“It’s for your safety.”

[bellrae]

I haven't seen the answer to this so I'll ask again do they provide their identification and what are they wearing a full Disney security guard outfit or more like plain clothes? When I arrive at the Polynesian I'm going to ask to speak to someone in charge and ask how this procedure works and how the identification procedure works and tell them if I am not 100% sure that this is a Disney Employee then I will call 911.

In my case, he was in a similar uniform as the housekeeping staff (I say similar because the person doing the security check was male and the housekeepers on my floor female, so they were wearing slightly different uniforms). He was not dressed like Disney security are.

 

[bellrae]

There's your difference. You got daily housekeeping. That was the check. It's only when someone is declining housekeeping or otherwise telling the housekeepers they don't want them to enter that the secondary check happens.


Clearly that is the case. It is where the problem is occurring too. Thankfully, it's easily fixed too. But when the housekeeper notes they won't be cleaning X room, someone is getting an alert they need to do a security check on X room. There isn't a place in said system to say why there was no housekeeping (like a nap, sick guest, etc), just no housekeeping. So the security guy heads up to do his check. Just adding a note to why will help a lot.

This isn’t necessarily true. In my case (where I had them pounding on the door on two consecutive days) - day 1 housekeeping had not yet made it to my room (but I’d done a deal on when they would come back, which was not respected by security) but on day 2, I returned to the room, housekeeping HAD provided service, yet I still had to undergo the security check in addition to that days housekeeping. There is no simple logic to how they are implementing this.

 

[PollyannaMom]

I just emailed guest services asking what their general procedure is suppose to be and how that is suppose to effect guests who take afternoon breaks so hopefully we can get some clarification

Please report back on what they say!

 

[rotlex]

Reading through this thread is informative and disturbing. Our kids are old enough to stay in the room on their own if we happen to head to the hotel bar for a drink, or just a walk. The thought of anyone entering the room forcefully while they or my wife are in the room alone is just beyond my comprehension. Not even sure how I would handle that with hotel management.

There is a simple answer for anyone concerned about someone getting into your hotel room while you are in it though. Just Google, or search Amazon, for hotel door jammer, door club etc. Cheap and extremely effective. While they are banging, start dialing 911 and inform them that you are.

 

[china mom]

We came back to our room at about 2:00 at Pop and we're very dissapointed to find our room had not been cleaned. We needed a nap.

Around 3:00, housekeeping arrived. She tapped twice and then entered the room immediately on the second tap. Not even the Flash himself could have gotten to the door fast enough to answer.

She quickly talked us out of housekeeping and handed me about 75 towels and handfuls of shampoo.

About ten minutes later, there was a loud knock on the door and a man in housekeeping attire told me that since I had declined housekeeping, he had to check and make sure everything was OK.

I invited him to check but he declined. He looked uncomfortable as if this was his least favorite assignment.

He didn't even seem to try to look past me into the room. If he was there to stop an evildoer, he would have failed. All he did was succeed in interrupting our nap time.

 

[maxiesmom]

Reading through this thread is informative and disturbing. Our kids are old enough to stay in the room on their own if we happen to head to the hotel bar for a drink, or just a walk. The thought of anyone entering the room forcefully while they or my wife are in the room alone is just beyond my comprehension. Not even sure how I would handle that with hotel management.

There is a simple answer for anyone concerned about someone getting into your hotel room while you are in it though. Just Google, or search Amazon, for hotel door jammer, door club etc. Cheap and extremely effective. While they are banging, start dialing 911 and inform them that you are.

I would think 911, if you know it is someone doing the room security check will not look kindly on you. Nor is it something you should do, take away resources from people who truly need them. I hate to think someone is trying to call with a real emergency, but they are backed up because of people not liking a security check they know about in advance, and someone dies because of it.

Don't like the rule, fine. Stay somewhere else. But don't play games that can endanger others. And too many people seem to want to do that.

