IMHO...has anyone else had this sort of experience, or am I just being a grumpy old woman??
Here's an abridged copy of the complaint email I've sent to DLP...will update with any response I receive....
"I visited with my teenage daughter and her friend. We last visited 10 years ago when my children were much younger, and I have to say that the park has seriously declined in that time.
We have only ever visited during school holidays, so knew that it was going to be very crowded, and we arrived before the official opening time, expecting long queues around the busiest parts of the day.
We didn't mind the queues and thoroughly enjoyed the rides and attractions once we were able to reach them, but, a major difference from our previous visits was that there were far fewer Disney "cast members" around to answer any queries or give directions. Furthermore, while some of them were polite and helpful, a number were more like Grumpy from the Seven Dwarfs - no smiles and unwilling or unable to offer much help.
In comparison, when we have visited in the past, there were plenty of Disney staff in evidence throughout the queues (not just at the embarkation point), who would chat and answer questions - and crucially, ask people to stop smoking.
This time I was appalled at the number of people smoking cigarettes around the park with no-one stopping them.
For an attraction aimed at young children, with rules that ask people not to smoke outside designated areas, this is unforgivable.
Although we were able to avoid smokers walking around the park, we of course had no option to stand near them if they were smoking in the (long) queues. Had I seen any cast members in evidence, I would have pointed this out and asked the staff member to tell the smokers to stop - but the apparent reduction in staffing meant it was not possible for me to complain to anyone in authority.
We queued for 50 minutes to ride Pirates of the Caribbean, only for the ride to break down before we had chance to embark. While these sort of things do happen, it left me wondering if your evident reduction in staffing levels is also extending to less maintenance for the rides.
And the queueing area for Big Thunder Mountain was dirty, with overflowing rubbish bins - I have attached a photograph I took as we queued for an hour for this ride. Not the sort of holiday picture I really want to bring home, and it reflects on your organisation very badly.
It appears that far from the Disney "Magic", what has developed is an attitude of far less attention to detail, a lack of adequate staffing and poor training/management of cast members.
Your marketing makes much of the Disney "Magic", but if this isn't in evidence, then families like ours will choose to go elsewhere in future - there are plenty of other theme parks to choose from these days.
I shall share these experiences with people I know, including on internet forums where people discuss their holiday plans - and I await your response with interest."