Tipping question

[Brwhite]

Has anyone noticed better service from mousekeeping when you tip as oppose to not tipping. It never occured to me to tip in my hotel room. The only place I've done an extended stay at has been at Disney, and I guess I'm wondering if tipping housekeeping(mousekeeping) is standard practice, and now I wonder if I've offended some mousekeepers.

 

[ILoveDisney-Angie]

Yes. I have noticed better service. Mousekeeping will leave towel animals and will rearrange stuffed animals on the bed, windowsill, table, etc.

 

[kirbsam]

No difference. when this thread is over, you will see more people like me who tip and have never received a towel animal(not a big deal actually), than tippers that have. I hope tipping does not affect service, but human nature being what it is, it would not surprise me.(Not a dig, just stating what i think)

 

[jpeka65844]

I understand tipping m'keeping (those ladies probably aren't making much anyway and I'm sure they appreciate being appreciated!) but what about bellhops? Does anybody use/tip them? I am FIERCELY independent and a little on the cheap side and will be responsible for my own bags, thank you!

That's one thing I HATED about NYC! Everyone wanted to help me with my luggage cuz they wanted a tip!

Now, if our room isn't ready and they have a bellhop come get our bags to store, THEN I'll do it, but not before! I'm not paying someone to do something I'm perfectly capable of doing myself!!!

I was a waitress in college and my first 2 years of teaching so I know what it's like to rely on tips! But honestly.......I think people can just get greedy.....



Denice T.
Olathe, KS

 

[TammiMcMan]

I know this subject matter can get kind of heated, but this is my experience. No matter where we've stayed, I always tip housekeeping. In fact, whenever we plan a Disney vacation, my budget always includes tips. They usually cover the skycap at the airport who checks us in curbside and saves us the wait inside the terminal. I don't like to handle my own luggage while on vacation, so I set aside money for the bellhop. Typcially he'll take the extra time and fill the ice bucket, go over the room's heating/ac system and open/close the balcony door. Certainly not rocket science, but considering the fact that we did have a broken balcony door once and the bellhop took care of calling maintenance and having it fixed immediately for us. In terms of housekeeping, I'm satisfied with a clean room. In many trips, we've only had towel animals twice, but never had a problem with poor housekeeping. I'd like to think that is their normal service level and the tip is just our way of saying thank you.

 

[swilphil]

I didn't realize that I should tip housekeeping everyday. I don't know why. It makes perfect sense that I wouldn't have the same housekeeper every day. I just was planning on giving my entire tip at the end of the trip. My first several hotel stays were only for one night, so maybe that's where the tipping at the end of the trip came from.

Anyway, on the 2nd or 3rd day of our last trip to WDW, our room had not been cleaned by 4 p.m. (I was saving the tip for the last day). So I would say you are going to get better service if you tip everyday, even if it's just a couple of bucks.

I have heard some people say that housekeeping is not a tipped position at WDW, but I look at it this way. If a large percentage of people are not leaving tips, the housekeepers are going to leave for a job where they can make more money. If Disney is losing too many employees in that area, they are going to have raise the salary of the housekeepers. Disney will then factor that into the amount they are going to raise the room rates. So either way I'm going to have pay.

 

[Momof6]

We never used to tip housekeeping, because I didn't know we could/should. We have tipped Mousekeeping the last 3 trips. I don't know that there is a change in the service provided...but I want my children to recognize the work that is being done to help them have a fun and easy vacation. I print up some cute envelopes on the computer before we go, and put $2 in each. We always go for 14 nights - so $28 seems very reasonable to me. By budgeting ahead and setting it aside we don't need to run around for smaller bills.


Denise

 

[TammiMcMan]

Denise, I do the same exact thing as you. I print out all my tip envelopes ahead of time and go to the bank for the appropriate number of $1 bills. My daughter loves decorating them and I mark each one with the date that I'll need it. When we arrive at the resort, I stick them in the safe and just take out what I need.

