Room Checks

[Junebug43]

When they did the room checks when we stayed last year, I never even connected it to trafficking. I thought at the time it was due to that terrible Las Vegas shooting. The guy was in that room for a week? and nobody entered the room. If they had they would have seen what was going on.

Checking to prevent trafficking makes much more sense.

 

[Dug720]

When they did the room checks when we stayed last year, I never even connected it to trafficking. I thought at the time it was due to that terrible Las Vegas shooting. The guy was in that room for a week? and nobody entered the room. If they had they would have seen what was going on.

Checking to prevent trafficking makes much more sense.

It's both. But the preventing something like Las Vegas is the "pretty" version to explain them. It's not pleasant to think about a mass shooting happening, but people REALLY don't want to think about trafficking actually happening. Especially in a place like Disney.

 

[paradesintherain]

Someone coming in your room for a brief room check, vs someone spending 30 minutes (ok I don’t know how long it takes to turn a room!) in the room is a huge difference in possible droplets in the air. Plus the CM would be exposed to your germs for that much longer.

 

[_19disnA]

It is probably any number of reasons why Disney does room checks. I don't need to know about all the possible illegal things they might be looking for or speculate what they are. When we went last year, no one ever came to our room while we were in the room. I assume they did their checks either while we were at the park or as part of normal housekeeping. We always latch the door in ANY hotel room we have ever stayed at which seems like a good idea for any number of reasons. Someone has to knock on the door and can't just walk into our room unannounced. We never had any issues during our stay last year.

 

[StageTek]

I wonder how widespread human trafficing was (is?) at the Disney resorts.

As I remember it; daily room checks started soon after the Vegas shooting and most people assumed that was the reason - several news sources reported that was the reason. The only reason Disney officially gave was "performing maintenance and repairs or checking on the safety and security of guests and property."

I haven't found much reporting on human trafficing at the Disney Resorts before December of 2017.

 

[JoelB]

As I remember it; daily room checks started soon after the Vegas shooting and most people assumed that was the reason - several news sources reported that was the reason.

Because that was the reason.

I wouldn't be surprised if cast members are also trained to look for signs of trafficking or anything else illegal or out of the ordinary. I hope they are, anyway. But to claim the room checks were instituted to stop human trafficking (which has plagued this world for as long as humans have existed) and not specifically to prevent another massacre perpetrated by someone who was allowed to stockpile weapons in his hotel room (which just happened a few months before the room checks started at Disney and other hotels) is just baseless.

 

[buzzrelly]

I doubt Mousekeeping gets high level CIA training on how to spot human trafficking. I’ve been a pediatric RN for 20 years and I doubt I would even know what to look for.

I believe the room checks are very basic, make sure there’s nothing out of the ordinary, ie no weapons stockpiled, to avoid another Las Vegas style tragedy.

 

[bluezy]

I doubt Mousekeeping gets high level CIA training on how to spot human trafficking. I’ve been a pediatric RN for 20 years and I doubt I would even know what to look for.

I believe the room checks are very basic, make sure there’s nothing out of the ordinary, ie no weapons stockpiled, to avoid another Las Vegas style tragedy.

That's my thought, too. A family member is a pediatrician and spent several years working for a child advocacy agency and she said it would be very difficult to spot a human trafficking situation in an empty hotel room. You would need to observe the interaction between the adult(s) and child(ren). So if that's what Disney is truly looking for, they would be trying to do the room checks when people are actually in the room and not asking people to leave the room while they look around. Not to mention, like you said, they would need some training and experience to know what to look for. Now if they're looking for weapons or other illegal items, those are much easier to spot even without training.

 

[Disneyfan754321]

I get that they have to check the rooms every 24 hours.. but when people are in the room seems stupid. I would be really upset if my kids were sleeping etc.

 

[StageTek]

I get that they have to check the rooms every 24 hours.. but when people are in the room seems stupid. I would be really upset if my kids were sleeping etc.

You should have seen the 23 page thread (just one of many) started in Jan of 2018. Room checks was the hot topic here on the DIS for a good part of 2018; people explaining why they would be upset, people speculating on all the uncomfortable possibilities of a CM entering the room unexpectedly, people saying they would never stay on property again and, of course, all the many reasons for this policy.

 

[Disney Frenhines]

It may be because I'm older and a little naive about the darker side of life, but, I'm not sure what you mean by using a Disney hotel room for trafficking. I get the drugs bit and also to check people are breaking the rules by smoking.
However, it's not so much the actual room checks that bother me, it's the attitude of some of the CMs, I've had some lovely ones who just stick their head around the door and then there are ones who do a thorough look around and ones that get bolshie if you ask them to come back a bit later because it's not a good time.
I was advised by the front desk to put a note on the door if I'm going to be in the room letting the CM know I'm having a nap or whatever.
I also think it's wrong to expect lone females to have to open a door and let someone in. I don't care if they are a CM wearing a uniform, that doesn't mean they are necessarily trustworthy. I don't feel safe being expected to open my door and let a young man come in.

