No More Opt-In Mousekeeping?

[DonMacGregor]

"Disney Vacation Club members can no longer request additional housekeeping services during their villa stays. "

Not sure how I feel about this...

https://dvcnews.com/dvc-program/pol...050-optional-housekeeping-services-eliminated

 

[JWG]

I shared this on the DVC Fan page a couple of days ago and I think they deleted it.

I think what is concerning to me is that they can't even keep up with required housekeeping anymore. Rooms are regularly not ready until well after 4pm (we didn't get ours until 5pm back in March and that was only after we asked the front desk and they moved us from our planned room to a different room - which in itself was upsetting because we had checked in at 7am on our way to Animal Kingdom, how can they not prioritize rooms of those already there?), many are reporting not getting their T&T service or full clean, etc.

So, I don't think they have the staff to keep this service going, which is unfortunate because some people want it and will pay for it. It adds to the feeling of declining by degrees which seemingly has accelerated under the guise of a pandemic.

We didn't use it, we don't clean our home every day so we're fine with not getting daily housekeeping, but as an upcharge item it's a nice perk for those who want it. They could easily plan for this simply by allowing you to make the request upfront as part of your online check-in.

 

[kes601]

Unrelated to the housekeeping topic, but piggybacking on your comment about going to AKL to check in and then not having your room until 5p, completely different experience at BLT. I received an email the night before telling me to update my online checkin if we would not be there by our stated time of 8a. I did not update it because we were going to be there shortly after that. On the way from the airport we got a text saying it was not ready — which I didn’t expect it to be. When we arrived we “checked-in” in the lobby. The cast member stated that since we were officially there now they would mark that in the system and prioritize a room as we were no longer in the air or in a car. He also said it was the first night they had been fully booked since Easter. We figured it would be late afternoon before we got a room. About an hour and a half later we got a text saying the room was ready. Seems like it may depend upon resort in how they are handling check in prioritization.

Back to the topic at hand….

If they can’t handle the rooms now with the the additional charged cleanings then I think it is a smart move to drop them. First, the amount they were charging does not seem like it would have been making Disney a lot of money to begin with. Second, it should be a priority to get rooms turned over for new guests vs. spending time cleaning rooms that will remain occupied. Third, it would be nice if they had an automated checkout procedure so that housekeeping could get to rooms that are empty. We leave BLT tomorrow. We are going to checkout early with the hopes of then being able to get into Riviera early. We’ll stop by the front desk on the way to MK to ask them to check us out. It would be far simpler to go into the MDE app and click checkout and I suspect more people would do it.

 

[JWG]

That's why we were so shocked our room wasn't still ready at 5pm and we had to be switched - we physically checked in at the Beach Club to drop off our luggage with Bell Services before heading on to Animal Kingdom - so they knew we were physically there. Yet, they still didn't prioritize our room at all during the day so it could at least be ready at 4pm.

It meant we either had to wait for a room that hadn't been touched yet by 5pm or give up our room request. So, we gave up our room request because after a full day at Animal Kingdom we needed to get cleaned up and ready for our dinner reservation.

 

[kes601]

That’s probably the difference. We told BLT first room available in our room category as oppose to keeping the request we had made.

 

[havoc315]

Hopefully this is temporary due to their staffing issues.
But assuming this is permanent, it's very disappointing.

Simple logic: The less often a room is cleaned, the more it will fall into disrepair. When you're only cleaning the rooms between guest check-ins, you can't expect a thorough enough cleaning to really get everything. That's why we see mold start to build up in DVC bathrooms, find crumbs under counters, etc.

If anything, I'd like to see rooms cleaned more often. Both as policy and as an add-on charge. But the goal should be cleaning rooms more often, not less.

I also get that the logic is, "they are akin to timeshare apartments... people do their own laundry, so it's natural not to have maid service" -- But that ignores the evolution of DVC. Studios have become the dominant form of DVC use. While a studio renter has access to a "free" laundry room, there isn't a washer/dryer in the unit, there isn't a dishwasher. So without at least the option to add more frequent mousekeeping, you're really making it that much more difficult to keep studios clean.

 

[arrrroooooo]

Setting aside the staffing issues for the moment, how flexible have they been with the 4-day/8-day schedule? We don't need daily service but we are cycling different families through for 2 week stay - I had been hoping to schedule the cleanings on day 2 and 6 instead as each new family left/arrived.

