Disney in a Minute: What is a Room Check?
We’re here with a series of quick posts, “Disney in a Minute,” bite-sized nuggets of information that can better help you understand a Disney term or planning topic. Enjoy!
If you’re staying at a Walt Disney World hotel you may be subject to a room check. Also known as a “wellness check,” this is a quick visit into your room by hotel personnel.
Every day of your stay at a Disney resort hotel, someone from Disney staff will enter your room. If you have a standard hotel room with daily housekeeping and you’re spending your days out at the theme parks, you’ll likely have no idea that you’ve gotten a daily room check. However, if you’ve opted to decline housekeeping or if you’re staying in a Disney Vacation Club villa that only qualifies for cleaning every four days and you’re in your room during the day, you will almost certainly encounter a room check.
Room checks are usually no big deal – a staff member will knock on your door, you open the door, they take a lap inside your room (sometimes also emptying your trash or delivering towels, but not always), and then they leave. But there are some situations where a room check feels unwelcome or invasive. These might include times when you or a child is napping, when a minor is left alone in the room, when you’re undressed, or when you’re engaging in adult activities. Even if you have a “do not disturb” sign on your door and even if you ignore the room check knock, they will come in. My own most uncomfortable experiences with room checks happened when I didn’t hear the knock because I was in the shower (emerging into my room in a towel to find a housekeeper there) and when I was sick during vacation and completely zonked out in bed in a Nyquil-induced haze to find strangers standing in my room. If you are awake and alert when the room check folks show up to your door, you can can ask them to come back, but their return will typically be within about 15 minutes.
Your only recourse from having someone step into your room is to use your internal door latch. They may knock loudly and repeatedly, but you won’t be surprised if you’re undressed and the door is latched. If you have concerns about whether the party at your door really is hotel staff, you can call the hotel front desk to confirm this while your door is latched. Additionally, if you’re planning to leave a minor in your room, you should discuss what to do if they experience a room check when they’re alone.
While this all sounds like a lot, and not in a good way, there are solid reasons why Disney conducts room checks. The practice was started following the 2017 shooting in Las Vegas where a gunman was able to stockpile weapons in his hotel room. Hotels in tourist areas like Disney World have also been home to nefarious acts such as child trafficking. The wellness checks are in place to protect you and all guests from criminal acts like these, and this is a common practice in hotels that isn’t limited to Disney.
You May Also Like...
-
We’re here with a series of quick posts, “Disney in a Minute,” bite-sized nuggets of information that can better help you…
-
We’re here with a series of quick posts, “Disney in a Minute,” bite-sized nuggets of information that can better help you…
The same thing happened to me. I came out of the shower to take a nap and someone was knocking on my door. They should respect they do not disturb sign. They don’t need to check my room. I’m not staying here anymore.
We just experienced this “room check” during a nap. Knocked over and over again. And then demanded entry that she needed to do the check right now. A lap around the room would have been nice but she searched our luggage, our drawers, and bathroom. A lap would be sufficient to determine safety and no “child trafficking”. But luggage and drawer search felt like a complete violation of our privacy and safety. Further the woman did not have on a uniform and did not show id. She said they will inspect every day and they can override the safe and look in there too. So much for protecting valuables. Tried to discuss with the manager if the policy is only to tour the room or to go through our luggage/drawers too. He wouldn’t answer and immediately asked if we were recording the call to which I said “no, we hadn’t even considered that; we just want to understand what the policies are and how to protect our belongings.” He said “I think you’re recording and I’m hanging up”. Boy, that’s not good customer service! We go to Disney properties multiple times a year but that policy and the treatment is not acceptable. We will not be going back.
Outrageous policy! My daughter was in the jacuzzi had the door locked, do not disturb sign on the door. Didn’t hear a knock. Bathroom door was closed. Woman walked in. My daughter was naked in the tub. Unaware of the policy, my daughter was traumatized. Asked the woman to leave which she did. The fact that this policy is not made aware to those visiting disney is outrageous. There needs to be full disclosure and permission to enter the room. If this was me, the employee could have been harmed due to my being frightened. Someone needs to review this policy. “Are you listening, Governor?”
As noted in the article, room checks can result in awkward experiences like the one your daughter had. However, the practice is not unique to Disney (it is standard at many hotels and especially those of large chains). And as far as full disclosure – this is the text in the terms and conditions that you must agree to when making the resort reservation:
“Please be advised that at Disney owned and operated hotels, notwithstanding your use of a sign on your door, a request by you to forgo housekeeping services or any other request made by you, the hotel and its staff reserve the right to enter your room for any purpose including, but not limited to, performing maintenance and repairs or checking on the safety and security of guests and property. The hotel staff will give reasonable notice prior to entry by knocking and announcing the intent to enter the room.”
We may all whiz past that quickly with the scroll button and simply check the box, but Disney has fully disclosed it and you have given your permission.
I hate these room checks. Last time I was at Pop I came out of the shower to find a man in my room. Thank goodness I had put clothes on. He was like “I knocked three times and you didn’t open the door so I came in.” And yes, I had the occupied sign on the door. They always seem to come during afternoon nap time, too.