Mousekeeping

[Elisa]

Do you leave the tip for Mousekeeping each day or do you leave one big one when you leave. I'm worried that it won't be the same person each time and they'd feel cheated. I also think they'd put more effort into the cleaning as well as little extra's like towel animals and such if they had a tip left each day . What do you usually do ?

[beattyfamily]

I make up special envelopes and put them out daily.

[java]

After reading stuff here we went to tipping daily. Don't expect that to result in towel animals though... that just depends on where you stay.
But what threw us for a loop was the turndown service. We were never around when that took place and never tipped until the last day and I am not even sure that it was the same person all week because I think the weekend crew is different from the mid week crew.

[TiggerDaisy]

On our last trip, we left a tip when we left. Our mousekeeper, Sandy, left us towel animals each day of our stay. I never had towel animals so this was a pleasant surprise. I got an elephant and a dog and my MIL got an elephant and a cat. The first day when we came back to our room, the towel animal dog was arranged on the bed with my Viking Pluto, which I bought at Epcot the night before. It was so cute that I had to take pictures! Because we got towel animals, I left her a $10 for a three night stay.

[LorlovesStitch]

I think that it is better to tip each day, especially if you are staying mid week to mid week, because I heard they often change the mousekeeping staff weekly. If that were the case, then some Mousekeeper would not get a tip and another would get more than what they worked for, IMO.

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

I make up special envelopes and put them out daily.

Same with us!

I had DS decorate some envelopes with markers and stickers. I put $3 in each one. Every morning I would just leave an envelope on the bathroom sink. We made sure they all said "For Mousekeeping - Thank You!"

We were at Pop for 9 nights in October and only got towel animals our last night. I do think the staff changes, so it is nice to tip each day.

[Pixiedust34]

We tipped each day in case we had different mousekeepers coming in for various shifts.

We also brought envelopes from home. These were very handy when we wanted to write a little note, like asking for extra towels or thanking her for a towel animal.

[Cinderella94]

During one of our stays, on the first day we arrived and entered our room, there was a little card on a desk saying that our mousekeeper would be Maryellie. We assumed that she would be cleaning our room the whole stay, so we left one big tip at the end.

[jewellmmc]

TIP EVERYDAY! I (holding the honorary pos. of DD) decorate the envelopes with Stickers (Disney of course!) and my mom puts three dollars US in the envelope everyday before we leave for the parks. Three dollars is a lot considering the exchange rate on us poor Canadians EH?

[sskem96]

We left $5 each morning when we left the room with a disney post it on it that said "for mousekeeping". We got a few towel animals, an awesome towel basket that had lots of pockets and they put all our toothbrushes and stuff in, and they set up our toys in different scenes like put goggles on the stuffed animals and put them in our blow up swim ring. It was really neat. That was at Pop Century.

[PoohMommy]

In past years we've left one big tip at the end of the trip. It's never affected the service we've received...we've gotten towel animals some nights and not others, but the room has always been well-cleaned.

This time, though, we're bringing envelopes for each day. It makes sense that housekeeping staff might be different on different days, and we definitely want to spread the holiday cheer. I think this year we'll leave a candy cane with each envelope too.

[Goofyta]

How much do you tip everyday? We will be staying at AKL in June.

[beattyfamily]

How much do you tip everyday? We will be staying at AKL in June.

We tip $1 per day per person but our family of 4 sometimes just rounds up to $5. I also leave the tip daily in a specially made mousekeeping envelope.

[MariDisney]

We leave $3 a day, and leave it each day. I've always done it that way, so can't comment on whether that effect service or not. I've always gotten tons of towel animals, toys set up in "scenes", etc. at every resort we've stayed at.

[Diznenut]

we made envelopes, left 3 per per envelope and left them daily. We had excellent service, no towel animals but DD's Goofy sure ended up in a lot of trouble everyday!

[PoohMommy]

$5 a day at WL (for 2 adults...now for 2 adults/1 infant)

[BonnieBell]

We just got home on Monday from POR, we left 4-5 dollars everyday (there was four of us). The room was clean everyday, but no towel animals!!!! Oh well maybe next time.

[Dana49]

We usually tip $3.00 a day for two adults. I usually place the tip beside the sink with an attached thank you note. :)

[LoveWDW]

$2 a day- two adults. $10 the last day.

[JPN4265]

No tip required.

[pedro2112]

No tip required.


A tip is never "required," otherwise it wouldn't be a tip. The OP is asking the other board members what amount is customary to tip mousekeeping and whether it should be done at the end of the trip or each day.

