Things "taken " from room??

[FloridaJoshua]

Lock them down. There are many inexpensive cable locking kits that can be used to secure portable electronic devices. You can probably find them in your local electronics store. For an example, click the link below:

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=1238078&CatId=46

 

[MissM]

Hold Up! You need cell phones for a disney trip if your flyuing or driving or anything really.

Oh come on now. Let's not exaggerate. You don't need a cell phone. Needs are things like food and water. A cell phone is a convenience but not a requirement for life. I got rid of mine about six or seven years ago now and somehow, I've managed to survive. Most assuredly it can be helpful if you have a group that wants to separate for awhile or to meet up with later, but that's still not a "need."
-m

 

[Monty]

Oh come on now. Let's not exaggerate. You don't need a cell phone. Needs are things like food and water. A cell phone is a convenience but not a requirement for life. I got rid of mine about six or seven years ago now and somehow, I've managed to survive. Most assuredly it can be helpful if you have a group that wants to separate for awhile or to meet up with later, but that's still not a "need."
-m

Over-stating goes both ways. Semantic arguments add nothing.

If DS and I plan our vacation around having our cell phones to contact one another should we get separated, then we need to have our cell phones with us to carry out that plan.

I have left my laptop on a desk or table in my resort room on our last three trips without incident. I have household insurance that covers the possibility of theft while traveling, so it would be an inconvenience should it be stolen, but not a major issue. :shrug:

 

[LoriMistress]

There are risks not matter which hotel you go to. It's only shocked because we hold Disney up to a high standard. The best thing to do is to place your valuables in the hotel safe. If not, instead of leaving if open, put your valuables away either in your suitcase/luggage.

 

[RAZORBRAD]

In Jan I left my laptop on the table in our room at POP, I even left some cash on the table one day just to see. Everything waas there when we got back.

 

[carolina_yankee]

I'll usually put the laptop away in a drawer someplace, but I won't go through the hassle of locking it up. Cell phone is with me. Otherwise, what's the point of having one? Sometimes I was in a rush and didn't hide things, but it was all there when I got back.

As for traveling with these items - laptops, cell phones, cameras - these are routine personal items these days. Do I NEED them? Yes, if I'm going to enjoy my vacation the way I want to.

I've never had a problem at Disney, even leaving cash out on occasion. I always attach a note to the tip, otherwise, mousekeepinghas even left that behind.

Homeowners, renters, or a comprehensive travel policy and a laptop security cable are your friends.

Dirk

 

[OhioDisneyLover]

Since we can't lock our luggage for the flight down to WDW, all valuables are carried in the cabin bags that never leave us. Locks, however, are still attached to one of the zipper pulls on our bags.

During our stay, we put anything we wouldn't want to see "walk" inside our luggage before we leave the room for the day. That's when we use the locks to secure the bags. Should we move from one resort to another, locks are used on everything, even the cabin bags.

Better safe than sorry.

I do the same with my laptop. I either use a TSA lock that I use to lock the luggage for air travel, or the other small lock that comes with the suitcase. I may be paranoid, but if I lose the laptop, I have to pay for it.

I agree with you, better safe than sorry.

 

[Sailor Mouse]

Lock them down. There are many inexpensive cable locking kits that can be used to secure portable electronic devices. You can probably find them in your local electronics store. For an example, click the link below:

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=1238078&CatId=46

I agree with this. My campus highly suggests that computer locks be used on every system and anything with a place for a lock. My room mate freshman year didn't follow this suggestion, and her brand new iMac walked off. This was due in part to her penchant for leaving the door wide open and unlocked when she ent out for class, but a computer lock would have prevented the system from walking, at the very least. (She did get it back, and started locking doors).

We've never had an incident with things leaving at WDW. We usually carry a laptop so that we can download pictures at the end of the day, and burn them to CD for backup reasons. This year we will probably take a computer lock, just to be safe, even though it's usually inside a suite case. And using the safe to lock the key to the laptop lock would be good, as long as you carry the safe key with you. Or just carry them both with you.

