Bed Bugs at GC?

[AspiringCindy]

I was just on doing my weekly check on www.tripadvisor.com to read reviews about GC...and low and behold, the most recent reviewer posted that they were bitten by bed bugs at GC at they recent stay! This has got me VERY worried. Has anyone had experiences with bedbugs at this hotel? I know this is becoming a major problem in many American hotels...but need reassurance that Disney Resorts would nip any problem in the butt!

[starlette]

:scared1: Holy cow! I hope this isn't so. We're going in July. I'll be watching this thread.

[albianne]

OK this is just too weird. I just got back from the candy cane inn, where we stayed for a week. Our room including the bed looked spotless, we did not see a single mosquito or spider the entire time we were in the DL park and yet my torso has about 10 angry red bites of some sort that itch really bad. I wore sleeveless tank tops and knee length shorts the whole time and yet all the bites are under my clothes on my torso not on the exposed skin like you see if it was mosquito bites. My daughter also has a few but nothing as bad as me.
My first reaction was " are these bed bug bites?" but the bed sheets looked spotless, as did the whole room. The housekeepers did a great job every day so I have no idea what this could be, maybe someone who lives in the area can shed some light on what this might be.

[Brutie]

I hope its not true, but I have heard that they are on the rise in US hotels.

Aside from bringing your own sheets, I'm not sure what can be done about it on the consumer level. We're kinda at the mercy of the cleaning staff and the sheets look clean so we assume and hope that they are.

I'm heading to DisneyWorld next week and am thinking of taking my own sheets for the bed, ya really never know for sure if the sheets are cleaned or maybe just been Febreezed...lol

I hope your itches clear up soon.

[polly p]

I'm not sure bringing your own sheets is the answer. As I have been told bed bugs hide in the bed and bedframe and come out only at night. You would almost have to cover the entire mattress.

[minniecarousel]

Oh no! Is there something you can spray in the room to counter bedbugs? I can't stand the thought of sharing my room with bugs!

[Brutie]

Oh my! I didnt know they hid in the bedframe, those little boogers....can we bring our own beds? :lmao:

Hey Minniecarousel...I'm just up the road from you in BrentWood. :yay: :wave:

[starlette]

:eek: All this talk is giving me the creepy crawlies!

Here's a link to a site that tells ya all about those creepy little bugs.

Bed Bugs (http://www.medicinenet.com/bed_bugs/article.htm)

[ploeb]

:eek: All this talk is giving me the creepy crawlies!

Here's a link to a site that tells ya all about those creepy little bugs.

Bed Bugs (http://www.medicinenet.com/bed_bugs/article.htm)
Oh my goodness I am freaking out!!! :scared1:

[GailT]

Holy *&$% that scares me but if we all obsessed with this we would never go anywhere...no all you people before me at GC make sure you keep my room bug free, thanks :rotfl2:

[SamIAm21]

Yes bed bugs are on the rise mainly because the chemicals we used to use to kill them are now found to be known carcinogens or just downright poisonous. The name escapes me now...

The best way to check for bed bugs is to lift up the fitted sheet and mattress covers on the bed. If you see brown, rust colored stains around the seams of the actual mattress, there's a problem. Nothing short of taking that mattress out the door and burning it will get rid of those bed bugs. You can protect yourself by bringing your own sleep sack, BUT, you risk the possibility of bringing a bed bug or two back home with you. Also, don't put luggage, purses or anything else you plan to take home with you on the floor. They are very fast moving little critters and are about the size of a sesame seed. They can be in a single picture frame on the wall and the whole room can bug bombed and if even one survives, the fight goes on...

[RangerPooh]

I know that when we stayed in concierge at the PPH back in 2002 we found fleas in the room. Could this be what it was? We woke up in the morning itching and with bumps. We asked to speak with the manager who didn't believe us (as no pets are allowed), until he went up to the room and pulled back the bedding and saw a few of the bugs. Needless to say we were immediately switched to a different room (at thye GCH as none were avaialble at the PPH) and our night was compedl.

