Refidgerator Issues at Resorts

[DizneyFreak2002]

For those who fly... We used to get a foam cooler from Walmart and used the free ice to chill what ever. Bring some ziplock bag to keep items dry.

Exactly... This is an easy solution to no fridge in the room... Vacations should not be ruined because of this.. I give Disney the business when I do not agree with their moves, but this is something they had to do... They cannot risk a potentially dangerous situation from breaking out in any of their resorts...

I did exactly as you did in 2002 when I stayed in Caribbean Beach... Foam cooler, filled it with ice... I did, however, put a few towels under the cooler... Some water either was seeping through or major condensation was forming because the rug was soaked one day when I got back from being out...

[4disneynuts]

I was thinking about buying one of those coolers that is electric. You can plug it in to the car, or an outlet...like a cooler/refrigerator. Keep stuff cool on the 12 hour drive, and then just roll it into the room and plug it into the wall.

We own one and they are great! We used it for camping but if we were driving to Disney we would definitely take it with us, but we are flying so not this trip.

[JerseyDad]

....this is all part of a HUGE FAILURE on the part of Disney. I am very careful to not be negatively critical of Disney because they do so much (99%) correctly. But this was a failure from the beginning ...I noticed it as soon as I checked into POP last summer and the cooler (they are NOT refrigerators!!) did not work properly ...as in ...at all.

For starters ...they do not ...in any instance ...belong in an enclosure or cabinet. It says so right in the manufacturers literature (instructions ...which I guess no one reads). This is because they need open air to function properly ...being that they work on superconductor technology ...and give off HUGE amounts of heat. And ...they are also not recommended for areas that are "moist" (last I checked ...Florida has a good deal of humidity), and they are not recommended for areas that are "dusty". I sincerely doubt that housekeeping pulls the coolers out at every room turnover and cleans accumulated dust from the blower fan vent and the cabinet in general.

Secondly, the whole energy efficiency / savings attempt by Disney, by using these coolers ...is a FAILURE. They give off a huge amount of heat ...and in doing so ....make the A/C in the rooms work that much harder to keep the room cool. And I know for a fact that the A/C cost more to run than the coolers ....or a real mini-fridge. So ...where's the savings?

Thirdly .....they don't cool in what can be considered a proper time-frame. So ...if you have a 6-pack of soda ...at "just from my hot car" temperature ....they will take forever to "cool" ...but ...they are sealed ...with no chance of spoilage. Now ...put a temperature sensitive food in there that is susceptible to bacterial growth (dairy, meats, etc) ....and it takes several hours to cool .......and you'll be facing a nice case of food poisoning.

Fourth ....many on other WDW boards have suggested that "Disney owes you nothing" related to a credit / giveback, etc, due to the inconvenience caused by this problem. I'm not looking for a giveback ...but I have to disagree. The room rates are based on having a fridge (which btw ...it is NOT ...and Disney could be technically charged with false advertising by saying the room amenities are a fridge ...when it's actually a cooler). When all rooms were supplied with "fridges" last year ...the room rates also went up ....and though some may argue that there's no direct correlation ....I again have to disagree. So .....if a amenity is advertised as part of the "overall package" ...and then it's absent ....so kind of "make good" action should be offered. (maybe a $10/day discount on the room??...since the fridges used to be rentals at that cost)

Fifth ....I know that this is an issue / inconvenience that can be worked around by guests. Coolers can be brought to WDW (I drive to WDW ...and will be doing so on Aug 23rd for a stay at POP)....and the ice machines can be used to fill the coolers. Of course it's gonna' take about 10 trips to the ice machine (and back) to fill the cooler ...and then when it melts ...someone's got to lift it to dump the water in the tub (it's going to weigh about 100 lbs for a moderate size cooler).

The question becomes: Do I want to even have to deal with this? I'm not a person that basically brings every kind of food to WDW with me to ...in essence ...set up a home-away-from-home (along with bringing a slew of appliances that don't belong in the hotel rooms ...ie: coffee makers, toasters,...etc). Nor do I basically have a grocery truck back up to my room while I'm there to "stock the pantry". I bring a case of beer and some other adult beverages to keep the trip affordable (sort of) related to those items.

At this point it becomes not so much about the missing cooler ...it becomes an issue of having to "think" about it ...and having that sinking feeling that WDW failed on some level to foresee this problem.

[KODABEAR]

I'm glad that if there is a refrig problem they are being removed and replaced! DH can no longer move about quickly. We now have Karen (MJ) get us a 1st floor room when possible. Just returned from a trip around the South and the refrig's at Country Inn and Suites, Holiday Inn, Hilton Garden Inn, Hilton, all have there refrig's in cabinets.

[DonaldDuckUSA]

Busy installing the RFID chips so they can charge when you open them. Have to wait for the length of stay price, and lets not forget the 180 day window to reserve one. No I won't get into the fast pass+ debate with a fridge. OK I'm done now I couldn't help it. I am sure this has to happen due to a saftey concern and if so someones head is rolling over this

HAHAHAHAHA. I love it.

Man...this just means that I'm going to have to make MORE purchases in Disney. No more yogurt, juice, sandwich meat, salsa, or other treats that need refrigeration.

[DonaldDuckUSA]

Go to Walmart... Buy a cooler or what ever they are called (they are kind of cheap) and fill it with ice daily... put your beverages in the ice cooler... Enjoy a cold beverage when returning to your room...

I see your point and as a gal who lives in Florida, travels to Disney in her own car, and goes often, I'm the type to make the time for this sort of activity, but imagine the family that has to take time out of their trip to make a trip to Walmart to buy a cooler/minifridge.

For the family who flys to Orlando, pays a really high rate for a room and only has a limited amount of time for the park (and they've paid a lot of money for tickets), figuring out the logistics and spending EVEN more money for a fridge service...it just sounds frustrating. Not a fun way to spend your first day on vacation.

