Noise AKL

[mabovat]

Dh and I just spent 8 days at AKL. We found the AKL breathtaking from the lobby to the savanna. What I find very interesting is all this talk about the "turbo toilets".Yes you can hear the toilets flush but only if you really listen for them. If I had not read so many complaints I would have never even noticed them. People talk so much about these toilets what about the screaming babies that wake you up from a sound sleep at 4 am every morning? We were there for 8 nights and had to move 3 times because of all the noise.The first room we were in we had the pleasure of waking up at 4am every morning to a screaming baby that would cry till around 8am. The walls are so thin it was like the baby was screaming right next to our head. The next room we had we were awakened at 530am not by a screaming baby but children yelling and fighting running in and out the door up and down the hallway.When the kids were not yelling the parents were and we could hear every word. This went on till they left around 830 or 900am. We know disney is family freindy but this was crazy. At this point my Dh wanted out we were so tired all we wanted to do was sleep during the day not much of a vaction. I begged him to stay we only had 2 more nights so we changed our room again. My Dh never wants to stay at the AKL again or any other disney resort in fear there all the same. This makes me very sad as we both love everything about disney (except for the thin walls). Please could someone tell me if all the resorts are like this? I would love to stay at the poly but fearfull it would be like AKL and wind up in divorce court.

 

[CarolA]

Most hotels are like this, not just Disney's. The big difference is that at Disney (and in Orlando in general) you just have more families on vacation. Personally I have never heard anything at AKL except the drunk woman on the Balcony next to me. LOOK I THINK I SEE AN ANIMAL at 2 in the morning.!

 

[Kala]

I agree with CarolA, I have found this at many resorts, but we mostly stay at Disney Resorts. I think it speaks more of people being inconsiderate of others. That's how they live at home, so they don't think about how much it bothers others. One of the most annoying noises I have heard at a Resort is when someone will "prop" their door with the bolt so that it doesn't close/lock. Then they go in and our repeatedly, letting the door bang shut on the lock. I have been awakened many times, at just about every resort we have stayed at, by this noise. At all hours. Early am, afternoon rest time, and late at night. I raised my kids that there is a time and a place to run and yell and play... and a resort room or hallway is not the place... no matter what time of day. I am a sound sleeper and never hear the "Turbo Toilets", and you can't really do much about that anyway... but yelling adults and children, and banging doors are one my pet peeves.

 

[johnsonet]

Jeez - guess I've been super lucky in my many Disney trips. I've never had such problems...
"Turbo toilet" complaints are a joke! The commodes need to be powerful and efficient. I'd rather have commodes that are loud when they flush that commodes that don't WORK...if you know what I mean...

 

[Kala]

Johnsonet

I know what you mean. It's just a little startling the first few times you hear it, or if it's the middle of the night, if you're the one in the room.... but I would MUCH rather that than the opposite, like you mentioned. Now THAT would be something to complain about!

 

[DeeCeeSW]

Kala,
The bolt on the door is my biggest pet peeve as well. When we stayed at the Poly we had a family in connecting rooms across the hall who would go back and forth by the outside doors (even though there was a door inside the room) and prop and slam. We encountered the same exact situation at the Dolphin. Both times I called Security (since it went on until all hours of the night) and after they were visited by a security person, all was quiet. Some people are just inconsiderate, they think they are the only ones around and on vacation (reminds me of lousy, inconsiderate drivers who think they are the only ones on the road). So, unfortunately, this happens more often than not!

 

[mars315]

DeeCeeSW-

Regarding the problem of people leaving the metal latch open on the doors: I had not really thought about it until just before our last trip, I read a post pointing out the noise it makes for our neighbors. The poster said that if only guests would wrap the latches with a washcloth, the noise problem almost goes away. So that is what I made DH do. For some reason when he goes out to get ice he does not want to have to use his key to get back in, so I had him wrap the latch, and it was fine.

I agree with the answer being that we all need to be as considerate of our neighbors as possible. I know that we have a good time, and we like to laugh and my kids will get loud at times, but we respect late night and early morning hours, and I have never knowingly let my kids run up and dowm the hallways or stairwells.

