Unannounced "inspections"

[Sammie]

Maybe the shower is an extreme example, but the point is I don't expect people poking around my hotel room when I don't expect it...

I would advise everyone to latch your door as soon as you enter the room. This truly is the only way to prevent intrusions, even ones such as giving someone a key to your room by mistake.

 

[dmoore22]

CM should not be in the room unless planned or announced. This sounds very fishy to me. As a minimum, I would have discussed with a manager to be sure all was on the up and up and to make sure that no one came into the room when I wasn't there.

I agree. There are ample opportunities to inspect a room other than when occupied with guests such as between the 11'am checkout and 4'pm check in.

 

[tgropp]

Has anyone ever lost or misplaced items where they have no idea where they went? What would happen if you lost something and were retracing the steps and then found out that someone was in your room. Would you suspect that it was stolen, even though it wasn't? A simple phone call would rule that out. I am renting that room and I DO NOT WANT anyone to come in unannounced. Plain and simple

 

[dianeschlicht]

CM should not be in the room unless planned or announced. This sounds very fishy to me. As a minimum, I would have discussed with a manager to be sure all was on the up and up and to make sure that no one came into the room when I wasn't there.

Absolutely correct!

In the past at OKW, we have always had a phone message telling us if and when something was planned to be done to our unit. In 13 years, I've had several occations where a message was left that they would be working on our villa and even telling the times. I'm sure this was (and should be) done to not inconvenince us. That way we could determin if we wanted to be there or not during that time.

The idea of doing these "inspections" unannounced is just not kosher in my book. Especially when the people staying in the units are not there. Even worse would be if they walked in on someone in the shower! In fact, that DID happen to one of us once. We were in an OKW GV, and our DS stayed behind to sleep in. He was using the shower in the hall bathroom when maintenance came in!!! He didn't hear the knock because the water was running. They came in because there was a leak in the ceiling below from the bathroom he was using. LOL, he was pretty embarassed, and so were they!

 

[disneynutz]

Has anyone ever lost or misplaced items where they have no idea where they went? What would happen if you lost something and were retracing the steps and then found out that someone was in your room. Would you suspect that it was stolen, even though it wasn't? A simple phone call would rule that out. I am renting that room and I DO NOT WANT anyone to come in unannounced. Plain and simple

What you want and what really happens are two different things. If you are missing something, contact a manager. They will check the access logs for your room. Mousekeepers can enter the rooms daily, how is this really different? The OP stated that a Disney person was with the contractor obviously to keep everyone honest. Expecting the rooms to only be inspected between 11 and 4 is unrealistic. There are thousands of rooms. How would you like to be told that you can't check in until after 4 because they are waiting for it to be inspected.

Just bolt your door when you are in the room if you don't want visitors.

Bill

 

[dianeschlicht]

What you want and what really happens are two different things. If you are missing something, contact a manager. They will check the access logs for your room. Mousekeepers can enter the rooms daily, how is this really different? The OP stated that a Disney person was with the contractor obviously to keep everyone honest. Expecting the rooms to only be inspected between 11 and 4 is unrealistic. There are thousands of rooms. How would you like to be told that you can't check in until after 4 because they are waiting for it to be inspected.

Just bolt your door when you are in the room if you don't want visitors.

Bill

While all of that is true, these "inspections" were obviously pre-planned events, so why couldn't they have been announced? That is what we have come to expect from Disney. It's what has always made them a cut above the rest of the pack before.

 

[tgropp]

What you want and what really happens are two different things. If you are missing something, contact a manager. They will check the access logs for your room. Mousekeepers can enter the rooms daily, how is this really different?

Bill. The point I was making is if Mousekeepers are scheduled to come in every 4 days for trash and towel, I am expecting them and I will be prepared for them. All is cool if they come in. If I am not expecting anyone to enter my room, I will probally have some valuables laying around in the room so please just call and I will correct the situation. There have been instances were some Disney employees (very very few) have scanned cc's etc. I am not asking for a lot, just some common courtesy. I have always read that if someone comes to your room and claim to be working for the hotel, that you are to phone the front desk and verify it. Some hotels will not send someone to your room without letting you know about the visit. I understand your position and technically you are right, but at some point I feel that right is wrong, but that is JMHO.

 

[disneynutz]

While all of that is true, these "inspections" were obviously pre-planned events, so why couldn't they have been announced? That is what we have come to expect from Disney. It's what has always made them a cut above the rest of the pack before.

