Housekeeping and Check In

[New Mouse]

I agree with most of what others have said on here that Disney should be able to do a better job. Totally believe that as well. However, one aspect that is different is that most hotel chains do not have suites with full kitchens, and those require an inordinate amount of time to clean and prep for arriving guests.

This is simply solved by hiring an appropriate amount of staff.

Id be curious if housekeeping is less in the dues this year since there isn't enough staff

 

[CarolynFH]

This is simply solved by hiring an appropriate amount of staff.

Id be curious if housekeeping is less in the dues this year since there isn't enough staff

Dues are based on estimated costs, so for this year should include enough to cover full staffing. If that amount is not spent, the resulting surplus is usually applied to Capital Reserves (although the surplus in 2020 was so large that we received a credit applied to our 2021 dues bills).

 

[sleepydog25]

This is simply solved by hiring an appropriate amount of staff.

Something Disney will never do. Their bottom line isn't 100% guest satisfaction or even 90%. Their actual bottom line is tied to major stockholders, asset management firms, etc. Managing costs, being more efficient, and raising prices are extremely attractive to stockholders, and those things Disney does well. One of the primary ways to keep costs down is via staffing. As long as Disney can get the job done in a reasonable manner and manage the pain of unhappy guests who don't get into a room until after 4 p.m.--with staffing levels as low as possible--they have no incentive to change. Ergo, don't expect a 99% room ready rate by 4 p.m. for the foreseeable future.

 

[princesscinderella]

We had a very bad experience last month at OKW with the daily trash service. I was around 3pm we were back in the room for our mid day break. I always flip the security latch when we are in the room. The housekeeper knocks and then tries to enter the room but is stopped by the latch. My kids were in the living room and my husband was in the jacuzzi tub and I was taking a nap. My daughter goes to the door to tell them we don’t need trash service we weren’t in the room to make any trash since we were at the park all day. She was quite insistent on coming in, my daughter refused knowing my husband was in the tub and said my mom is taking a nap. She housekeeper leaves, not two minutes after she leaves does the room phone ring, waking me up, to ask when we will be out of the room for them to take the trash. My husband said come back at 6 when we are at dinner. He was so upset as we have never had this happen before where they were so insistent on coming to do the trash, especially knowing my daughter just told the housekeeper someone was taking a nap. We had already been there a few days so they had already seen what needed to for “security” purposes. Fast forward to checking out the next day and they were knocking on our door at 8:15 to see if we left yet, we were not happy. I have resolved to bring post it notes from now on to put on the door while we are in the room to indicate to do not disturb and we will be leaving at such and such time and to return then for trash.

 

[Sandisw]

This is simply solved by hiring an appropriate amount of staff.

Id be curious if housekeeping is less in the dues this year since there isn't enough staff

The cost is all rolled into the property management agreement with Disney and they set the terms.

It is based on what they estimate it will cost. Short staffing issues won’t change that.

 

[Her Dotness]

The cost is all rolled into the property management agreement with Disney and they set the terms.

It is based on what they estimate it will cost. Short staffing issues won’t change that.

Payroll and housekeeping (the work itself) would be different sections of budgets, too, I'd think.

 

[Sandisw]

Payroll and housekeeping (the work itself) would be different sections of budgets, too, I'd think.

They are itemized yes, but the charges given to DVCM are based on what they submit via the terms of that agreement.

So, Disney controls it all

 

[WilsonFlyer]

We had a very bad experience last month at OKW with the daily trash service. I was around 3pm we were back in the room for our mid day break. I always flip the security latch when we are in the room. The housekeeper knocks and then tries to enter the room but is stopped by the latch. My kids were in the living room and my husband was in the jacuzzi tub and I was taking a nap. My daughter goes to the door to tell them we don’t need trash service we weren’t in the room to make any trash since we were at the park all day. She was quite insistent on coming in, my daughter refused knowing my husband was in the tub and said my mom is taking a nap. She housekeeper leaves, not two minutes after she leaves does the room phone ring, waking me up, to ask when we will be out of the room for them to take the trash. My husband said come back at 6 when we are at dinner. He was so upset as we have never had this happen before where they were so insistent on coming to do the trash, especially knowing my daughter just told the housekeeper someone was taking a nap. We had already been there a few days so they had already seen what needed to for “security” purposes. Fast forward to checking out the next day and they were knocking on our door at 8:15 to see if we left yet, we were not happy. I have resolved to bring post it notes from now on to put on the door while we are in the room to indicate to do not disturb and we will be leaving at such and such time and to return then for trash.

