Spas

I haven't been since the change, but all of the reviews I've heard have been quite positive.

It is expensive though, more than you'd usually pay at home (which you probably already knew).

Senses Spa has been operating on the Disney Cruise line for awhile. Overall, the experience is much better than the old Disney Resort spas (operated by Nikki Bryan). The price is high, as with all resort based spas, but the experience is very good. However, the hard sell is present. If you don't appreciate that, speak up at the start and say you do NOT plan to purchase any products and do not want to be bothered by their sales pitch. I've even gone so far as to indicate that they can expect a much better tip from me if they zip it on the upsell. It works.

Hmmm, I go to the spas to relax, not listen to a sales presentation. Maybe I should just go off site to Massage Envy. I have a membership with them and love it. I do expect it to be quite expensive (I've gone to Mandara Spa on arrival and the Spa at Saratoga Springs sometime during the middle of my trip during every trip), but I was never sure if it would be more expensive to take a taxi offsite or not.

Yeah, since joining massage envy, I don't feel the need for a massage during vacation.

The WDW spas may not push the products as hard as the cruise line does. I know that cruises tend to always have much more aggressive spas.

I was browsing through the spa menus and noticed that Mandara spa automatically adds 7.5% "in lieu of your gratuity" and the Senses Spa at SSR automatically adds 20%.

This really bothers me. I'm a generous tipper (up to 50% if I am treated well), but I don't like it being mandatory.

Cinderelley;2452340 wrote: I was browsing through the spa menus and noticed that Mandara spa automatically adds 7.5% "in lieu of your gratuity" and the Senses Spa at SSR automatically adds 20%.

This really bothers me. I'm a generous tipper (up to 50% if I am treated well), but I don't like it being mandatory.

See, this doesn't bother me at all. I will never NOT tip, and frankly, don't want to worry about doing the math at the end. If they want to add it automatically, less work for me!

There are certain places where I always tip, regardless. Hair stylist, massage therapist, restaurant server, bellman, housekeeping. I HATE that the salon I go to doesn't allow tips to be put on credit cards. I don't like worrying about having the right amount of cash. So, auto gratuities are one of my favorite things! I wish they were added in more places.

Actually, I found the spa at the Grand Floridian not quite as good as it used to be. Still good. But slightly less in service and total spa experience. Also, there was no hard sell at all. I was prepared to buy products, but no one pushed them on me and I ended up empty-handed. It would have only taken the slightest suggestion to lead me to new products, alas... nothing. Still worth it, though pricey and with an automatic gratuity added on.

SBETigg;2452343 wrote: Actually, I found the spa at the Grand Floridian not quite as good as it used to be. Still good. But slightly less in service and total spa experience. Also, there was no hard sell at all. I was prepared to buy products, but no one pushed them on me and I ended up empty-handed. It would have only taken the slightest suggestion to lead me to new products, alas... nothing. Still worth it, though pricey and with an automatic gratuity added on.

That's interesting. I had two very mediocre spa experiences at the old GF spa. Frankly, they were worse than mediocre. I never recommended it after that. I went to Mandara Spa instead. Good to hear about the lack of hard sell, though, as it can become very annoying when you just want to relax. I think the cruise line is a bit more "upsell" driven than the land based spa which is understandable.

BrerGnat;2452355 wrote: That's interesting. I had two very mediocre spa experiences at the old GF spa. Frankly, they were worse than mediocre. I never recommended it after that. I went to Mandara Spa instead. Good to hear about the lack of hard sell, though, as it can become very annoying when you just want to relax. I think the cruise line is a bit more "upsell" driven than the land based spa which is understandable.

Yeah, I don't know how that happens. I've been to lots of spas and my first experience at the GF spa when it was a Nikki Bryan spa remains at the top. Best facial I've ever had. Most attentive service. Really great couples massage. And then you obviously had a very different experience. My last experience at the GF spa (last month) was, as I said, still good, but not close to my previous experience there.

And I think they should be just as driven to sell product whether land or sea, but no one likes it when they're pushy about it. Still, a list of products used that I could have considered buying without a hard sell would have been nice. So I guess they can go wrong by being too pushy or not making suggestions at all. Better not to feel obligated overall, though.

I don't like the automatic gratuity, because then I have to go through all the math in my head to make it what I would have tipped to begin with.

I didn't like my experience at the GF spa on my first visit. That is why I always went to SSR and Mandara.

I think I will go to an offsite Massage Envy on my first day there and then have a massage at AKL in the middle of my visit.

I will let you guys know how it goes.