A family spent nearly $13,000 on a trip to Walt Disney World, only to claim that their resort room had “exposed wiring, dead cockroaches, dust and dirt on every fixture and fitting,” as well as “a used condom on the bed,” according to UK tabloid site Mirror Online.
Michael, 35 and Paul Atwal-Brice, 41, of Barnsley, United Kingdom, brought their adopted twin sons, 13-year old Levi and Lucas, to Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort in the hopes of a dream vacation. Both children are autistic and non-verbal, and suffer from asthma. Reportedly, the hotel was made aware that room cleanliness was important to their needs and promised to clean and check the room for any issues prior to their arrival. But when they got there, they claim to have found several major issues.
Michael told Mirror Online: “Straight away you could see the room was dirty then we saw a dead cockroach, which was quite big. There was lots of exposed wiring. Our boys have no sense of danger, so they could easily stick their fingers in that. There was so much crap and dust. You wouldn’t put a dog in there. It’s been a holiday from hell so far. Dead cockroaches and other bugs in the room, broken lights with exposed wires and, worst of all, a used condom on the bed. The boys could have stood on the cockroach and could very easily have touched the condom if they dropped their bouncy ball down the side of the bed.”
With flights included, the couple spent $13,000 on the vacation, designed to be one big holiday present for their children. After a ten-hour flight and two hours on Disney’s Magical Express, they were apparently “distraught” at the conditions, as Michael explained: “That’s what shocked us. We’ve not just booked any old hotel. We’ve purposefully booked this resort and spent a vast amount of money to make it all magical and special. It’s supposed to be magical, once in a lifetime, but that was like a one-star bedsit. We couldn’t stay in there. The boys were upset and were screaming and distressed. It was a really bad start to the holiday.”
After complaining to the front desk, the family was then moved to another room at the resort, but they allege that the new room was also dirty and dusty, with live centipedes crawling around. Michael added that staff initially refused to refund more than one night, but once senior management was involved, they were moved to Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa.
Michael and Paul have fostered over 20 children, and have made numerous television appearances in the United Kingdom, discussing how to plan a vacation on a budget.
A spokesperson for Disney released the following statement: “This family has received compensation from us numerous times over the past five years, and they continue to return. Regarding their current visit, we believe the guest claims are exaggerated, and again took several steps to enhance their vacation.”
Keep reading WDWNT for any updates on this ongoing story.
MORE:
Charges Dropped Against Disney Cruise Line “Youth Host” Accused of Fondling 10 Year-Old Guest
Guest Arrested for Allegedly Groping Princess During Meet and Greet at the Magic Kingdom
PHOTOS: Construction Begins on Room Refurbishments at Disney’s All-Star Music Resort
the last line of this says Scam Artist, they should be banned from property
“A spokesperson for Disney released the following statement: “This family has received compensation from us numerous times over the past five years”
Pretty bogus. The Mirror is so well known for checking their facts. Let’s hope these 2 scammers don’t book a trip during a Love Bug season or they will be suing the state of Florida for something.
Article from the Mirror? Bull hockey!
Exposed wiring? Used condom on the bed?
I don’t believe a word of it. Sorry
My daughter and I have been to Disney world
About 40 time at different resort hotel.
And as anyone of the millions of us loyal wdw
Fans know. DISNEY IS THE CLEANEST MOST AMAZINGLY MANICURED PLACE ON EARTH.
MY DAUGHTER AND I SMELL A RAT . IN THE MOUSE KINGDOM . WE WOULD 1000 PERCENT HAVE TO SAY THE THESE PEOPLE ARE PROFESSIONALS AT BILKING THE SYSTEM WE BELIEVE THESE PEOPLE MUST DO THIS EVERY PLACE THEY GO . TO RECOEVE FREE TRIPS AND BIG DISCOUNTS.SHAME ON YOU YOU FOR USING A CHILD IN YOUE SLEEZY ENDEVOURS
DSNEY WORLD IS AMAZING HOW COULD WE BE WRONG THANK YOU
PREACH IT WOOP WOOP
I WASN’T GOING TO BELIEVE YOU, BUT SINCE YOU PUT IT IN ALL CAPS IT MUST BE TRUE. THANK YOU FOR THAT!!
I believe this. We had a pirate room earlier this year, and every night we’d be invaded by centipedes. The beds were filthy and dusty. The centipedes were everywhere. We complained, but nothing came of it. After our trip, we once again called customer relations, they promised a call back. Nothing but crickets.
Same here.
We’re a Disney family. Go multiple times a year. Spend thousands of dollars each year. I’ve never complained once about anything to Disney management except about the centipedes. Very legitimate complaint. If you would get up to use the bathroom at night, you would step on them. It was just plain gross. They were everywhere…dozens every night. All we asked of Disney was to replace the rubber weather stripping on the bottom of the entrance door. It was missing and there was a 3/4 inch gap for the bugs to come in through. It was never fixed while we were there. Our neighbors in the room next door we’re also complaining about the centipedes to another couple outside the room. We overheard their conversation…we didn’t prompt them. There is a problem at CBR. The family in the article took the it to an extreme, but I don’t think they were lying about the room being dirty it the centipedes.