Also - is there any alternative like an external maid service? I'm assuming NO, if Disney can't find the staffing, external services can't either.

 

[CarolMN]

I prefer not to have any housekeeping when we are there. Just don't care to have anyone else in the room when we aren't there. Only takes a minute or two to make a bed & we are used to picking up after ourselves. I'm OK if all they do is drop off new towels when that's scheduled

For me, this is one of the more benign changes. Getting extra housekeeping is expensive, IMO. Would only ask for it if we had a "guest change" during our stay.

Wonder how many others feel the same way? Honestly, I don't think it will affect all that many DVC Members.

 

[Brett Wyman]

I shared this on the DVC Fan page a couple of days ago and I think they deleted it.

I think what is concerning to me is that they can't even keep up with required housekeeping anymore. Rooms are regularly not ready until well after 4pm (we didn't get ours until 5pm back in March and that was only after we asked the front desk and they moved us from our planned room to a different room - which in itself was upsetting because we had checked in at 7am on our way to Animal Kingdom, how can they not prioritize rooms of those already there?), many are reporting not getting their T&T service or full clean, etc.

So, I don't think they have the staff to keep this service going, which is unfortunate because some people want it and will pay for it. It adds to the feeling of declining by degrees which seemingly has accelerated under the guise of a pandemic.

We didn't use it, we don't clean our home every day so we're fine with not getting daily housekeeping, but as an upcharge item it's a nice perk for those who want it. They could easily plan for this simply by allowing you to make the request upfront as part of your online check-in.

Its not really a thing that bothers us personally. But the first week of June, 3 nights at CCV bedroom, they never emptied the trash once. Also not a huge deal but something we noticed, our room requests were not only not met, but not even in the ballpark. In the past they at least always got close or similar . I dont think they have the manpower to make an effort to move folks around.

 

[Maistre Gracey]

DVC housekeeping was never a strongpoint anyway.
We usually would find our room pretty poorly cleaned upon check in.
I would rather have them put the manpower into the initial cleaning.

 

[dvcdisney]

DVC housekeeping was never a strongpoint anyway.
We usually would find our room pretty poorly cleaned upon check in.
I would rather have them put the manpower into the initial cleaning.

I agree 100%!

It's the checkin cleaning I'm most concerned about. We do a good job of cleaning after ourselves. It's the people who was there before us, we're not so sure.

 

[DonMacGregor]

DVC housekeeping was never a strongpoint anyway.
We usually would find our room pretty poorly cleaned upon check in.
I would rather have them put the manpower into the initial cleaning.

But I think that begs the question: does a progressive (albeit minor) clean leave the room in a better state for final clean upon checkout? I can imagine a three bedroom villa that has only seen refreshing every fouth day taking a serious amount of time to thoroughly clean before the next members' arrival. Now, granted, the extra cleaning was always an opt-in, and those opting out would leave the room in the same condition regardl;ess, but I'm just curious: if I ask Disney to come in a couple extra times during my stay, and pay them to do so at a price point set to cover their costs, if it doesn't actually make that final clean a little easier and less time consuming. Like anything, the less well-maintained something is, the greater the likelihood that some problem will slip through the cracks.

It would be like a tire shop that (hypothetically) refuses to rotate or re-balance your tires, even if you bought from them, and are willing to pay for it. The personnel are there, the equipment is there, it's part of their normal bread-and-butter, and the customer is willing to pay for it. If the demand exists (and this might be the key), then you can staff accordingly, especially if it is even the smallest of revenue centers.

I still think of the video where Pete goes into the BRV room with his mom, and finds a bag of popcorn (?) left in one of the upper cabinets. From reading a few boards, he's not the only one who's found stuff (I found a used bar of soap not too long ago).

 

[Sandisw]

I prefer not to have any housekeeping when we are there. Just don't care to have anyone else in the room when we aren't there. Only takes a minute or two to make a bed & we are used to picking up after ourselves. I'm OK if all they do is drop off new towels when that's scheduled

For me, this is one of the more benign changes. Getting extra housekeeping is expensive, IMO. Would only ask for it if we had a "guest change" during our stay.

Wonder how many others feel the same way? Honestly, I don't think it will affect all that many DVC Members.

I agree with you. I wonder how many actually paid for it anyway. For me, getting new towels when I need them is all I need or want.

