Advice needed ASAP- SIL at SSR now given NS room but...

[DiznEeyore]

I think its important to realize this when dealing with the hotel managers. Because they don't need to do anything for you, you may have better luck asking and explaining than demanding and trying to get to a reasonable compromise.

That should go without saying ... "you get more flies with honey than vinegar". There's no point in berating anyone to try to help you. However, I have had no problem losing my temper when we've asked for and been assured at check-in that we were receiving a non-smoking room and then been sent off to a villa that's obviously a smoking room.

And you and I will have to agree to disagree on whether they "need to do" something for those who have medical necessities. When I make a reservation 11 months out and state unequivocally that I MUST have a n/s room, I expect to get one (even if it's not written out per se in the contract).

 

[crisi]

That should go without saying ... "you get more flies with honey than vinegar". There's no point in berating anyone to try to help you. However, I have had no problem losing my temper when we've asked for and been assured at check-in that we were receiving a non-smoking room and then been sent off to a villa that's obviously a smoking room.

And you and I will have to agree to disagree on whether they "need to do" something for those who have medical necessities. When I make a reservation 11 months out and state unequivocally that I MUST have a n/s room, I expect to get one (even if it's not written out per se in the contract).

Good luck. I'm not sure what you intend to do when they say no. Which has happened to several people on this board.

However, it doesn't happen often, so it may be acceptable risk.

 

[Sammie]

Making all WDW resorts smoke free is not going to change this problem. The OP SIL was given a NS room that has been smoked in. This has happened to us more recently than in all the years we have traveled to WDW.

I personally think as more rooms are made NS it is going to get worse. It is very easy to make restaurants totally NS and monitored it, something entirely different as to what people do behind closed doors of a room. Unless Disney makes their guests sign a NS agreement and penalty I don't think it will improve. Some of the time share units we have stayed in at other locations make you sign a $500 agreement and have smoke sensitive alarms in the room. They won't even allow smoking on the patios or balconies.

I don't think moving helps either as you never know for sure the next room will be better.

I would ask for the special cleaning.

 

[Dean]

Making all WDW resorts smoke free is not going to change this problem.

But instituting AND enforcing non smoking rules with fines will even if not all NS.

 

[Sammie]

But instituting AND enforcing non smoking rules with fines will even if not all NS.

I totally agree and would be all for it.

 

[shellybaxter]

Isn't that in response to a California law though? If Florida passes a law, and it applies to timeshares (to big ifs), than Disney HAS to figure out a way to do this. Until then, they have chosen not to.

Nope - no law in California that says that hotel rooms have to be smoke free. In fact most are not. However the DL hotels are now smoke free as are the Westin Hotels all over North America. I recently stayed in a Westin. I had to sign a statement at check in that said I understood that if the hotel smelled smoke in my room after I left they would charge me $200.00. I thought it was a great policy, but I certainly paid attention when I entered my room. If it had smelled like smoke I would have called the front desk immediately.

Hotels are seemingly testing the waters with regards to a smoking penalty. I saw a post from someone on these boards that worked for a credit card company. They said their company was not accepting a disputed charge if the card holder had signed the statement.

Shelly

 

[Chuck S]

Hotels are seemingly testing the waters with regards to a smoking penalty. I saw a post from someone on these boards that worked for a credit card company. They said their company was not accepting a disputed charge if the card holder had signed the statement.

I wouln't want to sign away my right to dispute an illegitimate charge based on a subjective "sniff test." That sure leaves the door open for a not-so-honest hotel.

 

[crisi]

http://www.catchasmoker.com/

http://radaltechnology.com/

http://www.locksonline.co.uk/acatalog/Cig_Arrete_Smoke_Detectors_.html

There are technological solutions. And I suspect there will be more. It isn't that hard to detect particles in the air, and cigarette smoke certainly has a signature.

I'm glad to hear the CA Disney resorts are not going non-smoking in reaction to legislation. It gives me hope that the Florida resorts will eventually follow suit. However, I think DVC may or may not go smoke free at the same time (it could be earlier, or later).

 

[greenban]

Since I already responded to the OP's question I don't mind going kind of off topic for just a moment. Reading the rest of the responses to this thread reminded me what a pleasure it has been since April 15th to eat in "smoke free" restaurants here in NJ!!! Now if DVC followed suit that would be fantastic (at least for my family and many others)!!! Sorry, I don't mean to offend any smokers but this is a really big deal for us.

