Do Not Disturb Gone! (BLT)

[GTApex]

Sorry, not interested in a boycott. I don't care if they want to empty my DVC trash now. At least it won't build up when there's more than one person staying there.

I’m definitely going to boycott for a year or so... right after our next trip in March.

 

[MakiraMarlena]

By law, a private residence is different from a hotel room, and in fact somewhat different from a rented residence. All have different expectations of privacy when it comes to who actually owns the property and what the owner can decide to do with their own property and regarding occupants of their property. Anyway, this is equally about liability as it is about safety.

 

[WEDWDW]

This security check is not going to be done by housekeeping.

Is this "check" JUST for those who put the DND sign on the door and not for EVERYBODY usiing Housekeeping?

Thanks!

 

[MakiraMarlena]

I don't know where it's coming from that the check will not be done by housekeeping. It will be done by housekeeping in most instances, since in general the housekeeping personnel will be entering rooms daily. It will need to be done by someone else if there is something preventing housekeeping from entering.

 

[dansdad]

Is this "check" JUST for those who put the DND sign on the door and not for EVERYBODY usiing Housekeeping?

Thanks!

If you use daily housekeeping that will be counted as your room being checked. No other checks will occur.

 

[WEDWDW]

If you use daily housekeeping that will be counted as your room being checked. No other checks will occur.

Awesome!Thanks!

We are always n the Parks when the "Housekeeping Visit" occurs so this new "policy" will not change the way we vacation at WDW at all!

I would think A LOT of Guests are like us and will be the "lucky ones"!

 

[TLSnell1981]

So, Disney vacations are becoming more stressful...shorter park hours, higher capacity, significant price increases and now less privacy. They are watching...ALWAYS watching. LOL This is a PIA. I'm guessing the guests will foot this extra cost. Another unwanted "enhancement" that disrupts my vacation.

I am much more concerned with security (lack of) at Disney Springs. They route hordes of guests through, each night, after the parks close (early) in an effort to obtain larger quantities of my $$$$. Personally, WDW is becoming less attractive.

 

[Lynne M]

By law, a private residence is different from a hotel room, and in fact somewhat different from a rented residence. All have different expectations of privacy when it comes to who actually owns the property and what the owner can decide to do with their own property and regarding occupants of their property. Anyway, this is equally about liability as it is about safety.

This is interesting....is there any right to privacy in a hotel room? I mean, I know that it would be illegal to put a hidden camera in a hotel room and film the guest without their knowledge, so yes, there's privacy in that sense. But entry to the room? I always assumed that hoteliers have their staffs avoid entry as much as possible, as a courtesy, not because the guest has a right to refuse admittance.

I don't even think that all hotels allow guests the option to refuse housekeeping services. I know we have some non-Disney hoteliers and hotel staff who post here - anyone want to weigh in?

 

[MakiraMarlena]

Yes, there is some right, but I know it doesn't mean one can use their right to privacy to prevent the hotelier from entering the room for the full duration of their stay. If hoteliers avoid it, it is through courtesy, because they do have the right, but they want to balance that with the desires of the guest. I think at WDW they have now decided that instead of checking rooms with DND signs up 24/7 every few days (which they do, to make sure no one needs assistance or is up to something nefarious in there), they're going to do it every day, for their own reasons (which I have no trouble believing are related to what happened with MGM in October.)

 

[JacknSally]

To undo the latch is a bit of a process, as several posters have explained as they shared their experiences needing someone to undo a latch (it essentially destroys the flip latch). Housekeepers aren't carrying the "tool" around with them...and even if they were, they aren't going to try to open the door, realize the fliplatch is up and then grab the tool and disable it right them and there. They will likely continue to try to contact the occupants or come back later.

Just like when the DND signs were up...they would just come back later. If the flip latch is up and the occupant refuses to answer the door (despite the banging of the door against the latch) they'll come back later or if they feel there is something odd afoot then they'll use the latch disabler.

Using the latch isn't meant to deter your room from being checked IMO. It's used to prevent them from walking in on you unawares. It will slow them down to give you time to realize someone has been knocking and trying to get in so you can wake up/stop having sex/get out of the shower/get dressed or what have you and answer the door if= only to say "we are indisposed, can you come back in an hour?"

In our hotel, it's just a small two-pronged metal tool, or an L-shaped metal tool depending on the door (we're under renovation and the updated rooms have a new style of latch). Very easy to carry with you, especially if you know you're doing room checks, and only adds a few seconds to entering the room. We also know how to undo the latches with a rubber band and a push pin when the tool gets misplaced, and even that only takes a few minutes. Obviously some hotels have different security set-ups on the backs of the doors than we do, but it's definitely not always true that undoing the latches takes a long time or causes any damage to the door or latches.

Like I said before, just coming back later completely defeats the purpose of the random checks, if they really are doing them for "safety" reasons. Who's to say that the guest who just doesn't want to be bothered right now isn't in the middle of setting up their arsenal? Setting the latch, or yelling "please come back later" through the door (and having that request accommodated), would just allow the "bad guy" to continue on, uninterrupted and undeterred. Same with telling guests these checks will happen at a certain time, or during a certain time frame. "Bad guy" would just see that and say "Ok, I need to make sure nothing is out in the open during these times" and that would be that.

 

[HopperFan]

This is interesting....is there any right to privacy in a hotel room? I mean, I know that it would be illegal to put a hidden camera in a hotel room and film the guest without their knowledge, so yes, there's privacy in that sense. But entry to the room? I always assumed that hoteliers have their staffs avoid entry as much as possible, as a courtesy, not because the guest has a right to refuse admittance.

I don't even think that all hotels allow guests the option to refuse housekeeping services. I know we have some non-Disney hoteliers and hotel staff who post here - anyone want to weigh in?

