Here Now - Pros and Cons (First-Timer's Perspective)

[mikedoyleblogger]

The room was dirty when the OP checked in.

How on earth would mousekeeping know whether someone who wasn't checked in yet would be leaving tips?

Because it's possible to get a crappy mousekeeper, or housekeeper in any hotel, who didn't do a great job for a previous guest, but decides to do one for you because you tip them. Happens all the time, Disney or elsewhere. We talk about CMs getting beat down by guests, and that can apply to the mouse keeping staff, too. Like I said, it shouldn't matter, but there are situations when it definitely can matter.

When we were at Pop in 2013, a mouse keeping manager lie to us about bringing extra hangers to our room. We waited hours, and eventually complained to the front desk manager, who told us that he had seen that same problem happen before, and walked on his own to wherever he had to go to bring us the extra hangers. Meanwhile, our mouse keeper, who we greeted every morning, was incredibly nice, did a wonderful job, and always left towel animals. No explanation for why two members of the same department would act so differently, but I've heard it too many times before at Walt Disney World not to cover all my bases by tipping.

 

[fivikse]

We were at Disney last week also. Our room was clean (except one day she left a bag of trash on the table), but we noticed a big decline in cm attitude. This was our fourth trip in 8 years and the overall impression was bored teens who didn't want to be there. No one stood out as terrible (or wonderful) but most stood around talking to each other about schedules etc (and one cm was bumming cigarettes off another in front of a full raft to Tom Sawyer island). There were few smiles or greetings. We were just left with an overall negative impression from cms.

 

[DVCcurious]

I'd like to know what business you work in where everybody does their job perfectly every time.

Maybe she works for the government.

















Stop laughing, that wasn't a joke!

 

[DrunkJam]

we got married at YC in 2010, and returned in 2011/12 - The CMs made our vacation, and were SO helpful as we were newly understanding what worked for a child on the autism spectrum. We would not have had a good time without the help and advice of the CMs. I am eternally grateful.

We are going back (first stay at the Poly) Christmas 2017. This time, we may be more au fait with disney AND the challenges of an ASD child, but we also have a toddler and their father has a serious, incurable, illness. *I* am hoping for the CMs to be as awesome as they were before, because, I feel like I might need the help.

I know they are busy, and we do try not to cause extra work, as much as we can, but, honestly, it was the CMS that made the vacation worth the disney premium, I cannot say enough positive about them, and I will be very sad if this has changed.

 

[cindyfan]

Maybe she works for the government.
Stop laughing, that wasn't a joke!

 

[cindyfan]

OTOH, I wonder how many people tip their mousekeeper. Your level of service shouldn't depend on whether you tip them, but we always tip ($5 a day on a pillow) and we've never had a mousekeeping problem at WDW or DLR having to do with cleanliness of linens, floors, or bathrooms.

In the 20 years we've been visiting WDW we have always tipped the housekeeping staff and up until the last few years we were very generous and grateful that they did a good job! But honestly..... the last couple trips I've been tempted to just leave like a quarter just to get my point across. They get what they deserve... and it is minimal at best now! We also will call as needed during our trip.
But I think people are missing the point...... I should not have to CALL and get fresh towels or have them pick up the trash or come to clean the toilet and clean out the refrigerator upon ARRIVAL! Seriously our last 2 stays at CSR and ASM they should have tipped me!!!

 

[MickeyMinnieMom]

We also will call as needed during our trip.
But I think people are missing the point...... I should not have to CALL and get fresh towels or have them pick up the trash or come to clean the toilet and clean out the refrigerator upon ARRIVAL! Seriously our last 2 stays at CSR and ASM they should have tipped me!!!

The variability in experience seems incredible. We've lost track of how many onsite visits we've made to WDW and NEVER had any of these things occur.

I really wonder what an unbiased sampling of guests over time on these issues would look like. Obviously we'll never know, but I'm really curious...

 

[Srbright]

I did not say it doesn't matter, I said it shouldn't matter. There are legacy threads that describe mousekeeping horror stories from guest parties that didn't tip, however, and that's why I brought it up. They usually read like this:

Non-tipper: "Our room was filthy all week and they never changed our towels. Also, it burned down mid-trip and they made us sleep in the courtyard after that."

Tipper in same resort: "Really? They gave us towel animals every day and left chocolate mints and a miniature talking rainbow unicorn on little Jimmy's pillow. After we got home, our mousekeeper came to Jimmy's elementary school graduation, brought more mints, and cleaned up after the unicorn, which still talks about how clean our room was."

YMMV.

Wow. That is a great description (and also why we tip). Rather have rainbows than bugs.

The $45 for mouse keeping tips is baked into our budget

Stacy

 

[DrunkJam]

So, if I don't tip daily, but tip at the end of my stay, I am wasting my time?

 

[MickeyMinnieMom]

So, if I don't tip daily, but tip at the end of my stay, I am wasting my time?

Exactly what I was thinking! Though I don't buy that this is at the root of good vs bad service on any wide/systematic scale.

 

[jahber]

This so much. Add that they are on a double or doing things outside of their job. Also, I think expectations are higher than they should be for a large corporation with large hotels and a reduced staff.



Then check-in would take twice as long for the one-two supervisors that are in the housekeeping budget would literally have to inspect the 450 regular rooms, plus the 200-300 villas (that are more than one bedroom). I mean if you want to check in at 7-8pm, then sure.

