Towels

[figment41]

I know I keep bringing this up. So, I know there is a $6 charge for towels everyday. That seems a little crazy with as much money as we pay to belong to this club. Does anyone else have a problem with this. Do you really wash your own towels everyday while you are on vacation. We are going in June and will probably be showering more than once a day. Our towels will not even be dry yet.

What does everyone else do.

Yes, I agree that it is nice not to have people walking around my room everyday and can clean up after ourselves but this towel thing is really bugging me. I am just looking for what other people do. Please do not throw flames. We have never done this before and are just looking for what you do.

TIA

 

[CdnKayDee]

No flames here. I am wondering the same thing. We are doing our first DVC stay in October in a Studio and I am little bummed about the towels as well.

 

[wintergreen]

We use the towels more than once, just like we do at home. If you have a 1 BR unit or larger, you can toss wet towels into the dryer. I guess if you really want clean towels every day, you can either wash them yourself, or pay the $6. Lots of "regular" hotels also encourage guests to use towels more than once, to save on energy costs of washing them.

 

[hellerjw]

Its simply a cost saving measure to help keep our maintenance fees down. The thought being most members don't want daily mousekeeping if it means higher dues and those that do are free to pay out of pocket for it.

Since all 1BR and larger have a washer/dryer its a simple excercise to throw the wet towels in the dryer for 30 minutes, maybe washing them every other day. Even with the studios there are laundry facilities available at no charge. You could always purchase 1 towel pack and double up during your stay for less frequent washing/drying.

 

[DiznyDi]

Same as OP, we use our towels more than once at home and do at Disney, too. Hang them up to dry after use and have them replaced on T&T day. Wash them ourselves in between, if necessary. I do usually wash the kitchen towels, though not the bath towels.

If you want clean, fresh towels everyday then your only options are to 1) wash them yourself or 2) pay for the extra ones.

 

[rkwier]

We use the towels more than once, just like we do at home. If you have a 1 BR unit or larger, you can toss wet towels into the dryer. I guess if you really want clean towels every day, you can either wash them yourself, or pay the $6. Lots of "regular" hotels also encourage guests to use towels more than once, to save on energy costs of washing them.

This is what we do as well. I would use towels more than once whether at home, DVC or any other hotel stay. I have also heard that you can pick up extra towels near the pools if necessary, but I have never done so.

 

[jlewisinsyr]

I have also heard that you can pick up extra towels near the pools if necessary, but I have never done so.

I think this is a negative, people do it, but it isn't really allowed (pool towels are just that - pool tools - not to be brought to the room).

As for towels, I reuse my towel at home, on business trips, etc. Its wasteful to use a towel once and then discard it for wash.

 

[rkwier]

I think this is a negative, people do it, but it isn't really allowed (pool towels are just that - pool tools - not to be brought to the room).
As for towels, I reuse my towel at home, on business trips, etc. Its wasteful to use a towel once and then discard it for wash.

Thanks for the clarification on that, I was not sure.

 

[lah3hh]

We all need to do our share to keep the maintenance fees down. Extra laundry, cleaning, over use of staff in any way...all adds to our fees. I hope folks don't really take the pool towels thinking that is a solution for their vacation. Many of us don't want our dues raised due to your silly'ness' and lack of understanding how that impacts all of us in the long run.

We, like many on this thread, also use our towels more than once. There are typically 3 of us traveling at one time so I take large safety pins and place some colored beads on them. Then each of us have our own safety pin attached to our perspective towels. I don't mind using a towel a second time as long as I know I was the one who use it the first time!!! If not, then all I can say is eeeeuuuuu!!!!

 

[Lynne M]

As owners, we pay for the operational needs and upkeep of the resort (including housekeeping). That's what your maintenance fees are for. Adding daily housekeeping, or even daily towel replacement, would raise everyone's dues by a significant amount.

That's why DVC has a pay-as-you-go housekeeping system. Most members, I think, are fine with the existing housekeeping schedule. Those who would prefer more frequent housekeeping or towel replacement are welcome to pay for the additional services. That way the entire membership isn't forced to pay for something that only a portion of the membership wants.

And something to think about.....paying for daily towel replacement isn't unique to DVC resorts. You were paying for that at Disney resorts (or any hotel) before you joined DVC. It was just rolled into the room rate.

 

[rpk1951]

I would just pay for a towel pack and get a few extra. Then you do not have to do laundry daily.

 

[Goofy's apprentice]

I know that I thought this was odd when we first stayed (as guests) in a dvc resort....but we were new to both timeshares and dvc. 5 years later I totally agree with the current set up. If we are in a unit with laundry, we just wash them quickly every few days, no big deal. I would rather keep costs down this way.

It's the same issue with the housekeeping. Pay if you like. I would think that most owners prefer it the way it is, especially those that have other timeshares and are already used to it.