As I stated before, announcing can really cause extra cost and work for Disney. If they announce the inspections, Disney may have to deal with hundreds of Guests upset about the inspections, just like they are here. What do they do when the Guest demands that they don't enter their room?

By not announcing and just doing their job, less Guests find out what's going on and the few that do are handled one on one. If the inspections weren't posted here, we would never know about them and people wouldn't be upset. Same thing.

Bill

 

[Figment2]

Last week at BWV I believe I saw some inspections taking place. I saw 3 (possibly 4) CMs (obviously management from the way they were dressed) going into various rooms. From what I saw, they knocked, waited and then opened the door announcing themselves. I saw them twice as I ran down to the lobby store for something and they were still going down the hallway when I came back up. Shortly thereafter, a mousekeeper came to our door asking about packnplays. We had a 2-BR and she looked in both rooms (there was one in each closet). Too, at BLT, an electrician showed up to look at, we think, the electrical box (all he did was put a sticker on it).

I wonder if there have been complaints about mousekeeping so management were doing impromtu checks?

I think we get complacent knowing that mousekeeping only comes periodically. I know hotel management has a right to enter our rooms at any time so try to lock up things like cash and jewelry. Even if Disney sent a message out I don't know if we would listen to it very promptly. We have a tendency to ignore the flashing light on the phone figuring if it was a family emergency, they would have called our cell phones.

Cyn

 

[disneynutz]

What you want and what really happens are two different things. If you are missing something, contact a manager. They will check the access logs for your room. Mousekeepers can enter the rooms daily, how is this really different?

Bill. The point I was making is if Mousekeepers are scheduled to come in every 4 days for trash and towel, I am expecting them and I will be prepared for them. All is cool if they come in. If I am not expecting anyone to enter my room, I will probally have some valuables laying around in the room so please just call and I will correct the situation. There have been instances were some Disney employees (very very few) have scanned cc's etc. I am not asking for a lot, just some common courtesy. I have always read that if someone comes to your room and claim to be working for the hotel, that you are to phone the front desk and verify it. Some hotels will not send someone to your room without letting you know about the visit. I understand your position and technically you are right, but at some point I feel that right is wrong, but that is JMHO.

I understand your feelings on the issue and to a certain extent I feel the same. The difference is that I know that my room can be accessed at any time when I am not there and I would never know it. We don't leave valuables out and we do use the safe. Our computers have encrypted hard drives, password protected, and IP trackers installed, and backed up off site daily.

Based on the number of times that we have been visited while we were in the room, I know that we have had people in our room when we were not there.

Do I really like the idea, no. Does it happen, yes. Are we going to change the way that Disney and millions of other hotels do business, no.

Bill

 

[Brian Noble]

I'm with Bill. I just assume that the Powers That Be might enter the room at any time, for any reason. For example, compiling lists of maintenance needs, etc. Yes, Mousekeeping could possibly do this, but most custodial staff probably do not have the sort of training required---or possibly the time---for spotting needed repairs, etc.

Even though it feels like your home away from home, it's not. It's a hotel room, and this is how most hotels work. If you do spot someone in your room, you should always verify that they are an employee, but if they are, well, then they have a right to be there. If you are in the room, and wish to be left undisturbed, use the sign and the deadbolt/latch. If you have valuables that you are concerned about, use the safe.

 

[twinklebug]

That would bother me too. When I'm checked into my unit it is my HOME for the duration of my stay. I don't want strangers walking in (either with or without cameras) at random times. Check in sets an agreement with us as to which days housekeeping will be coming by. It's known and expected. All other entrances, unless an emergency, such as to fix a broken pipe, need to be declared prior to their entrance giving the occupants a chance to be prepared. What about the case where someone's napping or in the shower and doesn't hear a knock at the door. How shocked would most of us be to awake or step out to find strangers in our room?

Deadbolt solution is not a solution if our family is out and expected to return. Privacy signs are easily removed by passerbys. All I'd ask for is a call by housekeeping to us at the start of the day indicating that they will be by and the window in which it is expected. Not a difficult or time consuming thing to do: Record a general message, use it day after day plugging in the room numbers to be notified and submit. Once set up it'll take them no longer than 3 minutes (10 for the phone system challenged) at the most to send the message out.

 

[Simba's Mom]

Over the years we've had a couple of unplanned inspections, at least only a couple that we know of! Never a camera, however. In our case, it's always been the Mousekeeping manager checking up on the work of a new or otherwise questionable mousekeeper. So if mousekeeping called us beforehand, the word might get back to the mousekeeper being checked up on, defeating the purpose.

