Disney's current position regarding electric chargers

[Lloyd]

Here is how mine was initially returned.

Greetings from the Disneyland® Resort!

Thank you for writing to us. We sincerely appreciate your loyalty to Disney and value the time you took to share your thoughts.

I personally assure you that your message has been received. Depending on the nature of your request and the amount of research required, our response time may vary; however, a member of my Guest Services Team will contact you within seven days.

If you are visiting the Disneyland® Resort within the next two weeks and need immediate assistance, please call us at (714) 781-4565, Monday through Friday between the hours of 7:00am and 8:00pm (PST). We may also be reached Saturday and Sunday between the hours of 8:00am and 6:00pm (PST).

Again, thank you for your message. We look forward to assisting you soon.

Sincerely,


Debbie Bellavia-Hart
Director, Guest Experience Services
Disneyland® Resort

 

[TampaLiam]

Have fun!

When you get a chance, please describe your charging experience on the Hotels in Florida with Charging Stations thread.

And please let Disney guest communications know that they lost your hotel business because of their charger policy.

Have already posted about my prior charging experience there

I will definitely reach out to Disney and let them know.

 

[dflye]

Okay, guess Mr Mannis called and left a message earlier today when I was tied up with a conference call, here's an abbreviated transcript.

So given all the flowery speech, hard to tell if they are really making headway or just saying what they think we want to hear.

This is John Mannis calling from the Walt Disney World Resort.

I received your followup email in regard to electric vehicle charging stations here at Walt Disney World and I certainly do appreciate that additional feedback.

I wanted to assure you that in addition to sharing it with our Environmental Services Team and our Resort leadership that per your request we'll be sharing it with Disney Vacation Club Member Services leadership as well so they can be aware of your additional comments that you have in regard to the subject.

I want again assure you that we are in the process of evaluating electric vehicle charging stations here at Walt Disney World and we are currently developing our strategies.

With a property this size, it does take us time to develop new offerings for our guests both in coming up with the expenditures for the infrastructure for something like this but also for theming, we need to look at efficiencies, how to go about ensuring that only those guests that are needing these facilities are using them.

So there are a lot of different leadership teams that are involved in this decision making process.

But I can assure you that we are looking at this very highly.

It is on the radar of our executives here at Walt Disney World and again we certainly do appreciate your additional feedback and assure you that it is being shared with those teams as they go forward with developing their strategies.

So again, thank you so much and have a great day.

 

[vfx]

I wanted to assure you that in addition to sharing it with our Environmental Services Team and our Resort leadership that per your request we'll be sharing it with Disney Vacation Club Member Services leadership as well so they can be aware of your additional comments that you have in regard to the subject.

Without an EV driver or expert they will surely do the wrong thing.

...but also for theming,...

The mind reels at what they might do with a charge point. I would dream of a Clipper Creek inside and a fiberglass themed exterior post.

 

[aviators99]

I am going to Disney World in June. I don't have a choice of hotels, as I am going with a large group, and we are staying at the Boardwalk Hotel. I would like to figure out the best place to leave my car charging during the trip. I will not need to be using the car until my return trip home, so it doesn't even have to be particularly near my hotel. I have to eliminate all of the chargers at other hotels, because you have to be a guest to use them.

 

[Rodolfo Paiz]

Hmm... an interesting challenge. How long are you staying?

 

[Larry Chanin]

PS- also asked The Electric Generation team to help spread the word on that fb page, etc.

Thanks Chelsea!

Larry

 

[aviators99]

Hmm... an interesting challenge. How long are you staying?

3 days.

 

[SMCModelSFan]

I'll be taking the family to Disneyland over Labor Day weekend and will be staying at the Grand Californian. Our plan is to drive down from the Bay Area in our Model S. I would very much like to be able to charge it during our 2-day stay. Sounds like we may need to ask the valet parkers to help find a 110v just to keep the battery warm.

 

[dadaleus]

In 2-3 days you guys will get decent charges from 110volt. Aviators, you should get a full charge in that time if you are somewhere they can plug you in. SMC, you also have lots of options including using the Hawthorne supercharger on your way down and back up. The Grand should be able to plug you in. I've done it there several times.

