mousekeeping

[the who #3]

has anyone noticed a decline in the quality of mousekeeping?

in the last two and a half yrs (7 trips and 3 resorts) i have been given dirty and smelly rooms, rooms with dirty towels, rooms with telephones not working more than once and unable to get anything done about it. also, cms who complained when we asked that the dirty sheets (on the bed when we checked in) and with items between the sheets.

i never ask for extra service but would like the room to be clean and operational when i arrive. i also leave a decent tip when checking out.
the phone situation was really bad and no one attempted to fix it.

i love disney and my dvc and will never stop making those wonderful trips, but began to wonder if someone who works at disney had a grudge against me!!!!

 

[JustTinking]

We noticed a decline in service about 2 years back. We had light fixtures not working, computer outlets not working, and took 3 or 4 calls to get a service guy out. Very UN Disney. At the time I had heard that Disney was laying off, due to the bad economy, so I attributed it to that. Same trip I was also disappointed in the upkeep of Hollywood Studios (everything looked old and tired, including the cast members), and the lack of courtesy and professionalism at the park.

Of course I gave Disney my feedback at the time.

I am happy to report that the last two times we were at Disney, (last month and May of 2012) the service and upkeep had returned to what I was expecting. Our room was clean and in working order, staff were very helpful, and service calls were answered promptly. I will say however, that the hallways in SSR over in Congress Park looked like they needed painting. The older sections are probably at the point of needing a freshening up.

 

[pieface]

No complaints rooms always clean and staff always helpful. Been to Disney 51 times since 1972 never a problem.

 

[DVC SSR Owner]

BCV only had a surface cleaning if that. Way overdue for a deep clean!!

 

[disneynutz]

The more often you check in, the more problems that you will see.

I always notify Mousekeeping or Maintenance, the duty resort Manager and the DVC Satisfaction Team when we have issues.

Each group is like a separate business, Mousekeeping looks out for their own so you need to notify the resort of the problem so they can be held accountable.

Bill

 

[Chuck S]

My recent stay at OKW was just fine. My studio was very clean, and when one of the lights started to flicker (you know how those compact fluorescent bulbs do) I just flagged down a guy from maintance, as I saw his cart parked in the parking area of my building, and it was fixed...presto.

I did have a bad phone a couple of years ago at OKW, the cord from the table unit to the handset was bad. It was fixed, replaced with a brand new phone, after one call.

So no complaints here.

 

[drusba]

I can't say it is any worse than it has been for several years. I have never had that dirty and smelly room experience (and hope I never do). We have discovered different, fairly minor problems upon arrival for the majority of our trips in the last several years, such as light bulbs out, closet door off the hinge, air conditioner making loud noise, sink not draining, bathroom fan not working and others, that needed to be fixed and, fortunately, they were all timely fixed when we reported them, although we often wondered why nobody notices such things when cleaning the room and gets them fixed before we arrive (e.g., once we arrived and the light bulbs to every table and standing lamp in the 2BR lock-off and the overhead light in the master bath were out; you would think they would have noticed at least one of them or that the prior tenant would have reported at least one of them). We have also experienced some cleaning issues while there at times, such as on our full cleaning day (staying more than 8 nights) at BWV a couple years back, we came back at night and found the vacuum in the living room, the full trash bags taken out of the cans but just left sitting near the kitchen area, and only one of the two bedrooms having the beds made; it was if the CM came, did half the room, went to lunch, and never came back.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

.....such as on our full cleaning day (staying more than 8 nights) at BWV a couple years back, we came back at night and found the vacuum in the living room, the full trash bags taken out of the cans but just left sitting near the kitchen area, and only one of the two bedrooms having the beds made; it was if the CM came, did half the room, went to lunch, and never came back.

That is just funny!!!

We have found items that needed repair or replacing at SSR, BWV and VWL but it's been a one call and done sort of thing. On one stay at BWV we could not get the oven unlocked (the cleaning cycle had been run before our arrival) and maintenance came out quickly at 7-8pm at night without a problem. They also fixed a drippy tub filler in another room. SSR fixed a loose outlet that no longer worked and VWL quickly replaced a non-working tv remote.

I find cleaning itself to be hit and miss at any location even outside WDW. I did have some amusement on our May stay at AKV concierge. After the first day I found housekeeping had placed a bobby pin and a rubber band up on the lamp table in the living room. Only thing was - they weren't ours! So - someone finally hit the cleaning. It just didn't happen immediately before our stay.

 

[spruce]

During our 2 trash and towel days last week, they just left the new towels in a pile on a table. They used to hang them up. This was at both okw and bcv.

