Housekeeping door knocking at 8am on check-out days - what's going on?

[tired_photog]

There seems to be a recent practice of knocking on guest room doors a couple of hours before check-out time.

Seeing more and more of this on social media.

This happened to us last Wednesday at GF. At 8:15am on our checkout day housekeeping started knocking on the door. That's never happened on any previous trip. Didn't occur to me that it would be necessary to put out the Do Not Disturb sign that early.

 

[Indy_UK]

So is resort check in 3pm while DVC is 5pm right?

Out of all the things Disney are forcing people to use their phone for, surely using the app to force people to confirm when they’ve left the room should be easy? Or have it on the interactive TVs while they are updating all the rooms?

 

[Jon81uk]

This happened to us last Wednesday at GF. At 8:15am on our checkout day housekeeping started knocking on the door. That's never happened on any previous trip. Didn't occur to me that it would be necessary to put out the Do Not Disturb sign that early.

I always in every hotel I stay in put the do not disturb sign on the door when I go to bed, housekeeping being around at 8.30 doesn't surprise me, which is why we always use the do not disturb sign.

Pop it on when we get back to the room in the late evening, take it off when we are ready to go out for the day in the morning.

Thats not just at WDW but every hotel & cruise ship I do the same.

 

[MissViv]

I see no problem with it but I am an early riser and we fly in and take an early flight out!

When I arrive at Disney on my first day around 9:00 a.m. - 9:30 a.m., I am happy to get a room that is already ready or soon to be ready. It works both ways!!

 

[Jon81uk]

I see no problem with it but I am an early riser and we fly in and take an early flight out!

When I arrive at Disney on my first day around 9:00 a.m. - 9:30 a.m., I am happy to get a room that is already ready or soon to be ready. It works both ways!!

The 9am rooms are ready because no guest stayed in that room overnight, not beacuse it was cleaned at 8.30am.

 

[Lilofan]

The 9am rooms are ready because no guest stayed in that room overnight, not beacuse it was cleaned at 8.30am.

I've checked into hotel rooms as early as 9 am. Beat down exhausted getting off a redeye , clearing customs, getting to the hotel. It is a relief to check in early when possible.

 

[Jon81uk]

I've checked into hotel rooms as early as 9 am. Beat down exhausted getting off a redeye , clearing customs, getting to the hotel. It is a relief to check in early when possible.

Yep I've checked in quite early too, but the reason the room is ready early is almost always because it was empty the night before, not because the housekeeping staff managed to clean in in half hour first thing.

 

[MissViv]

No matter what you say, the earlier they can get in to clean the earlier the room is ready for guests checking in.

I have gotten rooms early at 10:00 am or so and also gotten rooms after 5:00 pm

 

[BornOnTheMatterhorn]

Though as noted, the signs do not say "Do Not Disturb", but simply "Room Occupied". That at least let's housekeeping know that someone may still be in the room. As far as the knocking goes, it was happening long before COVID, and the reasoning being that people put the sign out, leave the room to checkout, and forget to take the sign off, so a knock ensures that they are still there.

They can’t barge in when you’ve dead bolted the door.

 

[BornOnTheMatterhorn]

But if they are knocking anyway then the door sign is being ignored. Offering some indication that you don't want someone to knock your door has been standard at all hotels for a very long time, its one of the most basic things in every hotel of every class.
I don't see why being frustrated about such a basic of running a hotel is immature?

I don't think the anger should be taken out on an individual, but more whoever made the descision that do not disturb or room occupied signs should be ignored.

If a knock is at a reasonable hour then I would be polite and let them know what time we might leave. But if the room occupied sign is on and a knock wakes me up then I think a complaint is justified.

Someone needs to market and sell DO NOT DISTURB hang tags!

 

[flynnibus]

Housekeepers work a day shift that ends in mid to late afternoon. Does one expect them to hang out on the clock the first several hours of their shift? Don't want go be woken up? Try putting the Do Not Disturb sign on the front door .

In 2022 - they can't give housekeeping information on who has already checked out? No excuse for this kind of rude customer interaction.

 

[BornOnTheMatterhorn]

I wasn't berating anyone for not getting up early. Not sure where you are getting that, unless you think that my suggestion for calling housekeeping the day before was "berating"?

