$7.00 missing from room left on counter

[musicguy856]

This was OP's first post. Don't feed the trolls.

 

[Miffy]

This was OP's first post. Don't feed the trolls.

I did not realize that. Thanks for the heads-up!

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

This was OP's first post. Don't feed the trolls.

I think people should stop with this. Sometimes people are trolls sometimes not but a person's first post doesn't always indicate that. Some people leave the site because they post something and are immediately called a troll even when they aren't. It's not always called for to leap on someone.

 

[shh]

yup - gotta be a troll post

 

[Titanium]

James. let's not call this right or wrong. Let's call this-lesson learned. Yes, it is customary to put a tip on the counter near the door. Housekeeping saw the money, assumed it was a tip, and took it. No harm meant. I understand how it would be a bit of a shock to find money gone when you weren't intending it to be used as a tip. You went to the manager, which you should do if you have an issue, and he fixed your problem.

Making a mental note to start leaving my housekeeping gratuity on furniture closer to the door. I've left it on the dresser or chest of drawers weighted down in the past.

 

[Miffy]

Making a mental note to start leaving my housekeeping gratuity on furniture closer to the door. I've left it on the dresser or chest of drawers weighted down in the past.

I always leave mine in an envelope that's clearly marked for the housekeeper. When I know they're going to do the entire room, I leave it on a pillow. When they're just doing trash + towels I leave it prominently displayed on the ledge over the sink.

 

[Atlantix2000]

I've heard this put forth as the theory too. But . . . has anyone ever been caught using this method? And if no one was in the room, how would they even know?

Children's clothes/toys/etc lying about in a room with only adults registered is one thing could indicate trafficking. There are plenty of long threads about this policy that have plenty more information. And law enforcement/security is unlikely to explain everything they are trained to look for. That would defeat the purpose of the room check.

 

[gmi3804]

I think people should stop with this. Sometimes people are trolls sometimes not but a person's first post doesn't always indicate that. Some people leave the site because they post something and are immediately called a troll even when they aren't. It's not always called for to leap on someone.

*

 

[Miffy]

Children's clothes/toys/etc lying about in a room with only adults registered is one thing could indicate trafficking. There are plenty of long threads about this policy that have plenty more information. And law enforcement/security is unlikely to explain everything they are trained to look for. That would defeat the purpose of the room check.

We've had someone come into the room and barely look at anything, then leave. So I'm not sure what that person was trained to do. And, sadly, I expect that people who really are child trafficking know how to evade getting caught. From what I've gathered the only people who've been nabbed for this at WDW have been employees.

 

[Titanium]

We've had someone come into the room and barely look at anything, then leave. So I'm not sure what that person was trained to do. And, sadly, I expect that people who really are child trafficking know how to evade getting caught. From what I've gathered the only people who've been nabbed for this at WDW have been employees.

Same thing here at WL. We'd left the Room Occupied sign on the door since we had checked in and it triggered a visit. Housekeeping walked in looked around for a brief moment and left. After that we only put the sign out at night. I'm happy to comply if the checks enhance guest safety.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Children's clothes/toys/etc lying about in a room with only adults registered is one thing could indicate trafficking. There are plenty of long threads about this policy that have plenty more information. And law enforcement/security is unlikely to explain everything they are trained to look for. That would defeat the purpose of the room check.

It's not security nor law enforcement doing checks though. It's just a regular CM usually under the guise of getting trash. If it was actual security for the hotels it would make more sense. There has been the trafficking rationale also put forth for Disney but that too doesn't make as much sense for how Disney does it. They for whatever reason do it very obtrusively. People have been barged in on, have had them ignore prompts and whatnot, late night checks, very early checks, incessant knocking, etc. Disney is the only one out there doing it this way. They are an outlier and in all honesty it's hard to really put forth much explanation these days. But it is something that people do have to be aware that at Disney you may get interrupted no matter what for some inexplicable reason (to you the guest that is) at some random time.