 

[the who #3]

my incident with the telephones was for a 4 night stay at akl jambo house last december. maintenance did not come at all until after we left.

bwv left us with a kitchen sink leak that ran into the floor for a 5 night stay. we were told by housekeeping that it had been reported by the last people in that 1 br, and had been reported to maintenance by housekeeping. we took everything out from under the sink and used all of our towels to keep the water from going everywhere.

at blt christmas week in a 2br we had no heat during a rare cold week for fla with snow in northern fla. asked for help no help came until the day before we checked out and we were there for the full week of christmas. by the way wdw is extra special at christmas.

we have been visiting wdw 2 to 4 times a yr for the last 10 yrs and never had these things happen until recently. i can handle it and still enjoy my trips, but wonder what is wrong in the most beautiful fun place in the world. i guess it is just a normal work place for disney employees and those things can happen. i do not feel anger toward them and would not want to interfere with their employment. i just don't want to feel like i am a burden to them when i ask for help with the problems and hate to complain.

we do not own at bwv but find it to be extremely welcoming and normally perfect.

 

[disneynutz]

During our 2 trash and towel days last week, they just left the new towels in a pile on a table. They used to hang them up. This was at both okw and bcv.

Seems to be a common problem. At SSR they didn't even enter the room, they just left fresh supplies in a basket outside the door. The next day we just took what we needed from the basket and called Mousekeeping to let them know that we were not serviced properly.

Bill

 

[Chuck S]

Seems to be a common problem. At SSR they didn't even enter the room, they just left fresh supplies in a basket outside the door. The next day we just took what we needed from the basket and called Mousekeeping to let them know that we were not serviced properly.

Bill

Just as a note, they also use the baskets at OKW. One member of the housekeeping team places the baskets outside whatever units are supposed to be serviced that day, and then the assigned housekeeper is responsible for for servicing the units.

Now, if you return from the parks before 5pm, and the basket is still outside the door, it may mean that the housekeeper has just not gotten to your unit yet. But, if it is later than that or if the basket stayed there overnight with no service, you were skipped and should have call housekeeping to receive your service properly. The biggest problem I've had with the baskets is other guests helping themselves to the contents, and then I didn't receive service as I should have.I then called and explained the situation and received proper housekeeping service.

I also returned early from the parks one day, and the basket was still outside my room...I waited for the housekeeper with the door unlocked so she could enter, but then the basket was removed and the housekeeper left. I immediately called housekeeping and they sent someone to service the room. There are a few housekeepers that underperform their assigned duties, but I find that the vast majority take their jobs seriously and do exactly what they are supposed to do.

 

[the who #3]

i am ok with the baskets for towels/soap/shampoo/coffee and like items. i can even take my own trash out if needed.

i have had times when i asked for a repair and it was done within a few minutes. a member of mousekeeping even offered to charge my phone for me. now that was really special.

 

[happyann79]

I have always had the problem of towels being left in piles. Very lazy.

 

[LSchrow]

it was if the CM came, did half the room, went to lunch, and never came back.

at the very least, (s)he should have brought sandwiches back to share

there has been been a curve in housekeeping:
when we stared going (long before DVC), there appeared to be many more CMs per guest, both resorts and parks were smaller and cleaner - never, ever litter laying on the ground.

and the people came WDW grew, added parks, resorts, DVC, and a workforce with many more divisions of responsibility.
the downward curve of maintenance/housekeeping started. guests complained, resorts looked worn, parks had actual litter (not as bad as say....six flags, but not the pristine they wanted to be known for). we had unresolved (fairly minor) issues on various vacations at different DVCs (where neither maint nor HK ever showed up, despite repeated calls): skipped HKing days, leaking faucets, ant invasion, burnt lightbulbs, malfunctioning fixtures, etc.
about 3 years ago, it seems the upward curve started: a single call to maint fixed an non-flushing toilet in under an hour (and they sent a fruit basket to our room), missed HKing is rare (and when it did happen, one call/visit to the FD and it was done ),
now, you will always see some maintenance being done while at a resort (or in park): hallway carpets being cleaned, outside being power-washed, painting (love those stitch "wet paint" signs, btw), mowing, etc

we still find an occasional item from a previous guest stuck along the carpet's edge, but it appears the different divisions are communicating better and listening to guests - with a marked improvement in cleanliness & maintenance. (to note: the buses on the EPCOT resorts loop have been notorious for long waits. in past few years, a CM was posted at the BW busstop - we haven't waited more than 10-15 minutes to go to MK or AK. the BW parking problems have also been addressed: guards direct non-resort guests to self or valet park, poles were erected to help prevent "sneaking in", and another guard mans the one lot entrance, checking room keys & IDs during busy times).

hopefully, they will continue the upward spiral, keep adding staffing as needed, monitoring potential as well as current issues, and taking the proper actions when there is a valid complaint.