Bed Bugs

[Disneyfamilyof3]

Here is a link to the bed bug registry, and the most recent guest reports on the bed bug status of the wdw resort hotels, as well as hotels elsewhere. I don't understand why they don't just check each room while cleaning,...seems to me that an extra five minutes of checking could save both disney and the guests thousands of dollars, not to mention bad feelings, ruined memories, and severe allergic reactions.

[Link removed per TOS]

[TinkerbellT421]

Unfortunately, bed bugs are a problem EVERYWHERE, not just Disney. You can pick up bed bugs from someone rubbing up against you in a super market. Checking the room for an extra five minutes will not cure it. Sometimes they lay dormant without being seen in the rugs, walls, curtains, etc., so even if they check this morning, they will come out of hiding at night. It is not guaranteed that if you check the spot now that they won't show up in the same spot you already checked, later.

[Disneyfamilyof3]

Ugh!
I have read that the worst of the bed bug epidemic is in the mid states.Big cities like NYC, Detroit, and Philadelphia have been hard hit, too. It's such a shame because it seems to be a vicious cycle that never ends. Too bad WDW and other Orlando hotels won't use the dogs that are specially trained to sniff them out. Aggressively, as in whenever a guest leaves. It would be a huge public service.Also, at night, they should check the parks as well. I work in a major NYC university, and I can tell you that they had severe infestations in the library, dorms, etc. It's bad enough to pick up bed bugs from travel, but it must be a real nightmare to get bitten and bring them home from WDW. Thankfully, I've never seen a bedbug there in all my past 12 trips.

I have also read that people should bring garbage bags and flashlights to inspect the mattresses, headboards, etc., and to bag their luggage. I know I will if and when I travel again {{shudder}}.

[Davy Crockett]

Disneyfamilyof3 posted a good resource, but as per Intercot rules you can not post links, so if anyone would like the link to the registry please send me a private message and I will be more than happy to send you the information. This is excellent resource for travel anywhere in the United States. You will NEVER want to visit New York City once you see the city map which plots every recorded bed bug event. I use it everytime before booking rooms in any hotel through out the U.S. Hope it helps you as well.

[Disney Doll]

Or just google bed bug registry. It's not hard to find. Personally, I've never encountered bed bugs at Disney, but for a place with so many visitors it's bound to happen on occasion. I've never bothered to do a room check, but maybe we will start.

[MississippiDisneyFreak]

Yes, they are everywhere...our HR director just got back from a business trip to DC....she got bitten by bed bugs in a very nice hotel too...

[Wolf]

Of course I sat here and read every bit of this post then called in my lunch...*gags* But this really is awesome information, I'm abit OCD and want to make sure I know what to do, so I get this Blue ultraviolet flashlight yall mentioned, take it with me in my purse, we check in and what part of the mattress do I look at? Under the sheets? Under the matress between the box springs? I'm soooo buggy phobic yalls little creeper emote was freaking me out LOL

[Disneyfamilyof3]

Hiya Wolf,

From what I've been reading, it would be best to first inspect ANY hotel room (Disney, offsite, NYC, WDC, etc.) before bringing in any luggage. Reports vary on the best way to check: some say it's best to have the lights off, and that makes sense to me. All reports say it is best to take the sheets off each corner of the bed, and check in the mattress seams for anything that moves; can be brown, black or transparent, depending on when the bugs last fed on blood. One may also look for brown/black fecal stains on the mattress. One report mentioned stated that, while three mattress corners were clear, the fourth harbored a major bedbug infestation. Yet another report stated that the bugs were found after Disney hotel management lifted up the mattress. Yet another hotel report, in Fla. but not Disney, stated that the bugs were found when the tv was shifted.

All reports concur that it is best to keep your luggage on the metal racks in the closet,...some people favor bagging them with black garbage bags.

I know this is gross, but I'd rather everyone knows what to do rather than take some stowaways home in their luggage. From what I understand, once people's homes become infested, it can take several thousand dollars and six months or more to get rid of these pests. By then, most people have sleep disorders and PTSD. Some may laugh at the precautions, but I just think it's smart to take preventative measures. I'd even keep my luggage outside when I got home, off the plane, until I inspected them, also.

Hopefully, there is an exterminator on Intercot who may offer more professional advice, as I'm just posting what I've read from other people, and can't vouch for it from personal experience.

[CzepielCrew]

This is a great thread. Never thought to look, but I will be looking from now on!

[Mickey'sIrishPAl]

Hiya Wolf,

From what I've been reading, it would be best to first inspect ANY hotel room (Disney, offsite, NYC, WDC, etc.) before bringing in any luggage. Reports vary on the best way to check: some say it's best to have the lights off, and that makes sense to me. All reports say it is best to take the sheets off each corner of the bed, and check in the mattress seams for anything that moves; can be brown, black or transparent, depending on when the bugs last fed on blood. One may also look for brown/black fecal stains on the mattress. One report mentioned stated that, while three mattress corners were clear, the fourth harbored a major bedbug infestation. Yet another report stated that the bugs were found after Disney hotel management lifted up the mattress. Yet another hotel report, in Fla. but not Disney, stated that the bugs were found when the tv was shifted.

