Valet Parking

[JudithM]

We tip the valet when we drop the car off & when we retrieve it - just our personal preference. To us the CM is doing us a service.

 

[CaliforniaDreaming]

We tip based on our personal preference. The valets usually remember us (seems like the Grand Floridian has a hard time remembering Cali-D, while the same CM parked the car for us the entire time during our stay at the Contemporary - also called us by name and gave a warm greeting!).

 

[Carrieberry]

I always tip $2-3 only to the person who brings me the car. I have never tipped anyone taking the car, but I can see how it would feel awkward if they were not handing you little slip everytime you exited the vehicle. It might seem strange to just hand over the keys and walk away without some sort of exchange. Growing up in the LA/Orange County area of Ca, almost every mall, shopping plaza, restaurant etc has valet parking, and we have always just tipped the person who brought us the car at the end.

It's always worth the extra $$ to pay for valet!!

 

[polyfan]

We used to tip both times for valet parking. That will stop now that disney is charging $6 a day for it. This was the first year that we encountered this charge. There was never a charge before this year, so we would tip both ways.

 

[Tiffany]

Originally posted by loriencke
We used to tip both times for valet parking. That will stop now that disney is charging $6 a day for it. This was the first year that we encountered this charge. There was never a charge before this year, so we would tip both ways.

This $6 charge took effect in July of 2001.

We tipped at both drop off and pick up before the $6 charge and in Sept of 2001 we continued to tip at both drop off and pick up. I figure the valet is not getting the $6 per car.

Anyway this was dicussed at length back in July of 2001 when this first came out. As with any tipping matter it is a matter of personal choice to tip or not or if you tip as to how much.

 

[Steven Forrest]

Originally posted by Tikiman
I use to valet every time but the Polynesian self park is very close to the entrance. I think the only time I will valet will be when we check in. It sounds like a good idea to valet for our stay over at the AKL. I guess $6 is not bad considering the Disneyland Hotel cost $10 a day just to self park and walk a half a mile.

Steve

Steve,
Be careful using valet only for check-in. The week after Disney started the new valet policy my sister and I used valet on check-in. She didn't use her car the entire 7 days, we just used mine. When we checked out she was charged the $6 x 7 days for valet.
She did get it removed from her bill, she can be very persistent <g>. The signage at the valet stand was a bit ambiguous, don't know if it's been changed. If you valet your vehicle the first day, it is still kept in the valet lot, hence $6/day.

steve

 

[figmentvi]

Yup valet parking is the way to go. And $6.00/day is CHEAP !!!
We just returned from a trip to Boston and had to pay $34.00/day

 

[Minnie's Mate]

We have never used Valet parking in the past. But we use our car every day to go to the parks, DTD, etc. This trip, I plan to use the Valet because it can be difficult to find a space that isn't a country mile away from the hotel entrance. My question is this, do you call the bell stand or valet stand from your room and ask them to bring the car to you so you don't have to wait at the entrance, or do you give your request when you get to the hotel entrance and just stand there waiting for it? I suppose if you call down, the car might be delivered and the valet that brought it might be gone to park or pick up someone else's car when you get there, but for me the idea is to save time and for convenience. I don't think standing on the side walk is really convenient, but neither is walking from the parking lot late at night after having been on my feet all day in the parks. Especially if it happens to be raining when you reach the hotel.

 

[Tiffany]

Originally posted by Minnie's Mate
My question is this, do you call the bell stand or valet stand from your room and ask them to bring the car to you so you don't have to wait at the entrance, or do you give your request when you get to the hotel entrance and just stand there waiting for it?

Hi Minnie's Mate,

We have done it both ways. At the YC we called down a couple of times but they were so quick it realy did not matter. We stayed at the AKL twice in 2001 and never called down just gave the ticket to person at the valet counter and they would ring a bell and off the person would go to get the car. Never took very long.

 

[jiminyfan]

We love using the valet service and tip both in and out. I disagree witht he statement that since WDW charges for valet I do not tip as much or etc. It it NOT the valets fault that WDW now charges and he/she is the one losing income. I look at it like wait staff at a restaurant, I get charged for a meal, but still tip the service provided to me. I am not sure of the salary structure at WDW, but at most places in PA if you can get tips your hourly wage is a lot less than those who do not get tips. Yes, it can add up, but I feel that I want the exrta service I should be willing to provide the necessary tip. The AKL valets are out of this world, we never had to wait for the car. We even tried to beat them to the door a few times by calling as we were leaving the room and they always had the car there and ready for us. Last October a member of the valet staff drove us to our wine dinner door to door fromthe AKL to the Odyses (SP? - know that isn't right) restaurant in EPCOT as we were running late - this is great customer SERVICE.

Also, I had a first this trip I was turned down by Beach Club to use their valet for a character breakfast as they said that they did not want people using their lot for EPCOT. I have a two year old and he loves the character meals, so we thought we'd take him to BC for our last breakfast. I am not sure if it being July 4th as the case or not, but I was not a happy customer. We drove to Boardwalk used their service and walked to BC, what a pain.

Enough from me.

 

[Tiffany]

Originally posted by jiminyfan
Also, I had a first this trip I was turned down by Beach Club to use their valet for a character breakfast as they said that they did not want people using their lot for EPCOT. I have a two year old and he loves the character meals, so we thought we'd take him to BC for our last breakfast. I am not sure if it being July 4th as the case or not, but I was not a happy customer. We drove to Boardwalk used their service and walked to BC, what a pain.

Enough from me.

Wow! You had a piority seating to have breakfast at Cape May Cafe and the BC would not valet your car? That is outrageours.

 

[ncligs]

This is one of the "perks" of being a DVC member, you don't have to pay for valet parking. We always tip the driver($2) who returns our car to us when we leave.

 

[Tiffany]

Originally posted by ncligs
This is one of the "perks" of being a DVC member, you don't have to pay for valet parking. We always tip the driver($2) who returns our car to us when we leave.

Hi ncligs,

I thought DVC members still had to pay the valet parking fee at non-DVC resorts? Example if you drive over to the CR to have dinner and valet I thought that you would be charged the $6.

 

[ncligs]

Tiffany,

You are correct. At DVC resorts (BWV's and BCV's) we don't have to pay the $6 fee. At non-DVC we would have to pay. Thats why we stick with DVC resorts