 

[asouthernbelle]

i would have flipped. what if i was actually DOING SOMETHING in my room. thats so creepy.

 

[gillep]

When I stay in any hotel room DVC or not I assume that management etc can come in pretty much any time that they want. I always bolt the door if I am inside so that no one can walk in on me and when we leave we use the safe. DH and I just got back from BWV we were able to get into our room at 12:50pm we then went to lunch at the Dolphin at 1:30pm when we got back to our room at 2:20pm I noticed that maintenance had obviously been in our studio as the previously broken toilet paper holder was now fixed. This did not bother me at all, actually I was glad that this small issue was fixed so promptly, everything was locked up so we were good to go.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

i would have flipped. what if i was actually DOING SOMETHING in my room. thats so creepy.

You probably would have gone to the door and answered it if you were in the room I am guessing. Then you could have either allowed them in if you felt ok with it or you could have said you would not like them to do the inspection. They would respect your wishes if you were in the room.

If you can't answer the door when you are in the room and do not want someone entering then you should have the security locks in place and that would prevent it from happening.

 

[Sammie]

When I stay in any hotel room DVC or not I assume that management etc can come in pretty much any time that they want. I always bolt the door if I am inside so that no one can walk in on me and when we leave we use the safe. DH and I just got back from BWV we were able to get into our room at 12:50pm we then went to lunch at the Dolphin at 1:30pm when we got back to our room at 2:20pm I noticed that maintenance had obviously been in our studio as the previously broken toilet paper holder was now fixed. This did not bother me at all, actually I was glad that this small issue was fixed so promptly, everything was locked up so we were good to go.

Exactly, I mean they do have keys to your room and they also make mistakes and check someone into your room.

I always bolt my hotel room door as soon as I enter.

 

[Dean]

As previously posted, inn keepers have the rite to enter rooms. Expecting them to schedule inspections is unrealistic. Taking the time to place courtesy calls is also unrealistic and would generate a lot of questions. Disney use to notify guests with letters placed in the room when something was scheduled but the letters would generate hundreds of phone calls and inquires. Now they only do it when they have to.

I would guess that most Guests never know when someone enters their room in the course of doing business. We have had Disney people in our rooms changing air filters, installing a new refrigerator, and wanting to look out our window to determine the room category. These happened when we were there, who knows what goes on when we aren't?

If the OP is upset about this, they should have contacted the resort manager while they were there and the DVC Satisfaction Team now that they are home.

Bill

I doubt they have the option to just enter on a whim. certainly if there is an acute issue such as a water leak or for normal scheduled maint. It is not unrealistic to expect them to place a call or to catch the rooms as they're empty. As a min, they have the ability to broadcast messages to rooms or groups without even having to speak to people. Many resorts I stay at do this every single day for activities, weather, et. IMO, that's not enough for standard inspections but I would see it as a min.

My understanding was that the hotel could only enter under certain situations such as evictions which vary by state. I found this Web Article on the subject. I'd think that a hotel would NOT want people in a room unnecessarily due to the risks involved. IF something became missing, or someone simply said it was, it's put them in a precarious position.

 

[BeccaG]

Why many of you assume the powers that be can come in the room unannounced, the question is should they. I too try and put away valuables because I know there are lots of folks with access to my room, but to stumble into someone in my room taking pictures would definitely unnerve me. If they were going to take pictures I would certainly want to know.

 

[WilsonFlyer]

Why many of you assume the powers that be can come in the room unannounced, the question is should they. I too try and put away valuables because I know there are lots of folks with access to my room, but to stumble into someone in my room taking pictures would definitely unnerve me. If they were going to take pictures I would certainly want to know.

Amen and amen.

As far as I'm concerned, it's B&E. I'd rather be tried by 12 than carried by 6.

It's my home away from home. Not just in a sense of warm and fuzzies like we all always joke about, but in deed, as in an ownership document registered in Orange County, FL. If they can't come in to clean every day, they shouldn't be able to come in on a whim without a search warrant while there is a member occupying the room. Now I know I'm going to get jumped on about the POS and blah, blah, blah but I do not care.

I am going to start specificly and explicitly telling the front desk to note on my reservations that there are to be no intrusions into my villa unless I am notified 24 hours in advance and noone is to enter without a member of my family being present. I think that's fair to anyone.

All I can tell you is that if it ever happens to us, it will be a sign from God that our time at WDW has served it's purpose.

Not joking.