We usually leave $5.00 a day in premade envelopes that we leave out before we head out in the morning. My kids love to decorate the envelopes. We will be utilizing turn down service on our upcoming trip, and I'm not sure exactly how much we will leave for the mousekeepers in the evening....

[JPN4265]

A tip is never "required," otherwise it wouldn't be a tip. The OP is asking the other board members what amount is customary to tip mousekeeping and whether it should be done at the end of the trip or each day.

We usually leave $5.00 a day in premade envelopes that we leave out before we head out in the morning. My kids love to decorate the envelopes. We will be utilizing turn down service on our upcoming trip, and I'm not sure exactly how much we will leave for the mousekeepers in the evening....


Thank you for explaining that for me. :rotfl2: I didn't understand what I had wrote. :confused3

[pedro2112]

Thank you for explaining that for me. :rotfl2: I didn't understand what I had wrote. :confused3

You are most welcome.

[pezpam]

We usually leave $3-5 each day in a marked envelope. Two trips ago, we got one towel animal, but during our last trip, we met our Mousekeeper in the elevator - purely random that we happened to ride with her - and DD struck up a conversation with her. They got along well and the woman was really nice - she asked for our room # and went and got DD a towel gingerbread boy right then and there. The next day, we found one of those towel baskets with our toothbrushes and toothpaste in it, which we used for the rest of our stay. Over the course of our trip, there were a couple more towel critters and DD's toys were almost always set up in some hilarious scene in the window or on the bed.

I seriously doubt it was our tip that got our Mousekeeper in the mood to do this, though. She was just a super-special and sunny person who happened to click with DD. I thought it was wonderful and, though DD thought Mommy was nuts, I took pictures of all of the towel critters. LOL - part of the Magic, ya know? :-)

[D&DDisney]

We will be utilizing turn down service on our upcoming trip, and I'm not sure exactly how much we will leave for the mousekeepers in the evening....[/QUOTE]


What is turn down service? :confused3

[mic_key_mouse]

We also tip $1.00 per day per person, and leave it each day because the housekeeping staff for your room may change during your trip.

[mickeyfan2]

Everyday

[disneychrista]

From the information I recieved when we stayed at AKL in 2002, mousekeeping is not considered a tipped position. So while you are more then welcome to tip them, it is not something you should feel obligated to tip them. If you do choose to tip, then do so daily, since the maids have days off too.

[JuneCleaver]

Daily, and about $5 a day. If there is a HUGE mess I may leave more.

[helenm29]

Hey everyone, it's great to be back and I want to apologize for leaving you for a while. :Pinkbounc
Anyway, we have always left a certain amount everyday but the special envelopes sound like a great idea! Have fun! Helen

[tchrrx]

I've never really tipped at hotels (non-Disney) before, but it sounds as if the Disney mousekeepers really go out of their way to make your day special. Honestly, at other hotels I usually keep up the 'Do Not Disturb' sign and don't worry about the mess b/c I'm just not comfortable with people in my room. Sounds like I'll learn to love it at Disney though. Just another little piece of the magic! :wizard: So...what exactly is the turn-down service? Also, can you purchase the towel animals &/or neat little bucket with pockets that everyone is talking about? Thanks!

[solferino]

I'm such a dork. I love origami and have folded bills into different designs for the upcoming trip- the cranes need 3 taped together. Others can be made with single bills... I'll be leaving different critters or other items each day, each day totalling 3.00

[JerryMoCricketsGal]

My hubby and I don't have them clean our room each day, as I am used to making my own bed at home, and hang up my towels after i use them at home, so I try to limit their load a bit by leaving a 'please do not make up' sign on the door. I only have them come every 3rd day (so we use the same towels for two days, just like i do at home) ect. Last time I tipped at the end, but, now that I think about it, I should have tipped each time they came right?

I feel like a doodie now...but thanks to this board, at least i know what to do going forward.

My question is, if it's just my hubby and I, and we clean up after ourselves (we're one of those couples that feels bad leaving a mess for housekeeping, so we clean the room before they come), how much should i leave each time (i know it's a personal thing, but recommendations would be helpful)? Should I tip as if they are coming each day, or just tip as if it's just for that one day? I feel like if i do it for just that day, then they are getting shortchanged by not having them come each day, but, yet, I could be missing someone who happens to be off that day that normally would have cleaned our room, so they get short changed.

Does anyone know if there is a 'tip pool' that we can give money to housekeeping in? That may solve any dilemas..

thanks for your help

[beattyfamily]

My hubby and I don't have them clean our room each day, as I am used to making my own bed at home, and hang up my towels after i use them at home, so I try to limit their load a bit by leaving a 'please do not make up' sign on the door. I only have them come every 3rd day (so we use the same towels for two days, just like i do at home) ect. Last time I tipped at the end, but, now that I think about it, I should have tipped each time they came right?

