More bedbugs---All Star Sports

[EnnEss]

Plenty of info there as well. All threads should be forwarded to the Disney legal team. They should know how often this is discussed on the DISBoards. Maybe then it will be dealt with effectively.

What an odd thing to say. Do you think they dont care and just let them sit there? Read some of the many threads you referenced, it comes from guests, it could come from you, and you wouldnt even know. There isnt too much they can do without poisoning us too. In order to kill them you have to heat everything to over 100 degrees (celcius). Now, here, condos are being built with whole hot rooms, rooms big enough to fit beds and couches, and you cook them so if you get them you just pop all your stuff in there, you used to have to throw it out as chemicals dont work. You'd be able to put your travel clothes in there too i guess and stop it spreading too.

If it gets bad enough disney could build such things, but it takes just under a day or something awful like that, there's no way you could do it to each guest, this is just something that you have to deal with you. Its not the end of the world. It kind of shows how sheltered most of the people are on these boards and how little travel they do beyond Disney.

 

[EnnEss]

They can and should absolutely do this!! They can't keep people from bringing them in but they can do everything possible to keep the next family from dealing with it. I have sent an email as well, we are going in one month.

It doesnt show up on the mattresses instantly, the signs. The bugs hide inside, so you wouldn't see the signs for a week or so. I bet the people getting bitten are the first to notice it.

I wouldnt want some individual developing a spray to keep them away. No one remember DDT? Or mosquito spray? The stuff used in the 80s is a sever carconigenic for kids and those levels now arent even used for grown ups, its used as a spray over rubber outerwear or clothing for people who want bugs to stay away while in the woods, but not on skin. The level of active ingredient is so much lower. I'll take the bed bug bite over long lasting health effects, the trade off isnt even close. Its no coincidence asthma rates have gone up by 1000s of percents in the last half of the 20th century. If someone did make a spray and applied it without government approval and testing, im pretty certain you'd be criminally and civily liable, thank goodness.

 

[mom2princessj]

It's not just the bites that is concerning its the fact that after you get bit you may end up taking these bugs home with you! While I can appreciate all the people that keep saying there is a low % chance you'll have a room with beg bugs etc do you realize that if you do end up with these creatures and they go home with you how much of a pain in the butt it will be to get them out of your home? Do you realize how costly this will be to get them out? You may have to throw away mattresses, clothes, furniture, toys, etc. It's gross enough to think that bugs will be biting you while sleeping but to think of them coming home with you...well I'm a fairly OCD person about cleaning and bugs in general but to know that I've brought bugs into my home that will be biting my children while they sleep and cost us thousands possibly to get rid of AFTER I've spent a few thousand on my WDW vacation...well that's a little much for me to deal with. Maybe for some of you it's not a big deal to spend the $$ for all of this but I prefer to spend my $$ in other ways...bug free I might add.
What I expect is for disney to inspect the mattress and etc before the sheets are changed. If they find signs of them, report them, close down the room, and get it taken care of. It's better then the alternative. And maybe there are only 4 reports here but do you think everyone that has dealt with bedbugs at WDW is a member of DIS...hardly Many people are reporting they didn't even know what it was until they went home and saw a dr after itching for a week or more. That means by that time since it wasn't reported to Disney plenty of other families could have been infected/infested with these bugs unknowingly. I'll be checking ALL of my hotel rooms for sure. I know it's not just a WDW problem...it's being reported for MANY MANY hotel rooms all across the country and beyond.

 

[Minnie&Nana]

Also...does Disney wash the bedspreads or just the sheets for guest rooms?

Unfortunately no, the bedspreads are not changed between guests. There is a schedule for this, but not between each guest. If you think about it, it's a rare sight to see fresh bagged bedspread with the housekeepers.

We generally pick up the phone as soon as we settle into the room and request new bedspreads. We also check the sheets as we've had sheets with fresh dried blood on a pillowcase (and have read of worse), so we are careful now.

Housekeeping is wonderful and will assist with any reasonable request.

