Deadbolt to Keep the Hotel Room Door Open

[WaltD4Me]

Okay, I admit it, we do this ALL the time. However........we are IN THE ROOM. We often travel with other family so we have two or three rooms and the kids are going back and forth between rooms and they drive you crazy knocking on the door to be let in, so we will put the deadbolt thingy there so they can get in and out .... but we are IN THE ROOM. I was amazed when they were talking about it on the show and meaning people go to the pool or the parks or whatever and do this. That is so weird.

 

[Stacy's a freak]

I have done this too when someone is in the room. But not when no one is there. However, I can sortof understand the idea of doing this if your family is on the first floor of POP, for instance, right near the pool for bathroom runs, etc. And I imagine people think that since their valuables are in the safe, they are fine, right?

My tangential mind then started to wonder how large the room safes are (not big as I recall). Dfiance and Dstepson both have iPads. Would two ipads fit in the room safe? Barely, right? Then how would we fit wallets in there?

 

[kaligal]

I have done this too when someone is in the room. But not when no one is there. However, I can sortof understand the idea of doing this if your family is on the first floor of POP, for instance, right near the pool for bathroom runs, etc. And I imagine people think that since their valuables are in the safe, they are fine, right?

My tangential mind then started to wonder how large the room safes are (not big as I recall). Dfiance and Dstepson both have iPads. Would two ipads fit in the room safe? Barely, right? Then how would we fit wallets in there?

You should ba able to fit a couple iPads and a couple wallets in the safe. But if you're leaving your room open while you swim, where is the key?

It might be wise for us all to remember that there are criminals out there waiting to find hotel room doors propped open. Why make it easy for them?

 

[GAN]

I have done this too when someone is in the room. But not when no one is there. However, I can sortof understand the idea of doing this if your family is on the first floor of POP, for instance, right near the pool for bathroom runs, etc. And I imagine people think that since their valuables are in the safe, they are fine, right?

My tangential mind then started to wonder how large the room safes are (not big as I recall). Dfiance and Dstepson both have iPads. Would two ipads fit in the room safe? Barely, right? Then how would we fit wallets in there?

I know my 1 iPad fit without any problem -and would agree that 2 should be no problem either.

 

[UConnFan]

I was confused when I first heard this because we do the same thing - but only when someone is in the room. I would never leave it open without someone in the room. I totally agree with the point that if a child isn't responsible enough to keep track of a key, they shouldn't be adult-less.

 

[DeltaDiamond001]

I've done it when I'm actually in the room, but even if I'm going down the hall for a bucket of ice, I fully lock it and bring a key. It's cheap insurance.

 

[DisneyDaddy-O]

The other issue with keeping the door propped open is critters getting in your room. We stayed in the bayou area of POR this summer and had a frog decide to join us in the room. Not knowing what type of frog it was we called guest services. They promptly sent the guy who was on staff who did this type of thing. The frog decided that he didn't want to be caught and jumped off the wall across the room and our guy dove across the room on to the floor and grabbed him. All I kept thinking was "crocodile hunter". We kept using the crocodile hunter voice when ever we saw an animal for the next couple days.

Lizards and snakes are all over the place.

 

[fall08CP]

Former Disney resort CM chiming in:
Yes, unfortunately guests sometimes leave their common sense at home. This happened most often while they were around the resort (running to the food courts or the pool). The bigger problem is assuming your door closed and locked behind you- ALWAYS double check the handle! Something as simple as a shoe or one of those stupid pizza flyers could get in the way of the door closing completely and suddenly your possessions are unguarded.

As for the issue of kids losing their room keys, there are a few things worth mentioning:
1) At least as of 2010, all kids room keys were automatically disabled from charging. The CM would have to manually check a box to authorize charging.
2) CMs are required to ask not only if you want charging on the room, but which members of the party are allowed to charge. It was rare for guests to authorize their kids.
3) In the 2 years I worked front desk, and the 5 years my friend has, neither one of us EVER saw a KTTW be used fraudulently. Guests lost their KTTW daily, but we never had a case of mysterious charges. The KTTW is immediately cancelled as soon as it's reported stolen so there are no further risks.