I feel like a doodie now...but thanks to this board, at least i know what to do going forward.

My question is, if it's just my hubby and I, and we clean up after ourselves (we're one of those couples that feels bad leaving a mess for housekeeping, so we clean the room before they come), how much should i leave each time (i know it's a personal thing, but recommendations would be helpful)? Should I tip as if they are coming each day, or just tip as if it's just for that one day? I feel like if i do it for just that day, then they are getting shortchanged by not having them come each day, but, yet, I could be missing someone who happens to be off that day that normally would have cleaned our room, so they get short changed.

Does anyone know if there is a 'tip pool' that we can give money to housekeeping in? That may solve any dilemas..

thanks for your help

The way you like housekeeping reminds me of how it is at a DVC resort. They come on the 4th day with new towels and supplies only then they come on the 8th day (I think) for a full cleaning and/or they come when you check out also. So what we do is leave a tip on that 4th day, about $4. Then on the day we check out (or on the 8th day if we're there that long) we leave the amount we would have left daily as a grand total, like for example, if we stayed 5 nights, we'd leave $1 per person, so $4 X 5 nights = $20.

Staying at DVC resorts you don't have to worry about if there is a different mousekeeper each day because they don't come everyday so it's kind of similar to how you handle it.

I hope I didn't confuse you and I hope I helped a little bit! I don't know if they pool their tips.

[ladyandtramp]

It is just me and my DH too, and we tend to keep everything neat and tidy, and reuse towels, etc. too. So, when we stay in regular Disney hotels, we tip $2.00 a day.

We also joined the DVC a few years back, and as "beattyfamily" indicated, MouseKeepers come in for a full service at day 4, and then a "towel & trash service" on day 8, and it repeats every 4 days. Since they only come in every few days, and we keep the room clean, but they DO wash the dishes (if there are any in the sink) and have an "extra" sink area to tidy as well as microwave, we tip 5.00 each time they come in at DVC - but I don't tip "extra" - since they do not come every day.

It is great to read everyone else's tipping (or not) habits. It is interesting that even though I tip at the DIsney hotels, I do not tend to tip when I stay other places (I don't even think about it!). Funny. :confused3

[Andrea]

its just my hubby and i and we tip $5 a day

[MAGGIED]

We keep the room pretty well picked up to and we still tip $5 a day for our family of four. I make up little envelopes with different Disney characters on them and print "To Mousekeeping from the Dunnigan Family" on each one. Our rooms have always looked great - don't know if the tips have helped or not - but I am sure it made the mousekeeper happy!!

[tetrimble]

When we were there, we printed out mousekeeping envelopes. There are a few sites that provide graphics to print. We used http://www.arwolff.com/heidi/. We had 2 connecting rooms for four people. We kept our rooms picked up that mousekeeping didn't have a lot to do in our rooms, but we tipped $5 a day. There was one day that we did not have mousekeeping in and we did not leave an additional tip the following day.

[Servants of Evan]

I tip (on average) $5 per day, whether with the family or on business travel.

Turn down service == At nicer hotels the chaimbermaid will come into your room in the evening (around 7pm), and prep your bed for that evening -- remove the comforter, turn down the blanket, fluff the pillows, etc. They usually follow this up by leaving a nice chocolate or two on your pillow to ensure sweet dreams... it's a tradition which has survived since "the golden age."

I always get a kick out of it when I'm traveling on business -- one more than one occasion I've been on the phone with the DW when the maid arrives for the turndown. Usually the DW will yell, "Don't get used to this sort of thing, buddy, you're not getting this at home!" :teeth:

[PaulaSue]

Sorry for the stupid question...What do you do with the towel animals? Can you keep them/take them home or do you just use them?

[TheTexasKid]

Your question is not stupid, PaulaSue. Of course, my answer may not be too smart.

As far as I can remember, I have never received towel animals, while staying at a WDW resort. But, I have always received towel animals, while cruisng with DCL. So, this is what I do with them. I save them to the last day, then take a photo of all of them together.That gives me some memory of them.

Of course, I always tip extra for any towel animals, and I let the cabin attendant know this. As I think making towel animals goes above and beyond the duty of keeping the cabin neat and tidy.

[PaulaSue]

Bummer, we didn't get any last week.

Great week anyway and loved the room!

[vhoffman]

My dh says he can give them a really big tip................ :dancer:

[vhoffman]

What to do with the towel animals? I always wanted to take a bath with Donald Duck :love: