Are we suppossed to tip the guy driving DME

[Sheila E.]

Never rode this before, so didn't know if we are supposed to tip this bus driver. Thanks Sheila

 

[goofy4tink]

If the driver 'touches' your bags, then yes, you should be prepared to tip. The going rate is $1-2 per bag. BUT...I have tipped drivers who didn't touch a bag...I had only my tote bag with me. But, they were so pleasant and informative on the ride and gave such good service that I felt a tip was in order. On the other hand, I've had drivers make mention of the fact that 'gratuities are always gratefully accepted'. Now that rubs me the wrong way...especially since there is signage at the front of the bus, up above the windshield that tells you this same thing. It's hard to miss that sign since you're staring at it from the time you sit down and then again as you get off the bus. To me, it is the same thing as begging to have a driver mention tipping. I had one driver who mentioned tipping...and this after he never uttered one single word, other than to announce the resorts we were at, the entire ride. He did get out a bag for me but I didn't tip him. I refuse to be guilted into something or made to feel that I 'should' be tipping.

 

[kristenrice]

I was wondering the same thing. I have used DME twice. I never thought to tip on the way to the resort because, for some reason, when I read "gratuity included", it did not occur to me that it meant the gratuity for bell services to deliver your luggage to your room. Now, I know better and I am prepared tp tip the DME driver appropriately. I forgot to tip on the return trip the first time I used it (no small bills on hand!) but I remembered for the second trip.

I am wondering about the "if the driver touches your bag" guideline....do they even allow you to stow/unstow your baggage under the bus? I think the driver has to do it and therefore must "touch" your bags. I agree that this is appropriate, but I would not want people to think that they can just put the luggage in themselves to try and avoid tipping. Or, am I mistaken? I fully intend on tipping the driver for dealing with our luggage (car seat, strollers, carry-ons....it's a lot) but I too do not like it when they verbally solicit tips. It always rubs me the wrong way when people ask for tips. Here's a tip: "Don't ask for tips!"

 

[dacky041208]

I am wondering about the "if the driver touches your bag" guideline....do they even allow you to stow/unstow your baggage under the bus? I think the driver has to do it and therefore must "touch" your bags. I agree that this is appropriate, but I would not want people to think that they can just put the luggage in themselves to try and avoid tipping.

That's correct your luggage will be loaded and unloaded by the driver. Your carryon can go with you on the bus though, so if you use ME for the luggage transfer, you can "avoid" the tip as you said, unless you are so inclined.

 

[LAS321]

We tipped the bus driver when we exited the bus at our hotel. Most people seemed to be tipping but not everyone did. I'm just so happy to be at WDW and feel so fortunate to be able to afford to go that I certainly can spare a few dollars to tip someone who's working hard so I can have a good time!

 

[goofy4tink]

I was wondering the same thing. I have used DME twice. I never thought to tip on the way to the resort because, for some reason, when I read "gratuity included", it did not occur to me that it meant the gratuity for bell services to deliver your luggage to your room. Now, I know better and I am prepared tp tip the DME driver appropriately. I forgot to tip on the return trip the first time I used it (no small bills on hand!) but I remembered for the second trip.

I am wondering about the "if the driver touches your bag" guideline....do they even allow you to stow/unstow your baggage under the bus? I think the driver has to do it and therefore must "touch" your bags. I agree that this is appropriate, but I would not want people to think that they can just put the luggage in themselves to try and avoid tipping. Or, am I mistaken? I fully intend on tipping the driver for dealing with our luggage (car seat, strollers, carry-ons....it's a lot) but I too do not like it when they verbally solicit tips. It always rubs me the wrong way when people ask for tips. Here's a tip: "Don't ask for tips!"

Sorry if the way I put it was confusing...I know what I meant In any case....yes, the driver is the one who will stow your bags, not you. I worded that wrong...somewhat misleading.

I did see one dad, who didn't tip. And he should have!!! He and his family dragged away a total of about 6 bags from that driver and they were big bags, not little carryon type bags.

 

[VAN]

Unless the driver gives me a reason NOT to tip, I always tip $1 per person in my party; however, I see lots of people who don't tip.

You will notice that the bus driver will exit the bus at a stop and "help" people down from the bus steps ... this is to give you an opportunity to tip. This is really standard procedure for any type of shuttle you might go on.

I try to keep travel costs down, however, feel $1/person for my party is appropriate for being driven for free from the airport. It is very small change and most-likely makes a big difference to the driver.