 

[bluezy]

actually WDW and many orlando area hotels started it for a diff reason, a few years before the Vegas incident. Room checks were started to prevent child trafficking - sadly Orlando was one of the hotspots for this crime.

This isn't accurate. The Las Vegas shootings happened in Oct. 2017 and Disney started the room checks in December 2017. It had/has nothing to do with child trafficking. A random houseperson/roamer (Disney housekeeping positions doing the security checks) at Disney will have zero idea of what to look for to determine child trafficking. It's not something they can be taught in a 1-hour seminar, either. A family member of mine is a pediatrician and spent several years working for a child advocacy agency (dealing with abuse and trafficking) and she said it would be nearly impossible to spot a human trafficking situation in an empty hotel room. A highly trained professional would need to observe the interaction between the adult(s) and child(ren) for a length of time. So if that's what Disney is truly looking for, they would be trying to do the room checks when people are actually in the room and not asking people to leave the room while they look around and agreeing to come back at a later time if someone requests it. And they would be spending more than 30 seconds in the room. The CMs doing room checks simply do not have the training or expertise to be able to notice child trafficking. Disney would have to be paying their housekeeping staff way more money if they were qualified to determine if there is child trafficking going on in the room. The security checks are for obvious things that are setting out in the room -- like weapons and drug paraphernalia.
Hotels have always had the right to enter a room at any time. The Las Vegas shootings just made some hotel chains actually exercise that right on a more regular basis.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

The security checks are for obvious things that are setting out in the room -- like weapons and drug paraphernalia.

But it should come off rather strange that the location where the shooting occurs doesn't do the checks.

I was there in Vegas several hours after the shooting. I have been to Vegas 5 times since 2019 and stayed in Excalibur, Bellagio, Wynn, Encore (now 3 times), and Aria and none have security checks all have DND or privacy. I just was in Vegas a few days ago (from 3rd-6th) had our privacy light illuminated for more than 48 hours straight at Encore and nadda. And we went back to the room at Aria and Encore enough times that the liklihood of us always just missing someone is probably slim.

So while hotels did do things for a time afterwards they honestly stopped fairly quick afterwards. My husband travels a lot for business and never has been interrupted either. Disney is really the only time you're consistently getting these stories and for whatever reason unbeknownst to us they are choosing to continue to do it, it's their call but I think we need to stop pointing to other hotel companies, they simply are not doing what Disney is doing.

 

[bluezy]

But it should come off rather strange that the location where the shooting occurs doesn't do the checks.

I was there in Vegas several hours after the shooting. I have been to Vegas 5 times since 2019 and stayed in Excalibur, Bellagio, Wynn, Encore (now 3 times), and Aria and none have security checks all have DND or privacy. I just was in Vegas a few days ago (from 3rd-6th) had our privacy light illuminated for more than 48 hours straight at Encore and nadda. And we went back to the room at Aria and Encore enough times that the liklihood of us always just missing someone is probably slim.

So while hotels did do things for a time afterwards they honestly stopped fairly quick afterwards. My husband travels a lot for business and never has been interrupted either. Disney is really the only time you're consistently getting these stories and for whatever reason unbeknownst to us they are choosing to continue to do it, it's their call but I think we need to stop pointing to other hotel companies, they simply are not doing what Disney is doing.

