BEDBUGS at Disney???

[J&J]

Saw in the paper the country is having a big problem. Hope Disney has not or ever Does anyone know for sure or had a problem?

 

[WDWKOOK]

Here is the BBC's report:

US to tackle resurgent bed bugs:

The US government is hosting its first-ever bed bug conference amid a comeback by the blood-sucking insects.

Thought to have been virtually eliminated decades ago, bed bugs have re-emerged in dormitories, hospitals, shelters and hotels in several cities.
Bed bugs live in the seams of mattresses, sofas and sheets, emerging to feed on their victims at night.

They are not known to carry diseases, but many people develop an itchy swelling when bitten.

The US Environmental Protection Agency called the two-day summit in the face of rising complaints from landlords, hotel chains and housing authorities, the Associated Press news agency reports.

Bed bugs were last seen in large numbers in the US before World War II.
They have usually associated with impoverished dwellings and inexpensive hotels.
Now, experts say international travel, immigration and changes in pest control practices have contributed to a resurgence of the bug in developed countries.
Dini Miller, an entomologist and bed bug expert at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, told AP there had been a "worldwide resurgence" in bed bugs.
"I can't tell you how many people have spent the night in their bath tubs because they are so freaked out by bed bugs," she said.

Researchers say one of the main problems is that there are few chemicals approved for use on mattresses that are effective at killing bed bugs.

The EPA has withdrawn many of the chemicals over the last 50 years because of health and environmental concerns.

 

[J&J]

thank you for the real story very scary.

 

[WDWKOOK]

thank you for the real story very scary.

You're welcome.

I did read here that someone was going to bring "bed bug spray" with them on their next trip. Not sure what that is, but I hope that like so many other antibiotic resistant infections, those nasty bed bugs don't develop an immunity from all of us using copious amounts of spray on them

 

[TallyTutter]

Yes, it happens at Disney. In fact, about 1 year ago, we met 2 other couples (one couple had a toddler & an infant, the other couple had two teenagers) there for a visit. We were all at POP Century, same building. We were on the 2nd floor & our friends were on the 3rd floor.

Long story short.... My husband checked in for us while DD & I were in the park with a school group. I had heard rumors of bed bugs, so I had asked my husband to check the beds before he brought the luggage in the room. He came back to the park to join us & told me that yes, he had checked the beds & there were no problems.

Fast forward to a week after everyone returned home & both of the couples on the 3rd floor had had bed bugs. The infant had bites all over her stomach & the teenage son had them also - two separate couples, two separate rooms! They contacted Disney & Disney paid to have the clothes cleaned.

BTW, DH later admitted that he HAD NOT CHECKED THE BEDS!!

 

[ShelsGoingToDisney]

We stayed in the CR 3/25-4/1. On one night in the middle of our stay I found a bug between the 2 pillows. I put it in a ziploc and checked the sheets for any other bugs. I honestly thought bed bugs were too small to see and this bug was the size of an apple seed. At that point we had no bites. Two of my 3 kids were sleeping and it was 1 AM. My Mom didn't want to mess with reporting it since she didn't think it was anything. I kept the bug and brought it home just in case. Before I brought any luggage in the house I googled and sure enough, no question it is a bed bug! Of course by that time my 2 sons and myself had started to develop bites. Through my research I have found that bed bugs can indeed be big enough to see. The bites can sometimes take up to 9 days to appear. Don't check sheets like I did, check the mattress seams and headboard.

So far I think we have avoided bringing them into the house. It took the bed bug 18 days to die in the ziploc! In the meantime it laid several eggs. These eggs have now hatched several new bugs! I am watching to see how long they last. I have the ziploc double bagged for safety! LOL!

I emailed WDW and sent a letter through snail mail along with pictures of the bug and the bites. I also faxed a copy to the CR so they could get right on fumigating that room! I haven't received any response yet. I doubt they'll do anything for me since I'm home now. I do wish I had reported it at the time but honestly I thought I had a weird tick that I was not used to seeing in Nebraska. Needless to say I won't be staying in the garden wing rooms at the CR again! The hosuekeeping was terrible there and from reading the boards here it sounds like those staying in the tower rooms during the same time had excellent housekeeping so I think the CR is cutting back on cleaning the cheaper rooms. JMO!

 

[WDWKOOK]

We stayed in the CR 3/25-4/1. On one night in the middle of our stay I found a bug between the 2 pillows. I put it in a ziploc and checked the sheets for any other bugs. I honestly thought bed bugs were too small to see and this bug was the size of an apple seed. At that point we had no bites. Two of my 3 kids were sleeping and it was 1 AM. My Mom didn't want to mess with reporting it since she didn't think it was anything. I kept the bug and brought it home just in case. Before I brought any luggage in the house I googled and sure enough, no question it is a bed bug! Of course by that time my 2 sons and myself had started to develop bites. Through my research I have found that bed bugs can indeed be big enough to see. The bites can sometimes take up to 9 days to appear. Don't check sheets like I did, check the mattress seams and headboard.

