Valet tipping tid-bit of info.

[Mickmse2002]

I tip $2 or $3 after the service is completed.

 

[Granny]

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.

You mean I shouldn't be tipping those hostesses? That ESPN Club hostess sure has a lot of 'splainin' to do!

 

[drakethib]

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.

Here Here. I agree with your way of thinking and act in the same manner.

I am from the "you take care of me, I take care of you school". Like many others we are on a budget when we go to WDW, but tipping is part of our budget.

I want to be pampered when on vacation and if it cost money, so be it. That is why I go to WDW. IMHO, I have found when you are generous with tips, your request are met and seem to be taken care of even more so then the usual great service @ WDW.

Funny thing though, one time we were at POFQ and when we tried to tip the guy who pulled our bags on the car and on to the cart, he thanked us but stated that we were to only tip the guy who brought our bags to the room if we so choose.

 

[Pa@okw95]

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.

Are you back from you shift as valet at BWV??????????????

 

[greggville]

I have used valet parking at all the DVC. There is only one place were there is a awkward pause when I hand over my keys, this is a VWL. I don't like being pressured to tip before the service is complete. When they return the car.... I tip between 2-3 dollars.

I think we DVC-ers should establish an unofficial policy of tipping after the service is complete.

 

[DVCLiz]

I have used valet parking at all the DVC. There is only one place were there is a awkward pause when I hand over my keys, this is a VWL. I don't like being pressured to tip before the service is complete. When they return the car.... I tip between 2-3 dollars.

I think we DVC-ers should establish an unofficial policy of tipping after the service is complete.

But I think there are two services, and that is why I tip both dropping off and picking up. There's the service where I leisurely drive up to the entrance and say, "Valet, please", and there's the service where I call from my room and say, "Car, please." And I love both of those equally!!! I'm really perfectly happy for you to make your own decision about tipping, really I am, and I don't fault anyone for deciding to tip only at pick up. For me, though, it's always going to be a tip at both - and quite frankly, the more often I read some posts about turning away from the outstretched hand and not shedding a tear, the more likely I am to tip handsomely. After all, if the prevailing opinion is that it all evens out in the end, then there have to be tippers like me to make up for non-tippers like some of you!!! Just doing my part to make things come out evenly....

And thanks, drakethib, for the nice words!!!!

 

[mickeys#1fan]

From Frommers.com: tip valet $1.00 for retrieval of car.

 

[DVCLiz]

From Frommers.com: tip valet $1.00 for retrieval of car.

Sorry, I'm breaking this immediately!!!!

 

[Dean]

Sorry, I'm breaking this immediately!!!!

a Few months ago we were talking about tips and I did a pretty extensive search. On maybe 9 or 10 different sites that listed tipping guidelines, there was some variation. Only one even mentioned tipping both ways. Most were $1-2 and a couple were $2-3. Personally I do $2 as my base then add if it's raining, I don't have to wait long, they open the doors for everyone, etc. But based on that search, I don't think I could say that $1 is truly inappropriate. I've said this twice now today, but I think some DVC members feel guilty and tend to over tip to make themselves feel better, I guess it's not so bad being as blessed as we are.

 

[Cyndy]

The Valet tipping thread made me wonder about another tipping "spot" at BWV. We tip $2 at both arrival and pickup for Valet and generally tip the person who unloads our car (we often travel as a group of 4 adults and believe me, we bring very little other that the garmet bag, 2 med. suitcases and since we drive we have 2 overnite bags per couple. We are trying to learn to pack litght but so far it escapes us!

My question is what about this baggage person, usually not the same person who birings our bags up just unpacks from car to the rack. Do you tip him the same as the bellperson? We usually tip less but have seen many and I do mean many villa guests who come with 2 or 3 luggage carts stacked full of food, beverages, and bags plus playthings for kids, do people tip equal to the no. of bagsl- $2.00 per bag type bellperson tip and then tip the bellman also?

Just curious, when we go next week we will be once again be taking our kids and grandkids and all of our group will participate in unloading at our GV at OKW. We've only taken large groups to BCV and OKW where we unpacked ourselves because it was easy. How do you handle this middle man thing at BWV?

 

[bicker]

I would be careful about using online resources as foundation for things like this. There is at least one online travel web site which is operated seemingly for the purpose of serving as a "resource" for justifying inflated gratuities. (The web site I'm thinking of also indicates that it is improper to bypass bellservice by carrying your own luggage, and that rolling luggage is a sign of lack of integrity, or something like that. ) It's a little like weight-loss: You can find online resources supporting everything from "there is no proof that being obese is bad for you" to "the best way to lose weight is to stop eating completely for three weeks."

Frommers is a good resource, though I personally double their recommendation.

 

[bicker]

My question is what about this baggage person, usually not the same person who birings our bags up just unpacks from car to the rack. Do you tip him the same as the bellperson?

