Would you pay extra?

[DaisyD]

Perhaps a few,but that does not negate that Disney clearly supports this practice, indeed has used it as a very inexpensive way to "plus" a stay.

We would get a lot of them at our Poly stays. Once we had a hideous monkey hanging from the bed. DD was little and loved that monkey. She pleaded to take it home but I really thought it wasn't allowed. At check out we went down to the desk, monkey in hand, offering to pay. The manager came out smiling and said towel animals are souveniers and free to take whatever our mousekeeper gives us. DD is 14 and still has that monkey hanging off her bed. LOL

 

[Yellosno]

I would only pay if it were like a dollar a night or two for kids not for myself.

 

[I Love Pluto]

Towel animals are cute - but I would NOT pay extra for them! No way!

POR has a Mickey head swirled on the bed each time we check in. It must be a check-in "thing" because they don't appear at any other time during the week.
We love this little extra touch at check-in.

At Pop - we leave the small ones in the window. It makes it so easy to find your room without looking at the number. Window decorating with towel animals seems to be a very widespread idea at Pop.

One of these days - when I'm in the right place at the right time for a class - I would love to make a towel animal. I want to find out how creative I can be with a towel - but I need some guidance first!

 

[Nancyg56]

We would get a lot of them at our Poly stays. Once we had a hideous monkey hanging from the bed. DD was little and loved that monkey. She pleaded to take it home but I really thought it wasn't allowed. At check out we went down to the desk, monkey in hand, offering to pay. The manager came out smiling and said towel animals are souveniers and free to take whatever our mousekeeper gives us. DD is 14 and still has that monkey hanging off her bed. LOL

I know. I have been told this as well. I know it is a little thing but those small gifts go a long way as an incentive for guests to return. People who insist again and again that the little towel animals drive rates up and who disregard the numerous accounts of managers gifting children with them, might want to take a marketing class. Every time Disney offers an extra, Disney is investing in the resorts, the restaurants, parks and gift shops because if one family decides the "pixie dust" is worth staying onsite that investment has paid for itself many times over. The good will Disney gains from every little surprise must be measurable because these little keep happening.

 

[MaleficentRN]

$20 for something that takes minutes to make? Sign me up for that job! I'd churn those bad boys out all day long and retire at 55!

 

[firecracker725]

Perhaps I should get into the towel animal making business. For $25 each I'd have that bad boy waiting on you in your resort room.

 

[Ero_FL]

Good grief, $20 per night? No way.

 

[lustergirl]

This is what is wrong with these boards. People come to expect things like towel animals. Really?

Or their snowflake children get all bent out of shape because they didn't receive a towel animal. I voted no by the way..

 

[nighttowll]

The way I look at it I already paid extra for those little towel animals and whatever other pixie dust comes our way. Otherwise, I could have stayed off Disney property for half the cost. I think that's the way a lot of people view it. I expect to get what I pay for. If I stay in a $40 room. I expect to get a $40 dollar room and $40 service. If I stay in a $300 room, I expect a great hotel and great service. When I stay in a Disney hotel at Disney prices, I expect to get my monies worth. Would I get mad or freak out if I didn't get an animal? No. But, would I be disappointed if we didn't get any the whole trip? Yes.

 

[blueiis99]

The way I look at it I already paid extra for those little towel animals and whatever other pixie dust comes our way. Otherwise, I could have stayed off Disney property for half the cost. I think that's the way a lot of people view it. I expect to get what I pay for. If I stay in a $40 room. I expect to get a $40 dollar room and $40 service. If I stay in a $300 room, I expect a great hotel and great service. When I stay in a Disney hotel at Disney prices, I expect to get my monies worth. Would I get mad or freak out if I didn't get an animal? No. But, would I be disappointed if we didn't get any the whole trip? Yes.

