Just back- Cockroach in my room!

[DISNEYLOVER70]

Just got back last thursday from a 5 night stay at the Animal Kingdom Lodge. The evening of our last night there, I found a HUGE cockroach on our wall. My kids were freaking out. They had heard of them but never seen one up close and personal. My husband caught it and put it in one of the glasses in our bathroom. We took it to the front desk and were told "well you know, it is the animal kingdom". I informed them that it wasn't the "bug kingdom". I realize that there are bugs everywhere and that it is impossible to guarantee that none will enter your room, but the attitude at the resort was more than surprising. At a supposed "deluxe" resort, and our first stay on disney property, I was disappointed. We had a $2.50 phone balance on our account that the "gentleman" informed me not to worry about. How kind, I think he thought I should be grateful.

I had a wonderful vacation. I am grateful that I didn't find it until the last night because I would not have stayed there and my kids would have been very disappointed. Am I wrong for being upset about this? I tend to overreact sometimes, but this just disgusted me and the attitude I got from the CM was even more irritating.

Other than that, we had a wonderful vacation. Many happy memories made last week.........

 

[Wish Upon A Star]

Was it for sure a cockroach or a palmetto bug? Still, either way, I can understand your position. I'm sure there are plenty of bugs everywhere, just stinks that you had to see them . . .

I suppose it could of been worse, like if it was in your bed.

 

[magicmouse2]

Bluuuurgh !!! Real sorry to hear that!!!, though better a roach than a spider IMHO!

My DD 7, found one at EPCOT late one night. It was hilarious. One minute she was asleep on her feet - the next minute she spotted the roach and was as alert as a WDW marathon runner, round and round trying to catch this poor cockroach!!!! Many a WDW guest joined in the chase and even a few CMs tried to discreetly 'disguise' the creature with their boot Everyone was exiting the park for the night and it sorta perked us all up!!!!

 

[SPappas]

I empathize with you, but go back to the days when I was a kid staying with the Grandparents in central Florida. Bugs are just huge down there ( no freezes to kill them off) and so difficult to control. No matter what the grandparents did not control those things, they still appeared. In order for WDW to control what they do, they MUST use lots of insecticides. I would fear the use of so much that no bug could enter, because then they wouldn't be so safe for us to enter. I think more the issue is that the CM's weren't real sympathetic. But...they live down there and I think don't think twice about those bugs. So sorry about the big bug! I would have had a hard time sleeping after finding one of those - I can just picture it! eek!

 

[>>^..^<<]

I had a spider in my room at AKL!

I wanted to kill it - I am terrified of spiders - but I was afraid to go near it.. I was trying to kill it via long distance - throwing towels at it.. etc... ineffective

I was embarrassed to call the front desk - I mean - how lame am I? I also didn't want to leave it - because if it disappeared - I could never sleep in that room - anyway...

I looked out in the hall and there was a man with his teenagers passing nearby - I hailed him and asked sweetly if he could kill a spider for me. (batting my eyes and playing helpless)

He took pity on my and came to my room and killed it - My Hero

His kids thought I was hitting on him! I saw him a couple of days later at the pool and asked if I could by them (all) a drink - they declined nicely and his wife glared at me

Sorry about the big bug in your room! The only bug free place is the moon - or maybe that hotel made of Ice in Quebec.

>>^..^<<

 

[floridafam]

Well,

When I saw your thread and was about to click on it I thought to myself "please don't say it was AKL", "please don't say it was AKL".

For anyone who is wondering:
Cockroaches and Palmetto bugs are the same thing. A Palmetto Bug is just a certain variety of cockroach-there are several. Palmetto Bug isn't a "scientific" name. We just returned from my son's field trip to the Entimology dept. at MSU and I made sure to ask after years of not believing my DH. There was quite an informative post on these boards a few days ago with a link to an article all about roaches.


Anyway, the remark by the CM was uncalled for. I know that they are a fact of life in Florida but I hardly consider his comment appropriate. He should have taken the glass, apologized and made sure everyone in the room still had the desire to stay there. This is just what a great hotel does, whether the bugs are their fault or not. Bottom line, he/she should have acted with a little more professionalism and a little less humor.

I think this must be a sign. Every time I get my trip set, something major appears on these boards to make me wonder. I probably would have freaked out-I just don't like bugs-plain and simple.

