Budgeting for Tips...

[NorweJenNY]

So... planning on roughly 18-20% for tips at TS restaurants.

But a few questions... we've put aside some money as Disney Dollars so that we're not tempted to dive into it before our trip. Can I use those for tips at most places?

And we're driving & plan on toting luggage ourselves, so no tips for baggage handlers...

Housekeeping? What do we budget? Staying at POR, WL, and ASMo this year... don't know if housekeeping tips should vary based on resort level. And should we tip daily or one big tip at the end of our stay? (We've stayed places where we've left one big tip at the end, but now I've read several reports of people tipping Disney housekeeping daily.)

Any other tipping situations I should note that I'm overlooking right now?

 

[cricketgirl]

good questions. I'm hoping someone responds to them for you. I'd also like to know.
Lori

 

[dbarker]

I don't know about using Disney Dollars. I'd like to know that one also.

Mousekeeping: We leave $2 per person per day. We leave the tip every day. That way the one that did the work gets the tip. You may have different Mousekeepers on different days.

I think the norm is $1 - $2 per person per day. No, it does not matter which resort. Housekeeping is not a "tipped" position. That means they get paid a full wage and are not expected to make up the difference in tips - like waitresses are. So, tipping Mousekeepers is a personal preference.

We prefer to spread a little Pixie Dust to the unsung heroes.

 

[aubriee]

I don't think I'd give a waiter Disney dollars. If you did, he'd have to use it somewhere at WDW. I'm sure most would rather have real money. Most servers are dependent on their tips to pay their bills. They wouldn't be able to use Disney dollars for that.

Since housekeepers may change from day to day (or have certain days off), most people tip $1.00-$2.00/person/day. Resort level has nothing to do with it. A housekeeper in a Value works just as hard as one in a Deluxe.

 

[flamingglobessigmund]

I used plain envelopes, fancied up with Thanks for the Mousekeeping pictures (I cut out the pictures from the make your own envelopes from mouseforless, but someone says DIS has envelopes too) and put $5 (for 4 adults) in each envelope before we left for WDW. I kept the envelopes in the safe, and every night, took one out and placed it by the housekeeper's name card.

Tipping the bus driver: When we got the the resort, I saw the family ahead of us tip the bus driver. Not sure why, but I was a bit overwhelmed from the trip, and didn't react in time to tip him.

When we left the resort, we tipped the bus driver $5 because I gave the rest of my $1's to my son. He took a different airline back, and I was worried he'd be stranded with no money for food.

Had I $1's I would have tipped the bus driver $4.

As far as the Disney Dollars, I'm not sure that will work for the tip, but it might. If not, you can use them at the resort or the parks for souvenirs.

 

[disnywd]

I think I remember reading, somewhere, that WDW employees are able to trade in Disney Dollars for real money. I could be wrong, though.

7 days!

 

[NorweJenNY]

Thanks for the replies.

I hope someone knows about the Disney Dollars for tips. It's just that my dbil actually won some and has no use for them. So we bought them off of him (at a discount), and thought it would be perfect for tips. We really are not souvenir people... unless it's just one small $10 or less item for each of our two kids the entire trip.

Is it any different than people putting tips on their gift cards at restaurants?

 

[dbarker]

I don't know if leaving Disney Dollars for a tip is appropriate or not. However, I do know that you can cash in the Disney Dollars for US dollars. This can be done at your resort (if staying on property) or at the parks (guest services).