I didn't answer the OP's question about offending mousekeeping. I honestly don't think that you would offend them. Tipping is a very personal choice and can depend on numerous things. Disney is host to many international guests and tipping is very different all over the world. When my DH was on business in Ireland, he put money on the bar in the Pub. His business associate explained that to leave a tip would be an insult. In another instance, DH and I ate dinner in a Disney restaurant one night and were seated next to a couple from another country. We ended up having a lovely conversation with them and probably stayed an extra hour having drinks with them. When the waitress presented the bill, the gentleman asked me to look it over for him and make sure that his addition was correct. Their dinner bill was something close to $200 and the tip amount he filled in was $5. Our bill was somewhere in the area of $100 and my DH had filled in a tip of $25. We got to talking about the tip and the couple was shocked that Americans tip approximately 15%. Our waitress was wonderful and we had taken up two of her stations for probably close to 3 hours, so my DH crossed out his tip amount and added a bit more to cover both.

 

[bytheblood]

No difference. when this thread is over, you will see more people like me who tip and have never received a towel animal(not a big deal actually), than tippers that have. I hope tipping does not affect service, but human nature being what it is, it would not surprise me.(Not a dig, just stating what i think)

I agree. We are great tippers and only get towel animals on the cruise.

I have heard some people say that housekeeping is not a tipped position at WDW...

Boy, safetymom will jump all over this one.

 

[bytheblood]

 

[lclark0621]

I tip sky cabs at the airports.

I tip housekeeping in hotels (though I have NEVER gotten a towel animal, but last time they did arrange DS's stuffed animals really cute on the bed).

I tip wait staff.

I tip bell hops.

It is these peoples' jobs to help you. So if they do a good job, I tip. I have with held tips from rude or obnoxious people though.

However when tryin to tip at the GF (except for wait staff), they have ALWAYS refused tips. Even our Mousekeeper there left her tip with a little not for us telling us how much she appreciated it, but it was not necessary & she was just doing her part to help make our stay magical. We left the tip anyway & she never took it! So we did leave great comments for her at concierge. Talk about service!

 

[LSUDis]

We do tip now, but like a lot of people, didn't know that you tipped housekeeping until I had been reading around here. Really, we had tipped waitstaff, bellhops, valets, etc. everywhere that we travel, but we had never heard about tipping housekeeping before. Now that I think about it, I think that I would rather tip housekeeping that bellhops. I, like a previous writer, do not like how some just grab your bags. I, too, like to take my own bags. It just seems really too personal for a stranger to carry my bags to my room. (I know...I'm weird in some ways ).

Anyway, we had a lovely woman last year at CBR for housekeeping. Being from the South, we make conversation with everyone (my husband says that I talk until I find out that I am related somehow to anyone I talk to ). Didn't work this time, though. I think that she was from Puerto Rico.
We talked as she cleaned and found out about her children (some of whom worked at other places at Disney), got her ice for her drink since we were going anyway, and, not only did she leave towel creatures, but she sat down one day and taught my DKs HOW to do a towel puppy....complete with stickers for eyes. Now, who wouldn't tip that!

 

[kirkharrod]

I think whether you get a towel animal or not depends on if your Mousekeeper knows how to make them.

I always tip $5 per day for Mousekeeping and $5 per bag for bell man, because our room is usually trashed and our luggage usually has makeup kits lashed to the side, coolers strapped to them, etc.

I have always found that generous tips pay off dividends in the long run.

 

[kirkharrod]

In another instance, DH and I ate dinner in a Disney restaurant one night and were seated next to a couple from another country. We ended up having a lovely conversation with them and probably stayed an extra hour having drinks with them. When the waitress presented the bill, the gentleman asked me to look it over for him and make sure that his addition was correct. Their dinner bill was something close to $200 and the tip amount he filled in was $5. Our bill was somewhere in the area of $100 and my DH had filled in a tip of $25. We got to talking about the tip and the couple was shocked that Americans tip approximately 15%. Our waitress was wonderful and we had taken up two of her stations for probably close to 3 hours, so my DH crossed out his tip amount and added a bit more to cover both.

