Towel Animals

[cruisnfamily]

OK, having read a thread where towel animals are mentioned I am now curious.

For those of you who traveled to Disney within say the last year:

1)Did you get towel animals (or similar service like arranged stuffed animals)?

2)Where did you stay?

3)Did you tip? Before or after the towel animals?

Thanks for the input....I am now truly curious. I have only stayed onsite once(AllStars) and didn't see any towel animals. Does this only happen at Deluxe resorts? Does it only happen to those folks who tip? Not trying to start a debate here, just curious about the whole thing. We are staying at CSR next week and now I am wondering.

[Bob NC]

Towel animals can happen by a housekeeper at any Disney resort. You don't request them, you don't pay for them, actually, there's no possible way to request or pay for them.

Tipping housekeepers is something you will either do or not do totally irrespective of any 'towel animals'.

LOL....I've seen trip reports from people who were absolutely livid that their housekeeper didn't leave them a towel animal. They have claimed it 'ruined' their vacation.

If ya know about them and get one it's great....If you didn't know about them, well, you wouldn't know about them. If you know about them and have your heart set on them, well you're setting yourself up to be disappointed.

[CindyLouB]

In Dec 01 stayed at WL. Tip left every morning ($5 for two adults & 2 kids). Towel animals waiting for us at night.
In Dec 99 stayed at DL (now POR). Left tip every morning, $5, towel animals waiting for us every night.
We (the kids) also left the stuffed animals and other purchases (large hand, etc) out on the beds and they were incorporated into the scene.
Good Luck!

[RobinLyn]

We had them everyday at the Wilderness Lodge, December 2000 (I know it's more than a year ago). We stayed in a Junior suite and she made a different towel animal each time she made the room up. I left her a nice tip when we left, but on our next trip I will leave a tip each day reguardless of whether we have towel animals or not. I think it's the right thing to do because maids may be different each day. The only other time we had towel animals was at the Polynesian years ago.

RobinLyn :)

[disneyjunkie]

I stayed at All Star Sports last August. We did not get anything extra, (wasn't expecting anything) and I did not tip. I did not think the housekeepers were paid less than the MW so I didn't think I needed to tip.

Our room was cleaned very well each day. Whenever we return for a break the room done. We always had plenty of towels, and Mickey soaps ( yuck).


If the maids had to make towel animals and arrange stuffed animals in every room, it would take them forever to get all of their rooms done.

[dlrich]

When we stayed at the WL last July, the maid didn't do anything in our room until the fifth of six nights we were there. My kids were so amazed by what she left( she made a slide out of towels and arranged all their toys we left out going down the slide) that they sat in the room for about an hour playing with this. A suggestion that I have that I tried was when I left a tip out on our last full day I wrote a nice note thanking her for what she left our kids and said that this was the last full day of our stay and if she could leave something for them that it would really make their day. It worked and she left us a person(who was holding the tv remote, a turtle and an alligator). We were so impressed that we personally gave her a tip when we were leaving on our last day and she gave my kids a heart shaped towel to take home.

Lisa

[BroadwayBunny]

On my last solo trip, I took a couple of stuffed animals and housekeeping always found something interesting to do: animals in the window, watching TV, in the bathroom with a Do Not Disturb sign on the door, swinging from the light fixture, etc... I left a daily tip (since I tend to be very sloppy when on vacation) and the extra touch from housekeeping was great. But the greatest was the towel bunnies. On my first day, there were two. On subsequent days, the bunnies multiplied! At the end of my vacation, there must have be about 20 or so towel bunnies around the room. And not just on the bed or vanity. There were bunnies in the window, and spilling out of the cabinet with the TV! I was so thrilled by the extra attention (since there were no children with me) and the overall service, I made sure to leave a large tip on my last day and a positive note on the service with the check-out desk.

[skiwee1]

In the last 18 months we've been to WDW three times. First trip was to CBR and animals were left a couple of days out of 8 days. Second trip to CBR and animals were left daily on the beds and waiting for us at the windows. Just returned Friday from the WL. Animals were left daily and lots of them! We had animals in towel canoes with pens used as oars, towels made into waterslides and animals plummeting into towel pools, a fairy, poodle, ducks, birds, snakes, etc. Every day was better then the next! Nine days later and we had accrued a massive assortment of towel animals and my daughter didn't want to leave them! Mia was our wonderfully talented mousekeeper at the WL. We leave a $5 tip daily in all the hotels we stay at.:)

[Laurabearz]

We just came back from 4 days at the BC concierge level and 5 days at the Poly COncierge level.

We got cute little wash cloth critters every day at the BC nothing at the Poly.

They certianly dont make or break our vacation.... but I really do like that "extra touch"

We tipped 5 dollars a day and the gals at the Poly only took it once and wrote a thank you note for the tip.... no speical treatment, just a note. Which is fine with us.... again we generally tip if maid service is good... not for the animals.

[sogger]

just back from the CR. we ended up with a face cloth goose or duck and some kind of flag thing that held the tooth brushes. the folks we were with got an elephant. these were some very nice touches that come with the extra expense of being on disney property.