 

[rotlex]

I would think 911, if you know it is someone doing the room security check will not look kindly on you. Nor is it something you should do, take away resources from people who truly need them. I hate to think someone is trying to call with a real emergency, but they are backed up because of people not liking a security check they know about in advance, and someone dies because of it.

Don't like the rule, fine. Stay somewhere else. But don't play games that can endanger others. And too many people seem to want to do that.

You took the me the wrong way. This is not a game. I'm not condoning dialing 911 unless you truly feel you are in danger.

My point here was there are a number of posts in this thread where people appeared to feel threatened. The security "guard" not properly announcing themselves, or in some cases actually barging into the room past the guest. I have major issue with that. So what I was saying was there are devices you can purchase to prevent that. IF someone attempts to actually get in and begins to demand entry, without proper identification, you are absolutely within your rights to dial 911. (this is an extreme case of course).

The other option is to keep a self defense weapon in your room. Have it at the ready whenever your are in the room and notify the person that will not go away you are prepared to use it if necessary.

 

[abinormal]

The second time I returned to a hotel room to find a housekeeper rifling through my suitcase was enough to put me off accepting them. So I wouldn’t stay anywhere where I’m not allowed to decline it.

If that requires random welfare checks, I’m not necessarily opposed. My problem here is the insistence that these checks will happen daily, at inconvenient times, with the expectation that someone who can’t be identified must be allowed immediate access to my space.

 

[Betty Rohrer]

In an upcoming vacation, we have three adults and two toddlers aged 2 years old staying in a family Suite. If it should ever happen that the three adults are in different areas of the suite, and someone opens the door either scaring those two toddlers or allows those toddlers to run out into the Hall... I will be calling the police. There is no way that that is going to happen with my grandchildren. No. Way.

as I said earlier look up on internet how easy it is to open bar lock from outside. with that I would make sure an adult is with your toddlers in front room at all times if you are worried about them running out. as has been pointed out Disney has right to enter your room at anytime. what good is calling police going to do you in that it is going to take time for police to arrive

 

[Summer2018]

We’ve had good luck with calling housekeeping in the morning and asking for them to come by a specific time. Our last trip, our room was at the ends of the Earth at AKL, and I think we were honestly the last hall to get serviced every day. So, on days we knew we’d be taking a break during the afternoon, we called before we left for the parks and told them we’d be coming back to the room for an afternoon nap, and could they please service the room in the morning. It worked every time.

That’s awesome. Thanks.
On our last trip, we were on the highest floor below club level. I’m wondering if we were last for housekeeping because of that. Anyway, I will definitely let them know our request which will be for the entire week.

 

[Malestrom Troll]

You took the me the wrong way. This is not a game. I'm not condoning dialing 911 unless you truly feel you are in danger.

My point here was there are a number of posts in this thread where people appeared to feel threatened. The security "guard" not properly announcing themselves, or in some cases actually barging into the room past the guest. I have major issue with that. So what I was saying was there are devices you can purchase to prevent that. IF someone attempts to actually get in and begins to demand entry, without proper identification, you are absolutely within your rights to dial 911. (this is an extreme case of course).

The other option is to keep a self defense weapon in your room. Have it at the ready whenever your are in the room and notify the person that will not go away you are prepared to use it if necessary.

I'm pretty sure putting a door jammer on your hotel room would violate the standard agreement with the hotel and you would probably get kicked out. Hotel management has to be able to get into the room whether you are in the room or not. I think the reasonable response would be to call the front desk and verify the name of the person trying to gain access to the room.

 

[Summer2018]

I hope they have this all smoothed out by Sept, we take daily afternoon breaks plus are taking one day off from the parks, we are two adults on a romantic anniversary trip so while we plan on bolting the door with the latch and the lock I hope that it doesn't ruin the romantic mood lol

I don't feel we should have to change the way we vacation, we choose to stay in deluxes on the monorail line to have the convenience of taking afternoon breaks to make it a more relaxed vacation, it sounds as if Disney really expects their guests to stay in the park from morning to night which isn't the case, what about the families who come back for their children to nap? There has to be a better way to handle this, Im telling you, mark my words A lawsuit will emerge from this..Im sure Disney consulted with their attys before starting this but the way its being handled doesn't seem to be in protection of the guest at all, in truth it sounds like they may end up loosing some resort business before its said and done, more ppl will stay off site..

