Disney offers family $5,000, free trip to keep quiet.

[Robbnva]

ITA!!! That won't stop me from traveling! It's like saying, "I'm not going to ride in a car because I might be in a wreck" or something like that.

Exactly, the odds of a person getting bit from a bed bug infestation has to be less that your odds of getting in a car accident OR dying in a plane crash. If you are really that worried when you get to your hotel (NO MATTER WHERE IT IS. DISNEY OR NO DISNEY, see the article about the Park City, NY Hotel) pull the sheets back and look around the seams of the mattress and box springs

 

[auntie]

God I swear, some people are just stupid. . .

Bugs are a fact of life people. Get over it. Yeah, its gross when you find them but heck. . .just ask to be moved. . .don't live with them for your entire vacation. Mosquitoes are aweful, but if you visit florida in the humid summer months you are going to find mosquitoes. Trust me, I would almost rather have bed bugs than Florida mosquitoes. Those suckers are HUGE. Also, you might just get a fly or two in your outdoor meal because that's what flies do. . .

Bugs are a part of life. . .no you don't have to like it or live with it but damn, to cancel a trip or reroute plans because of it? Go live in a third world country for awhile. . .ya know, volunteer for the peace corps. . .maybe that will change your mind. . .

I'm not sure exactly how you meant that, so I'm going to assume that you don't mean the people who have expressed concern on this thread are "stupid". I would certainly agree with you that bugs are a fact of life. That being said not everyone is aware of the re-emergence of the bed bug. That's why it is making news. So everyone can EDUCATE themselves and know what to look for, so as to avoid bringing them home, and having a much bigger problem. I didn't have the impression that anyone was planning to cancel their trip at the Poly because of the situation. By the same token, it's probably a good idea for any guest to do a quick check of the room...whether at Disney or ANY hotel, as this is now, as you've said... a part of life.

 

[hammie59]

God I swear, some people are just stupid. . .

Bugs are a fact of life people. Get over it. Yeah, its gross when you find them but heck. . .just ask to be moved. . .don't live with them for your entire vacation. Mosquitoes are aweful, but if you visit florida in the humid summer months you are going to find mosquitoes. Trust me, I would almost rather have bed bugs than Florida mosquitoes. Those suckers are HUGE. Also, you might just get a fly or two in your outdoor meal because that's what flies do. . .

Bugs are a part of life. . .no you don't have to like it or live with it but damn, to cancel a trip or reroute plans because of it? Go live in a third world country for awhile. . .ya know, volunteer for the peace corps. . .maybe that will change your mind. . .

Yes I know, we are all such morons.... . (give me a break)

I doubt anyone will be canceling their trip over this. But it's nice to be warned and know what to look for. This board is for people to get info on all aspects of WDW (just in case you forgot).

 

[Sleepy]

Just a suggestion if it has not been mentioned yet.

If you see some of those dark specks in the mattresses and are not sure if they are bug droppings, it is easy to tell with a quick test.

Take a piece of toilet paper or tissue and wet it. Dab it on the dark specks and the spot should turn a reddish color (because it is blood). This is how a person can tell if the dark speck on an animal is flea deposit. Take a few of those specks and place it on a paper towel and then add a drop of water.

 

[Heatherhl]

You are right. Maybe I will bring some with next time. Talk about a bounceback deal.

B.

NOT what I should be reading since I am a bit obsessed with the whole bed bug topic and have been since the news about NY being hit hard a few years ago. When I travel which is really not too often, I purchase a plastic zip mattress cover for the hotel bed plus I purchase, bring and use new linens THEN I throw them away after my stay. A bit of a germ freak/ocd.

My plans are after this visit : I will keep our suitcases on our deck slightly open for a few days and let the little buggers freeze to death! By the time we get home (second week of Feb) we should have some great sub-zero weather here!

 

[mslclark]

Has anyone read an article stating exactly where overseas they know these bedbugs are? I hate generalizations like "foreign". Foreign could mean Antarctica and I think it would be too cold for a bedbug to survive there. I have never heard of a bedbug here and never seen one either.

No, the article the OP gave a link to stated that the Orange County Health Department gave those reasons. The article used the word "international" instead of foreign.

 

[Mouseaholic!!!]

That's our wonderful responsible media providing unbiased, non-sensationalized news.

Not sure what's worse, the media or the public buying this stuff.

I honestly doubt that WDW is going to announce to us there is a bedbug problem.

I would FAR rather know there is a problem and be prepared for it. I travel for work a great deal and have switched hotels for less.

If I had a reservation at All Stars, I would be looking long and hard at another resort.

Of course they could be at the Grand Californian as well...but why risk it.


Bottom line - it is the responsibility of the press to report the truth. If this story is true, and it sounds as though it is, I believe they were absolutely correct to bring it to light.