[RobinMarie]

We have a couple of clients living in an apartment building which seems to be infested. The bugs can live on stop of a screw recessed inside of an end table or bed post. It's incredible how hard it is to get rid of them. They can hide in a crack in the wall, in the closet so you must seal up all cracks prior to fumigating.

Some people from the apartment building moved out it was so bad. Problem is, they brought their stuff with them and most likely took the problem to their new place. They recommend wrapping items in black pastic and keeping it that way for a year to kill them.

[AspiringCindy]

I know that when we stayed in concierge at the PPH back in 2002 we found fleas in the room. Could this be what it was? We woke up in the morning itching and with bumps. We asked to speak with the manager who didn't believe us (as no pets are allowed), until he went up to the room and pulled back the bedding and saw a few of the bugs. Needless to say we were immediately switched to a different room (at thye GCH as none were avaialble at the PPH) and our night was compedl.

HHMMM!! I wonder if they actually encountered fleas...not bedbugs! Fleas are much easier to get rid of...and a little less gross IMHO!

[lntsmom]

this, we are not staying in KS. I've heard reports saying that over 80% of the hotels in KS are infested. This is something that COULD be contained much more easily if the hotels would invest in plastic allergen reducing covers for pillows and mattresses. I've been told that the bedbugs can get inside regular cheapie plastic covers, but not the sealed ones. It would give them a lot less places to hide, and make them harder to transfer.

We're going to drive straight through rather than stopping in Hays like I've always done in the past. It will be hard on my 5 year old, but I really don't care to start our vacation covered in bug bites!

[Soon2beMarried]

Wow , that really sucks, we are going in august and staying at the Anheim Inn and plaza. Hope we dont enounter any. We have stayed there twice and i havent had any problems but im gonna check my bed. But what can you do if you find a sign of them, request a different room?

[Snow Brite]

Since we are talking about gross hotel stuff...a few other things to remember...speaking as a decade long hotel employee.

Do not ever touch the bedspread except with your thumb and forefinger to pull it off the bed and put it on the floor. Bedspreads are washed maybe twice a year, not with every guest like sheets and people lay on them, lay on them with their shoes on, put their suitcases that have been heaven knows where, and...ahem....do other things on the bedspreads.

Do not touch the remote control until you have mopped it down with an anti-bacterial wipe. Do not touch the phone receiver either. Just trust me on this.

Do not drink out of the glasses in the bathroom unless they are disposable ones in a sealed bag.

As for bed bugs, they are very, very difficult to get rid of as was mentioned. Look for rust colored stains on the bottom seams of the mattress. And keep your clothing away from the bed and in the dresser so that if they ARE there, you won't take them home with you.

[Soon2beMarried]

Now when you say bedspread, you mean the blanket on the very top that covers the bed? is that what you are talking about? ill stay away from that

[Amy&Dan]

Those plastic covers the Tropicana uses on their mattresses are sounding better and better as I read this thread! As for the poster that had bites on their torso, could it be chiggers? Do they have chiggers in CA? I know DH and I got bit by chiggers last week in WDW all over our ankles. I did a chigger search on google to see what helps (nothing apparently, don't I know it) and saw they also bite on the torso around bra straps and many other places. Yuk, I am itchy as we speak just thinking about all of this!

[starlette]

It's just about 10:30 pm on the west coast....dare I say, "Good night! Don't let the bed bugs bite!"

Sorry folks.....I just couldn't resisit! LOL!!

[DeniseMousketeer]

Now when you say bedspread, you mean the blanket on the very top that covers the bed? is that what you are talking about? ill stay away from that

A bed spread is a decorative cover on the top of the bed. It covers the blankets and sheets.

[mclopezzz]

The critters are most likely fleas. Have lived in Southern California all my life, and if the hotel is not diligent regarding pest control, fleas are a VERY common problem in the area. And much more common than bed bugs. Some are not allergic to their bites but if you are, you can get a lot of red-raised bites that are quite itchy. One way to have them avoid you is to use Avon Skin so Soft or a couple of other Avon products as fleas despise the scent. Hope that helps. Oh and they can leap long distances...
like them ...LOL >>>> :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce:

[ZipaDeeDooDah]

Um, Eeeww!!! :crazy2: Now I'm all itchy!!! :cat:

Snow Brite, excellent advice, I'm taking notes! :thumbsup2 ::yes::

__________________

[Dukland]

Those plastic covers the Tropicana uses on their mattresses are sounding better and better as I read this thread!