 

[danpam1024]

You seem to know an awful lot about this. :lookaroun :lol:

Actually, I worked security for Hilton Hotels while I was in school.

For years, it has been a dirty little secret throughout the hotel industry. Traditionally, it causes significant friction between security and housekeeping staff. I cannot speak for WDW, but I can say that most maids are not allowed to work multiple rooms because of this very reason, but they do anyhow. Ironically, at the same time, housekeeping does not like to keep their carts unattended while stationed in the hallway because the guest will pilfer through them.

In an attempt to curtail both problems, many properties require their maids to place the cart immediatelly in front of the open door of the single room they are cleaning. That way, it discourages the thieves from entering a room, and guests from stealing towels and instant coffee....

Keep this in mind...it is such a common problem throughout the industry, if you ever have anything of great value stolen from your room, a half-way decent attorney can challenge a hotel to the point that few can guarantee their housekeeping staff properly secure their rooms. Most chains will settle out of court to avoid the negative exposure. Actually, I am so comfortable that all hotels have this problem, I would personally confront the property manager concerning anything stolen from my room, and I'm pretty sure I would walk away with restitution.

 

[unkadug]

Hold Up! You need cell phones for a disney trip if your flyuing or driving or anything really. Its not useless to bring them because lets say u need to fund ur wife in the park its not a good idea to have a CM go look for her

If I need to fund my wife, I'll put her on a joint checking account.

I hate to sound unsympathetic, but those things may not be the best move to take on any vacation, much less a Disney trip.

With any hotel, there is a chance things may go missing. I believe there is a house safe at most hotels if you really need it. Otherwise, stuff should be kept in a suitcase out of sight. Most thieves, if they are Disney-employed or not, will not choose to go through a suitcase but go for whatever is being left out.

If they choose to go through your stuff, there really isn't much you can do but keep valuables with you and not bring really caluable or uninsured stuff with you on your trip.

Also, there is not much Disney CAN do. Most hotels do not take responsibility for personal items left in rooms, and I can't imagine the Disney resorts are any different. I am sure they take theft seriously, but other than using thousnads of security cameras everywhere on property, it is hard to prove anything.

I don't think that hotels can indemnify themselves from personal belonging liability. That is precisely what hotels are for. A place for you and your stuff!

 

[carolina_yankee]

I mean to add earlier that I've seen both kinds of mousekeeping behavior at WDW - cleaning multiple rooms as well as the blocked door, single room. The latter has always been the case for my room when I've had to go back, and mousekeeping always challenged me to produce a key that worked in the lock.

Still, ounce of prevention . . . I'm re-checking my homeowner's policy before the next trip. All these room-theft posts make me feel my karma is up . . .

Dirk

 

[Heatherbell]

Another strange story...on a trip 3 years ago myself, husband and daughter were out at the parks. We had already been to our room late afternoon for a quick nap before going back out and we returned to our room for the night at about midnight. Now when we came in the afternoon our room was clean and the beds were made up etc, Mousekeeping had already been in..so anyhow we get to our room and every light in the room was on (they were all off when we left) and the timed light or fan (whatever that is in the bathroom) was cranked more then halfway so that told me that someone had been in there within the past half hour. I was missing my pj shorts that I had on the bed and my daughters rubber duckie....it sounds ridiculous and I FELT ridiculous calling but I felt sort of violated. Anyhow the manager comes in and was giving us really lame excuses saying that maybe they came in to clean again because they saw us come in and take a nap (but the beds were NOT fixed up from our nap)...or came in to fix something and she would ask maintenence and get back to me. Well she never called me back the duration of our stay and when I called her she wasn't available. And basically she thought I was crazy telling her my shorts and my daughters rubber duckie were missing, she insinuated that I MUST have left the at the pool which there was no way because I took the shorts out to take a nap in and when I changed back to go to the parks I threw them on the bed. We did not go to the pool that day.