Very well said

 

[maxiesmom]

The way I look at it I already paid extra for those little towel animals and whatever other pixie dust comes our way. Otherwise, I could have stayed off Disney property for half the cost. I think that's the way a lot of people view it. I expect to get what I pay for. If I stay in a $40 room. I expect to get a $40 dollar room and $40 service. If I stay in a $300 room, I expect a great hotel and great service. When I stay in a Disney hotel at Disney prices, I expect to get my monies worth. Would I get mad or freak out if I didn't get an animal? No. But, would I be disappointed if we didn't get any the whole trip? Yes.

Well, unfortunately you are not looking at it the right way. Pixie Dust is extra special somethings. It does not come part and parcel along with your room. Towel animals are not listed anywhere as coming with any room on Disney property. And people expecting them are the ones sucking the magic out of getting them, which is a shame.

Most of the price you pay for a Disney room is because it is on Disney property. It is not because they are extra special. No way would the Poly be able to pull in (at it cheapest) $422 a night if it was anywhere else. At Disney it truly is location location location. And expecting extras to rain down because you are paying that much, or the $85 and up rate of an All Star, is setting yourself up to be disappointed.

Wishing something was included in the cost of a room, and thinking it should be, does not make it so.

 

[ilovemk76]

No, I would not pay. I also know that it is not a guarantee. We have gotten them and it was nice to return to a surprise.

 

[nighttowll]

Well, unfortunately you are not looking at it the right way. Pixie Dust is extra special somethings. It does not come part and parcel along with your room. Towel animals are not listed anywhere as coming with any room on Disney property. And people expecting them are the ones sucking the magic out of getting them, which is a shame.

Most of the price you pay for a Disney room is because it is on Disney property. It is not because they are extra special. No way would the Poly be able to pull in (at it cheapest) $422 a night if it was anywhere else. At Disney it truly is location location location. And expecting extras to rain down because you are paying that much, or the $85 and up rate of an All Star, is setting yourself up to be disappointed.

Wishing something was included in the cost of a room, and thinking it should be, does not make it so.

We will just have to agree to disagree.

I don't expect pixie dust every single day. I don't go expecting to always get a free upgrade, or free FP, or to be picked for something special. I understand those things happen very rarely. I have had them happen to me occasionally, but don't expect repeats each trip. I do, however, expect some type of pixie dust however small at some point during my stay, and it usually is something small which is just fine. If the only magic I ever get is a towel animal, then fine. I pay to stay at Disney for the experience. You can argue location all you want, but there are plenty of hotels, condos, and houses just as close much cheaper, some a lot nicer. It's the Disney experience you are paying for, the magical feel, and that is created through pixie dust.

As for the towel animals, we have always gotten them. Everyone I know has always gotten them. I never even realized some people didn't get them until now. I have also gotten towel animals at other high end hotels off property. They seem to be something that is becoming more the norm in hotels, so yes, I expect them from Disney. As far as them not being listed as part of the room, lots of hotels don't list every amenity you get on their websites. The villas don't list every single amenity you get, but I get a long list of kitchen utensils and other things.

It's one of those things where if 90% of the time you get it, of course, the other 10% you are going to be disappointed. If towel animals were as rare as say being picked to be Flag family, I don't think anyone who didn't get one would complain.

"Mommy, why didn't we get a towel animal?"- "We'll, sweetie, only one family gets picked per day."

"Mommy, why are there towel animals in the windows of every room we pass? We don't have any in our window. Why doesn't Mickey leave us any animals?" - "Ummm, good question."

Complicated animals - don't expect
Elaborate animals - don't expect
Elaborate displays of stuffed animals - don't expect
Animals everyday - don't expect
One simple little towel animal at some point during the whole stay - I expect

 

[Princess Katherine]

Definitely. Towel animals are part of the experience. CM's make them just for you! Of course I will and I have paid them extra for towel animals!

Katie

 

[jkjs]

$20 a night. You've got to be kidding.

 

[siskaren]

Definitely. Towel animals are part of the experience. CM's make them just for you! Of course I will and I have paid them extra for towel animals!

