A complaint: lack of housekeeping

[pixiedust2u]

I'm not going to pretend and say it's the most preferred thing but IDK if you ever saw the complaints about the carpets not being cleaned or the things found in beds (ahem...gross things). There were threads decently enough that would either supply photos or give complete stories. If you think Disney cleaned thoroughly all the time every hotel room there are plenty of prior threads long before the pandemic to state otherwise. I feel like the stories were about hair in the beds, a condom on the floor, stains and sticky carpet, band-aids on the floor, etc. I mean it's all gross not going to sugar coat that but yeah.

Have you ever been on an airplane? Long before the pandemic I'd see stuff in the pockets, I know they weren't able to get that plane all that clean before Boarding began for the next flight.

Oh I’m fullllly aware that WDW hotels or any hotel even 5 star for that matter doesn’t guarantee a thoroughly cleaned room! Hence my even pre-covid room look over and wipe down!
And yeah, I was the person with the Clorox wipes wiping my seat, tray and belt on an airplane waaaay before covid. I used to look a little crazy, now I just look smart and like everyone else lol.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Oh I’m fullllly aware that WDW hotels or any hotel even 5 star for that matter doesn’t guarantee a thoroughly cleaned room! Hence my even pre-covid room look over and wipe down!
And yeah, I was the person with the Clorox wipes wiping my seat, tray and belt on an airplane waaaay before covid. I used to look a little crazy, now I just look smart and like everyone else lol.

I have actually done the airplane (which only started with the pandemic) but admittedly never got into the hotel room. But I was one of those people that was a little skeptical on how many people talked about bringing Clorox wipes to wipe down all the surfaces in the hotel room..the pandemic made that a little less skeptical in my mind lol.

 

[pixiedust2u]

To be clear, sheets and towels ARE being changed between guests.

It amazes me the number of people who clearly have new sheets every day at home (and towels too) apparently from this “Ew. I have to use the same sheets and towels??” reaction. Clearly not people who have to schlep to laundromats and pay to do laundry. Even growing up with an in-home washer and dryer sheets and towels were only changed once a week.

Okay, so I think you misunderstood. I’m not looking for fresh sheets everyday. Towels, it depends, I often shower more than once in a day on my WDW vaca and no I don’t dry off with wet or damp towels at home, or I’m vacation.
I don’t know why you are comparing vacation and resort experiences to home life. No, I don’t get a made bed, vacuumed floors or fresh towels daily at home. But I also don’t live in a 300 sq ft space with my family of 4 and my mortgage isn’t 700$ a night.

 

[BadPinkTink]

It amazes me the number of people who clearly have new sheets every day at home (and towels too) apparently from this “Ew. I have to use the same sheets and towels??” reaction. Clearly not people who have to schlep to laundromats and pay to do laundry. Even growing up with an in-home washer and dryer sheets and towels were only changed once a week.

I often wonder about this too, I wonder do people employ daily housekeeping in their homes and get so used to it and desensitized to anything less and then go to Disney and are horrified that Disney can't provide what they are used to in their day to day lives???

 

[gottalovepluto]

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?

My thoughts

-Disney should maintain this level of service as long as possible. It’s bad business to increase expenses when it isn’t necessary and with demand still there it obviously isn’t necessary

-people need to research their trips better before plopping down $$$$. The amount of discussion about what housekeeping currently entails at Disney has been plentiful on these boards and even just 30 seconds on trip advisor to search the hotel and then search reviews for “housekeeping” would result in the same info

 

[gottalovepluto]

As a heads up…

Pre-COVID Housekeeping Schedule Restored at Disney's Grand Floridian Resort and Disney's Yacht & Beach Club Resorts

Guests staying at Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa and Disney's Yacht & Beach Club Resorts should be aware that housekeeping is now once again cleaning guest rooms more frequently, as the original cleaning schedule (that is, the schedule that was followed before the pandemic began) was officially restored at these resorts on March 4, 2022.
As a reminder, the original cleaning schedule entails the following services daily (at Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa) OR every other day (at Disney's Yacht & Beach Club Resorts):

1. Making the bed
2. Full bathroom clean
3. Wiping down all surfaces
4. Replacing amenities as needed (such as coffee, shampoo, soap, etc.)
5. Vacuum
6. Dust
7. Fold and organize loose clothing and other special touches

Please, note that the housekeeping schedule of DVC rooms has NOT changed, but the ability to purchase additional cleaning service has been reinstated at the resorts mentioned above.

On Sunday, March 6 (today), the following resorts will also go back to the original cleaning schedule:

• Disney's BoardWalk Resort
• Disney's Contemporary Resort
• Disney's Polynesian Village Resort

Hopefully the other resorts follow suit soon.

Just when I come around to Cheapek’s penny pinching ways this drops. Of course

 

[pixiedust2u]

I often wonder about this too, I wonder do people employ daily housekeeping in their homes and get so used to it and desensitized to anything less and then go to Disney and are horrified that Disney can't provide what they are used to in their day to day lives???