Yeah, no doubt!! So very glad that's where we're staying the first week in August! We do NOT do bugs, and those sound like the very nastiest kind! ICK!!!

[SamIAm21]

I know that when we stayed in concierge at the PPH back in 2002 we found fleas in the room. Could this be what it was? We woke up in the morning itching and with bumps. We asked to speak with the manager who didn't believe us (as no pets are allowed), until he went up to the room and pulled back the bedding and saw a few of the bugs. Needless to say we were immediately switched to a different room (at thye GCH as none were avaialble at the PPH) and our night was compedl.

I hate to tell you this, but those were not fleas, they were bed bugs. If it was walking around on the bed, and you could visibly see them, they were bed bugs. Fleas have different types of "legs". They can only hold onto things with fur or carpet type things. If you had bites around your ankles and on your legs, then it's fleas. Fleas usually bite once and jump off cause they can't hang on you. If you want to see if a carpet has fleas, put on a white pair of socks and walk around your carpet for a while, the fleas will jump on them.

If they were walking on the bed under the sheets, those are bed bugs.

[RADOPT]

We stayed at the GC last week and did not have any problems. I do check the beds as soon as I get to any hotel. I also empty my luggage in the garage and store it in large sealed plastic bags - so nothing we may bring home invades our living space.

Check the beds as soon as you get to the room and you'll be fine. We had a wonderful time - very nice staff.

After reading all the post - I am itchy all over! :rolleyes2

[albianne]

I am the person who stayed at the CCI and ended up with some sort of bites. I really don't know the origin of whatever I have, like I said I am reluctant to blame the hotel because I never saw any bugs and the room and sheets looked spotless.

My bites are a red lump with a whitish colored center, they appear in clumps. I have one row of 3 bites fairly close together on the side of my stomach and then I have another 4 bites just above my bra line also in a row.
I thought I had more but either they have disappeared or with the intense itch I just thought I had more LOL

Since I am not in the habit of wearing my bra to bed and the second set of bites is just above my bra line in a row along the edge of the material it makes me think that I may have got them while dressed, either that or my nightgown happened to follow the same curve. My husband slept in the same bed and has no bites, but my daughter has a few on her torso.

There was one night in the room where the humidity was really high even though it wasn't that hot outside. It was so humid that when I got into the bed the sheets felt cold/damp which was noticeable all night long. We were there 5 nights and only felt this one night so maybe there is some kind of knat or insect that likes the humidity.

Anne

[Dobie]

Those could be spider bites.

Did you spend a lot of time at the Haunted Mansion?

[albianne]

Dobie, no I didn't go on the haunted mansion ride but my hubby and dd did, I waited on a bench outside near where you exit the ride. I think I sat there for about 20 minutes, so it's totally possible that I could have been bitten there.

I am actually amazed at how few insects there are in the anaheim area. I think I saw one really small fly the entire time I was there. Do they spray for mosquito's? Here in Rural Alberta, when the weather finally warms up a little bit, it's a mixed blessing because right away we start to get black flys, wasps, and thousands of mosquito's. I don't understand how you lucky people in California can have that gorgeous weather and not be over-run with insects.

Anne

[caimakale]

Sweet...I am going to be checking into he GC on Sunday! With my luck I will end up with room #3417 (I think that was the reported room). At least I know what to check for now, The beds will be lifted immediately to check for rust looking stains.

Somebody said the comforters were only washed twice a year? Is this really true? When I was stayed at the HoJo in August (even though I hate the place and will never go back), I swear they were washing the comforters daily too. There were tons of them going in and out of the washers. I know this because the guest laundry rooms were right next to the housekeeping laundry room. I would also think that on a property like the GC, all the linens (comforters too) would be washed more regularly. When we stayed at the GC on our last trip, the room was immaculate. Everything appeared extremely clean.

