Weird Incident - Is this normal?

[Mickey Fliers]

Inspired by the "someone used our toliet and left a souvenier" thread.

I was just reminded of something that happened to us at the BC this July. When we came back to our room one night, we couldn't get into our room. It was about 8:00 pm and I thought that maybe something had happened to our room key. After trying several times to open the door, we started to walk away (to the front desk for help). Suddenly, the door opens and there is a mousekeepers standing there. She said she was doing turndown service, however, I got a strange vibe. First, why would she have deadbolted the door? Second, it seemed as if she had been "lounging" around watching TV. And lastly, she didn't have any supplies with her.

We took her word for it, but I am wondering: Is it normal behavior to deadbolt the door when cleaning or doing turndown? Does turndown service normally require some "supplies"? I am really not sure.

I certainly don't plan on complaining now, just wondering if something weird was really going on.

What do you think?

 

[GOOFYFREEK]

I thought I have read from other mousekeepers that they must actually keep the door open when they are in the room. I guess this is for the supervisor to come by and make sure they are not going through your stuff and doing there jobs correctly.

So for them to deadbolt it I find it very strange and would have reported it right away. They could have been lounging yes but they could have also been going through your stuff.

 

[lynr]

Everytime Mousekeeping is in our rooms the doors are always propped open. They aren't supposed to be in there with the door closed, let alone deadbolted.

 

[Tnkrbelle565]

Yup, I've only seen Mousekeeping in there with the doors propped. Did you check your belongings? In any case, I would report this, especially since it was fairly recently.

 

[ResortsFrmrCM]

You should definitely report it next time! I used to be a supervisor of Housekeeping at one point when I was a CM in FL and this is unacceptable. Never, at any hotel, should an employee be in your room with the door deadbolted. In my experience, when this has happened the employee was watching TV, sleeping, using your bathroom ( so they don't have to go all the way to the employee one's) or ,unfortunately, contemplating theft. As a result of one of these situations the employee was fired or suspended. So, now you know for next time.

 

[bonnielynn]

Sounds like Disney may have to talk to some of the mousekeeping... not good...

 

[Mickey Fliers]

Thanks. I definately felt a "weird" vibe from this incident. Nothing was missing from our room, however. I got more the feeling that she was lying around watching TV. Pretty sad. Certainly will report it if it ever happens again.

TA

 

[swilshire]

I've always been uncomfortable with them leaving the doors standing wide open. I understand the reasons (and agree with them) but I'm not comfortable with strangers walking by and looking in. I try to keep everything put away, but still ....

Sheila

 

[jj1403]

If we are taking a vote.. absoluetly not normal... They should have the door proped open. And turn down service??

 

[LoveWDW]

I've always been uncomfortable with them leaving the doors standing wide open. I understand the reasons (and agree with them) but I'm not comfortable with strangers walking by and looking in. I try to keep everything put away, but still ....

Sheila

I didn't know about the door open rule either, glad to learn about it.

I agree about being uncomfortable with the door wide open for anyone to see into the room. I've had it happen even when the housekeeper isn't in the room but is in another room. Even if she is cleaning the bathroom, for example, in my room, anybody could zip in and grab things. She might even think they belonged there and not say anything.

 

[wendylovesdisney]

I have always seen mousekeepers with the door slightly propped open with the door latch, at the very least.
-Wendy

 

[Cinderumbrella]

Back in 2000 we stayed at the BC and DH and I went back to the room in the middle of the day for "a moment". When we got there, 2 maintenance workers were there (I honestly don't remember if the door was open or not) and had ESPN on the TV. Not really sure why they were there or what needed fixing but we checked our stuff and nothing was missing. Sure spoiled the moment, though.

 

[pandora174]

I think you should report it. I regret that I had a weird experience last Sept when we stayed at the AKL. I requested a wake up call & for some reason the phone got off the hook (my 2 year old DS the likely culprit) Anyway we slept in & around 9:30 am I heard someone trying to open the room door ! I always leave the deadbolt on so they couldn't open the door but only a crack or so. My DS & DH sleep like the dead so I ran to the door & there was a manager saying that "you didn't answer your wake up call, just wanted to make sure everything was ok ? " Just got a uncomfortable feeling . I just stammered "a just fine, bye" & closed the door. Couldn't he of knocked & really what's the big deal that we didn't answer our wake up call ? I didn't think it was necessary for a personal visit & what if I didn't have the lock inside on ! What if I was alone sleeping & this man walks in & wakes me from a sound sleep !! My DH sleeps in his underwear & he would of been SO PISSED if someone came to our room like that. I just let it go because I didn't want anything to spoil our first stay at AKL & everything else was wonderful. But next time I'm saying something.

