 86]

But I was really disappointed with character interactions.

I've only been on two cruises, but I've generally had pleasant interactions. My first tip would be to be friendly to the cast member monitoring the line. Maybe it was just dumb luck, but those occasions when we had a quick chat to the cast member who was monitoring the line, they seemed to hold the next group in the line for a little longer than perhaps was usual. My second tip would be to arrive early so that you're first in line for your allocated timeslot. They seem to appreciate this and the "new" characters (if there has been a rotation) seem to like an opportunity to "warm up" with different poses, interactions, etc. My third tip, and the one I commonly fail at, is to try to proactively interact with the characters (i.e. interaction is a two-way street). As an adult (or one of two adults, depending upon the character), I usually feel the need to "rush" to allow the characters more time with the children. But, if you're open to their interactions and take the initiative yourself, they seem to be happy to spend time with you.

I'd also echo what Dug720 said for the face characters - try to think of a conversation topic. I'm pretty bad at this, but it does help.

 

[owensamo]

Interactions on longer cruises or cruises with lots of sea days tend to be better as well - mostly because the characters have more opportunity to see who stands in line more often. Some things we've found have improved our interactions with the characters (both as adults and with our daughter):

1. Interact with the entertainment staff and the character handlers - you never know when that will pay off.
2. Go more than once for the same character - the more they get to know you, the more friendly they tend to be.
3. Be on the look out for wandering characters - they are often the most engaging.
4. Don't be afraid to start the conversation - ask questions, make a comment that relates to the character - or another nearby. Even without knowing the movies, you can ask general questions of the face characters - and even the other characters are good with interacting if you ask questions or compliment them, etc.

My husband has had cool interactions with Peter Pan on multiple cruises, we have often interacted with random characters on Deck 4, and we had Minnie Mouse ask where our daughter was multiple times on the EBTA (She would spell out our daughter's name in people's hands - DD thought it was cool Minnie knew her name). Most of the times we've interacted with the characters without our daughter we haven't had to wait in line, and it's been all the more magical that way.

 

[cruiser21]

Not really relevant to the OPs questions, but I think cruiser21 is onto something. It could be DCL, WDW, your local amusement park, or anywhere. The "law of diminishing returns" is going to begin to kick in whenever you do something enough times. The most important thing I've learned, first-hand, is to not try to exactly duplicate previous experiences. That's setting yourself up for failure and something I've been guilty of doing - with WDW and other places. You always need to continue to try to find something "new" in your experiences when you return to a familiar vacation.

OP stated that most of the complaints were coming from Gold and Platinum cruiser so your point is relevant.

The law of diminishing returns is a good way of putting it. Although we've done many different itinerary's on DCL Hawaii, Europe a couple times, Alaska and all the Caribbeans it's still the same cruise so to speak. We did Annual passes at WDW for a couple of years after the about 6th trip in 2 years the place just lost it's charm. We went back to WDW in May after a 5 year hiatus. Just me and my youngest son. Even though I'm not a fan of FP+ or the crowds we had a great time, but nothing ever compares to those first few times. It's hard to reinvent the wheel.

I think it's a little of 'the law of diminishing returns" and a little bit of Disney's not what it used to be. I don't think I've ever read a post on these boards where the poster thought DCL or WDW is better now then it was 10 years ago. I'm sure there's someone I just haven't read it.

I grew up about 15 minutes from Disneyland. I remember going to parks and characters just ran around the park greeting people. There were no lines with Disney charging people for photos. I've never stood in line to see a character and thankfully my kids never wanted to. I think if my kids wanted to stand in line for a hour for a picture I would have been one and done on DCL. I have had some interactions with characters that were just wandering around, but they usually don't stop for a photo.

 

[Charlies_Mommy]

This post is why I am *nervous* about our 1st ever Disney cruise. We have cruised multiple times on multiple lines before our daughter came around. I am blown-away by how much we paid for our December cruise. I believe in trying something so you can make informed decisions, but I don't see my seasoned-cruiser husband walking off the fantasy and saying, 'That WAS SO worth 2 times more than a celebrity cruise'. ESPECIALLY, when I read things like, 'Wow, you can order two appetizers!'. Yeah. Welcome to every cruiseline ever. My fingers are crossed because I enjoy cruising, and now traveling with my daughter! But the 'diminshing return' idea is why we took a long break from cruising to try different things.....

 

[cruiser21]

This post is why I am *nervous* about our 1st ever Disney cruise. We have cruised multiple times on multiple lines before our daughter came around. I am blown-away by how much we paid for our December cruise. I believe in trying something so you can make informed decisions, but I don't see my seasoned-cruiser husband walking off the fantasy and saying, 'That WAS SO worth 2 times more than a celebrity cruise'. ESPECIALLY, when I read things like, 'Wow, you can order two appetizers!'. Yeah. Welcome to every cruiseline ever. My fingers are crossed because I enjoy cruising, and now traveling with my daughter! But the 'diminshing return' idea is why we took a long break from cruising to try different things.....

I don't think you'll be disappointed. It may not be something you want to do 16 times(when we started cruising DCL prices were much lower) , but I think it's worth doing at least once since you have a child now, and I'm sure she'll love it.

 

[Cackyschmackers]

I don't think I've ever read a post on these boards where the poster thought DCL or WDW is better now then it was 10 years ago. I'm sure there's someone I just haven't read it.

Things are different these days, in the Parks at least, bc WDW is so much more crowded. The economy or just the way people spend their disposable income or vacation habits in general have caused WDW to see constant crowds. The first two times I ever went to WDW was about 18 years ago, and the differences as anyone can attest to, from then to now is astronomical. All the changes we've seen at least over the past 10 yrs are an attempt to control crowds.