Being in the accomodations industry (apartments), I know our high end products tend to be scrutinized more. Because people pay a premium for the apartments, we take extra care of them by detailing them better, replacing parts that otherwise may be left alone for the next resident. We can afford more staff, better equipment, etc... I am not saying that we neglect our lower end properties, we do have high standards, but on the lower end properties, we don't replace toilet seats everytime somebody moves out unless it needs it (they do get cleaned extremely well and sanatized if left in place). I also don't want to get into specifics about the properties because my words could easily be taken out of context so I will leave it at that.

[AspiringCindy]

What are chiggers???

Caimakale, when I check in at GC in July...if I am anywhere near 3417, I am going to freak!!!

[Dukland]

You guys actually know which room it is? How are the nasty bugs not spreading between the rooms? And if it's widely known which room it is, how come that room isn't wrapped completely in plastic and condemned for a year?
That's gross!!

[AspiringCindy]

The reviewer stated on tripadvisor that they were in room 3417!...This is the 1st I have ever heard about bedbugs in GC!

[caimakale]

Just an update after returning from my trip. We stayed at the GC and were put fairly close to the "infected room" #3417.

Our room was #3407, first thing I did was check beds. No signs of anything. We were there for 6 nights and didn't have any problems. We very much enjoyed our stay and don't think others should worry too much about this. I think it was probably an isolated case (if even actually bedbugs...maybe they were spider bites of some sort) and has probably been erradicated already if it truly were a problem.

[wendell]

Sorry for the double post.

[wendell]

Those of you that would act like you are so concerned about "bed spreads", bed covers and/ or bed bugs are nothing more than a hypocritical mess.

I am a flight attendant for a major airline and I have stayed in the best and worst of hotels around this country for over 22 years. While it is true that many do not wash or change their bed covers very often, I will tell you they are generally no more or less dirty than everything else the general public chooses to touch including chairs and sofas in hotel lobbies, waiting rooms of doctor's offices and even airplane and restaurant tables and chairs to name a few.

I find it comical that people go thru the ritual of "removing" the bed cover from their bed upon arriving to the room but think nothing of sitting in the table or chairs both before and after they have cleaned or showered themselves. I have even witnessed others letting their children fall asleep on the clean sheets underneath, straight in and dirty from the Parks without even cleaning or bathing them first, all because they "fell asleep" in the car or stroller and did not want the hassle of waking them up and having to bed them down again.

I also have watched these same people enter their room with their shoes on to "remove that germ filled cover" and think nothing of walking around barefoot after they have "cleaned" themselves.

I, for one, do not consider myself a germaphobe (<--sp?), however, I do try to practice a resonable amount of cleanliness when in areas that have been occupied by others previously. I do take anti-bacterial wipes with me to wipe down remote controls, phones, door knobs, toilet seats and flush handles as well as sink faucet handles and light switches before I begin occupying a room because, I guarantee you, you will find many more germ samples there, than on any bed cover.

So, realistically when I get to my room, I would consider sitting on the bed cover with my clothes on to test how firm the mattress is ( I don't care for sagging mattresses). And I won't freak out at the fact that it hasn't been cleaned in how long because quite frankly, I probably will have just come back from the Parks and there is no telling when they last sanitized my seat or anything I touched at (take your pick, I dare you):

the restaurant chair downstairs
the seat on the super shuttle or bus ride in from the airport
the Peter Pan or Dumbo ride seat, I have yet to find someone here who can tell me how often these seats are sanitized or washed and I'm pretty sure that kids with loads in their diapers HAVE sat in these!)
how about that airplane seat you rode in on the flight over
and last but not least, how about the Characters in the Parks that every snot dripping youngster and/or cigarette smoking adult has fondled, kissed, hugged and slurped all over before you and your lovely little youngsters.

And for all of you health conscious types that work out at the gym daily/weekly who bring your shower flips to the lockeroom with you, how many of you all actually wear them in the hotel room shower as well? I'll tell you right now, the hotel room showers and bathroom floors can carry athlete's foot fungus too as they are not cleaned any better.

So when you get all snippitty and fein horror at how "dirty" you may percieve a certain article in a hotel room might be, think again. Because if you really mean what you say, you would never stay in any of these places at all. Anything less is just an exercise in hypocrisy.

