Daily Room checks

[disneyseniors]

Not routinely. We've had 2 stays (covering 4 different resorts) since the policy changed and always accept Housekeeping. We have never had a security check or been disturb in our room in any way

However, if you happen to be in your room when Housekeeping comes by and they don't come in to do their cleaning and they mark you as skipped/passed that does seem to trigger some sort of immediate security check in many cases. So something to be aware of.

My mind pictures Housekeeping using a radio to call down to some office to say Smith room 106, skipped cleaning, at which time sirens sound and red lights go off (like at a fire station) which causes Disney security to head out in Swat formation to move in to secure your room. No, it's not that severe but if you read some of the reports that is how it seems and it does appear to be pretty fast between Housekeeping skipping you and the knock from someone wanting to do a welfare check. It is rather ridiculous that one leads to another.

Yes, this did happen to us. I just asked that she come back after 4pm, as we had already requested this so we could get a medically needed rest. The housekeeper was rude and said "they can't do that, it's not up to THEM". She left, I laid back down, Then appx l5 minutes later security came knocking. Very frustrating that you can't even rest in your room when you want to or Need to, whatever the reason, without being tagged by the security team. Stupid way to run a business!
I also dont' believe in coincidences, and security arriving 15 minutes after asking HK to come back in a couple of hours is just too much of a "coincidence" to me.

 

[DisneyHardin]

This is not accurate. We did not decline housekeeping, and we had a security check our first day. We were not in the room most of the 2nd day and had housekeeping, but still had a phone call to check if we needed towels. I thought it really weird at the time as I told them housekeeping had come and given us fresh towels. Didn't really think about it again, but looking back, it was all around odd. No one came again while we were there, but who knows how many people may have peeked in while we were gone.

It seems that the "policy" was rolled out without any clear instructions, so it really depends on which manager/CMs are on duty and what their interpretation is. I would definitely NOT assume that just because you have housekeeping, and didn't see anyone while you were there, that there wasn't a second, or third, check of your room while you were out. But as others have said, while they may pound until you open the door, as long as you have the latch, you should not need a robe.

Sounds like yours was a fluke. It's almost like someone's notes had you as declining housekeeping, even though you didn't and the housekeeper had already come.

Or maybe you seemed especially suspicious

 

[kaytieeldr]

But yes, security can open the deadbolt should they desire.

Important to note that while this is possible, there have been no reports get of it happening.

 

[Sue M]

Are you planning to decline housekeeping? From my understanding, you won't get a "room check" if you are having housekeeping come in and make up the room. All the reports of being disturbed have been people who declined housekeeping or, who are staying in their room right up until check out time on their last day.

This also makes me mad! We should expect to be left alone and not badgered before check out time. Check out is 11:00. Absolutely no reason for housekeeping to be knocking at your door before that time.

 

[Jennasis]

This also makes me mad! We should expect to be left alone and not badgered before check out time. Check out is 11:00. Absolutely no reason for housekeeping to be knocking at your door before that time.

We stayed at the Sheraton Vistana in December 2016. At 8am SHARP on our check out day they were knocking at the door to come in and clean. We had just barely woken up.

 

[Meglen]

Tim Tracker did a video on one of the All Stars and he got a knock at 9am for housekeeping.

 

[Sue M]

We stayed at the Sheraton Vistana in December 2016. At 8am SHARP on our check out day they were knocking at the door to come in and clean. We had just barely woken up.

Tim Tracker did a video on one of the All Stars and he got a knock at 9am for housekeeping.

This is so wrong

 

[cjbcam]

It would be nice if Disney would put out a report on how many illegal things these security checks have caught. It sure seems like making a lot of your customers angry by doing these security checks and not finding a single illegal thing, in months seems like a crazy and expensive thing to keep doing.

 

[Walt4ever]

Sounds like yours was a fluke.

Or perhaps, those only noticing housekeeping are the flukes? There are other reports besides just my experience where there have been checks in addition to housekeeping. As I said, there is a great deal of inconsistency even within the same resort due to a very poorly thought out policy. Because of the inconsistencies, no measure of privacy can be assumed. You might get it. You might not.

 

[StageTek]

I'm fascinated by how many people worry that security is breaking the latch to barge in while we are naked or underdressed.

 

[Walt4ever]

I'm fascinated by how many people worry that security is breaking the latch to barge in while we are naked or underdressed.

It isn't necessarily the worry about breaking the latch, as it is now the inability to prevent entry without it. We have a teenage daughter, who like most teenagers, is slow to get up in the morning. If she comes with us, hubby and I would often be up and dressed, then head to food court to grab breakfast while she got ready. We would have the DND sign on door, but she would not throw latch since she might be in shower when we returned. She's of sufficient age to be left alone in a hotel room while we go to the lobby area for food, but still a minor and still taught to not open doors for strangers (actual instructions are to ignore and pretend you aren't home, so they won't know she's home alone).