BTW I work for Homeland Security now at one of the FLETC sites we eat breath and live on ways to protect and avoid domestic terrorism, so I know how important this is but seriously there are better ways..

I just emailed guest services asking what their general procedure is suppose to be and how that is suppose to effect guests who take afternoon breaks so hopefully we can get some clarification

I agree with you 100%. Congratulations on your upcoming anniversary. I’m in the same boat, wanting our 25th Anniversary in WDW to be very romantic and special, to the point where we booked an additional room for my DD and her friend. Privacy and romance is the goal of our anniversary trip in July.
Since you work for Homeland Security, what are your recommendations for how Disney should handle this? Perhaps you could share your professional opinions and ideas with Disney.

 

[JerseyJanice]

What happened in Las Vegas was unimaginable before it happened. Evil people come in all forms, but he was a man by himself in a highrise hotel room. I could be mistaken, but I believe he drove there and used the hotel parking garage.

It sounds like Disney is knocking on doors of rooms occupied by families with women and children. Did most of the guests subjected to these security checks fly in and take the Magical Express? If yes, then this whole thing is ridiculous.

What are the odds that someone bent on mass destruction is going to bring his wife and kids along? It’s extremely unlikely that he’s going to get a cache of weapons onto a plane. Where in most Disney resorts could a sniper position himself that he can take a bunch of victims?

Look, I get that somebody who wants to cause grave harm can come up with a lot of ways to do it, and I don’t want to take my mind to a place where I could imagine a bunch of scenarios. My point is that I don’t see how a family staying in a typical Disney resort is comparable to what happened in Vegas. Even those married demons who went around shooting people in California left their children at home.

 

[Summer2018]

We came back to our room at about 2:00 at Pop and we're very dissapointed to find our room had not been cleaned. We needed a nap.

Around 3:00, housekeeping arrived. She tapped twice and then entered the room immediately on the second tap. Not even the Flash himself could have gotten to the door fast enough to answer.

She quickly talked us out of housekeeping and handed me about 75 towels and handfuls of shampoo.

About ten minutes later, there was a loud knock on the door and a man in housekeeping attire told me that since I had declined housekeeping, he had to check and make sure everything was OK.

I invited him to check but he declined. He looked uncomfortable as if this was his least favorite assignment.

He didn't even seem to try to look past me into the room. If he was there to stop an evildoer, he would have failed. All he did was succeed in interrupting our nap time.

Let me get this straight. Housekeeping disturbs and interrupts you and doesn’t even do their job, then because they don’t do their job, you get disturbed a second time. Give me a break! The least they could have done was clean the room after bothering you twice. This is so frustrating!
When we go, I’m insisting that they clean every day. I’m getting something out of this ridiculous farce.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

We came back to our room at about 2:00 at Pop and we're very dissapointed to find our room had not been cleaned. We needed a nap.

Around 3:00, housekeeping arrived. She tapped twice and then entered the room immediately on the second tap. Not even the Flash himself could have gotten to the door fast enough to answer.

She quickly talked us out of housekeeping and handed me about 75 towels and handfuls of shampoo.

About ten minutes later, there was a loud knock on the door and a man in housekeeping attire told me that since I had declined housekeeping, he had to check and make sure everything was OK.

I invited him to check but he declined. He looked uncomfortable as if this was his least favorite assignment.

He didn't even seem to try to look past me into the room. If he was there to stop an evildoer, he would have failed. All he did was succeed in interrupting our nap time.

