Just read the WDW room security check thread and...

[bumbershoot]

They will knock on your door to see if you are in before entering just like housekeeping.

And yet some have experienced no knock.

any hotel can enter your room if they feel like it, Disney or otherwise. Even those that don't openly say they will, can. It's their property and their ownership of it trumps your right to the room while you are paying for it.

Any other hotel I have stayed in, when we decline housekeeping for days, CALLS. And that’s with my now-ex with tons of electronic equipment, not leaving the room much. Whennmy skn and I would follow him on trips we might leave but he worked in the room. On the last trip on the days he had meetings first I was sick and then my son was exhausted. So there was someone in the room most days, we accepted housekeeping once, and no one ever came in the room apart from that one day. They saw us in the hallway, communicated with us verbally, all was well.

Lowes had just started it this past October (Universal)

Have you experienced it at Uni? I’ve heard nothing of such an experience on the boards.

From the threads I have read it isn't just housekeeping, there are others too.

Agreed.

No one's going to stand at the door and demand that you take the chain off and let them in.

And yet they have.

Have I experienced it? Nope.
Do I think others are liars? Nope.

If you are comfortable telling the manager at your resort that you are the victim of an assault and your fears with room checks, I feel they will go out of their way to accommodate at a time of your choosing.

There are so many managers roaming around they can’t and won’t do anything like that. Miscommunications happen all the time there.

It’s pollyanna-ish to think that would be effective.

I am guessing- and this could be way off- that they kind of get a vibe about which rooms need a more thorough check. On the couple of times when they came and we were there, the housekeeping woman walked in with a clipboard, basically did about a 10 second glance at the room, wrote something down, and walked out.

Nope. That’s simply what they are doing. It’s worse theater than what people think tsa is. It’s nonsense.

I think its based on how long you are in your room for because we entered at night and were not exiting until about noon the next day and what do you know as we were getting ready and were only half dressed they came.

There are people who have had security checks in the evening the day of checkin.

Not sure what you want at this point.

At this point I'm not sure if you're looking for helpful suggestions or just a reason to be angry about a Disney policy.

I think she probably wants what many of us want. For it to make sense. And it doesn’t. At all.

I am okay with security checks. Honestly with some of the nutty people out there, this is just better.

What can a housekeeper do? Especially when all we ever hear about is someone poking their head in and looking around? They will find nothing. And people who think they will will feel safe and secure when there is nothing different than before.

 

[ellbell]

And yet some have experienced no knock.



Any other hotel I have stayed in, when we decline housekeeping for days, CALLS. And that’s with my now-ex with tons of electronic equipment, not leaving the room much. Whennmy skn and I would follow him on trips we might leave but he worked in the room. On the last trip on the days he had meetings first I was sick and then my son was exhausted. So there was someone in the room most days, we accepted housekeeping once, and no one ever came in the room apart from that one day. They saw us in the hallway, communicated with us verbally, all was well.



Have you experienced it at Uni? I’ve heard nothing of such an experience on the boards.



Agreed.



And yet they have.

Have I experienced it? Nope.
Do I think others are liars? Nope.



There are so many managers roaming around they can’t and won’t do anything like that. Miscommunications happen all the time there.

It’s pollyanna-ish to think that would be effective.



Nope. That’s simply what they are doing. It’s worse theater than what people think tsa is. It’s nonsense.



There are people who have had security checks in the evening the day of checkin.






I think she probably wants what many of us want. For it to make sense. And it doesn’t. At all.




What can a housekeeper do? Especially when all we ever hear about is someone poking their head in and looking around? They will find nothing. And people who think they will will feel safe and secure when there is nothing different than before.

It doesn't need to make sense. Disney has a right to do what they want with their property. They have informed guests of the policy. This topic has been beaten like a dead horse. Why are you fanning the flames?

The things that people have speculated to have occurred happened approximately a year or more ago. These incidents have stopped because Disney tweaked the policy.

Reality is if you aren't comfortable with Disney doing what they want on their property then there are plenty of other off property options.

 

[Queen of the WDW Scene]

It doesn't need to make sense. Disney has a right to do what they want with their property. They have informed guests of the policy. This topic has been beaten like a dead horse. Why are you fanning the flames?