Now, if we were to return with her, we would end up skipping breakfast and waiting in the room for her then heading straight to a park. I do not feel comfortable leaving her in a room alone when housekeeping or security could knock and enter the unlatched door. If she were to respond to a knock, which goes against the normal ignore policy, who knows who it really is out there that she might be talking to. Seriously, some people have thought the policy was because of trafficking and have posted links about child predators so why SHOULDN'T I be concerned with her talking or opening a door to a stranger at the hotel? If she were to latch it, that means we could end up waiting outside the room for her to get out of shower. And there is no guaranty that a latched door would stop a CM. While I haven't seen reports of it, if they won't use their latch-opener when no one responds and the door is latched, then why bother opening it to begin with?

So as I said, with those being the two scenarios of stayng onsite that include breakfast, we'd just skip it rather than leave our teenager in the room. Staying offsite next trip makes everyone feel safer, which is a sad statement to make.

 

[Julylady]

We were at WDW in early April at a split stay between Beach Club villas and Bay Lake Tower. The security checking was a non-issue. They came between 2-4pm each day. If we were in the room at that time, we put the "Room Occupied" sign out. No one ever knocked. It was very nice having the wastebaskets emptied every day.

 

[tjmw2727]

Below is similar to my issue - my kids are in college age and they often stay at the parks much later than I do. In the past I would just put the deadbolt on and the DND at say 11 when I went to bed and not really worry about the latch. Last trip I found myself using the latch and then having to wake up when they got home, not ideal for me when on vacation.

On the flip side of that at the start of our Easter trip my dd was sleeping and I was working when housekeeping started knocking at 9:15 am with the Room Occupied sign on the door. The full report is in the sticky so I won't repeat but we felt like we had to take turns showering and watching the door LOL.

We moved to OKW with extended family and although we were never disturbed we sent someone back to the villa every day while my mother in law took her daily rest/nap just in case, in past years we were comfortable staying at the pool while she rested.

It seems like a small thing but when I think back on it this definitely affected our vacation style, this plus issues with magic bands and the parking fees have pushed me to cancel our next stay at the Polynesian and move over to the Dolphin.

It isn't necessarily the worry about breaking the latch, as it is now the inability to prevent entry without it. We have a teenage daughter, who like most teenagers, is slow to get up in the morning. If she comes with us, hubby and I would often be up and dressed, then head to food court to grab breakfast while she got ready. We would have the DND sign on door, but she would not throw latch since she might be in shower when we returned. She's of sufficient age to be left alone in a hotel room while we go to the lobby area for food, but still a minor and still taught to not open doors for strangers (actual instructions are to ignore and pretend you aren't home, so they won't know she's home alone).

Now, if we were to return with her, we would end up skipping breakfast and waiting in the room for her then heading straight to a park. I do not feel comfortable leaving her in a room alone when housekeeping or security could knock and enter the unlatched door. If she were to respond to a knock, which goes against the normal ignore policy, who knows who it really is out there that she might be talking to. Seriously, some people have thought the policy was because of trafficking and have posted links about child predators so why SHOULDN'T I be concerned with her talking or opening a door to a stranger at the hotel? If she were to latch it, that means we could end up waiting outside the room for her to get out of shower. And there is no guaranty that a latched door would stop a CM. While I haven't seen reports of it, if they won't use their latch-opener when no one responds and the door is latched, then why bother opening it to begin with?

So as I said, with those being the two scenarios of stayng onsite that include breakfast, we'd just skip it rather than leave our teenager in the room. Staying offsite next trip makes everyone feel safer, which is a sad statement to make.

 

[MinnieMSue]

It isn't necessarily the worry about breaking the latch, as it is now the inability to prevent entry without it. We have a teenage daughter, who like most teenagers, is slow to get up in the morning. If she comes with us, hubby and I would often be up and dressed, then head to food court to grab breakfast while she got ready. We would have the DND sign on door, but she would not throw latch since she might be in shower when we returned. She's of sufficient age to be left alone in a hotel room while we go to the lobby area for food, but still a minor and still taught to not open doors for strangers (actual instructions are to ignore and pretend you aren't home, so they won't know she's home alone).

Now, if we were to return with her, we would end up skipping breakfast and waiting in the room for her then heading straight to a park. I do not feel comfortable leaving her in a room alone when housekeeping or security could knock and enter the unlatched door. If she were to respond to a knock, which goes against the normal ignore policy, who knows who it really is out there that she might be talking to. Seriously, some people have thought the policy was because of trafficking and have posted links about child predators so why SHOULDN'T I be concerned with her talking or opening a door to a stranger at the hotel? If she were to latch it, that means we could end up waiting outside the room for her to get out of shower. And there is no guaranty that a latched door would stop a CM. While I haven't seen reports of it, if they won't use their latch-opener when no one responds and the door is latched, then why bother opening it to begin with?

