BEWARE! Theft at Saratoga Springs Resort

[tomandrobin]

In a resort full of guests, who would even notice or even care if someone is walking out of a room with luggage? Putting all your valuables in a piece of luggage I think is just as risky as leaving them out.

That was addressed more towards the alledged "housekeeping" burgulars. Housekeeping pulling a 36" piece of luggage is out of place.

A random person in street clothes would not seem strange.

 

[mickeysgal]

We walked into our room one time and found 2 males and a female from housekeeping, sitting and eating and watching tv. That was quite a few years ago. Another time we had a GV and walked in around 3 and a member of housekeeping came out of one of the upstairs bedrooms, muttered something and left. We went up to that room and it was clear she had been napping on the bed. This is the reason we usually don't have housekeeping come in however, we have no way of knowing who comes in and out when we are not in the room.

Thats simply unbelieveable.

We've walked in while housekeeping was there and the TVs were on, but never did we catch them napping, lounging, eating, etc.

Lately during our past visits we haven't had housekeeping service at all - we've been taking out our own trash and had been washing towels, so why have them there? I think we're going to continue to leave that Privacy sign on the door.

 

[Beth E. (NJ)]

I, on the other hand, had a great experience with mousekeeping and hotel management. This was probably 10 years ago dh and I were at WDW and we were staying at All Star Sports. We decided to go to Blizzard Beach. I was worried about my engagemtn ring and wedding band coming off in the water so I left them with my wallet and plane tickets in the room safe. While dh and I were on line waiting to get into Blizzard Beach I decided to look in my waist pack.

I realized that I didn't have the safe key with me. (this is before they switched to new code activated safes.) OMG -- I never closed the safe! the key was hanging from the open door of the safe. The closet door was open too so anyone walking into my room could see it. I was panicked. I was about to get on the first bus and hightail it over to ASSR. Then dh suggested we talk to guest services and see what they recommend. Guest services at Blizzard beach called my resort and got the manager on the phone for me.

He told me that he would take a housekeeper and go to my room. The two of them would put the contents of my safe into a storeage box and store it in the resort safe. The two of them would do it together so there was a witness as to what was removed. He told me to not worry and to have a great day. So I did -- or I tried to.

Anyway, when we got back to the resort I went to the front desk and they brought out a box -- like a safe deposit box -- in it was all my stuff with a note from the day manager. I was so happy! They really did a good job!

 

[twinand01]

I do agree!!! However it is someone that has keys to the Kingdom!! Literally!

I guess the housekeeping has lost the "magic" Someone is to blame and someone such as disney needs to be held accountable so I guess lighting bolts do stike "twice"

 

[twinand01]

No I cannot! But are you prepared to leave your precious belonging now that you know it can be a potential problem. I would guess no.

Well lets think..... I am staying at a resort....Housekeeping has the key..... Perhaps it was..... Mickey Mouse who stole the goods

 

[Sammie]

Well lets think..... I am staying at a resort....Housekeeping has the key..... Perhaps it was..... Mickey Mouse who stole the goods

If you think only housekeeping can get into the rooms, then Yes you would believe it was Mickey Mouse.

 

[pcparamedics01]

If you think only housekeeping can get into the rooms, then Yes you would believe it was Mickey Mouse.

Bottom line is this no one can be trusted including housekeeping so lock it up!

 

[twinand01]

If you think only housekeeping can get into the rooms, then Yes you would believe it was Mickey Mouse.

No I dont believe that however, I do believe that Disney housekeeping services needs to step up to the plate and take care of business.

 

[twinand01]

Bottom line is this no one can be trusted including housekeeping so lock it up!

Yes thats is my point as well... I do belive that anyone could have broke in but lets consider the most obvious... I am sure you agree PC Paramedics??

 

[pcparamedics01]

Yes thats is my point as well... I do belive that anyone could have broke in but lets consider the most obvious... I am sure you agree PC Paramedics??

I totally agree! But lets hope it wasn't Mickey Mouse!

 

[twinand01]

I totally agree! But lets hope it wasn't Mickey Mouse!

I think perhaps tinkerbell

 

[twinand01]

we just got back from saratoga, and had something strange happen while we were there. wife and i were coming back to the room, and saw a lady from housekeeping just kinda wandering around with a towel over her head. we just thought "well, it is kinda hot today". a little while later, after we got to our room, we had a knock at the door, and it was the same lady from housekeeping bringing us our fresh towels, as it was that day for us. we told her that we were not ready for someone to come in the room, as my wife was just getting out of the shower. she seemed to be very insistant about coming in, but we finally just got our towels and gave the old ones out. it was the same lady we saw earlier.

so my wife leaves, and goes shopping, and i was going to take a shower. from the bathroom, i hear the door close, and i call out to see if my wife had forgotten something, but i hear a womans voice saying it was housekeeping. no knock on the door or anything, just came right on in. i shouted that we had already exchanged the towels, but she had to use our phone to call in the fact that she had done it. dont know if that is common procedure or not, she wasnt in the room long enough to make a phone call, as i heard her exit just seconds afterward. lemme know if this sounds familiar.