All reports concur that it is best to keep your luggage on the metal racks in the closet,...some people favor bagging them with black garbage bags.

I know this is gross, but I'd rather everyone knows what to do rather than take some stowaways home in their luggage. From what I understand, once people's homes become infested, it can take several thousand dollars and six months or more to get rid of these pests. By then, most people have sleep disorders and PTSD. Some may laugh at the precautions, but I just think it's smart to take preventative measures. I'd even keep my luggage outside when I got home, off the plane, until I inspected them, also.

Hopefully, there is an exterminator on Intercot who may offer more professional advice, as I'm just posting what I've read from other people, and can't vouch for it from personal experience.

I am an administrator for an agency that houses individuals with developmental disabilities and one of our residential sites had issues with bed bugs. You are spot on that it takes thousands of dollars to get rid of these pests and the price includes one year of coverage if the bugs return within the year. There is a one time payment of $3,000 + for the one time spraying of the home or we could have paid half that price for 6 monthly sprayings of the home which it was told to us that this method was "less effective". For a dog to come in and find the bugs it was a charge of $600 + just to see if you do in fact have bed bugs present.
I will say that after the $3,000 service, that the bugs were termintated completely!!

This is the extent of my bed bug knowledge.

[Mousemates]

originally posted by WOLF - Of course I sat here and read every bit of this post then called in my lunch...*gags* But this really is awesome information, I'm abit OCD and want to make sure I know what to do, so I get this Blue ultraviolet flashlight yall mentioned, take it with me in my purse, we check in and what part of the mattress do I look at? Under the sheets? Under the matress between the box springs? I'm soooo buggy phobic yalls little creeper emote was freaking me out LOL

We have encountered bedbugs twice in our travels...once (in all places) in Cedar Falls Iowa at a nearly new hotel and once at WDW, we found the ones in Iowa after doing a thorough check-in inspection of the bedding, but did not discover our problem at disney (POFQ) until we found the bites (both my wife and I had linear sets of bites on our arms and abdomen after waking up in the morning.

They sent someone up to inspect the room but could not find the location of the bugs...they ended up moving us to another room and doing a few things to kind of make up for our issues. As soon as we got moved out, they sent a crew in who stripped the bedding and when I peeked in the window I could see them lifting the mattresses and box springs of the bed frame. I talked with the workers and had them kind of show me the "best" places to look for them (turns out the headboards and artwork hung on the wall above the head of the bed are also a common sites to find them).

We asked them for heavy duty trash bags to put all of our dirty clothes in and anything else that had been on the bed and floor...we put all suitcases in sealed plastic bags to keep any potential hitchhikers from getting in the car on the drive home and then did a thorough inspection of our luggage and traveling gear before anything came into the house...everything that came back eventually either got washed and hot dried or treated with sterifab. We were nervous for a few weeks, but had no future problems.

Let me close by saying they can be an issue anywhere you go..not just hotel rooms, but lobby furniture, theaters, etc...and while its prudent to be careful (we now do VERY thorough examinations) don't let it become an obsession that messes with your mind too much.

We continue to travel (in fact we recently got back from a great stay at POR) and enjoy ourselves. Disney seems (from my non-expert perspective) to do a good job of control and in our case moved quickly to prevent what was likely some stragglers from previous visitors from becoming a bonafide infestation. So chances are you can go and visit without having any worries...in fact the honest truth of the matter is that almost every one does.

[goofy89]

Honestly, I have never checked before but after reading through this thread I will definitely be checking when we go in October.

[Wolf]

Okay yall thank you so much!!!

[SBETigg]

They are definitely everywhere. I know some NYC publishing offices that were closed down to treat infestations. So of course, anything in storage in NYC which goes anywhere else, like clothing or merchandise, can be at risk. It's important to be vigilant, but I'm also of the mind that it could happen anywhere, planes, shops, offices, not just for hotel rooms anymore. And you can't just live in fear.

[dizneydeb22]

The best kind of flash light to use is a blue illumination flash light, per my better half. He is an Orkin Tech.

The thought of bed bugs freaks me out. We are going in Oct....and he'll be inspecting the room, like always.

My husband works for Orkin also...he checks throughly before we bring in any luggage. We go every year and knock on wood...no bugs!

[WDW-Geek]

This thread currently has over 10,000 views. I think you've hit a nerve.

[BIGDOG]

Do what I do.... just leave the door open when you go to the park and the lizards running around will get in there and eat the bed bugs.

[mom2morgan]

Do what I do.... just leave the door open when you go to the park and the lizards running around will get in there and eat the bed bugs.

LOL! Now that's "green" thinking ;-)

[EeyoresBestFriend]

My husband works for Orkin also...he checks throughly before we bring in any luggage. We go every year and knock on wood...no bugs!

Do you mean like an LED flashlight? What kind of 'blue light' does he mean?

[Dixie Springs]

I look at it this way - they're cheap souvenirs.