I raved about an eerily similar situation (almost verbatim, actually) a few months ago. In comes the fanboys and the defenders of righteousness with 10,001 reasons why "they have a right to..." blah, blah, and blah. One thing's for sure. The person that called me on the phone will check their list of names before they call my room again when I'm taking a nap. I'd bet money on that.

It has become downright pathetic how people incessantly defend each and everything 'Disney' does. "It's Disney so Disney must be right. Whoa unto great and powerful Oz." has become the mantra. I guess I shouldn't be surprised. People with backbones willing to stand up for what they believe is right aren't in style anymore.

 

[JamesWinston]

I raved about an eerily similar situation (almost verbatim, actually) a few months ago. In comes the fanboys and the defenders of righteousness with 10,001 reasons why "they have a right to..." blah, blah, and blah. One thing's for sure. The person that called me on the phone will check their list of names before they call my room again when I'm taking a nap. I'd bet money on that.

It has become downright pathetic how people incessantly defend each and everything 'Disney' does. "It's Disney so Disney must be right. Whoa unto great and powerful Oz." has become the mantra. I guess I shouldn't be surprised. People with backbones willing to stand up for what they believe is right aren't in style anymore.

You have a lot of people who are “go with the flow” types that truly aren’t bothered by it, and I can at least respect that. The people who adamantly state “you agreed to it when you checked in” and “it’s their room they can do what they want” are the ones that truly bother me. Corporations trample your rights daily and will continue to do so until you fight back. Just because it’s in a contract or printed on a piece of paper you sign doesn’t make it legal or enforceable.

 

[BeachClub2014]

I wonder if you can let housekeeping know a preferred time for them to do this service? If so, that would seemingly solve a lot of the issues and concerns. Anybody ever tried that? I may give it a whirl for our next trip.

 

[Donna M]

I agree. And to add, if requests being met or guest complaints are delaying other guests to have a room available at the 4 pm time, then that need to no longer be allowed and guests who are there get a room ready even if it was assigned to someone else.

Emergencies aside, I just don’t believe there should be as many rooms being that late as are reported.

I totally disagree with this. There are many people who can´t arrive by 4pm; does that mean they never get a room they would like because the person who lives a short drive away who can arrive at 3 gets in first. That would annoy more people than those who have to wait an hour for their room.

¨Resort check-in begins at 4:00.¨ People interpret this differently, but to me it says, ¨begins at 4¨ not ¨all rooms ready at 4.¨ I want my room as close to 4 as possible too. The only solution I see is they hire more staff, or they end up saying check-in begins at 5:00.

 

[New Mouse]

I totally disagree with this. There are many people who can´t arrive by 4pm; does that mean they never get a room they would like because the person who lives a short drive away who can arrive at 3 gets in first. That would annoy more people than those who have to wait an hour for their room.

¨Resort check-in begins at 4:00.¨ People interpret this differently, but to me it says, ¨begins at 4¨ not ¨all rooms ready at 4.¨ I want my room as close to 4 as possible too. The only solution I see is they hire more staff, or they end up saying check-in begins at 5:00.

No, it means that room requests are assigned randomly.

 

[Sandisw]

I totally disagree with this. There are many people who can´t arrive by 4pm; does that mean they never get a room they would like because the person who lives a short drive away who can arrive at 3 gets in first. That would annoy more people than those who have to wait an hour for their room.

¨Resort check-in begins at 4:00.¨ People interpret this differently, but to me it says, ¨begins at 4¨ not ¨all rooms ready at 4.¨ I want my room as close to 4 as possible too. The only solution I see is they hire more staff, or they end up saying check-in begins at 5:00.

That is why no requests should be allowed IMO, or, once 4 pm hits, rooms are assigned first come first serve.

Requests are not guaranteed so I don’t see the issue. As I said, if they want to keep rooms prior to 4 pm to hold for requests, great. But, my request is always first available so it’s just as valid as other requests when granting them.

But why should someone who is there at 4 pm not get access to a clean room?

A room should not be sitting there empty when it’s after 4 pm while a guest is sitting in the lobby waiting simply because they were unlucky to have been assigned a room farther down the list for cleaning.