This doesn't go for DCL of course, but I can say having had some variety in our length of cruises and class of ships, the character experiences on the longer cruises on the Classic ships are slightly different than on the shorter cruises on the Dream class. Just seems to be a crowd issue. In my.opinion.

 

[bumbershoot]

Dh and ds like characters. When ds was little he was the conversation starter, just his cuteness. As he got older he was the same person, but the interaction wasn't as automatic. He had to start the interactions. The characters didn't know if he was going to be too cool or if he would like it.

And dh starts the fun when he meets a character. He doesn't wait for the character to figure it out.

As an adult you have to set the ball rolling.

 

[Otimon]

Change your mindset on the next cruise and see what happens! It's up to you to make it the experience you wanted.

 

[Jack & Monica]

This post is why I am *nervous* about our 1st ever Disney cruise. We have cruised multiple times on multiple lines before our daughter came around. I am blown-away by how much we paid for our December cruise. I believe in trying something so you can make informed decisions, but I don't see my seasoned-cruiser husband walking off the fantasy and saying, 'That WAS SO worth 2 times more than a celebrity cruise'. ESPECIALLY, when I read things like, 'Wow, you can order two appetizers!'. Yeah. Welcome to every cruiseline ever. My fingers are crossed because I enjoy cruising, and now traveling with my daughter! But the 'diminshing return' idea is why we took a long break from cruising to try different things.....

Oh, I definitely don't think you should be nervous about your first Disney Cruise. Disney is a unique cruise line. You will not find the same cruise experience on another cruise line. Take the shows for instance -- I have not seen a Disney musical that did not wow me. LOL I may have pedestrian tastes, but I have found the dining experiences in each of the standard restaurants to be among the best in the cruise industry. The restaurants themselves are like an attraction. There are several little Disney touches that you will see. The service is superb. The cleanliness of the ship is also top notch. (check out the inspection ratings -- it is the first time I have ever seen all ships of a cruise line receive perfect scores). I do not know how old your daughter is, but I would definitely check out the Detective Agency game on board the ship. My DD12 and I love doing that together.

Now, having said all of that -- it is true -- the cost is definitely high. And if you take 3 cruises in 2 years on the Disney Fantasy, the excitement and wow factor will definitely be greatly diminished. Seeing the same shows three times will do that.

You have made your decision now do not stress over the decision. Focus on enjoying your cruise. Once your cruise is finished, then you can decide if you want to experience it again and whether the cost was worth it. If you had never gone on a Disney Cruise, there would be a small part of you that regretted that. If for no other reason -- that should justify your first Disney Cruise.

We (DW, DD & I) will go on a Disney Cruise about every 3 years. We will also go on other cruise lines. We are scheduled to go on the Fantasy in January of 2018 and we will also be going on a RCL Cruise in June of 2018. (We normally would not be doing two cruises in a year -- my extended family chose the June cruise for a family get-together. I will be doing a comparison of our cruise experiences and posting them here.

I am envious of your "first Disney Cruise" experience. I hope it is special.

 

[mevelandry]

I had the exact same experience post-cruise with a FB group! My whole family thought it was just wonderful, and I was shocked how many people complained. I think cruiser21 is onto something about how people who have done it a bunch may be harder to please b/c there is just less to enchant them when they've done it a dozen times before.

>>

I believe it 100%. I'm not sure if you have that term in english but in french we have the term "l'effet de surprise" (which would translate into "surprise effect"). The surprise effect disappears when you do the same thing over and over. "Magic" becomes "routine". Then you pay more attention to details you wouldn't have noticed the first times (because you were so emotionally taken by the magic).

 

[undertheradar]

I seriously believe that the internet and social media are mainly responsible for the idea of diminishing return and the loss of "Disney magic." Before everyone shared all of the little things, also known as "pixie dust," guests were surprised when those things happened to them. With the ever growing use of social media, what used to be a surprise moment is now an expected experience or entitlement.

To give an example. Years ago, when The Disney Inn existed, Snow White and Dopey were the character residents. It was always a pleasure to arrive and be greeted by name and take time to sit on a rocking chair and just soak in the joy of being at WDW. We had the experience of having Dopey walking with us to our room and playing games with our young son. We had Dopey at our room for an easy half hour. We had to call the front desk, back when calls from the room were answered by the resort front desk, and have someone come and retrieve Dopey. Imagine if every guest expected this type of experience.

For those going on your first DCL cruise, take time to enjoy the Disney touches that are all over the ships. Enjoy the artwork, the details in the carpets. Don't stress about trying to do everything, as it is impossible to do it all. Pick out some priority activities and then allow yourselves to just go with the flow. You are on vacation and a cruise should be a stress free experience.

 

[gary in florida]

>>

I believe it 100%. I'm not sure if you have that term in english but in french we have the term "l'effet de surprise" (which would translate into "surprise effect"). The surprise effect disappears when you do the same thing over and over. "Magic" becomes "routine". Then you pay more attention to details you wouldn't have noticed the first times (because you were so emotionally taken by the magic).

This has nothing to do about the cruise, it's 9 years since we cruised, next one in 68 days, BUT, this has to do with WDW. Everytime go into the Magic Kingdom and walk up Main St. I get tears in my eyes, and I've been over 50 times. So for me, an 80 year old male, the "l'effet de surprise" is still there, and I'm hoping that my next cruise, our 6th, will still have the effect.