Disneyland Resort's Refocus on Guest Service is Much Needed

When I realized that the 25th anniversary of Disney California Adventure was going to coincide with the Super Bowl, I decided to celebrate both occasions with my friends by booking a suite at the Grand Californian. The idea was that we could be at the park for the opening, and then transition back to the room to watch the big game. Shortly after booking, I received a nice call from VIP services who asked about my plans. While I didn’t need much, I explained the goal of watching the game in the common area and confirmed we would be able to order food to the room. While in recent memory, the Grand Californian has the worst service of the three Disneyland hotels, it felt right to celebrate the hotel’s anniversary by staying there. In addition, I thought that the exclusive entrance would provide easy access to DCA on its anniversary.

Unfortunately, the hotel entrance did not have the commemorative maps, so we had to end up braving the crowds we thought we were going to avoid. When it came time to watch the game, we noticed that the TV had sun damage due to the room’s lack of curtains. I debated whether or not to call, but ultimately decided to, figuring they should know so it could be fixed for future guests. A kind maintenance cast member came to take a look and said he would be returning after he talked to his manager. He returned later, saying that they didn’t have a replacement TV, but that we should watch another channel. Of course, the issue applied to all channels as the problem was with the TV, but it was also not a solution, as we wanted to watch the Super Bowl.

Room service didn’t open until 5 p.m., which was fine. However, when I called shortly after 5, I waited about 20 minutes for someone to pick up. As it turned out, the cast member on the other side was not with that department and informed me that they were backed up and would call me back. Around 45 minutes after 5, I got a call and was able to place the order — which they said would take about an hour. While I never lost my cool, I was disappointed that the two items I had told Disney were my goals had experienced service lapses. Perhaps the biggest disappointment is that no one ever reached out to apologize, as I presumed all guest issues are somehow tracked.

For this reason, I was thrilled when, during a media briefing, the Disneyland Resort acknowledged its need to improve service across the Resort. Although the initiative started about a year ago, it is still in its early days, and my understanding is that their commitment to investing in the concept is strong. They are also looking at other common pain points, such as security, to find ways at easing the Disneyland experience. 

The theme park business isn’t that complicated. The more guests who have positive experiences, the more guests are likely to return. Even a small percentage increase in the intent to return rate could have major impacts on the business. When guests experience service lapses, they are less likely to return.

Disneyland Resort President Thomas Mazloum views the potential audience as a watering can. The can is often full of Disneyland fans, but there are holes in the bottom of the can, and so you have to replenish with new fans in order to keep the can full.  While there will always be holes, or people who stop visiting Disneyland for one reason or another, the smaller the holes are, the better. While Disneyland can’t control every reason that guests stop coming, it can control the service. Seemingly, they are trying to do just that.

As Brenai De Haro, Director, Operations & Integration put it, “Hospitality is at the heart of everything we do. We know that when guests plan a trip to Disneyland Resort, they are looking for a truly magical experience—and it’s our privilege to make them feel welcomed, cared for and valued so these special moments with our cast members become cherished memories that last long after their visit ends.”

She told a story about a recent extended Monorail downtime. While this is not ideal, the consistent communication from the Monorail pilot led to a round of applause for them when the train was finally able to return to the station.

Unfortunately, negative experiences happen, but every cast member has the power to turn those moments around with genuine care. Although that didn’t happen with my situation, I hope that Disneyland’s commitment to turning the tide will cause my next visit to be better. The initiative is already having a tangible impact on the Resort’s “intent to return.” Far beyond my experience, as a Disney fan, I want the Disneyland Resort to be successful and to be a positive experience for guests that creates more Disney fans. I am moved by Disneyland’s desire to do this. And for that, they have my thanks.