Why is it "illegal" to take pool towels back to your room?

[bunny]

I noticed in another thread that someone mentioned that it was "illegal" to take pool towels back to your room. And if you did you needed to replace it in the pool bin upon discovery. Why? I have never heard of that at all the Disney resorts I've stayed at. Also last time we stayed at SSR, the kids brought some towels back with them after swimming. They wrapped up in them to walk back to the villa. The next day when the maid came I asked her if I needed to return the towels or if she would take them when she took the other used towels. She said that she would take them and it was no problem. What is the big deal with the pool towels? Don't they all get laundered in the same location anyway?

 

[TAKitty]

I have never had a problem either. In fact, we almost always take a towel or two (that we have used) from the pool back to our room. I think it could be a problem if people were using pool towels instead of getting the extra towel package to use in their rooms. The pool towels, to me, look the same as the regular towels. We have never been stopped, nor has anyone ever said it was illegal.

 

[Chuck S]

Pool towels are laundered differently because of the pool chemicals. DVC has requested sometimes through Vacation Magic that we do NOT take pool towels for use in the rooms.

 

[Tigger7570]

I have noticed on our last couple of trips in the spring and just last month in October, that several times while we were at the pool at Turtle Pond at OKW people were coming over to the pool area and taking an armful of towels and going back to their rooms. That to me, is totally wrong. Either pay for the extras or wash the ones you have.

 

[Ed T]

If we happen to take a pool towel back to the room we return it to the pool and deposit it in the receptical. Never hear that they would send the pool towel police after you!

Ed

 

[Simba's Mom]

I have noticed on our last couple of trips in the spring and just last month in October, that several times while we were at the pool at Turtle Pond at OKW people were coming over to the pool area and taking an armful of towels and going back to their rooms. That to me, is totally wrong. Either pay for the extras or wash the ones you have.

Oh, my gosh! That is a little much that they'd do that!

 

[KristiKelly]

We just about always take pool towels back to our room, after swimming. The halls at BWV are usually really cold and our kids are freezing by the time we get back to the room so I always have them wrap up in a towel, especially our 1 year old. I do not deliberately take them for use in our room but once there, we do use them and rewash them just like I do the other towels & wash cloths.

Taking a dry stack back to the room, now that's just wrong!!!

 

[saschab]

Yes, I was on that thread. I admit it, I was the towel thief!

I took 2 towels from BCV pool after returning to my room on Trash n' Towel day at 6:30 pm to find we had neither new towels or trash removed.

We called Mousekeeping to report we had been skipped. I waited 50 minutes, but was running out of time as we had ADRS and it was either towel scalping, or the folks sitting near us having their dinner ruined. I was a bit ripe.

I've used few day old towels, no problem, and even laundered during our stay, but we had placed them all in the tub in the morning for change-over and they were way to wet and mildewy.

Mousekeeping finally came up with towels in hand as we were walking out the door. A bit over an hour after we called.

I returned the towels to the pool receptacle the next day.

 

[pbharris4]

Just wanted to mention something about the towel package. If you request it through DVC when you make your reservation...make sure to double check that when you check in and also make sure they bring it to you. We requested the towel pkg for every day of our trip at BCV. No new towels the 2nd day or 3rd day (was supposed to be for 6 days) so I called and explained..of course the front desk pinned it on DVC people, but they brought some towels. That was the only time they came. AND they still charged me for every night. So it might be better to call every day aand request towels.

As far as pool towels...we've never taken clean ones back to the rooms, but always bring back the towels we have used at the pool to cover with. Sometimes we have put them in the towel bins and sometimes we've left them in the room. Normally, I just bring 2-3 extra towels and just wash them and reuse.

 

[jakenjess]

We only take the ones the kids are wrapped up in coming back from the pool. Then I usually do keep them and wash them, use them through our stay, but before we leave I take them back to the pool to deposit them in the towel bin there.

 

[3DisneyKids]

Taking a dry stack back to the room, now that's just wrong!!!

Please, please don't flame me...I am sincerely just asking this question because I do not understand the policy.

Why is it so wrong? (I should mention that I am aware of the policy, and since I know about it, I have never done this) but I have always wondered what the big deal is?

Let's say someone takes some clean, dry pool towels to use back in their villa. When their stay is done, they return the pool towels to the pool bins. I guess I am in the dark here as I do not see a problem with this....so I respectfully ask someone to explain it to me. Is the issue that there is a shortage of pool towels? And thus when people take them back their rooms there are not enough for those at the pool? If so, then that makes sense. Though knowing Disney's dedication to customer service, I would just think that they would make sure that there are an abundance of towels so that this is never an issue.

Thanks.

