Keep your stuff safe!!!

[Boardwalker]

OK .. being a newbie to DVC, how large are the safes in the rooms and what can you put in it?

Not very big...
I am sure someone will know the exact dimensions (that amazes me about the great people on these boards... they can find out anything you need to know)... but it isn't much bigger than your welcome home folder... and about four or five inches deep?

And I like the idea of a locking drawer because someone walking off with your locked suitcase full of your bigger valuables won't raise an eyebrow. People are in the hall with luggage all the time. But if they tried to walk off with the amoire.....

 

[capecoddisneyfamily]

We had a similiar situation where an envolope in our room disappeared after the day mousekeeping came. It was short money about $120.00 and our return pass for magic express. What bothered us was it was our DS4 and DD 2 money they saved for a year in their piggy banks. My DH left it out (being a cop you think he would have locked it up). Dh went to front desk to report it and spoke to security. That was it, no follow up call or no appologies. That part irratated us more! This was at SSR in December

 

[capecoddisneyfamily]

Also when we were in AKL a CM knocked and asked if she count our throw pillows DH found that very weird and said NO.

 

[ADP]

Sorry to hear what happened OP.

With the cost of everything going up crime is on the rise. People who were just able to get by a few years ago can no longer just get by. They have to make choices to feed and shelter their families. Some will choose to turn to stealing from others and other crimes to get a little extra money so they can make ends meet.

I think we all know crime is up everywhere in the country; even at Walt Disney World. Be aware, be cautious and protect your belongings.

 

[LSchrow]

OP~ i hope you had a great time, nonetheless.

personally, we carry very little cash anywhere. aside from credit cards, i put our "spending money" on disney GCs which are either locked in the safe, or on me at all times. we keep a copy of the back of the card (with pin scratched off), in a seperate spot.

thank you for letting us know your experience ~ hopefully, it'll make everymore a little more vigilant.

 

[Luigi's Girl]

The theft issue is one thing, but the idea that Disney CMs are entering DVC rooms un-announced and un-scheduled is actually much more unsettling to me.

I agree. Reading that in the OP's post stuck out like a sore thumb to me.

 

[Olaf]

This is a great setup for undercover reporters to put some cameras and catch those thiefs redhanded.

You know, that is not a bad idea. I'd say contact a show like 20/20, but I think they're ABC and probably wouldn't be interested in exposing something like that at Disney.

 

[TiffanyW1]

I am so sorry
When we went to the Wilderness Lodge Villas last year, housekeeping helped themselves to cans of soda from our fridge.
Now that does not even compare to your mother's loss, but it is the principal of the thing. It was our first DVC trip, and we felt violated and wondering what else they had gone through (we lock up cash, cards, tickets, & cameras in the safe ever since our Mexico trip). We told the front deck what had happened & they did send a huge basket of goodies to our room.
Again, it doesn't compare to what you went through, but at least someone seemed to care.
I have since seen reports here about missing items from rooms & even cars being broken into.
Not very magical Where is the security??

 

[eliza61]

I'm sure disney has some type of security but as others said, without proof it's really hard to prove.

Op, thank you for sharing the story. I have to admit that some times the pixie dust gets wedged some where between my ears and refuses to budge. I have done some bone-headed things when I'm on vacation, which is really ironic since I'm originally from NYC, the capital of 12 locks on a door. We all need a "safety" kick in the pants once in awhile

 

[photobob]

I, at my wife's insistance, still make sure we put our extra cash in the safe and take the key with us when we leave the room even at DVC when there isn't supposed to be anyone cleaning the rooms. After reading this posts I'm going to pay even more attention to it.

 

[rogerram]

I would have also called the "real" police. I'm sure Disney does not want to deal with them and much rather use the controllable security force they employ, but that is too bad as a crime was committed. I also would not let anyone in the room, unless I called for them. This includes anyone doing any cleaning on a day they are not supposed to be there.

 

[Dano1182]

I have noticed a few times that the doors do not always close tight.WHen leaving your room always may sure that the door is locked.
WDW is not excempt from crime.
While DIsney is a very safe place you never know who is staying next to you.
It is easy to blame Mouskeeping and in this case maybe they are the culprit.
But burglaries of hotel rooms are very common.
We may not want to admit it but a certian type of crimminal is attractted to places like disney.
That is why they have security.

 

[twotoohappy]

We always keep the "do not disturb" sign on the door.
T&T day if we're around we let them in, if not, we do the
trash ourselves and call down to mousekeeping for towels.
No problems. We always use the safe also.

 

[Desnik]

We do the same thing. Leave the Do Not Disturb sign on the door at all times. At SSR they usually leave the basket of extra linens and stuff at the door. I can handle throwing out my own garbage and I do not like the idea of people in my room when we are not there. We always use the safe even though it is so small! For those who lock up their valuables in an owners locker(isn't this just a bin?) or in your suitcase, don't you think a thief could easily walk out with the whole thing?

I think it's creepy that staff can so easily come in and out of our rooms!

To the OP I'm really sorry this happened to your parents, but even in WDW you can never be too careful. Never leave cash around like that.

 

[Chuck S]

I'm pretty sure a criminal could open most of the connecting doors in lockoff units, so there is no record of entry. Then all they have to do is relock the conecting door and exit through the key card door, and probably without a trace record of it being opened from the inside. Always lock up valuables.

 

[starbox]

Another possibility - I've been given occupied rooms by Disney twice. I'm always so freaked out that I get out QUICK as soon a I see other people's stuff. I also went to the right room in the wrong building once and my key opened the door! Yikes!!

Honestly, I usually don't remember my actual room number and end up guessing. (I know that's baaaaaad)

Luckily, I've never seen an actual person.

I know that most apartments/dorms only have a few different locks that they rotate. I wonder if each Disney lock is unique or if they cycle through a given number of combinations (explaining why I've opened the wrong door).

To the OP - I'm so sorry about the theft. It is such a violation to have things stolen and it just makes you feel icky. I don't think it had to be a Disney employee though. It could have been a guest.

 

[AKLFan3]

Another possibility - I've been given occupied rooms by Disney twice. I'm always so freaked out that I get out QUICK as soon a I see other people's stuff. I also went to the right room in the wrong building once and my key opened the door! Yikes!!

Oh my! I don't know anything about hotel room locks, but this is definitely disturbing.

I wish that the wall safes were larger. I don't know if the safes are a different size in each hotel, but the safes at AKL seemed to be much larger than the safes at OKW, IMO.

 

[CarolRN]

Last year maintenance entered our room to change out blown light bulbs and I guess didn't pull the door shut good. We had been having trouble with our door not closing properly but didn't report it. Anyway, we came back from dinner and noticed our girls 2 Pal Mickeys missing. They had been sitting on the little shelf just under the mirror as you enter the studio at BWV. We called the front desk and the hotel manager and security manager both came up. The read the key entry to find out who had been there and apologized and told us to take an inventory of the room and anything missing to bring him, the hotel manager, the receipt and he would refund the money. We told him all of our money was locked up. When we found out it was just the 2 Pal Mickeys we replaced them at the hotel and sure enough he took them off our room charge and sent up balloons and signed pictures of our daughters favorite characters.

Sorry about your mothers money but I believe Disney does care but is not exempt to crime. We always utilize the safe even for cell phones and will be using the owners locker for the first time this summer and plan to bring adn lock up the laptop in it.

 

[photobob]

I always use a cable lock on my laptop as well..

 

[cc1075]

Just a small tip - - if you hang the "do not disturb" sign on your door - - an employee can not enter your room.

Better to be safe than sorry - - use the safe and use the sign!!