Taking home towel animals?? C'mon!

[BostonRob]

If housekeeping says it's okay to take them, I think it's extremely judgmental to assume they must be lying and only the hotel manager should be asked (like he or she wants to be bothered with something that trivial!) We have a fish towel animal in our home. It had little eyes glued on it, so it was never going to be a washcloth again. It was made from a pretty threadbare washcloth, too.

I never told anybody to ask the hotel manager - of course he/she has better things to do. But if you need an answer - if you need to take them and you need to know that it isn't stealing, then the manager is probably the only person with the authority to answer that question.

Let me ask this - if a maid told you it was OK to take a regular towel home with you, would you believe that it was OK because the maid said so? What if she said you could take the pillows home with you - would that be OK? The answer is 'no' because the maid doesn't have the authority to tell you to take the pillows and a reasonable person wouldn't believe the maid had the authority to tell you to take the pillows. No, you wouldn't have to ask Michael Eisner because it is reasonable to believe that a hotel manager would have the authority to tell you to take them, even though they aren't actually his.

Yes, this is a ridiculous thread. But as long as we're interested in our little debate, why should anybody care if the issue is insignificant? I'd say that's getting a bit judgemental . . .

 

[tasha99]

My sentiments exactly. There are what, 1,000's of rooms if each guest took home one animal towel that adds up to alot of towels/washclothes. I agree I don't think it is meant to take home either.

All towels get retired at some point. It's kind of nice that housekeeping recycles them into mementos for their guests.

 

[Tink888]

People claim to have asked and been told yes.

IMHO if you take the towels at the Holiday Inn then take the Disney towels. It's the same concept. Just beacuase they made them into towel animals doesn't change the fact that they are hotel towels.

(And when you room charges are high, look around your house for the "souviners" LOL!)

And yes, my response is judgemental. I don't see the difference between just taking the towels off the rack and taking the "animals"

Maybe, but you could make the same argument about folks who ask for b-day/anniversary pins when it's not really the day of their special occaision and get freebies for their special day. Those freebies cost Disney money. No one thinks twice about doing that - often times there are posts that condone it.

And what about Magical Express? Disney offers it as a free service, but the reality is that it isn't free and the cost gets passed on to all resort guests, even those who don't utilize it (driver's room rates aren't any lower).

When you consider that you can go to the local Wal-mart and get a ten pack of washclothes for 2.00 and the bulk of towels that Disney purchases, the cost per towel, I would guess, would be pretty low. Disney knows that people like them and may take them home. Look at how many post that they were disappointed not to find any in their rooms during their stay.

All I'm saying is that everything (even the things Disney might advertise as free) cost the company money and all of those costs get passed on to the consumer. Not everyone who brings a towel animal home is also loading their suitcase with towels off the rack - they probably wouldn't dream of doing that. The difference is that the plain towel that has now become a towel animal, has brought someone joy or created a memory and now has an intrinsic value to the person that received it.

 

[moonpie85]

Deleted

 

[Vjale]

This whole thing just seems ridiculous. We have left them many, many times, but on our last trip, I allowed myDD to pick out two to take home. Do you honestly believe that a corporation like Disney, with what they charge people to stay onsite, it hurting because people are taking home washcloths that cost a buck a piece? I don't think so.

 

[moonpie85]

As the OP of this thread I just wanted to say that it was never meant to pass judgement. That's why I specifically stated that I wasn't. This thread was meant to put the issue out on the table, find out what people think, and also and most importantly to find out if anyone has asked someone at Disney if it was okay. We have learned that several people have been told that it was meant for them to have. That's great, that was the purpose of the question.

I'm sorry if you were offended. If you choose to take all sorts of little stuff home thats up to you. I don't see you as a horrible person, I just don't want to take home something that doesn't belong to me. And that is why the question was asked.

 

[rudy7696]

C'mon guys some people need to relax. A simple question was asked and "yes" an answer was given. There is no need to start raking other people over the coals here. If management said it was okay, then by all means take the towel.