In any event I have never had any other issue. I lock up money but anything else gets put in a suitcase and out of sight. Things are a lot easier to take when in plain sight no matter who it is doing the stealing.

 

[Surf Fish2285]

WOW I don't like the sound of any of this. I didn't have anything stolen last year, but I might think about being a little more careful in Sept!

 

[Sadiebird]

Another strange story...on a trip 3 years ago myself, husband and daughter were out at the parks. We had already been to our room late afternoon for a quick nap before going back out and we returned to our room for the night at about midnight. Now when we came in the afternoon our room was clean and the beds were made up etc, Mousekeeping had already been in..so anyhow we get to our room and every light in the room was on (they were all off when we left) and the timed light or fan (whatever that is in the bathroom) was cranked more then halfway so that told me that someone had been in there within the past half hour. I was missing my pj shorts that I had on the bed and my daughters rubber duckie....it sounds ridiculous and I FELT ridiculous calling but I felt sort of violated. Anyhow the manager comes in and was giving us really lame excuses saying that maybe they came in to clean again because they saw us come in and take a nap (but the beds were NOT fixed up from our nap)...or came in to fix something and she would ask maintenence and get back to me. Well she never called me back the duration of our stay and when I called her she wasn't available. And basically she thought I was crazy telling her my shorts and my daughters rubber duckie were missing, she insinuated that I MUST have left the at the pool which there was no way because I took the shorts out to take a nap in and when I changed back to go to the parks I threw them on the bed. We did not go to the pool that day.

In any event I have never had any other issue. I lock up money but anything else gets put in a suitcase and out of sight. Things are a lot easier to take when in plain sight no matter who it is doing the stealing.

Your story sounds so similar to mine (the missing lotion and t-shirt). If they take one or two minor things from each room, they end up with a lot of loot in the end!

 

[unkadug]

Your story sounds so similar to mine (the missing lotion and t-shirt). If they take one or two minor things from each room, they end up with a lot of loot in the end!

So if you see someone roaming the halls wearing PJ sleeping shorts and a maroon t-shirt carrying a greased up rubber duckie...

CALL SECURITY

 

[Heatherbell]

I will be on the lookout. LOL

 

[dragonfox98]

In all seriousness, this is one reason why I rent a house rather than stay on property. Yes, there are benefits to staying on property, but, personally, the comfort of my "own home" is a much better benefit. For one, I have OCD and have issues with my husband touching my things, let alone a housekeeper I don't know. Secondly, I know that I am the only one besides the property manager that has a key to the home. Third, I have a huge, heated pool all to myself!

On another note, I also worked in hotels for many years and can't tell you how many complaints I received regarding housekeeping working multiple rooms with the doors wide open. And, as another poster said (sorry, I forgot your name), there are theives out there who act like they are the guest and will lift the most valuable object closest to the door.

Here's hoping you all don't experience this....

 

[Astro_Digital]

Stupid Question but can you keep house keeping out of you room while you are staying? Then the door would not be left open.

I close the drapes for privacy they come in make the beds pull open the drapes so anybody walking by can glance in a see what you have.

 

[celticdog]

In Secondly, I know that I am the only one besides the property manager that has a key to the home.

You THINK you're the only ones that have a key. What makes you so sure that the renters before you didn't make a copy of the key? They could be staking out the house just waiting for the opportunity to take advantage of the vacation traveller.

 

[sbkline]

I had two cans of pringles taken from our room.

We started out with three. Came back one evening after day's activities and there were only two. I looked all over the room and it was gone, leading me to conclude that mousekeeping had taken it. It was half full (or maybe a little less than half), so it shouldn't have been hard to tell by the weight that it wasn't empty.

Next day, we came back from the day's activities and there was another can of pringles missing.

I made sure to include that in my trip report here on the messageboards, but for some reason, I didn't seem to get too much sympathy from the posters here. :ROFLOL:

In case anyone wonders, the next day, I put the privacy card in the door to keep her from coming in and stealing the 3rd and last can of pringles.