[MzEeyore]

We stayed at the VWL in Dec 2001 and we got towels animals and such every day of our stay. We tipped every day too because we knew that there were different women taking care of the villa for us. On my daughter's birthday, they had all of her animals arranged around a table that they decorated with ballons and "pixie dust" with a big handmade sign that said Happy Birthday. It was great.

[preshi]

We got a towel duck at AKl and we tried to tip but they didn't take the money! OOps should have downloaded those envelopes!

Actually we stole it. It's in our living room~!

I know bad girl......

http://publish.hometown.aol.com/preshi/images/towelanimal.jpg

[nancy679]

Dont feel bad, preshi, we took our towel duck home too. He's on top of the TV too.

[Meriweather]

We wree at POR Jan/Feb......got towels things everyday that our regular housekeeper was working (11 of the 14).
We always tip...not just at WDW.

I'd show some photos...but I don't know how :(

[WDW2002]

I think getting or not getting a "towel animal" or having your stuffed mickeys "arranged" has nothing to do with where you are stayting or if you tip (or not). I believe it has everything to do with who your mousekeeper is on a particular day.
As for it "ruining" someones vacation to not get a towel animal, you are only going to under the towel to use it anyway. We stayed in hotel (not at disney) that made the wash clothes into fans or something and I thought it as hassle to have to undo them to wash my face.


Originally posted by disneyjunkie
I did not think the housekeepers were paid less than the MW so I didn't think I needed to tip.
Actually I read in another post they make $15/hour, so I deffiently think they are being more then compensated for making a couple beds, vacuuming and bringing in clean towels (and taking the used).

[fortwilderness]

Of all of the trips to WDW I have only had 1 towel - well actually washcloth- animal. It was either a duck, baby chicken or a sitting elephant :D It was the subject of a very heated debate among my family. I personally thought it was an elephant :)

My family always generously - in my opinion - tipped our housekeepers on a daily basis but that was the only towel animal that we ever received. I didn't even know that the things were even a common occurance until I came to the DisBoards so I never felt cheated. But maybe now I will unless I have a menagerie in my room everyday ;)

I would suggest not mentioning the existance of towel animals to your children so they will not be disappointed if they are not left any. It is really just the luck of the draw.

[TheTexasKid]

If one can't live without one's daily towel animals, I suggest on take a cruise on the "Disney Magic." I have been on two cruises, and have had towel animals in my stateroom on both cruises.
Actually, I've gotten a little spoiled. I got them without asking on my first cruise, so when I didn't get any on my second cruise, I felt a little disappointed. Though, I didn't want to say anything about it. But, on the second day of my second cruise, they started showing up. A different one each day.
And what ever tip I leave, I leave a little extra for the towel animals, as I think leaving towel animals in the room is going above and beyond the call of duty.
Enjoy!

[BrerMom]

1st trip - 8 nights. Tipped every day, no towel animals and sometimes not even new towels! :eek:

2nd trip - 4 nights. No tips (horrors!), no towel animals. No problem.

Mousekeeping tip: you want a tip? Then DON'T keep waking the baby up from his nap in the middle of the afternoon when there is a "Do Not Disturb" sign on the door. Learning from experience that if I get up to answer the door the baby wakes up, I ignored the door the next day. THEY CALLED to see if I was in the room!!! and, of course, woke the baby up. with the sign still on the door. Sigh.

[Beanie]

On our recent stay at Wilderness Lodge, we tipped the maid $5.00 every day and every day there were new Animal Towels awaiting us! :) On our last day, when we entered the room, there was a huge Swan made out of a bath towel, with a little swan on top of it sitting on the nightstand!! :) Our maids name was Boun (pronounced Boone) and she was fantastic...She would always arrange the kids animals on the TV or on the bed!! She was so sweet, always saying "Hi" or "How was your day?" when we would see her in the hall!

We tip all the maids no matter where we stay $5.00 a day, but that was the first time we received Towel Animals...I do agree, that I think it depends on who the Maid is that day...Some I feel, just go out of their way to make guests really happy...My opinion anyway...but anyway, we have wrote a letter to WDW stating how much fun our maid was and how much we enjoyed having her clean our room! I wish she would come and clean my house for me! LOL:p :p

[Dona Momma]

We stayed at POFQ and one day we returned to towel bunnies in the bathroom.

Mousekeeping also put my children's Winnie The Pooh toothbrushes inside the bunnies. It was really cute.

We only left a tip on the last day. This was our first trip and I did not know that we needed to leave a tip.

Plan on leaving tip everyday this trip with those cute envelopes.

Grand Floridian here we come. July Trip!!!!

[ducklite]

Originally posted by WDW2002
Actually I read in another post they make $15/hour, so I deffiently think they are being more then compensated for making a couple beds, vacuuming and bringing in clean towels (and taking the used).

This is absolutely incorrect. Perhaps the head housekeeper, or maybe a supervisor makes that kind of money. But a housekeeper? No way, even if they've been with the company for twenty years.

Disney is not a high paying company, especially in unskilled labor.

Anne

[ducklite]

In all my trips to WDW resorts, I've only once had towel animals (and I tip every day!). We got a duck at the AKL in December.