This is backward reasoning to me. If I pay several hundred dollars for a room, what exactly is that money going toward if not the staff required to maintain the room at a level worthy of $500 a night? When I stay at EconoLodge on a Priceline deal and the furnishings are worn or there is a piece of trash left in a trash can, I suck it up. Whatever. It was $70. When I pay $500 for a room to a company that is raking in the dough and making that fact public information every quarter, I expect a little more. They are not poor. They are a huge corporation for a reason, and that means they should be able to develop the infrastructure and hire the staff to maintain a resort system. If they can't, and we are still paying Deluxe prices, that's on them. 100%. And to be clear, I doubt anyone here blames the CMs for the state of Disney's resorts and the fact that they have to work so hard. What we are saying is that that is unacceptable. And I won't cut Disney any slack for that.

 

[Srbright]

The variability in experience seems incredible. We've lost track of how many onsite visits we've made to WDW and NEVER had any of these things occur.

I really wonder what an unbiased sampling of guests over time on these issues would look like. Obviously we'll never know, but I'm really curious...

We will be on our 5th trip next month and haven't had any of these things happen. We ask for extra shampoo because there are 4 of us and 10 bottles of shampoo and conditioner show up in the room. It has always been clean and the staff friendly.

However we also don't pay attention to things like construction or rides under refurbishment because we expect them to repair and improve.

Stacy

 

[mikedoyleblogger]

The variability in experience seems incredible. We've lost track of how many onsite visits we've made to WDW and NEVER had any of these things occur.

I really wonder what an unbiased sampling of guests over time on these issues would look like. Obviously we'll never know, but I'm really curious...

Great observation. This is exactly why I wish we wouldn't be mean to each other on here when someone says they had an unmagical experience and automatically tell them they couldn't have.

 

[MickeyMinnieMom]

Great observation. This is exactly why I wish we wouldn't be mean to each other on here when someone says they had an unmagical experience and automatically tell them they couldn't have.

Agreed. But I must have missed anyone saying that OP's experience didn't happen.

Some of us are expressing exactly opposite experiences over MANY years. Others mixed experiences over many years. Don't think anyone is doubting OP's experience -- I know I'm not.

 

[jahber]

Agreed. But I must have missed anyone saying that OP's experience didn't happen.

Some of us are expressing exactly opposite experiences over MANY years. Others mixed experiences over many years. Don't think anyone is doubting OP's experience -- I know I'm not.

Hasn't happened yet, but history has taught us that it will...eventually. It always does. Did you happen to read the thread about the Pirates boats flooding? People were basically flat-out called liars by several poster for saying they got soaked on the ride because "it had never happened to them." Personally, I've seen some interesting issues at deluxes and experienced such terrible issues with MDE that nothing surprises me anymore.

 

[MickeyMinnieMom]

Hasn't happened yet, but history has taught us that it will...eventually. It always does. Did you happen to read the thread about the Pirates boats flooding? People were basically flat-out called liars by several poster for saying they got soaked on the ride because "it had never happened to them." Personally, I've seen some interesting issues at deluxes and experienced such terrible issues with MDE that nothing surprises me anymore.

No - didn't see that thread. Not ok.

With ANYTHING that sees the kind of volume that WDW does there are bound to be problems.

I think on DIS some sometimes lose perspective -- or forget that those with bad experiences are ALWAYS much more vocal on average than those with positive experiences.

And DIS is a weird "sample" to begin with.

I think the key is how frequently these things occur (1 in 1,000 rooms? 1 in 100 rooms? 1 in 10 rooms?) -- and unfortunately, NONE OF US CAN KNOW THIS. So we deal in anecdotal info... All we have to go on. I just think we should keep perspective that that's all this is -- a sharing of anecdotal info by mostly WDW diehards.

Doesn't mean there aren't issues, room for improvement, etc. Always are. I just think that perspective -- and respect in the dialogue -- are the things that matter most. To me, anyway!!

 

[toolmanjan]

I have never tipped housekeeping at any hotel I've stayed. (except on a cruise) Tell me if I'm wrong but they are not paid under min wage like wait staff in a restaurant. I shouldn't have to tip to get the job that's expected of them. If they go over and above I will tip them at that time.

 

[mikedoyleblogger]

Agreed. But I must have missed anyone saying that OP's experience didn't happen.

Some of us are expressing exactly opposite experiences over MANY years. Others mixed experiences over many years. Don't think anyone is doubting OP's experience -- I know I'm not.

I know. Sometimes it just gets edgy in here. I don't think we went there now, not accusing anyone.

 

[mom2rtk]

Agreed. But I must have missed anyone saying that OP's experience didn't happen.

Some of us are expressing exactly opposite experiences over MANY years. Others mixed experiences over many years. Don't think anyone is doubting OP's experience -- I know I'm not.

I didn't see that in this thread, but I saw it happen in just the last few days in a thread with someone venting about a bad experience at Guest Relations entering the park. Someone flat out told them they didn't believe it happened.

 

[Srbright]

Agreed. But I must have missed anyone saying that OP's experience didn't happen.

Some of us are expressing exactly opposite experiences over MANY years. Others mixed experiences over many years. Don't think anyone is doubting OP's experience -- I know I'm not.

Here are two problems

1) familiarity breeds contempt
2) the more often you visit the higher chance you have of getting a bad experience

Stacy