Towel Animals... To Keep Or Not To Keep?!

[kaelarad]

We have gotten towel animals most trips and usually left them. But we have taken some home: This past Christmas we had a tree on our vanity and a rabbit with a pen in it by the phone. the day of check out mousekeeping came by and told us to take them. I will the tree in our bathroom at home christmas this year The bunny pen holder is by my computer at home. Sweet reminders of our trip.

 

[Sillyminny40]

Because it is totally up to the mousekeeper if they leave them or not. Some do, some don't. I think sometimes it also depends on how much time they have, and doesn't seem to be related to tip as we always tip and we don't always get towel animals. At Pop last time we had a new one in our room every single day. At FQ in October we had a couple small ducklings a couple days, then the last day I saw they were not ducklings at all when two great big beautiful swans showed up, complete with plastic lake, for the baby ducklings, er...swans. We loved them! Didn't bring them home (where would I put them anyway and the next people probably enjoyed them as much as we did), but I left a note for the mousekeeper on her tip envelope telling her what a nice bit of pixiedust they were to brighten our last night there. We have also had trips where we got none at all.

It was not busy at all at BW. The mousekeeping was very leisurely and half rooms empty. I just think it is luck of the draw as to talent as well.

 

[summersalt]

We received Mickey wash cloth during our last visit at Pop. I offered to pay for it. But mousekeeping said I could have it. I wouldn't take anything without asking or paying for it.

 

[MomsOf2boys]

On our cruises there was a towel animal or two left nightly and we would always be eager to return to our room to see what our room steward had made for us. Sometimes we would see he/she down the hall and they were very happy to know we enjoyed them. We took pictures of them but never thought to take any as they use perfectly good towels etc. We did have a huge picture collection by the end of every trip (my favorite was the monkey that hung on a hanger).

Our September visit at AKL we had towel creatures left for us each day. We took pictures but did not even consider taking them.

There was one little bird that just looked so cute and was a small one that i had sitting on the nightstand with my things and I propped all my mousekeeping tip envelopes up against it each morning. The day we were leaving our mousekeeper was in the hallway and as we were walking down the hall she came out and said, "You forgot your bird." I turned and there she was holding my washcloth bird. I said, "I can't take it with me." She said, "Yes, it is for you to take." And so I did. hahaha He sits on my desk to remind me why I work...for Disney trips!

 

[tkoran]

We had 4 during our stay a couple of weeks ago. The standard Mickey one, a huge dog on our second day, a lady bug one day and a bird one day. I took pictures of the Mickey and dog ones since they were so big and would have fallen apart anyway and each of the kids kept one of the other two. Had I not read here that it was ok to keep them we would have left them. They are a wonderful keepsake and really brightened our days.

 

[LovinPooh]

We got 4. A little dogs head when we got there. And then 3 the day after. I took them all home with me and they are in my china cabinet... dd insisted
We absolutely love them!

 

[Princess Michelle]

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[Brandy C]

We also just take a picture of the towel animals. IMO I feel that the towels are property of the resort therefore not mine to keep. I'm sure I would be billed if I took home the pillows,duvet cover,coffee maker, bath towels, etc.

 

[luvthemouse71]

We also just take a picture of the towel animals. IMO I feel that the towels are property of the resort therefore not mine to keep. I'm sure I would be billed if I took home the pillows,duvet cover,coffee maker, bath towels, etc.

If the mousekeepers haven't been telling people it was OK to take them, then I might agree with you. But, IMHO, the controversy should be dying down about now since it has been stated that it's OK to take them home.

I was told by an employee that they use the older towels that aren't in prime condition to make the animals.

 

[anonymousegirl]

In the last three visits (July 2008, Dec 2008, Jan 2009) I've received 2 (1 at POR and 1 at Pop). I took the first one home (and gave it to my niece) but the Pop one in the window looked more like a decoration as all the windows had one, so I left that one there.

I also stayed at CR and BCV and never had one (although BCV doesn't count since we never had any mousekeeping).

We always tip daily but I do not think there is any correlation between tipping and TAs.

 

[Aliceacc]

We work pretty hard on instilling values in our kids.

Taking a towel or a washcloth from any resort, even if it is incredibly cute, simply doesn't fit in with what we want our kids to learn.

We can buy mementos of our trip; my mouse is currently resting on a Mickey Head mouse pad.

 

[luvindis]

Our first trip we didn't receive any and on our 2nd trip we stayed at POR and there they were! I was so excited!! When we left our room we passed the CM's cleaning rooms down from ours and I stopped to thank them. They were great and told me they were for us to keep. We got new ones each day added to our collection, when we left I let both of my DS's pick 1 and bring home, but left the rest. We have received TA's every year since, we pick 1 each time, so now I have a total of 4, 2 rabbits, a duck, and a swan.

 

[NMW]

We have gotten them and have never taken them home. I don't think there is anything wrong with taking them though, I just have this huge aversion to "stuff" and a fear of being a pack rat like my parents. Trust me, if you had been in their walk-up attic with me the day I was helping them pack to move to a townhouse you would understand!

My sons have never gotten too charged up about them. One time while at BWV their bathroom (2 BDR villa) had an elaborate elephant. They needed washcloths and took the elephant apart to get some. I came into their bathroom and could not figure out where all theses little stickers all over their sink came from. Then I realized it was from their towel elephant! They didn't even think twice about taking it apart.

 

[CarolA]

Do you take the towels off the rack home with you?

That's what you just took when you took a towel animal.

I guess that's why Disney needs to charge $500 a night for a 3 star hotel... to pay for the "lost" towels.


Normally I would say that taking the towels is stealing, but considering Disney prices maybe it's built in. (Something has to be, those prices are not in line with the quality and service at those hotels LOL!)

 

[Sillyminny40]

We have gotten them and have never taken them home. I don't think there is anything wrong with taking them though, I just have this huge aversion to "stuff" and a fear of being a pack rat like my parents. Trust me, if you had been in their walk-up attic with me the day I was helping them pack to move to a townhouse you would understand!

My sons have never gotten too charged up about them. One time while at BWV their bathroom (2 BDR villa) had an elaborate elephant. They needed washcloths and took the elephant apart to get some. I came into their bathroom and could not figure out where all theses little stickers all over their sink came from. Then I realized it was from their towel elephant! They didn't even think twice about taking it apart.

Interesting. Do you think that they may just move the towel animal to the next suite and rotate them? We have never ever had one towel art in two long stays at WDW resort so I think that it all depends on WHO your mousekeeper is.

 

[Tink2312]

We received a towel animal during our stay at Pop in 2007 and we did take it home with us.
It's a washcloth and I figure they wouldn't make them so darn cute if they didn't want you to take at least one home as a souvenier. Personally, I'd only ever take one and just snap piccies of the rest, but if someone wants to take all the ones they get, that's their choice.
Sorry

 

[LovinPooh]

I kinda thought it would be an insult to housekeeping not to take them home?!?!?