TEMPORARY Refrigerator Removal from WDW Resorts

[goingtowdwwithkiddos]

well I leave in 9 days I have ordered from GG some food that needs to be in the fridge. I have paid over 5k for a trip, and still need to pay for food. I do find it annoying, but will make it work and may have to toss some food if my called in request today does not work. Since I can not nor want to cancel my whole trip over a dorm fridge I guess I just wait and see and WILL ask for compensation on any food I have to toss if the time comes (though ham cheese milk likely under $20)

 

[WisconsinDad]

Wow; I am sure am glad I'm on the DIS! Not only to receive information like this but also all the other information I've received here. I am planning our second family trip for this Aug and I don't know what I would have done without this site! I used for our first trip a couple of years ago but only as a lurker.

Regarding the fridges, it is unfortunate but understandable. Recalls do happen. However, as many others have said, the way it is going to be communicated could be much better. We will be there in Aug and if it weren't for the this site, I never would have known. I definitely won't let it spoil our trip though.

 

[kaytieeldr]

They could start with a breakfast voucher for everyone in the room. That would take care of my no fridge problem. I could manage around the rest of the issues.

I'm sure it would take care of your potential refrigerator problem. It makes little business sense and less financial sense unless there's only one person in the room. Refrigerators rented for $10 per night, yet you want Disney to compensate with daily breakfast for up to five people.


That's on top of the cost of redesigning the rooms to accommodate new refrigerators, removing the old ones, putting inthe new ones, and paying for close to 20,000 new appliances

 

[goingtowdwwithkiddos]

if its a recall are they paying OOP ?? also my trip alone for a little over a week would pay for many of those appliances I do not think it will hurt Disney to much they would replace them at some point.

Regarding compensation we will all have to wait and see but if a $50 a night canfeed my family breakfast I am sure Disney can to if they choose to.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Is it the fridge itself that is the problem or the cabinet (which was kind of.a pain to begin with)

Safety first
But good customer relations/service right after

Comp the guests it affects, provide fridges for those who need it for meds or babies

All will be well

Whether it's the refrigerator or the cabinet or the ventilation or a combination, there's no instant fix for over 20,000 rooms - especially when they're trying to make the changes with no guest interruption.

 

[kaytieeldr]

So are they planning on compensating for not having the fridge in the room? I saw on the previous page someone said they would comp $15 per night? Just wanted to know if that was true. I mean people do rely on having a fridge, so good customer service would be to provide some type of compensation.

Is this like that State Farm commercial? "I saw it on the Internet, it must be true"?

 

[reelmom]

I don't know if this has been mentioned but I noticed that a lot of people said they don't like the new Rapidfill mug program and will start storing their own drinks in their room fridges. Then today...

My husband said the same thing.

 

[reelmom]

I wonder if I can get a fast pass to the ice machine!

Only if you book 60 days out with FP+.

 

[kaytieeldr]

AMEN! God forbid Saint Disney be criticized for anything. My family loves, loves, loves Disney but not notifying their guests (who have paid them thousands of $ and some months in advance) of such a huge change in their rooms is terribly wrong and they should be called out on it.
Only when customer dissatisfaction comes out loud and clear will they do anything about it. To some no fridge is not a huge deal but to others it is.
People should be clear about it before they get to the check-in counter!

So it sounds like you think Disney doesn't realize (or care?) that tye temporary inavailability of in-room refrigerators - even though it's for safety reasons - will upset many guests?

It's a change, but not a huge change. I'm sure there's a disclaimer in the rooms description indicating something to the effect of "subject to change" or "all may not be available in all rooms". I loathe the website, I refuse to waste my time waiting for it to load.

 

[kaytieeldr]

You mean like the insulin? I'm sure lots of people will lie about it. If Disney can't require medical proof for a GAC, I don't know what they can ask for at the hotel.

edit: Does this remind anyone else of the old monorail closures threads from years past?