AMEN Sister! Now I just have to run the 'gauntlet' getting in and out of the restaurant!

-Tony

 

[jeremys111]

Im buying A contract as we speak, The one thing that has me worried the most is a smoking room or non smoking that has been smoked in. I have a 4 yearold DD that had open heart surgey when shes 2month old. Shes is well but, I will not put her health in jeopery b/c someone cant fallow the rules.
IF they couldnt give me a new room and my DD got sick who would be liable? Disney for alowing some to smoke in the room that they Designated as non smoking or the smoker that was in the room b4 you? Makes you kinda wonder...
Just my 2cent

I completely disagree; you're splitting hairs, and this attitude is letting the resort off the hook.

A smoked-in room is absolutely NOT habitable for myself or my son (and obviously a lot of other people), whether a particular resort considers it to be or not. I didn't spend thousands of dollars for a room I can't stay in because of someone else's bad habits -- DVC needs to accommodate the majority, not the minority in this case.

DisneyLand resorts are all smoke-free .... it's time for WDW to take the same stance.

 

[fishermouse]

But instituting AND enforcing non smoking rules with fines will even if not all NS.

Sorry to beat a dead horse here but non smoking rules are only enforcable if you can prove the person smoked. Unless cought in the act they can just deny it, and someone saying it smells like smoke is not proof. Smoke may have come in through the window or been on the persons clothing. Go to a smokey club then come home and thow your clothes in the hamper. the next day the whole room smells like smoke. The easiest way is to have enough smoking rooms so when a smoker wants one they can get it. And keep them all together so it won't blow out thier door and into the next room. OP is correct about dvc not being obligated to fill any request, contract clearly states requests are not garanteed. I would think they would do everthing possible especially for medical reasons.
For the record I am a nonsmoker it just dosn't seem to bother me as much as some, a little air freshener and rooms are usually ok. Do enjoy the non smoking resturants and bars in the states that have passed the law. don't know what PA is waiting for..

 

[Groucho]

Sorry to beat a dead horse here but non smoking rules are only enforcable if you can prove the person smoked. Unless cought in the act they can just deny it, and someone saying it smells like smoke is not proof.

That's why they'd need to have (tobacco) smoke detectors in the rooms. It's too bad they weren't added when SSR was built.

I agree with Luigi's Girl and greenban - restaurant smoking has been banned for several years in NY, and it makes things much more pleasant when you go out. A few friends of mine smoke unfortunately, and a couple times we've been talking into sitting in the "fishbowl" at one or two restaurants - areas for smokers that are closed off with plexiglas walls. It's pretty awful in there.

 

[crisi]

Im buying A contract as we speak, The one thing that has me worried the most is a smoking room or non smoking that has been smoked in. I have a 4 yearold DD that had open heart surgey when shes 2month old. Shes is well but, I will not put her health in jeopery b/c someone cant fallow the rules.
IF they couldnt give me a new room and my DD got sick who would be liable? Disney for alowing some to smoke in the room that they Designated as non smoking or the smoker that was in the room b4 you? Makes you kinda wonder...
Just my 2cent

That's the deal. Disney has never accepted any sort of legal liability for that. You can go get a different room, but you'll lose your points. You could try to sue them (perhaps someone has, knowing Disney, someone almost certainly has). The do not guarentee non-smoking. And they do not guarentee it for medical reasons (though they will give preference to a medical request).

The scary one posted here was the woman who'd suffered a lung collapse or something - they just wouldn't (couldn't) work with her and she ended up in a smoking room.

Perhaps someone needs to lodge a successful suit when this happens to get it changed, however, I'd hate to see anyone take the chance that they or their child gets seriously ill to prove to Disney that something needs to be done.

We've decided that should we get a smokey room, we would ask to be moved, if that turned impossible, we'd go over to the Hyatt or whatever in DTD for the night and try our luck the next morning.

 

[erikthewise]

Except that sniff tests are very subjective. For instance, say the person before me smoked a cigarette in the room. The first maid has a cold or allergy that prevents her from noticing the slight odor. I check-in. My sinuses are congested from from going from the dry airplane air to the humid, humid air in Florida, I don't notice a smell. I check out, the new maid has a sensitive sense of smell, and notices a slight lingering odor, calls her supervisor, who also notices the odor. I am billed $250 on my CC.