The things that people have speculated to have occurred happened approximately a year or more ago. These incidents have stopped because Disney tweaked the policy.

Reality is if you aren't comfortable with Disney doing what they want on their property then there are plenty of other off property options.

Amen. Yes the horror stories were from about a year ago and policies are much better now and I have not heard anything terrible lately at all which to me means Disney has found a happy medium.
I do think it's annoying and I do think it's only security theater but it's not happening several times a day every day not do they intrude into your room so it's not a scary situation anymore. They knock, you answer, if its inconvenient they don't force you to let them in. Instead they apologize and come back later.

 

[Jimmy Mouse]

Both September at Contemporary and December at Beach Club no one ever knocked or came in our room while we were in it. well, 1 time at Contemporary we did have a knock. It was the Concierge bringing be some beer

 

[AngiTN]

And yet some have experienced no knock.
Any other hotel I have stayed in, when we decline housekeeping for days, CALLS. And that’s with my now-ex with tons of electronic equipment, not leaving the room much. Whennmy skn and I would follow him on trips we might leave but he worked in the room. On the last trip on the days he had meetings first I was sick and then my son was exhausted. So there was someone in the room most days, we accepted housekeeping once, and no one ever came in the room apart from that one day. They saw us in the hallway, communicated with us verbally, all was well.
Have you experienced it at Uni? I’ve heard nothing of such an experience on the boards.

Have I experienced it? Nope.
Do I think others are liars? Nope..

Yes, I have experienced it at Universal Lowes hotels.
Their policy change has been reported on the boards.
Here's your sign

Funny too, how those who hate the policy most are the ones that are reporting it was done multiple times a day, or that they were barged in on. Seems that those who are ok with it never experience those things.

 

[Happy Artist]

I would like to thank everyone for their replies. I never asked for advice, only commented how I was upset about this policy and how it felt to me. I don't live on these boards, so this is the first I have heard of this policy. I learned about it from the thread here that asked about people's actual experiences. I was shocked to hear about what their actual experiences were.

I am not sure why there were such security measures put in place because of one incident that happened out of millions of hotel stays for decades. I am wondering if these measures were put in place for some added risk at WDW that we don't know about. These policies are not put in place country wide at all hotels, so I wonder to myself why just the theme park places in Florida.

I have spent many annual vacations at Disney on property with my family. We have decided to use a vacation home this vacation for the first time instead for more privacy and less daily intrusions. My husband and I are older now, so we don't spend as much time in the parks as we used to, and are likely to spend more time in our rooms. At least with the home, I don't have to answer the door if I don't want to. I can take the trash out myself. It feels to me more relaxing. I am only a short Uber ride away.

There are much more less intrusive ways to provide security that doesn't involve going door to door disturbing guests with knocks on their door.

 

[writerguyfl]

Does Disney Springs hotels do this too?

As other people have noted, the Disney Springs Hotels are independently operated. Since Disney started their version of security theatre, I've had three multi-night stays of 4-5 nights. Once at the Holiday Inn Disney Springs and two at the DoubleTree Suites.

I'm a "check me in and leave me alone" type of guest. In all three stays, I asked during check in if they had a problem with me keeping the Do-Not-Disturb sign up the entire stay. In each case, I was told it was fine and just to call at any time if I needed any supplies (like new towels or toilet paper).

 

[Disneylover99]

Funny too, how those who hate the policy most are the ones that are reporting it was done multiple times a day, or that they were barged in on.

I see it more as, if you have long stays, you spend good chunks of your day in your room, and you opt out of housekeeping, the more likely you are to experience having more than one room check in a day, or being walked in on. I don't hate the policy, but we've had both those experiences happen to us.

Seems that those who are ok with it never experience those things.

A lot of people who are okay with it say they don't opt out of housekeeping and/or they are park commandos. Which makes sense. They're probably never going to experience a security check, especially if they only have a short stay.

 

[snappy]

I would like to thank everyone for their replies. I never asked for advice, only commented how I was upset about this policy and how it felt to me. I don't live on these boards, so this is the first I have heard of this policy. I learned about it from the thread here that asked about people's actual experiences. I was shocked to hear about what their actual experiences were.

