Alarm Clocks being removed

[hakepb]

I don't think they should have ever put in the iHome never mind replace or upgrade them whenever they become outdated. I don't have any use for it, all I need is a normal alarm clock, it doesn't even need to have a radio. It seems they like to put in things that technologically or functionally appeal to one specific group rather than something that may be useful to the majority. Not everyone has an iPhone so probably at least 50% of the guests don't have a need for the iHome as it won't work with their android or windows phones.

They didn't have the charging port, but they did have a standard headphone cord for any MP3 playing device. Adding a USB port would have been even better.

 

[nkereina]

I have always owned an Android phone and the ihomes still worked fine as a clock.

They definitely worked fine as a clock, but even iPhone users couldn't use them as intended anymore since they weren't meant for the iPhone 4's which are virtually obsolete now. It didn't do anyone any good to keep those around and it's just evident of a lack of an upgrade for Disney to keep them around.

There's of course going to be some people unhappy with the decision, but it's a minimal cost cutting measure with minimal impact that likely the majority doesn't have a problem with. Some are inconvenienced but that happens with every kind of change.

 

[PollyannaMom]

...The I-dock ones never kept the correct time...

I've noticed that at home too! DS has one, but only uses it for the sleep function to play his iPod at night, and to charge it. He has a separate alarm clock that keeps the correct time in a different spot in his room - so he can see it while playing video games, and so he has to actually get out of bed to shut it off in the morning.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

I doubt clocks will be available for request in the future. This person probably was able to because they haven't trashed the old ones yet.

I have not run across this at any US lodging so my only reference was DH reporting his hotel in China did not have a clock. He was able to request one. I think if a person can request a blender with DVC they'll certainly be able to request a clock. And that's if this decision sticks, and I'm not convinced that it will.

 

[Judique]

I just learned how to adjust the time at BWV last week.

I didn't need a screwdriver.

But, I do need an actual clock in the room.

 

[zavandor]

I actually did a prank to myself last night at VGC. The clock was one hour behind so I tried to fix it (without success). But while looking for the right button I pressed the alarm one and activated the alarm... at 3:00am
I'm, neutral about the clock on the nightstand, sorry for who need it. However I'm more than happy to have the UBS chargers on the nightstand. I prefer to plug the phone at night and have it easily accessible.

 

[DenLo]

I really have mixed feelings on this matter because I do look at the clock at night. However, I realized that lately we each have placed either a iPhone or a nano (MP3) player, if the phone is charging, on our own nightstand which is easier to read as we couldn't see over the person with the clock without waking them up. Of course since we stay in studios, one nightstand is often our small cooler pushed in between the wall and bed. We haven't used anything but our phones for an alarm for a couple of years, even at home.

The more I think about it, why spend the money on clocks for each room? I have felt the same way about the pack 'n plays and vacuum cleaners for quite awhile. Housekeeping should have their own vacuum cleaners. And if you want one in your room, you call housekeeping.

 

[Grammy4Lizzy]

If they are going to put something in the rooms, why not a Kuerig instead of the nasty coffee pots. I hate that my tea tastes like someone else's coffee.

 

[Don Duck]

While I realize that many are quite addicted to their Cell phones & use them for just about everything I personally like having the Alarm clock in the room. I'm not glued to my cell phone nor is it permanently embedded to my hand unlike some people and half the time I don't even have it turned on. I like to be able to quickly glance at the clock from across the room and also like having it there if I wake in the middle of the night to see the time. I've also fallen victim to the alarm going off when I didn't set it but I'd really rather have the clock there. I don't trust wake-up call requests and it takes me much longer to figure out how to set an alarm on my phone than on the clock. Call me old fashioned but leave the darn alarm clock in my room please. I don't need or want that Pack & Play thing or a high chair in my room but they always have them taking up most of the closet space. I'd much rather they removed those since they are of no use to me.

When people set alarms on clocks, they may not remember to turn off the alarm. My wife sometime forgets to turn off her alarm (at home) for Saturday mornings.

As for the high chair in the closet ... it is much easier to stow that in the closet, as compared to storing it elsewhere, on to have housekeeping spend countless hours traipsing back and forth for those who want and/or do not want a high chair. Unfortunately, they will now have to traipse an alarm clock!

 

[LisaS]

When people set alarms on clocks, they may not remember to turn off the alarm. My wife sometime forgets to turn off her alarm (at home) for Saturday mornings.

My DH occasionally does this too. That's why I make a habit of checking the alarm setting whenever we check in to a hotel room. I know how easy it for people to silence the alarm when it goes off but forget to disable it.

As for the high chair in the closet ... it is much easier to stow that in the closet, as compared to storing it elsewhere, or to have housekeeping spend countless hours traipsing back and forth for those who want and/or do not want a high chair. Unfortunately, they will now have to traipse an alarm clock!

I agree it would be a hassle for housekeeping to deliver and remove high chairs. Unfortunately some of the newer resorts do not have the big hallway closets where that stuff is normally stored in the older resorts. We like to unpack on our stays and the master closet in the Kidani 1BRs have no room for clothes because they already contain a large pedestal safe (which I appreciate) and the large wooden high chair (which I have no use for). We have to find a place to store the high chair for the week so that we can use the master closet. The high chair should be stored next to the washer/dryer but they made that closet too small and it doesn't fit in there. We usually end up storing it in the bathtub of the second bathroom.

