Valet tipping tid-bit of info.

[Plus4206]

It has always been my habit - and others I have observed - to tip the valet who parks my car and then also tip the one who retrieves it.

There has been great discussion on the boards as to what is proper.

Some posters stated the WDW valets all pool their tips and that you ONLY tip the guy who retrieves the vehicle.

We stayed at BWV this trip and valet parking is the only way to go when staying there and I wanted to know what their policy really was. So I asked. There were two CM's at the booth - guy & gal. I asked the young lady what the normal practice was and that I'd heard the valets pool their tips so tipping the retriever was most commonly done. She started giving a very polite but indirect answer that tipping was at my discretion, not mandatory but appriciated,yada,yada,yada..... but only left me just as bewildered. The other CM was paying attention and just as I was about to leave he politely informed me that the valets definitely DO NOT pool their tips and then added " I hope that helps answer your question" which it did 100 %.

I tipped each valet and had excellent service.

 

[jctwizzer]

You're confirming what I learned by asking some time ago---the valets at WDW do not pool their tips. Since then I have, like you, tipped both ways.
IMO anyone who erroneously contends the WDW valets pool tips is trying to justify their cheap behavior

 

[GeorgiaTiggerGirl]

I have always tipped both. I figured they are both providing a service, so why tip just one?

 

[bicker]

IMO anyone who erroneously contends the WDW valets pool tips is trying to justify their cheap behavior

Either that or anyone who erroneously contends that tipping only on retrieval of your vehicle is cheap, rather than standard practice by many reasonable people, is just trying to justify their antagonistic behavior.

 

[DaveT1]

I still only tip on pick up. The reason being that quite often when tipping on drop off, as i was getting organized i watched the person i tipped hand off the keys to someone else to park, and continued handing out tickets. The argument has always been that they pool their tips, which you just confirmed as untrue. I don't mind tipping for a service but handing me a ticket...... like tipping a hostess for walking you to your table.

 

[bicker]

Dave: I've never given much consideration to claims about pooling tips (either claims that valet's do pool tips, or claims, even by valets, that they don't pool tips). Rather, the basis on which so many folks tip on retrieval of their vehicle is that that folks generally tip on completion of the service rendered.

 

[Plus4206]

I always tipped both ways but always thought tipping the first guy was more important then tipping the last. If you stiff the guy who retrieves the car, he simply calls you a jerk as you drive away. However, you stiff the guy who has complete control of your car after you walk into the resort ............

Naw..... $2.00 bucks is the cheapest car insurance policy I'll ever buy.

 

[CharlesTD]

We park our own car never use valet as I am quite capable of finding a spot and 9 times out of 10 will get front row spots no matter where I am. Why pay somone to park my car when I am fully capable of doing it never could figure out why people do this.

 

[ColoradoBelle1]

I was just at BWV and LOVED the valet service.
But I only tipped upon retrieval, each time $2.00. I rec'd excellent service and loved the luxury of calling from the room and having the car waiting when I arrived.

I watched how they 'retrieved' cars tho. THe key was pulled and left sitting on the stand. When a car came in to be parked, the valet took the key, got into the car needing to be parked and drove to the lot and picked up my car.
In essence, it was a RT sort of deal and I was the end of the line tipper. I suppose that I could have broken it down into $1.00 each person, and may do next time...I just figured that most people tip on the retrieval end and so the valets themselves must have worked out a system that is equitable.

 

[bicker]

A lot of folks look at valet parking as a luxury that the can enjoy the fruits of -- asking why use the valet is a little like asking why soak in the hot tub when you could just as well take a shower. Eh?

Having said that, my wife and I only use the valet when we've got more luggage than we can, uh, lug. Otherwise, we could use the exercise.

 

[Plus4206]

We park our own car never use valet as I am quite capable of finding a spot and 9 times out of 10 will get front row spots no matter where I am. Why pay somone to park my car when I am fully capable of doing it never could figure out why people do this.

Charles, have you ever stayed at the BWV ? Guest parking is very limited - not quite as bad as GF - and they even have an overflow lot across the street. You will not "9 times out of 10" get a front row position at BWV.

I do not valet at VWL. Figure by the time I walked all the way to the valet area I could just as easily walk to my car,the lots not that far away.