Dozens (plural) every night?! So you are saying you would see at the very least 24-36 centipedes every single night?! Interesting claim.
Didnt happen. Unbelievable. They have been comped numerous times over the last 5 years but as per them it’s a “once in a life time” trip.
I don’t understand how their two rooms were “dirty and filled with crawling critters” while NO ONE else at the resort complained. It seems a little fishy.
These two are a fraud. They have pulled similar stunts in the past in their numerous trips to Walt Disney World.
Coming from near Barnsley myself, I wouldn’t be surprised if all of it was exaggerated/ them planting these things in order to get a free upgrade. You can clearly tell this is true as they “found” a centipede in their second Caribbean Beach room so they they could complain again and get an upgrade to the Grand Floridian. Shame on them for taking advantage of Disney’s hospitality, they really should be banned from Disney World.
hmmmm… We called the giant cockroaches Palmeto Bugs back in my Orlando days. They preferred to live in the plants and palms outside. Grabbing one and putting it in your room for a comp is just bull..
(Cough) scammers (cough, cough)
I don’t understand why papers, tabloids, and now other web outlets are picking up this story. Disneys statement was that this family has been compensated numerous times in the past and are now not welcome at their parks… Let’s move on.
Senior management should just tell them they can no longer accommodate them, as due to past history they’ve been unable to meet their demands. However, if the property already knew they had a future reservation and knowing their history, I wonder if they had upper management do a quality control check of their room on the day of arrival?
They sound like scam artists!
Two hours on the Magical Express bus? Even during the height of rush hour I don’t think it’s ever taken as long as an hour to get in from the airport! Lol
Came here to say the same thing. We had a ME driver who went the wrong way one two different one-way streets and nearly hit a light post at Saratoga Springs because she was hopeless lost, and it still only took an hour. (We didn’t complain because it was the poor woman’s first day at work, and we didn’t want to put soneone out of a job for having a bad day).
Noooooooooo. I love you guys so much and feel like I love news about this place, and I appreciate opinion pieces ALWAYS, but this kind of stuff is just their opinion, not yours. I have loved following you for years. And I won’t stop. I think you are more as New York Times combined with travel magazine…with valid information … Not national enquirer or the globe. Also these guys are just ridiculous.
If this were true there would be pictures in the article. These people just wanted a Grand Floridian room at a Caribbean Beach price.
Totally agree! When you have rooms that are that bad, you definitely take pictures to document it. Apparently they have been there multiple times, so these aren’t amateurs.
I’m surprised Disney hasn’t banned them from the property. They’re extortionists.
Now THAT’S how you do a vacation on a budget. 😂
I was thinking the same thing! So now they stayed at Grand Floridian for the price of Caribbean Beach. 🤦
Definitely a scam. I’m glad Disney made it clear that these two are known for this. They’ve clearly done this in the past. The question is, why does Disney continue to let them?
Because they would risk upsetting the LGBT community and that would loose them money.
This sounds like a scam! Exposed wires? Yeah, right.
These guys are publicity hounds who shamelessly exploit their circumstances. See eg.https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-6488175/amp/Foster-couple-adopted-two-sets-twins-splurged-15-000-Christmas-recent-years.html
I was there September 8th 2019 for 2 weeks in the Caribbean Resort (Jamaica). Not only was the room spotless and clean so is the outside. You always see staff around the grounds doing something never seen such a clean friendly place definitely magical for me. Would highly recommend and I would gladly go back there again. (if only)
You shouldn’t give them the benefit of the doubt as you do in your story heading. Anyone just reading that title would gain a false negative impression about Disney World that is completely unnecessary and poorly written especially from a site that only survives thanks to Disney.
We owe nothing to the Walt Disney Company, just reporting the news. It says “claim”. It’s a multi-billion dollar company, they can defend themselves.
How can you claim to owe nothing to the company that is literally part of your URL?
It’s pretty easy when all they try to do is hinder the existence of honest fan sites.
I wonder if they planted that used condom themselves.
As one who has used the Magical Express transportation many times, there was no 2 hour trip with this service. The remaining claims are a bit far fetched. I sense someone looking for a way to get something for free.
This is so hard to believe, this would be my 30th time going to DISNEY, and never have I seen exposed wiring. Even when the construction was going on at CBR. Disney take pride in all they do. I’ve seen garden snakes but they come right away and take them out of property. These people are crazy.
Very convenient to come multiple times over the last 5 year, always complaining and getting free upgrades, then saying in your interview “a once in a lifetime trip”. Give these scammers a lifetime ban, so the rest of us can stop subsidizing their upgrades and fastpasses.
During our stay at the Polynesian in 2012, we did have a problem with bugs in our room. We let the staff know, they investigated, and we found ourselves moved to a better room. So I have a hard time buying this story.