DVC Vets, room towel question

[lisareniff]

Just a thought....

Wouldn't it be cheaper for WDW to wash the towels then to have each unit throw them in the washer and dryer (eletricity and hot water)?? I would think it would be much more efficent with a central process?? It would seem like dues would be cheaper if you could request new towels as needed instead of self-washing. But who am I to say!

 

[CarolMN]

Originally posted by lisareniff
Just a thought....

Wouldn't it be cheaper for WDW to wash the towels then to have each unit throw them in the washer and dryer (eletricity and hot water)?? I would think it would be much more efficent with a central process?? It would seem like dues would be cheaper if you could request new towels as needed instead of self-washing. But who am I to say!

I believe that the cost of labor exceeds the cost of electricity and it would not be cheaper for Housekeeping/Central Process to provide new towels daily. JMHO.

FWIW, I think Disney does a good job managing the resorts and our costs. I base this on the history of our annual dues. Until this year the increases in our dues have been very small (and actually decreased in at least one year). If it weren't for property taxes and insurance costs, I think that trend would have continued this year. Property taxes and insurance are pretty much out of control everywhere and there is very little that we or Disney can do to control them. JMHO. YMMV.

 

[lisareniff]

Ahhhh yesss, labor costs!

 

[MiaSRN62]

It was quite an operation. The amount of towels used by guests at WDW is beyond belief. If we had free towel service for the rooms the charge to annual dues would really go up. I am one that really does not want to pay for those guests that stay in the studios for the service.

Just to play devil's advocate here and take Clarabelle's position on this. My offsite timeshare has been providing extra towels, pillows, blankets etc free of charge to owners and guests since I bought there back in '94. My dues have never gone up due to this ? Yes, my dues have gone up for other repairs/maintenance/replacements etc, but never have they said our dues would go up for providing towel/linen service ? I guess I just wonder why DVC would that's all ?

 

[jmminarik]

Originally posted by lisareniff
Just a thought....

Wouldn't it be cheaper for WDW to wash the towels then to have each unit throw them in the washer and dryer (eletricity and hot water)??

Well, this is assuming every single DVCer is a 'use it once and it must be washed' towel user. Some of us lazier/more frugal/environmentally conscious types don't toss the towel after one shower.

-Joe

 

[pmcpmc]

always use the pool towels

 

[Pa@okw95]

At the very beginning of DVC they did not know the thing would fly. I joined in 95 there was no free towel service then, just trash & tidy, now called trash and towel. When I joined we had free tickets to the parks. It took years to sell OKW the original DVC, what people had in the very beginning when there less than 1000 members can not be compared to 70,000 that we have now. Like I said they did not know it would fly and it took forever for it to get off the ground. Ask some of the people what they had when they joined back in 92? By the way when I had a conversation with management back a few years ago there was a thought to get rid of the boat ride to DD.

 

[PamOKW]

I agree that the whole towel thing puzzles me a bit, too. With all of Disney's experience with the hotel industry, they must know ways to control towel use that wouldn't have a dramatic impact on dues. I'm not sure what the reasoning was on the charging for towels policy. It took me years to work my way out of being a little "irked" every time I thought about it.

 

[ErinC]

The towel issue is one of my least favorite about DVC. When we went in December we had 7 in our 2 bedroom unit. I felt we needed extra towels on the 2nd day, so I ordered an extra towel package.($6) The next day they came to do our trash and towel and took half of our clean towels with them. Thank goodness I had a couple in the dryer so they didn't see them or they would have taken them too. I tried to get him to put them back, but frankly he spoke no(or very little) English and didn't understand what I was trying to say. In fact he barged right into the master bath and the door was open to the shower area, where my little naked children were in the shower! Thank goodness it wasn't my sister in law! I didn't feel like I should have to pay for an extra towel package again. The next day my mom asked housekeeping out in the hall for a couple of extra wash clothes and they gave her a stack. I think the towel exchange would be a wonderful idea. I just can't imagine that exchanging towels versus running the washer and dryer in your own unit could be that much different cost wise. JMHO:

 

[lisareniff]

Originally posted by jmminarik
Well, this is assuming every single DVCer is a 'use it once and it must be washed' towel user. Some of us lazier/more frugal/environmentally conscious types don't toss the towel after one shower.

