Room checks and traveling solo?

[Mojo’s Mom]

Elsewhere on this site, I’ve read lots about the mandatory room checks.

What can I do to ensure these checks are done while I’m not in the room? There’s no way I’m going to feel comfortable opening the door to someone who claims they need access to the room while for various and sundry reasons, including a room check.

How do the rest of the solo travelers handle this?

 

[seashoreCM]

Is there a rule requiring that you let room checkers in at any time?

Flip the little lever attached to the door frame near the latch plate over the little finger protruding from the door edge near the door knob.

Or buy and bring a rubber wedge that fits under the closed door.

As a courtesy to mousekeepers, use the do not disturb sign but do not accept responsibilityif that gets pilfered or dishonored.

 

[Chrisizzle]

This may be a double win.

Upon check-in, you have the option of declining housekeeping in exchange for a $10 per day gift card. As a solo traveller, you will be starting with enough towels, soap, and space for two**. Provided you aren’t a complete slob, you could live without housekeeping for your entire visit. Housekeeping won’t even try to stop by and you’ll get free credits for meals and gifts.

When I signed up, I was warned that nobody would enter my room for any reason. The mandatory room check would be done by a manager who would open the front door but not enter. It was a simple visual inspection to make sure I was not trashing the room or doing anything untoward.

** You can still request more soap or towels. It is just on demand and will be handed to you at the door.

 

[YawningDodo]

The info I've read on it seems to indicate they just perform the check while doing routine housekeeping. My plan is to just put up the "room occupied" sign only when I'm actually in the room for a rest during the day and take it down whenever I'm gone so they have a chance to do it while I'm out. If they knock on your door and ask to come in, just ask them to come back later and give them a specific time when you expect to be out of the room.

We opted out of housekeeping in 2015 for the gift card and regretted it. We kept things pretty tidy, but the trash cans filled up and the room just didn't feel fresh by the end of our stay. I hadn't thought it would bother me since it's not like someone comes in and cleans my bedroom at home every day, but when I'm on vacation it turns out it does make a big difference to me to come back to a freshly cleaned room each evening.

 

[bryanb]

During my last solo trip, I had a room check in the afternoon. I had forgotten to put the room occupied sign out, though even if it is there, the CMs still have to check the rooms once a day.

When they stopped by, I asked if they could come back in about 30 minutes since I was getting ready to go back out to the parks. The CM said absolutely and left without me opening the door.

Just make sure that you have the latch on your door when you're in the room, as is always good practice at hotels.

 

[Mojo’s Mom]

Thanks, everyone!

 

[Wild4Walt]

On my last trip I wasn't solo but still applies - we had called down to the porter to have them come help with the bags. I had left the Room Occupied sign on the door without realizing it. We heard people in the hall but I wasn't sure if it was guests or housekeeping - the phone rang and it was the manager on duty asking if we were in the room. They advise the porter wasn't allowed to come in unannounced. I thought it was weird since he hadn't even knocked but it worked out. So I don't think they will just enter without warning.

 

[georgina]

Unless something has changed since last August, they absolutely will enter using their key after briefly knocking. Makes no difference if the room occupied sign is out. I had arrived at Pop, declined housekeeping, had put the top latch thing on the door. I had arrived very early and was napping in the afternoon, not fully clothed, when someone knocked and tried to enter my room. I told her to wait while I got dressed, and she came in and peered around the room. It was creepy. She came back another day while I was there to look around. This is the main reason I now stay off-site. If you have daily housekeeping you may avoid this, but I don't like people in my room ever.

 

[Simba's Mom]

At BCV, I was very concerned about this beforehand. However, they always did my room checks when I wasn't there. And since I'm one who doesn't spend a lot of time in the parks, it kind of made me wonder whether they knew from Big Brothering my MB, when the few hours were that I was out of my room. So I ended up doing all that pre-trip worrying for nothing. Hopefully, my next trip will go as smoothly!

 

[SteveH]

What can I do to ensure these checks are done while I’m not in the room?

Your best bet is to NOT decline housekeeping, let them clean your room while your out and about, if you decline if you're more likely to have a room visit.

You might want to look up a "DoorJammer Portable Door Lock Brace" on Amazon, you might get their wrath but at least they are not walking in on you.

 

[MusicalAstronaut]

Unless something has changed since last August, they absolutely will enter using their key after briefly knocking. Makes no difference if the room occupied sign is out. I had arrived at Pop, declined housekeeping, had put the top latch thing on the door. I had arrived very early and was napping in the afternoon, not fully clothed, when someone knocked and tried to enter my room. I told her to wait while I got dressed, and she came in and peered around the room. It was creepy. She came back another day while I was there to look around. This is the main reason I now stay off-site. If you have daily housekeeping you may avoid this, but I don't like people in my room ever.

