Ok I Understand the Excessive Wear and Tear

[Sammie]

I have always wondered why Disney DVC villas and resort rooms have such greater wear and tear on them than other hotels. At first I thought it was high occupancy but in talking to management at nonDisney hotels when we travel I find their occupancy rates are as high or higher than Disney.

So what is it?

Well after reading several threads lately on other forums, I now know.

Not only do people decorate for everything, Christmas, Halloween, their birthday, etc etc putting up magnets, clings, taping decorations to doors and windows, putting up lights, they even bring their own shower massage head and change out the shower heads.

Also they move the beds to make them into a large sleeping area so all can sleep together moving other furniture to do this.

I am sorry but I was just actually shocked at the things some do.

My question, is this, do anyone you alter the rooms you stay in?

I don't. I see it as a hotel, even DVC and its not mine personally to customize.

It is no wonder it takes so long for housekeeping to put everything back and clean up after someone's own personal narcisstic party.

I would never ever consider putting anything on the doors or windows of a Disney property and even at Christmas, a small tree without lights would be enough, maybe a pretty floral arrangement.

Do these people ever think of others, or is it all about them. If this is happening in the DVC villas, Disney is renting out, this really concerns me.

 

[rentayenta]

No, we don't customize in any way or move furniture etc. We had a tree at Disneyland once but bought it from Vacation Planning at Disneyland so it was all good. People can be very disrespectful.

 

[UConnJack]

This outta be fun.....

 

[Tara]

There's no way that explains it. The number of people who do enough 'customizing' as you call it to really create excessive wear and tear has to be vanishingly small. I can see where some actions - especially the shower head thing (I saw that thread and was gobsmacked) or using tape to hang items - can cause undue wear and tear, I'm not really clear how using a magnet can. We always use magnets - magnet clips on the fridge to hold park hour sheets and maps so they stay in one place. I also use a small suction cup with a shatterproof mirror to put my make-up on at the window because the bathrooms are always too poorly lit. Again, I'm thinking the suction cup isn't going to shorten the life of the sliding glass door.

As for moving furniture - there's not much way around it when you have to move things to unfold the bed or move a high chair into place.

 

[BeesKnees]

Since when is moving furniture EXCESSIVE wear and tear? That is normal wear and tear and I will make no apologies for doing it. If I have to be in a hotel room for several days and I don't like the layout I will do it there too.

 

[adminjedi]

 

[Chuck S]

Some people are just naturally messy. I had an employer that could trash a hotel room in minutes, newspapers everywhere, room service dishes on the floor, you name it. Like Charlie Brown's Pigpen character.

Now, I do move furniture at OKW, like the coffee table to open the sofa, and if we're having a lot of people in the unit for dinner, we bring the patio furniture inside, as there is plenty of room then to seat everyone at a comfortable table. But, I also always put everything back when we are finished with it.

 

[Deb & Bill]

...As for moving furniture - there's not much way around it when you have to move things to unfold the bed or move a high chair into place.

But when you unfold the sleeper sofa, you just have to move the coffee table (if there is one) to the side. These people are talking about moving the sleeper chair into one of the bedrooms. They want to move the two double beds together so they can get a larger sized bed to have the entire family sleep in the bed together. The furniture is just not meant to be moved all around. If you don't like the layout, find somewhere else that you do like.

Or they want to hang up a curtain around one bed so the kids can get to sleep and mom and dad can stay up and watch TV. Or they want to hang a privacy curtain. Those Command hooks will leave residue or damage the paint and paper.

Or they want to cover the door with holiday paper and put a large ribbon all around the door to look like a package.

I know what you are saying, Sammie. I'm shaking my head as well.

 

[Sammie]

I can understand you have to move some things to use the sofa bed. I do not consider that the same as moving beds together, moving the nightstands to do so. Moving the sleeper chair into the bedroom.

Chuck I guess you are right, I am amazed at how many do not clean up after they spill something on the couch or bed. We travel with Resolve carpet cleaner just in case. I am sure housekeeping loves to get our room.

 

[disneynutz]

The wear and tear that I have seen isn't from members doing as you described, it's from more severe abuse. At BLT alone we have seen a cracked kitchen counter top, a chipped kitchen cabinet door, a crushed light fixture above the dining table, a large black mark on the ceiling in the bedroom, marks on the walls, and stains on the carpets.

Not your normal items. I guess some people just don't care.

Bill

 

[Sammie]

The wear and tear that I have seen isn't from members doing as you described, it's from more severe abuse. At BLT alone we have seen a cracked kitchen counter top, a chipped kitchen cabinet door, a crushed light fixture above the dining table, a large black mark on the ceiling in the bedroom, marks on the walls, and stains on the carpets.

Not your normal items. I guess some people just don't care.

Bill

Yikes, I don't even want to think on how one marks the ceiling.