So far I think we have avoided bringing them into the house. It took the bed bug 18 days to die in the ziploc! In the meantime it laid several eggs. These eggs have now hatched several new bugs! I am watching to see how long they last. I have the ziploc double bagged for safety! LOL!

I emailed WDW and sent a letter through snail mail along with pictures of the bug and the bites. I also faxed a copy to the CR so they could get right on fumigating that room! I haven't received any response yet. I doubt they'll do anything for me since I'm home now. I do wish I had reported it at the time but honestly I thought I had a weird tick that I was not used to seeing in Nebraska. Needless to say I won't be staying in the garden wing rooms at the CR again! The hosuekeeping was terrible there and from reading the boards here it sounds like those staying in the tower rooms during the same time had excellent housekeeping so I think the CR is cutting back on cleaning the cheaper rooms. JMO!

I was wondering if you had ever received a response, and I hope you'll keep us updated.

As far as housekeeping (and pretty much everything else in this world) you'll have some people who do a great job (whether you tip or not) and some who don't do a great job (whether you tip or not). And, I don't think staff cuts (if they have even happened in housekeeping) would make conscientious housekeepers suddenly start doing a bad job.

It really can be a deal killer when you have that one bad experience that sticks with you. But, odds are you'd probably never have that exact same housekeeper again, and your next visit would be terrific.

 

[ShelsGoingToDisney]

I was wondering if you had ever received a response, and I hope you'll keep us updated.

As far as housekeeping (and pretty much everything else in this world) you'll have some people who do a great job (whether you tip or not) and some who don't do a great job (whether you tip or not). And, I don't think staff cuts (if they have even happened in housekeeping) would make conscientious housekeepers suddenly start doing a bad job.

It really can be a deal killer when you have that one bad experience that sticks with you. But, odds are you'd probably never have that exact same housekeeper again, and your next visit would be terrific.

The thing that makes me wonder is there was never any housekeeping carts in the hall or anything during our entire stay. We left the room anywhere between 8:30-11 AM so you'd think we'd see some housekeeping activity. Someone must have come in at some time because the beds were made (but I don't think the sheets were changed once in the entire 7 night stay) and we did get "some" towel replacements. Never a full supply though, it was always a guess at which towels we'd get! I've never had issues like this at any of the other WDW reosrts I've stayed at.

I will update if I ever hear anything back from Disney. I really, really want to report good news from them. I Love WDW and hope they don't let me down!

 

[WDWKOOK]

The thing that makes me wonder is there was never any housekeeping carts in the hall or anything during our entire stay. We left the room anywhere between 8:30-11 AM so you'd think we'd see some housekeeping activity. Someone must have come in at some time because the beds were made (but I don't think the sheets were changed once in the entire 7 night stay) and we did get "some" towel replacements. Never a full supply though, it was always a guess at which towels we'd get! I've never had issues like this at any of the other WDW reosrts I've stayed at.

I will update if I ever hear anything back from Disney. I really, really want to report good news from them. I Love WDW and hope they don't let me down!

Hmm... that is strange, there's no excuse for that. We had a wonderful housekeeper on the ground floor, facing Bay Lake in '07. But, we also had a terrible check-out fiasco there that same year. Long story short, I, too e-mailed guest services and about a month later received a phone call, and letter back. They also provided a personal concierge from the CR who phoned me and offered her personalized attention on our next stay. If it wasn't for that, I (like you feel) probably wouldn't have ever returned (we were really angry). Each resort is run independently, so they really should be working hard to get your money since they have so much competition. We did return last year (to the Tower) and we had a perfect stay. We're also going back again in August.

I would suggest that in the future, if anything is not to your satisfaction or doesn't seem quite right (bed bug? flea? tick?), please bring it to the attention of the CR's mgt. or any Disney Resort mgr. while you're still on-property. IME, they want to make things right, and you'll feel better, too.

 

[RMulieri]

There was a big piece about this on the NEws and the Today show today. YES there have been bedbugs at Disney, but there have also been bedbugs at the 4 seasons in NYC and the Waldorf ( seriously). .It is a serious problem everywhere these days from motels to 4 and 5 star resorts,that has nothing to do neccessarily with the quality of the hotel.

 

[bell.of.the.ball]

It is time for the Beg bugs in Disney frenzy again.

 

[ShelsGoingToDisney]

I would suggest that in the future, if anything is not to your satisfaction or doesn't seem quite right (bed bug? flea? tick?), please bring it to the attention of the CR's mgt. or any Disney Resort mgr. while you're still on-property. IME, they want to make things right, and you'll feel better, too.