 

[MissPixieDreamer]

We had this happen at Poly over Christmas. We were earlier than ancitipated (based upon our online check-in time). I think we were there by 9:30 or 10:00. The CM moved us from our pre-assigned room to one that was in the process of being cleaned. 10 minutes later we were on the way to the room (which ended up being a fiasco upon entering the room…I won’t go into that here). My point being though is that if you go the front desk when you arrive and let them know you are physically there they will typically do what they can to get you into a room if it is available.

I had an experience a few years ago at the Beach Club Resort that helps me feel confident for my upcoming split stay... When I got there and went to the front desk, the CM told me they had received my Touring Plans room request and that I got the room I requested but it was not ready yet. When I asked if they had another room available immediately, she told me they did, but suggested waiting would be better because the room was really one of the good ones. I had to wait about 2 hours for my room. So I feel like If I am too tired to wait, they might have something that becomes available sooner.

 

[Donna M]

I had an experience a few years ago at the Beach Club Resort that helps me feel confident for my upcoming split stay... When I got there and went to the front desk, the CM told me they had received my Touring Plans room request and that I got the room I requested but it was not ready yet. When I asked if they had another room available immediately, she told me they did, but suggested waiting would be better because the room was really one of the good ones. I had to wait about 2 hours for my room. So I feel like If I am too tired to wait, they might have something that becomes available sooner.

This is what I like. I have also had this happen. I took the room that was ready, usually I wait because I do make requests and I don´t request the next room available which has been an option.

 

[Meglen]

We stayed 6 days AKL jambo dvc and got trash taken once on day 2. The rest was just piling up in brown paper bags we got on our adventures. Check out day we nearly filled out sink room with bags of trash.

Our room was so far from everything grabbing trash to bring to the dumpster would have been way outta the way.

So no they didn't do daily trash "checks" for us in October.

 

[DisneyHumbug]

I arrived at BCV back in August at 8 a.m. and stopped at the front desk. The CM happily said my requested room to be "near the elevator" was actually on the first floor! She was so happy I almost didn't say NO WAY to the first floor. My reward/punishment for not liking the assignment (at 8am) was that my room was ready at 6:30pm

 

[J-Dog]

That is why no requests should be allowed IMO, or, once 4 pm hits, rooms are assigned first come first serve.

Requests are not guaranteed so I don’t see the issue. As I said, if they want to keep rooms prior to 4 pm to hold for requests, great. But, my request is always first available so it’s just as valid as other requests when granting them.

But why should someone who is there at 4 pm not get access to a clean room?

A room should not be sitting there empty when it’s after 4 pm while a guest is sitting in the lobby waiting simply because they were unlucky to have been assigned a room farther down the list for cleaning.

But wouldn't this potentially make the problem worse after word gets out that's how Disney handles it?

If the more-desirable rooms are given out first-come, first-served based on who shows-up first, then eventually people "in the know" (like people on these forums), would starting making a point to show-up at exactly 4pm. If enough people end-up doing that, then the pressure to have rooms ready at 4pm would be even worse.

 

[McCrae]

We had a very bad experience last month at OKW with the daily trash service. I was around 3pm we were back in the room for our mid day break. I always flip the security latch when we are in the room. The housekeeper knocks and then tries to enter the room but is stopped by the latch. My kids were in the living room and my husband was in the jacuzzi tub and I was taking a nap. My daughter goes to the door to tell them we don’t need trash service we weren’t in the room to make any trash since we were at the park all day. She was quite insistent on coming in, my daughter refused knowing my husband was in the tub and said my mom is taking a nap. She housekeeper leaves, not two minutes after she leaves does the room phone ring, waking me up, to ask when we will be out of the room for them to take the trash. My husband said come back at 6 when we are at dinner. He was so upset as we have never had this happen before where they were so insistent on coming to do the trash, especially knowing my daughter just told the housekeeper someone was taking a nap. We had already been there a few days so they had already seen what needed to for “security” purposes. Fast forward to checking out the next day and they were knocking on our door at 8:15 to see if we left yet, we were not happy. I have resolved to bring post it notes from now on to put on the door while we are in the room to indicate to do not disturb and we will be leaving at such and such time and to return then for trash.

Have they removed the do not disturb signs from the door?

 

[princesscinderella]

Have they removed the do not disturb signs from the door?

They still knock when they are on unfortunately for trash.