No clock available from housekeeping

[delilah]

I wish they would remove the phones from the rooms. Usually, I unplug the phone as soon as I arrive, because I have been in rooms in which the phone rang randomly at 2 am. Anybody I would want to talk to while on vacation has my cell phone number. I guess the only purpose for the room phone is for housekeeping to sign in when they finish with a room.

 

[Dean]

I wish they would remove the phones from the rooms. Usually, I unplug the phone as soon as I arrive, because I have been in rooms in which the phone rang randomly at 2 am. Anybody I would want to talk to while on vacation has my cell phone number. I guess the only purpose for the room phone is for housekeeping to sign in when they finish with a room.

A phone is a little more vital and a certain % might have a phone but not have local service included. I could see a contact card and no phone but I don't think that's the best option. Plus when systems are down, cell phones may go down far more that landlines. We saw this with Katrina where much of the SE had no cell service even if hundreds of miles away from the actual Hurricane area.

 

[delilah]

I was being a bit facetious with my statement. Of course, I know a phone might be important in a case of emergency. However, I think it's been over 20 years since I used a phone in a hotel room, and I do travel for business-related reasons as well as vacation. My cell phone provider has all free phone calls and text, local or long distance. It was not at Disney, but one hotel I stayed at for business appeared to have a ghost in the phone line. It would ring once, and there would be nobody on the line. I think there was a short in it. The phone was on the desk, I was having to get up while sleeping to answer it. So, I just unplugged it. I figured if somebody really needed to reach me they could come to the door if from the hotel.

 

[LisaS]

The phone was on the desk, I was having to get up while sleeping to answer it.

Good news -- according to a report on our local news, hotels will be removing desks from the rooms so that may solve your problem in that they will have to put that phone someplace else, perhaps closer to the bed. Apparently, millenials traveling on business prefer to take their laptop/tablet to some common area in the hotel (the bar or a seating area in the lobby) rather than sit at a desk in their room. So hotels are planning to remove the desks from the rooms. I am not making this up. The report did not say what, if anything, will be put in the room instead of a desk.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

Good news -- according to a report on our local news, hotels will be removing desks from the rooms so that may solve your problem in that they will have to put that phone someplace else, perhaps closer to the bed. Apparently, millenials traveling on business prefer to take their laptop/tablet to some common area in the hotel (the bar or a seating area in the lobby) rather than sit at a desk in their room. So hotels are planning to remove the desks from the rooms. I am not making this up. The report did not say what, if anything, will be put in the room instead of a desk.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

I was being a bit facetious with my statement. Of course, I know a phone might be important in a case of emergency. However, I think it's been over 20 years since I used a phone in a hotel room, and I do travel for business-related reasons as well as vacation. My cell phone provider has all free phone calls and text, local or long distance. It was not at Disney, but one hotel I stayed at for business appeared to have a ghost in the phone line. It would ring once, and there would be nobody on the line. I think there was a short in it. The phone was on the desk, I was having to get up while sleeping to answer it. So, I just unplugged it. I figured if somebody really needed to reach me they could come to the door if from the hotel.

It's rare that I don't use a hotel phone for internal contact be it bell service, housekeeping or maintenance or perhaps dining or spa.

 

[Judique]

It's rare that I don't use a hotel phone for internal contact be it bell service, housekeeping or maintenance or perhaps dining or spa.

Same here.

 

[Dean]

I was being a bit facetious with my statement. Of course, I know a phone might be important in a case of emergency. However, I think it's been over 20 years since I used a phone in a hotel room, and I do travel for business-related reasons as well as vacation. My cell phone provider has all free phone calls and text, local or long distance. It was not at Disney, but one hotel I stayed at for business appeared to have a ghost in the phone line. It would ring once, and there would be nobody on the line. I think there was a short in it. The phone was on the desk, I was having to get up while sleeping to answer it. So, I just unplugged it. I figured if somebody really needed to reach me they could come to the door if from the hotel.

I get both sides. In reality it rarely is a need and with a consistent contact card with good numbers it'd only be a need where one didn't have a functioning cell phone that was free or close to it. Basically a % of those from out of the country. In reality, with a good and easily locatable number list, there would likely be less people needing to have a phone in the room than a clock, both extremely small. And the reality is that the safety issue might not be actually applicable if they have a VOIP based system, the phone might not work if their internet were down or the power was out anyway.

Talk to people at say Westgate resorts where they are often truly harassed by the sales staff by the phone, knocks on the door and the like. As one internet regular on TUG has in their signature referring to Westgate "if you want the worst we're the best".

 

[Novakm]

I'll throw my 02 in. I'm a frequent traveler. For years I spent 50% of my time sleeping in hotel rooms. I NEVER used the radio or alarm functions. I used the tv for music and wake up call if needed. Never trusted my ability to correctly set an alarm on a clock I have never used before.

I ALWAYS used the clock to see if it's morning or middle of night.

A wall clock with glow in the dark dial would be awesome. But they would need to change batteries once a year.

 

[smidgy]

nope not true. hubby has no cell phone. I have a flip phone for emergencies only.

 

[smidgy]

That won't be an excuse. It is very rare that there is no adult in the room that does not have a cell phone. That cell phone has an alarm clock built in.