 

[Mysteria]

If we are taking a vote.. absoluetly not normal... They should have the door proped open. And turn down service??

Disney does offer turn down service at some resorts. Not all that familiar with it so I can't give you the details (I.E. if it's just for concierge guests etc.). Maybe someone else can fill that in.

Agreed that mousekeeping should leave the door open. Even for turndown services.

Myst

 

[Mickey Fliers]

You know, now that I think about it, I don't think she should have even been there. We were staying in a standard room that trip, not concierge. Every time we stay concierge we get turndown service, but I can't remember if we have gotten it when staying in standard rooms. I have certainly never requested it. We stayed at the BC the week before this incident and we did not have turndown those days, but lo and behold, we get it the next week.

Maybe someone can clear that up. Is turndown service given at deluxes without requesting it (if not staying concierge)?

Hhhmmmm. Certainly a head scratcher

 

[Aanna]

I'm not sure about un-requested turndown service, but we've often had enough trouble getting turn-down when we *requested it.

These two stories just remind me so much of what happened to my DH and me a few years back in Rhode Island... We were staying at a pretty expensive hotel (on a business trip), and we returned to our room one evening to find that our key didn't work. We could clearly hear the TV blaring in the room -- infinitely louder than we ever listen to it and we hadn't left it turned on.

So we went down to the front desk and told them, and they sent someone up to "check it out." Now I wish one of us had stayed up there! They claimed that no one was in the room, and that the TV had been set on a "wake up" timer. Of course, there was no such timer available either through the remote nor directly through the TV controls. We were pretty upset, but since we weren't the ones paying for the room there wasn't a whole lot we could do. Oh, here's the kicker: when we got back into our room there was pee on the toilet seat! YUCK!!!!

In the morning we asked the front desk people if there was a "wake up" timer on the televisions, and they looked at us as if we were crazy and said of course not. We then proceded to make SUCH a fuss, though they never did anything for us.

At least it seems like Disney tries to make up for these improprieties instead of trying to convince the customer that they are seeing things.

Years later it still makes me shudder to think about it.

 

[wendylovesdisney]

Is turndown service given at deluxes without requesting it (if not staying concierge)?

No.
-Wendy

 

[ResortsFrmrCM]

You know, now that I think about it, I don't think she should have even been there. We were staying in a standard room that trip, not concierge. Every time we stay concierge we get turndown service, but I can't remember if we have gotten it when staying in standard rooms. I have certainly never requested it. We stayed at the BC the week before this incident and we did not have turndown those days, but lo and behold, we get it the next week.

Maybe someone can clear that up. Is turndown service given at deluxes without requesting it (if not staying concierge)?

Hhhmmmm. Certainly a head scratcher

No, normally Turndown is for Concierge as far as Disney goes. Now maybe that has changed in the last few years since I left but I doubt it. The manpower needed for daytime and nighttime housekeeping is tremendous. Did you get turndown on any other nights? If not, she should not have been there. I moved on the the Four Seasons Resorts after Disney and in this chain everyone gets Turndown so it depends on the hotel.

As for the door being open, in Hospitality there are two schools of thought. One being that the door should always be open in an occupied room with the maid's cart blocking the entry for safety and security reasons (it is hard to move those big carts so it is tough for a passerby to run in and take something) and the other theory is that the only doors that maids can prop open are vacant rooms. Some hotel chains think it is too strange with personnel being in an occupied room with the door completely closed while others think it is safer than keeping the door open. If you travel alot you'll see both ideas in all types of hotels/resorts.

 

[rcraw45425]

Turndown IS standard at the GF, all rooms, don't know about BC though. Agree that the door should not have been closed though.

 

[Honeybehr1]

My thought is how long could it possibly take to turn down a bed? not long. So the door shouldnt have been deadbolted.

Did you feel to see if the TV was warm

I would have been a little uneasy with it and probably would have called to question if the deadbolt was common