 

[dadaleus]

I am going to Disney World in June. I don't have a choice of hotels, as I am going with a large group, and we are staying at the Boardwalk Hotel.

Revision to my earlier statement: I've parked at the Boardwalk. It's all outdoors and I'm not sure there are any 110v outlets. I'm at the Beach Club next door right now. I'll see if I can find anything in the parking lot if I get a chance.

 

[aventineavenue]

Okay, guess Mr Mannis called and left a message earlier today when I was tied up with a conference call, here's an abbreviated transcript.

So given all the flowery speech, hard to tell if they are really making headway or just saying what they think we want to hear.

Way to go! Just wanted to let you know some of us over at gm-volt are cranking up the pressure as well:

http://gm-volt.com/forum/showthread...cilities-not-EV-ready./page2&highlight=disney

I'll be at Disney World next week (with an ICE rental car), so if anyone has any "boots on the ground" suggestions for me, please post or PM me here or at gm-volt.

Best,
Mark

 

[markb1]

Maybe it would be cool to do a big EV gathering at the resort. (I'd be up for Disneyland, though, not Disney World.) I'm imagining a huge line of EV owners at city hall, making our charging complaints known one person at a time until they give in.

 

[Rodolfo Paiz]

Disney is very good at dealing with lines... they'll just process y'all in an orderly fashion and continue to ignore you. ;-)

They'll eventually come around though. Must keep pushing.

Since one of the things that drives companies most effectively is competition, do we have any information on whether other resorts or resort companies like SeaWorld and Busch Gardens have plans for EV charging infrastructure?

 

[TampaLiam]

Sent an email over to WDW Guest Communications Let's keep the communications salvo going!

 

[Kipernicus]

Email sent regarding Disneyland charging.

Anyone notice that the Autopia cars are stinky ICE's? That's not my idea of Tomorrowland!

 

[Larry Chanin]

Way to go! Just wanted to let you know some of us over at gm-volt are cranking up the pressure as well:

http://gm-volt.com/forum/showthread...cilities-not-EV-ready./page2&highlight=disney

I'll be at Disney World next week (with an ICE rental car), so if anyone has any "boots on the ground" suggestions for me, please post or PM me here or at gm-volt.

Best,
Mark

Hi Mark,

Thanks for your efforts.

I sent another message to guest communincations offering our Florida club's assistance to work with Disney in coming up with approaches. Rather than responding to the specifics of my message and declining my offer I received a form response word-for-word identical to ones posted here and on your forum.

I agree with Rodolfo, it appears that guest communications is merely managing the incoming correspondance in as polite a manner as possible, but there does not seem to be any interest whatsoever on their part in demonstrating tangible progress in this area.

If there is anyway for you to obtain a contact as high in the Disney organization as possible, that is not connected with guest services, that would be helpful. Guest comminications is just crowd control.

Larry

 

[TampaLiam]

In-person approaches may be the best way to score contacts. Attempts to call or email the Disney resorts send you into the automated world that may or may not get an eye down the line...

Walking up to a manager and asking him/her may lead us to the appropriate contacts.

Also, please note that The Swan and The Dolphin are Starwood (Westin/Sheraton) owned properties, not Disney owned. That is a separate avenue that could also bear fruit.

I'll be sure to start asking lots of questions next time I am there.

 

[aviators99]

In 2-3 days you guys will get decent charges from 110volt. Aviators, you should get a full charge in that time if you are somewhere they can plug you in. SMC, you also have lots of options including using the Hawthorne supercharger on your way down and back up. The Grand should be able to plug you in. I've done it there several times.

By my calculation, I would need 6 days to get enough charge out of a 110v.

 

[dadaleus]

By my calculation, I would need 6 days to get enough charge out of a 110v.

I was using 3 rated mi/hr figuring you'd get >200mi in three days. It's warm so you shouldn't lose power to keeping the pack warm. That said I don't have much experience with 110v charging.