Especially when you book a year in advance and EXPECT a fridge at the rate you were quoted. I'd be a little mad if I showed up to my room and found a letter where the fridge should have been.

That would make me more angry than the stupid mug policy.

[tinkwest]

... My problem with this situation is certainly not Disney's response to a safety issue- No one wants a fire at a resort. I think it stinks not being notified prior to arrival (I think a simple letter to those with reservations is warranted) ....

I agree that this would be the courteous thing to do.

[Strmchsr]

I agree that this would be the courteous thing to do.

That's my only issue with the whole thing.

[AvonleaCF]

The more I think about it, the more angry I get. I can't just go and get a cooler; I'm flying into MCO and using ME. I planned my trip around having a fridge in the room for breakfast each day. I can't keep juice and cream cheese in an ice bucket, and I will NOT eat donuts and Pop-Tarts and granola bars for 7 days. It's really frustrating.

[Scorpiosammy]

The issue is that even medical fridges will be in very short supply. I understand the problem. My son is a diabetic and has to keep his insulin refrigerated. My CM friend said they're not sure how many they'll have available for medical purposes and if they're gone, they're gone. No guarantees. However, he did say as an absolute last resort (and I realize this is an inconvenience) guests with medical issues could leave their medication in the big fridge at bag services. It's not ideal, but at least provides a solution.

Thanks for the feedback guys and understanding

It would be nice to know ahead of time if there was or was not going to be one in the room so we could either go ahead and cancel or get a cooler plan so we arent scrambling around Orlando if that will work

[smallworld]

We have a vacation planned for late Aug. at BC, and we were counting on having a fridge. We aren't doing the dining plan and wanted to have the ability to make simple, quick meals in the room. I'm talking cereal, bagels with cream cheese, cheese sandwich, etc. It's pretty surprising and very disappointing to me that I'm learning about this from Disney fan sites rather than in an email from Disney.

[hauntedmansiongirl]

In April at POR our fridge really sucked! It wouldn't even keep anything a little cool and soured our milk within hours. We had maintenance come 3 times- 3 times we were told "these aren't fridges, you know- they're just coolers." We ended using our car cooler with a 110V adapter. After 4 days it iced up and needed to thaw. But at least the milk didn't spoil. It would be great if the rooms got real, working fridges!

[JerseyDad]

In April at POR our fridge really sucked! It wouldn't even keep anything a little cool and soured our milk within hours. We had maintenance come 3 times- 3 times we were told "these aren't fridges, you know- they're just coolers." We ended using our car cooler with a 110V adapter. After 4 days it iced up and needed to thaw. But at least the milk didn't spoil. It would be great if the rooms got real, working fridges!

......that was almost word for word the same thing that the woman at the concierge desk told me last August when we were at POP ...."They really aren't refrigerators .....it's more like a cooler". It took almost 2 whole days for it to cool down to a point where soda would be 'cool' ......but there was no way I was putting any type of food in there that could spoil.

[Mrs Bus Driver]

After reading this thread here are my thoughts. Some big wig at the Disney hotels cut costs and had coolers installed. This person then got bonus/promotion for being so clever. Now all they can say is opps. This will cost the company a small fortune.
Most of us with any since could see this was a disaster in the making. But this is the way businesses are run these days, cut costs now don't worry about the future. It is the sad state of American business. Instead of paying for something that would have lasted years, they saved money right now and saved the bottom line. Only life doesn't work like that. As my Father used to say they are now "throwing good money after bad". getting off my now.

[Tink1]

In the days prior to all rooms having refrigerators, I would pack a soft sided cooler in the bottom of one of the kids suitcases. (It was one of those that folded kind of flat) Brought Ziploc bags to fill with ice to keep in there and it kept milk, beer etc cold.

There was also more than one time that the bag ended up checked as luggage to haul home stuff we bought. LOL

It you have medications to keep cold, you can use a smaller lunch bag type that would pack even easier

Nanc

[garymacd]

Secondly, the whole energy efficiency / savings attempt by Disney, by using these coolers ...is a FAILURE. They give off a huge amount of heat ...and in doing so ....make the A/C in the rooms work that much harder to keep the room cool. And I know for a fact that the A/C cost more to run than the coolers ....or a real mini-fridge. So ...where's the savings?

Think of the heating savings in winter with a fridge giving off more heat than the heater!

[JerseyDad]

Think of the heating savings in winter with a fridge giving off more heat than the heater!

....it seriously frightens me that you thought about that ....do you work for Disney?

[Strmchsr]

Update from Wendy at Magical Journeys:

Here is the Latest Update on the Refrigerator issues!

Remember...we are talking Disney so everything is subject to change! (things change with them like teenage girls change outfits)

Refrigerators should be replaced in all resorts by end of September...again this is Disney and speedy is not their middle name so it could take longer!

Deluxe and Vacation Club resorts were not affected after all. Neither were All Star Movies or Port Orleans French Quarter or Family Suites at the Art of Animation.

Here is the list of resorts that were affected:

Pop Century, All Star Sports, All Star Music
and Little Mermaid rooms at Art of Animation (not family suites)

Moderate:
Cariibean Beach, Coronado Springs and Port Orleans Riverside

As soon as more details come up, I will post another update

[AvonleaCF]

Deluxe and Vacation Club resorts were not affected after all.

So relieved/happy right now. Wishing on pixie dust works after all.

As to everyone affected and wanting/needing a fridge: I hope, hope, hope something works out for you while you're there!!!!

[#1donaldfan]

I just returned and stayed the initial night at Sports and the remainder at AKL....they both had them, the old ones, so nothing's changed from what I was able to see !!!!