As for me, I gave up being paranoid 22 years ago and I have not died or became sick or diseased from a hotel room yet, but like I said, I do try to practice common sense measures when reasonably possible.

[ploeb]

Those of you that would act like you are so concerned about "bed spreads", bed covers and/ or bed bugs are nothing more than a hypocritical mess.

I am a flight attendant for a major airline and I have stayed in the best and worst of hotels around this country for over 22 years. While it is true that many do not wash or change their bed covers very often, I will tell you they are generally no more or less dirty than everything else the general public chooses to touch including chairs and sofas in hotel lobbies, waiting rooms of doctor's offices and even airplane and restaurant tables and chairs to name a few.

I find it comical that people go thru the ritual of "removing" the bed cover from their bed upon arriving to the room but think nothing of sitting in the table or chairs both before and after they have cleaned or showered themselves. I have even witnessed others letting their children fall asleep on the clean sheets underneath, straight in and dirty from the Parks without even cleaning or bathing them first, all because they "fell asleep" in the car or stroller and did not want the hassle of waking them up and having to bed them down again.

I also have watched these same people enter their room with their shoes on to "remove that germ filled cover" and think nothing of walking around barefoot after they have "cleaned" themselves.

I, for one, do not consider myself a germaphobe (<--sp?), however, I do try to practice a resonable amount of cleanliness when in areas that have been occupied by others previously. I do take anti-bacterial wipes with me to wipe down remote controls, phones, door knobs, toilet seats and flush handles as well as sink faucet handles and light switches before I begin occupying a room because, I guarantee you, you will find many more germ samples there, than on any bed cover.

So, realistically when I get to my room, I would consider sitting on the bed cover with my clothes on to test how firm the mattress is ( I don't care for sagging mattresses). And I won't freak out at the fact that it hasn't been cleaned in how long because quite frankly, I probably will have just come back from the Parks and there is no telling when they last sanitized my seat or anything I touched at (take your pick, I dare you):

the restaurant chair downstairs
the seat on the super shuttle or bus ride in from the airport
the Peter Pan or Dumbo ride seat, I have yet to find someone here who can tell me how often these seats are sanitized or washed and I'm pretty sure that kids with loads in their diapers HAVE sat in these!)
how about that airplane seat you rode in on the flight over
and last but not least, how about the Characters in the Parks that every snot dripping youngster and/or cigarette smoking adult has fondled, kissed, hugged and slurped all over before you and your lovely little youngsters.

And for all of you health conscious types that work out at the gym daily/weekly who bring your shower flips to the lockeroom with you, how many of you all actually wear them in the hotel room shower as well? I'll tell you right now, the hotel room showers and bathroom floors can carry athlete's foot fungus too as they are not cleaned any better.

So when you get all snippitty and fein horror at how "dirty" you may percieve a certain article in a hotel room might be, think again. Because if you really mean what you say, you would never stay in any of these places at all. Anything less is just an exercise in hypocrisy.

As for me, I gave up being paranoid 22 years ago and I have not died or became sick or diseased from a hotel room yet, but like I said, I do try to practice common sense measures when reasonably possible.

Wow! That first line was a little harsh. :confused3 Was that a quote from someone else, or from you? :sad2:

[AspiringCindy]

Wow! That first line was a little harsh. :confused3 Was that a quote from someone else, or from you? :sad2:

Heh...heh...heh :rotfl2: !

I am just concerned about creepy crawlys!! I don't care about the dirt...heck, I even bring some dirt from back home and personally throw it on the bed to feel at home ;) ! Germs don't frighten me, but a living thing visibly drinking my blood is where I draw the line!!

Caimakale, thanks so much for the update!...I feel better already!!

[ltlbird2003]

I am no expert on bed bugs but it seems if there were BB in your room everyone in the group would have bites. My money is on spiders. We have a tiny spider around here that can give you sets of bites like you described. And you would easily encounter them by sitting on a bench, leaning on a wall, or walking through a fine web. When our kids get these bites we use a benadryl spray or ointment - it helps with the itch.