Well...... there sounds like theres a rat in the wood pile

 

[TheRustyScupper]

1) You NEVER leave valuables in the room.
2) SSR has a large safety deposit box room.
3) The boxes are even large enough for most computers.
4) As for the room entry
. . . if it was gained through an electronic key-card, it can be traced
. . . the locks have data recording devices to track key entries
. . . downloading is done through a palm-pilot device
. . . if the key was a regular metal key, then no record of the exact key exists

 

[Mike©]

 

[HGD24]

If you don't want anyone walking into your room, whether you are in the room or not, simply put the do not disturb sign out. There's a reason those signs exist! No hotel employee can walk into the room if the sign is out. We leave ours out at all times unless we want housekeeping to straighten the room. Also, when you are in the room, put the security lock on so that they cannot open the door but only a few inches. If they are really pushy about entering, get their name and call the housekeeping manager on duty. You paid for the room and have every right to refuse them entry.

In May while staying at AKL, we requested that our fridge be repaired but when we left the room, we mistakenly left the sign on the door. We returned from dinner to a voicemail stating that they stopped by to do the repair but due to the sign being on the door, they were unable to enter. We apologized and made sure to take the sign in the next day while at the parks.

 

[SuzanneSLO]

DVC has already acknowledged it was negligent when it paid $500 to the OP. That is the extent of its liability under Florida law. If it wasn't negligent, DVC would have NO liability. Even if the OP had placed the valuable items in the safety deposit box at the front desk, the liability would stil be limited to $1000.

The statute that governs Disney's responsibilty for theft is F.S. 509.111 "Liability for property of guests." It reads as follows:

(1) The operator of a public lodging establishment is not under any obligation to accept for safekeeping any moneys, securities, jewelry, or precious stones of any kind belonging to any guest, and, if such are accepted for safekeeping, the operator is not liable for the loss thereof unless such loss was the proximate result of fault or negligence of the operator. However, the liability of the operator shall be limited to $1,000 for such loss, if the public lodging establishment gave a receipt for the property (stating the value) on a form which stated, in type large enough to be clearly noticeable, that the public lodging establishment was not liable for any loss exceeding $1,000 and was only liable for that amount if the loss was the proximate result of fault or negligence of the operator.

(2) The operator of a public lodging establishment is not liable or responsible to any guest for the loss of wearing apparel, goods, or other property, except as provided in subsection (1), unless such loss occurred as the proximate result of fault or negligence of such operator, and, in case of fault or negligence, the operator is not liable for a greater sum than $500, unless the guest, prior to the loss or damage, files with the operator an inventory of the guest's effects and the value thereof and the operator is given the opportunity to inspect such effects and check them against such inventory. The operator of a public lodging establishment is not liable or responsible to any guest for the loss of effects listed in such inventory in a total amount exceeding $1,000.

-- Suzanne

 

[sue]

We just returned from SSR on the 11th of Aug. Believe me, it doesn't matter if you leave a privacy sign on your door the whole time you are there. We had housekeeping walk right in when we were in our room. She just knocked once and walked right in. I think DVC needs to address common courtesy rules, such as if a privacy sign is on the door, under NO situation should anyone enter the room. Have housekeeping record the room number and maybe have the resort contact the room to see if they refuse services, or just don't service that room. I never wanted housekeeping trash and towel, since I always washed my towels and took out the garbage daily.

 

[snarfieca]

Once when we were at SSR, the front door didn't close completely on its own. It looked like it was shut but it could be pushed open. We had to pull the door shut. We found this out, by accident on the first day.

If the OP had problems with the door, it could have been anyone who got in.

Brenda
from MB

 

[Teyedoubleguhrrrr]

I know that some people need to take a laptop for business during vacation (which it an oxymoron IMO - it can't be both!) - but I know that several others have talked about downloading pictures. One thing we do is to buy extra memory cards (watching for sales, etc) during the year so that instead of downloading - we just switch cards. They fit into the safe! Of course, you can increase your capacity by deleting any of the "goofs".

Others may use it for movies in-room, but don't the DVC resorts have players in the rooms? I guess I try so hard NOT to take mine with me - I "unplug" so much better with it not there!

I also agree with the security lock thing. When you are in the room - throw the deadbolt! Then there won't be any more surprises!

 

[jjk1107]

If you don't want anyone walking into your room, whether you are in the room or not, simply put the do not disturb sign out. There's a reason those signs exist! No hotel employee can walk into the room if the sign is out. We leave ours out at all times unless we want housekeeping to straighten the room. Also, when you are in the room, put the security lock on so that they cannot open the door but only a few inches. If they are really pushy about entering, get their name and call the housekeeping manager on duty. You paid for the room and have every right to refuse them entry.

In May while staying at AKL, we requested that our fridge be repaired but when we left the room, we mistakenly left the sign on the door. We returned from dinner to a voicemail stating that they stopped by to do the repair but due to the sign being on the door, they were unable to enter. We apologized and made sure to take the sign in the next day while at the parks.

If you believe this, you are sorely mistaken. I was at BWV and I had the sign out. Two females walked right in without knocking. I only saw this because I was coming back to my room from going over to my parents room. I asked why they were entering my room and they said that they had been told I called in a maintenance request about my TV. I had never called about anything. I was more than upset about this.