An open letter to Disney about mandatory room checks.

[fla4fun]

The thing that bothers me the most is the inconsistency, even within the same resort.

On the sticky, there was a post from someone who was staying at Pop the same time I was. Their experience was horrific. I didn't have any issues at all. In fact, our experiences were so opposite that I guarantee the people reading them think one of us is lying - but I know I'm not and I doubt the other poster is either. The fact that this can happen this way means that even though I have had two trips since the new policy with no problems, I still can't relax because there are people at the same resort I am in who ARE having issues repeatedly. I mentioned the buildings I've stayed in in my post on the sticky, and I am hoping others follow suit. Maybe we can pinpoint specific sections of resorts that have issues and request to be in other areas to reduce the chances of a problem. I could understand differences in implementation from one resort to another, but to have such a wide variance of experience at one resort just doesn't make sense to me.

 

[Deb & Bill]

My feeling is the more anxious you are to keep them out, the more they want to get into the room. We just got back from a four night stay at the GF Villas. On Day 2, a man from Housekeeping came to the room around 3:30 and asked to take the trash. We were polite, he was very polite and was gone in about two minutes (we were in the one bedroom, so he went back to the bedroom, the bathroom and the kitchen). No one came the next day. Day 4 was our trash and towel service and the housekeeper came around 9:30 (we were both done with our morning routine). She said she was there to change our bed linens as well as replace our towels. I told her she didn't need to do that since we only got Trash and Towel service on that day. She was in and out, replacing our towels, taking up the trash, in about five minutes. Both were very pleasant.

 

[DisneyNYGalTraveler]

Unfortunately, no, you didn’t talk to the actual front desk if you called from the phone in the room. Even if they told you they were the front desk...they’re not.

i did talk to the front desk and housekeeping in my hotel but thanks for the helpful addition to the conversation!

 

[Canadian Girl]

I am DVC and we had something stolen for the first time during our March stay after the new policy was put in place. I have no clue when it happened and Disney did give me replacement value, but I seriously dislike the thought that different people were in my room when I wasnt there.

 

[KrazeeK120]

i did talk to the front desk and housekeeping in my hotel but thanks for the helpful addition to the conversation!

Oh, ok! You mentioned calling but not going to the desk. I just wanted to make sure you knew that if you called from your room, you absolutely, positively were NOT speaking to the front desk.

I also put that info out there so that others know as well. I don’t love that Disney has it set up this way or that the people on the phone act like they’re at the front desk when they’re really not. But unfortunately at Disney, the only way to speak to the front desk is to physically go there.

 

[Three60guy]

I can categorically verify that when you push the front desk button on your room phone you will not get someone at the physical front desk. You actually get a call center representing themselves as being the front desk. If anyone needs the direct number to the front desk I have it and would be willing to share it privately. In fact, I just called it a few minutes ago and the person verified they were at the front desk of my DVC Home resort of Old Key Resort. I do not have any numbers for other resorts.

 

[Deb & Bill]

I can categorically verify that when you push the front desk button on your room phone you will not get someone at the physical front desk. You actually get a call center representing themselves as being the front desk. If anyone needs the direct number to the front desk I have it and would be willing to share it privately. In fact, I just called it a few minutes ago and the person verified they were at the front desk of my DVC Home resort of Old Key Resort. I do not have any numbers for other resorts.

They will tell you that they are the front desk of the specific resort, but they will still be in a call center somewhere. That's one thing they are trained well on .

 

[Nancyg56]

They will tell you that they are the front desk of the specific resort, but they will still be in a call center somewhere. That's one thing they are trained well on .

True. I worked in a call center that took either outsourced calls or as an overflow for companies. If we ever slipped that we were not who we were representing, the "ding" was huge. WHen I moved into QA I spend a great deal of time coaching my reps how to answer these kinds of questions. For us it was not the kind of questions to determine location (although you would be surprised at what people will say to someone who has an accent) but if we were really whatever company we were supporting.

 

[Jen1995]

I don't believe this - at all. Any reasonably intelligent person knows they should never believe what they read on the internet.

I see two issues going on that are fanning the flames about this issue. One, people are flat out making stuff up to stir the pot. Two, there are a staggering number of people today with entitled attitudes that get themselves all worked up over how they will be "wronged" because they might somehow be inconvenienced. Most of the posts about how terrible the policy is come from people who have NOT even stayed at WDW under the new policy - complaints about what they believe MIGHT happen, coming up with all kinds of crazy scenarios where people suddenly need to protect themselves and their children from the evil WDW CMs who have sinister intentions.

Then you have posts from people who have been to WDW since the policy was implemented (some with multiple trips) who report absolutely no issues at all - never having anyone even knock while they were in the room. Yes, I'm sure there have been some people who may have been woken from a nap when someone knocked. Before the policy was implemented WE have been woken up from a nap when we had the DND sign on the door. We simply told the CM we were napping. It didn't ruin our trip in any way. We have had similar things happen at other hotels, including some extremely high end hotels.

I'm an RN and the number of people on this site who have reported that they have an illness where simply being awoken from a nap will lead to their sure and sudden DEATH is nuts.

