Guests overstaying check-out and keys

[Simba's Mom]

I know there's been speculation about what happens to the keys when guests overstay check-out time, so I thought I'd post my recent experience. I hope it's not too confusing! We were due to check out Thursday, and were told that new guests were due to check in. But we wanted to stay until Friday, and thus were thrilled when the front desk called us Wednesday afternoon to tell us that we could,indeed, stay til Friday. However, we were cautioned that we MUST come to the front desk and get new keys, since our current keys were due to "expire" at 11:00am Thursday and the room rekeyed for new guests. Although we did, we kept our "old" keys to run an experiment. Although we'd been cautioned that our keys were due to expire at 11:00am Thursday, they still worked fine at 9:00pm. But Friday morning at 7:30am, they no longer worked and we needed the "new" keys. So, had we indeed been new guests, the previous guests could still get into our room after 11:00am, when they supposedly checked out, until at least 9:00pm that night. But the next morning we'd be safe, since their keys no longer worked. I found it interesting, and a little unsettling.

 

[msabol01]

That is a little unsettling. I am hoping you let either DVC or the resort know this. Unfortunately, if someone has the intent to do wrong they will always find a way. As they say, "A lock is to keep an honest man honest, not to keep a criminal out."

 

[drusba]

Actually, there is no security issue with prior guest using room. If new person had checked in and got that room, yours would have been canceled for room use at same time they issued keys to new guest.

 

[bobbiwoz]

Actually, there is no security issue with prior guest using room. If new person had checked in and got that room, yours would have been canceled for room use at same time they issued keys to new guest.

I think the fact that they got new keys and the old ones still worked is a security factor. I think the old keys should have become invalidated by the issuance of new keys.

Bobbi

 

[CarolAnnC]

I know a few individuals have posted here on the DIS of experiences such as the former occupants entering the room as they were in there unpacking, for example. Hence, I always throw the security latch on too so no unexpected folks arrive. Definitely security issues exist...

 

[msabol01]

While it would be startling to have someone enter while unpacking, I'd be more concerned about someone entering the room while it is vacant. If nothing else this is a good reminder to place your valuables in the room safe.

As far as I know there is no communication between the lock on the door of the room and the resorts guest computers. In other words, if you are issued a key, that key is coded with an expiration date and time. It should cease to work after that time elapses. I could see a potential buffer of an hour or so built in, but for it to work several hours after check-out isn't right.

 

[CarolA]

Well to shutdown on some of the panic that seems to be occuring.

A few stays ago I came back to my new room at about 5 PM to find someone trying to get in with a key. I assumed they were in the wrong room and asked them (trying to point out that they were trying to break into MY room) They said that they had stayed there last night and forgot something. The key did not work (and they were a little put out that I would not let them in to look. I walked down the hall and requested the front desk send up someone from security, but by the time I returned they had left. I did not go in the room until security arrived in case they had gotten in, but they weren't there!)

 

[Tinkerbellcrafter]

Wow!! So, it seems that sometimes they automatically shut down that prior key right away and sometimes they don't. The next time we have split stays, I'll have to see how long the old keys work.

 

[Chuck S]

Try using the new key, and if that works, then try using the old key. Hopefully, the use of the new key would then trigger the door to not accept the old key. Otherwise, I'd say security is lacking, and needs to be addressed.

 

[TisBit]

A little insight into how hotel keys work. They are coded with at check in with the date of checkout. These keys will continue to work until that check out date, or until a new key is issued and basicly "resets" the lock. If a new key is put in the system and the old key is disabled, the old key will cease to work in the lock.

They work similar to the Disney tickets, the information is coded onto the key itself, the first time it is used in the lock, the lock "remembers" that key until checkout, or a new key with new info is put into the lock, resetting the lock.

So to the OP, your key would have worked until Midnight if no new keys were issued/used in that lock (unless the front desk put in a different time code for it), but once that date passed, it would not work until reprogrammed.

 

[Cruelladeville]

At BWV one year, I was checked in to an occupied room. since the suitcases were right in the middle of the living room, we immediately returned to the front desk. I asked them if both parties were being charged the full points for having to share a room. We were immediately given a new room, but it was disquieting to find that our keys worked in someone else's room.

 

[msabol01]

A little insight into how hotel keys work. They are coded with at check in with the date of checkout. These keys will continue to work until that check out date, or until a new key is issued and basicly "resets" the lock. If a new key is put in the system and the old key is disabled, the old key will cease to work in the lock.