For anyone that thinks that not getting towel animals has ruined their trip, they need to get over it. Geez! Having your luggage sent to Mumbai while you're in WDW, that might be a downer. Tripping over your spouses sneakers that they left in the middle of the floor and breaking your ankle, that would put a damper on things. Having your child wake up in the middle of teh night with a 104 degree fever and raging ear infection, that could be a trip killer.

But no towel animals ruining your trip? To have such problems...

Anne

[MauraAndIainsDad]

We stayed at the BC over Thanksgiving, 2001 and every day we had a different "scene" from our housekeeper. One day was a pool scene, complete with a blue plastic bag for the water. One day a teacher was reading to her students (with my daughter's book). Another day they were watching TV (Disney Channel, of course) when we returned. Each day my children were excited to return from the parks to see what surprise we had in store. We took photographs each day so that we could remember them.

[Bob NC]

quoted by ducklite

This is absolutely incorrect. Perhaps the head housekeeper, or maybe a supervisor makes that kind of money. But a housekeeper? No way, even if they've been with the company for twenty years.

Do you know this? Or, do you just feel this way?

[duck_adoo]

We stayed at CSR 6 nights 7 days..no towel animals or scenes. The only animals were dh,and dd's ;). Seeing as dh and my nickname for each other Duck (our dd's are the duckettes) I would *love* to get a towel duck...but won't lose sleep over it.
Duck

[gumdrop]

Out of all of my on-site stays, the only time that I recieved towel animals was last year's visit at WL. On our first room cleaning, we got little washcloth pockets that held our toothbrushes and other small sink things. During the middle of our stay I was surprised with a fairly large alligator that was as long as the two pillows on the bed! It was set up to look like it was playing with the little stuffed Figment I bought. I didn't tip everyday--I just gave one big tip on our last day.

--Maren

[cruisnfamily]

On our quick trip last week we stayed at CSR for 2 nights. After returning from the parks the first day we found: A washcloth pocket holding all the toothbrushes(and the vanity area was really straightened up and organized too, something I wouldn't expect housekeeping to do) and they had hung DS's monkey from one of the over the bed lamps looking like he was perched there. Nothing too special but my son was really amused by the pose his monkey was in. We were happy with these small touches!

[Soccer Princess]

Last Thanksgiving we stayed at All Star Sports and we recieved Towel Turkeys in different areas 2 of our nights there. They were adorable !
Last week we stayed at Sports again and got no towel animals. I think its just hit or miss.

[PRINCESS Ariel34]

Can anyone tell me what exactly is a towel animal:o Can someone tell me when stuffed animals are mentioned are they stuffed animals your children bring from home or, do the resorts have stuffed animals on the beds for the children.:confused:

[gumdrop]

Welcome Princess Ariel!! A towel animal is something that housekeeping may make for you. They use washcloths and towels to create an actual animal or object for you to see when you get back into your room. Sometimes, if you leave a stuffed animal in the room, they will pose them in creative ways and/or make a towel animal to set up a cute scene. For example, at WL last year, I was made a large towel alligator (complete with sticker eyes) that was set up to play with a stuffed figment I bought. The pillows on the bed were arranged to make a little cave for them to play with. By reading the other posts, you will see that the types of animals and scenes created really vary, and depends upon how creative your housekeeper feels like getting. There is a good chance that you may not even get a towel animal made for you--it really depends.

[ducklite]

Originally posted by Bob NC


Do you know this? Or, do you just feel this way?

I know this.

Anne

[Bob NC]

I know this.

Anne

Then don't keep us in the dark. Please tell us what the mousekeepers start out at?

[LKS]

Perhaps if lots of people steal their towel animals, Disney will discourage mousekeeping from making them. I would guess that people who would never steal a towel succomb to the temptation to steal the animals. We saw people taking them off the Magic too. I couldn't believe it. I am such a goody two shoes, I guess. Gosh, the more I think about it, the more I wonder why they do allow it at all. At least not on the last full day!

[Mish19]

Last October my family and I stayed at POR and found a towel elephant waiting for us in the window. I'm pretty sure we tipped before the elephant was left and we tipped for the full week. The day after the elephant was left I had a little Eeyore and he had a wash cloth tucked in around his neck sitting on the bathtub and next to Eeyore was a mens shirt with tie (it was very cool!). It seems like it might be a time thing because a lot of the rooms had towel animals waiting for them and POR was pretty quiet.

[ducklite]

Originally posted by Bob NC


Then don't keep us in the dark. Please tell us what the mousekeepers start out at?

For almost all non-salaried, non-professional positions at WDW starting pay is slightly above minimum wage (Between $5.65 and 6.35 generally). (There are some administrative and skilled labor positions which pay higher which are still hourly positions.) There is no guarantee of a forty hour week. Most mousekeepers start at WDW like most other non-salaried, non-professional CM's, as what is known as casual temporary or casual permanant. That means that they get no benefits, and their hours vary seasonally from none to overtime.

With seniority and a good job record they can generally work their way into permanant positions, although these still are not high paying. Once permanant they can get benefits and will get more hours during slower seasons.

Anne