And I can't remeber who commented on our lack of bugs -- I wish it were true! There is no cold weather here to kill the bugs off. Where I live the mosquitoes are FEROCIOUS (they hatch May - Oct), the fleas are persistant (year round), and the many types of spiders eat well.

[wendell]

And after all that, I'm sorry but I forgot to say I just checked out of the Grand Californian yesterday. I stayed in Room 2210 for three nights and we all did just fine with no bed bugs and/or tell tale signs on the seams of the bed mattress and bunk beds.

For what it's worth, the GCF "places" the newly cleaned and folded sheets for use that day in woven baskets all along the floor up and down the hallway in front of each door/room waiting to be serviced. PS. Just so I make myself clear, these are the CLEAN sheets, sitting on baskets on the floors in the hallways where everyone is walking up and down everyday.

It did not bother me, but for those of you implying that you might be bothered by a less than fresh bed spread, I offer this as food for thought....and for the record, bugs would drive me crazy too!

Wendell

[caimakale]

Those of you that would act like you are so concerned about "bed spreads", bed covers and/ or bed bugs are nothing more than a hypocritical mess.
....and for the record, bugs would drive me crazy too!
So in turn, you are calling yourself a "hypocritical mess"?

[wendell]

Hi Caimakale,

No, I don't consider myself a hypocritical mess.

While I am not a fan of bugs, my comment was meant to be more specifically directed at those that would refuse to even touch the cover on the hotel beds. Their comments were comical.

I included the bed bugs et al in the "unwarranted concern" category because many here were acting as if they were so alarmed by germs or bed bugs, so much to the point that they would use this as a reason to perhaps book elsewhere.

If I found evidence of bed bugs or fleas in my room, I would report it right away to the hotel and asked to be moved to a different room. This is a fair and reasonable request.

What isn't fair is to assume things are dirty or infested just because you "heard it here or somewhere else" without having your own proof. The reality is there are many things wrong with each room, no room is perfect and if you look hard enough you are always guaranteed to find something if you truly want to.

For the record, I usually try to stay at the Deluxe Level hotels by Disney but even then I have found bedspreads that were a little less than fresh and in one extreme case (brown spots and a play doh like substance) I tipped Housekeeping $10.00 and requested that they bring two replacement bed spreads for my room. In about an hour, the Housekeeper knocked on my door with two bed spreads that were wrapped in some kind of saran type material that smelled as if they had been just washed. It was a nice gesture.

However, I am not going to book elsewhere simply because I read something here. Until I see a problem for myself, I would treat every room the same, dirty and bug free until proven guilty. Anything more would be freaking out unnecessarily.

But thanks for asking, it was kind of you.

Wendell

[SeansMom]

So in turn, you are calling yourself a "hypocritical mess"?
Wouldn't that be HYPRcritical, not hypocritical??

[Pirate-Emery]

Uh... I've stayed there twice and have never had a problem. :confused3

[TheZue]

Heh...heh...heh :rotfl2: !

I am just concerned about creepy crawlys!! I don't care about the dirt...heck, I even bring some dirt from back home and personally throw it on the bed to feel at home ;) ! Germs don't frighten me, but a living thing visibly drinking my blood is where I draw the line!!

Caimakale, thanks so much for the update!...I feel better already!!

Exactly, those bed bugs are a total nightmare...if they get into your luggage you could easily bring them home and have your personal infestation in your house. That could cost mega money to get rid of too. Small germs are everywhere so it's no big deal; bed bugs aren't and I'd personally like to keep them out of my house lol.

[disneegrl4eva]

ok after reading all these I decided to call DLR hotel and find out what happens when they know about bedbugs and also regarding changing of the bedspreads...I spoke with a young woman named Latoya who actually knew about that issue with the manager seeing the bed bugs themselves...she states that if something like that were to occur they would not only shut down that room but each one of the connecting rooms and all the beds would be completely removed and they do something to the carpet I didnt know what she meant...dont know the lingo...also she said that after every guest leaves they do wash and change the bedspreads and if you request a newly cleaned bedspread every day of your stay they will do it...so I feel a little bit better now