No more towel characters

[Minnie-Maniac]

I think they figure saying the above is "less offensive" that what may be the truth...a surprisingly large percentage of guests were taking the towel animals. Constantly replacing those items was expensive.

How well do the towel animals actually travel? I imagine if you wanted to take one of them you couldn't put it in your luggage with your other clothes because that would ruin it.

 

[DenLo]

If people were taking the towel animals maybe that is a reason that they are stopping. You are not paying for the towels used to make up the animals. They were only to be kept in the room while you were in that room.

 

[FTM22]

It never occurred to me to take towel animals. I was INVITED by the Mousekeeper to take the ones she made for us. I DID NOT ASK - she OFFERED them to me face to face! In fact, I double checked TWICE to confirm that she meant take them home with us. So maybe there was a disconnect about the animals. But I am a person of integrity who would not and does not steal. If other people were also being INVITED to take animals, then that's a separate issue. ETA - we took the SMALL WASHCLOTH SIZE ANIMALS ONLY and only after BEING INVITED BY MOUSEKEEPING TO DO SO. (hope I am not being unclear)

Whatever - I don't have to have them. They were fun and adorable. But I would really be figuring it's just an amenity being removed along with so many others. Our world is just becoming quite homogenized where all stores carry the same products, all people read the same script, and all decor looks the same. I'll just enjoy the magic of Disney for as long as it remains magical. A bad day there still beats a good day most other places.

 

[rteetz]

I didn't realize taking the towel animals is a thing. Lol. That would never cross my mind.

There was a thread discussing the taking of them a little while back. Most people said they had asked before they took them and a lot of the times the maids said they could. I know we have one from a trip at the Pop.

 

[Minnie-Maniac]

I have another question about the towel animals. Do all the Housekeeper know how to make these towel characters? If so is there a training program that New Housekeeper hires have to go through to learn to make them? If there is a training program that also costs money to have and eliminating the towel animals all together would help Disney save money that way. Just a thought.

 

[gwynne]

I didn't realize taking the towel animals is a thing. Lol. That would never cross my mind.

I never understood it. What's fun about a falling apart towel animal after it was squished in a suitcase? I guess to each his own.
I admit to taking an occasional photo of towel animals. The photos make me smile, still!

 

[Minnie-Maniac]

I never understood it. What's fun about a falling apart towel animal after it was squished in a suitcase? I guess to each his own.
I admit to taking an occasional photo of towel animals. The photos make me smile, still!

That is my thought. It is going to fall apart in the luggage anyway so why take them with you. My family has also taken pictures of them.

 

[ArwenMarie]

I have another question about the towel animals. Do all the Housekeeper know how to make these towel characters? If so is there a training program that New Housekeeper hires have to go through to learn to make them? If there is a training program that also costs money to have and eliminating the towel animals all together would help Disney save money that way. Just a thought.

I was thinking that too. Maybe people were asking for them and it became a training hassle.

I think that the whole thing just became a hassle and a cost that WDW doesn't want to deal with anymore.

 

[ArwenMarie]

It never occurred to me to take towel animals. I was INVITED by the Mousekeeper to take the ones she made for us. I DID NOT ASK - she OFFERED them to me face to face! In fact, I double checked TWICE to confirm that she meant take them home with us. So maybe there was a disconnect about the animals. But I am a person of integrity who would not and does not steal. If other people were also being INVITED to take animals, then that's a separate issue. ETA - we took the SMALL WASHCLOTH SIZE ANIMALS ONLY and only after BEING INVITED BY MOUSEKEEPING TO DO SO. (hope I am not being unclear)

Whatever - I don't have to have them. They were fun and adorable. But I would really be figuring it's just an amenity being removed along with so many others. Our world is just becoming quite homogenized where all stores carry the same products, all people read the same script, and all decor looks the same. I'll just enjoy the magic of Disney for as long as it remains magical. A bad day there still beats a good day most other places.

Yeah, there seemed to be two types. The small washcloth animals that weren't made to be disassembled. Those seemed to be like it was ok to take them? Those would be left on the table or somewhere.

Then there were the bigger animals made out of larger towels that seemed to be still in service. Kind of like the Mickey roll heads they leave on the bed. I don't think that those towels are meant to be taken.

 

[Minnie-Maniac]

I was thinking that too. Maybe people were asking for them and it became a training hassle.

I think that the whole thing just became a hassle and a cost that WDW doesn't want to deal with anymore.

Yep, I really think it has to come down to the cost of it. Whether it be more towels to purchase or training the housekeepers the cost probably just built up after time. It was a fun thing to see them in the room but not having them in my room anymore isn't going to take away the Magic of being at WDW. There is a lot more Magic to be had at WDW.

 

[vandy]

Yeah, there seemed to be two types. The small washcloth animals that weren't made to be disassembled. Those seemed to be like it was ok to take them? Those would be left on the table or somewhere.

Then there were the bigger animals made out of larger towels that seemed to be still in service. Kind of like the Mickey roll heads they leave on the bed. I don't think that those towels are meant to be taken.

