“It’s for your safety.”

[lsyorke]

But you’re not required to do anything if you choose to stay somewhere other than a Disney resort. You absolutely have a choice.

Yeah, like you can go to Vegas...where only Hilton instituted anything even similar(no access in 24 hours will trigger a "possible room inspection") to this in their hotels. The irony is not lost on me.

Our last trip housekeeping never came before 5pm, so we would send them away and just get clean towels. So now you've got housekeeping hoping that people will skip the service and security blaming the room occupier for skipping housekeeping and demanding to inspect.

We've considered ending the onsite stays and moving offsite for more space. This may have just made the decision for us.

 

[pattyw]

To the OP: what they did is inexcusable. End of story.

Yes!!

 

[Ninja Mom]

I would think 911, if you know it is someone doing the room security check will not look kindly on you. Nor is it something you should do, take away resources from people who truly need them. I hate to think someone is trying to call with a real emergency, but they are backed up because of people not liking a security check they know about in advance, and someone dies because of it.

Don't like the rule, fine. Stay somewhere else. But don't play games that can endanger others. And too many people seem to want to do that.

No guests are playing games by calling 911 when a stranger pounds on the door and forces their way in.

Again the question is this: How do you know for certain that it's a Disney Staffer doing the security checks and barging into your room? We do know there are criminals who pose as police officers or other officials/Employees so the concern that you are not familiar with who is doing these security checks is legitimate.

Now let's stretch and say that the majority of people staying in a WDW resort room don't read the Dis Boards and are unaware of this new policy. They didn't read deep into the welcome packet, which may or may not be in the room, they did online check in so they bypassed the front desk and they didn't read any emails or texts that may or may not have been sent to them (Room ready notification text I'm looking at YOU!). Now picture that someone insistently starts knocking on their door AND THEN FORCES THEIR WAY IN.

Do you still think they should NOT call 911?

It's one thing to say that they are doing room checks. It's entirely another thing when a stranger forces their way into your room and starts looking around. Even if you are told that room checks are happening THEY WAY THEY ARE BEING HANDLED is unnerving and threatening. I am hoping, perhaps in vain, that you could see clear to understanding that.

I'm pretty sure putting a door jammer on your hotel room would violate the standard agreement with the hotel and you would probably get kicked out. Hotel management has to be able to get into the room whether you are in the room or not. I think the reasonable response would be to call the front desk and verify the name of the person trying to gain access to the room.

Also:

I worked at the DRC we don't have a way to connect calls to the resorts.

Re: Malestrom: I'm betting that a door jammer would NOT violate the room contract. You have to let them in but a door jammer would buy you a reasonable amount of time to attempt to establish the legitimacy of the person entering the room. Also, the call center is not an effective way of doing anything quickly at Disney. You may not be aware but this has been experienced and discussed many times on these boards, so many folks that read these boards can verify that fact. You would probably need at least 10 minutes and based on Disney's phone response time, much more time to check and see if this is legitimate.

I'm wondering why the housekeeper couldn't have done a quick peek when they were handing you extra supplies? It seems like they had someone there that could do that check right then and there prior to you all taking a nap.

*And yeah the peek...it's not exactly thorough..

Exactly. Long Peep, short peep, any kind of a "peep" accomplishes nothing except a show of security theater.

We still get back to ineffective and unnecessarily intrusive with these security checks.

Also I think Dan's Dad wrote "Your best bet would be to skip contacting the Front Desk and call Security directly. The Front Desk would have no idea if Security was really at your door, Security will".

The problem is that security is not doing these checks. It appears that random Housekeeping staff are the ones doing the knocking. I seriously doubt that security will know that CM John Doe is knocking on YOUR door this very minute.

Since this important assignment was left up to the housekeepers I doubt that security is coordinating in real time (or any time for that matter) with the people who are doing the checks. Are the room checkers even wearing radios so they can communicate in case of emergency? If so is security monitoring that band or is it just the housekeeping manager?

It would really be bad if you had this happen and you called security and they just blew you off and said "Yeah, we know that they are doing checks so you have to let the person in", when you are calling them to find out if the person doing the knocking is legitimate. The possibility is small that it would be someone taking advantage of the security theater performance to gain entry into a room, but the possibility exists never the less and that's enough to justify feeling uneasy.

