I wrote a letter explaining how upset I am with the reduction of monorail service during EMH. The bottom line is that if I choose to pay a premium price for a premium product, then I should get a premium service. If I get any replies, I will post them through this thread. Perhaps if all of us write letters, we can get this changed. Wish me luck and pixie dust!

Please find below a copy of a letter sent to:
Walt Disney World Guest Relations
Walt Disney World Guest Communications
Robert A. Iger, Chief Executive Officer
Thomas O. Skaggs, Chairman Walt Disney Parks & Resorts
Meg Crofton, President Walt Disney World Resort
Al Weiss, President Worldwide Operations

Dear Sirs,

I am a huge Disney fan and have been all my life.
I have been a loyal patron of the Walt Disney World resort since 1981.
I am an Annual Passholder and have maintained this status for over 10 years.
I have been a guest at the
All Star Music Resort,
Caribbean Beach Resort,
Coronado Springs Resort,
Port Orleans Riverside Resort,
Saratoga Springs Resort and Spa and the
Contemporary Resort Hotel.
I have recommended the Walt Disney World resort to all my family and friends and have helped them plan their vacations there. I hope that my continuing patronage fosters your appreciation.

I have just read with great concern the changes in operating hours to the monorail schedule, specifically changes which affect travel on Extra Magic Hour nights. I have read on an independent Disney website that

Beginning on July 11 2011, the Epcot monorail service will stop operation 1 hour after regular park closing, and from August 1, 2011, the Magic Kingdom monorail will stop operation 1 hour after regular park closing. This means that in both cases, the monorail will not be able to return guests back to their resorts after evening Extra Magic Hours. Guests will instead be transported by bus and boats where available. Morning Extra Magic Hour service has not been affected. All indications are that this is a permanent change.

I am extremely disappointed in this development. It seems that even though ticket and resort prices continue to increase, theme park maintenance and services continue to decrease. That is, I continue to pay more and get less. This is not the way to reward loyal customers.

The Disney Company is a premiere organization and those of us who choose to purchase its services realize that we must pay a premium price. Even though most of us have to carefully budget in order to vacation at Disney World, we do so knowingly and willingly. My family returns year after year for our primary vacation and we enjoy ourselves.

But when we pay for EMH privileges and monorail service at a deluxe resort and you reduce the monorail service while a park is still open during EMH, you go too far! This decision does not reflect the excellence in service which is the Disney Corporation. If I choose to pay a premium price for premium service, THEN LET ME!

We are planning a very important trip to the Walt Disney World Resort in 2013. We are taking my cousin and his family. His oldest daughter was diagnosed at a very young age of a relatively rare disorder which caused her to have strokes. She has had multiple surgeries and is facing another major surgery later this month to help her walk more normally. Without the surgery, she will lose the ability to walk. In addition, she currently suffers from seizures, speech problems and mobility. One of her wishes has been to take a trip to Disney World. However, her parents could never afford this expense due to medical bills. We have decided to pool our money to pay for a trip for them. We plan to do our best to make this trip an awesome event for her.

Our primary consideration in planning is this child’s mobility and convenience.

We chose the Contemporary Resort Hotel for one reason: monorail access for this child. Yes, it’s more expensive to stay at the CR, but it’s worth it to all of us to accommodate her needs. We can more easily navigate her wheelchair at this location via the monorail. In addition to the wheelchair, it is important that her travel go as smoothly as possible because she can have seizures if she becomes overly excited or overly tired. We are happy to make this monetary sacrifice for her.

Yet, even though we are paying a premium price to use the monorail, we can’t use it when we really need it – at the end of a long day. Don’t you realize that the monorail is the largest factor in your guests’ choosing a Deluxe Resort?

You must consider how this decrease in monorail service will directly impact those of us who would pay the extra money to stay at a Deluxe Resort on the monorail line. With this decrease in the monorail schedule, staying on the monorail line just isn’t worth it. I don’t want to pay for service that I can’t enjoy at my leisure. This decision could cost you much more in the long run than any “savings” you may incur up front. This decision damages the reputation of the WDW Resort as it appears to be a sad attempt to save you a few pennies.

I would like this decision changed for both the Magic Kingdom and EPCOT. The monorail should run until at least an hour after EMH closing to accommodate your monorail resort guests.

I look forward to your reply.

RWR