Tipping Help!

[karly05]

Even though I had just a smaller bag that could sit by my feet on the ME bus (nothing to stow), I did tip my "inbound" ME driver this year: Our bus wasn't very full to begin with, POFQ was the last stop (after OKW & Saratoga), and I ended up being the only person going to POFQ! I thanked and tipped the driver, he was very nice.

 

[MichelleWDWfan]

As you can see tipping is a personal preference...
Everyone's ideas are different.

Here is how I tip at disney.

Magic Express Driver:
I tip $ 1 per bag. I usually only have 1 carry on, since other bags will be delivered to my room. If they have been a great driver & made the bus ride extra special, I add an extra $ 1.

MouseKeepers:
I tip housekeepers at any hotel I stay at. (At Disney I usually I stay at POP)
They are cleaning up after me, so I always tip.
If they don't do a good job, I make sure I call that day to report it..since you could have different housekeepers on any given day of your trip. Because of that fact, if you are going to tip, you should leave a tip everyday unless you put out the DND sign, since you could have someone different everyday.

Tipping at Disney doesn't always mean more towel animals or that you will get them at all. That depends on your Mousekeeper and whether they have taken the class to make them. It also depends on if they want to make them or not. I've heard some ppl get lots of them in their room. One stay I didn't get any all week & was upset, so I called the housekeeping department to ask. I found out the person cleaning my room all week was new & hadn't taken the class yet. That housekeeper actually apologized to me the next day. He did a nice job cleaning my room all week, so I was glad I left a tip each day.

Since I am travelling alone next week, I will probably leave $2 a day.
I like the idea of making the envelopes out ahead of time and leaving in the safe and putting 1 out each day! I am going to do that.

Servers and wait staff:
If the service is good, I tip accordingly regardless if it is a buffet or regular restaurant. I figure if it's a buffet, they are still refilling drinks and clearing off dirty dishes. I do the deluxe DDP, and tip according to the price of the meal, and how good the service was.

Bell Staff:
Generally I tip $ 1 per bag. I only use bell staff on the last day when I am checking out.

Taxi Driver
Occasionally I take a taxi at Disney to get to early morning ADR's.
I generally tip them $1 or $2.

 

[Dizzytime]

There are 3 of us. We tip ME $5 and Housekeeping $5 per day.

There are just the two of us now, but this is also what we tip...unless there is a good reason not to. It's usually well deserved.

have fun!

 

[Hopefully]

In my experience in the "real world" and at Disney:
ME drivers should be tipped $1 - $2 per bag handled. If you have no bags under the bus you don't need to tip. I take an airport shuttle bus from my town to the airport and this is how I tip them as well.
Mousekeeping - I choose to tip $2/person/day and leave it each day. I tip this way where ever I stay. I tip this way domestically and when I travel internationally, and I am not sure that is always the norm overseas. It is what I feel good about.

 

[meggiebeth]

As you can see tipping is a personal preference...
Everyone's ideas are different.

Here is how I tip at disney.

Magic Express Driver:
I tip $ 1 per bag. I usually only have 1 carry on, since other bags will be delivered to my room. If they have been a great driver & made the bus ride extra special, I add an extra $ 1.

MouseKeepers:
I tip housekeepers at any hotel I stay at. (At Disney I usually I stay at POP)
They are cleaning up after me, so I always tip.
If they don't do a good job, I make sure I call that day to report it..since you could have different housekeepers on any given day of your trip. Because of that fact, if you are going to tip, you should leave a tip everyday unless you put out the DND sign, since you could have someone different everyday.

Tipping at Disney doesn't always mean more towel animals or that you will get them at all. That depends on your Mousekeeper and whether they have taken the class to make them. It also depends on if they want to make them or not. I've heard some ppl get lots of them in their room. One stay I didn't get any all week & was upset, so I called the housekeeping department to ask. I found out the person cleaning my room all week was new & hadn't taken the class yet. That housekeeper actually apologized to me the next day. He did a nice job cleaning my room all week, so I was glad I left a tip each day.

Since I am travelling alone next week, I will probably leave $2 a day.
I like the idea of making the envelopes out ahead of time and leaving in the safe and putting 1 out each day! I am going to do that.

Servers and wait staff:
If the service is good, I tip accordingly regardless if it is a buffet or regular restaurant. I figure if it's a buffet, they are still refilling drinks and clearing off dirty dishes. I do the deluxe DDP, and tip according to the price of the meal, and how good the service was.

Bell Staff:
Generally I tip $ 1 per bag. I only use bell staff on the last day when I am checking out.

Taxi Driver
Occasionally I take a taxi at Disney to get to early morning ADR's.
I generally tip them $1 or $2.

Whoops! We came from the UK, and tipped the suggested amount in all the restaurants but one, however I didn't know you we're expected to tip your housekeeper. I guess I have learnt for next time!

As for tipping in restaurants, if the service is not particularly good, would you still tip the suggested amount? If it was okay or a bit better than okay but not great, would you still be expected to tip 18%? We struggled having to tip that much when we felt a server didn't deserve it, especially in buffets where they only really delivered your drinks and the bill. I know they are badly payed but I am confused. The one time we tipped 10% instead of 18% the server turned really a bit hostile towards us.

Sorry for kinda hijacking the thread lol!