So as I said, with those being the two scenarios of stayng onsite that include breakfast, we'd just skip it rather than leave our teenager in the room. Staying offsite next trip makes everyone feel safer, which is a sad statement to make.

This is my quandary right now too. I have always gone for breakfast so my teen could get ready in the room. I am going to have to tell her to stay n the locked bathroom and not answer door and that someone could potentially enter the room. If she hears it she will have to yell out that she is in there. Or I am going to have to stay in Room too. We will have a breakfast food delivery from prime now wo most likely I will just stay in room until she is ready. I am not overly worried about them entering the room early morning but know it could very well happen.

 

[Nancyg56]

This is my quandary right now too. I have always gone for breakfast so my teen could get ready in the room. I am going to have to tell her to stay n the locked bathroom and not answer door and that someone could potentially enter the room. If she hears it she will have to yell out that she is in there. Or I am going to have to stay in Room too. We will have a breakfast food delivery from prime now wo most likely I will just stay in room until she is ready. I am not overly worried about them entering the room early morning but know it could very well happen.

I will admit this may be an issue for my family. My DGD is 16 and her parents have never been concerned if they left her while they went for coffee, etc. I have to say I would not want to be the CM who walked in on her, or the manager who will be addressing it with my DD, my DSIL, my DH and her aunts, one of whom is a Sergeant and a member of a tactical swat team. I have only seen her "official" face one time and I never want to see it again.

 

[maxiesmom]

I will admit this may be an issue for my family. My DGD is 16 and her parents have never been concerned if they left her while they went for coffee, etc. I have to say I would not want to be the CM who walked in on her, or the manager who will be addressing it with my DD, my DSIL, my DH and her aunts, one of whom is a Sergeant and a member of a tactical swat team. I have only seen her "official" face one time and I never want to see it again.

Ok, this I really don't get. So DGD is old enough to drive a car alone on the road, but can't be trusted to put a latch on the door, not open it, and call an adult on the phone in case of the small chance a room check were to happen while she was alone?

 

[Nancyg56]

Ok, this I really don't get. So DGD is old enough to drive a car alone on the road, but can't be trusted to put a latch on the door, not open it, and call an adult on the phone in case of the small chance a room check were to happen while she was alone?

Oh no! That is not what I meant. She is the most responsible young lady I know. But she never needed a latch before if her parents were coming back, and she was in the shower, etc. This trip we will obviously use the latch if we leave her. If we did not and someone walked in on her, that is where the issue would lie. It would not matter to her father if she was just reading, or sleeping, he would not be okay. I always prefer to mitigate any issues that may occur, and honestly, this would be my only concern with the policy. It is slight, but it is still a minor concern for me.

 

[MinnieMSue]

Ok, this I really don't get. So DGD is old enough to drive a car alone on the road, but can't be trusted to put a latch on the door, not open it, and call an adult on the phone in case of the small chance a room check were to happen while she was alone?

Of course she can latch the door. You don’t latch a door If you are in the shower or bathroom or asleep and family needs to get back into the room. If my teen is asleep she probably would have no idea I was trying to get in even if I was banging on the door. She has earbuds in usually and Anyone banging on the door would not arouse her but would annoy everyone in nearby rooms.

 

[Nancyg56]

Of course she can latch the door. You don’t latch a door If you are in the shower or bathroom or asleep and family needs to get back into the room. If my teen is asleep she probably would have no idea I was trying to get in even if I was banging on the door. She has earbuds in usually and Anyone banging on the door would not arouse her but would annoy everyone in nearby rooms.

LOL!!! That is my Kady!!! A bomb could go off and she would not hear it if she was in the shower. She makes me laugh because she recently explained why she "loves her nap" LOL!

Her parents OTOH, do tend to go back to the room daily to rest, and will not use that latch. I would pay money to see the face of any poor soul who walks in my DSIL, he sleeps like the dead!

We will not opt out of housekeeping, so I really hope this is a non issue.

 

[darrengs]

LOL!!! That is my Kady!!! A bomb could go off and she would not hear it if she was in the shower. She makes me laugh because she recently explained why she "loves her nap" LOL!

Her parents OTOH, do tend to go back to the room daily to rest, and will not use that latch. I would pay money to see the face of any poor soul who walks in my DSIL, he sleeps like the dead!

We will not opt out of housekeeping, so I really hope this is a non issue.

Unlike some others on this board, I don’t travel to WDW several times a year, so my only experience is from my trip two weeks ago. If you use housekeeping Along with the room occupied Sign when you are in the room, you most likely will not be bothered. Of course I am basing this off of my one personal experiences.