A complaint: lack of housekeeping

[Bostonjetset]

I tip at the same level I always have, it’s rather petty to take your displeasure with Disney out on the front line cast members. IMHO

I disagree. Tipping for a service you are not receiving is not a tip, it’s charity. Why should someone leave a tip for housekeeping when they receive no housekeeping?

they've actually made it clear that housekeeping will be limited. They're not alone. Hiring is difficult everywhere. People don't want the jobs. If it mattered so much to me I would be looking for vacation places that placed a priority on being fully staffed, and those places probably charge more. The prices won't come down until enough potential customers stop paying them.

That’s what many here have an issue with though. Disney DOES “charge more” (many times considerably more) than even some 5 star hotels that do place a high priority on service.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

I disagree. Tipping for a service you are not receiving is not a tip, it’s charity. Why should someone leave a tip for housekeeping when they receive no housekeeping?

I'm not sure how you would, even in theory. If I left $10 on the counter and nobody came into my room to clean it, who would take the $10?

That’s what many here have an issue with though. Disney DOES “charge more” (many times considerably more) than even some 5 star hotels that do place a high priority on service.

But they tell you what you're buying ahead of time. If Joe offers Steve a banana for $10,000 and Steve buys it, who does he have to blame besides himself?

 

[Tink415]

Right, I wouldn’t expect masks now, but this was early December 2021 when Disney had signs on doors everywhere ‘masks on inside’.

 

[snappy]

Right, I wouldn’t expect masks now, but this was early December 2021 when Disney had signs on doors everywhere ‘masks on inside’.

Except when no one is watching

 

[snappy]

I'm not sure how you would, even in theory. If I left $10 on the counter and nobody came into my room to clean it, who would take the $10?


But they tell you what you're buying ahead of time. If Joe offers Steve a banana for $10,000 and Steve buys it, who does he have to blame besides himself?

Trust me they take it when they do the room checks. They may or may not “take the trash.” I know from multiple personal experiences. Mousekeeper envelope not required.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Right, I wouldn’t expect masks now, but this was early December 2021 when Disney had signs on doors everywhere ‘masks on inside’.

Employees are different than guests though in terms of policies just as a general comment (vaccination status and all tends to be part of it).

I don't want a mask thing back and forth but I assume with your comments bringing up the concern about a mask you were/would be wearing a mask when the employee would be entering your room (close proximity to someone). I would be even though when I'm in my room alone I don't have to, once someone pops in I would.

In early November Disney adjusted the rules for their employees who were vaccinated they didn't have to wear masks backstage (which would include indoors backstage areas). Outdoors was not a requirement for quite some time. I did just speak with my CM friend and he said if they were outside (meaning no interior hallway, not inside the room) then they were fine to not have a mask on, I *think* SSR is exterior entrances to rooms. With entering the room they would need to wear a mask. So yeah they should be carrying a mask with them just in case like I mentioned and you're totally in the right to have basically reminded them to put the mask on. But just seeing the employee without a mask on at your door at that time they would not have been in the wrong.

 

[MakiraMarlena]

Then, don't pay it if you don't think it's worth the price. It is that easy. Things will change either when they are finally able to hire enough staff, or when the guests stop coming and they can reduce capacity due to lack of demand.

 

[Bostonjetset]

I'm not sure how you would, even in theory. If I left $10 on the counter and nobody came into my room to clean it, who would take the $10?


But they tell you what you're buying ahead of time. If Joe offers Steve a banana for $10,000 and Steve buys it, who does he have to blame besides himself?

I agree that Disney certainly isn’t bamboozling anyone. They tell you what you are getting and you either pay willingly or don’t. That doesn’t change the fact that it sucks for them to charge the prices they do for reduced service.

 

[Marthasor]

Maybe people don't have an accurate assessment of what "the current situation" actually is.

Do you know that Disney isn't selling all of their rooms because they don't have enough housekeepers to turn them over? There's demand to sell out resorts, but they're leaving rooms empty because they have no choice. It's not like they're filling every bed and then just not servicing them.

So, Disney is making no profit on resorts? Have you seen their last quarterly earnings statement? This is the current situation: https://thewaltdisneycompany.com/th...arter-and-full-year-earnings-for-fiscal-2021/

It is fact that the current situation is profitable for WDW.

Your are correct - there are a LOT of people on these boards who are well-connected to all levels of The Walt Disney Company - you are not the only one . . .

 

[RamblingMad]

So, Disney is making no profit on resorts? Have you seen their last quarterly earnings statement? This is the current situation: https://thewaltdisneycompany.com/th...arter-and-full-year-earnings-for-fiscal-2021/

It is fact that the current situation is profitable for WDW.

Your are correct - there are a LOT of people on these boards who are well-connected to all levels of The Walt Disney Company - you are not the only one . . .

I bet if they paid more for house keeping they would fill those jobs. This is simply greed and nothing more. There is a reason why Disney employees had to start unions.

 

[Pooh12863]

I disagree. Tipping for a service you are not receiving is not a tip, it’s charity. Why should someone leave a tip for housekeeping when they receive no housekeeping?

If I'm not receiving the service they won't even see the tip.

 

[dreynolds1982]

I think something people need to realize is (and this is everywhere, not just Disney) the Pandemic has changed the way the hospitality/tourism industry operates (and a lot of other industries as well) and most likely things will never roll back to exactly how it was before COVID. For better or worse. Not excusing what Disney is doing, but also don't think they would intentionally remove daily housekeeping simply as a "cost saving measure" but who knows. I think staffing issues are really really hurting the hospitality industry nationwide unfortunately.