Meg~ Sent from my iPhone using DISBoards

 

[AliceIn]

Whoops! We came from the UK, and tipped the suggested amount in all the restaurants but one, however I didn't know you we're expected to tip your housekeeper. I guess I have learnt for next time!

As for tipping in restaurants, if the service is not particularly good, would you still tip the suggested amount? If it was okay or a bit better than okay but not great, would you still be expected to tip 18%? We struggled having to tip that much when we felt a server didn't deserve it, especially in buffets where they only really delivered your drinks and the bill. I know they are badly payed but I am confused. The one time we tipped 10% instead of 18% the server turned really a bit hostile towards us.

Sorry for kinda hijacking the thread lol!

Meg~ Sent from my iPhone using DISBoards

Standard tipping amount for decent service is 15%. If you received really great service, or you had a larger party or messy kids with you, the amount would be 20%. Tipping 10% would be when you got service that you felt was not acceptable, but I'd also have a talk with the manager at that point. And you also have to ask yourself is it the waiter/waitress who is bad, or was it the kitchen that may have made a mistake? Is the restaurant super busy? Sometimes you also want to look at the mitigating circumstances. I would not use not-tipping as a punishment to the waiter/waitress if my problem were with the food or some other problem with the restaurant.

I don't know if you were aware, but the waiter/waitress may also have to tip out to the busboys and bartenders out of the amounts they are given.

 

[MichelleWDWfan]

Whoops! We came from the UK, and tipped the suggested amount in all the restaurants but one, however I didn't know you we're expected to tip your housekeeper.

As for tipping in restaurants, if the service is not particularly good, would you still tip the suggested amount? If it was okay or a bit better than okay but not great, would you still be expected to tip 18%?

As far as tipping housekeeping, no one is expected to tip them, but alot of people do tip their housekeepers..at Disney and at other hotels. It's personal preference. As I said I prefer to tip housekeeping...I figure they are cleaning up after me.

As far as servers...On Disney receipts they "suggest" 18 or 20 % with the amounts listed...you are not expected to tip that amount...honestly I never go by that. I base my tip amount on the service I received from the server.

What you tip is entirely up to you.
Generally I tip at least 15%
For good and exceptional service I tip more.
I always tip well if the service is good or exceptional.

I never go by the 18-20% that Disney prints on their receipts.
Tip what you feel to be appropriate percentage for service received.

 

[duels23]

wow, i am quite shocked at how many people i see on here who say they either don't tip or are naive enough to think they will get the same measure of service as those who tip well.

i am a professional educator, but long ago i worked in a service industry at an airport driving a shuttle and handling luggage. i also, while going to college, worked as a pizza delivery driver. you had better believe that those who tipped well received MUCH better service than those who stiffed us or those who had, say, 10 bags - all weighing a ton - and tipped a dollar or two. the next customer would come along and have one small bag and tip $5. believe me, we remembered those customers and went out of our way to make their experiences with us much more enjoyable. when it came to delivering pizzas, we knew the addresses that tipped well and the ones who did not....again, we always went out of our way to ensure we got to deliver to the good-tipping homes, if at all possible.

to think that those who work in mousekeeping or for DME don't need to be tipped, will give the same service to everyone regardless of tipping, is just plain dumb.

lastly, and i'm sorry if this offends the person who said this, but to go on any trip with no cash and not tip anyone at all using the justification that "i don't have any cash; i'm only using plastic on this trip" is so wrong as well. the guys who handle your bags, clean your rooms, etc... HATE hearing "oh, i'll get you next time" or "sorry, i don't have any cash on me". they hear that on a daily basis, and you know what? it is a VERY RARE ocassion that the person who says they will get them next time, actually does.....VERY RARE.

now, you may think that i am wrong for saying that better service was given to those who tipped well, but that's just the harsh reality of the situation.....the better one tips, the better the service they will receive.

 

[maxiesmom]

Whoops! We came from the UK, and tipped the suggested amount in all the restaurants but one, however I didn't know you we're expected to tip your housekeeper. I guess I have learnt for next time!

As for tipping in restaurants, if the service is not particularly good, would you still tip the suggested amount? If it was okay or a bit better than okay but not great, would you still be expected to tip 18%? We struggled having to tip that much when we felt a server didn't deserve it, especially in buffets where they only really delivered your drinks and the bill. I know they are badly payed but I am confused. The one time we tipped 10% instead of 18% the server turned really a bit hostile towards us.

Sorry for kinda hijacking the thread lol!

Meg~ Sent from my iPhone using DISBoards

For Disney restaurants, if you are a party of 6 or more, you will automatically be charged an 18% gratuity. If the service is bad and you wish to tip less you have to get a manager involved.

I have to agree with a previous poster--I think the wait staff at the buffets work as hard or harder than those at a typical restaurant. They are constantly running back and forth to clean the table and refill your drinks. 10% is a bad tip, and unless the waiter you had then did a horrible job I can see why he turned a bit hostile.

If you wish to tip housekeeping, tip every day. You may not always have the same person handling your room.

Also, to the poster who had no cash on them for a Disney trip, that is a bad idea. I have been in the parks more than once where a kiosk had computer problems and could only do cash transactions. You don't want run into that and be unable to purchase something you want because you only have plastic and no cash.