I agree that it seems strange that the places you've stayed in Las Vegas aren't doing obvious security checks. But some other hotels *do* perform in-person security checks (or at least some of the ones I've stayed at. And I've seen other people post on message boards and FB groups that they have experienced security checks at non-Disney hotels as well.). Maybe it's not as obvious that other chains are still doing security checks because this is a message board about Disney and the resorts there. My husband travels for business and I occasionally go with him. We've had security room checks at some hotels and not at others (I only travel with him in the US so I can't speak for his international hotels.). The ones I remember off the top of my head in the last year or so were at The Ritz Carlton (Tysons Corner, VA), The Hilton (Columbus, OH), and The Mandarin Oriental (Washington DC). I'm sure I've "just missed" the room check at times because even when I am at the room during the check, it never lasts more than about 30 seconds and some of that 30 seconds is a little chit chat. If no one is in the room, it probably lasts less than 20 seconds -- easy to miss. I've definitely seen them doing security checks on our hall as I'm returning to the room and if they don't come to our room after that, I assume I missed them checking our room. My husband is usually not in the room during the day, so he would have no idea if a security check is done while he's out of the room when he's traveling alone. I also have a friend who is a front desk manager at a large resort and they still do daily security checks. If someone has their DND/Privacy indicator on for more than 24 hours, they will still do a security check after 24 hours. They have signs in the rooms indicating that this will happen. They don't just barge in the room.

 

[shh]

This isn't accurate. The Las Vegas shootings happened in Oct. 2017 and Disney started the room checks in December 2017. It had/has nothing to do with child trafficking. A random houseperson/roamer (Disney housekeeping positions doing the security checks) at Disney will have zero idea of what to look for to determine child trafficking. It's not something they can be taught in a 1-hour seminar, either. A family member of mine is a pediatrician and spent several years working for a child advocacy agency (dealing with abuse and trafficking) and she said it would be nearly impossible to spot a human trafficking situation in an empty hotel room. A highly trained professional would need to observe the interaction between the adult(s) and child(ren) for a length of time. So if that's what Disney is truly looking for, they would be trying to do the room checks when people are actually in the room and not asking people to leave the room while they look around and agreeing to come back at a later time if someone requests it. And they would be spending more than 30 seconds in the room. The CMs doing room checks simply do not have the training or expertise to be able to notice child trafficking. Disney would have to be paying their housekeeping staff way more money if they were qualified to determine if there is child trafficking going on in the room. The security checks are for obvious things that are setting out in the room -- like weapons and drug paraphernalia.
Hotels have always had the right to enter a room at any time. The Las Vegas shootings just made some hotel chains actually exercise that right on a more regular basis.

Hmm...I really can't claim to know or confirm it either way: just sharing what I read in a couple of major newspapers at the time those checks started - I think in the Orlando Sentinel - maybe the Miami Herald - can't remember for sure, as I read several of the majors. Perhaps they were done for both reasons? (I live in Florida. Orlando-area child trafficking rings were a big media expose a few years back - right around the time these checks started.)

I think this thread somehow got off the tracks lol. Maybe we should get back to those seven notorious dollars. OP are you there?

 

[bsmcneil]

I've come to wonder if part of what happens isn't security checking hallway monitors to see if there's considerable in/out activity before or after potential room checks. Much of security is about assessing whose behavior is out of the ordinary (the guy in a coat in July, someone who wears a hat and glasses and looks down any time there's a camera). I have no way of knowing if this is a possibility - I'm just giving a potential element to it all.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I agree that it seems strange that the places you've stayed in Las Vegas aren't doing obvious security checks. But some other hotels *do* perform in-person security checks (or at least some of the ones I've stayed at. And I've seen other people post on message boards and FB groups that they have experienced security checks at non-Disney hotels as well.). Maybe it's not as obvious that other chains are still doing security checks because this is a message board about Disney and the resorts there. My husband travels for business and I occasionally go with him. We've had security room checks at some hotels and not at others (I only travel with him in the US so I can't speak for his international hotels.). The ones I remember off the top of my head in the last year or so were at The Ritz Carlton (Tysons Corner, VA), The Hilton (Columbus, OH), and The Mandarin Oriental (Washington DC). I'm sure I've "just missed" the room check at times because even when I am at the room during the check, it never lasts more than about 30 seconds and some of that 30 seconds is a little chit chat. If no one is in the room, it probably lasts less than 20 seconds -- easy to miss. I've definitely seen them doing security checks on our hall as I'm returning to the room and if they don't come to our room after that, I assume I missed them checking our room. My husband is usually not in the room during the day, so he would have no idea if a security check is done while he's out of the room when he's traveling alone. I also have a friend who is a front desk manager at a large resort and they still do daily security checks. If someone has their DND/Privacy indicator on for more than 24 hours, they will still do a security check after 24 hours. They have signs in the rooms indicating that this will happen. They don't just barge in the room.