Do people treat their own homes this way. I know I clean up more at DVC than at home. I vacumn everyday.

 

[DonnaL]

I also agree with disneynutz.......the wear and tear I've seen isn't simply from moving furniture around. The 2 bdrm lockoff we had at BLT in January was really a mess for a unit only in use for a maximum of 5 months at that point. The carpeting in the living room had several huge stains, there were chips in the corners of the kitchen and bath cabinets, bedroom nightstands and dressers,
the dining table was scratched horribly, and the greasy, oil smudges on the dark cabinetry was awful.......I'm sure they WERE wiped down by housekeeping because I wiped them myself, but, couldn't get rid of the smudges..... I'm sure the chips on corners of furniture were from either a wheelchair or scooter since the unit was a HA unit, but, that doesn't explain the huge stains on the carpeting...... we were not informed we were being assigned HA at check-in... notified by text that room was ready....our oldest DS had a sinus infection and was not feeling well and decided to head to BLT before the rest of us to take a nap. All he did was take a quick look around.......not paying too much attention.....he said he wondered why the kitchen counter looked so low, but, not feeling well.... just wanted a nap. By the time the rest of us got there (about 4 hours later) he had already napped in one of the beds and taken a shower......so I couldn't really call and ask to be switched even though I realized as soon as I walked into the room it was an HA room......I'm 4' 11" and the kitchen counters were too low for me. As far as moving furniture or decorating the room.......I'm there to vacation......not redecorate........actually I never thought about magnets on the frig to hold park maps/hours.....but it's a great idea!

 

[Tara]

But when you unfold the sleeper sofa, you just have to move the coffee table (if there is one) to the side. These people are talking about moving the sleeper chair into one of the bedrooms. They want to move the two double beds together so they can get a larger sized bed to have the entire family sleep in the bed together. The furniture is just not meant to be moved all around. If you don't like the layout, find somewhere else that you do like.

Or they want to hang up a curtain around one bed so the kids can get to sleep and mom and dad can stay up and watch TV. Or they want to hang a privacy curtain. Those Command hooks will leave residue or damage the paint and paper.

Or they want to cover the door with holiday paper and put a large ribbon all around the door to look like a package.

I know what you are saying, Sammie. I'm shaking my head as well.

I'm not saying that all the furniture moving some people describe is okay. I'm saying that some furniture moving is going to happen by design. And some people aren't as careful as others when they move things.

 

[tjkraz]

Earlier this summer at the Grand Californian we walked past another villa room which looked like a bomb had gone off inside. The thing that most vividly sticks in my mind was the front door of the room being propped open by....(drumroll please)...the coffee table someone had apparently dragged over from the living room.

The room itself was a disaster. No idea why the hallway door was even being left open. Dad and teenage son simply appeared to be lounging around in the few seconds I saw them while walking past.

I don't know what possesses people to do the things that causes damage to the rooms, but I doubt we can do much to change their habits. Some of it may just be carelessness ("gee, I didn't think putting my suitcase on the kitchen table would scratch it.") Other times it's just outright abuse from people who don't care about the damage they are causing and/or feel entitled to do whatever they want by virtue of spending thousands-of-dollars on the DVC points.

 

[Sammie]

You know I have never wanted DVC to become another timeshare company.

But honestly I would so like them to do as other Timeshares do and charge those that damage rooms.

I do agree TJ, I think there is a huge sense of entitlement these days. That feel think about what is best for the greater good instead of just themselves.

I would be embarrassed to have my room look like that. Lately I have had to clean stains left by previous guests and missed by housekeeping.

 

[ACDSNY]

I don't know what possesses people to do the things that causes damage to the rooms, but I doubt we can do much to change their habits. Some of it may just be carelessness ("gee, I didn't think putting my suitcase on the kitchen table would scratch it.") Other times it's just outright abuse from people who don't care about the damage they are causing and/or feel entitled to do whatever they want by virtue of spending thousands-of-dollars on the DVC points.

I think you've hit the nail on the head! Some people never cease to amaze me at what they will do.

 

[dzorn]

I have only moved the furniture (other than to move coffee table for sofa bed use) one time. We were assigned a HA value villa at Jambo. With the bed open we could not use the table, so we moved the table in front of the connecting to be able to use it.


Denise in MI

 

[quirty30]

How do I put this? I honestly think some people just don't care and feel like they can do as they please when they are on vacation. And I think its far more likely to come from non-DVC members with daily maid service who don't worry about their messes because there are housekeepers to clean up after them. I truly treat our villas better than my own home when we stay. I know I'm going to be returning and that my dues will go up if renovations are needed more frequently.

 

[Longhairbear]

VGC has added glass tops to the dining table to prevent scratching, and etches.

 

[nunzia]

This outta be fun.....