has anyone ever

[waynesgirl]

I've seen you answer these kind of occupancy questions in the past, and you seem to be in the know..... Can I ask a question purely out of curiousity? Why are there occupancy limits on the king bed rooms? Does the configuration of the room have something to do with fire codes? This came up last year for us. For our dates, the only rooms available at POFQ with free dining were King rooms. DH & I would have been fine sharing that with our 2 young kids, but it's not allowed. I understand the total occupancy limitations, but wasn't sure why it would make a difference how many beds were in the room.

As a hotelier, I can answer for my hotel only and really for my brand. Our queen/queen rooms are fire-coded to 5 persons but we try to tell people to limit it to 4, as in case of an emergency, especially on the higher floors, the rollaway they would have to use in the room (mandatory) will block some of the 2nd bed space and make evacuation difficult. Our king bed single rooms are coded to 3. We will remove you from the property immediately if you violate this- no if, ands, or buts about it. I am the one responsible for fire check so that is why is is imperative that I have an accurate count of the guests in the rooms, as we have to do a count should an emergency come up-I also have to clear each floor, meaning room to room and I have to enter the eldery and handicapped-accessible rooms as well. I am all about my guest safety but I don't think it is fair that a selfish guest cause me bodily harm or death because they "failed" to mention they had an additional guest.

Fire codes are about more than the occupancy in one room. They also look at the number of people that can be evacuated through the available exit's within a short period of time, roughly 90 seconds though districts do vary that. So if x number of rooms have to be evacuated through a specific exit then the maximum number of people in those rooms is how many can get out that exit in the specified time. For simplicity, basically take the divide the number of people by number of rooms.

Really, it's much more complicated than that and includes a number of factors such as burn rates and flammability of materials, fire supression available, width of doors, hallways, and other building code factors, but the principle above remains correct.

Number of beds is not a factor, it's number of people in the room. You could have people sleeping in sleeping bags on the floor as long as the number of prople doesn't exceed the code.

Exactly!

I'm a hotelier so not as knowledgeable as you but deal with those constantly, every time we're inspected or change something. Way more complex than people think.

Noticed that my autocorrect turned width into windy in the quote. Darn autocorrect.

Fire Codes and Occupancy Rules are 2 different things. A hotel can choose to set an occupancy limit less than the fire code. For example, at POR, a Magnolia Bend room is a limit of 4 but Alligator Bayou is a limit of 5. Adding a trundle bed would not change fire code, most likely the fire code is 5 or more but Disney chooses to only allow 4 in a non-trundle room. Another example is at some of the DVC resorts, 1 bedrooms have a max of 4 but they allow 5 on a points reservation.

Same for our property- we can have up to 7 in a certain suite room but we have limited it to 6 as to make sure that there is space and time frames to remove guests- this includes cribs or children under 17 (which is our adult cut-off)....

 

[minnie mum]

slept 5 people in an on-property resort room meant for 4 people?
So many places to stay for family of 4 but we are a family of 5 and the cost to get the "family suite" to accomodate a 3rd young child (too big for crib) is excessive.

Well, we stayed at BC with a family of five, every night the kids would rotate who slept in the daybed. When we were younger, it wasn't too bad, but our last trip with two in their late teens and one in the twenties, it was too crowded, esp when we are all getting ready, four women trying to do their makeup in one area was too small. Our next trip we will be booking two rooms at the resort. So can you stay in one room with five people? Yes. Is it crowded? YES!
Not sure if this question is about booking a room for four with five, or if its regarding what its like to have a standard room with five people...

As you can see from the OP, he wanted to put 5 people into a room that only allowed 4. A sure way to get thrown out of the resort, not to mention being miserable due to crowding. Not the same thing as the BC, where the rooms are furnished to accommodate 5 in a standard room.

 

[MinnesotaMouseketeers]

Nope, I've never done this. I did not want to set an example of dishonest behavior/rule breaking as being acceptable, my belief being that children behave as they see the adults in their life behaving.

.................

sndral, couldn't have said it better myself.

Of course many adults tell their child/ren 'it's just a little white lie.' So children of the world with parents out there that tell little white lies, it's ok to tell your parents little white lies; if you have something to hide. Heck they do it

 

[Janilou2012]

I believe if the child is three or under three, they do not count towards the occupancy count in the room.

 

[minnie mum]

I believe if the child is three or under three, they do not count towards the occupancy count in the room.

The OP didn't specify the age of the 3rd child, only that he/she was too big for a crib. And the child would have to be less than 3 yrs old.

 

[Deb & Bill]

Dang, I love hearing everyone who knows about the Life Safety Code and NFPA.

I work in a hospital as the Emergency Manager, Safety Manager and Assistant Chief Engineer.

 

[kandb]

Why does a fire code allow 5 in a POR AB room when it's the same size as other moderate resorts that only allow 4? Just doesn't make too much sense. When POR AB used to have a trundle bed pull out, what's the difference if you put a pull out the same size in the room at POFQ?

 

[gratefulfred]

If my child JUST turned 4. I would do it, and tell them at check in that the child was 3

 

[vicki_c]

If my child JUST turned 4. I would do it, and tell them at check in that the child was 3

The cut off is not age 3. The cut off is age 2 and below. The phrase usually used is "under 3", not 3 and under.

 

[Sandi]

Why does a fire code allow 5 in a POR AB room when it's the same size as other moderate resorts that only allow 4? Just doesn't make too much sense. When POR AB used to have a trundle bed pull out, what's the difference if you put a pull out the same size in the room at POFQ?

Read thru the thread. I think it was Missytara who explained that it was likely that the AB buildings are only 2 stories while the mansions are 3. So the evacuation process would be different and more efficient for the AB buildings. It likely has nothing to do with the size of the room.

 

[DebbieB]

Why does a fire code allow 5 in a POR AB room when it's the same size as other moderate resorts that only allow 4? Just doesn't make too much sense. When POR AB used to have a trundle bed pull out, what's the difference if you put a pull out the same size in the room at POFQ?

Again, fire code and occupancy rules are 2 different things. From what I've heard, in most cases Disney's occupancy rules are less than the fire code. That's their option.

 

[softballmom3]

In 2007 we went with another couple that had one child (we are a family of 5). On the reservation my youngest DD was on their room reservation and had actually planned to sleep with them. When the time came she would not do it and neither would any of my other children so she slept with us in a Pop room---5 of us then. We had an air bed--I knew this was a possibility and it was so tight and crowded, thank goodness we didn't stay in the room much! She had a KTTW due to being in the other room and our mousekeeper never said a word about it. We ran into her one day. No flaming please as this was not planned but it is something we ended up doing. Maybe nothing was said because we were in side by side rooms or maybe the MK just didn't care.

 

[Sammie]

Again, fire code and occupancy rules are 2 different things. From what I've heard, in most cases Disney's occupancy rules are less than the fire code. That's their option.

Exactly it is Disney's option, and that should be respected. To me it's like the cost of tickets, if anyone wants to go they pay the price asked. If someone wants to book, they tell the truth about how many are in their group and get something that fits.

There are many factors, wear and tear on the units, noise levels for those next door, many factors determine why a hotel has the occupancy level it does, just as the fire codes are more involved.