Disney Guest Laundry Upgrade: Maytags!

[frigilux]

Spent a week at Disney World, staying at their Port Orleans Riverside complex. I noticed on my last visit, in 2012, the guest laundry had become pretty shabby: Battered GE/FrigMore front-loaders; sketchy Whirlpool-based top-loaders; dryers with damaged drums/fins.

I was pleasantly surprised to find shiny, new Maytag commercial front-loaders and dryers this time. Wash drums approximately 3 cu. ft. (maybe a little bigger). The black boot on them is quite thin and pliable compared to home machines. No top-loaders.

The method of payment was also new to me: Load clothes; add detergent, etc.; go to the payment kiosk; swipe a credit or debit card and choose the machine you're using. Then you go back to the machine (which are all numbered, obviously) and select the cycle to start the washer. I used the Whites cycle to wash a mixed load of dress shorts, shirts, and personal whites with a Tide pod. (Old habits die hard, kids!) Cycle was about 37 minutes long.

Wasn't able to watch, but when I returned to put clothes in dryer the room was amazingly quiet considering ten of twelve washers were in use. Final spin speed must be high, as clothes were nearly as dry as with my domestic Maytag. Clothes were well-cleaned in what was undoubtedly faux-hot water. Washer's dispenser drawer had wells for detergent, liquid bleach, and fabric softener.

$3.00 for wash; $3.00 for sixty-minute dry. Green 'Free and Clear' liquid detergent in vending machines.

Hi, Ben![this post was last edited: 3/12/2016-10:26]

 

[parunner58]

Guest Laundries were outsourced over the past two years.

 

[Chetlaham]

No Speed Queen?

Why? Poor choice imo.

 

[revvinkevin]

 

 

Nice that they are / were new... but the question is, what's hiding under those Maytag name plates?   Standard WP FL's?  

 

The dryers look like std WP units with a swinging door.

 

 

**Why no Speed Queen?  Most likely high cost.

 

[this post was last edited: 3/12/2016-13:50]

 

[warmsecondrinse]

"amazingly quiet"

I wonder if that might not be one of the prime considerations for that model having been picked. Each wing of my building has a laundry room w/2 washers and 2 dryers. The laundry rooms are right next to the kitchen and/or bathroom of adjacent apartments. These are also Maytags, although the Huebsch labels are visible as well.
These machines are also quite quiet. In fact, I have to be right at the door of the laundry room to hear if machines are running or not. This is with the door closed and the closer pair a foot from the door.

I posted a bit on them when I moved in. And no, I still haven't figured out how to use the "Super Cycle". My only complaint is the dispenser drawer doesn't pull out quite far enough. The bleach well is so close to the faceplate it's impossible to put bleach into the well without splashing a bit on the faceplate. I must say I've seen no signs of any fading on that part of the faceplate. Although I only rarely use bleach, I'm sure other people do. My challenge is sweat and sebum so ammonia is my weapon of choice

I can re-post pics & model info if anyone's interested.

Jim

 

[washerdude]

The first time i saw one of these I thought it was the newer duets, but later found out its the older duet with the belt drive system. Looks like they have worked out all the kinks found on the older units.

 

[frigilux]

That would be nice, Jim. Thanks!

Don't know that quietness was a prime factor for these Maytags. Guest laundry is by the building's outdoor pool, far from rooms. Still, it was refreshing to walk in and not be met with high-decibel laundry.[this post was last edited: 3/12/2016-13:10]

 

[mrb627]

Disney

Do you think the resort maintains these machines or would they be outsourced?

Malcolm

 

[parunner58]

Malcom, they are all outsourced. I work at the Front desk of the resorts and when there is an issue the outside company has to come in a fix them. They only thing we do at the front desk is give the guest back their money. They even have a phone app that you monitor your machines so you do not have to wait in the laundry room for it to end. Most are by a pool so you can sit by the pool or walk around the resort and get notified when it is done

 

[frigilux]

Thanks for all the info, Mike. Were you working the front desk at Port Orleans Riverside?!

 

[washer111]

Absolutely "love" that sticker preaching the benefits of cold-water laundering.

Given the criminal rates charged at laundromats that have no representation of the real cost of washing clothes (mere cents, if that), I wouldn't hesitate to ensure I used hot for everything.
E.g. Many laundries here in Australia charge $3-4 a pop, often using cold water. Doing the maths, I figured that a boil wash in the Miele would only cost about 30c in total.

 

[henene4]

But laundromats have some additional cost that adds a bit as well.
Cost like:
-Machines (In Germany, a typical Miele for a laundromat is 3000€ with a 30000h life span, so about 30000 cycles)
-Rent
-Heating the place (important bit due to vented high power dryers)
-Lights
-Machine service
-Man work (cleaning the place, checking the machines etc.)
-Insurance
-Taxes

And if do the math for Germany for example, a boilwash would cost us about 50-60 cents in electricity, plus about the same in water. For a laundromat, you'd have 10 cents machine cost as well, and probably double or triple this amount to cover rent, heating, insurence etc. With our wash rates at 3-4€ arround here, the profit margin isn't that big, I guess.

 

[repair-man]

WOW !

What a highly uninformed statement regarding the "criminal rates" charged by laundromats. To say laundromats charge $3-4 for something that cost only 30c is ridiculous. As a general rule a successful laundromat will profit 25 c on the dollar. Every dollar of revenue will be split 4 ways. About 25 cents for utilities, 25c for rent, 25c for the purchase /maintenance of the equipment , and 25c profit. I should mention that this formula is for a unattended (no employees) laundromat where the owner(s) go and clean, collect coins, etc. Obviously this is avg estimate because fixed costs (ie rent) are to be paid if not even one dollar of revenue comes in. I believe it is based on the national avg here in the US of 3-4 turns/day per machine.

 

[parunner58]

Frigilux, I was there last year about this time. That's when they updated them there. I'm at Coronado Springs now.