I've seen posts but it's been years. It's been nearly 6 years since Vegas. And as I said consistently hearing, we're not consistently hearing about people from hotels like Hilton who did announce they would do security checks and yes that was on this Board that people were talking about it. To date Disney is the only one out there still doing it like they are. Like I said my husband travels a lot for work staying at multiple brands and never has had a security check not even once. He is in his room enough in all his travels to be able to accurately state if he would have encountered the room check, the odds that he has missed it in hundreds of hotel stays is just doesn't add up.

What you and I are talking about is presupposed reasons why Disney is still doing their thing. I was the person who used to talk about it like "oh yeah Vegas" then also the trafficking but those have not panned out to be a reasonable reason why Disney is still doing it and the way they are doing it. We may never know all that they do. A person peeking their head in, sometimes picking up trash sometimes not, never was a good rationale for guns as even the shooter didn't just have them lying out.

If you think that 20 seconds is going to accurately ascertain whether someone has shady business going on...

That's great you have a friend that does whatever but you cannot use "friend of a friend" reason for Disney. And I would rather doubt that they do that to every single room with the sign, even companies that did say they would do it didn't do that or rather stopped shortly there after.

I never said you would never ever ever get a security check, I said multiple times (for a reason) "like Disney does" because truly the stories you hear from people are never replicated at any other brand of hotel. A person is more likely to be interrupted in the shower or have the telephone ring off the hook at Disney than other hotels. My point was we can't point to other hotel brands and say that Disney is just doing what they are because no that's not what seems to be the case. For whatever reason. It is what it is.

 

[focusondisney]

Frankly, it doesn’t matter why Disney is doing these checks or if any other hotel is doing them. They own the resorts & have the right to enter any room.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I've come to wonder if part of what happens isn't security checking hallway monitors to see if there's considerable in/out activity before or after potential room checks. Much of security is about assessing whose behavior is out of the ordinary (the guy in a coat in July, someone who wears a hat and glasses and looks down any time there's a camera). I have no way of knowing if this is a possibility - I'm just giving a potential element to it all.

You are always on camera that's for sure, but I do think Disney's way of doing it less relies on camera work. I'm not sure constantly hounding a person by calling them to set up a security check helps out on finding out whether they've come to a Disney hotel for nefarious reasons.

Generally hotels reserve the right to enter your room for whatever reason irrespective of whatever sign they have, most people just got used to the expectation that came with other signs like DND, Privacy Please or dual sided door signs signaling when you wanted housekeeping and when you wanted to have privacy.

 

[DCLMP]

gottolovepluto,

Pre-Covid-when you stayed at a hotel you could count on housekeeping to #1-arrive in the morning every single day #2-tidy your room, vacuum, clean the bathroom, empty your trash, etc. Nowadays all bets are off as to when/if housekeeping is even going to arrive and what constitutes cleaning a room.

I think James' point was that since housekeeping had recently come in, he didn't expect anyone to come into the room on this day or at this time of day. So, he leaves the next day's tip on the counter, so he won't forget to use it. Reasonable. He comes back to the room and finds the money gone. Some people are going to be able to shrug this off-my bad, housekeeping saw the money, thought it was theirs, and took it. Lucky them. Other people get agitated and fixate a bit. People are different. It's what makes this world so wonderful. James gets agitated but handles it. He goes to the manager, addresses the problem, and gets hie money back. And, then he takes it one step further. He asks opinions, perhaps so he can handle a situation like this better next time or avoid this happening again.

My trips since 2020 I haven’t had any housekeeping service that I would consider tip worthy.