No more towel characters

[Taran430]

I wish I could like this over and over again. We're going this fall and I think I may do just that!!!!

I think I'll make animals or other art out of my used towels instead of just throwing them in a heap on the floor. Mousekeepers have to pick them up anyway, and from the sounds of it, the mousekeepers need as much pixie dust in their lives as we do. (That and a good tip, of course!)

ish

 

[skeeter31]

I'm actually happy they're getting rid of them. Anything to speed up the housekeeping staff, especially the slowpokes at OKW. Nothing like getting to the resort around 11am, leaving your luggage, going to enjoy a park or the marketplace. Then return around 3:45 and be left waiting around until 4:30-4:45 for the room to be ready (when checkin is 4pm). OKW is the SLOWEST resort to check into and has been for years. You would think that after complaining every single time we are there, they would change the procedure, to maybe assigning rooms based on who arrives first rather than having a set room for my party and it consistently not being ready until after 4.

 

[ArwenMarie]

I'm actually happy they're getting rid of them. Anything to speed up the housekeeping staff, especially the slowpokes at OKW. Nothing like getting to the resort around 11am, leaving your luggage, going to enjoy a park or the marketplace. Then return around 3:45 and be left waiting around until 4:30-4:45 for the room to be ready (when checkin is 4pm). OKW is the SLOWEST resort to check into and has been for years. You would think that after complaining every single time we are there, they would change the procedure, to maybe assigning rooms based on who arrives first rather than having a set room for my party and it consistently not being ready until after 4.

I don't think the housekeepers are slow, I think they are assigned too many rooms. I've concluded that the housekeepers concentrate on the bathrooms and of course the sheets, because those are the most important things in terms of hygiene. But it seems that everything else is an afterthought (dusting, fingerprints, vacuuming), probably because their allotted time runs out.

We've stayed at a lot of Disney DVCs (through Disney not points) and due to past history, now I basically assume that I am never going to get the daily housekeeping that is supposed to come with the hotel rate. That means they don't have enough housekeepers IMO.

Anyway, I don't think getting rid of the towel animals is going to make the rooms cleaner for that very reason. If anything, it will just be an excuse to add more rooms to each housekeeper's list.

 

[Disneychick75]

I know this may be considered a sacrilege but the towel animals creeped me out for some reason. We would have tipped housekeeping anyway.

 

[carmelhp]

I see "magic" slowing disappearing.

"Slowly?" It seems like a mad dash to wring every last drop of anything that made a Disney vacation special. I know they think that since attendance is up, they can do no wrong and the public will accept anything, but customer satisfaction is fickle and can turn on a dime. Killing the goose that laid the golden egg.

 

[pandabean]

"Slowly?" It seems like a mad dash to wring every last drop of anything that made a Disney vacation special. I know they think that since attendance is up, they can do no wrong and the public will accept anything, but customer satisfaction is fickle and can turn on a dime. Killing the goose that laid the golden egg.

Yes and Disney also needs to realize that once the "magic" is gone, so will a lot of the people that love it. That is what we love...the "magic"!!

 

[Ryanpat]

We just got back a few days ago and we didn't have one towel animal the entire trip.

 

[BagOLaughs]

Yes and Disney also needs to realize that once the "magic" is gone, so will a lot of the people that love it. That is what we love...the "magic"!!

But I wonder how far Disney has to push it. If i'm totally honest I think a lot of people would still visit Disney regardless of these little extra touches.

I'm not saying I like the fact that Disney seems to be leaning up their process's by "cutting the fat" as the "fat" seems to always be the little touches. However I also work for a massive global company and we're doing the same thing. Speaking to friend of mine that work for large global companies they're all doing it.

 

[ArwenMarie]

I think there is a fine line as to how many of the little things you can cut without killing the magic. They probably won't even know that answer until they cross it themselves. WDW is not just another company, it's a company that deals in "magic."