Tammi: Your DH is a class gentleman for adding to your tip to cover the other couple!

 

[I95 to I4]

We always take a stack of $5.00 bills with us on vacation. Everyone gets tipped all the time. The valet, whenever you drop off your car and every time you pick up your car, bellhop, maid service, room service etc. It just goes on and on. But it really is worth it and they remember you for it. Our last night at AKL, the room service staff brought us a complimentary tray of desserts with our coffee, the concierge service delivered a birthday cake to our daughter, they had a card signed from Mickey Mouse. We signed our envelope for the maid each day and when we would see the maids in the hall, they always said good afternoon Mrs Kessel etc. Because we tipped valet each time, they told us the rest of our valet was on the house. It really does matter if you treat other people with respect, because you get it back. A little kindness goes a long way.

 

[Julia M]

I usually tip housekeeping wherever we are. On our last WDW trip, we tipped Mousekeeping at the AKL, and never received anything "extra". My sister didn't tip at all, and her kids received cute towel animals. So, "extras" are not about tipping, at least not all the time. That's okay with me.....I tip because it's what I want to do, not to try and "get" extras.

On the other hand, I have gotten "extras" in other cities where we have tipped. In Las Vegas, I received "upgraded" spa toiletries, rather than the regular items. That was a nice treat.

In Baltimore, (where we stayed in a Priceline room), I tipped every day, and our third day (last day), we had checked out, but went back to the room for a few minutes. We were suppsoed to be out at 11, and the maid was there. She told us to stay as long as we wanted and relax.......I'm sure it had something to do with us tipping her.

Personally, I also tip because it makes me feel good to feel like I've done something else for someone and it's appreciated. I have frequently been thanked by housekeepers in various hotels. I'm not a "big shot" in my life, but I feel like one when I'm thanked.

Julia

 

[SaraMc]

I just came back from All-Star Music yesterday and we tipped Mousekeeping and my sister and her family who were in the next room did not.

We seemed to get more towel characters and lots more soaps. She did start tipping after her 13 year old left all his dirty laundry outside his suitcase and Mousekeeping picked it up for him.

Sara

 

[lsteadman]

I take the mousekeeping envelopes and fill them as such

(1) $3.00 tip Supershuttle Drive
(1) $3.00 tip NWA skycap
(1) $3.00 tip Mears Driver /Jan it was $5.00 Towncar Driver
(1) $10.00 tip to MOUSEKEEPING because I take all sheets and blankets off at arrival. I want clean sheets and blankets.
(7) $5.00 tips total $35.00 in mousekeeping envelopes
(1) $3.00 tip Mears Driver
(1) $3.00 Skycap at MCO
(1) $3.00 tip Supershuttle Driver


I didn't list any tips for waiters because I use the MYW dining and tips are included. I think this is a small amount and I am by know means middle-income.

 

[Sammie]

I tip at the end of our stay not daily. I do not think we have ever gotten better service because of tips. I see housekeeping just as I do a server in a restaurant. If I get service beyond their job description I tip accordingly. I never tip because I feel I must or to encourage good service.

The maids leave a card, usually on the vanity with their name on it. At the end of our stay I put the money in an envelope with their name on it.

 

[G00fyDad]

I tip at the end of our stay not daily. I do not think we have ever gotten better service because of tips. I see housekeeping just as I do a server in a restaurant. If I get service beyond their job description I tip accordingly. I never tip because I feel I must or to encourage good service.

The maids leave a card, usually on the vanity with their name on it. At the end of our stay I put the money in an envelope with their name on it.

That would be great if that person is/was the only one cleaning the room. And depending on where you stay, they may be. But I have seen alot of people talk about having multiple Mousekeepers during their stay. That would stink for the last Mousekeeper to get all of the others tips.