 

[bunnyfoo]

Originally posted by mabovat
Dh and I just spent 8 days at AKL. We found the AKL breathtaking from the lobby to the savanna. What I find very interesting is all this talk about the "turbo toilets".Yes you can hear the toilets flush but only if you really listen for them. If I had not read so many complaints I would have never even noticed them. People talk so much about these toilets what about the screaming babies that wake you up from a sound sleep at 4 am every morning? We were there for 8 nights and had to move 3 times because of all the noise.The first room we were in we had the pleasure of waking up at 4am every morning to a screaming baby that would cry till around 8am. The walls are so thin it was like the baby was screaming right next to our head. The next room we had we were awakened at 530am not by a screaming baby but children yelling and fighting running in and out the door up and down the hallway.When the kids were not yelling the parents were and we could hear every word. This went on till they left around 830 or 900am. We know disney is family freindy but this was crazy. At this point my Dh wanted out we were so tired all we wanted to do was sleep during the day not much of a vaction. I begged him to stay we only had 2 more nights so we changed our room again. My Dh never wants to stay at the AKL again or any other disney resort in fear there all the same. This makes me very sad as we both love everything about disney (except for the thin walls). Please could someone tell me if all the resorts are like this? I would love to stay at the poly but fearfull it would be like AKL and wind up in divorce court.

I think it just depends on which room you end up with and who your neighbours are. Last December when we stayed at AKL, we had the same problem with the crying baby late at night. This trip, we didn't hear too many other people even though our room was right by the elevator ... but we did hear lots of toilets flushing and on a couple of occassions someone going to the bathroom At the Poly, we didn't hear any toilets but we did hear people walking around in the hallways.

 

[DeeCeeSW]

Good solution, mars315. I hope more people read this thread and put your idea to use. It's nice to know that someone cares enough for their fellow man to be considerate.

BTW, I was not referring to people who go out once a night or so to get ice, etc. My experiences were with families that were going back and forth to each other's rooms, slamming their doors (with the bolt in place) over and over for at least an hour each night (and usually very late, after a long day at the parks) w/o any consideration of the noise they were creating for their neighbors. If you are staying in a connecting room, there is a door that connects you to your neighbor/family member/friend and really no need (in my opinion) for anyone to use the front door just to go back and forth between rooms.

 

[rach98n]

With all this said, are there any resorts that are quieter than others? We are booked at the AKL, but I am a pretty light sleeper especially in a hotel. Any advice for a resort with thicker walls, or are they all going to be about the same?

 

[Crazy Kanga]

We are just back from AKL and we had no problems except for when some Yankees fans next door went ballistic when their team won, but even that didn't wake me up.(My dh told me about it the neext day). We had a great time there and would definitely go back. My kids are insisting we go back to AKL next trip.

 

[TwingleMum]

DIsney is a family destination. I don't think any resort is immune to noise created by inconsiderate people. Even the GF has its share of noisy guests. I don't know if there is a way to find out about the insulation in the walls of each resort . But I do think that no matter where you travel but especially in Orlando (onsite or offsite) noise can be a problem.

 

[VAN]

You might want to try the cabins at Ft. Wilderness.

 

[Mary Ellen]

Originally posted by Kala
I think it speaks more of people being inconsiderate of others. That's how they live at home, so they don't think about how much it bothers others.

IMHO Kala hit the nail on the head. We normally go to WDW in early December, less families. One time we went in early November. A few families (adults as well as children) that went past our room at BWV were totally unfamiliar with the concept of 'indoor voices' in the early mornings. Not everyone lives on Eastern Time - we're a few time zones west. We're also not 'comando' types (been to WDW a few too many times to be in comando mode) and at 6am we're (and probably others) likely to be asleep. Actually, indoor voices are appropiate at any time - children (and adults) could be napping in the afternoon and the early birds are asleep when the night owls are returning from closing PI or Jelly Rolls.

The slamming doors are an annoyance too. I'll admit it does take us a few days to remember that the doors have auto-closure and tend to slam unless we make the effort to control them.

 

[ILoveWDW2003]

DW and I just returned today from 3 wonderful nights at the AKL Savannah view, on the Uzima savannah.

The only turbo toilet we heard was our own, and the only time I heard my neighbors was when I was on the balcony - and then, sometimes I heard many neighbors.

My wife is a very, very light sleeper, and she would have let me know if she heard anything from adjoining rooms.

We will definitely be going back to AKL again!

 

[Mich Mouse]

One time while at the Wilderness Lodge we had the rudest, most inconsiderate family staying next door.

Anyway, after that experience I always travel with ear plugs!