I don't valet at BCV either because the lot is very close to the Villas.

I do however tip at OKW...... well, actually I just pay my DW a buck or two to run out to the car,start it up and turn on the A/C about 5 minutes before I'm ready to leave.

 

[JimC]

Pooled tips or not the standard practice is to tip when the car is returned. Those who tip twice are being twice as nice. Those who tip only upon return are just following standard practice.

 

[Dean]

It has always been my habit - and others I have observed - to tip the valet who parks my car and then also tip the one who retrieves it.

There has been great discussion on the boards as to what is proper.

Some posters stated the WDW valets all pool their tips and that you ONLY tip the guy who retrieves the vehicle.

We stayed at BWV this trip and valet parking is the only way to go when staying there and I wanted to know what their policy really was. So I asked. There were two CM's at the booth - guy & gal. I asked the young lady what the normal practice was and that I'd heard the valets pool their tips so tipping the retriever was most commonly done. She started giving a very polite but indirect answer that tipping was at my discretion, not mandatory but appriciated,yada,yada,yada..... but only left me just as bewildered. The other CM was paying attention and just as I was about to leave he politely informed me that the valets definitely DO NOT pool their tips and then added " I hope that helps answer your question" which it did 100 %.

I tipped each valet and had excellent service.

I don't think it's been a big point of dissension as to whether they pooled the tips. It really doesn't matter. One approach is to rotate drop off and pickup and thus over time they will get the exact same amount. The other is to pool the tips. Actually those that don't pool will get more for those that are more honest and don't hold some back. So it really is irrelevant as to whether to follow the industry standard or not, which is to tip on pickup.

 

[Meezers]

Silly question here....what about tipping when the valet parking is free because there is no nearby handicapped parking? I know they do this at GF and YC....so basically you can't park your own car and have to use valet....you don't pay the daily fee...but should you still tip?

 

[CharlesTD]

Yes we have stayed @ BWV and never once did I have an issue getting a spot near the front of the lot mind you we don't often drive other than to go off property to shop. We have 3 kids to load and unload and a pile of luggage but still have no desire to use it. We alos don't use the hot tub in the 1 bedroom the kids will occasionally but we just use the shower LOL.

 

[Johnnie Fedora]

Too many CMs are involved in the process. Having three CMs involved in the valet process is just an attempt to milk the tipping public and guilt you into over-tipping for the particular service. I've started giving one tip (to one of the three CM's), or I split the tip 1/2 at drop-off and 1/2 at pick-up. I wouldn't worry about whether pooling occurs or not. People in tipped positions know the score and fight with each other and the desk manager for their share of customers. I don't boo-hoo for the valets, happy people on vacation tip well. Together with their wages, they probably make $20+/hour easy.

 

[OneMoreTry]

$2 in and $2 out and never got a dirty look. Had great service. The hardest part is making sure I've got enough dollar bills on hand. I start saving up a month before the trip.

 

[rinkwide]

...they probably make $20+/hour easy.

Could be a whole lot more. Hell, in Vegas it's a six-figure income.

Tip on completion of service. If the kid you drop the car with puts his hand out turn your back and don't shed a tear as you walk away. Just think of the big tax-free wad o' cash he takes home every night.

 

[WolfpackFan]

I never valet. I don't like other people driving my car.

 

[DVCLiz]

I always valet park, and I always tip $2 at drop off and $2 at pick up. $10 to the guy who unloads my luggage from my car and puts in on the luggage cart, and $10 to the guy who brings it to my room (sometimes this is the same person, and sometimes it isn't.) $24 for the luxury of driving up to the front door and having everything handled for me is cheap to me - and what I have come to expect for my WDW vacations. Especially when I am solo, I never want to park and lug my suitcase across the parking lot!!!! I get that experience at home often enough trying to lug shopping bags from the front door of Target to my car parked in the hinterlands - I avoid it on vacation if I can!!!

I would always tip if valet parking were free - it still means someone has to take my car to the lot and retrieve it, so I think that's worthy of a tip. And I would never turn and walk away from someone who had just helped me - anyone who works in a tipping position like valet parking deserves the tip, which is a very small amount of money in the scheme of a WDW vacation. I guess I have never understood the attitude some people have about this kind of issue - I'm very happy to be one of the "twice as nice" people who tip both ways.