-Joe

I'm definitely one of those lazier/environmentally conscious types (mostly lazy) and would never have thought of washing my towels inbetween T&T service before reading this board!! But, I could see my possible need in the future and the desire of others for clean dry towels (at the expense of their valuable vacation time!).

I would rather see a system that was more accommodating to their guests then having them wash and dry their own! If there is a need for clean dry towel inbetween T&T why couldn't they be requested on an as needed basis? Require a little effort on the part of the guest so they don't get too carried away. Would it really cost that much?

But like I say, I'm of the lazier sort and the present system doesn't bother me that much!

 

[Regina]

We're one of the earlier members. We were number 400 something to sign on the dotted line on 12/1/91. The towels back then were peach colored to match the decor. (Just watch and see the oldtimers reminisce about this. )

I got the survey asking how the towel problem should be handled. I'll be honest, I was surprised. It never occured to me to ask for more towels than we were entitled to, and laundering them was no biggie. I guess others didn't share my view of this, and it had gotten out of hand.

I voted for the current system. I didn't think I should be paying for others wanting daily towel service when it never was part of the deal.

I think that the fee for extra towels is reasonable and was a good solution to the problem.

 

[G8RFAN]

While my wife and I don't mind reusing towels, we tend to go thru more with our 2 1/2 year old and still need the trash taken out daily. I don't mind paying the extra for trash and towels.

 

[donmil723]

All of our stays have been in studios since we joined when BCV opened in 2002. I thought I would miss the daily housekeeping and fresh towels but I don't. Of course, we do hang up our towels after our shower and reuse them once just like we do at home but which, I'm ashamed to say, we didn't do at our hotel stays before DVC. We usually stay Sun-Fri and I sometimes have our T&T day moved to day 3 of our stay. Other times I have ordered the extra set of towels for $6 and they would replenish the extra set on T&T day without an extra charge. In fact, I really like the fact we don't have to worry about housekeeping coming in our room everyday!

Donna

 

[DisneyMeMa]

We are a family that usually hang up our towels and use our own towel again - I think I'm clean when I use the towel after my bath. LOL. I really do understand others don't feel the same way. Even when we stay in a hotel for multiple nights, if they have a "green" policy, we hang up our towels and leave the others folded so housekeeping won't leave more. When it is just my DH & myself at WDW we almost always have unused towels on T&T day, and they almost always leave another set of clean ones as well as the unused ones. When we check-out, there are almost always unused towels that I am almost certain are just scooped up and sent off to be washed again. OK, enough of the "almost always" weasel words... The towels are not really an issue for us, but I really miss the placemats and terry napkins, etc. we used to have - it was like playing house on vacation. I just hope we continue to have comfortable, attractive, well kept accommodations. And if I just can't do without salt and pepper shakers, placemats, etc. I'll just keep bringing our own. And, no matter how many towels they leave for us, I will still hang mine up and use it again. My goodness, do I sound old and set in my ways?

 

[Dean]

It actually costs DVC launder the pool towels than it does regular towels. Thus I think it is inappropriate to get pool towels for the express purpose of using them for regular towels. It's much like using food stamps to buy steak to feed the dog. MOST US timeshare do not provide regular towel service or even a mid week exchange. I know Marriott does not. In the Caribbean and MX things are different and daily maid service is frequently included at many of the resorts.

I continue to be amazed that DVC members tend to have such a narrow view of this type of issue. I certainly wouldn't think of the towel issue as affecting the rating of a resort but I guess it's possible. W/D have been provided either in the unit or nearby. As noted earlier in this thread, I think people need to start thinking of DVC as a timeshare more and comparing it less to luxury resorts like GF, etc. Timeshare are just a different animal and should be viewed, evaluated and rated as such.

 

[Pa@okw95]

Believe it or not, one of the main reasons I joined DVC was back in 94 when I stayed there the towel matched the sheet color like Dvcreg said, I remember towel and sheets being a peach color, very light but peach. That along with the palm tree being replaced right outside my window with a giant claw like machine, plus the check in for members, made me think that this was really a place I wanted to stay at some more. The only thing missing was the matching robes and slippers, I thought at the time. The matching towels to the sheets was the number one reason, oh yes, there was help all over the place at the time. I said "wow", this is for me.

 

[Disney Hot Mama]

DisneyMeMa - I agree with you. At home I don't wash my towels every day - why should I receive a new one daily on vacation. I too think I am clean after taking a shower. How dirty can they really get? Maybe the dish towels in the kitchen I would wash daily but not the shower ones. Just my two cents.