I've read through several legal sites and it appears that they all agree that YES, you can expect privacy .....

"As a general proposition, a person who rents a hotel/motel room has the same expectation or privacy as a homeowner has in their own home. This remains true while the room is currently rented."

Others have added that this is as long as the room is paid for and guest not engaging in illegal activity.

But hotels have loop holes .... so in Disney's instance they can "claim" it is for cleaning and maintenance.

"Generally, yes, you have a right to expect privacy in your hotel room as long as you are using the hotel room in a normal, responsible way. However, if you are engaging in anything illegal or disturbing other guests, hotel management can enter your room without your permission.

Note that hotel management, not the police, can enter the room without your permission and hotel management cannot give the police permission to search your room. The police must go through the usual process, which usually means getting a warrant before they are allowed to search your room.

A final exception to your right to privacy is for cleaning and maintenance. Hotel management does have the right to enter your room to clean or perform necessary maintenance."

PERSONALLY, my biggest issue is that they are entering rooms that are occupied - uninvited; and even with my sign up and lock on, they will knock and ask to enter. I don't allow strangers to enter my room while I am there that I didn't call to come address an issue.

 

[MakiraMarlena]

The hotel employees do have the right to enter your room without permission.

The only difference is that now they will be doing so once each day, even if you have a sign up.

Don't have info about what will happen if you respond to their knock, but deny them entrance.

 

[WEDWDW]

I've read through several legal sites and it appears that they all agree that YES, you can expect privacy .....

"As a general proposition, a person who rents a hotel/motel room has the same expectation or privacy as a homeowner has in their own home. This remains true while the room is currently rented."

Others have added that this is as long as the room is paid for and guest not engaging in illegal activity.

But hotels have loop holes .... so in Disney's instance they can "claim" it is for cleaning and maintenance.

"Generally, yes, you have a right to expect privacy in your hotel room as long as you are using the hotel room in a normal, responsible way. However, if you are engaging in anything illegal or disturbing other guests, hotel management can enter your room without your permission.

Note that hotel management, not the police, can enter the room without your permission and hotel management cannot give the police permission to search your room. The police must go through the usual process, which usually means getting a warrant before they are allowed to search your room.

A final exception to your right to privacy is for cleaning and maintenance. Hotel management does have the right to enter your room to clean or perform necessary maintenance."

Looks like Disney strongly disagrees with "disturbing others,illegal activity,cleaning,maintenance" as being the only reasons they can enter a room!

 

[marikujawa]

I've read through several legal sites and it appears that they all agree that YES, you can expect privacy .....

"As a general proposition, a person who rents a hotel/motel room has the same expectation or privacy as a homeowner has in their own home. This remains true while the room is currently rented."

Others have added that this is as long as the room is paid for and guest not engaging in illegal activity.

But hotels have loop holes .... so in Disney's instance they can "claim" it is for cleaning and maintenance.

"Generally, yes, you have a right to expect privacy in your hotel room as long as you are using the hotel room in a normal, responsible way. However, if you are engaging in anything illegal or disturbing other guests, hotel management can enter your room without your permission.

Note that hotel management, not the police, can enter the room without your permission and hotel management cannot give the police permission to search your room. The police must go through the usual process, which usually means getting a warrant before they are allowed to search your room.

A final exception to your right to privacy is for cleaning and maintenance. Hotel management does have the right to enter your room to clean or perform necessary maintenance."

PERSONALLY, my biggest issue is that they are entering rooms that are occupied - uninvited; and even with my sign up and lock on, they will knock and ask to enter. I don't allow strangers to enter my room while I am there that I didn't call to come address an issue.

Be careful with researching privacy rights. The fourth amendment applies to police and other State action.

 

[HopperFan]

Looks like Disney strongly disagrees with "disturbing others,illegal activity,cleaning,maintenance" as being the only reasons they can enter a room!

Yup. Well we will see if they "disturb me" next month ...... they just keep making this so easy to stay off property.

Be careful with researching privacy rights. The fourth amendment applies to police and other State action.

I read through several, all regarding hotel privacy, and did not quote portions that applied to police action.

Again my point is not about whether they can glance around your room when they are cleaning etc, they already should have been doing that during cleaning. I think the concern is there is no expectation of any privacy at any time; not nap time, not sleep time, not shower time, not potty time, not adult time ... none. For many this is a problem.

 

[TLSnell1981]

Yup. Well we will see if they "disturb me" next month ...... they just keep making this so easy to stay off property.



I read through several, all regarding hotel privacy, and did not quote portions that applied to police action.

Again my point is not about whether they can glance around your room when they are cleaning etc, they already should have been doing that during cleaning. I think the concern is there is no expectation of any privacy at any time; not nap time, not sleep time, not shower time, not potty time, not adult time ... none. For many this is a problem.

Yeah..this.

It may be time to dump the DVC.

 

[tim123]

deleted

 

[tim123]

Sorry, not interested in a boycott. I don't care if they want to empty my DVC trash now. At least it won't build up when there's more than one person staying there.

Love to see what happens when the Four Seasons decides it might like to avoid the same liability that MGM has now.

You are aware are you not that the top four floors of the MGM Vegas IS THE FOUR SEASONS RESORT. The Four Seasons will never intrude daily into a guests room while occupied I can assure you of that. Only Disney would think of something so inept and ineffective. The Four Seasons is full of regular clients who have ample financial means, many in the legal profession..ie litigators and people who know what they want..including their right to privacy regardless of some ****** killer in Vegas. They are one of the world's great Hoteliers. For a reason.

 

[Allison]

I have decided to forget about the new policy and relax in my new favorite resort!

So I guess you changed your mind.

 

[tim123]

deleted