Warning- daily safety and security room check

PalmtreeLover, thank you for taking the time to post your experiences and let others know what to expect. There has been a lot of arguing over this topic because some people feel that it is a problem for them and other people feel like they are unjustified in their complaints because it is not a problem for themselves.

Hopefully we can avoid the arguing and just stick to experiences and coping suggestions. To wit I have composed a helpful description of the problem so that others may understand what is going on, especially if Disney won't tell people about these intrusions.

What is a room check? A room check is conducted by Disney Cast Members at your resort who reserve the right to enter your room at any time to conduct an inspection. Disney resorts are private property and Disney has a legal right to inspect resort rooms as they determine.

When do these room checks occur? For the most part these room inspections occur from 8am to early evening. The bulk of these room checks occur during the hours that housekeeping is active in servicing the rooms. The room can be empty or guests can be in the room when these room checks occur.

Who is conducting these room checks? Disney Staff conducting room checks can include various Cast Members from the resort, primarily Housekeeping staff and also may include Disney managers, Maintenance CM's and Disney Security officers who may or may not be in a uniform.

What is involved in a room check?
RESORT rooms: A CM knocks on your door and requests to be allowed in to the room. Depending upon the individual CM performing the check they may knock quietly or knock persistently. They may wait until you respond to open your door or they may open the door and allow themselves in without adequate time for you to respond.

Some CM's walk all the way into your room inspecting the bathroom and the spaces between the beds. Some CM's only walk partially in the room and look around. Some CM's only peer into the room from the open door. Sometimes the CM performing the room check will inquire if everything is in good working order in your room or ask if you need supplies or other assistance like trash removal.

Most of the time the CM simply announces that they are performing a room check and they work quickly and then leave. These room checks are primarily visual and do not include the inspection or movement of your possessions. The room check process once in the room is brief and usually takes less than a minute.

DVC rooms:
Room checks do occur in DVC rooms on a daily basis and include trash removal which may or may not actually happen. The above information also applies to a DVC room check.

Using the room occupied sign and room checks: You may or May not find a "Room Occupied" Door knob hanger in your Disney room. This sign must not be confused with a "Do Not Disturb sign which was removed by Disney. A "Room Occupied" door hanger indicates simply that the room is occupied. Disney still reserves the right to enter your room at any time to conduct a room check.

Regarding Cast Members who are conducting these room checks: Please be courteous to them, keeping in mind that they are required to perform these room checks, as directed by management, as a part of their job requirements. Most likely they have no say in how or when these room checks are conducted.

If you encounter a Cast Member who is especially helpful then feel free to make a note of that CM's name and town, as seen on their name tag, and include the time and place of your encounter along with a brief description of how that Cast Member was especially helpful to you. Send an email to Guest Services wdw.guest.communications@disneyworld.com Positive feedback from guests is especially appreciated by Cast Members!

If you encounter a CM who was rude or of other concern, please make a note of that CM's name tag information along with the time and location of the encounter and send an email to Guest Services with a description of what happened. This information will enable Disney to help this CM correct any problems they might be involved in.

If you are concerned that these room checks might impact your stay at a Disney resort or DVC property please have a conversation with a manager at the front desk of your resort and see IF they can assist you with your concerns.

~NM
 
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We are going in two weeks with our 8 month old, so I envision naps in the afternoon (if it turns out she doesn't want to nap in her stroller). Think it'd be overkill to make a "Baby napping" sign to take and put out along with the Room Occupied sign?

It doesn't seem to matter if there are kids or elderly resting. They will knock until you answer the door and if you don't, they will try and open it.
 
That’s funny. If I was security I’d be interested in why someone was locking their suitcase if I was looking for what I think they are looking for.

I will definitely go with the flow as I am not one to complain... in person :thumbsup2

I locked mine because my laptop was in there (it didn't fit in the safe). I figure if there was a problem with it, they would have contacted me, but I never heard anything. I suppose they could have the same method TSA uses on approved locks...but again, nothing appeared to have been moved at all. (No, I didn't set "traps" to prove anything, but everything appeared exactly as it had been when I left in the morning.)
 
I locked mine because my laptop was in there (it didn't fit in the safe). I figure if there was a problem with it, they would have contacted me, but I never heard anything. I suppose they could have the same method TSA uses on approved locks...but again, nothing appeared to have been moved at all. (No, I didn't set "traps" to prove anything, but everything appeared exactly as it had been when I left in the morning.)

That’s good to know though. I really wouldn’t mind the checks myself as long as I know my stuff is safe. I don’t have a family that naps though. (And nothing to hide. :rolleyes1)

And I don’t have a lock for my suitcase I use a paper clip when I fly mostly out of peace of mind with all the tumbling they do. I don’t trust zippers.
 


It doesn't seem to matter if there are kids or elderly resting. They will knock until you answer the door and if you don't, they will try and open it.

This is my understanding too. You can ask the person who knocks to return later because a child is sleeping but neither the RO sign or a personalized one is guaranteed to prevent them from knocking.
 
That’s funny. If I was security I’d be interested in why someone was locking their suitcase if I was looking for what I think they are looking for.

I will definitely go with the flow as I am not one to complain... in person :thumbsup2
If I were security tasked with checking the rooms and no apparent direction to check personal belongings, I wouldn't see any valid reason to touch luggage - locked or not.
 


PalmtreeLover, thank you for taking the time to post your experiences and let others know what to expect. There has been a lot of arguing over this topic because some people feel that it is a problem for them and other people feel like they are unjustified in their complaints because it is not a problem for themselves.

Hopefully we can avoid the arguing and just stick to experiences and coping suggestions. To wit I have composed a helpful description of the problem so that others may understand what is going on, especially if Disney won't tell people about these intrusions.

What is a room check? A room check is conducted by Disney Cast Members at your resort who reserve the right to enter your room at any time to conduct an inspection. Disney resorts are private property and Disney has a legal right to inspect resort rooms as they determine.

When do these room checks occur? For the most part these room inspections occur from 8am to early evening. The bulk of these room checks occur during the hours that housekeeping is active in servicing the rooms. The room can be empty or guests can be in the room when these room checks occur.

Who is conducting these room checks? Disney Staff conducting room checks can include various Cast Members from the resort, primarily Housekeeping staff and also may include Disney managers, Maintenance CM's and Disney Security officers who may or may not be in a uniform.

What is involved in a room check?
RESORT rooms: A CM knocks on your door and requests to be allowed in to the room. Depending upon the individual CM performing the check they may knock quietly or knock persistently. They may wait until you respond to open your door or they may open the door and allow themselves in without adequate time for you to respond.

Some CM's walk all the way into your room inspecting the bathroom and the spaces between the beds. Some CM's only walk partially in the room and look around. Some CM's only peer into the room from the open door. Sometimes the CM performing the room check will inquire if everything is in good working order in your room or ask if you need supplies or other assistance like trash removal.

Most of the time the CM simply announces that they are performing a room check and they work quickly and then leave. These room checks are primarily visual and do not include the inspection or movement of your possessions. The room check process once in the room is brief and usually takes less than a minute.

DVC rooms:
Room checks do occur in DVC rooms on a daily basis and include trash removal which may or may not actually happen. The above information also applies to a DVC room check.

Using the room occupied sign and room checks: You may or May not find a "Room Occupied" Door knob hanger in your Disney room. This sign must not be confused with a "Do Not Disturb sign which was removed by Disney. A "Room Occupied" door hanger indicates simply that the room is occupied. Disney still reserves the right to enter your room at any time to conduct a room check.

Regarding Cast Members who are conducting these room checks: Please be courteous to them, keeping in mind that they are required to perform these room checks, as directed by management, as a part of their job requirements. Most likely they have no say in how or when these room checks are conducted.

