Be ready to play the role of Cinderella yourself: Daily housekeeping still not back at Disney

A trip to a Disney theme park is supposed to be one of the most magical experiences on the planet — and usually, it is. From eating food from around the world at Epcot to catching a parade or firework show to end the perfect day, there's a lot of fun to be had.

But imagine getting back to your Disney Resort Hotel and finding that your room hadn't been cleaned after a long day in the parks. Unfortunately, for a lot of vacationers, that's been the case at many hotels across Disney properties.

Like most things globally, the COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way the parks and accompanying hotels operate — including housekeeping services.

To put it simply, unless you're staying in a Disney Club Concierge Room, don't expect daily housekeeping because it's not happening.

According to Disney's website, all rooms will receive a "comprehensive cleaning" before guests' arrival. This includes the obvious, like new sheets and bedding, along with "added attention" to floors, which are now steam cleaned and vacuumed between guests, and high-touch areas, including door handles and remote controls. Individually wrapped glassware and "additional items that have been cleaned, sealed or wrapped in single-use packaging" will be inside rooms.

From there, housekeeping gets a little more complicated depending on what type of room or property you're staying in.

TPG reached out for clarification and a Disney representative shared the following information about what services each room or property type receives:

Club Concierge Rooms: Guests staying in a club concierge room or signature suite will receive a full service daily. This is the same service provided pre-closure. Guests should expect to have trash removed as well as used towels. Bathroom cleaned, bedroom cleaned/dusted, beds made, room vacuumed, amenities and towels refreshed/restocked.

Standard Rooms & Non-DVC Members staying at a DVC property: Guests will receive a light cleaning service every other day. This includes removing trash and used towels. Amenities and towels are replenished, countertops are wiped, and room is vacuumed as needed. We currently do not provide full service on these rooms unless the Guest is staying eight days or more.

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DVC Members: Service schedule for members has not changed. We have temporarily discontinued the "pay for service" options at this time.

Guests do have the option of declining housekeeping service during their online check-in or at the resort. Although Guests may decline housekeeping service or choose to display their "Room Occupied" sign on their door, we continue to visually inspect each room daily.

Hotels around the world have been experiencing staffing shortages and updating housekeeping policies as effects of the COVID-19 pandemic — and Disney is no exception. But for many people, the hefty price tag of a Disney vacation seems worthy of more than just having the trash taken out.

TPG's own director of travel content, Summer Hull, has had a handful of experiences at different resort hotels over the last few months, including one trip where she was left wondering if housekeeping came to the room at all.

"On a recent two-night stay at the Disneyland Hotel, it didn't appear that trash or towels were touched at all during the stay — which was fine for us, but it is also still a little shocking at the price point that's being paid."

Related: Everything you need to know about visiting Walt Disney World Resort

Disney World and Disneyland hotels seem to be experiencing solid demand. As Hull explained, rates for some Disney hotels, like the Disneyland Hotel, Contemporary, Polynesian and Grand Floridian are solidly over $500 per night right now, with some standard rooms reaching $700 per night.

"But while rates are at least as high as ever, you're still going to have to make your own bed."

Though we don't know when or if regular housekeeping service will return, we do know that there are still a lot of great reasons to visit Walt Disney World or Disneyland.

Just this week, Marriott's long-awaited Swan Reserve hotel opened, giving Bonvoy members a great new hotel to earn and redeem points just a walk away from Epcot and Disney's Hollywood Studios. And for Star Wars fans, reservations for the highly-anticipated Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser hotel experience are finally open to the general public.