 

[DebbieB]

It's wrong because DVC resort expenses are paid through member dues. They have it setup that you get towels on day 4 and 8, based on the number of nights you stay. Anyone who wants them more often, pays separate for them. By taking them from the pool for use in the room, you are creating an extra expense for all the members to pay for, instead of yourself by the rules. It doesn't sound like a big deal but if alot of people do it, it adds up. I think some people take the attitude that Disney is paying for them, but it really is the members who pay.

 

[paults]

Why is it "illegal" to take pool towels back to your room?

Well now lets see, if people keep taking the towels back to their rooms how can I go around the pool and put towels on all the chairs and lounges in the morning so we'll have 2 chairs to sit on later in the day when we get back from the parks.

 

[4formickey]

so I guess packing a towel or two away and for some odd reason it finds it way home with you is wrong also? Maybe dvc should let some of the disers be on towel patrol to insure no one leave the pool area with a towel.This would save everyone in fees and make sure everyone is having a magical day

 

[granmanh603]

Well now lets see, if people keep taking the towels back to their rooms how can I go around the pool and put towels on all the chairs and lounges in the morning so we'll have 2 chairs to sit on later in the day when we get back from the parks.

Oh we were just there a week ago and were taking a morning walk around the water and passed Stormalong Bay and noticed some one in there(man and young boy) stoped to watch....he put towels on 5 chairs and even had little green pails he put out and then promptly left with the boy, they were fully dress for a day at the park and had a large back back on his back. The reason we noticed him is there was no one else in there not even life guards. That really surprised me??? Guess I am naive!!!

 

[crisi]

Please, please don't flame me...I am sincerely just asking this question because I do not understand the policy.

Why is it so wrong? (I should mention that I am aware of the policy, and since I know about it, I have never done this) but I have always wondered what the big deal is?

Let's say someone takes some clean, dry pool towels to use back in their villa. When their stay is done, they return the pool towels to the pool bins. I guess I am in the dark here as I do not see a problem with this....so I respectfully ask someone to explain it to me. Is the issue that there is a shortage of pool towels? And thus when people take them back their rooms there are not enough for those at the pool? If so, then that makes sense. Though knowing Disney's dedication to customer service, I would just think that they would make sure that there are an abundance of towels so that this is never an issue.

Thanks.

Let's say that there are 400 rooms at the resort. The accountants get together and decide that there are - at most - 4 people in a room and that, on average, they use one pool towel at day. It takes a day to launder them, so you need a two day inventory of pool towels. So you need 1,600x2 or 3,200 pool towels. And you have 4,000 on hand - because they get lost or stolen. Each of these towels represents cost to the hotel - its a tiny cost, but its a cost. Plus, the total cost of the towel is much higher - there are laundry costs involved which are actually the bulk of towel costs.

Lets say that there are 400 rooms at the hotel, and now you have 400 guests taking four extra towels each day so they don't need to pay for trash and towel. Now you need 8,000 towels at the hotel - plus the incremental costs of maintaining the extra 4,000 towels.

Since this all comes out of everyones dues, and since there is a provision for you to get towels and pay the incremental cost out of pocket instead of passing it on to other members, this is an ethical problem - basically, because you don't want to pay for your extra towels, you are making me pay for your extra towels.

 

[dsneygirl]

I don't get pool towels to use in the room but almost always walk back up with my towel when still wet. I assumed since the pool towels are a different texutre they would be easy to seperate for the wash.

 

[Dean]

It costs more to launder the Pool towels. There is a certain inventory of towels which must be higher if this is abused. That gives a higher cost translating to higher dues. If DVC wanted one to have free towels, they wouldn't charge for the towel packs. Obviously people are going to use towels then take them back to the room while they are wet, a certain amount of that is expected and accounted for. That is different than taking towels specifically to use in the rooms because one is too cheap to pay for the towel packs.

 

[Iguanodon]

In the end I wonder what costs more per towel, running the washing machine in your villa to wash your towels or Disney washing the pool towels. I think the main savings to DVC is the reduced housekeeping costs in delivering the towels daily.

We try to play by the rules and wash our own towels. I just don't get the "It raises our dues" argument when playing by the rules and running loads of laundry for a couple of towels probably costs the resort more than picking up a couple (not a large stack) of pool towels.

 

[Dean]

In the end I wonder what costs more per towel, running the washing machine in your villa to wash your towels or Disney washing the pool towels. I think the main savings to DVC is the reduced housekeeping costs in delivering the towels daily.

We try to play by the rules and wash our own towels. I just don't get the "It raises our dues" argument when playing by the rules and running loads of laundry for a couple of towels probably costs the resort more than picking up a couple (not a large stack) of pool towels.

Per DVC Financial, it still costs more to launder the pool towels on a per towel basis taking all the other issues into account. It's related to the chemicals and sanitation issues from what I've been told.