I'm sure there will be someone on this thread that will say 'Show me the Hordes of reports of this happening!!!!".... but again, that is not the point. The point is that these kind of mandatory room intrusions open up the possibility for something like this to happen. This is yet another reason why guests are feeling uncomfortable when they anticipate/experience these "security" intrusions that violate guest privacy for no effective reason.

~NM

 

[Colleen27]

I think it was @WebmasterCorey who mentioned during the DIS Unplugged discussion on this topic about posting a handmade sign on the door saying "Taking a nap, please come back in ___ minutes/hours." or something to that effect. Has anyone tried this? If so, what was your experience like?

My guess is that will be about as successful as asking housekeeping or the front desk to schedule the check... that is, not at all. And I get it. If they want to pretend this policy actually enhances security, allowing it to be scheduled at the guest's convenience would just be opening a loophole for anyone who did want to do harm. Checks have to be unpredictable and unannounced to be effective, since they're not looking under beds and in suitcases; a scheduled check would just give a potential shooter advance notice of when to hide things away and make the room look normal.

In reading some of the stories in regards to the security checks in the rooms. I honestly feel like the better way to go with this; is simply checking the contents of every single piece of luggage that is brought on to on property resorts. They could even do it the way cruise ships do. You hold onto a carry on bag with things you may need until you get your other luggage back; this one goes through a scanner airport security style. Then you go through a metal detector. Meanwhile, your other bags get taken to another location at the resort you're staying at to get screened. As long as it has nothing in it that they don't want in the rooms, and on their properties; it's then delivered to your room a few hours later. This way nothing that could seriously hurt people, if not worse; is in any room.

On a cruise ship, you don't have cars coming and going all day and night. They'd have to set up checkpoints to search cars coming into the resorts for this to provide any actual security.

 

[bluejasmine]

I think at the very least, Disney should have a estimated time that they will be coming to the rooms like lets say you are at pop and your staying in the 50s section. Then they should estimate we will be doing safety checks in the 50s section between 10 & 11 and have a few staff members specifically that do this.

Secondly have it posted in the rooms and remind you at check in whether its at the front desk or online. This way guests know whats coming and cannot complain.

Thirdly you should be able to go to the front desk and try to work out an agreeable time, yes this will probably mean more staff for Disney so they can accommodate but isn't customer service important?
Lets say the Williams family know they come back around 12/1 they can request for check to be done before 12 or late afternoon.

4th - For liability reasons and to make guests feel more secure they should do the checks with a team of one male and female so that if its a female alone in the room with kids or by herself, the female CM would step in by herself while the male CM is at the door watching out for the other CM safety meanwhile the young mom in the room by herself with kids also feels safer.

So in short, make it known at check in whether its online or at front desk that there are daily security checks and be able to give you the estimated time or hourly window
Have the estimated time posted in the room
Allow guests to attempt to make a more agreeable time for the checks, and especially if someone is sick or asleep agree to come back in say 2 or 3 hours.
Do checks with a team of male and female so that guests feel more secure and CM are also watched over.

 

[LYSE]

Yeah door Jammers are probably fine to defend against the latch bar being bypassed, I seriously doubt it would create an issue as long as you don't barricade your self indefinitely ...if you just use it to stop an initial intrusion not sure where the problem would be.
*I've yet to hear of Disney bypassing the latch but if your concerned about it I would get a door Jammer...they are always good to have no matter where your staying anyway.

 

[lsyorke]

I think at the very least, Disney should have a estimated time that they will be coming to the rooms like lets say you are at pop and your staying in the 50s section. Then they should estimate we will be doing safety checks in the 50s section between 10 & 11 and have a few staff members specifically that do this.

Secondly have it posted in the rooms and remind you at check in whether its at the front desk or online. This way guests know whats coming and cannot complain.

Thirdly you should be able to go to the front desk and try to work out an agreeable time, yes this will probably mean more staff for Disney so they can accommodate but isn't customer service important?
Lets say the Williams family know they come back around 12/1 they can request for check to be done before 12 or late afternoon.

So in short, make it known at check in whether its online or at front desk that there are daily security checks and be able to give you the estimated time or hourly window
Have the estimated time posted in the room
Allow guests to attempt to make a more agreeable time for the checks, and especially if someone is sick or asleep agree to come back in say 2 or 3 hours.
Do checks with a team of male and female so that guests feel more secure and CM are also watched over.

Which, again, defeats the premise of random checks and highlights how silly this whole policy is.

