No more towel characters

Thom72

Mouseketeer
Joined
Mar 28, 2014
Just received word from housekeeping and front desk management that their will no longer be anymore towel animals made in the disney world resort properties. Management said a focus survey stated guest would rather have cleaner rooms then towel characters. I'm lost on this but I just checked out of the cabins in Fort wilderness and saw supervision tell a 27 year employed housekeeper she would be reprimanded if she made any characters. Oh how the times have changed.
 
Sad if this is true. After vacationing at WDW for many years, we had our first towel animal left for us on our recent trip. (Housekeeping probably saw the two pack n plays and all the grand twins stuff). It was a giraffe that was rubber banded, stapled and had eyes glued on. Obviously would never be reused as a towel and since we saw the thread on these before our trip, we kept it. Sad to know it may have been one of the last ones.
 


Wow. Disney Cruise gives you elaborate animals every day (like nothing that I've seen WDW do in a long time) AND they keep the rooms immaculate (and my steward even noticed I liked my ice bucket filled nightly and took care of that on his own) plus TWO service cycles daily.

Wonder how they do that and WDW cant?

Well, aside from lazy management and unmotivated mousekeepers that are indistinguishable from the ones who work at Motel 6 or Red Roof Inn.
 
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Interesting this is the first I've heard of this. Will have to see it I can find anything else out.
 


Following... We received animals a few times over several trips. Never took them because we fly but not I have a bit of a lump in my throat & wish we would've taken one...
 
I guess I can understand, although I don't know it's an either or. But, yes, I want a clean room first and foremost. Would anyone pick a towel animal over a clean room?

From a cost perspective, while the towels were being retired, someone still has to make them, on the clock and since so many people don't see them as pixie dust (meaning a random act of kindness) but as something included with their resort stay it probably is easier to do away with them.
 
I have always had a clean room AND the occasional towel animal. I didn't know you couldn't have one without the other. Unless, of course, Disney is cutting hours/staff while they continue to charge us more for our vacations. If you want to save money you can absolutely take out any extras that aren't necessary like a clean room, but it decreases the magic of the trip.

I'm not saying that taking a towel animal away is going to be the "thing" that drives me to stay offsite, but it feels like every time I book a vacation they have pulled some of the little things that made Disney different, and that's sad.
 
I think this is a good idea. They should direct the housekeepers to use those few minutes to wipe the dirty fingerprints off the windows and furniture instead. (Not blaming the housekeepers, I am certain they aren't given enough time to properly clean in between guests)
 
If true, that would be a shame. Towel animals are part of the resort experience & I enjoy getting back to the room to see what's been left. Even Royal Caribbean has gotten into it. On my last cruise, my room steward started small and then left a big surprise for the last night. A towel monkey hanging from a towel swing from the ceiling. Over my bed. The only problem was that I caught a glimpse of it before I had a chance to switch on the lights & it gave me a real scare. A big shadowy thing hanging from the ceiling over my bed. Not at all creepy. Really. o_OMy steward was just down the hall and had a big giggle when I opened the door and squeaked. At least I have a sense of humour (and a strong heart!). Fortunately, mousekeeping never quite went to those lengths. I was always happy with the little, perfect towel gifts. Too sad that they may be gone.
 
It's downright hilarious and depressing that they're claiming they have to choose between making a clean room or making a towel animal...I mean SERIOUSLY???
You can say that again.

I got a few "washcloth" animals at POFQ, and the "mickey head towels"...but nothing like what I've seen in pictures from what they used to do in the mid-2000s. That's far closer to what DCL does...EVERY DAY...

I just don't get it. If it's a cost issue, fine. If Disney Mousekeeping treated me the same way the DCL Room Stewards did (instead of treating me the same...or in some cases worse...than a normal hotel housekeeping does), then I'd tip, and tip well.

Heck, I'd be fine with a "recommended tip" the way the DCL does it, at least at the moderates and deluxe, if it was reasonable.

Coming back to a fresh room, a nice towel animal, a navigator and other notices laid neatly on my bed, and my ice bucket full of fresh ice every evening...

Man, DCL will SPOIL you!
 
I think this is a good idea. They should direct the housekeepers to use those few minutes to wipe the dirty fingerprints off the windows and furniture instead. (Not blaming the housekeepers, I am certain they aren't given enough time to properly clean in between guests)
And this is part of the issue. It's lazy and unimaginative management that is looking at mousekeepers as a utility that detracts from the bottom line instead of a service essential to the Guest Experience.

This is what you get when you hire people who have "hospitality degrees", as if running a hotel really requires 4 years of higher education. I mean, heck, I bet they don't even have full control of their P&Ls...corporate probably controls a huge portion of them due to the way the higher level accounting is done, and they are likely given their target lines (labor being one) to hit.

Meh.
 
And this is part of the issue. It's lazy and unimaginative management that is looking at mousekeepers as a utility that detracts from the bottom line instead of a service essential to the Guest Experience.

This is what you get when you hire people who have "hospitality degrees", as if running a hotel really requires 4 years of higher education. I mean, heck, I bet they don't even have full control of their P&Ls...corporate probably controls a huge portion of them due to the way the higher level accounting is done, and they are likely given their target lines (labor being one) to hit.

Meh.

Of course. And even if they do ban the making of towel animals I bet the rooms won't be any cleaner because they will just add more rooms to each housekeeper's list instead. It will just be cost cutting in the end.
 
And this is part of the issue. It's lazy and unimaginative management that is looking at mousekeepers as a utility that detracts from the bottom line instead of a service essential to the Guest Experience.

This is what you get when you hire people who have "hospitality degrees", as if running a hotel really requires 4 years of higher education. I mean, heck, I bet they don't even have full control of their P&Ls...corporate probably controls a huge portion of them due to the way the higher level accounting is done, and they are likely given their target lines (labor being one) to hit.

Meh.
I seriously doubt this decision would come from anyone running the individual resorts. Those individuals are held accountable for the responses of the guests. This decision would be a trickle down from someone who is just following the modern corporate culture of cut everything.
 
I seriously doubt this decision would come from anyone running the individual resorts. Those individuals are held accountable for the responses of the guests. This decision would be a trickle down from someone who is just following the modern corporate culture of cut everything.
You are likely correct. But, the outcry should be internal.

I have the general impression that WDW management is culture of brown nosing, not what is best for guests.

That's not unique though, it's why I prefer to work for smaller organizations. Your voice rings louder.
 

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