That's exactly it. There are two types. One is what the majority of us find on every trip, towels or washcloths that are simply folded into shapes or figures, usually left on the bed. These towels are meant to still be used and stay in the rooms. What is being discussed are towel animals that are not just folded, but usually are held together with various methods. We received our first one on our last trip and I assumed it was because we had our two toddler grand twins with us. Housekeeping must have noticed and left them a surprise. Our animal is a giraffe that has stickers for eyes, multiple rubber bands holding the legs together and is HOT GLUED in several places. The neck, mouth area, ears and front of body is glued. The interior of the animal has a little stuffing that appears to be Kleenex or toilet paper. OBVIOUSLY this is a hand towel that is no longer in use. Maybe too much Kleenex or toilet paper was being used??? These are the towels that the discussion concerning taking them is about and yes, I can verify that our housekeeper told us to take it home for the twins.

 

[Minnie-Maniac]

That's exactly it. There are two types. One is what the majority of us find on every trip, towels or washcloths that are simply folded into shapes or figures, usually left on the bed. These towels are meant to still be used and stay in the rooms. What is being discussed are towel animals that are not just folded, but usually are held together with various methods. We received our first one on our last trip and I assumed it was because we had our two toddler grand twins with us. Housekeeping must have noticed and left them a surprise. Our animal is a giraffe that has stickers for eyes, multiple rubber bands holding the legs together and is HOT GLUED in several places. The neck, mouth area, ears and front of body is glued. The interior of the animal has a little stuffing that appears to be Kleenex or toilet paper. OBVIOUSLY this is a hand towel that is no longer in use. Maybe too much Kleenex or toilet paper was being used??? These are the towels that the discussion concerning taking them is about and yes, I can verify that our housekeeper told us to take it home for the twins.

Wow, that sounds really cool. I have never had one like that before in our room.

 

[vandy]

Here is a photo of the animal that was left for us. Forgot to mention how it was left. Our grand twins brought some stuffed animals to play with in the villa and they were all over the floor when we left for the parks. When we came back, their animals were all lined up on the sofa and this was in the middle! As I already mentioned, several places are glued in order to keep it's shape and to keep the profile of the face and ears. Definitely meant for us to keep, but I did ask just in case!

 

[Minnie-Maniac]

Here is a photo of the animal that was left for us. Forgot to mention how it was left. Our grand twins brought some stuffed animals to play with in the villa and they were all over the floor when we left for the parks. When we came back, their animals were all lined up on the sofa and this was in the middle! As I already mentioned, several places are glued in order to keep it's shape and to keep the profile of the face and ears. Definitely meant for us to keep, but I did ask just in case!


View attachment 105823

That is awesome. I have had nothing close to that with the towel art left in our room. They must have special ones like that for special occasions or when the housekeeper see that little ones are in the room.

 

[Topper]

I'm going to ask a mousekeeper if I can take the lamps. If she says yes, I'm golden, right?

 

[fairy oma]

I didn't realize taking the towel animals is a thing. Lol. That would never cross my mind.

Mousekeeping did some adorable towel animals on our last stay but it never crossed either family's mind to take them home. Ours were folded and rubber banded at the very most and we were always delighted to see what was waiting for each family on their return from the parks that day. We always told the kids that Tinkerbell had sprinkled some pixie dust on the towels and washcloths and the animals were the result.
We are sad to see them go and I can't help but think that they might have lightened the mousekeeper's day to do something creative and know that he/she had a hand personally in bringing a little Disney Magic into our world.

 

[FTM22]

Okay so obviously we have done wrong by Walt Disney World by accepting what was offered to us personally regarding towel animals. I humbly and profusely apologize for being the reason behind the entire debacle.

If offered something magical by a cast member, I generally find it to be poor form to refuse. In the future, I will still accept magical offers. That's all I ever thought it was. Now I feel like I am on the Maury show.

YOU TOOK THE TOWEL ANIMALS!!!!!

 

[Minnie-Maniac]

Okay so obviously we have done wrong by Walt Disney World by accepting what was offered to us personally regarding towel animals. I humbly and profusely apologize for being the reason behind the entire debacle.

If offered something magical by a cast member, I generally find it to be poor form to refuse. In the future, I will still accept magical offers. That's all I ever thought it was. Now I feel like I am on the Maury show.

YOU TOOK THE TOWEL ANIMALS!!!!!

If a Cast Member offered that you take home the Towel Animal than I see nothing wrong at all in taking it home. If it was me and I didn't take it home after they offered I'd feel guilty that I would have hurt the Cast Members feelings.

 

[puppawuppa]

Its a little sad that no more towel animals. We were at Pop Century October 2015 Halloween party and they had the kids making them and it was lots of fun. We still have them.

 

[Wenny]

This is totally my DD! I informed her that because we are staying DVC we only get our room cleaned every 4 days. Her response: but then they won't make our animals in fun poses! She's 14.

As far as the towel animals, they were fun but I won't miss them that much.

We always stay DVC, so we've rarely seen towel animals. And when we did, it was a washcloth twisted with rubber bands and glued into a Mickey head with stick on eyes. We were also told we could take them and had one in DD's Dis themed bathroom until the rubber bands rotted away. Now it's become my favorite washcloth... But I digress...

The two of us happened to stay at Coronado Springs in February for a conference and arrived back in our room one day to find her stuffed animals lined up on a bolster pillow, watching Disney channel. It took us a couple minutes to figure out what happened. It was one of the main highlights of our trip.

I don't know if this kind of thing falls under "towel animals", but I hope Mousekeepers are able to keep this type of magic alive. It couldn't have taken more than 10 seconds to do. But it made our day.