I am not sure why there were such security measures put in place because of one incident that happened out of millions of hotel stays for decades. I am wondering if these measures were put in place for some added risk at WDW that we don't know about. These policies are not put in place country wide at all hotels, so I wonder to myself why just the theme park places in Florida.

I have spent many annual vacations at Disney on property with my family. We have decided to use a vacation home this vacation for the first time instead for more privacy and less daily intrusions. My husband and I are older now, so we don't spend as much time in the parks as we used to, and are likely to spend more time in our rooms. At least with the home, I don't have to answer the door if I don't want to. I can take the trash out myself. It feels to me more relaxing. I am only a short Uber ride away.

There are much more less intrusive ways to provide security that doesn't involve going door to door disturbing guests with knocks on their door.

I have similar reservations about what I consider to be an intrusive policy. We have stayed several times since the policy went into place and the second time had to “manage” it by meeting with a manager and requesting a time frame for a check. DVC member here so no daily housekeeping for counting as the daily check. Stayed at different WDW resorts and the policy isn’t consistent across properties.

We stay in a lot of hotels/units in different locations annually, and before my husband retired last year, I did a lot of longer solo trips. We tend to sleep in, and take our time going anywhere. After all, it’s vacation!!

Your plan to rent a vacation home is excellent. We rented many different ones very near Disney before we bought DVC. It was great and we enjoyed LONG stays. We also rent vacation homes on the Panhandle for a beach stay, and have an upcoming stay in a house with friends during an extended music festival in Utah. There are owners who will give you a great deal for a 3-4 week stay. Sadly, VRBO fees are a lot higher than they used to be. We have been able to save money by dealing directly with the owner for return trips. The risk is you won’t want to leave and you may decide to buy one for yourself.

Have a great trip!

 

[ellbell]

I see it more as, if you have long stays, you spend good chunks of your day in your room, and you opt out of housekeeping, the more likely you are to experience having more than one room check in a day, or being walked in on. I don't hate the policy, but we've had both those experiences happen to us.



A lot of people who are okay with it say they don't opt out of housekeeping and/or they are park commandos. Which makes sense. They're probably never going to experience a security check, especially if they only have a short stay.

I don't think these statements are true at all. I regularly stay between 8 and 10 nights and have at least 2 "break days" and spend every afternoon in my room because I like a nap and I'm on vacation. I have NEVER had a room check done while staying on property and only once has housekeeping knocked on my door while I was in it and it was because I had been in and out multiple times that day and hadn't bothered to put my room occupied sign up.

 

[AngiTN]

I would like to thank everyone for their replies. I never asked for advice, only commented how I was upset about this policy and how it felt to me. I don't live on these boards, so this is the first I have heard of this policy. I learned about it from the thread here that asked about people's actual experiences. I was shocked to hear about what their actual experiences were.

I am not sure why there were such security measures put in place because of one incident that happened out of millions of hotel stays for decades. I am wondering if these measures were put in place for some added risk at WDW that we don't know about. These policies are not put in place country wide at all hotels, so I wonder to myself why just the theme park places in Florida.

I have spent many annual vacations at Disney on property with my family. We have decided to use a vacation home this vacation for the first time instead for more privacy and less daily intrusions. My husband and I are older now, so we don't spend as much time in the parks as we used to, and are likely to spend more time in our rooms. At least with the home, I don't have to answer the door if I don't want to. I can take the trash out myself. It feels to me more relaxing. I am only a short Uber ride away.

There are much more less intrusive ways to provide security that doesn't involve going door to door disturbing guests with knocks on their door.

There's been pending legislation about human traffic prevention and holding hotels more responsible.
https://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/florida/fl-reg-human-trafficking-senate-20180211-story.html
This, more than what happened in Vegas, was the catalyst. What happened in Vegas was just fuel on an already smoldering fire. It has nothing to do with Disney being in more danger. It has to do with protection from lawsuits.

Is 99% of it all show? Yes. Without a doubt it is. Is any of it done to annoy or alienate a guest? No. As much as some like to spin in that way

That said, I'm glad you found a solution that works for you. Sadly, you are going to find more hotel chains with a similar policy, or implementing one, rather than more going back the other way. They are left with no choice as this whole trafficking thing is a hot button topic. The hoteliers are one of the first lines of defense/protection. They hold numerous training sessions with staff on how to spot warning signs. No, Disney is not a hot bed for human trafficking but they still have to put a policy in place for that very off chance. CYA syndrome plain and simple.