A number of posters have brought up needing to refrigerate medication. While insulin isn't the only one, it's the most common - so I did a little research. This is from the BD website http://www.bd.com/us/diabetes/page.aspx?cat=7001&id=7247:

Always read the instructions that come with your insulin. Bottles of insulin, either open or unopened, generally last for one month when stored at room temperature (59 to 86°F). A bottle is considered open if its seal has been punctured. If you remove the cap but don't puncture the seal, the bottle is still considered unopened.

If stored in a refrigerator, unopened bottles are good until the expiration date printed on the bottle. Opened bottles that are stored in a refrigerator should be used within one month of being opened. Many people store their unopened bottles in the refrigerator and keep open bottles at room temperature because they find it uncomfortable to inject cold insulin.

Don't use bottled insulin past the expiration date printed on the label. And no matter what the expiration date is, throw away a bottle one month after you open it. To help you keep track, write the date that you opened the bottle on the bottle's label.

With insulin pens and their cartridges, storage life ranges from seven days to one month. Check the chart below for shelf life details on popular brands.

 

[StrwLady]

Wait...how can we chill?...we won't have refrigerators

 

[csrafael]

2 years ago I stayed at All Star when they didn't have fridges in the room... I did just what people are saying, put ice in plastic coolers... it's ok for drinks or food, but not for medicines.... Also, I payed $1200 for a week....

Late september I'm going to Boardwalk, and pay $6000 for a week, or 5 times more than All Star.... and this time we have a cousin that's use insulin and need the fridge....

I read most of the posts, and even I agree they have to change because the danger, they have to plan to do this. I believe that a technical check of each fridge could find what fridges will have problem until the change..... If in more than 2 years, just 1 in thousands had problem, there is no really danger !!

Anyone agree?

 

[AMT826]

Anyone know anything for LM rooms at AOA? We'll be there mid September and I'm really hoping we'll be able to have a fridge...

 

[Mom2six]

I didn't have time to read all of the posts in the thread. I thought I saw someone say that POR was going to have the new refrigerators this summer??? We will be there in Sept and I don't know how we will manage it without one. My two youngest are allergic to milk so they drink almond milk, which they do not sell in their markets. Plus we will be there with a four month old. Ugh.

 

[dansdad]

Anyone know anything for LM rooms at AOA? We'll be there mid September and I'm really hoping we'll be able to have a fridge...

They are included in the fridge swap out.

 

[mousefan73]

Don't mean to be "snarky" ( a word i learned from DIS)

But... I really wonder about those freaking out here, complaining etc. Have you ever travelled any where else where hotels/motels dont have refridgerators??? I dont recall a fridge being a standard, unless you are thinking wet bar at better chains.

I understand being annoyed as Disney does list them now as an ammenity; or for medical.

IMO if you need to travel and be able to store your own food to make meals, etc. Maybe a hotel vacation is not for you?? Especially if there is onsite dining options Maybe a condo is a better option??? Hotel rooms are meant for sleeping, showering, not cooking. Especially for those having groceries delivered. The more I think about it, it wouldn't want strangers eating sandwiches on my bed at home, but in a hotel room it's ok?

 

[wdwmom0f3]

I didn't have time to read all of the posts in the thread. I thought I saw someone say that POR was going to have the new refrigerators this summer??? We will be there in Sept and I don't know how we will manage it without one. My two youngest are allergic to milk so they drink almond milk, which they do not sell in their markets. Plus we will be there with a four month old. Ugh.

I hope POR gets them this summer but if not I am not going to stress over it. I plan to bring a cooler anyway because my wine does not fit in that tiny fridge!

 

[Disneylover99]

Don't mean to be "snarky" ( a word i learned from DIS)

But... I really wonder about those freaking out here, complaining etc. Have you ever travelled any where else where hotels/motels dont have refridgerators??? I dont recall a fridge being a standard, unless you are thinking wet bar at better chains.

I understand being annoyed as Disney does list them now as an ammenity; or for medical.