 

[clkelley]

Just wanted to add. If you have a very small carryon that can fit in your lap or at your feet, then you can bring it on board the bus. There is NO room for carryons like there would be on a plane.

Any other luggage, such as strollers, larger bags, car seats, etc, MUST be placed under the bus, and the driver will do that!!

 

[kid-at-heart]

Tipping is a way of saying thank you for going beyond what is required for a particular job. However, if you cannot afford to tip you should not feel it is necessary. A person should though, say thank you, which I think most folks do.

A bit off-topic so please bear with me as I provide an example. We had an elderly relative on a fixed income visiting us from the south. When she flew through Atlanta, we requested a wheelchair for her. During her wheelchair trip, the attendant kept telling her tips were accepted and the airlines did not pay her (true, the job is outsourced) and so forth. My relative felt very stressed as she did not have any money to tip. I felt very angry that my 82 year old relative was put in such a situation.

 

[Lewisc]

Generally we tip for optional services. A person who can't afford to tip shouldn't use the services of a bellhop or valet. A person who can't afford afford the cost of a restaurant meal, including a normal tip for normal service, should pick a less expensive restaurant. A person who can afford to buy an adult beverage from a bar, but can't afford the extra 15% for a tip probably can't really afford the drink, or the vacation.

You have a point regarding a service that only a handicapped person requires, such as wheelchair assistance. Some people don't think a handicapped person should have to pay for a service other people don't require.

I think most people who can afford to fly can afford an extra dollar or two for a tip. I don't think it's a good idea for anyone to leave the house without a few dollars in their pocket. Flight delays can result in a long wait in the airport. Any passenger should have enough money for at least a snack or light meal in a food court. You should also be annoyed at whoever let her leave her house without a single dollar in her possession.

Sounds like your relative ignored the attendant. Alternately she could have said something like I wish I brought money for a tip. Give me your name and the address of your boss. I'll write a letter and tell them they're lucky to have you working for them.

Tipping is a way of saying thank you for going beyond what is required for a particular job. However, if you cannot afford to tip you should not feel it is necessary. A person should though, say thank you, which I think most folks do.

A bit off-topic so please bear with me as I provide an example. We had an elderly relative on a fixed income visiting us from the south. When she flew through Atlanta, we requested a wheelchair for her. During her wheelchair trip, the attendant kept telling her tips were accepted and the airlines did not pay her (true, the job is outsourced) and so forth. My relative felt very stressed as she did not have any money to tip. I felt very angry that my 82 year old relative was put in such a situation.

 

[kid-at-heart]

...Alternately she could have said something like I wish I brought money for a tip. Give me your name and the address of your boss. I'll write a letter and tell them they're lucky to have you working for them.

That is a good idea and I will suggest it to her if we can ever convince her to visit us again via air-transport. Actually I spoke with a manager of the company who provides the service and was told that their employees were never to ask or hint for tips. He said they were paid well above minimum wage and tips were not considered a part of their salary. I suppose he could have been lying just to make me feel better.

Just in case you think I am a tightwad, I tend to overtip good service. I have been known to tip $5 on a $5.26 snack. In that particular case, the waitress went out of her way to help us find directions to our hotel and even though we just had one slice of pie and a glass of milk I wanted to thank her for her kindness. Oh my, I will leave this topic now. I am way off-topic.

 

[crcurton]

Tip
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:

A tip (also called a gratuity) is a payment made to certain service sector workers in addition to the advertised price of the transaction. The amount of a tip is typically calculated as a percentage of the transaction value before applicable taxes.[1] Such payments and their size are a matter of social custom. Tipping varies among cultures and by service industry. Though by definition a tip is never legally required, and its amount is at the discretion of the patron being served, in some circumstances failing to give an adequate tip when one is expected may be considered very miserly, a violation of etiquette, or unethical. In some other cultures or situations, giving a tip is not expected and offering one would be considered condescending or demeaning. In some circumstances (such as tipping government workers), tipping is illegal

 

[MsAmerica]

We generally offer at tip to almost everyone we encounter while traveling. If a person denies it, they we don't force it but just about everyone except the front desk staff at most hotels accept tips.

Personally, I can't imagine getting off a service like DME and not tipping the driver just two or three dollars.

Just my opinion,

MsA

 

[SaraJayne]

I have never tipped any of the DME drivers.

 

[goofy4tink]

I have never tipped any of the DME drivers.