If you encounter a Cast Member who is especially helpful then feel free to make a note of that CM's name and town, as seen on their name tag, and include the time and place of your encounter along with a brief description of how that Cast Member was especially helpful to you. Send an email to Guest Services wdw.guest.communications@disneyworld.com Positive feedback from guests is especially appreciated by Cast Members!

If you encounter a CM who was rude or of other concern, please make a note of that CM's name tag information along with the time and location of the encounter and send an email to Guest Services with a description of what happened. This information will enable Disney to help this CM correct any problems they might be involved in.

If you are concerned that these room checks might impact your stay at a Disney resort or DVC property please have a conversation with a manager at the front desk of your resort and see IF they can assist you with your concerns.

~NM

VERY well written, Ninja Mom!! You rock!!:thumbsup2
 
I think Disney's concern is people putting out the DND/room occupied sign and leaving it up all week. I'm not saying that anyone here does that but it's what happened in LV. Disney is probably assuming that if you're in the room you have it deadbolted so that they don't walk in on you.
 
I stayed at my local casino resort over the weekend, where we stay frequently. They have multiple hotel properties across my state. I noticed they replaced their "do not disturb" signs with "Room Occupied" signs like Disney has, and the casino's signs have fine print on them that say something to the effect of "Our staff has the right to enter your room at any time for any reason". I thought it was interesting to find this at the casino, so it seems like it is the way of the future at hotels. Disney might just be one of the first to take this step.
 
Is this hypothetical, or do the posters with this concern normally drop-dry in hotel rooms? No snark intended.

Not the poster you quoted but yes, I’m certain that plenty of people are nude in their hotel rooms. Here are a few examples that pertain to me, but I think are fairly common--

I don’t “drip-dry”. I use a towel. But then I come out of the bathroom to dress. I prefer to lay my clothes out on the bed rather than have to put them on the bathroom floor or toilet. Plus, then the bathroom is free for someone else to use.

Everyone in my family sleeps naked. If we are sharing one room with kids and feel the need to be more "modest", we will maybe wear underwear or something light, but even that often gets tossed off during the course of the night. (But, honestly, even if I wore a turtleneck long sleeved nightgown I still wouldn’t feel comfortable with a stranger just barging into my room.)

And, not to get too descriptive, but lots of people may be “in bed” and nude for other reasons than sleeping, day or night. :rolleyes1

I’m actually surprised I haven’t read a report of security barging in on that yet. :rotfl:
 
IMO the checks are more of a show for litigation purposes, many of the CM's that we have had inspect didn't even know what they were checking. Sometimes they show up, sometimes they don't. By the way, they can bypass the security latch.

:earsboy: Bill

 
I stayed at my local casino resort over the weekend, where we stay frequently. They have multiple hotel properties across my state. I noticed they replaced their "do not disturb" signs with "Room Occupied" signs like Disney has, and the casino's signs have fine print on them that say something to the effect of "Our staff has the right to enter your room at any time for any reason". I thought it was interesting to find this at the casino, so it seems like it is the way of the future at hotels. Disney might just be one of the first to take this step.

Definitely.

Did you experience a room check at the casino hotel? Just because they have a sign saying that they have a right to enter the room at any time for any reason, it doesn’t mean they WILL enter it daily.
 
reading the other security check threads and this one - wow. What a difference from our onsite stay last Dec and for 20+ years before that. Our next trip will be the 1st one offsite - went with a DS hotel and was feeling sad to lose our "bubble". But just no way I can justify paying $13/day to leave my car in an uncovered lot when I'm paying $120+ for a motel 6 value room with tiny beds and no coffeemaker! Now reading about these inconsistencies in security check processes, I'm starting to feel a little better about bailing.

Wait; they don’t have coffee makers in value resorts? Was it always this way or is this new?
 
I don’t know, only stayed in a value once over 17 years ago. Don’t plan on going back so I don’t read threads about value resorts.
 

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