IMO if you need to travel and be able to store your own food to make meals, etc. Maybe a hotel vacation is not for you?? Especially if there is onsite dining options Maybe a condo is a better option??? Hotel rooms are meant for sleeping, showering, not cooking. Especially for those having groceries delivered. The more I think about it, it wouldn't want strangers eating sandwiches on my bed at home, but in a hotel room it's ok?

But the point is people have booked rooms, sometimes a year in advance, with the understanding that a fridge is a standard part of the room. I get why people are peeved about this.

We are staying at Pop next month for 13 days. We order snacks for the parks, milk and yogurt from Garden Grocer. Only the milk and yogurt need to be refrigerated. Now for us, it won't be the end of the world. We just won't order items that need to be refrigerated.

But if I were arriving this week, and I had ordered items from Garden Grocer that needed to be refrigerated, and they came and removed my fridge the day I arrive or in the middle of my vacation, sure I would be very upset.

BTW.....Great job being snarky!!! A little snark is good for the soul!!!

 

[Patience]

Don't mean to be "snarky" ( a word i learned from DIS)

But... I really wonder about those freaking out here, complaining etc. Have you ever travelled any where else where hotels/motels dont have refridgerators??? I dont recall a fridge being a standard, unless you are thinking wet bar at better chains.

I understand being annoyed as Disney does list them now as an ammenity; or for medical.

IMO if you need to travel and be able to store your own food to make meals, etc. Maybe a hotel vacation is not for you?? Especially if there is onsite dining options Maybe a condo is a better option??? Hotel rooms are meant for sleeping, showering, not cooking. Especially for those having groceries delivered. The more I think about it, it wouldn't want strangers eating sandwiches on my bed at home, but in a hotel room it's ok?

I don't think anyone is freaking out. We are feeling inconvenienced and expressing our displeasure. I don't need a refrigerator for food for meals. I want a refrigerator (as was advertised to me) for drinks. Yes, I could use a drippy, wet, cheap cooler (if I pay to order one and have it delivered) but it's messy, wet and not my idea of staying in a nice hotel. I will survive but I will definitely be dissatisfied if I don't have a fridge. I dislike poor customer service. I work and have clients. When something goes wrong, my company figures out how to make it up to our clients, even if what went wrong was beyond our control and even if it's a small thing. Why? Because we pride ourselves on good customer service and we want our clients to be happy with us and come back. We don't just tell our clients, sorry, this service ( or whatever) we advertised and said you would have is no longer available due to circumstances beyond our control and you will just have to figure something else out on your own.

 

[dominiondad]

Don't mean to be "snarky" ( a word i learned from DIS)

But... I really wonder about those freaking out here, complaining etc. Have you ever travelled any where else where hotels/motels dont have refridgerators??? I dont recall a fridge being a standard, unless you are thinking wet bar at better chains.

I understand being annoyed as Disney does list them now as an ammenity; or for medical.

IMO if you need to travel and be able to store your own food to make meals, etc. Maybe a hotel vacation is not for you?? Especially if there is onsite dining options Maybe a condo is a better option??? Hotel rooms are meant for sleeping, showering, not cooking. Especially for those having groceries delivered. The more I think about it, it wouldn't want strangers eating sandwiches on my bed at home, but in a hotel room it's ok?

I'm not sure it's fair to compare Disney resorts to other hotels. I've stayed at hotels around the world but never had to pay in full 45 days in advance. I've also never paid $400/night for an entire week like I will be at AKL next week. I would suggest that an in-room refrigerator is standard for hotel rooms exceeding $400/night in the United States.

I understand the refrigerators need to be removed for safety reasons, no option there really. But I'm troubled that Disney didn't feel the need to notify me. We arrive in 10 days. It's a minor adjustment for us since we're driving and don't have a medical issue, but an email from Disney would seem appropriate. I've received maps, reservation documents, luggage tags, plenty of ads and bounceback offers, and my Disney MasterCard bill in the mail and almost daily emails from the Disney Store. I little communication would have gone a long way here.

The reality is that if this is the biggest issue I have to deal with on my vacation, it's going to be a great trip. But it wasn't handled very well by Disney from a PR perspective.