 

[karen4546]

I like to have my room made up when I get back from the parks but it is usually just DH and I - so not too big a deal. We will be in a Tower Studio in October @ Riviera and so all we have to do is put the bed back in the wall....haha

 

[Princess Oma]

I am not a DVC owner- but isn’t this something that was included with your purchases? It seems to more people are “fine” with things that were initially included when you purchased dvc are being taken away- the more things Disney takes away. Just my opinion- whether you use it or not shouldn’t matter- but Disney chipping away at the DVC benefits should…

 

[Sandisw]

I am not a DVC owner- but isn’t this something that was included with your purchases? It seems to more people are “fine” with things that were initially included when you purchased dvc are being taken away- the more things Disney takes away. Just my opinion- whether you use it or not shouldn’t matter- but Disney chipping away at the DVC benefits should…

What we get is a trash and towel service on Day 4 for stays 7 nights or less, For stays of 8 nights or more, it’s full cleaning day 4 with trash and towel day 8.

We pay for that service via dues and it is still continuing. Any owner who wanted more paid on their own and this a la carte additional service is what is no longer being offered

One change for the plus that was made a few years ago is that owners can now request additional towels and coffee at any point during their stay. That used to also cost more if you wanted it more frequent than with trash and towel, but is now part of the budget.

With DVC being a timeshare, any costs with more cleaning would increase fees and there are a lot of owners who prefer it the way it is and would not want to see it added to our dues.

 

[achinforsomebacon]

I prefer not to have any housekeeping when we are there. Just don't care to have anyone else in the room when we aren't there. Only takes a minute or two to make a bed & we are used to picking up after ourselves. I'm OK if all they do is drop off new towels when that's scheduled

For me, this is one of the more benign changes. Getting extra housekeeping is expensive, IMO. Would only ask for it if we had a "guest change" during our stay.

Wonder how many others feel the same way? Honestly, I don't think it will affect all that many DVC Members.

I completely agree. I don't need or want people coming into the room, with or without me there. It actually kinda creeps me out a little. We put the do not disturb on the door when we check in and leave it until we checkout. We leave things pretty clean (during the stay might be a different story - kids somehow find ways to leave things everywhere!). When we leave there might be a little extra trash due to cleaning out the fridge or combining souvenirs and a little bigger pile of towels that have accumulated but nothing that adds much time to the full cleaning after checkout.

I actually would like it if you could completely opt out and get a credit. We've had this a time or two at other resorts but that was for daily cleaning.

 

[Maistre Gracey]

But I think that begs the question: does a progressive (albeit minor) clean leave the room in a better state for final clean upon checkout? I can imagine a three bedroom villa that has only seen refreshing every fouth day taking a serious amount of time to thoroughly clean before the next members' arrival. Now, granted, the extra cleaning was always an opt-in, and those opting out would leave the room in the same condition regardl;ess, but I'm just curious: if I ask Disney to come in a couple extra times during my stay, and pay them to do so at a price point set to cover their costs, if it doesn't actually make that final clean a little easier and less time consuming. Like anything, the less well-maintained something is, the greater the likelihood that some problem will slip through the cracks.

It would be like a tire shop that (hypothetically) refuses to rotate or re-balance your tires, even if you bought from them, and are willing to pay for it. The personnel are there, the equipment is there, it's part of their normal bread-and-butter, and the customer is willing to pay for it. If the demand exists (and this might be the key), then you can staff accordingly, especially if it is even the smallest of revenue centers.

I still think of the video where Pete goes into the BRV room with his mom, and finds a bag of popcorn (?) left in one of the upper cabinets. From reading a few boards, he's not the only one who's found stuff (I found a used bar of soap not too long ago).

I don’t think all the intermediate light cleanings in the world will take care of the chips under the bed, or the Fritos in the closet.
My two favorites:
1) this happened to us on our first DVC stay…
We pulled down the comforter and saw a giant urine stain on the underneath side.
2) this one I read about here…
Someone opened the oven and found a roast.

 

[achinforsomebacon]

2) this one I read about here…
Someone opened the oven and found a roast.

"Welcome Home", dinner's ready!

 

[Skywalker3]

Never used it, and never considered using it, won't miss the option at all.
Even non-DVC travel, we generally put the DND sign out for all or often the majority of the stay.