How do you regard asking for a late checkout? About This Page:

[B.M.]

I don't recall ever asking for a late checkout off hand at Disney, or elsewhere .... For me personally, when it's time to go- it's time to go... I don't dilly dally.... I'm one of those that do NOT go to parks on departure day... I like to wake up, pack up, and leave... That's just the way I am....

With that said, count me in the camp that sees nothing wrong with asking for a late checkout. If they can't accommodate your request, they will tell you... And so long as you don't make a big deal about them denying your request, I wouldn't consider having asked rude...

[6fans4life]

Although my family has never asked for a late checkout at Disney (we also use Bell Services and hit the parks or DTD for our last day), I don't see a problem with asking for it at all and I don't consider it rude. Having been a chambermaid myself (one of many jobs that helped me pay my way through college), I'm aware of what maids have to do in order to get a room clean. I worked for both a major national chain and also for a small seaside resort and in both instances we had 8 hour shifts and were given both stay-overs and check-outs to clean each day. The stay-overs were expected to take us around 1/2 hour to clean and the check-outs, 1 hour. We just arranged the cleanings around when people departed. If we finished early, we were expected to help out other maids who may have had more difficult rooms to clean that day. And, in the instance of the Villas, I'm assuming they have a larger staff and maids are given more time to clean these rooms.

In the case of maids continuously knocking on doors--that is extremely rude and unprofessional. We were never allowed to knock on a door when we knew a guest was still in the room. If a Do Not Disturb sign was not visible, we could knock once, if we thought the room might be deserted. However, other than that, we had to wait until check-out time and then have the front desk call the room to check on the guest's plans. We were NOT allowed to constantly harass a guest--hearing that more than one of you have had this experience at Disney is disturbing. It's a definite lack of training and discipline!

All that being said, from my own personal experience on the housekeeping side, I don't see a problem at all with requesting a late check-out or check-in. The maids work around it (organizing their schedules) and, in most instances, rooms are often available for both. I say do what works best for you and your family.

[Her Dotness]

Okay, well, that alleviates most of my concern that a late checkout puts too much pressure on housekeepers.

Admittedly, the people I've known who worked as maids did so for independently owned places where the owner had more leeway to demand things that wouldn't be allowed at the chains or Disney.

I still wouldn't ask for one myself unless it was an emergency or other situation we couldn't have anticipated. Just my personal quirk.

[6fans4life]

I admit, we do the same. And, I always try to leave the room in great shape, leave a really good tip, and try not to make too many "demands". I do the same for waitresses, which is another job that helped me get through college. It's all personal choice/preference, I guess!

[Thomhazel]

Originally Posted by GingerJ

And let's remember that this is Disney....many people are not checking in until late at night, so there's plenty of time to get those rooms cleaned. Folks shouldn't feel guilty because they made a simple, legal request that can be denied if it causes harm to the resort or its staff. I haven't requested a late checkout for myself, but I would if I felt it necessary, for whatever personal reason I might have. I'd probably leave an extra tip if I did so, but I don't think it's necessary to make a really big deal about this.

What makes you think most people check in late at night?

[GingerJ]

Originally Posted by Thomhazel

What makes you think most people check in late at night?

Oh, I never said most people check in at night! I didn't intend to give the impression that I thought no one needed the rooms early in the day.

Originally Posted by GingerJ

And let's remember that this is Disney....many people are not checking in until late at night, so there's plenty of time to get those rooms cleaned.

I just know that, when we've gone during the school year, extending a long weekend by a day or two, we've taken afternoon flights and arrived at the resorts around midnight. Each time, our flights were full (not necessarily with all Disney-bound folks,of course), and plenty of other people were checking in at the same time.

I also know from the boards that other people drive part of the way, spend the night en route, and arrive early in the morning, while other people take early flights, or stay off-property one night, then check in at their Disney resort first thing.

So definitely many people arrive early, but a fair number also arrive fairly late...my point was just that some rooms won't be needed for hours and hours, so perhaps the late check-outs and the late check-ins balance each other out. That's all.

[feonag]

Originally Posted by MickeyWatch

I have occasionally asked for a late check out of an hour or two. Sometimes this request is granted; other times, not. I would never complain if my request is not granted. I really don't see any harm in asking--the housekeepers can't clean all the rooms simultaneously at 11:00 am anyway. Our room can just be at the end of their list of rooms to clean.
Sometimes, like our last trip to WDW, we were checked out by 7:00am, so they got the room 4 hours earlier.
Also, many hotel reward programs give you an extra hour or two automatically. So I really don't think that putting in the request for a late check out is inconsiderate in any way. They can just deny my request if if doesn't work. For example during the very busy holiday season when there is a lot of turnover on certain days, late check outs are usually not possible.

I am with you. I don't think its a big deal to ask for late check out for whatever reason. If they can't do it then they tell you no. They have a schedule to clean the rooms and if they do not plan on getting to room until later then what's the big deal if you are in there or not. The hotels are already shorting you those 4 hours but are charging you the same price. I say ask if you want to, it's not like it some criminal act to ask for a late checkout. At most they only give you an extra hour anyway.

[Ashli]

I also don't think it's a crime to ask for a late checkout for whatever reason. I have done it (not every time of course, but occasionally) in the past. If I am told yes, great...if I am told no, that's absolutely fine too. It never hurts to ask something if you are willing to accept the answer. I also don't mind paying extra to extend a partial day if necessary. We did this over the summer in Brazil, because our flight didn't leave until midnight that evening, so they let us pay about 1/2 the full nightly rate and stay in the room until we left for the airport at 8 pm. Was it totally necessary? No. But it was really nice to be able to take a shower before going to sit on a plane for 5 hrs after we had been out and about in the HOT Amazonian sun for the afternoon.