Katie

No, they're not part of the experience; they're pixie dust. I agree with maxiesmom.

 

[tajz90]

No, they're not part of the experience; they're pixie dust. I agree with maxiesmom.

I agree. We've been to Disney 30+ times, stayed on property, and have NEVER gotten one towel animal. I would certainly think they are pixie dust and not part of the expected experience.

 

[maxiesmom]

"Mommy, why didn't we get a towel animal?"- "We'll, sweetie, only one family gets picked per day."

"Mommy, why are there towel animals in the windows of every room we pass? We don't have any in our window. Why doesn't Mickey leave us any animals?" - "Ummm, good question."

Complicated animals - don't expect
Elaborate animals - don't expect
Elaborate displays of stuffed animals - don't expect
Animals everyday - don't expect
One simple little towel animal at some point during the whole stay - I expect

Then you are setting yourself and your kids up to be disappointed.

And do we really need to get into teaching kids that life is not fair, and that sometimes they will get things that others don't get, and vice versa?

The only thing that can happen from people complaining they don't get the same pixie dust that other families get is that the pixe dust will stop. Or that the prices will increase even more so that towel animals (and birthday cupcakes, and anything else extra and special) can be listed out as things to buy and be charged for.

Towel animals are not part and parcel of any Disney room. If everyone got pixe dust then it wouldn't be special.

 

[Babsy]

that the towel animals were a gift???!!!?

Nothing in the room has ever suggested that to me. I always figured that the cleaning staff was wasting their time on shaping cloths when I would prefer that they were cleaning my room....

I doubt that many people actually take them home because they would think that it was a case of stealing towels. I would have expected that if these were a gift that there would be a note to that effect so that you would be able to appreciate that it was a freebie for you to bring home as a souvenir.

This changes the entire slant of the OP's question, and helps me understand why someone would even CONSIDER paying $20 to get a towel animal. At least the poll makes a little sense to me now. My first thought was " ARE YOU SERIOUS!!!!????!!!??!"

Now my response is still the same "No, I wouldn't pay $20 for one" but it is with a bit more understanding of the implications.

 

[Shaden]

We will just have to agree to disagree.

I don't expect pixie dust every single day. I don't go expecting to always get a free upgrade, or free FP, or to be picked for something special. I understand those things happen very rarely. I have had them happen to me occasionally, but don't expect repeats each trip. I do, however, expect some type of pixie dust however small at some point during my stay, and it usually is something small which is just fine. If the only magic I ever get is a towel animal, then fine. I pay to stay at Disney for the experience. You can argue location all you want, but there are plenty of hotels, condos, and houses just as close much cheaper, some a lot nicer. It's the Disney experience you are paying for, the magical feel, and that is created through pixie dust.

As for the towel animals, we have always gotten them. Everyone I know has always gotten them. I never even realized some people didn't get them until now. I have also gotten towel animals at other high end hotels off property. They seem to be something that is becoming more the norm in hotels, so yes, I expect them from Disney. As far as them not being listed as part of the room, lots of hotels don't list every amenity you get on their websites. The villas don't list every single amenity you get, but I get a long list of kitchen utensils and other things.

It's one of those things where if 90% of the time you get it, of course, the other 10% you are going to be disappointed. If towel animals were as rare as say being picked to be Flag family, I don't think anyone who didn't get one would complain.

"Mommy, why didn't we get a towel animal?"- "We'll, sweetie, only one family gets picked per day."

"Mommy, why are there towel animals in the windows of every room we pass? We don't have any in our window. Why doesn't Mickey leave us any animals?" - "Ummm, good question."

Complicated animals - don't expect
Elaborate animals - don't expect
Elaborate displays of stuffed animals - don't expect
Animals everyday - don't expect
One simple little towel animal at some point during the whole stay - I expect

I agree completely. At Disney, you aren't just paying for a room, you are paying for the experience, and yes, I totally expect at least one little sprinkle of pixie dust from mousekeeping during our stay.