With all of this said, room break-ins were very rare as a whole. As long as you make sure your door is locked every time you leave, there's practically no chance anyone gets in. If any hotel staff were to enter your room, the lock monitors who came in and at what time. I never heard of housekeeping stealing anything either- with the exception of the hotel's toilet paper

 

[EastYorkDisneyFan]

Also if you lose your KTTW in a park guest relations can get you a new one. The last time I was in WDW on one day when I was heading out to AK I left my key in the room. On a off chance they could help I went to guest relations to see if they could at least get me a park ticket, guess what the person I talked to said she could get me a new KTTW card, after she asked me some questions and checked a photo ID she went into the back and came back with a new card for me and marked it so I wouldn't get it mixed up with the one I left in the room.

Sent from my Samsung Galexy Ace using the DISBoards app

 

[jackieinJuneau]

Growing up in norther Michigan my family owned a small motel in a touristy area. This was an issue back then as well but more because bats and bugs can get in the room. I can't tell you how many bats or snakes got in that way. Then my grandpa would go get the critter out. In Disney I would still worry about snakes and bugs and that's enough of a reason to keep my door shut!

 

[GaSleepingBeautyFan]

I caught my teenage son using the deadbolt to hold the door open on our mother/son trip. He left the room to get some ice.

I was at the gift shop and returned to the room to find the deadbolt holding the door open. I promptly closed the door and made sure nothing had been taken from the room.

I sure read him the riot act and to my knowledge he has never done it again.

Heck, I keep the deadbolt locked even when I'm in the room unless I'm waiting on someone else to arrive. That's always been my thing no matter what hotel I'm staying at.

 

[vanl0003]

Like the others, when we are in the room we do this all the time when travelling with others who are immediately beside us. We never leave it that way when we leave the rooms.

 

[Joshua_me]

I'm guilty of this as well, but only at hotels whose room doors open into an enclosed hallway, as opposed to a parking lot or outside walkway.

I guess it's a psychological thing-believing you're more in a "safety bubble" in an interior hotel room.

But, I can't imagine doing it without others in the room.

I've seen doors at the Disney resorts propped open with everything from desk chairs to coolers to 2-liter bottles of Coke.

I guess we can all be guilty of letting our guards down at the wrong time.

 

[pxlbarrel]

Speaking in a non-theft point of view...the doors are meant to be closed and should never be propped open ... because of fire safety. They close by themselves for a reason and it's not for inconviencing people. They're there to provide a separation between the room and the corridor.

I'm not thrilled when people leave the door propped open when they're inside but even less so if they're not in their room.

 

[Joshua_me]

Speaking in a non-theft point of view...the doors are meant to be closed and should never be propped open ... because of fire safety. They close by themselves for a reason and it's not for inconveniencing people. They're there to provide a separation between the room and the corridor.

^ Excellent point.

I, like many others I'm sure, don't think of things from a fire safety point of view until perhaps it's too late.

Thank you for reminding us of that !

 

[BriarRosie]

When I listened to the segment, I was also bonkers from all the stupidity of the guests. And enclosed hallways mean nothing. I was at the Beach Club Villas in October, and twice, pizza flyers were pushed under the door. The second time, I was there and opened the door to see who was there.

Because it was easy for these non-guests to walk in and put flyers under doors, these same people can be easily robbing guests blind, especially if the guests make it easy for them by propping doors open!

I had to do my own mini rant.

 

[tehSAC]

i dont see what the problem is. I do it all the time, especially at the cheap hotels where the door opens to the parking lot. Totally safe.


what a bunch of idiots.

 

[GaSleepingBeautyFan]

I just saw a door left open using the deadbolt on Thursday Dec. 6, 2012. Pop Century, Building 6, first floor.

I usually never notice that stuff but after the podcast, I found myself looking for it. If I had a notepad handy, I'd have left them a note about it. I hope they weren't robbed.