Chuck Thompson is the author of the just-released book, To Hellholes And Back: Bribes, Lies, and the Art of Extreme Tourism, a follow-up to his wickedly funny Smile When You’re Lying, a takedown of the travel writing business. So where are the hellholes? Congo, India, Mexico City and — “most feared of all,” Disney World. I asked him to explain.
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Disney
When it comes to customer service, Disney is often held to high — some would say unreasonably high — standards. As someone who lives in Orlando, I’ve seen it firsthand. People come here expecting everything about their theme park experience to be absolutely perfect. When it isn’t, I hear about it.
When it comes to this weekend’s Travel Troubleshooter column about a Disney vacation that lacked a little magic, there’s no middle ground. Either you side with the unhappy visitor whose monorail broke down and whose room wasn’t up to his standards, or you believe the real victim was the Mickey, who compensated the customer in the end.
Troy Pelias and his extended family have a disastrous Disney vacation, featuring everything from a broken-down monorail to confusing meal plans. But his complaints are being ignored. What can he do to get Mickey’s attention?
Let’s say your cruise is cut short by the outbreak of a gastrointestinal virus. You spend most of your vacation quarantined in your cabin. Should you pay for it?
Oh no! Our annual passes to Disney World have expired, and Aren, Iden and Erysse Elliott are SO sad! Today they said good-bye to the park.
Something is wrong with Lynn Seehafer’s SUV, which she valet parked at a Disney World hotel. She thinks it’s been taken for a joyride. But has it? And to what extent is Disney responsible for the vehicle?
Four theme parks. Three kids. Two adults. And one seemingly impossible assignment: to visit every Disney World resort on the same day.
The Elliott boys tried to visit the Toy Story ride at Disney Studios today. Here’s what happened.
Here’s the high-resolution version.
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