"Do not disturb" signs being removed from resort rooms

[jaklgreen]

Then Disney can claim they tried, and I think that is the main point of it. It may discourage a few stray nutters, but it also looks good from a liability standpoint.

I don't think you are getting my point. How far is this going to go? If they keep this policy of checking rooms and something gets past them are they going to take is a step further and now start going through your bags at check in? Are we going to have to submit to back ground checks when we make a reservation? It is a slippery slope when you start doing these things in the name of "safety". It is their property so if they want to put up a bunch of security cameras on all around the resorts and watch people that way, that's fine. But when they start intruding into our rooms all to keep their lawyers happy, that is NOT OK. And for you or others to think this is fine, I suggest you read up on what it is like to live in some of these "police state" countries. Then you will know what it is like to give up your civil liberties in the name of safety.

 

[Laketravis]

In any of the articles that I've read about this latest move, Disney has declined to comment whether their reason for doing so is related to security concerns.

I suspect the primary reason is to help ease the logistics of room turnover.

 

[daisyduckie]

Only time will tell if they really do a check on the rooms every day. In reality, how small a percentage of guests put up the Do Not Disturb signs for their whole stay? Most guests already had someone entering their room every day. They are not coming with dogs to sniff your belongings.

 

[Cake]

Too funny! The cynic in me thinks this probably has more to do with finding unauthorized pets than it does security.

I thought the same thing since they now allow dogs at a few of the resorts.

 

[Cake]

I’m not an attorney, but this doesn’t smell right. Hotel guests do have a reasonable expectation to privacy. I would assume that if the hotel suspected a guest was doing something illegal or a guest was hurt, then they could get into the room. However, for hotel staff to randomly come into a guests room without reasonable suspicion of wrongdoing..I don’t think so. Lawyers might actually argue against a hotel from this practice because of the risks it creates by invading guests privacy.

 

[Jonnydanger]

How dare they! I bet Michael Eisner is a carbon copy of Harvey Weinstein. Both are cut from the same cloths and even look the same. I bet he is going to be waiting until he hears your shower running and pop into your room unexpected under the deception of " security". After all, your wife or daughter might be building a bomb or Sniper riffle while naked in the shower.

This is a gross invasion of privacy. If they do this, they should provide your hotel stay for free. If they have a real concern, they could find a way in even with a do not disturb sign on. This is them just taking violating your privacy one step further in another move that would make Walt Disney cringe and Harvy Winstein/Michael Eisner grin.

 

[Nemo14]

How dare they! I bet Michael Eisner is a carbon copy of Harvey Weinstein. Both are cut from the same cloths and even look the same. I bet he is going to be waiting until he hears your shower running and pop into your room unexpected under the deception of " security". After all, your wife or daughter might be building a bomb or Sniper riffle while naked in the shower.

This is a gross invasion of privacy. If they do this, they should provide your hotel stay for free. If they have a real concern, they could find a way in even with a do not disturb sign on. This is them just taking violating your privacy one step further in another move that would make Walt Disney cringe and Harvy Winstein/Michael Eisner grin.

You do realize that Michael Eisner has not been CEO of Disney for what, 10 or 12 years now, right?

 

[Mark P.]

I’m not an attorney, but this doesn’t smell right. Hotel guests do have a reasonable expectation to privacy. I would assume that if the hotel suspected a guest was doing something illegal or a guest was hurt, then they could get into the room. However, for hotel staff to randomly come into a guests room without reasonable suspicion of wrongdoing..I don’t think so. Lawyers might actually argue against a hotel from this practice because of the risks it creates by invading guests privacy.

I'm also not an attorney, but after reading about this change I did a little research myself. You do have a reasonable expectation to privacy from law enforcement searches, there's plenty of case law supporting that. However, hotel management, as a private entity, is under no obligation to adhere to the Fourth Amendment: it's their property, and by entering in a contract with the hotel you (likely, as I have not personally read the fine print) agree that they reserve the right to access the room for circumstances they see fit.

 

[awilliams4]

I'm also not an attorney, but after reading about this change I did a little research myself. You do have a reasonable expectation to privacy from law enforcement searches, there's plenty of case law supporting that. However, hotel management, as a private entity, is under no obligation to adhere to the Fourth Amendment: it's their property, and by entering in a contract with the hotel you (likely, as I have not personally read the fine print) agree that they reserve the right to access the room for circumstances they see fit.

I wonder if DVC owners have more of a right since I believe they own a real estate interest in the resort.

 

[Cake]

I wonder if DVC owners have more of a right since I believe they own a real estate interest in the resort.

I’d say yes, yes, yes

 

[Raineman]

Here's my take on this. When we are in our room at a WDW resort, we always engage the latch-that way if someone tried to open the door while we were getting changed, or sleeping, etc, we could at least have the time to tell them that the room is occupied. The issue I have with the right of the hotel to enter your rooms at any time as they see fit is when we are not in our room. We only have mousekeeping clean our room twice during a 1 week trip-we do not need clean towels or a made-up bed every day. Because we don't have mousekeeping in the room every day, we have some of our belongings left out, like our toiletries, snacks, souvenirs, chargers, etc (the days we have our room cleaned, they are put away in our suitcases or the safe). If the hotel could guarantee me that there is zero risk of any of our belongings being stolen from our room, then I would have no issue with them entering our room at any time when we were gone, however, this kind of guarantee is impossible. No one can convince me that every person in mousekeeping is 100% honest and would not think of stealing from guests. So, unless I have prepared the room for entry, and no sign is on the door, when we are not there, my expectation is that no one enters the room when the DND sign is up. If the hotel cannot fulfill that expectation, then it is an invasion of privacy, unless the hotel can prove to me that there was a legitimate, plausible reason for them to enter. I don't feel like this is asking too much.