 

[SueM in MN]

We have been members since 1993 and also remember the peach color towels (although I don't recall peach colored sheets).
It doesn't bother us to re-use or wash our towels, but I do have a towel related beef.
We just got back from a stay at OKW in a 2 bedroom unit with 8 people. We had 8 bath towels, but only 4 washcloths and 4 hand towels. In the past, we were able to get 4 more hand towels and 4 more wash cloths with no charge (even though the Housekeeping CM argued that the bathrooms are stocked "per bathroom" rather than by the number of people in the room and we had what we were "supposed to have"). This time, the Housekeeping CM really argued with me and said my only option was to pay $6 for an "extra towel package", including 4 more bath towels, 2 wash cloths and 2 hand towels. To get 4 more washcloths and 4 hand towels, I'd have to pay for 2 packages (and end up with 8 more bath towels than we needed).
She really argued with me, at first saying I must not have been a member long, then "informing" me that members had voted to charge for extra towels and asking if I regularly read the member information. I explained I was aware of it, but it was not explained to members that the towels would be given out per bathroom instead of per room occupant. She said members were well aware (she seemed to like to argue) and that we had "gotten away" with not being charged previously and should not expect to get away with it again.

It's reasonable to charge for people who want clean towels each day or who want more than one washcloth, hand and bath towel per person. It's totally unreasonable to expect 8 people to share 4 washcloths and 4 hand towels.

edited to change year we joined. It was late and my brain was still in Florida, rather than home

 

[jaysue]

This time, the Housekeeping CM really argued with me and said my only option was to pay $6 for an "extra towel package", including 4 more bath towels, 2 wash cloths and 2 hand towels. To get 4 more washcloths and 4 hand towels, I'd have to pay for 2 packages (and end up with 8 more bath towels than we needed).

That is so bizarre - on the member web site it states:

Towel Package $6.00 4 bath towels, 4 hand towels, 4 washcloths, 1 bath (not 2 hand towels and wash cloths)

So that is odd that this CM stated 2&2

*****

It also states:
In Each Bathroom

Whirlpool tub
(Master Bathroom only)
Shower massager
4 bath towels
2 washcloths
2 hand towels
1 bath mat
Hairdryer
Wastebasket
Facial tissue
Toilet paper
Hand soap
Hand lotion
Shampoo

SueM, I have to agree with you - there should be towels based on room capacity not on # of bathrooms

Also the web site supports your assertion that the towel package is 4 & 4 & 4 not 4 & 2 & 2

thanks
jaysue

 

[SimbaCub]

I remember when I visited OKW in May 1997 that I saw those beautiful placemats!! Wow, it seems like an eternity has passed. . .

As for housekeeping telling a member they will only provide 4-2-2 for towels, hand towels, and washcloths. I have battled that before. I have my old guide book from 1997--the wonderful spiral one--and it said 4-4-4. When they came out with the new disposable piece of garbage one that falls apart--can you tell which one I like better--it said 4-2-2. I called MS at that point to ask the question as the website said the same thing. The CM who answered told me it was a publishing error in the book that the towels are supposed to be based on occupancy limits--meaning studio/1bdr get 4-4-4, 2 bedroom gets 8-8-8, and GV gets 12-12-12. On a trip to VWL over a year ago, I had the same thing happen. I showed up to my room only to discover I had 2-2-2. I called housekeeping to tell them I wanted the rest of my towels and got into an argument with someone. I asked for the supervisor and let her know that I had spoken with MS and this was unacceptable. I had more guests coming in later or I would not have been as upset as I was. Needless to say, I did report that on the after trip survey I received though never heard back from anybody on that.

Now I hope I won't be flamed for the rest of what I am "writing" here. . . I would imagine there is some savings not having a maid come by your room everyday so I suspect by default there is a huge savings on labor. Think of how long it takes now to get into your room when you check in. If ALL of us were to receive towel/trash service or just towel service everyday, we wouldn't have our rooms ready like now and the costs would go up considerably. Labor costs are the driving force behind the "uncontrollable tax and insurance" costs that have driven increases in dues the last few years. If they found a way to provide towels everyday without increasing my dues and wait time for a room because the maid has to put towels in a room for other members then I would support it.

SimbaCub
BCV May 2004