It would be interesting to know how many guests actually use the high chair. I know some do because when I remove it from the Kidani master closet, it's usually very sticky -- another reason I don't want it anywhere near my clothes. If it's not used by the majority of guests, maybe 10 or so of them could be stored somewhere on each floor for housekeeping to deliver when someone requests one.

 

[Toffeewoffy]

The clock next to the bed in building 44 at OKW had a clock which showed the correct time. The clock in the bedroom in building 64, which we were moved to, is set over an hour fast. Still, as long as I remember to take the fact it's an hour fast, I'm happy. If I wake up during the night - sorry when I wake up (as I always do, sometimes several times), I need to open my eyes and see what the time is, especially if we have to be up for an early ADR or something. We fly over from the UK so it's not convenient to bring our own clock - and I'd have to buy one especially as we only have electric ones at home.

The iHome next to the bed is, as some have said, a total waste of space. While it has the iPhone mini plug on it so I was able to dock my iPhone 6, it didn't charge it and it was being able to charge it that I was most interested in.

 

[ParrotBill]

I am all for removing the outdated iHomes... keep pack n play and high chair centrally, there can't be that many in need checking in each day, and grudgingly accept no clock although I really like being able to see the time at a glance now that Disney has put me on a strict schedule of ADRs and FP+s.

Need more outlets in the rooms so a charging station is more needed than a clock.

I have been waked by a prior guests alarm often... usually I figure it was their wake up time to catch a very early ME bus for a 7am flight.

 

[com_op_2000]

DW and I NEED the clock in the room. We do not use our phones as portable PCs and want to be able to "see" the time in the middle of the night when we wake up, so we can know to go back to bed. We also, require it for travels when we need to leave early on checkout day or middle of a stay to meet DD to pickup DGS.

 

[kittyab]

I am a clock person not a phone person. I may have to invest in a travel alarm clock to bring with us. We used the alarm clock a lot our trips.

 

[lovin'fl]

We can use our cells but then would definitely need outlets near the bed to keep our phones charging there at night. Those Idock clocks never work (can never set the time to stay correct). So good riddance. But would like an old fashioned alarm clock or the power strip for my cellphone. I wake a lot and always need to check the time (don't want to get up at 5am nor sleep until 10am).

 

[kittyab]

They can always put a docking station on the little table in the room or on the tv stand. (This is where we charged our cell phones)

 

[kittyab]

If they are going to put something in the rooms, why not a Kuerig instead of the nasty coffee pots. I hate that my tea tastes like someone else's coffee.

Now we are talking! I could add my fav coffee pods to my GG list LOL!

 

[freediverdude]

PVB has the new clocks with the lightning ports and USB, so I wonder if they have taken them out of there too. That would be a shame- it convinced me to get one of those for at home instead of my Apple dock.

 

[Bullseye]

I always use the cell for an alarm anyway. About the only downside would be not being able to glance the clock from bed or across the room. I also liked being able to plug in the IPOD to listen to while getting ready or cooking the meal.

 

[bumbershoot]

If I need more outlets I unplug the alarm. I also do that if it has the giant lightup snooze buttons that some do. I hate the extra light.

If I need an alarm I use my phone. If I want to know what time it is I use my phone. Both are much more reliable to me then the hotels clock anyway.

Same.

I reach out, I press the button on my phone. Even if it doesn't recognize my fingerprint it still brings up the time. EASY.

I cannot stand the constant light from most hotel clocks. If I'm alone, I cover it all up. If DH is with me, he's generally unplugging it for his CPAP anyway.

While I realize that many are quite addicted to their Cell phones & use them for just about everything I personally like having the Alarm clock in the room. I'm not glued to my cell phone nor is it permanently embedded to my hand unlike some people and half the time I don't even have it turned on.

Believe it or not, all those lovely insulting words don't necessarily apply to people who feel that their phones are better for telling time than some random clock.

Do you mean you go through the process to actually shut it down? That's so much work, relatively. I haven't done that, even on flights, for a few years since they realized that "airplane mode" was enough.

it takes me much longer to figure out how to set an alarm on my phone than on the clock.

Does it? The phone that you have the manual to, that you can practice on, vs a random clock that'll likely be different from room to room (as evidenced by this thread!)? Hmm.

Was it such a detriment to people who apparently don't look at them to have them there?

If they were to keep the iHome's, I feel Housekeeping shouldn't walk out of a newly made up room without checking and resetting that clock......including shutting off any alarms maliciously set.

Oh gosh they have quite enough to do! If you have any family members who ever did housekeeping, talk to them about the expectations put on them. My aunt did it for a timeshare/condo type place, and it was constant work with the bare minimum they had to do...adding things like "check for an alarm, check the clock is set right, change it all if needed" is just crazy.

Also, should they change the clocks set for an early alarm simply because the person needed that alarm for righteous purposes? (which is, I guess, the FAR more likely scenario than the occasional prank)

Putting in the iHomes was IMO a huge waste of our maintenance fees.

Agreed.

But just b/c it was so (shocked!) shortsighted. They had them out before I got the 4. I got the 4 late, and I kept it for much longer than 2 years. Now I've finally upgraded...to the 5. I have my phones in a protective case, which can't be used with the ihome. DH has an Android (moving to Windows phone now). That thing NEVER served us. Unless they were willing to keep each clock there; the one compatible with the 4, the 5, the 6, etc etc (in order to serve more people), it was silly.

If they are going to put something in the rooms, why not a Kuerig instead of the nasty coffee pots. I hate that my tea tastes like someone else's coffee.

Let me show you something that would make you YEARN for a coffee taste.

http://www.keurig.com/campbells-soup