And that is perfectly okay...as long as they didn't handle any of your luggage.
Disney makes it a bit confusing when they say that gratuities are taken care of when you use DME. They are assuming that you are using it exactly as they designed it...no baggage that would need to be stowed under the bus. They assume that your checked baggage will be tagged with the yellow tags and taken directly from the plane to your resort. And those Bell Services/Luggage Assistence CMs have already been taken care of...that's why you don't need to be 'in your room' in order to get your bags delivered.

BUT...if you choose to bring any bags to the bus, that are too large to be taken with you, on the bus (tote bag sized things), then it's up to you to tip accordingly. Same goes when you get to the resort. If your bags have to go into storage because your room isn't ready yet, you will have to be in your room before the CMs will bring them to you. Why? Because at this point, a tip is expected. I know, I know...it gets complicated and somewhat confusing.

 

[SaraJayne]

And that is perfectly okay...as long as they didn't handle any of your luggage.
Disney makes it a bit confusing when they say that gratuities are taken care of when you use DME. They are assuming that you are using it exactly as they designed it...no baggage that would need to be stowed under the bus. They assume that your checked baggage will be tagged with the yellow tags and taken directly from the plane to your resort. And those Bell Services/Luggage Assistence CMs have already been taken care of...that's why you don't need to be 'in your room' in order to get your bags delivered.

BUT...if you choose to bring any bags to the bus, that are too large to be taken with you, on the bus (tote bag sized things), then it's up to you to tip accordingly. Same goes when you get to the resort. If your bags have to go into storage because your room isn't ready yet, you will have to be in your room before the CMs will bring them to you. Why? Because at this point, a tip is expected. I know, I know...it gets complicated and somewhat confusing.

Since DME does not allow you to get your own bags from under the bus, I consider it part of the driver's job and do not tip, regardless of whether they handled our bags or not.

I'm not one that feels "obligated" to tip, regardless of what others tell me I "should" do. If someone goes above and beyond their job, then they get a tip. Just doing your job? Nope, not tipworthy.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Well, that's an interesting perspective. It probably makes sense for passengers whose carry-on luggage cannot be taken into the passenger compartment.

However, based on the PP's practice/opinion, passengers who choose to pick up their own luggage from the baggage carousels and bring it to the bus, absolutely SHOULD expect to tip.

It's not "part of the driver's job" to stow and pull Guests' checked luggage (except, yes, if the flight arrives between 10 PM and 6 AM; on the other hand, the drivers had no input on Disney's change of procedure). Guests who don't use Magical Express as designed by transporting all their own luggage to the bus, again even under SaraJayne's theory, would and should expect to tip.

 

[SaraJayne]

Well, that's an interesting perspective. It probably makes sense for passengers whose carry-on luggage cannot be taken into the passenger compartment.

However, based on the PP's practice/opinion, passengers who choose to pick up their own luggage from the baggage carousels and bring it to the bus, absolutely SHOULD expect to tip.

It's not "part of the driver's job" to stow and pull Guests' checked luggage (except, yes, if the flight arrives between 10 PM and 6 AM; on the other hand, the drivers had no input on Disney's change of procedure). Guests who don't use Magical Express as designed by transporting all their own luggage to the bus, again even under SaraJayne's theory, would and should expect to tip.

I am referring to carry on luggage that does not fit on the bus.

But like I said above, I'm not one that does what other people believe I should do.

 

[kaytieeldr]

True - but this thread is, and will be, read by MANY people who will not post - but who instead will garner information.

 

[goofy4tink]

Since DME does not allow you to get your own bags from under the bus, I consider it part of the driver's job and do not tip, regardless of whether they handled our bags or not.

I'm not one that feels "obligated" to tip, regardless of what others tell me I "should" do. If someone goes above and beyond their job, then they get a tip. Just doing your job? Nope, not tipworthy.

I am referring to carry on luggage that does not fit on the bus.

But like I said above, I'm not one that does what other people believe I should do.

Absolutely up to each person to decide if they should tip or not. But, technically, it is not the drivers job to stow any bags..he is there to drive you to your resort. It is your decision to bring a bag along that has to be stowed due to it's size. Your choice. If I bring a bag that I know is too large to hold on my lap, then I fully expect to tip that driver $1...he has done something more than drive the bus. But, that is me. The bus driver's job is to 'drive the bus' not be a luggage handler. This is why Disney says tips are included when you use DME. They are assuming you won't have any stowable luggage. If you do, it's up to you to take care of tips.
But, again, not saying that anyone is 'obligated' to tip...just stating what the norm is.