 

[snappy]

I see it more as, if you have long stays, you spend good chunks of your day in your room, and you opt out of housekeeping, the more likely you are to experience having more than one room check in a day, or being walked in on. I don't hate the policy, but we've had both those experiences happen to us.



A lot of people who are okay with it say they don't opt out of housekeeping and/or they are park commandos. Which makes sense. They're probably never going to experience a security check, especially if they only have a short stay.

Good point about length of stay. On a longer stay you vary when you leave/return the room, or heaven forbid, have a resort stay where you chill. Or the weather may not cooperate. We came back about 1 hour early one day inside the 3 hour room check window we requested about a week into our last stay due to crazy rain. We put the room occupied sign back on the door, boom within 5 minutes got a phone call. Then here comes the HK to get our paltry trash. It felt like we were being monitored and we certainly do not need that at our age.

 

[AngiTN]

Good point about length of stay. On a longer stay you vary when you leave/return the room, or heaven forbid, have a resort stay where you chill. Or the weather may not cooperate. We came back about 1 hour early one day inside the 3 hour room check window we requested about a week into our last stay due to crazy rain. We put the room occupied sign back on the door, boom within 5 minutes got a phone call. Then here comes the HK to get our paltry trash. It felt like we were being monitored and we certainly do not need that at our age.

Makes one wonder, that's for sure. Why do some attract the Spanish Inquisition and others, nada. We spend a LOT of time in our room. We are very forgetful about putting out the sign too. At night we do but during the day, never. I've had 2 knocks on the door in a whole lot of nights on property since this started. Heck, we were AT FQ the day they swapped the signs out.
Wonder if, in this case, the squeaky wheel is getting the attention in a bad way?

 

[ellbell]

Good point about length of stay. On a longer stay you vary when you leave/return the room, or heaven forbid, have a resort stay where you chill. Or the weather may not cooperate. We came back about 1 hour early one day inside the 3 hour room check window we requested about a week into our last stay due to crazy rain. We put the room occupied sign back on the door, boom within 5 minutes got a phone call. Then here comes the HK to get our paltry trash. It felt like we were being monitored and we certainly do not need that at our age.

Well considering you gave them a 3 hour window and they had only an hour left in that window I doubt very much that this was the case.

 

[snappy]

Well considering you gave them a 3 hour window and they had only an hour left in that window I doubt very much that this was the case.

Maybe not but in the moment that’s what it felt like to us anyway.

 

[NJlauren]

Makes one wonder, that's for sure. Why do some attract the Spanish Inquisition and others, nada. We spend a LOT of time in our room. We are very forgetful about putting out the sign too. At night we do but during the day, never. I've had 2 knocks on the door in a whole lot of nights on property since this started. Heck, we were AT FQ the day they swapped the signs out.
Wonder if, in this case, the squeaky wheel is getting the attention in a bad way?

I do think if you're a frequent guest that’s probably noted. Yes they probably still check your room, but if they know you’re in the room there is a good chance they skip you if they need to skip someone.

 

[snappy]

I do think if you're a frequent guest that’s probably noted. Yes they probably still check your room, but if they know you’re in the room there is a good chance they skip you if they need to skip someone.

Yea, especially if the same people are in the party year after year. And you met with the HK manager, and are a long term DVC owner.

 

[AngiTN]

Yea, especially if the same people are in the party year after year. And you met with the HK manager, and are a long term DVC owner.

Wasn't DVC having the most issues all the way around? When it first started? It may be DVC that was the bigger issue rather than who

 

[snappy]

Wasn't DVC having the most issues all the way around? When it first started? It may be DVC that was the bigger issue rather than who

I seem to remember that the policy was rolled out at deluxe resorts first, no idea if DVC or non DVC. I think I have read reports of issues since the policy started at every level of resort but I am not keeping track.

I just know the power of the door latch. The power of the sign is negligible. They might knock loudly or not. They might not knock or you might not hear it (happened to me on the balcony). The latch is your best friend.

 

[snappy]

At some non DVC resorts I read reports that there weren’t even any room occupied signs. I guess you could request them? No idea.