 

[MermaidsMom]

What an odd thing to say. Do you think they dont care and just let them sit there? Read some of the many threads you referenced, it comes from guests, it could come from you, and you wouldnt even know. There isnt too much they can do without poisoning us too. In order to kill them you have to heat everything to over 100 degrees (celcius). Now, here, condos are being built with whole hot rooms, rooms big enough to fit beds and couches, and you cook them so if you get them you just pop all your stuff in there, you used to have to throw it out as chemicals dont work. You'd be able to put your travel clothes in there too i guess and stop it spreading too.

If it gets bad enough disney could build such things, but it takes just under a day or something awful like that, there's no way you could do it to each guest, this is just something that you have to deal with you. Its not the end of the world. It kind of shows how sheltered most of the people are on these boards and how little travel they do beyond Disney.

Thank you very much for your very informed reply. You may refer to another thread: It takes a more serious look at this situation.http://disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1947661http://disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1947661

 

[kaytieeldr]

Does anybody on this thread actually think Disney doesn't have a procedure in place to check for bedbugs regularly? According to at least one post in one of the other current threads, Housekeeping checks EACH room for bedbugs on a biweekly schedule.

If you think that's not frequently enough, well, as someone pointed out earlier on this page, IF (and again, that's a big if) the Guest before you happened to bring in bedbugs, the evidence would tend not to show up for at least a week or so.

Say room 5147 is checked every other Friday. The Guests in that room right now (Thursday) check out in the morning. Housekeeping checks for bedbugs while they're cleaning the room between Guests. The Bedbug Browns check in at 3 PM the same day. They leave on Monday. Unfortunately, the "extra guests" in their luggage, don't. Housekeeping cleans the room and, even though they're not scheduled to do a bedbug check, they don't casually notice any evidence of bugs - because there isn't any, yet.

By the second Friday, when the bedbug check occurs, they DO find some - and take the room out of service.

Now, if you think Disney should be super super super proactive and check each room every ten minutes, let them know.

Maybe if enough people overreact, Disney will speed up their schedule... of checking 27,000 rooms,,, maybe to every day, if that will stop Guests from panicking and staying somewhere else... maybe somewhere that just plain doesn't check for pests at all until someone complains.

 

[mom2princessj]

Wow...I hope you never end up with bedbugs as maybe others are overreacting but if happens to you you'll probably be singing a different tune

 

[MermaidsMom]

Wow...I hope you never end up with bedbugs as maybe others are overreacting but if happens to you you'll probably be singing a different tune

You are absolutely right, it's probably best that everyone worry most of the time about this. Let's start now....or maybe take turns....?

I agree with kaytieeldr, of course WDW has a plan to deal with this and is doing everything they can. Fortunately, the percentage of folks having this happen is very small. It seems the amount of discussion here is way out of proportion to the incidents that actually occur. People need to be cautious but not paranoid. If a trip to WDW caused me the amount of stress some folks are reporting, then I would stay home.

 

[kaytieeldr]

I like the "take turns" suggestion, MermaidsMom! Having several hundred DISers all worried about the same problem all at the same time is a huge waste of energy!

Let's just say, for ease of scheduling, there are 700 DISers concerned about this issue. Even if we divide the week and each just picked a day - the same day every week - to worry about the possibility of being in a hotel room where bedbugs exist, that will allow the other approximately 600 concerned potential Guests to focus their/our energy on worrying about OTHER things!

I'll volunteer for Sundays, if nobody minds that I doze off and on all day. After a few waking hours concentrating on this one issue, I'm sure I'll worry in my dreams as well.

 

[mom2princessj]

we all have phobias...I'm sure the two of you have them and so what if people want to be phobic or vent about bed bugs...its no different than people freaking out about being in small spaces or spiders or whatever. I don't understand why you feel the need to belittle others concerns If it doesn't concern you then enjoy your vacation and don't worry about the people that have phobias about bedbugs. So what you are saying nobody should come and post their bedbug stories now since there is one approx every two weeks? I guess anyone that has a bout with them should keep quiet so we don't freak anyone out??? Its good to be informed, information is power. And while I have a phobia of sleeping on hotel sheets as it is, it does bother me that there are bed bugs. I'll take the proper precautions before entering the room or sleeping in the bed for the night and hope these little creatures don't decide to chomp on me or especially concerning are my kids. I would rather enjoy my time for the money I'm paying to go to WDW then get eaten by a bunch of nasty bugs. That being said if my kids get eaten by them I highly doubt that our time will be magical since they are 6 and 4
I'm glad there are people out there that this doesn't bother but for those that it does bother I see no reason why they are belittled for their fears. We all have phobias or fears and usually it doesn't stop everyday life so I highly doubt venting about bedbugs is going to stop anyone's vacation