It's funny though, they seem to be really pushing those gift packages that would be set up in your resort room upon arrival (just got an email for a Frozen one today). So they are aware that people are looking for touches of "magic" even in their resort room...maybe the idea is that you can buy that for a upcharge if it's that important to you

 

[beautyandmouse]

aw, this is sad. I mean, I think those little touches really 'make' the experience.

 

[Micca]

Please excuse me for barging in like this. I've been loosely following this thread since the beginning but haven't read every post, and I'm curious because I'm not seeing word about this anywhere else in the Disney webosphere. That doesn't mean I don't believe what I'm reading, it's just that I'd expect outrage to spread quickly. Is the word of this change a Dis exclusive?

 

[MJ6987]

If this is true I will be reducing my daily housekeeping tip accordingly.

 

[3DisneyFanz]

But I wonder how far Disney has to push it. If i'm totally honest I think a lot of people would still visit Disney regardless of these little extra touches.

I'm not saying I like the fact that Disney seems to be leaning up their process's by "cutting the fat" as the "fat" seems to always be the little touches. However I also work for a massive global company and we're doing the same thing. Speaking to friend of mine that work for large global companies they're all doing it.

Attendance has been going up while quality is going down. There is probably a large segment of the population that doesn't realize how much things have changed. They'll assume the paperboy has always sold his papers to the dark alley, they won't know that Tigger actually bounced, the Yeti moved at one time, the fish in SM actually jumped out of the water, etc. The break point will most likely come from Universal's new focus on expansion and doing Disney better than Disney does now.

 

[maxiesmom]

If this is true I will be reducing my daily housekeeping tip accordingly.

Really? Making towel animals were never part of a housekeeper's job, just an added extra. Btw, you may not have the same housekeeper day to day. So you could be in fact punishing someone with a lower tip who had nothing to do with the state of your room the day prior. Tip because you appreciate the service they do. Not because you want to take out your anger on them for Disney not allowing them to make the towel animals anymore.

 

[Lisaloo]

If this is true I will be reducing my daily housekeeping tip accordingly.

I should lower my tip at Ohana when they change the menu.

 

[ArwenMarie]

If this is true I will be reducing my daily housekeeping tip accordingly.

Tip as you wish of course but it's not the housekeeper's fault, if it's true that they told them to stop making them. In fact, I'm sure the housekeepers are disappointed in this too, as I imagine it helped increase tips.

 

[Randy1969]

[GALLERY=][/GALLERY]

 

[MJ6987]

Really? Making towel animals were never part of a housekeeper's job, just an added extra. Btw, you may not have the same housekeeper day to day. So you could be in fact punishing someone with a lower tip who had nothing to do with the state of your room the day prior. Tip because you appreciate the service they do. Not because you want to take out your anger on them for Disney not allowing them to make the towel animals anymore.

I meant that I currently tip Disney housekeeping more than I would elsewhere to reflect this value added service (appreciating that it might or might not happen) whereas now I will tip a "normal" amount.

 

[Jadyreen1282]

We only let them in twice during a ten day stay. They leave our towels and soaps on the door. We clean our own mess and take the garbage to the pool cans. I don't clean everyday at home I don't need a stranger staring at my grandpa undies.

We still tip. I expect a Mickey on the bed when we arrive or fall into a deep depression.

 

[merrick]

we were at the contempo in dec and got the mickey head towels on the bed. i was a bit surprised to see that those annoyed some people?? we had never stayed at a disney resort or been to disney anything before so we thought it was cute. didn't occur to me to take the towels as they seemed usable, would probably check with desk staff if it was glued and taped up, if my kids said "oh, can i bring it home?".

i do think it's tough in the world of the internet, what i see referred to as "pixie dust" would quickly become something expected each and every time.

suddenly feeling really bad about our tipping though, we had the same person everyday except one and i only tipped her at the end of our stay, as i have always done when we have stayed at other resorts. i guess it makes sense that someone will miss their tip on their day off with my strategy, but did check with her when we saw her our second last day to make sure she was working the next day and would be cleaning our room. until then she probably thought we sucked and just don't tip!! lol!