Please, let there be no roaches at AKL in October.

 

[DrTomorrow]

To those of you who received an extra dose of Disney Magic:

How much did you have to tip Mousekeeping to get it? I know that many people hope for towel animals, towel insects, etc. - but to actually get a living visitor; how wonderful!

My DW and I will be at the Polynesian this fall for our first empty-nester trip and I'm trying to make it special. Do you think that I could contact Concierge Services ahead of time to guarantee some Living Disney Magic?

Erick

 

[ftwildernessguy]

Originally posted by Wish Upon A Star
Was it for sure a cockroach or a palmetto bug? Still, either way, I can understand your position. I'm sure there are plenty of bugs everywhere, just stinks that you had to see them . . .

I suppose it could of been worse, like if it was in your bed.

When I lived in Georgia, everyone called them Water Bugs

My in-laws in Florida call them Palmetto bugs

No matter what you may call them, they are the North American cockroach (as opposed to the little European roaches commonly seen in the North).

If you have ever lived down south, you know there is nothing you can do to get rid of them entirely, so you just accept them. I am more surprised that I haven't seen more of them in Disney!

 

[jacksonsmom]

Oh My!



I know bugs are a fact of life but I HATE THEM!
The worse are cockroaches, spiders & centipedes! EEEEKKKK!

I am just praying that we do not see one of those on our trip. I think I would freak.

I agree that the CMs could have been a little more understanding to the problem.
To them it may be no big deal but some people have a real fear of bugs & it really would affect them

 

[Paul G]

When I lived in Florida I remember pouring one of those out of the Corn Flakes Box - yuuuucccckkkkk!!!!!

We lived in an upscale house and did everthing we could to keep the house clean and keep bugs out but they still got in. A Native would think nothing of this and hence there responce.

This is one of the reasons I think Florida is a great place to visit but ........

I like living in a northern climate where we have a good "winter kill" of both bacteria and bugs.

 

[Selket]

When you aren't used to seeing them, those kind of bugs can just freak you out! I agree with others that they are nearly impossible to keep out of the indoors at all times. The response from the CM should have been nicer but I think they are just used to seeing them around.

 

[floridafam]

I know they can appear anywhere but may I ask what type of room you were in? (just for my own curiousity)

Was it close to an area with a lot of food or something?

 

[phamton]

Originally posted by DISNEYLOVER70
J I am grateful that I didn't find it until the last night because I would not have stayed there and my kids would have been very disappointed. Am I wrong for being upset about this? I tend to overreact sometimes, but this just disgusted me and the attitude I got from the CM was even more irritating.

I am afraid of roaches also. Spiders, snakes, rodents, lizards, etc. are fine but I hate roaches. Unfortunately I live in south Texas where we have American cockroaches (a.k.a. palmetto bugs, waterbugs). The American cockroach is an outside bug. They come inside periodically (via outside pipes,etc.) but try to get back outside. They live under piles of leaves or wood rather than in cupboards like German cockroaches (the small ones). So more than likely the large cockroach was not in your room the whole time.

Did you over react? I would say yes. I am also terrified of "June Bugs." My sister used to put june bugs down the back of my shirt so I blame her. If a june bug was in my room, I would not even report it. Neither would I report a palmetto bug in my room. They are just a fact of life in the south.

Edited to add: I once stayed at a very upscale hotel in Utah and saw an "earwig" in the tub. I freaked as I had never seen a bug with a pincher on its end. So I do understand why it frightened you.

 

[Colleen A.]

Way back in 74, we were headed to Florida for our first trip to Disney. I was 10 and my parents were bringing along my 15 yr old nephew. We had stopped in South Carolina overnight. We got up before dawn the next day to head into Florida. When we arrived, my nephew sits on the bed and takes off his sneaker. Well, there must of been a visitor INSIDE his sneaker when he put it on that morning because there, on the bottom of his sock, was this HUGE smushed remains of a roach!!! Yuk!

Now, along the bug line....when we stayed in FW this past Dec., our campsite backed up to the canal. There had been a drought earlier and the water was very green and stagnent. We didn't have any problem with mosquitos....til the rain hit Monday afternoon!! We woke up Tues morning and the camper was infested!! I called the front desk and they were very understanding and sent the pest control people out that very day to treat the water in the canals. Never saw one after that. Funny, I would expect them to have the "in the wild" attitude towards bugs at Fort Wilderness and NOT the other WDW resorts!