Should I be required to take my time and energy to fight an illegitimate charge? Would that not leave a bad taste in my mouth for Disney? What if the credit ard company decided to accept the "documentation" from the maids as "proof"...remember, maid-1 could testify via affidavit that she smelled no odor, maid-2 could certify that the odor was there after I used the unit, as could a "supervisor". Also remember that this all would take time and $$ for DVC to fight (which would come out of dues), as well as my time.

Or, would we all have to call the front desk prior to check out and have them send someone over to to certify the room and give us a signed receipt stating there is no odor? Again, paying wages to have someone on-call to do that.

Interesting. When I have a cold or sinus infection I am EXTREMELY sensitive to cigarette smoke and can't tolerate it for even short periods. I doubt that I'm unique.

But your point about "carryover" smoke from a previous guest is a valid one.

 

[crisi]

Interesting. When I have a cold or sinus infection I am EXTREMELY sensitive to cigarette smoke and can't tolerate it for even short periods. I doubt that I'm unique.

But your point about "carryover" smoke from a previous guest is a valid one.

You probably aren't, but you wouldn't want me as a maid in the room with a cold doing a sniff test. I can't smell a thing when I'm stuffed up.

 

[LisaS]

Sorry to beat a dead horse here but non smoking rules are only enforcable if you can prove the person smoked. Unless cought in the act they can just deny it, and someone saying it smells like smoke is not proof.

I think making people sign a form that they will be charged $xxx if they smoke in the room works as a deterrent for most smokers, just as the possibility of a ticket keeps most people from going more than 5-10 miles over the speed limit. Yes, there will probably be some smokers who smoke anyway and then yell at the hotel management when they are charged a fee, but I bet the threat of a fine keeps most people from breaking the rules. The amount of the fine also appears to be significant. I read an article about this where a hotel manager said that when the fine was $100, some people still smoked in the room. So they raised the fine to $200 (or maybe $250?) and since then, nobody has smoked in the rooms.

 

[freediverdude]

I'm wondering how the Grand Californian currently enforces the non-smoking rule, does anyone know? If it's just up to a sniff test by the maid, I too would be very hesitant to agree to that. How can they prove it was me, and not somebody who was there before me and didn't get caught, or even a maid or maintenance worker entering the room and smoking, or one of those people smoking on the balcony or just outside my room and the smoke wafts in? Now I can see if the guest leaves an ashtray full of ashes in the room, that would be different. But the sniff test is too subjective to penalize someone $200 over, and then not be able to dispute it. I was thinking about a trip to Disneyland soon, and to stay at one of the Disney hotels, and so I would be interested to find out exactly how they do this. If it's truely that subjective, this might really sway me into staying at one of the Harbor Blvd. hotels instead, because an extra 200 bucks would be a big deal to me and my budget. I would hate to do that, because I would really want to stay at the Disney hotel, but I don't know if I would want to take that chance.

 

[Patty3]

OP, how did your SIL make out with this problem?

 

[Tinky]

I'm wondering how the Grand Californian currently enforces the non-smoking rule, does anyone know? If it's just up to a sniff test by the maid, I too would be very hesitant to agree to that. How can they prove it was me, and not somebody who was there before me and didn't get caught, or even a maid or maintenance worker entering the room and smoking, or one of those people smoking on the balcony or just outside my room and the smoke wafts in? Now I can see if the guest leaves an ashtray full of ashes in the room, that would be different. But the sniff test is too subjective to penalize someone $200 over, and then not be able to dispute it. I was thinking about a trip to Disneyland soon, and to stay at one of the Disney hotels, and so I would be interested to find out exactly how they do this. If it's truely that subjective, this might really sway me into staying at one of the Harbor Blvd. hotels instead, because an extra 200 bucks would be a big deal to me and my budget. I would hate to do that, because I would really want to stay at the Disney hotel, but I don't know if I would want to take that chance.

Interesting question.... I was at the Grand Californian after the smoking ban came out and there were people smoking outside on the balconies. Maybe worth a call. I would be a little miffed if I was charged for it and it was actually the previous occupant.

 

[crisi]

Fines lead to some interesting process questions - would they require DVCers to leave a credit card as a deposit? Not everyone does. If they don't would they append your charge to next years dues bill? Overcomable, but interesting.