Again, relying on the generally-accepted practices, there are either one or two luggage-related services here that need to tipped (and if both services are appropriate, you tip for each the same, i.e., the standard bell service gratuity).
- The primary service is delivery of bags to the room.
- The possible second service is storing bags. (As I mentioned above, I don't tip for a service that is completely counter to what I want, so if it is after check-in time, I consider putting my bags into storage instead of taking them directly to my room as poor service, and I never tip for poor service.)
All the rest of the folks involved are assisting in providing these two services. Just like you don't typically separately tip the busboy in a standard restaurant, you don't separately tip assistants to the bell service. A hotel could break the service of getting bags to the room into five or six parts if they wish, but it is a single service, and you tip for the one service, on its completion. Just like it is the restauranteur's and the waiter's responsibility to ensure that the busboy gets his fair share of the tip you leave at a restaurant, it is up to the hotel and the bell staffer you give the gratuity to to ensure that everyone who assists with the bell service gets their fair share of the gratuity.

 

[Dean]

The Valet tipping thread made me wonder about another tipping "spot" at BWV. We tip $2 at both arrival and pickup for Valet and generally tip the person who unloads our car (we often travel as a group of 4 adults and believe me, we bring very little other that the garmet bag, 2 med. suitcases and since we drive we have 2 overnite bags per couple. We are trying to learn to pack litght but so far it escapes us!

My question is what about this baggage person, usually not the same person who birings our bags up just unpacks from car to the rack. Do you tip him the same as the bellperson? We usually tip less but have seen many and I do mean many villa guests who come with 2 or 3 luggage carts stacked full of food, beverages, and bags plus playthings for kids, do people tip equal to the no. of bagsl- $2.00 per bag type bellperson tip and then tip the bellman also?

Just curious, when we go next week we will be once again be taking our kids and grandkids and all of our group will participate in unloading at our GV at OKW. We've only taken large groups to BCV and OKW where we unpacked ourselves because it was easy. How do you handle this middle man thing at BWV?

The industry standard is to tip when your bags are delivered. That is at the room on arrival (not at the curb) and at the curb on departure. Usually $1-2 per bad with a $5 min most would say. And the same idea as the valet. If they pool tips or rotate deliveries, it should work out roughly the same.

 

[Dean]

I would be careful about using online resources as foundation for things like this. There is at least one online travel web site which is operated seemingly for the purpose of serving as a "resource" for justifying inflated gratuities. (The web site I'm thinking of also indicates that it is improper to bypass bellservice by carrying your own luggage, and that rolling luggage is a sign of lack of integrity, or something like that. ) It's a little like weight-loss: You can find online resources supporting everything from "there is no proof that being obese is bad for you" to "the best way to lose weight is to stop eating completely for three weeks."

Frommers is a good resource, though I personally double their recommendation.

I would agree that just looking at one with no name behind it is not enough. But when you look at many including travel industry sites, you start to get a good picture. I'm sure some are old and maybe should be updated. And others have an agenda. But as hinted at in other areas of these 2 threads, there really ISN'T a real authority in this area. BTW, I think one was from this web site.

 

[georgeat]

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.

I have never seen a hot tub IN a DVC room. I think they call them whirlpool tubs.

 

[DVCLiz]

Silly, silly, silly...

If I had to come up with a "reason" why I tip the way I do, it would be about a million years before I would ever happen upon "overtipping because of feeling guilty for having DVC".

Giving more than a dollar tip at pickup only obviously makes many of you uncomfortbale. So avert your eyes if you see a blue minivan with NC plates at a valet stand, because if I don't have any ones, sometimes I (GASP!!!!!!) give the guy a FIVE DOLLAR BILL!!!!!!!!

 

[CharlesTD]

I have never seen a hot tub IN a DVC room. I think they call them whirlpool tubs.


You are correct georgeat but when our kids were younger they called the tubs hot tubs as in the outdoor ones like the one at home so we have just called them that since then.

 

[JohnNJ]

...because if I don't have any ones, sometimes I (GASP!!!!!!) give the guy a FIVE DOLLAR BILL!!!!!!!!

Liz:

I agree with your tipping philosophy. Steve Martin said in My Blue Heaven:

"I don't tip. I overtip." Me, too.

FYI - the valet will gladly break a large bill and give you singles. It reduces the bulge in their pants.

John

 

[DVCLiz]

Liz:

I agree with your tipping philosophy. Steve Martin said in My Blue Heaven:

"I don't tip. I overtip." Me, too.

FYI - the valet will gladly break a large bill and give you singles. It reduces the bulge in their pants.

John

Darn - I thought they were just glad to see me...

 

[drakethib]

Darn - I thought they were just glad to see me...

Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha



Oh man, I am a guy, I hope that doesn't happen when they see me.


Ok People. Easy answer to all of this.

Tip how you see fit and feel comfortable with and I will do the same.Again, I budget tipping in our trips.

I will give you a story about our trip in May and it probably will make some of you cringe.

The wife and I rented the partybarge trip to see the fireworks @ Epcot and wanted the boat to ourselves (it is our last trip alone as our first baby arrives this Sept !) .

The boat normally takes 10 - 12 or so people out and Imagine that every couple/ family tips the boat captain 5 or 10 bucks (say average $7.50 tip each). Family of 4 / 12 seats = 3 families =Tip of about $22.50.

Well I got to thinking maybe the Boat Capt would be missing out on part of his income (tips) because it was only my wife and I so I played it safe and tipped him $40 bucks. He darn near kissed us. That 40 bucks (while not easy to come by these days) put a smile on his face, made his day, and made us feel great. Sometimes it truly is better to give then receive.

It was worth every dime.

Hats off to Captain Ron .