Downtown Orlando YMCA Family Center — Attraction in Orlando

I’ve been a member at the YMCA for 35 years. I’ve seen a lot of changes over the years . Unfortunately, the downtown YMCA has been deteriorating over the past 10 years. It’s not as friendly as it used to be. It’s not as clean as it used to be. The men’s locker room smells bad, and is atrocious! One concern , when you look around, you’re not going to see many of the employee smiling. It’s not so much about what they’re saying, but what they’re not saying.. The energy in the building is low .I feel the employees are Unappreciated and underpaid. While the management sits upstairs making nice pay checks , The employees downstairs, who work with the clients and the front desk are getting next to minimum wage. Ask them why they were there? They will tell you it’s a job. Most of them have to work two jobs because the pay is not enough. It’s unfortunate, because at one time there was a lot of great energy in the downtown YMCA. Furthermore , they have raised the prices again, $65 a month is ridiculous. Most families can’t even afford that . The big Chiefs sit upstairs in their office rarely come down Stairs. If they did, they would see what I see everyday. Employees are not smiling . Most seem distracted or stressed out . Even getting a a genuine greeting is difficult these days .Try walking down the hallway and see how many employees smile or say hello? The central Florida YMCA used to have such a positive vibe . Now it’s gone . Just a lot of people Hustling to get their work out with employees who really dont want to be there , but they need the job. Why have I stayed there for 35 years, because it’s one block from my house. If the management could come downstairs and use more positive Reinforcement or Incentives-for their employees , I believe their employees would be happier . happier employees, attracts happier clients. But this has to start...

I went to this location 1 time. I had checked my daughter into the childcare area for about an hour. My daughter had no problem going into the childcare area care play area, I observed her playing with the other kids for a few minutes while I spoke to the staff then left. I went to workout for an hour and when I had picked my daughter up they told me she cried a few times, she ran into my arms and started fussing - I have my daughter 24/7 so I figured she was confused and missed me. I walked her out of the facility and put her car seat. I went to go get lunch and I took my daughter out of her car seat and noticed that she was having a hard time moving her arm. I immediately called the YMCA and asked what happened. I got transferred to the wrong location & was told I would be contacted by the right location that same day (no one ever called me that same day- I was contacted the next day and I missed the call, I didn’t recognize the number & when I called back no one answered). I took my daughter to the hospital and sure enough, her arm had popped out of place & the doctor had to pop it back in. Unfortunately there are no cameras in that center so they couldn’t even tell me what happened. I went to the physical location to have a conversation today and the lady I don’t even know her name, she never introduced herself - told me that my daughter was injured under my care and that their staff didn’t do anything wrong. She was accusing me of having my daughter get hurt with me. My daughter was fine when I dropped her off under their care & when I had picked her up that’s when I saw she was having issues moving her arm. Needless to say, the way they handled & remedied this situation was unprofessional. She did not offer any apology for anything & projected the blame on me. If you bring your children there please...

I came to the Downtown YMCA hoping for a supportive, family-friendly environment as I return to fitness after having a baby. Unfortunately, my first visit back left me feeling intimidated, unsafe, and unwelcome.

After only 20 minutes in the gym (including signing my baby into daycare and a restroom break), I was on the thigh press machine for just a few minutes. I had finished two sets and was briefly writing down my reps and weight when a man came up, hands on his hips, frowning, and demanded to know how long I’d be. A woman nearby also frowned and told me to “get off my phone,” even though I was only logging my workout.

As I went to finish my set, the man moved closer and stared at me during a very vulnerable exercise. When I stood up, he was nearly pressed against my backside (extremely inappropriate and invasive) while I cleaned the machine. It was intimidating and unacceptable.

Instead of checking on me or asking what had happened, a staff member approached and, rather than being supportive, told me I needed “to share” the machine because other people wanted a turn, and added, “that’s not that hard, right?” in a condescending tone. I had only been on the machine for about five minutes, and no one gave me the chance to explain. The staff appeared to side with the people confronting me, leaving me feeling bullied, belittled, and unsupported.

As a new mom, I was simply hoping for a safe place to care for my health while my baby was in daycare. Instead, I left shaken and disappointed. I no longer feel comfortable returning. I truly hope the Downtown YMCA will take harassment, intimidation, and member safety more seriously, because everyone deserves to feel safe and respected when they come...