 

[hygienejean]

So sorry to hear about this latest encounter. I've been extremely vocal on another thread about bed bugs at POR. I'm advocating contacting Disney via this link: https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/wdw/contact/contactUs?id=ContactUsPage to voice our collective concerns on this issue. In fact, it's been 5 days since I sent an email to Disney regarding the bed bug problem at POR and I have yet to receive a reply. I stated that I'm concerned about my upcoming visit.

And, I'm also advocating a dedicated "Bed Bug Report" thread to list encounters at each resort by building and room so that we, as DIS'ers, can check activity at our favorite resorts prior to our visits!

Do you think a dedicated thread would be useful? If so, let me know. If I get enough responses from concerned DIS'ers, I'd be willing to work with the MODs talk about a sticky on this topic.

Thanks!!

Yes ITA!!! LMK when and where the report is posted

 

[shaeJB]

I feel sort of odd posting such a long response but I feel I need to respond to quite a few things.

Does anybody on this thread actually think Disney doesn't have a procedure in place to check for bedbugs regularly?

I know they do, but people still end up getting bit and possibly having their property destroyed, so it still isn't good enough. I'm certainly not blaming Disney nor am I saying that this is solely their problem, but I would think that they'd want to put in an extra effort to protect their "magical" reputation.

I'd rather have a bug bite (not that I want begbug to travel with me home) then be covered in chemicals.

I'm sure they're NOT having to close down "a lot" of rooms. This is what, the fourth current report of bedbugs? Out of 27,000 rooms?

And, frankly, why is it DISNEY'S responsibility to come up with a real way of preventing and killing the bugs??? Disney didn't invent bedbugs, they didn't create them, they don't breed them, they're FAR from the only company affected by them - see the recent stories about bedbugs in college dorms. Wouldn't it make more sense for SCIENTISTS, specifically entomologists, to discover/create ways to prevent/kill bedbugs??????????
Why? Why would I want a company to proactively spray my hotel room on the one in 27,000 chance that there may be some annoying but harmless bugs in there that may leave some some small itchy welts on me? See my response above. I do think it's unreasonable to expect a commercial business prevalent in the hospitality and entertainment industries to now ALSO be responsible for scientific research.

Well, according to one family effected, they close down the rooms for six weeks. Six weeks is a long time, and a lot of money lost. Plus, other posters have spotted several room windows covered in paper, presumably for fumigation (although, it can’t be proven if that was the case, one way or another)

And while I don’t think it’s Disney’s responsibility to solve the issue, I absolutely think they should do their part. Disney has scientists (including entomologists) on staff that work on things that have little or nothing to do with the hospitality business so, in my opinion, I really don’t think it’s unreasonable.

And I didn’t mean to have the chemical thing taken so literally, that was my mistake.

That being said, I have minor panic attacks if a bugs so much as flys near me, and I’m very sensitive to bug bites of any kind. So for me, the slightest possibility of bed bugs is a big deal.
But really, it’s ok. We can agree to disagree.

I wouldnt want some individual developing a spray to keep them away. No one remember DDT? Or mosquito spray? The stuff used in the 80s is a sever carconigenic for kids and those levels now arent even used for grown ups, its used as a spray over rubber outerwear or clothing for people who want bugs to stay away while in the woods, but not on skin. The level of active ingredient is so much lower. I'll take the bed bug bite over long lasting health effects, the trade off isnt even close. Its no coincidence asthma rates have gone up by 1000s of percents in the last half of the 20th century. If someone did make a spray and applied it without government approval and testing, im pretty certain you'd be criminally and civily liable, thank goodness.

