Room Safes: how safe are they?

[jeleebeene]

After sitting and recalling things that happened on our last trip to Disney, I recalled a peculiar thing that happened at POR 2 years ago. We wanted to leave some items in the safe, but when I went, there wasn't a key in it. We called the desk, and they informed us that a key would be brought (but nothing about wether the lock would be changed).
Just before we left the room, I just happened to look up, and lo and behold, there was a key hanging from one of the lamps over the bed!!!!
Well, instead of taking it directly to the office, I locked it up in our safe until we left, and then provided it to them. It frightened me to think WHY this key was up there and who could have put it there.
Now after remembering that, I am frightened that some key is lying around the hotel room.....should i just stop worrying and trust that this was a one time thing?? I am a worrier by nature, but this is bothering me since we love to use the safes so much!!

Thanks!

 

[scanne]

The safes I used at the deluxe resorts are electronic. You put in a four digit code and that is how you unlock the safe. I don't recall the moderates having a safe......

When I was at Disneyland Hotel in California, they did have the safes with the key in the lock. I didn't think twice about it. I mean, the only people who have access to your room are the housekeeping staff. So if you put something in your safe and come back and find it gone, then I'd suspect housekeeping. But I seriously doubt anything like that would happen.

Also as far as finding a key on a lamp over the bed, that could have been a kid that was in that room last being funny, or maybe housekeeping put it there so you'd see it. Who knows.

Anyway, I wouldn't worry about the safes. I think they're "safe." (Ha ha!)

I mean we put money, travelers cheques, our camcorder, our camera and our car keys in the safe and everything was always fine. Don't worry! Hakuna Matata!!!!!

Have a great trip!

 

[DeeP]

Not all deluxe resorts rooms have electronic safes, I have never gotten one and I have stayed in every deluxe resort but GF, they have all been key locks.
But I definitely would not worry about the safes. I have used them many many times and have never had a single problem. Probably the guest before you left the key on the lamp. Why one will never know, we always leave our key in the lock on the safe, but it takes all kinds, maybe it was a kid.

 

[TinaS]

Just returned from the Contemporary a week ago and we had a key in our safe. About how safe they are, to tell you the truth I didn't think that much about it, but it is a great question.

 

[PlutoPal]

The safes are pretty "safe". I have never had an electronic one either and have stayed in many deluxe resorts. They were all key ones. As long as you dont lose the key, you should be alright.

 

[RickW]

This might give you an idea:

Five years ago at the WL, we put a couple things in the safe then headed off to the parks. The key fell out of my pocket somewhere, and we couldn't get into the safe. When we called the front desk, they sent up a maintenance person with a large drill to drill out the lock that was there. An hour or two and about $75 later, we had our things out of the safe and a new lock and key. I can say without a doubt that at the WL 5 years ago, the front desk certainly didn't have any spare keys.

 

[jeleebeene]

I am feeling alot better now. I never would have looked up there, but I was just checking out the room, and noticed something hanging from the lamp....very weird.

We will use the safe this trip, and just hope that the whole key thing was a fluke!! Thanks again...my faith is restored

FOR NOW!!

 

[Greg K.]

True story.

In Dec '99, we stayed at the GF, and our building (I think it was Sago) had just been renovated. As part of the renovation, they moved around the room safes. As a result, some of the electronic programming was thrown out of whack. Which I discovered when I placed most of my money and a few valuables in the room safe, pressed the code, locked it, and couldn't get it open later.

I freaked.

I called the front desk -- it was around 9 o'clock at night -- and they told me they couldn't do anything about it until the next morning.

I spent an anxious night worrying about what would happen the next day. I couldn't really go anywhere, or at least not go into the parks, since I didn't want to leave the room (and the money) unattended if the service person showed up. (Very aggravating. So much for early entry!)

Anyway, the hotel called a guy from off site, who arrived around 10 am, understood instantly what had happened, and was able to deprogram the thing and get my stuff out. He said they'd had several reports of that happening since they'd renovated the rooms. Shrug. Just one of those things.

I called the front desk and said this was unacceptable -- could they move me to another room, preferably one with a working safe?

They apologized profusely and actually UPGRADED me to a nicer room in the same building, with a brand new electronic safe that worked perfectly.

All of which is a long way of saying: yes. The safes work.

Sometimes TOO well! .