 

[Disneyfan754321]

I can only imagine what the cms have seen or walked into

 

[Tigger2ntinkerbell]

I was never told that someone would come in and do a security check this pass December, but when I found my clothes in the Dresser draw moved around and things in my purse were not as I left it.
When we inform the front desk they didn't do any thing. Small change was missing and 1 earring.
I'm bringing my small security video cam.
And this time if they go through my stuff and not doing a room check, I'll call security . Never want to feel crept out again.

 

[Blondie58]

So odd all the different experiences. Usually stay at the Grand. Was told there checking the room is mandatory due to the mass shooting in Las Vegas. Was that true or false? No clue. Just believed what we were told. Stayed at Pop alone last May. Took the gift card rebate for no room cleaning. Set my own trash out. Kept the "do not disturb" sign on door when in room. Was never bother any afternoon or evening and I do not believe anyone ever entered the room. If they did there was nothing touched or changed. Brought gift card home with me for next trip which due to Covif was canceled.

 

[Disneylover99]

So odd all the different experiences. Usually stay at the Grand. Was told there checking the room is mandatory due to the mass shooting in Las Vegas. Was that true or false? No clue. Just believed what we were told. Stayed at Pop alone last May. Took the gift card rebate for no room cleaning. Set my own trash out. Kept the "do not disturb" sign on door when in room. Was never bother any afternoon or evening and I do not believe anyone ever entered the room. If they did there was nothing touched or changed. Brought gift card home with me for next trip which due to Covif was canceled.

The do not disturb signs have been gone since security checks began. The signs now say “room occupied”. Many people probably just don’t notice. Basically, they will knock and wait a little longer before entering if your room occupied sign is out because they assume you are in the room.

From my experiences, security checks are random. Occasionally they happen even if you keep housekeeping. Mostly they‘ve happened in the past if you opted out of housekeeping, but even then there is no set schedule and sometimes you’d get housekeeping plus a room check. Sometimes security comes daily. Other times they may not come for a stretch of four or five days. So you just never know.

 

[Blondie58]

You are correct. I never really gave the change from "do not disturb" to "room occupied" any thought.

 

[CheshKAT]

That's my thought, too. A family member is a pediatrician and spent several years working for a child advocacy agency and she said it would be very difficult to spot a human trafficking situation in an empty hotel room. You would need to observe the interaction between the adult(s) and child(ren). So if that's what Disney is truly looking for, they would be trying to do the room checks when people are actually in the room and not asking people to leave the room while they look around. Not to mention, like you said, they would need some training and experience to know what to look for. Now if they're looking for weapons or other illegal items, those are much easier to spot even without training.

This is the best and most logical response to all of the above conversations.

 

[Lindseyncole]

The toilet flushing
That’s my idea of cleaning the bathrooms too!

 

[Kanga and Roo]

Disney needs to give an official reason for the room checks because the CM don't seem to know why or have a set protocol. My recent stay was ruined by the room checks.
Having recently recovered from an illness I tire easily and need an afternoon nap, but, every afternoon I would get a knock on the door and they just said 'room check', looked over my shoulder into the room and thanked me, what was the point? I asked one CM as to why they did it and all she said was 'security '.
I stay at lots of hotels and this is the only place it happens. It's a terrible thing to do to guests, treating them like they did in POW camps during the war.

 

[artinlife]

I doubt Mousekeeping gets high level CIA training on how to spot human trafficking. I’ve been a pediatric RN for 20 years and I doubt I would even know what to look for.

I believe the room checks are very basic, make sure there’s nothing out of the ordinary, ie no weapons stockpiled, to avoid another Las Vegas style tragedy.

Yes. We were at POR for 14 days and had a 'room check' about every other day. When I asked about it the person who checked the room (same guy every time) told us that it started when the person in Vegas stockpiled weapons in his room and had the 'do not disturb' sing on his door for a number of days and no one came in and checked. When the guy came into our room he went to the bathroom, flushed the toilet, flicked the bathroom and dressing area lights and then left. He also had a good look around. We got used to it and would chat with him when he came in. My feeling about this is; I don't really like the 'intrusion' but understand that it is part of the Disney security protocol and do like this added security. I do feel 'safe' at the resort knowing that there is additional security here. As a woman, I travel alone a lot and am glad for any extra security.