They work similar to the Disney tickets, the information is coded onto the key itself, the first time it is used in the lock, the lock "remembers" that key until checkout, or a new key with new info is put into the lock, resetting the lock.

So to the OP, your key would have worked until Midnight if no new keys were issued/used in that lock (unless the front desk put in a different time code for it), but once that date passed, it would not work until reprogrammed.

I agree, but I think the OP issue is that the old key worked well past checkout time.

 

[fishermouse]

I agree, but I think the OP issue is that the old key worked well past checkout time.

Yes but op continued to use the old key, since there is no direct connection from the door to hotel computer system it is the new key that deactivates the old key. This should always work if you are able to use both the old and new keys the front desk may have issued them as additional keys not replacment keys. This would explain both sets working, may also explain why old occupant was able to get into room, if cm made a wrong selection during check in. Only other explaination is a faulty locking mechanisim in which case the front desk should be notified ASAP! Hopefully this is what happened, not as in many cases, just post a problem here and hope things will magically fix themselves.

 

[msabol01]

OK I am a little slow, I see the point now. If a new key, whether from the existing occupant or a new occupant is used, the old key would be rendered useless. Since the OP didn't use the new key, the old key kept working.

However, it still doesn't account for the fact that the old key worked well beyond the checkout time with which it was encoded.

 

[goofy4tink]

Not a recent experience but one a few years ago. We arrived at BWV, on Thanksgiving Day, around noon. We waited to get into our villa..got in about 3:00. Went off to DHS in the meantime. We returned, went to our villa and found it to be completely unacceptable..first time I have ever asked to be moved, and of course it had to be on T-day!! No balcony off the master, had to keep drapes pulled in that room due to the extreme closeness of the balcony right in front of it...another room's not ours!! A huge tree blocking our view. So, dh went downstairs, to see if we could get moved. They gave us another villa, on a different floor, different area. Off we went. I used the room key dh had been given to get into the villa. Much to my surprise, there were clothes all over the place, children's toys, etc. Obviously, the villa was still occupied. Again, dh went down to the lobby. The manager (Alfredo) returned with him...he wanted to see for himself that it was occupied. Imagine his surprise when he opened that door and saw what I had seen.
Back to the lobby we went. They did manage to find us a third villa. But by this time it was close to our T-day dinner at Chef Mickeys....our ADR was for 5:30 and it was now 4:45!! We had to get to our villa, freshen up and then get to the CR. Alfredo told us to return to the lobby, they would drive us over to the CR so we wouldn't be late.

But, it was a bit alarming that although the housekeeping system showed that second villa to be cleaned and ready for new occupancy, it wasn't the case at all. Come to find out, the current guests had decided to stay another night or two!!!
Now, I always keep my door latch lock thing on when I'm in the room. You just don't know who will get a room key and be able to access your room.

 

[dburg30]

If the OP happens to check back in, and they used the OLD key after the NEW key, then there is an issue.

 

[manning]

A few years ago I went thru the key routine.

When we were in the park two days prior to our check out we tried to charge to the room. They told me it couldn't be done because we checked out. What? Called the resort and sure enough they checked us out in error and we would have to get new keys. Before doing that I tried the old keys and they worked.

Well the day we checked out our keys quit working mid morning as we were packing. It took them close to 11am to get them reactivated and allowed us to check out at 1pm.

There was another issue with keys that trip. The keys didn't work at check in and I went to front desk to get new keys. Then the next morning a new set of keys were slipped under the door. Let's just say by the end of that trip I had started an impressive key collection.

 

[hakepb]

Come to find out, the current guests had decided to stay another night or two!!!

...so that's what you do if your waitlist for a popular day does not come through.

 

[BroganMc]

...so that's what you do if your waitlist for a popular day does not come through.

Must be a secret club of Disney squatters.

Or else it's just a problem of the computer systems not being as current as expected. Housekeeping could have transcribed the room numbers wrong.

 

[bwvBound]

Carol,

Your story is rather alarming. It might not be quite the "shutdown" you hoped to achieve.

Well to shutdown on some of the panic that seems to be occuring.

A few stays ago I came back to my new room at about 5 PM to find someone trying to get in with a key. I assumed they were in the wrong room and asked them (trying to point out that they were trying to break into MY room) They said that they had stayed there last night and forgot something. The key did not work (and they were a little put out that I would not let them in to look. I walked down the hall and requested the front desk send up someone from security, but by the time I returned they had left. I did not go in the room until security arrived in case they had gotten in, but they weren't there!)