Credit: DisneyIf you are planning a trip to any Disney park, there are a few things that you will certainly expect. If you are staying on property at a Disney hotel, having the appropriate room that is clean, has functioning water, and air conditioning is expected. Many Disney rooms run at high costs of around $500 per night, so expecting the essentials is typically basic.
But, what would you do if Disney removed air conditioning from your room, and just gave you fans instead? This is what is happening at one Disney hotel, leaving guests sweltering in extreme heat and making their magical vacation a miserable one.
Traveling to Walt Disney World Resort is always an exciting and magical experience. Driving under the Disney World entrance will get the magic flowing, and then, passing different theme parks, and seeing all of the Disney Resorts around as you go to yours only shares a small tease of what the next while will look like for you while you are at the theme parks.
The one downfall? Heat.
When Walt Disney picked Orlando to be the spot that would house Disney World, it seemed like a great option due to the fact that the land was well-priced and that Florida did not have to encounter snow, which meant the rides would be able to stay open year-round.
There were two negatives, though, the first being that it rains a lot in Orlando. During the summer months, it is not uncommon to see rain every single day. In order to combat this, you will see a lot of rides at Walt Disney World indoor, with an indoor or covered queue. Good examples of this are Pirates of the Caribbean, Haunted Mansion, Space Mountain, “it’s a small world”, Peter Pan’s Flight, and more. The other issue that is at hand is that during the summer it can get quite hot.
Unfortunately, Inside the Magic has reported on multiple guests suffering from heatstroke and other heat illnesses last summer at Walt Disney World. Additionally, we have seen guests going to extreme lengths to cool down at the parks, shamelessly breaking park rules and forcing the parks to introduce additional ways to help guests cool down during this season.
This past summer, Orlando has been under an excessive heat warning.
With temperatures above 90 degrees being the norm, heat index values up to 115, high humidity, and heat advisories posted by National Weather Service throughout Florida, guests need to drink plenty of fluids, try to stay in air-conditioned rooms when necessary, and try to stay out of the sun as much as possible, as well as using and reapplying a broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher. Orlando, Florida, is now under its first-ever Excessive Heat Warning after a notice was issued by the National Weather Service. The Excessive Heat Warning includes Orange County, meaning the Walt Disney World Resort falls under this warning.
Losing air conditioning in one’s Disney hotel room during this time would be truly unacceptable.
In California, certain Disneyland hotels like Disney’s Paradise Pier leave air conditioning off in the hallways to save on electricity, but the rooms are still fully equipped with air conditioning.
At Disneyland Paris, things are seemingly a little different.
France 24 reported, “As heatwaves become increasingly common, sales of air conditioning units are going up in France and around the world. But while these cooling systems offer relief from high temperatures – in some cases, even saving lives – they are also a source of pollution and extra energy consumption that contributes to worsening climate change overall.”
The heat in France has become excessive, reaching up to 37°C in parts of France and potentially breaking records for the highest temperatures ever seen in September.
Some 20 percent of homes in Europe are now equipped with air conditioning, according to the European Environment Agency. Globally, the number of installed air conditioning units reached 1.6 billion at the end of 2016 and is expected to triple by 2050, according to the International Energy Agency.
In France, attitudes towards air conditioning are changing. Just 14 percent of homes had air conditioning in 2016. Four years later, a quarter had installed the cooling system, according to the governmental Agency for Ecological Transition.
Although attitudes are changing, a broken AC or entirely non-functioning AC units are not looked at as such a big deal by locals, as many live without them entirely.
Disney’s Hotel Santa Fe has reportedly had AC issues for a while, with many rooms not offering functioning air conditioning to guests. In a recent trip report, one family noted that their room had no AC, and instead of relocating them right away or fixing the issue, they were given fans.
The guest noted, “We get to Santa Fe into the room, and it’s SO hot. Now it’s not even that hot in the hotel, probably 22C but in our room it 30C. The tiny window will only open about 5cm, complaints are made, but the staff can’t do anything about it. They bring two fans, and there is a ceiling fan as well.”
The family had to excessivly complain in order to be reloacted to Disney’s Hotel Cheyenne, where they found a dirty room. The guest continued, “Get to our room and it hasn’t been cleaned. Everything in it was dirty and the bins hadn’t been emptied. I call reception and they are struggling to understand why I’m upset. So, the Mrs goes to reception to complain and they move us to another room. But it was late and we were shattered.”
Disney’s Hotel Cheyenne has been notorious for being left dirty. Reports of mold, trash, and broken beds have flooded the internet as of late, leaving many guests unhappy.
In the end, the guest offered some advice: “My advice is, if you must go, then save your money and stay in a partner hotel and use their shuttle busses or get a Bolt/Uber/Taxi each day. Taxi’s are €20 fixed cost each way but Bolt’s a €10-15. But my real advice is don’t go, everything is too expensive and it leaves a terrible feeling of un-Disneyness.”
The options of Disneyland Paris hotels are as follows:
- Disneyland Hotel
- Disney Hotel New York
- Disney Newport Bay Club
- Disney Sequoia Lodge
- Villages Nature Paris
- Disney Hotel Cheyenne
- Disney Hotel Santa Fe
- Disney Davy Crockett Ranch
Disneyland Paris overall has received some scathing reviews lately.
Crowding has also been a major issue, and Disney has warned guests that they should stay out of the parks from 3:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m., basically telling them to miss the majority of their day, including parade times, show times, and fireworks at no added discount. As one may imagine, telling guests to get out of a theme park just a few hours after arrival is not a great look, and certainly makes the cost of the tickets not worth it. Guests do not have to leave at all, but it is telling that Disney has erected signage warning them to do so.
On top of this, the parade, Disney Stars on Parade, has been reported to be in very rough shape, with some floats broken while others are entirely missing.
At the moment, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Peril, Pirate Galleon, and Ratatouille: The Adventure are all closed for refurbishment. La Tanière du Dragon and Frontierland playground will also be shutting down shortly as well. It seems that Disneyland Paris and Walt Disney Studios Park are currently feeling a little more like Euro Disney in terms of success as of late.
That being said, Disneyland Paris is wasting no time constructing its new Frozen land, soon coming to the park. The expansion is coming to Walt Disney Studios Park. The Disney park just exceeded $2.5 billion in revenue, making it a successful and highly profitable Disney property despite struggling after the COVID-19 pandemic.
Fans can expect Elsa’s Ice Palace to stand atop a snow-covered mountain as the surrounding area is themed after the village seen in the Frozen (2013) movie. The town will feature and boast Norwegian-style architecture, including dining experiences and retail shops for guests. Guests will enjoy luscious green walkways, themed gardens, and a dining experience with views of the crystal lake. Guests and fans can meet their favorite characters from the film franchise through specially located meet-n-greets. New footage also revealed some beautiful insights into what guests can expect to happen when this new land is constructed.
Would you be okay with your Disney hotel room not having functioning air conditioning?