 

[creativeamanda]

I spent a week in Charleston, SC 3 years ago at one of the best (AAA gave it 4 diamonds) hotels there. My entire family came home with head lice. When you put a whole bunch of people in rooms day after day after day, and new people go in and out all the time, well, bad things sometimes happen. If, however, you want to take a percentage of the people who encounter bedbugs in Disney with the entiretly of the population who goes to Disney yearly, I am sure the percentage would be probably comparable to the number of people in the US as a whole who get bedbugs.

 

[angwill]

One thing to keep in mind when saying these bugs come from overseas to America is to look at the big picture. There are foreign travelers coming to America without bedbugs, scabies, lice (whatever) and getting them here and bringing them back to their country as well. It is kind of one sided to just say they are brought here from overseas. I also feel the odds of running across lice, scabies, or bedbugs is probably slim to none since there are many people who travel often and never get them.

 

[Mouseaholic!!!]

So sorry -

....but our next trip is a 1 Bedroom Villa at Boardwalk and even at castmember rates I expect the room to not have a bug problem.

I understand it is Florida and I understand all the challenges hotels face in Florida. I just expect the management to also understand the challenges and work harder to keep the hotel bug-free. In 2007 their average capacity was 90% - they have the working income to deal with bugs.

If any of us pay rack rate in Value Season at Boardwalk, Poly, Beach Club, for example, we are shelling out over $300 a night - an obscene amount to share any room with ANY bugs....

I'm sorry. This is a no-excuses problem....it's simply their JOB to keep the rooms free of "additional multi-legged guests".

 

[Laren]

omg why do I torture myself reading these threads?

Zip covers for mattresses and pillows/linens from home are sure sounding good about now



The idea of lice scares me worse than bedbugs! BLECH!!!

I checked for them on our last several trips (some to disney some not) and have not seen evidence. We stayed at Poly for 9 days last fall and we all got sick (some bug was going through the resort population everyone sounded like they were hacking their lungs out but no bugs.

If I saw a speck of ANYTHING on ANY bit of the bedding, I'd be out of that room so fast it would make heads spin !

I disagree too with the whole 'foreign' travellers thing. People always want to blame someone else for their troubles. I think we have plenty of bugs right here in the US we don't need to try to point a finger at any of our international visitors to explain it.

Going to the super-mart on any given weekend in our particular neighborhood is all the confirmation you need that some people who have lived here all their lives seem to have an in born aversion to soap and deodorant

 

[Mermaid_Ariel]

You are right. Maybe I will bring some with next time. Talk about a bounceback deal.

B.

That's hysterical!!!

 

[angwill]

In response to an earlier post, you cannot get lice by going to the grocery store.

I beg to differ. If some little kid with lice bumps his head into you or bumps heads with your child you darn well could get lice from them.

 

[Polyfanatic]

http://www.wftv.com/news/15032105/detail.html

Guests Say Bed Bugs Found In Orange County, Disney Hotels.

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. -- Bed bugs are infesting some high-end, Orange County resorts and some of the most well-known hotels are paying customers to stay quiet about it.

Even the most popular hotels are not immune. One family said they were bitten by the bugs at the Disney All-Star Movie Resort. They backed out of an interview after they said Disney offered them $5,000 and a free trip to keep quiet.

Wow

 

[Polyfanatic]

http://www.wftv.com/news/15032105/detail.html

Guests Say Bed Bugs Found In Orange County, Disney Hotels.

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. -- Bed bugs are infesting some high-end, Orange County resorts and some of the most well-known hotels are paying customers to stay quiet about it.

Even the most popular hotels are not immune. One family said they were bitten by the bugs at the Disney All-Star Movie Resort. They backed out of an interview after they said Disney offered them $5,000 and a free trip to keep quiet.

Wow

 

[DizzDoll]

I think the term "foreign travellers" is a teense bit misleading - I'm going with the presumtion that it has not as much to do with visitors from other countries as it does with the "world travellers" - those who travel around the world. Granted, there are those from other countries who inadvertently bring along some stowaways (bedbugs as an example), but don't forget that we Americans can bring home some stowaways from different STATES - such as brown recluse spiders from Kansas as another example. The point is, bugs get here either in suitcases or on one's person, and its up to us to be diligent and take the necessary precautions. All the suggestions on how to spot the bedbugs are on target, and I'll be joining you all in checking out the bedding when we get down there. Personally, I've been all over the place, and my kids have been to quite a number of different places as well, and we rarely, if ever, unpack our suitcases. We most of the time keep them up on the shelves or on the luggage racks, and always zipped closed.

And another insect that we're all aware of: the mosquito. The west nile virus carrying variety arrived here via someone's suitcase. How it managed to go undetected through security is beyond me!!