 

[pattyw]

The possibility is small that it would be someone taking advantage of the security theater performance to gain entry into a room, but the possibility exists never the less and that's enough to justify feeling uneasy.

I'm sure there will be someone on this thread that will say 'Show me the Hordes of reports of this happening!!!!".... but again, that is not the point. The point is that these kind of mandatory room intrusions open up the possibility for something like this to happen. This is yet another reason why guests are feeling uncomfortable when they anticipate/experience these "security" intrusions that violate guest privacy for no effective reason.

Exactly!!
Disney is supposedly doing these room checks to prevent a mass shooter- the likelihood of this happening is slim but they're still moving forward with this ridiculous policy. The possibility of someone posing as security and attacking me at my resort door is also slim. Why am I not allowed to take precautions for this slim event even though Disney is doing the same thing???? Much of what we do to secure our homes, cars, personal safety is done to prevent the slim possibility of something bad happening- yet we still do it nonetheless. We probably will not get robbed, attacked, etc yet we are all in favor of safety precautions. Why stop taking precautions at a Disney resort???

 

[Mome Rath]

At Riverside just a few days ago, we returned to our room around 2:00 and room service had not yet serviced our room. We put the "Occupied" sign out and rested for awhile. Around 3:45 or so, we received a call which informed us we needed a room check since housekeeping did not come in. They asked when, and I said we'd be out of the room at 4:30, they said "perfect" and that was that. Just an updated experience with the security check.

 

[samsteele]

samsteele--can you post a larger pic of their policy?

I would if I could but this is the only pic I could find on a google search. Think this is Kathy W.'s pic from the DIS. If I get the chance, I'll take another sweep online to see if I can find one where the notice can be read.

 

[rotlex]

I'm pretty sure putting a door jammer on your hotel room would violate the standard agreement with the hotel and you would probably get kicked out. Hotel management has to be able to get into the room whether you are in the room or not. I think the reasonable response would be to call the front desk and verify the name of the person trying to gain access to the room.

A door jammer is only used while you are in the room. Obviously you can't use one when you are not. If a hotel has a problem with me protecting myself or my family when utilizing their facilities, and paying a pretty penny for it, I'll stay elsewhere.

I realize Disney is trying to protect it's guests, but the measures they are using seem a bit extreme. I would think a more reasonable solution with security checks would be to have at least two people present at the time, or allow the guest to contact the front desk before demanding entry to the room. I'm sure you can do this, but from what I'm reading, it seems the folks actually inspecting the rooms are not being very customer service oriented.

What's next in all this security theater stuff we are expected to deal with from the airpot to hotels? "Papers please", before being allowed to even drive across your own state lines?

 

[bluejasmine]

At Riverside just a few days ago, we returned to our room around 2:00 and room service had not yet serviced our room. We put the "Occupied" sign out and rested for awhile. Around 3:45 or so, we received a call which informed us we needed a room check since housekeeping did not come in. They asked when, and I said we'd be out of the room at 4:30, they said "perfect" and that was that. Just an updated experience with the security check.

See this is perfect and I have no problems with this at all!

 

[TheFloatingBear]

So it turns out the actual “room occupied” sign that’s in each room now has the information about them being able to enter right on it.

I'm at POR since thursday, my room did not have one. I requested one yesterday morning from housekeeping, but had not received one as of today. I then asked for one at the front desk this morning, but the first person I spoke to had no idea what I was talking about, though someone else did. They refered me again to housekeeping. My friend has one, but she hadn't noticed the wording so didn't realize it was different from a DND, although it was provided. They didn't mention the policy change to either us at check in. Just adding my current experience.

 

[Mome Rath]

I have a feeling guests have been taking the new signs with Peter Pan on them.

 

[CeruleanMoon]

OP's experience is disturbing and incredibly problematic. Most women are taught all their lives to be on the lookout for certain "red flag" behavior. The CM in OP's story hit a whole bunch of those red flags which is irresponsible and stupid.

Suspicious behavior:

1) Demanding to be let into the room. (Hotel staff do not normally do this, especially housekeeping, which normally only ever ask and never demand. This is already unusual, but made even more so by the fact that the OP had specifically requested privacy from housekeeping moments before, and had not engaged in any odd or potentially illegal behavior. It would not be unreasonable for a guest to immediately wonder if this person was in fact a Disney employee.)

2) Creating a false sense of "urgency" to keep you from thinking clearly and to force you into making split second (read: bad) decisions.

