How Housekeeping Works at the Disney Resort Hotels
Housekeeping probably isn’t something you think about when you’re planning a Disney World vacation. You book your room, check in, and often you’re off to the parks or the pool first thing. Later on, everyone takes a shower, and the towels start to pile up. By the next morning, the trash is overflowing. You think, “When is someone going to pick this up?”
Other examples include that good feeling of coming back to a freshly made room after a long day at the parks. Or if you’re like me, you’ll need an extra blanket or two! All of a sudden, housekeeping becomes an important aspect of your vacation. So, how often is your room serviced? What happens if you’re running low on towels? Where do you put the trash? What is to be expected from housekeeping during your stay?
The answers to those questions will vary, depending on what type of Disney Resort hotel you booked. To offer an idea of what to expect, we’ll discuss how housekeeping works at Disney World and how to make requests during your stay.
Housekeeping Services Vary Per Your Disney Resort
It’s important to note that housekeeping services vary per resort. Housekeeping is based on categories. So if you stay at a cheaper resort, the services you receive will be fewer and further between. More expensive resorts will receive daily housekeeping. Let’s take a closer look at those details.
Housekeeping at Value and Moderate Resorts
Guests staying at Disney’s Value and Moderate Resorts receive housekeeping service every other day during their stay. There is typically signage in the room that indicates the schedule. Your room will have been fully cleaned on the day you arrive. So you won’t receive housekeeping until the third day of your stay.
Value Resorts: Disney’s All-Star Movies, Music, Sports, Pop Century, and Art of Animation
Moderate Resorts: Disney’s Coronado Springs, Caribbean Beach, Port Orleans Riverside, Port Orleans French Quarter
Most resorts have added signage to the rooms in recent years, indicating what kind of service you can expect and when you’ll receive it. We generally find these signs on the dresser or in the bath area. Here is an example for a value and moderate resort.
Housekeeping at Deluxe Resorts
Guests staying in Disney Deluxe Resorts receive daily housekeeping service. You can expect to receive full service every day of your stay.
Deluxe Resorts: Animal Kingdom Lodge, Grand Floridian, Polynesian, Contemporary, Wilderness Lodge, Beach Club, Yacht Club, Boardwalk
Housekeeping at Deluxe Villa Resorts
Housekeeping at deluxe villa resorts works differently, depending on how you’re staying as a guest.
- Guests staying in a Deluxe Villa who are paying with a regular reservation receive daily housekeeping. (This means you or your travel agent booked this type of accommodation through Disney’s website.)
- Disney Vacation Club members staying with points or a member cash discount will receive trash and towel service on the fourth day of a stay. If you are staying more than 8 nights, you will receive housekeeping service on the fourth day of your visit and trash and towel service on the eighth day. *
*If you rent a unit through a Disney Vacation Club member or a separate online site, you’ll receive the same service as DVC members. For example, if we stayed with points that were gifted to us by a friend, we would be subject to the same housekeeping schedule as a DVC member.
Deluxe Villa Resorts: Disney’s Old Key West, Saratoga Springs, Riviera Resort, Beach Club Villas, Boardwalk Villas, Animal Kingdom Lodge Villas, Grand Floridian Villas, Polynesian Villas, Bay Lake Tower, Boulder Ridge, Copper Creek
Below, you’ll find a photo of signage from a fairly recent stay at Disney’s Saratoga Springs. A few things are worth noting regarding trash service at the DVC Resorts. For starters, members can request additional housekeeping services for a fee. (The fees are listed on the photos below, but remember that they are subject to change.) The sheet also notes that visual inspections take place daily, and that during those inspections, Cast Members will remove trash as a courtesy.
Tip: If you’re worried about trash not being picked up, know that most of the DVC Resorts have a garbage room where you can drop off items as needed. For instance, if you have a couple of large empty pizza boxes taking up space, you can drop them off at the trash area closest to your room. Just ask a Cast Member, and they should be able to point you in the right direction.
Housekeeping at the Cabins at Disney’s Fort Wilderness
If you’re staying at the cabins at Disney’s Fort Wilderness, things work a little differently.
- The cabins at Disney’s Fort Wilderness receive housekeeping every other day unless the stay is booked by a DVC member staying with points or a member cash discount.
What if We Need Extras?
If you need towels, toiletries, or that extra blanket, you can contact housekeeping. You can do so by using your in-room phone to call housekeeping, by using the Hey Disney! device in your room, or you can stop by the front desk.
Any of the above options will work, but if we don’t have an immediate need, I usually leave a note for housekeeping. For example, when we were leaving for the parks one morning, I left a note (with our tip) requesting a few extra towels and coffee creamer. When we returned later in the day, our room was clean, and we had the extra items requested. (You’ll want to consider whether or not it’s a day your room is scheduled to receive service when you do this.)
It’s also worth mentioning that in the past, you might have needed items like shampoo, conditioner, and extra soap. These days, all of the hotels at Disney World have these built-in toiletries in the shower. Many of the resorts now have liquid soap dispensers on the vanities. As far as lotion goes, we typically see it at the deluxe resorts, but it’s a rare find at the value or moderates.
What If You Don’t Need Housekeeping?
Guests have the option to decline housekeeping. Per Disney’s website, those who wish to decline housekeeping can opt out by speaking with a Cast Member in person or by placing the “room occupied” sign on your door. (You cannot opt out of housekeeping during the online check-in process.)
*If you decline service, it will be declined for all rooms on your reservation. For example, if you have two rooms booked and decline service for one, it will affect the other room.
Room Safety Checks
You’ll also want to be aware that Disney routinely provides room safety checks that are not tied to housekeeping or any other purpose other than security. Here is the official wording from Disney’s website about this subject:
We reserve the right to enter any room at a Disney Resort hotel for maintenance, safety, security, or any other purpose, even if the Room Occupied sign is displayed on the room door.Â
This is common at most hotels, and we have personally experienced it on stays where we spent more time in the room during the day. On our last stay at Disney’s Contemporary, we had a Cast Member who stopped by early every afternoon for a room safety check.
Leaving a Tip for Housekeeping
I also like to remind readers that it’s customary to leave a tip for housekeeping, bell services, etc. We usually leave $2.00 to $3.00 per person, per day. That amount can and should vary depending on the size of your room, how many people are staying, and how much service is needed.
The people who work in housekeeping have a lot to do between guests and turning over room assignments every single day of the week. We personally believe it’s best practice to keep things picked up, contain most trash, and leave the room tidy (within reason).
Things don’t have to be left spotless. That’s what housekeeping is there to do. If you leave a tip, make sure it’s obvious. I often leave a note with a simple thank you and the tip on my pillow or on the dresser. So if you’re creating a packing list, you might consider adding cash for tips.
Final Thoughts
Now that you know how housekeeping works at Disney World, it’s one less thing to worry about. Just remember that the schedule will vary depending on your resort. But knowing what to expect makes it easier to plan for towels, trash removal, and those other last-minute things that come up after you’ve arrived.
We hope this guide helps you feel a little more prepared! If you’re still in the planning stages, you might like a few of our other resources to make the most of your time at Disney World:
Check back with ResortsGal.com for more updates!
In the Comments
Did you find this overview of housekeeping at Disney World helpful? Do you still have any questions? If so, let us know in the comments.