I think waking people up from naps while they are on vacation is unacceptable. Their heath status is not really relevant.

 

[Jen1995]

i really don't understand why some people in this thread are fuming mad about a new disney policy that is just making your experience safer. if you don't like the new protocol, stay somewhere else! personally, i am all for disney taking some preventative measures; i have witnessed my friends survive an extremely fatal school shooting in florida, ever since then, i've been paranoid.

disney is a huge place where things like this are necessary.

if you have nothing to hide, i really dont understand what the big deal is-- because after all, you are staying on someone else's property lmao

There is absolutely no way this policy is making anyone safer. The logic simply isn't there. Unless they are doing a full room inspection, anything can be hidden in the room. As for the "if you don't like it stay somewhere else" argument, one could also say that if someone is paranoid going to Disney, they should stay home.

 

[Jen1995]

Vegas shooter accumulated his collection of firearms over several days, so a check while he was out getting more firearms and ammunition could have been spotted. Does not take training to see that. If you drive instead of ME to the hotel less chance to pack your arsenal.

Sorry but I live on the Texas Gulf Coast and I know it's picky but the incident you refer to was an alligator not a croc. They are only in far south Florida.

Vegas shooter had over 10 encounters with housekeeping/hotel staff prior to the incident. So they DID see his room. It didn't prevent anything.

 

[Sue M]

I'm still amazed that experiences can be so vastly different. We've had 2 more stays since this policy started, 4 total now. The first being right when the policy began, as in, we were there while they were removing the old signs and putting in the new ones and the most recent was 3 weeks ago. We've stayed at all different resorts and resort levels. Not one single intrusion or interruption to our vacation. Well, twice we've had housekeeping knock to see if they could service the room yet and each time we told them not yet and each time they were fine to come back later. Not once did we have anyone come back for a check or insist they had to do it then.

We don't spend the full day at the parks, we aren't always out early. We depart at various times of the day. And return at various times of the day. We do always accept housekeeping.


We didn't take it away or keep it out of their reach at home, we just taught kids not to dial the phone. That way, when they encountered one away from home, they didn't treat it like a toy. I was given the advice when my DD was born (she's 33 now) to never take things way that you wouldn't have control over when away from home, to teach them to leave them alone at home. That way, when they saw these things away from home, they knew that to do.

Thanks for sharing this. It makes me hopeful for my Aug trip. We have the same schedule, coming back for afternoon breaks coming and going at various times too.
Our last trip in Dec was just before policy change and reading these experiences people are having is very troublesome. It is reasonable to expect privacy in your hotel room while on vacation.

 

[kaytieeldr]

There is absolutely no way this policy is making anyone safer. The logic simply isn't there. Unless they are doing a full room inspection, anything can be hidden in the room. As for the "if you don't like it stay somewhere else" argument, one could also say that if someone is paranoid going to Disney, they should stay home.

If someone is paranoid going to Disney, they should stay home. Or at least not to to Disney.

 

[katallo]

I'm sorry, we didn't feel paranoid at all. We had nothing to hide. It was simply a matter of being exhausted, trying to nap and being awakened by pounding (LOUD) at our door. When we said it was not a good time because we were resting, the CM didn't just leave. Continued to say, "but, it will just take a few minutes". I felt that when my DH nicely stated it was not a good time, the discussion should have ended.

 

[Walt4ever]

I'm sorry, we didn't feel paranoid at all.

I don't think the previous poster meant that you were being paranoid. I think the reference was to those that are paranoid that terrorists were going to strike them, if not for these useless room checks, are the ones that need to just stay home. If it takes intrusive room checks, metal detectors, repeated bag searches (you get to go thru 2 if you take the monorail from a MK resort to Epcot), etc., before you feel "safe" going to Disney ... don't go and save the rest of us the hassle.

 

[maxiesmom]

I'm sorry, we didn't feel paranoid at all. We had nothing to hide. It was simply a matter of being exhausted, trying to nap and being awakened by pounding (LOUD) at our door. When we said it was not a good time because we were resting, the CM didn't just leave. Continued to say, "but, it will just take a few minutes". I felt that when my DH nicely stated it was not a good time, the discussion should have ended.

The time it took to argue was less time than the check takes. Until the policy is changed the quickest thing to do is let them look. Then get back to whatever you wete doing.

 

[mom2rtk]

The time it took to argue was less time than the check takes. Until the policy is changed the quickest thing to do is let them look. Then get back to whatever you wete doing.

Once I'm up to let someone in for a room check, there's no chance I could fall back to sleep.

 

[Planogirl]

Once I'm up to let someone in for a room check, there's no chance I could fall back to sleep.

I'm the same way. I'm a light sleeper and someone banging on the door guarantees that I won't be able to fall asleep again until much later.

 

[gwynne]

Once I'm up to let someone in for a room check, there's no chance I could fall back to sleep.

Same here. Anyway, I'd much rather take care of a two minute issue right then. Get it done and get on with my day.

 

[maxiesmom]

Once I'm up to let someone in for a room check, there's no chance I could fall back to sleep.

Me too. But fighting them on it will do nothing but prolong the interaction.