3) Implying that you have done something wrong and claiming to be from an authority, when you have no reason to be under suspicion. (CM fulfills points 2 and 3 by knocking incessantly, and insisting upon being let in for unnamed vague "security" reasons.)

4) Acting in other suspicious ways which are not constant with the encounter. (Checking if the "lights are working" in broad daylight when the guest had made no such reports.)

Imagine how this appears to a woman traveling alone! Who on earth gave the green light for this? Did they actually talk to anyone in law enforcement first? I wonder how Disney would have acted if OP had called the police.

 

[pattyw]

OP's experience is disturbing and incredibly problematic. Most women are taught all their lives to be on the lookout for certain "red flag" behavior. The CM in OP's story hit a whole bunch of those red flags which is irresponsible and stupid.

Suspicious behavior:

1) Demanding to be let into the room. (Hotel staff do not normally do this, especially housekeeping, which normally only ever ask and never demand. This is already unusual, but made even more so by the fact that the OP had specifically requested privacy from housekeeping moments before, and had not engaged in any odd or potentially illegal behavior. It would not be unreasonable for a guest to immediately wonder if this person was in fact a Disney employee.)

2) Creating a false sense of "urgency" to keep you from thinking clearly and to force you into making split second (read: bad) decisions.

3) Implying that you have done something wrong and claiming to be from an authority, when you have no reason to be under suspicion. (CM fulfills points 2 and 3 by knocking incessantly, and insisting upon being let in for unnamed vague "security" reasons.)

4) Acting in other suspicious ways which are not constant with the encounter. (Checking if the "lights are working" in broad daylight when the guest had made no such reports.)

Imagine how this appears to a woman traveling alone! Who on earth gave the green light for this? Did they actually talk to anyone in law enforcement first? I wonder how Disney would have acted if OP had called the police.

Excellent points!!

 

[AngiTN]

If it is a member of housekeeping staff doing the check that is a good thing. Pretty sure you can call housekeeping at your resort from your room phone

 

[happymommy]

At Riverside just a few days ago, we returned to our room around 2:00 and room service had not yet serviced our room. We put the "Occupied" sign out and rested for awhile. Around 3:45 or so, we received a call which informed us we needed a room check since housekeeping did not come in. They asked when, and I said we'd be out of the room at 4:30, they said "perfect" and that was that. Just an updated experience with the security check.

If I were napping, I would not want to be woken. In the past, Do Not Disturb meant just that.

Note to self: next trip, if we're napping, take phone off the hook. I usually call and put do not disturb on the phone.

Waking someone from a nap is just plain RUDE.

 

[Sue M]

At Riverside just a few days ago, we returned to our room around 2:00 and room service had not yet serviced our room. We put the "Occupied" sign out and rested for awhile. Around 3:45 or so, we received a call which informed us we needed a room check since housekeeping did not come in. They asked when, and I said we'd be out of the room at 4:30, they said "perfect" and that was that. Just an updated experience with the security check.

Oh good, now you’ve returned to your room, perhaps to nap and they wake you up with a phone call to ask when they can access your room.
This entire security check thing is ridiculous and proves nothing. If a person is up to no good, How is a planned security check going to prove anything. Even unplanned doesn’t prove anything. I hope Disney discontinues this useless, unreasonable check. The sooner the better.

Thank you for sharing your experience. I guess a phone call is better than incessant knocking on the door, the lesser of 2 evils, but still intrusive and if sleeping will wake you or sleeping babies.

As a person who enjoyed returning to my resort for mid day breaks, esp in the heat of August to enjoy the pool and have a rest, I’m left wondering: am I going to be able to without intrusion?
I will request a morning housekeeping and hope for the best.

 

[Sue M]

If it is a member of housekeeping staff doing the check that is a good thing. Pretty sure you can call housekeeping at your resort from your room phone

I’m not sure. We just stayed at PoP in Dec, and the new phones don’t have a housekeeping button. Replaced by a Resort Services button that doesn’t seem to get answered. While I was there at check in I requested a clock and received a call back message on my phone from the CM saying they no longer have them and included the front desk Ext # that I was able to phone to get help. Phoning the resort service # was useless.
I’ve heard that housekeeping button at resorts that still have them is getting re directed to a central place, this Resort Services. No longer the housekeeping at your particular resort. Seems they are centralizing everything. Much like Itinerary Planning for club level is now centralized and of course the Front Desk button we all know doesn’t go to the resort front desk.