Um. If I could afford a mortgage of 700$ a day, then yes. I would probably have housekeepers at home.

 

[focusondisney]

As a heads up…

Pre-COVID Housekeeping Schedule Restored at Disney's Grand Floridian Resort and Disney's Yacht & Beach Club Resorts

Guests staying at Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa and Disney's Yacht & Beach Club Resorts should be aware that housekeeping is now once again cleaning guest rooms more frequently, as the original cleaning schedule (that is, the schedule that was followed before the pandemic began) was officially restored at these resorts on March 4, 2022.
As a reminder, the original cleaning schedule entails the following services daily (at Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa) OR every other day (at Disney's Yacht & Beach Club Resorts):

1. Making the bed
2. Full bathroom clean
3. Wiping down all surfaces
4. Replacing amenities as needed (such as coffee, shampoo, soap, etc.)
5. Vacuum
6. Dust
7. Fold and organize loose clothing and other special touches

Please, note that the housekeeping schedule of DVC rooms has NOT changed, but the ability to purchase additional cleaning service has been reinstated at the resorts mentioned above.

On Sunday, March 6 (today), the following resorts will also go back to the original cleaning schedule:

• Disney's BoardWalk Resort
• Disney's Contemporary Resort
• Disney's Polynesian Village Resort

Hopefully the other resorts follow suit soon.

As far as I know, Y & B always had daily housekeeping. Why is this article indicating the normal was every other day?? So IMO, still not quite back to normal.

 

[mrsap]

As far as I know, Y & B always had daily housekeeping. Why is this article indicating the normal was every other day?? So IMO, still not quite back to normal.

I actually wrote to the Blog and asked them to clarify/confirm their statement that BC/YC is every other day. I’ll report back if they reply.

 

[Farro]

I actually wrote to the Blog and asked them to clarify/confirm their statement that BC/YC is every other day. I’ll report back if they reply.

It's weird, but I'll take it. Nice to have a cleaning of bathroom and such at least every other day again.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I often wonder about this too, I wonder do people employ daily housekeeping in their homes and get so used to it and desensitized to anything less and then go to Disney and are horrified that Disney can't provide what they are used to in their day to day lives???

I give people a break in some ways here. Vacations (or at least staying in hotels) are usually a respite (sometimes you're there for work though) so it was in the hotel industry normal for housekeeping to mean largely xyz.

Over the recent years (before the pandemic) companies have shifted things here and there. Trash is one of the ones that was a bigger change where that stopped being emptied across various companies as the same rate as before, so was smaller trash cans to visually push guests into creating less trash. Then you have the eco-driven (well that's what they say) of not changing bedding every time housekeeping is done or not swapping out towels and directing the guest on how to say they don't need a new towel. But these were probably fairly minor enough or gradual enough that guests didn't see them as paying more getting less.

Like I said those who did daily housekeeping before are probably the ones most affected by this or maybe a different way to saying it is it's just a stark difference between before experience to now. I mentioned this to my husband this morning about the comment someone posted about daily housekeeping being a waste. He said "well yeah it is, but I do like it" and laughed. We don't get daily housekeeping most times but opt for housekeeping every so often in our stay depending on how long we're in a specific hotel. There are things that people just appreciated and now there's a wider variance in the experiences. I can't blame everyone but nor do I blame every company.

People don't become desensitized to daily housekeeping in their homes because almost no one would actually have that. Housecleaning services sure but that doesn't mean that every day someone is replacing your shampoo and conditioner, stripping your bed replacing it with new sheets, picking up your towels laundering them and replacing them neatly folded, replacing toilet paper and all that. However, those things were industry standard in most respects for hotels. Now that industry standard is changed and varies much much more than before. So I don't always agree with the complaints or how they come across but it's fair to compare hotel experience of the past to hotel experience of the present. But I will typically disagree with the mentality (that is really common here on the Boards) of "It's Disney so they have to do" but part of that is simply comparing past experience to present experience so can't blame it all there either.

 

[gottalovepluto]

Why is this article indicating the normal was every other day??

Because the author didn’t do a good job with their research

 

[Jacq7414]

Okay, so I think you misunderstood. I’m not looking for fresh sheets everyday. Towels, it depends, I often shower more than once in a day on my WDW vaca and no I don’t dry off with wet or damp towels at home, or I’m vacation.
I don’t know why you are comparing vacation and resort experiences to home life. No, I don’t get a made bed, vacuumed floors or fresh towels daily at home. But I also don’t live in a 300 sq ft space with my family of 4 and my mortgage isn’t 700$ a night.

Right? When I go away on vacation I purposely stay in a hotel and not one of those house rentals because I want my room cleaned for me. I don’t want to have to clean.

And I actually do wash my towels regularly. Not the sheets though.