 

[Deb & Bill]

I know I keep bringing this up. So, I know there is a $6 charge for towels everyday. That seems a little crazy with as much money as we pay to belong to this club. Does anyone else have a problem with this. ...

You are not paying $6 a day. You are paying $6 for an extra towel pack - four bath towels, two hand towels, four face cloths and one tub mat for four days. On the next T&T or full cleaning day, you must buy it again if you want the extra four towels.

I was just in a nice Marriott in Tampa last week. I reused by towels for the three nights I was there (in agreement with the conservation note they had hanging in the bathroom) and even made my bed the first morning I was there because I didn't want the housekeepers to bother me that morning. The housekeeper was surprised that I didn't need towels or the room cleaned up.

 

[sgtdisney]

It is strictly a cost saving measure. I don't remember if they took a vote on this many years back or not. I thought I remember some questionaire that they sent to the members in the early '90s about housekeeping and towels. Maybe it was for the soap/detergent. Anyway.. If, for example, every room in an 800 room resort got new towels every day, and again for example it costs $6.00 for cleaning and housekeeping charges to swap them out daily, that would be an additional 1.75 million dollars a year that the members would pay in dues. If you need more towels every day, you have an option to pay for them. The members who don't need or want them every day, won't see the cost in their dues.

 

[Figment2]

If we're in a studio (usually only 2 of us), then we re-use the towels. If we are in a 1or 2BR then we wash the towels every day. We throw them in before we all leave for the parks. If anyone goes back to the room during the day, he/she will throw them in the dryer.

I usually order one towel pack (for the $6) and that gives us enough towels for a couple of people to shower during the day if the others aren't done yet.

I should say, too, that we've rarely had 8 people in a 2BR. At this point we have 5 for our Oct. trip and that'll be it.

Cyn

 

[Anal Annie]

No problems re-using towels at WDW - we re-use at home so why not? At home DH and I shower in the mornings while DS showers at night (just a time thing for him in the mornings). But while at WDW we all shower at night, before bed to get the park grime & sweat off. Don't want to be sleeping all dirty & stinky. We do not RE-shower again in the mornings when we get up as we're just heading out to get all hot & sweaty all over again.

Showering at night saves us time in the mornings so we can get an early start. Sometimes we spend time at the pool in the afternoon & shower afterward then we go back out to the parks for a few hours in the evening. If it's really hot, humid & disgusting we'll shower again when we come back (there's always the sniff test - I often smell DS's hair to see if he smells sweaty). If it's not hot & we don't get sweaty & gross we just go to bed. I mean, the way I look at it was that it was only just a few hours since our last shower - we changed our underwear & we're not FILTHY dirty. But even when we DO shower 2x a day for whatever reason, I've never noticed a big problem with the towels not being dry inbetween. But being the Mom, I am usually the one who goes back behind DH & DS & makes sure they're all hung up properly to dry & not bunched up in a wad or still on the floor. (We also stay in studios so no laundry in the unit.)

 

[RLRDA]

We use the towels more than once, just like we do at home. If you have a 1 BR unit or larger, you can toss wet towels into the dryer. I guess if you really want clean towels every day, you can either wash them yourself, or pay the $6. Lots of "regular" hotels also encourage guests to use towels more than once, to save on energy costs of washing them.

We, like many on this thread, also use our towels more than once. There are typically 3 of us traveling at one time so I take large safety pins and place some colored beads on them. Then each of us have our own safety pin attached to our perspective towels. I don't mind using a towel a second time as long as I know I was the one who use it the first time!!! If not, then all I can say is eeeeuuuuu!!!!

Agree with all of the PPs who use towels more than once. We've always had the W/D in our room so washing them, if needed, has never been a problem. OP, if you're in a unit with a W/D you could always throw them in the dryer so they're dry for the 2nd shower and forgo the wash.

lah3hh, I like your safety pin idea - I might just steal it. I hang everyone's towel on a different hook (then I just have to remember what hook goes to which person ).

 

[Tink-n-Belle]

Yes the towel thing really is ridiculous!! Especially since you can get as many towels from the pool that you want.

For a 1 bedroom to only get 4 towels for the 1st 3 days is ridiculous. Now I wouldn't mind if we got 8 towels for 4 days and then have those 8 exchanged out for new ones, but the 4 towel rule stinks.

I just hang them up and wash them on day 2 (which adds to the expense because the dryers take soooo long to dry the clothes) How are they saving money there?

 

[Deb & Bill]

Yes the towel thing really is ridiculous!! Especially since you can get as many towels from the pool that you want. ...

They've asked us not to take the pool towels back to the villas UNLESS you have the towel wrapped around your body to keep from freezing OR you are dripping all over the place. But to take a stack back to your villas is not right.

 

[DebbieB]

I've been a member almost 10 years and like the current system. Members who want extra services pay for them, those who do not benefit from lower dues.