I do think though that people waiting for things to completely return to how they were before are gonna find that they are going to be waiting a long, long time. NOT saying you have to be happy about it though of course!

 

[VeganAtDisney]

I'll share this complaint with the hotel as well, but I wondered how others feel on this subject. I recently stayed five nights at Art of Animation, and our room was not cleaned a single time. No beds made. No sheets changed. No floor swept. No bathroom wiped up. The only service we received was to have two visits where someone switched out (weirdly) SOME of the towels, left us more coffee, and emptied the trash. By the last night, I actually took a washcloth to bed with me to wipe the floor grit off my feet before going to sleep.

I had heard that housekeeping has been minimal since the pandemic started, but I had no idea it was so bad. I travel a lot, and this is the first hotel I've been to in the last year that has not provided actual housekeeping. I believe that if Disney can't get enough housekeepers, they should either (a) sell fewer rooms, or (b) provide a significant discount for this lack of basic service.

What are your thoughts?

I have not stayed in any WDW hotels since the COVID-19, however, I do follow a reputable YouTuber who recently stayed in Art of Animation as well. Not only did they not get housekeeping during their 9-night stay, but their suitcases were disgustingly filthy when they took them off the floor. This means that not only did they not clean during their stay, but they also clearly did not clean the floors underneath the bed (where they stored their suitcases). Totally unacceptable.

 

[RamblingMad]

I think something people need to realize is (and this is everywhere, not just Disney) the Pandemic has changed the way the hospitality/tourism industry operates (and a lot of other industries as well) and most likely things will never roll back to exactly how it was before COVID. For better or worse. Not excusing what Disney is doing, but also don't think they would intentionally remove daily housekeeping simply as a "cost saving measure" but who knows. I think staffing issues are really really hurting the hospitality industry nationwide unfortunately.

I do think though that people waiting for things to completely return to how they were before are gonna find that they are going to be waiting a long, long time. NOT saying you have to be happy about it though of course!

It's money. I have a friend that was laid off from a hospitality job. She planned conventions for a hotel chain. She moved over to an airline job since the hospitality jobs were offering to pay even less than she made when she was laid off. It's corporate greed. They're just not paying adequate pay. They laid folks off and now hope to hire them back for less. It's ridiculous.

So the big change I have made is to stay mostly at airbnbs. That's what I'm doing for my Smokies trip this fall, and that's what I did for my Utah trip last year.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

They laid folks off and now hope to hire them back for less.

Again, this is where I get crabby. This isn't a matter of your opinion versus my opinion, you're just wrong. Wages at Walt Disney World are up significantly since the start of the pandemic. They've increased the starting wage for new hires and they've given unscheduled raises to existing staff as well.

 

[snappy]

Again, this is where I get crabby. This isn't a matter of your opinion versus my opinion, you're just wrong. Wages at Walt Disney World are up significantly since the start of the pandemic. They've increased the starting wage for new hires and they've given unscheduled raises to existing staff as well.

Well apparently it isn‘t enough. . .

 

[RamblingMad]

Again, this is where I get crabby. This isn't a matter of your opinion versus my opinion, you're just wrong. Wages at Walt Disney World are up significantly since the start of the pandemic. They've increased the starting wage for new hires and they've given unscheduled raises to existing staff as well.

And inflation is up 7% as well. So I agree with the previous poster. It's not enough.

 

[DeeBee3]

They don't call it "the great resignation" for nothing. There are many reasons for what's going on in the economy/workforce. Everyone is going to have their own opinion based on what statistics they have access to. Where I am in NY, you cannot enter a store without seeing many HIRING NOW signs. I have no idea what Disney pays housekeeping, but the McDonald's down the road from me pays $15/hr for entry level. I also imagine the union involved has something to do with wages and benefits.

My question is: where are all these people who have quit previous jobs and how do all of them have money to live going forward? It isn't just retirees or people who have had a long, lucrative career. It's minimum wage earners in all sorts of industries in addition to college-educated and above type jobs.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Not only did they not get housekeeping during their 9-night stay,

Did they decline it by any chance. I know with Disney it's an all or nothing decline meaning it's for your entire stay. I believe you can decline it either during online check in or at the check in desk itself.

If by after a few days of me actually wanting housekeeping, not having declined it, I'd be making a trip to the hotel lobby just to let someone know. I say a couple of days because the service right now is every other day.

If you actually want housekeeping there's no reason for a 9 night stay and not alert someone regardless of whether you should have to or not. I hope they did but would question why nothing was done for the remainder of the stay if they had alerted someone.

And to be clear (as I feel like I have to at times) this is just to clarify. People often post experiences but don't tend to give much information on the background so then people turn around get upset say it's unacceptable and then sometimes you find out something else actually was the cause. So it's just me trying to get more details than just not getting housekeeping for 9 days as that would lead someone to believe in a thread like this that Disney as a matter of practice didn't give them housekeeping. Hopefully it could be cleared up with more details provided

I've always been skeptical about cleaning before your stay. Hotels say they do it but I've wondered if they have. To give my experience in December when we were at the Bellagio we found a hair tie on the floor by the bed table so if it was vacuumed before our stay it wasn't there. I had a bit more confidence when we stay at The Wynn in March 2021 because at that time they would put a seal on the door one they left and you would be breaking it as you entered, certainly couldn't say with 100% confidence they were cleaning big time but you at least felt better. Our stay at The Encore (which wasn't open in March 2021) in December 2021 did not have the seal any longer so with The Wynn and The Encore being the same company I assume they stopped the seal practice.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

And inflation is up 7% as well.

Housekeeping starting wage is up 13%.