I'm wondering why the housekeeper couldn't have done a quick peek when they were handing you extra supplies? It seems like they had someone there that could do that check right then and there prior to you all taking a nap.

*And yeah the peek...it's not exactly thorough..

 

[china mom]

I'm wondering why the housekeeper couldn't have done a quick peek when they were handing you extra supplies? It seems like they had someone there that could do that check right then and there prior to you all taking a nap.

*And yeah the peek...it's not exactly thorough..

If it we're to happen again today, I would insist she come in and do something, anything, so I don't go down as a "declined housekeeping".

 

[samsteele]

These 3 posters have offered helpful advice:

Someone on another thread had what I thought was a really good suggestion when confronted with this situation. She, being alone, simply stood by the open door while security did their quick check. She had an escape route, if needed, and therefore felt quite safe.

Your best bet would be to skip contacting the Front Desk and call Security directly. The Front Desk would have no idea if Security was really at your door, Security will.

I have wrote this is the other threads. Never open a door to someone who is not family. If they are housekeeping or secruity they have a key. Most rooms have windows near the door take a look out and tell them to open the door. If they can't open the door than it's there own issue not mine.

I agree this has been terribly handled. Given how extreme some of these stories are, I would guess (and hope) WDW Resorts drops this approach shortly and finds a better way. It won't take long before these experiences are publicized well beyond fan message boards. There is nothing about this new policy that will reassure the general public. It comes across as amateurish, haphazard, unorganized and for some guests, absolutely terrifying.

I've had drunk guests, confused by look-a-like doors, bang on my resort door in the early evening & as a single woman guest would never consider opening the door. Security or Mousekeeping can show me their i.d. through the window and, if they are legit, can open the door themselves while I stay on the line with Security. That doesn't make me a bad guest or a threat. That makes me rational.

ps Disney's own room security policy is posted on the inside of our room door. Think I'll continue to take Disney's advice.

 

[maxiesmom]

I've had drunk guests, confused by look-a-like doors, bang on my resort door in the early evening & as a single woman guest would never consider opening the door. Security or Mousekeeping can show me their i.d. through the window and, if they are legit, can open the door themselves while I stay on the line with Security. That doesn't make me a bad guest or a threat. That makes me rational.

ps Disney's own room security policy is posted on the inside of our room door. Think I'll continue to take Disney's advice.

I totally agree this has been handled poorly. But some of the responses are easily as out of line. Not only on this thread but thing such as blocking the door and refusing to answer, answering the door naked, are childish responses. I know of no one who likes to be interrupted when they are taking a nap, sick, or having "private time". But behaving badly to CMs who are doing their job is not the answer.

I'm hoping everyone has e-mailed or called about this issue. Having your voice heard is the only way for them to get the message. Being rude or nasty to a Cast Member is likely only going to get you labeled as a difficult guest. Or depending on how far you take it, arrested.

samsteele--can you post a larger pic of their policy?

 

[Action City]

I'm pretty sure putting a door jammer on your hotel room would violate the standard agreement with the hotel and you would probably get kicked out. Hotel management has to be able to get into the room whether you are in the room or not. I think the reasonable response would be to call the front desk and verify the name of the person trying to gain access to the room.

THERE IS NO WAY TO CALL THE FRONT DESK AT DISNEY.

 

[happymommy]

This is very upsetting to hear! I travel alone with my youngest often to Disney, and I am NOT going to open the door to any employee that I am not expecting without them showing me their badge through the peephole. I don't care who the hell they are; they can prove the need to come in if they show up.

We don't forgo housekeeping on Disney vacations, though. Part of a vacation is having them make the bed, refresh the towels and toiletries, and sweep the floor. We also require a vip cleaning, as my youngest is medically fragile (and uses a wheelchair at Disney).

I may bring sticky notes, and if he's napping, put a note on the window and door stating not to be disturbed between certain hours (if they're actually removed the Do Not Disturb signs).

To the OP: what they did is inexcusable. End of story.