 

[Elk34]

In Texas we call them Tree Roaches. I don't worry about it when I see the big tree roaches as they don't seem to have anything to do with how clean a residence is unlike the smaller roaches which appear in unclean environments. The big ones just appear usually in the summer and are a part of living in the south. Even though we don't like them we are pretty used to them.

I am a pretty sensative and tactful male and I have to admit I quite possibly would have reacted the same way as the CM did.

#1 It is not that big of a deal in the south and is not a hugely negative reflection on the quality of the accomodations and #2 Sometimes humor is the best way to handle an uncomfortable situation. Would it have been better if he had said "Oh My Gosh you poor thing!! We must relocate you immediately and have the entire room fumigated at once." He probabally made the joke because he thought it was humorous that someone would actually bring a bug to the front desk.

I go to my Minnesota relatives to visit and am amazed that they can live with mousquitos the size of a canada goose. But if I was staying at a hotel there and captured a really big one and took it to the front desk they would likely snicker too.

So, yes I can understand that it is unpleasant but that kind of bug goes with the region and given that I would say that you did overreact a little.

 

[melindaandrob]

Bugs Happen.

 

[Pammy_from_WI]

Floridafam- I did the same thing, just before clicking I was say please don't say AKL, please don't say AKL. LOL

I loved in North Miami Beach and I can tell you we had terrible problems with roaches. No matter what we did, they always came back. Being from WI it took a long time to get use to them. We had two kinds, the American ones aka German ones, huge suckers. Then we had Asian ones that flew and are NOT afraid of people. I'd be sitting there doing homework and they'd crawl right across my lap. YUCK!!!!

After, sort of getting use to them and then moving back to WI, I can now say I hate those things, worse then any other type of bug. If you knew what I've since learned about them, you'd wish you had spiders in your house verse roaches.

I'm really hoping we don't see any. I know they are just apart of being in the south, but man o man keep them out of my room!!!!

Pammy

 

[caitycaity]

growing up in upstate ny, i had never seen a roach either...until i moved to dc. they are everywhere down here, especially in the summer months! i don't like them either, but i guess you learn to live with them here.

 

[ducklite]

We had one of the small American ones in our room at the YC. DH had draped a pair of slacks over the top of a suitcase. I picked them up and there is was. GROSS.

Anne

 

[phamton]

Originally posted by Pammy_from_WI
We had two kinds, the American ones aka German ones, huge suckers. Then we had Asian ones that flew and are NOT afraid of people. I'd be sitting there doing homework and they'd crawl right across my lap. YUCK!!!!

The American cockroach and German are two different kinds. The German are the little ones that live in houses and are almost impossible to get rid of. American cockroaches (palmetto bug) are huge, can fly, and mostly live outside. The Oriental cockroaches are also called water bugs. For pictures see: http://www.fagerlund.addr.com/cockroaches.htm After doing a little more researching I found that Floridians call two types of roaches as a palmetto: http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/BODY_IN001

The Brown cockroach, Periplaneta brunnea ( Plate 6 ). This cockroach is almost identical to the American cockroach in appearance and is about 1-1/4" long as an adult. It is reddish-brown. The cerci at the tip of the abdomen are stubby, whereas the American cockroach has long, thin cerci. The brown cockroach is found outdoors. It readily enters houses and is often called a palmetto bug.

Florida woods cockroach, Eurycotis floridana It is 1-1/2" to 1-3/4" long as an adult and is often called the stinking cockroach because it produces a foul-smelling fluid to protect it from predation. It is dark-reddish-brown to black. The nymphs have broad yellow bands on the top of the thorax. This cockroach is commonly found in leaf mulch, wood piles and under rotting logs. It is often called a palmetto bug.

It also said that the Oriental cockroach (Blatta orientalis) is not commonly found in Florida. It is about 1" long as an adult. It is shiny black and has no distinctive markings. The male has wings that cover only about three-fourths of the abdomen; the female has only wing pads or lobes. It is usually found in damp basements, sewers and crawl spaces beneath houses.