 

[BostonRob]

I'll let it die to. But for what its worth, it never even occured to me that people take these things home. I've never had any towel animals made for me in the 10-12 times I've been to Disney World. I did have one made for me on a cruise once. I thought it was cute, took a picture of it, and used it to dry my hands later that night. Maybe because I didn't have kids at the time, I dunno.

 

[Kaler131]

Did I ask Micheal Eisner? No, he was out to lunch when I tried.

 

[txdismom08]

You can take home the towel animals.

Having to "kill" an animal once it's in my home made me stop taking them. My husband made me feel so guilty! "You know, that washcloth used to be a butterfly".

Oh, thank you. I needed a laugh this afternoon!!!

Staying on topic, I don't think it ever would have occurred to me to take one of the towel animals home! I will definitely take pictures of them, but I'm not one for taking towels etc.

 

[Flametamr]

Okay we were at POR last year and had many towel animals made for us. See the picture below. I was specifically told that they were made from retired towels. Ones that had been removed from service due to condition or stains and then given to the Mousekeepers to make animals. They are in fact yours to keep if you want them. We brought 2 of our favorites home and left the rest. So judge me a thief if you want but I strongly disagree with you. If management says you can have them what else do you want short of a letter from the CEO ?

 

[kellermomof3]

We just got back from POR and we had no towel animals . And this was even after we tipped housekeeping. About the third day we met our mousekeeper...He, yes He, was about 20. Last time we stayed at ASMovies and we had towel animals everyday...but I didn't think to bring them home. With 3 kids and they were used.

 

[Sammie]

Does a housekeeper have the right to tell you to take a towel home? Are they her towels? I don't know what the official policy is, but would it be hard to believe the housekeeper is telling you to take them just so she could get a bigger tip? All that said, I don't think its a big deal. Just something to think about.

Well at Disney there is policy and there is what is enforced, and they are not the same. Policy from the General Manager's office is No, they are not to be taken home.

However if a guest asks they are not going to tell them No.

Personally I would not want them and see them as decoration, just like the photos on the walls. Hopefully no one is taking them home.

 

[MikiDisney]

You can take home the towel animals.

After a year or so, the animal isn't going to be the same anyway. Most of them involve a rubber band of some sorts so that gives out, the animal sags and eventually you are left with just a towel and maybe a couple of stick on eyes.

Having to "kill" an animal once it's in my home made me stop taking them. My husband made me feel so guilty! "You know, that washcloth used to be a butterfly".

 

[moonpie85]

Okay we were at POR last year and had many towel animals made for us. See the picture below. I was specifically told that they were made from retired towels. Ones that had been removed from service due to condition or stains and then given to the Mousekeepers to make animals. They are in fact yours to keep if you want them. We brought 2 of our favorites home and left the rest. So judge me a thief if you want but I strongly disagree with you. If management says you can have them what else do you want short of a letter from the CEO ?

Those are cute! Thanks for the pic. If management said to take them I don't see why anyone would call you a thief

 

[Missin'Disney]

Kind of OT but it's strange that some visits yield 8, 9+ towel animals, (see above poster) and others yield none. Too bad everyone can't get at least one during their stay. My kids are so thrilled to get them and it seems unfair that some guests receive so many when some people have nev er gotten them.

 

[moonpie85]

Well at Disney there is policy and there is what is enforced, and they are not the same. Policy from the General Manager's office is No, they are not to be taken home.

However if a guest asks they are not going to tell them No.

Personally I would not want them and see them as decoration, just like the photos on the walls. Hopefully no one is taking them home.

I'm not questioning your information just curious as to how you got it. Sounds like you may know something the rest of us don't?

I agree about not wanting to take em home personally. They're very cute but at my house they'd be useless. But I realize that would be a different story at others homes- especially when someone's kid falls in love with one of them.

 

[huey578]

It would be great if the resorts offered a free towel animal making class. Great way to spend 30mins.

 

[safetymom]

I was also told by a GM that the towel animals were not to be taken.

 

[mickeyplanner08]

4 pages and counting...over towels
I love the Disboard