 

[auntie]

The re-emergence of the bed bug..shows no descrimation. It doesn't matter if you pay $300.00 a might or $69.00 a night at the Sleep Inn. Dump or Deluxe. or This has not been an issue in the US for some 50 years because the insecticdes(DDT for one) that we used to use...we longer use. While once eradicated in the U.S., they continued to thrive in other countries. Warmer, with tropical climates. With the increase in international travel..both by US citizens, and by citizens of other countries visiting the U.S., they have re-emerged. While we might expect for the rates Disney charges we shouldn't have to deal with this, the fact is ...we do. Perhaps, I 'm just used to it, but we have been dealing with this in NY for a couple of years now. Some very high end hotels in Manhattan have had these problems. They charge well over the rates Disney charges. There have been numerous stories featured on our evening news, where travelers return, and unpack their suitcases to distribute these creatures through their homes. They wind up loosing carpeting and furniture due to it. So...you can but you butt, that even Disney will face this..especially given how many people use those rooms, and they do have their fair share of international travelers.
That's just reality. Think tour groups. I think it behooves everyone to spend all of five minutes to check the rooms. It could so easily be avoided, and then enjoy a relaxing trip.
As far as lice...
I also worry that even in movie theaters that you can pick up lice. We have such problems with it in the school district where we live, that I figure these same kids go to the movies. The sit with there heads touching the back of the seats..and then you sit there and bingo..it's in your house. I can not tell you the problem a girl in our office has had with her daughter and lice. Even when you think they are out of the head..they burrowed there way into the fabric of your car seats(another good reason for leather!..but that's another post!). Two kids hang their coats in the same cubbie area..and they go from one to the other. It really has nothing to deal with one being clean or dirty. Once they are in..they are very difficult to get rid of. While we have always have an incident in the schools of lice...this year it seems particulary resiliant.

 

[cmonroe]

omg why do I torture myself reading these threads?

Zip covers for mattresses and pillows/linens from home are sure sounding good about now



The idea of lice scares me worse than bedbugs! BLECH!!!

I checked for them on our last several trips (some to disney some not) and have not seen evidence. We stayed at Poly for 9 days last fall and we all got sick (some bug was going through the resort population everyone sounded like they were hacking their lungs out but no bugs.

If I saw a speck of ANYTHING on ANY bit of the bedding, I'd be out of that room so fast it would make heads spin !

I disagree too with the whole 'foreign' travellers thing. People always want to blame someone else for their troubles. I think we have plenty of bugs right here in the US we don't need to try to point a finger at any of our international visitors to explain it.

Going to the super-mart on any given weekend in our particular neighborhood is all the confirmation you need that some people who have lived here all their lives seem to have an in born aversion to soap and deodorant

I don't want to get off topic but.....

Laren, your apprehension is valid.

I have never encountered bed bugs, but my daughter brought home head lice from school before Christmas. We are clean freaks in our house. Let me tell you, it cost about $400 dollars for all of the shampoos, mattress covers, pillow covers, linens, etc. Not to mention the electric and oil bill for washing in hot water every load no matter what type of clothes and drying as much as possible for a month. Multiple hour long inspections of each person's hair daily, spraying down and vacuuming rugs and all furniture each day, frustrated children and parents all add up to a very bad time.

I can tell you that no matter what people say about other poster's apprehension on this thread, I respect their fears of this and will do my due diligence the next time I visit a hotel.

For further judging fodder: My daughter's hair is now up in a tight pony tail or pig tails each day with multiple elastics to keep the hair tight. She has is warned once per week about sharing hats, gloves, coats, etc.
Fire away any that would like, having gone through this, we never want to go through it again.

 

[SAKPEG99OKW]

sometimes it seems like if people don't get their own way or if something goes wrong on their disney vacation,then something disturbing comes out of it, such as this. While I am not saying it is not possible that there may not be bed bugs at disney, I feel they would do something as quickly as possible to prevent it from going farther. last year we were planning a cruise out of NY, and while reading feedback on one of their message boards, the bed bug issue came up, we called the cruise line, and there was not record of a bed bug outbreak, it seemed to them just another discruntled customer. we are leaving for disney in 2 weeks, and I am very clean and healthy, and while this is freaking me out a bit, I will not cancel my trip or future trips to disney. for the sake of disney, I hope this is just a rumor that has started from yet an unhappy customer.

 

[Eeyore's My Favorite]

I don't want to get off topic but.....

For further judging fodder: My daughter's hair is now up in a tight pony tail or pig tails each day with multiple elastics to keep the hair tight. She has is warned once per week about sharing hats, gloves, coats, etc.
Fire away any that would like, having gone through this, we never want to go through it again.

A little off topic here to, but in response to your notes above - don't let your children use the computer headphones either. My DD contracted lice at her elementary school along with other children in the same class. Common denominator was the many headphone sets in the classroom. We ended up purchasing her own set that she brought back & forth to school & that solved the lice problem. (Yes, we did the total clean up of DD, the house, the cars, the stuffed animals, etc-but it was the school's suggestion to buy headphone as whatever they were using evidently didn't work because the kids kept getting reinfected.)

On another note.......we just returned yesterday from ASMu & no signs of any bugs, bed or otherwise!