ETA: In our over 30+ trips over the last 10 years, we have never had housekeeping knock on our door on check out day. I believe that it does sometimes happen, and if the person doesn't like it, then complain to a manager. If that person knows that they will absolutely be in the room until 11, then I would think a quick call to housekeeping might alleviate the problem. I did not think any of it was berating someone for staying until check out time. If anyone here thought that, I apologize, as that was never my intention. I was just trying to be helpful, but I guess some don't see

I wasn’t offended, it just sounded a little scolding-like. It’s all good, I don’t disagree, although I will say we tend to decide that morning whether we’ll get up and go to the park ASAP or take our time, depending what time people do wake. So if we were actually woken up by housekeeping I’d be somewhat annoyed.

Get a room.

 

[drizgirl]

Someone needs to market and sell DO NOT DISTURB hang tags!

My personal opinion is that Disney not offering "DND" signs any longer means they don't intend to follow them.

They can’t barge in when you’ve dead bolted the door.

But they can certainly wake you up. Then you might as well just get up and get going. Mission accomplished.

 

[BornOnTheMatterhorn]

My personal opinion is that Disney not offering "DND" signs any longer means they don't intend to follow them.

But they can certainly wake you up. Then you might as well just get up and get going. Mission accomplished.

Agreed.

 

[flynnibus]

If they have a problem with guests not checking out... improve that problem, not throw away customer service/courtesy.

Place NextGen mickey heads at elevators or room lobby exits where you make it brain dead simple for guests to let you know they are leaving... encourage it with cool effects when they actually do it. Reward the guest with simple, things that don't cost you anything to do per guest.

This is how Disney used to think... now it's make it the customer's problem.

 

[sinead]

As to Room Checks for security purposes, Disney says it here
I don't like it & if a man knocks when I'm alone, I will let him enter as I stand outside holding my door widely open & watching HIM.
It's not just about Vegas though. It's also drugs, child abuse & trafficking-ongoing issues in the area, sadly.
And most hotels everywhere have this policy now. Maybe the return of Mousekeeping will reduce those visits, though.
As to the 8AM knock-shame on them!!! A phone reminder from Mickey & Gang the nite before is sufficient.

https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/park-rules/#company-rights

• We reserve the right to enter any room at a Disney Resort hotel or accommodation at Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser for maintenance, safety, security or any other purpose, even if the Room Occupied sign is displayed on the room door.

 

[nickys]

If they have a problem with guests not checking out... improve that problem, not throw away customer service/courtesy.

Place NextGen mickey heads at elevators or room lobby exits where you make it brain dead simple for guests to let you know they are leaving... encourage it with cool effects when they actually do it. Reward the guest with simple, things that don't cost you anything to do per guest.

This is how Disney used to think... now it's make it the customer's problem.

Except presumably those would trigger if someone went for an early morning walk whilst everyone else was still sleeping.

But they could easily ask people to indicate somehow that they had checked out of the room, using the app maybe. That would probably work with maybe 50% or more of guests, so at least housekeeping could get started.

 

[Mickey527]

I'm bringing sticky notes and they will say I'm still sleeping or do not knock until after 10...

I got blasted on another board for this….(they are ding their job, do you expect early check in but won’t let others get it, would you want to do their job, bet you complain if your room is not clean….. I could go on)
But I write a sticky note that says”I will be out of the room by 10 am.
Knock on my door and I will be out at 11. Knock again and I’m asking for late check out. It’s up to you”
No one has tested me

 

[Imhere]

I got blasted on another board for this….(they are ding their job, do you expect early check in but won’t let others get it, would you want to do their job, bet you complain if your room is not clean….. I could go on)
But I write a sticky note that says”I will be out of the room by 10 am.
Knock on my door and I will be out at 11. Knock again and I’m asking for late check out. It’s up to you”
No one has tested me

If I were the housekeeper I'd knock twice, then sit back with the satisfaction that you are sitting in your room twiddling your thumbs for hours longer than you had planned.

Spite? Meet nose.

 

[Lilofan]

I got blasted on another board for this….(they are ding their job, do you expect early check in but won’t let others get it, would you want to do their job, bet you complain if your room is not clean….. I could go on)
But I write a sticky note that says”I will be out of the room by 10 am.
Knock on my door and I will be out at 11. Knock again and I’m asking for late check out. It’s up to you”
No one has tested me

So no gratuity to the cleaning crew for cleaning up your mess?