I’m not sure who mentioned anything about someone creating their own formula, and using it in a hotel room without testing and approval – but I completely agree, I wouldn’t want someone to do that either. I also missed the post about bringing spraying dangerous chemicals without any rhyme or reason. If you meant mine, than I really didn’t mean it that way at all. I had an uncle die from chemical poisoning (I'm pretty sure it was DDT), and while working in animal shelter, I have seen numerous animals die of “harmless” mosquito bites. It’s a balance, and that’s all I can say.

In order to kill them you have to heat everything to over 100 degrees (celcius). Now, here, condos are being built with whole hot rooms, rooms big enough to fit beds and couches, and you cook them so if you get them you just pop all your stuff in there, you used to have to throw it out as chemicals dont work. You'd be able to put your travel clothes in there too i guess and stop it spreading too.

If it gets bad enough disney could build such things, but it takes just under a day or something awful like that, there's no way you could do it to each guest, this is just something that you have to deal with you. Its not the end of the world. It kind of shows how sheltered most of the people are on these boards and how little travel they do beyond Disney.

I have never heard of such rooms, but now I absolutely think that Disney should invest in building them and I have to wonder why they haven’t done it before. This would be a perfect solution, and I honestly think it would pay for itself in no time. And that last part was uncalled for. Perhaps you don't have any phobias of your own, but for me the smallest chance of sleeping on a bug infested mattress is like fear factor x50.
But once again, we can agree to disagree.

 

[darlak]

Given the number of reports here lately about bedbugs, I don’t think it’s fair to generalize people’s concerns as panic. It would actually seem to be a reasonable reaction to what is rapidly beginning to look like a very realistic concern.

Canceling a trip would be an overreaction in my opinion. Learning how to do a quick check of your room before settling seems completely reasonable to me. If doing so gives visitors a measure of assurance that they may be at least a bit safer from the little critters, then why should they not do that?

Yes, it may well be that the infestation in their room has not been there long enough to be completely evident, but at least they will be somewhat assured that there isn’t an active, mature infestation.

There was a time, not so many years ago, when travelers routinely checked their hotel rooms for bedbugs before settling in. People accepted it as routine and even wise to do so. As there seems to be some credible research that there is a resurgence of this problem, we may well be approaching a time when “bedbug checks” will become commonplace again.

 

[kaytieeldr]

So what you are saying nobody should come and post their bedbug stories now since there is one approx every two weeks

No, I don't think that's what we're saying (although I don't know Mermaid's Mom, so can't speak for her).

With all the things to worry about in today's world... seriously, how does it help if 700 people focus on worrying about ONE thing? Does it make that thing better? Does it make it go away? Does it cure it? Probably not. But if we have 100 people worry about bedbugs on Sunday, and 100 different people worry about them Monday... etc. That frees up 600 people to worry about OTHER issues OTHER days.

Is truly ALL I'm saying.

I would rather enjoy my time for the money I'm paying to go to WDW then get eaten by a bunch of nasty bugs. That being said if my kids get eaten by them I highly doubt that our time will be magical

"Eaten" is a little drastic - just my opinion, and of course I don't want your kids to get bitten. But really really really, I would not be surprised at all if there are more ACTIVE/CURRENT threads on the DIS right now about bedbugs than there are rooms with bedbugs in them at Disney.

Well, according to one family effected, they close down the rooms for six weeks. Six weeks is a long time, and a lot of money lost. Plus, other posters have spotted several room windows covered in paper, presumably for fumigation (although, it can’t be proven if that was the case, one way or another)

You know, I would think not. What would be the point of papering over the windows? Fumigation (except possibly while actively occurring) isn't visible; closing the curtains would prevent "anyone" from seeing "anything" Disney doesn't want them to see. No, I think those windows are paper-covered for some other reason.

Given the number of reports here lately about bedbugs,

While I've seen several threads about bedbugs on various boards here, unless I'm blocking it out it doesn't appear most of those thread are reports of encounters, but rather threads started ABOUT bedbugs in general.