This reminds me, our math teachers used to tell us that we won't always have a calculator with house. Boy, were they wrong!

As I said, it is rare not unheard of.

nope NOT rare at all!

 

[Minniesgal]

I wish they would remove the phones from the rooms. Usually, I unplug the phone as soon as I arrive, because I have been in rooms in which the phone rang randomly at 2 am. Anybody I would want to talk to while on vacation has my cell phone number. I guess the only purpose for the room phone is for housekeeping to sign in when they finish with a room.

I actually refuse to use Hotels that remove phones from the rooms. How do you call rooms service, front desk, bell services without a phone in the room?

I have stayed at a hotel before where housekeeping forgot to leave towels and I didm;t notice until i was in the shower. Pretty happy to have a phone to call for towels as I didn't want to send the kids to the front desk

 

[smidgy]

I do not have a smart phone. don't need one. even if I did, I want to peek up from my bed with one eye open to see the time. i want to use the phone to call housekeeping, maintainence. and I want to put the radio betweenchannels for the white noise.
it you don't like the clock, simply unplug it and move it to the floor or have housekeeping remove it.
I also like to use the alarm becuase when I use the wake up call it's too com;icatied to change it a half hour before (like the snooze alarm) pleas bring bakc the radio alarm clocks!

 

[Dean]

nope NOT rare at all!

Actually it is rare. If you look at survey's, over 90% of all adults own cell phones and about 65% smart phones. If you also look at combined incomes of $50K or greater it's 98-99%. The chances of there being no one who owns a cell phone in a given DVC room is about as close to zero as one can get and the chances that every adult will have a cell phone appears to be 2% or less.

I actually refuse to use Hotels that remove phones from the rooms. How do you call rooms service, front desk, bell services without a phone in the room?

I have stayed at a hotel before where housekeeping forgot to leave towels and I didm;t notice until i was in the shower. Pretty happy to have a phone to call for towels as I didn't want to send the kids to the front desk

But all they've got to do in that situation is post a plaque with appropriate numbers and it covers all of the concerns. I personally think it's better to leave the cells phones and that they are a more vital option than the clock even though the % of those who would need them given the requisites I've stated is actually much less for the phone than the clock.

 

[Minniesgal]

Actually it is rare. If you look at survey's, over 90% of all adults own cell phones and about 65% smart phones. If you also look at combined incomes of $50K or greater it's 98-99%. The chances of there being no one who owns a cell phone in a given DVC room is about as close to zero as one can get and the chances that every adult will have a cell phone appears to be 2% or less.

But all they've got to do in that situation is post a plaque with appropriate numbers and it covers all of the concerns. I personally think it's better to leave the cells phones and that they are a more vital option than the clock even though the % of those who would need them given the requisites I've stated is actually much less for the phone than the clock.

Not for foreign visitors. Somewhere like WDW which attracts guests from all over the world needs to provide internal phones.

 

[Dean]

Not for foreign visitors. Somewhere like WDW which attracts guests from all over the world needs to provide internal phones.

It may be lower, I don't have any way of knowing but I'd suspect it's still rare that they don't have a cell phone. Obviously the cost option is an issue just like when traveling anywhere. However for a timeshare where one travels routinely I suspect most come up with a workable option just like those from the US do when they travel abroad.

 

[disneynutz]

E911 is more reliable with a landline, trying to determine a callers location on a cell phone can be hit or more often a miss. Cell phone location requires that the user has the correct options set to on, that the cell sites and cell carrier have the correct software and hardware.

Bill

 

[chicagoshannon]

I guess I'll be asking for a clock when I check into BWV next weekend. I need a clock to look at in the middle of the night.

We were in a different time share near Disneyland in early December. It was a three bedroom and one of the bedrooms didn't have a clock. It happened to be the bedroom we were sleeping in. It was awful! Having to pick up the cell phone and swipe it for the time wakes me up way more than a quick glance at a clock.

 

[jekjones1558]

I guess I'll be asking for a clock when I check into BWV next weekend. I need a clock to look at in the middle of the night.

We were in a different time share near Disneyland in early December. It was a three bedroom and one of the bedrooms didn't have a clock. It happened to be the bedroom we were sleeping in. It was awful! Having to pick up the cell phone and swipe it for the time wakes me up way more than a quick glance at a clock.

Would you be able to post back here to verify that you got a clock from housekeeping? We hope to go in March and I would like to know for sure that they are available.

 

[Minniesgal]

It may be lower, I don't have any way of knowing but I'd suspect it's still rare that they don't have a cell phone. Obviously the cost option is an issue just like when traveling anywhere. However for a timeshare where one travels routinely I suspect most come up with a workable option just like those from the US do when they travel abroad.

I leave mine at home when I fly to Orlando because of the cost of making texts and calls. I would only be using it with wifi which i have my iPad for so I don't take it. Most people I know do not travel stateside with a UK mobile due to cost.

It has never occurred to me to investigate getting a local cell phone as if you get a pay as you go you have to keep them topped up and used or they cancel the number and we only go every other year. Plus I like the fact that work can't call me for that 16 night period.