 

[disneyseniors]

As a heads up…

Pre-COVID Housekeeping Schedule Restored at Disney's Grand Floridian Resort and Disney's Yacht & Beach Club Resorts

Guests staying at Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa and Disney's Yacht & Beach Club Resorts should be aware that housekeeping is now once again cleaning guest rooms more frequently, as the original cleaning schedule (that is, the schedule that was followed before the pandemic began) was officially restored at these resorts on March 4, 2022.
As a reminder, the original cleaning schedule entails the following services daily (at Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa) OR every other day (at Disney's Yacht & Beach Club Resorts):

1. Making the bed
2. Full bathroom clean
3. Wiping down all surfaces
4. Replacing amenities as needed (such as coffee, shampoo, soap, etc.)
5. Vacuum
6. Dust
7. Fold and organize loose clothing and other special touches

Please, note that the housekeeping schedule of DVC rooms has NOT changed, but the ability to purchase additional cleaning service has been reinstated at the resorts mentioned above.

On Sunday, March 6 (today), the following resorts will also go back to the original cleaning schedule:

• Disney's BoardWalk Resort
• Disney's Contemporary Resort
• Disney's Polynesian Village Resort

Hopefully the other resorts follow suit soon.

Well, that's just great for those deluxe resorts! But what about the rest of us people who stay at the mods and value resorts? I guess we don't count as much in disney's eyes. They should have waited until ALL the resorts received regular housekeeping, not just the money ones.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

NYC may have a bigger labor pool than Orlando's but WDW had enough housekeeping staff pre-pandemic to service all their resorts on a daily basis. I'm not referring to DVC here but to the regular hotel rooms.

The borders weren't closed pre-pandemic.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

To be clear, sheets and towels ARE being changed between guests.

It amazes me the number of people who clearly have new sheets every day at home (and towels too) apparently from this “Ew. I have to use the same sheets and towels??” reaction. Clearly not people who have to schlep to laundromats and pay to do laundry. Even growing up with an in-home washer and dryer sheets and towels were only changed once a week.

My towels at home get two uses. My wife uses one before bed and then I use that same towel the next morning. So I'm fine with every other day. The part I miss is just having the bed made.

 

[HerRoyalHighness]

I often wonder about this too, I wonder do people employ daily housekeeping in their homes and get so used to it and desensitized to anything less and then go to Disney and are horrified that Disney can't provide what they are used to in their day to day lives???

I have one in-law who has an issue with not getting fresh towels daily at hotels because they give themselves a fresh towel daily at home. Of course, it's just them living there...no spouse, kids or pets so less to wash. I switch ours out every 3-4 days.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

As a heads up…

Pre-COVID Housekeeping Schedule Restored at Disney's Grand Floridian Resort and Disney's Yacht & Beach Club Resorts

Guests staying at Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa and Disney's Yacht & Beach Club Resorts should be aware that housekeeping is now once again cleaning guest rooms more frequently, as the original cleaning schedule (that is, the schedule that was followed before the pandemic began) was officially restored at these resorts on March 4, 2022.
As a reminder, the original cleaning schedule entails the following services daily (at Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa) OR every other day (at Disney's Yacht & Beach Club Resorts):

1. Making the bed
2. Full bathroom clean
3. Wiping down all surfaces
4. Replacing amenities as needed (such as coffee, shampoo, soap, etc.)
5. Vacuum
6. Dust
7. Fold and organize loose clothing and other special touches

Please, note that the housekeeping schedule of DVC rooms has NOT changed, but the ability to purchase additional cleaning service has been reinstated at the resorts mentioned above.

On Sunday, March 6 (today), the following resorts will also go back to the original cleaning schedule:

• Disney's BoardWalk Resort
• Disney's Contemporary Resort
• Disney's Polynesian Village Resort

Hopefully the other resorts follow suit soon.

WAIT WAIT WAIT

I thought this was a grand conspiracy to eliminate housekeeping permanently and that it would never be coming back. Isn't that what people were insisting LITERALLY yesterday!?

 

[Jen81NYC]

WAIT WAIT WAIT

I thought this was a grand conspiracy to eliminate housekeeping permanently and that it would never be coming back. Isn't that what people were insisting LITERALLY yesterday!?

This is silly. You’ve been the one saying that Disney *can’t* improve housekeeping because they have no people so it’s a bit strange to consider this update a vindication! The point is that Disney can actually provide better housekeeping services, as many people have been saying! And I’m sure this is in part a response to many many complaints about this issue. If people had just kept quiet and assumed Disney had no control over it, I can’t imagine they’d be making this announcement.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

And I’m sure this is in part a response to many many complaints about this issue.

I agree with you about the vindication aspect with respects to the PP's comments. However I sorta doubt Disney is doing this because of complaints. They've been getting complaints forever and it's so seldom that things are changed for that. I don't want people to feel like they shouldn't voice their displeasure but we often think companies take those to heart far more than they do. I hear so many complaints about Genie+ and LL and they aren't doing much on that front either.

If people had just kept quiet and assumed Disney had no control over it, I can’t imagine they’d be making this announcement.

Disney isn't making this announcement. The link the poster gave is not from Disney, just a site. Disney has not made any change (yet at least) on their website.