 

[BigKids]

lol

 

[smidgy]

So sorry to hear about this latest encounter. I've been extremely vocal on another thread about bed bugs at POR. I'm advocating contacting Disney via this link: https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/wdw/contact/contactUs?id=ContactUsPage to voice our collective concerns on this issue. In fact, it's been 5 days since I sent an email to Disney regarding the bed bug problem at POR and I have yet to receive a reply. I stated that I'm concerned about my upcoming visit.

And, I'm also advocating a dedicated "Bed Bug Report" thread to list encounters at each resort by building and room so that we, as DIS'ers, can check activity at our favorite resorts prior to our visits!

Do you think a dedicated thread would be useful? If so, let me know. If I get enough responses from concerned DIS'ers, I'd be willing to work with the MODs talk about a sticky on this topic.

Thanks!!

wow! I'm so glad you have it all figured out. Disney itself can't figure out how to deal with this 'issue". they need internet chatters to do this FOR them.

I'd rather have a bug bite (not that I want begbug to travel with me home) then be covered in chemicals.

EVERY hotel deals with this. and they ALL have ways to deal with it. and I'll bet DIsney has the BEST way

I like the "take turns" suggestion, MermaidsMom! Having several hundred DISers all worried about the same problem all at the same time is a huge waste of energy!

Let's just say, for ease of scheduling, there are 700 DISers concerned about this issue. Even if we divide the week and each just picked a day - the same day every week - to worry about the possibility of being in a hotel room where bedbugs exist, that will allow the other approximately 600 concerned potential Guests to focus their/our energy on worrying about OTHER things!

I'll volunteer for Sundays, if nobody minds that I doze off and on all day. After a few waking hours concentrating on this one issue, I'm sure I'll worry in my dreams as well.

now... what about Palmetto bugs???! disney IS in the south! I want them to GUARANTEE that I will have NO bugs ruining my vacation! ("I PAID a LOT for this vacation!) oh, yeah... and those pesky anoles (lizards), we don't LIKE reptiles! can you do away with those too? I want a vacation like the old movie Westworld, with Yul Brynner(where NOTHING can go wrong, wrong, wrong.....)

oh yeah!!! I want my money back cause of the love bugs!!!

 

[smidgy]

also, I heard there were problems with people smelling smoke. I want a PERSONAL email telling me what Disney plans to do about that. and I heard there were problems about busses, with ECV/s. send me a personal email about that. actually, can you send me an email guaranteeing that my WHOLE trip will be PERFECT? or else I might cancel. (toungue firmly planted in cheek)

 

[Disneyadore]

I like the "take turns" suggestion, MermaidsMom! Having several hundred DISers all worried about the same problem all at the same time is a huge waste of energy!

Let's just say, for ease of scheduling, there are 700 DISers concerned about this issue. Even if we divide the week and each just picked a day - the same day every week - to worry about the possibility of being in a hotel room where bedbugs exist, that will allow the other approximately 600 concerned potential Guests to focus their/our energy on worrying about OTHER things!

I'll volunteer for Sundays, if nobody minds that I doze off and on all day. After a few waking hours concentrating on this one issue, I'm sure I'll worry in my dreams as well.

I like to volunteer for Friday concern.

Please tell me what the worries are fore that day so I can focus on them

 

[maxiesmom]

Maybe I should write Disney and ask them what they plan on doing IF:

1. They have a tornado
2. There is a hurricane
3. There is a brushfire
4. There is a mouse (other than Mickey) in my room
5. If the people next to me smoke, and I can smell it
6. And on
7. And on
8. And on
9. And on

Come on people! There is an endless list of bad things that could happen to us while we are at a Disney resort. To ask them what they plan on doing if something bad happens doesn't seem helpful. You can't plan for everything! At some point you need to trust that Disney knows what they are doing. After all, it is in their best intests to have happy, healthy guests. If you don't think Disney cares, then I have to ask why you are spending your hard earned money with them?

 

[kaytieeldr]

now... what about Palmetto bugs???!

That's it! Palmetto bugs! I keep blocking out that word - I don't know why! Thanks, smidgy! But, um, since there are not palmetto bug threads, I don't think that's something we need to assign "worry days" to . Yet.