 

[correcaminos]

I wonder if DVC owners have more of a right since I believe they own a real estate interest in the resort.

I’d say yes, yes, yes

As an owner I think no.

 

[daisyduckie]

I wonder if DVC owners have more of a right since I believe they own a real estate interest in the resort.

I'd be going over the contract with a fine toothed comb. I'd bet there is language which in essence says Disney can do whatever they want.

People need to read everything, and not just expect what they think is right to happen. You may think that putting a do not disturb tag on your door keeps the property from entering your room. You are most likely wrong. Know what the rules are, don't go with what you think they are.

 

[BigThunderMatt]

Just gonna toss this one in here because I find so many of these naysayers utterly laughable. A hotel, any hotel, is private property. You do not own the room, you do not own the space. You are merely renting it. To say that your privacy is being invaded is a moot point because you agree to that the minute you drop your credit card to rent that room for the night. The hotel reserves the right to enter your room at ANY time for ANY reason and if you don't like that better just to not stay in a hotel period.

PS @awilliams4 they have plenty of ways to unlock a deadbolt on a door that do not require physically breaking the door down.

 

[Raineman]

Just gonna toss this one in here because I find so many of these naysayers utterly laughable. A hotel, any hotel, is private property. You do not own the room, you do not own the space. You are merely renting it. To say that your privacy is being invaded is a moot point because you agree to that the minute you drop your credit card to rent that room for the night. The hotel reserves the right to enter your room at ANY time for ANY reason and if you don't like that better just to not stay in a hotel period.

PS @awilliams4 they have plenty of ways to unlock a deadbolt on a door that do not require physically breaking the door down.

If you are renting a house or apartment, it is private property as well, but, in general, the landlord/owner does not have the right to enter at any time, unless it's an emergency situation, or it has been previously approved by the tenant. Why should a hotel room be different? Any private property that is being rented that includes bathing, sleeping and/or changing facilities should be exempt from the owner's right to enter at any time, unless there is an emergency situation. It's not "laughable" to expect a modicum of privacy in a rented room where people could be undressed or engaged in private activities.

 

[jaklgreen]

Just gonna toss this one in here because I find so many of these naysayers utterly laughable. A hotel, any hotel, is private property. You do not own the room, you do not own the space. You are merely renting it. To say that your privacy is being invaded is a moot point because you agree to that the minute you drop your credit card to rent that room for the night. The hotel reserves the right to enter your room at ANY time for ANY reason and if you don't like that better just to not stay in a hotel period.

PS @awilliams4 they have plenty of ways to unlock a deadbolt on a door that do not require physically breaking the door down.

I think we all get that they are legally allowed to do that. But what we are saying it is very bad show for them to "check up" on everyone as if we are all mass murderers. To have them come in every day and have a looksy, especially while you are in the room, is very weird and not very hospitable. No one wants to be treated like a criminal when they are on vacation with their family.

 

[BigThunderMatt]

I think we all get that they are legally allowed to do that. But what we are saying it is very bad show for them to "check up" on everyone as if we are all mass murderers. To have them come in every day and have a looksy, especially while you are in the room, is very weird and not very hospitable. No one wants to be treated like a criminal when they are on vacation with their family.

It's all about liability. The same people complaining about this policy would be the ones shouting for Disney to be held accountable if there was some kind of mass shooting and it was determined that the whole situation could have been avoided had a policy like the one they've just created been implemented.

 

[BigThunderMatt]

If you are renting a house or apartment, it is private property as well, but, in general, the landlord/owner does not have the right to enter at any time, unless it's an emergency situation, or it has been previously approved by the tenant. Why should a hotel room be different?

Because a rental property and a hotel room are not the same thing. You specifically agree that you are not intending to squat and make the hotel room your domicile when check in to a hotel therefore it is distinct from any sort of rental agreement you would make with a landlord. The nomenclature on the door signs also states that they will knock multiple times and announce themselves before entering.

If you can't do a 100 yard dash to the bathroom or make yourself decent by attempted knock number 3 then I got no advice for you there.

 

[RustySpork]

If you can't do a 100 yard dash to the bathroom or make yourself decent by attempted knock number 3 then I got no advice for you there.

That doesn't sound very relaxing and vacationy. I'm not going to inconvenience myself for them, they'll be warned of the current conditions and if they choose to come in, they've made a choice they'll have to live with.

 

[jaklgreen]

It's all about liability. The same people complaining about this policy would be the ones shouting for Disney to be held accountable if there was some kind of mass shooting and it was determined that the whole situation could have been avoided had a policy like the one they've just created been implemented.

You know who else gets random room inspections? Prisoners. So by all means let them invade our privacy to make the lawyers happy just in case something might or might not happen and Disney might or might not get sued. There is no defending this kind of invasive procedure. I am actually shocked how many of you are just fine with this.