This. Multiple people have had CMs come in while they were asleep, in the shower, etc. As a solo traveler I always latch the door when I'm in the room to be safe. Check it when I'm not there by all means, but don't bust in when I'm taking my park nap break or showering after being at the pool.

 

[bryanb]

You might want to look up a "DoorJammer Portable Door Lock Brace" on Amazon, you might get their wrath but at least they are not walking in on you.

Just out of curiosity, is there any reason why the built-in latch on the door isn't good enough to keep Disney CMs from inadvertently walking in?

 

[HD-DisGuy]

My wife and I stayed at Port Orleans, Riverside last Christmas. We opted out of housekeeping so we had the room checks. While we had the 'do not disturb' sign on the door anytime we were in the room, we would still have a CM knock to see if we were actually there. A few times they agreed to come back later as we were on our way out. Other times when we planned on staying in the room (either a late start, or just wanting to relax for a bit) we invited them to check. They are just trying to do their job, so we were happy to comply so everyone could go about their day. The check took all of about 10 seconds.

To address the question on the built-in door latch, I travel for work so I have a fair amount of experience staying in hotels. The latch on the door (the one on the hinge that you swing over the door once its closed) will stop someone from just walking in - which is what it was designed for. There is also a deadbolt built into the door lock that will have the same effect. So when you're in the room, engage both of them. Enjoy your stay!

 

[StageTek]

What can I do to ensure these checks are done while I’m not in the room? There’s no way I’m going to feel comfortable opening the door to someone who claims they need access to the room while for various and sundry reasons, including a room check.

There is nothing you can do to ensure these checks are done while you're not in the room.

There’s no way I’m going to feel comfortable opening the door to someone who claims they need access to the room while for various and sundry reasons, including a room check.

You have every right to not open the door. If they knock while you are in the room you just say, "I'm resting. Please come back later." and they will leave.

On my 7 night solo stay at POP in Jan/Feb this only happened once. I declined housekeeping and never put op the "occupied" sigh and never saw anyone at any time or heard a knock except the once.

 

[georgina]

You have every right to not open the door. If they knock while you are in the room you just say, "I'm resting. Please come back later." and they will leave.

This is not true in all cases. Sometimes they will insist.

There is a whole sitcky thread on the resorts board detailing experiences with room checks. There seems to be a wide variety of experiences even within the same resort.

 

[raddisneyfan]

I think I've probably been 5 or 6 times since they've instituted this policy. All I remember was the 1st time, not knowing that they had such a policy, and a guy knocking on my door and asking if all was okay, then looking around and walking out--very strange I thought at the time. Of course when I got home I started seeing posts about this new policy--never seen anyone since. And, I've done both gift cards for no housekeeping and not...but never saw anyone check since the 1st time.

 

[SG131]

Sounds like not declining housekeeping is the best bet. I had housekeeping and one day I came back to change just as they were close to my room. Put the sign up and wasn’t bothered at all. I’ve stayed a lot since this new policy, never decline housekeeping, and have never had an issue with them coming in when the sign was up.

 

[smokeyblue]

I don't generally have a problem with daily room checks. At my last stay at POP, I had two times that they came by. Once the housekeeper quickly came in and took a peek. The other time I wasn't properly attired and told them to come back and they agreed.

I did have a problem at CBR though. I declined housekeeping so the check should have been nothing more than a cursory wall-though. They took it upon themselves to close the bathroom door, shut off the vanity light (I always leave a light on on purpose) and draw the doors to the vanity closed. I found this a bit scary being alone and exercised caution entering the room. I propped the door open with something in case there was someone hiding behind the closed doors and I had to flee. Yes, I know that it was a tad irrational, but that's where my mind went. I called and let housekeeping know that I want my lights left on and the room kept in the same state. Yup, happened again the next day. I guess the way I look at it is if you want me to respect room checks, respect that if I left the space I'm paying for in a certain state that I expect to return to it in the same state.

 

[Disney Frenhines]

They need to tell you this when you check in. It was a shock when it first happened. I'm a solo female traveller and Disney's own advice is to not open doors to anyone it seems daft that they do this, having a male CM knock on the door expecting you to open it without question. One time was good though as the CM had a bag of special WDW Ghiradelli chocolates for me. I'm going to ask them to do checks in the morning as I'm either not there or won't be napping, which is my biggest bugbear, being woken from a nap mid afternoon. I was told I could request that.

 

[kiford]

Upon check-in, you have the option of declining housekeeping in exchange for a $10 per day gift card.

This is only available at Mods and Values. There's no such option at Deluxes. If you decline housekeeping, you're by far more likely to get a room check. Normally, this room check is done when housekeeping comes in so if you turn it down, they'll send someone at a different time to check.

They need to tell you this when you check in.

They do. It's in the form you sign when you check-in, at least it is when you check in at the front desk. I noticed it the last three times we stayed.