I agree with you. In hindsight now knowing it was a bedbug I really wish I would have talked to someone while I was there. I honestly thought it was probably just a tick that I carried into the room on the stroller or something and I don't blame Disney for that. And like I said it was 1 AM and I had 2 out 3 sleeping kids. But I do wish I had spoken to someone and I would suggest that to anyone who has this type of issue.

Also I want to make it clear that I know that the bed bugs are brought in by other guests. I Love Disney and I know it's not their fault. I do wonder if by chance the housekeeping was better then maybe they would have noticed the bugs themselves but that's hard to tell. I know this can happen at the most expensive resort all the way down to the biggest dumps so I don't fault Disney for that. I'll update if I get a response from them. I don't expect them to do anything personally for me. I would just like the reassurance that they are taking it seriously and are doing something about it so that I or any other guest doesn't have to deal with it in the future. An aplogy for the poor housekeeping would be nice too.

 

[Amy&Dan]

I have seen reports of bed bugs here on the dis at various Disney resorts. I think its very isolated overall given the number of resorts and rooms at WDW. Until the find some safe, EPA approved manor to nuke them, I guess it will continue to happen.

Check the mattress seams, behind the headboard and don't unpack at all until you have checked it out. If you bring them home, that is when the real nightmare begins.

 

[praline3001]

I am in awe at how calm you were over this.

Had I found a bed bug I would have freaked out. I know they can be in any room at any resort but seriously ... I would have freaked out

i would have called the health dept out

the CDC

Heck I would use the bat signal to get batman to show up

That is just so gross! I know they say it can happen in ANY resort BUTTTTTTTT my whole complaint is this is why we have housekeeping!!! Shouldn't ONE of their jobs be to inspect headboards and the bed while changing the sheets out?!?! I mean think of the bad rep the resort gets when bed bugs are found
If I was a resort owner it seems that would be a MAJOR requirement of mine to have the beds inspected with the daily bed making.

 

[lindsroc]

I would freak out.

 

[ShelsGoingToDisney]

I am in awe at how calm you were over this.

Had I found a bed bug I would have freaked out. I know they can be in any room at any resort but seriously ... I would have freaked out

i would have called the health dept out

the CDC

Heck I would use the bat signal to get batman to show up

That is just so gross! I know they say it can happen in ANY resort BUTTTTTTTT my whole complaint is this is why we have housekeeping!!! Shouldn't ONE of their jobs be to inspect headboards and the bed while changing the sheets out?!?! I mean think of the bad rep the resort gets when bed bugs are found
If I was a resort owner it seems that would be a MAJOR requirement of mine to have the beds inspected with the daily bed making.

Oh I did freak out when I got home and googled and realized it really was a bed bug! It's been 2 weeks so I have calmed down! Also I had the foresight to not bring my luggage into the house so hopefully I didn't bring any home.

Honestly I thought bed bugs were so small you couldn't see them and at the time I figured it was a tick that I carried in on the stroller. Ticks are yucky but as long as they aren't attached I can handle them. I had heard of bed bugs in hotels but figured it would be one of those "it will never happen to me" type things. I just didn't want to go to the front desk at 1 AM with a tick and have them laugh at me. I'm not confrontational and am hearing impaired so I couldn't call. It was just my Mom and me traveling with my 3 kids. If my dh had been there I probably would have insisted he go take care of it!

 

[tinawv]

If I was a resort owner it seems that would be a MAJOR requirement of mine to have the beds inspected with the daily bed making.

This would also cut down on the spread of the bed bugs from room to room.

 

[hugabearjo]

Costco has a UV light wand disinfectant thingy. Does anyone know if this would kill bed bugs too? I doubt it but, I would infest in one before our trip if I thought it would help.

I am pretty nieve, but a friend I was traveling with last year, we had adjoining rooms said she saw bugs. She just figured in Florida what can you expect. She is so mellow that she didn't say anything as to not freak me out. I did itch some so when we came home I made our luggage and clothes stay outside in garbage bags sealed for months. (the advantage to traveling to a warm place when you need a coat at home).

I will be anxiously waiting to see how long it take to have the babies die too.... ugh.....

 

[J&J]

please let us know what disney does.

does anyone know does Disney check beds or just wait for things to happen?

What can you do when you go to a hotel. me I would be yelling loud and clear.

what can we do to help ourselves.

 

[stpetedisneydad]

Bed bugs have had a resurgence in the last couple years. Some attribute it to the increase in global travel, when we visit other countries or they visit here you never know what is going to come in the luggage. Also EPA restrictions on insecticides have made it very difficult to control bed bugs. Any time you check into a room at any hotel/motel ANYWHERE the first thing you do is pull back the sheets and check the mattress seams and tufts not just for bugs but look for black stains. This is caused by their excretions. Also as mentioned earlier check behind the headboards, hanging pictures etc. They like to hide on or close to the bed out of sight. They are on the small side and their babies are so small that many babies can fit in the slots of a phillips drywall screw.