BWV Parking

[MamaCrush]

Can someone tell me about the valet parking at BWV's? Am I correct that you pull up, give them your keys (and tip!), and they'll park your car and show up at your room with your luggage??? How much is the appropriate tip these days? (It will just be DH and I so we're traveling without the usual cargo trunk of luggage!) We also don't plan on using our car after we arrive-- DH loves the "experience" of the WDW bus system!

Also, how far away is self-parking from the rooms? It's usually no big deal for us to self-park and take our own luggage to the room, but I'm thinking it depends on how far the car is from the room.

We leave in less than 12 hours! Woo hoo!!

 

[BirdsOfPreyDave]

When you pull up, someone will help you unload your bags onto a cart. They'll give you a receipt and take your car. That receipt will be used for as long as you're there. You keep the same one even if you in and out.

Depending on the time of day you arrive, and how busy it is, they may or may not escort you up to your room with your luggage. When we checked in, it was a mad house. (Right around 11:00 when everyone is leaving.)

We went up to the room, and our bags arrived about 20 minutes later.

I was tipping the valet $3 most of the time, unless I didn't have any $1's, then they got $5. I gave the bellman who delivered the luggage a fairly large tip ($20) because we really did have the cart filled to the top with suitcases and grocery bags hanging every which way. We were in a lock-off 2 bedroom, and he was also nice enough to load the bags into the approriate bedrooms.

 

[jekjones1558]

The person who unloads the luggage from the car is NOT the same person who brings the luggage to the room. In fact the unloaders are not even bell staff. To me this seems to require double tipping. I liked it a lot better when the bell staff did all of the luggage handling.

 

[MamaCrush]

The person who unloads the luggage from the car is NOT the same person who brings the luggage to the room. In fact the unloaders are not even bell staff. To me this seems to require double tipping. I liked it a lot better when the bell staff did all of the luggage handling.

Good to know! By the way-- do you tip when you leave your car with the valet AND when you pick it up???

 

[jekjones1558]

Good to know! By the way-- do you tip when you leave your car with the valet AND when you pick it up???

Some people tip both ways, some only tip when you pick it up. I think that the "standard" is to tip only when picking up the car.

 

[kikiq]

We were in 4115, std view facing the bus stop and a few doors down from the stairwell. If my oldest wasn't pregnant, we would have self parked every day. Well, to be honest, we wouldn't have had a car to begin with. My DH and I did self park one day and walked up the stairs with a small rolling suitcase when my youngest joined us. It wasn't bad going up 4 flights of stairs. But the valet parking was wonderful, never had to wait long and tipped $2/3, whatever was in our wallets at the time. To get to self parking, you cross the bridge and cross the street. Mid day, we found a space right next to the street, but don't know what it would be like at the end of the day.

 

[BirdsOfPreyDave]

I personally only do it when I pick it up.

I did notice that the valets put their tips into a common tip box, meaning that all tips are pooled. I'm not sure who all is in on that pool. I tip the valets when I pick up, and the bellmen who come to the room. I didn't tip the person who unloaded the car, but that was mainly because I thought he was going to walk with me to check in, then I never saw him again.

 

[Snoopygirl]

How much is the valet parking/day?? We are renting a van after we get off the cruise so we'll be there for 4 days after that. Can't wait!!!! This will be our first stay at BWV! And at Christmas.....double excitement!!

 

[BirdsOfPreyDave]

How much is the valet parking/day?? We are renting a van after we get off the cruise so we'll be there for 4 days after that. Can't wait!!!! This will be our first stay at BWV! And at Christmas.....double excitement!!

If you're a DVC member staying on points, valet parking is free at DVC resorts. Otherwise the price is $10 a day.

 

[Snoopygirl]

Cool...we are DVC memebers staying on points!!

 

[Cajun28]

The person who unloads the luggage from the car is NOT the same person who brings the luggage to the room. In fact the unloaders are not even bell staff. To me this seems to require double tipping. I liked it a lot better when the bell staff did all of the luggage handling.

Actually, this is one of my pet peeves. I don't understand why the same person doesn't handle your luggage all the way to your room. (Actually, I think I do understand, it's for more tipping) I only tip the person that brings the luggage to my room. We have had a few cases where my luggage was "handed off" twice. After the last time and tipping 3 different people for one trip of my luggage from car to room, I said no more. From that point on I only tip the last person, they can divide it as they wish. I usually tip around $20 for bell services.

 

[DisneyWalker44]

The standard has always been to tip when you receive your stuff back. That goes for cars, hats, coats, luggage, whatever.

You tip the valets when they bring you your car. You tip the bellboy when he delivers your bags to the room. There are tip sharing/rotations/etc. in place to make sure everyone gets taken care of.

Of course, if somebody is doing an extra good job making you feel welcome as they take you bags out of the trunk, go ahead an tip then too. Extra tips are always appreciated. But never required, nor should they be expected.

I've worked for tips for a living, and am a firm believer in good tipping. But there are limits. When a bellboy tells takes my bags and informs me that he won't be the one bringing the bags to the room (i.e. tip me now) that's obnoxious.

PS - Forgot to add, $3 on delivery seems about right to me for Disney valets. $2 is acceptable if that's all you have. $5 is good too.

 

[jekjones1558]

The standard has always been to tip when you receive your stuff back. That goes for cars, hats, coats, luggage, whatever.

You tip the valets when they bring you your car. You tip the bellboy when he delivers your bags to the room. There are tip sharing/rotations/etc. in place to make sure everyone gets taken care of.

Of course, if somebody is doing an extra good job making you feel welcome as they take you bags out of the trunk, go ahead an tip then too. Extra tips are always appreciated. But never required, nor should they be expected.

I've worked for tips for a living, and am a firm believer in good tipping. But there are limits. When a bellboy tells takes my bags and informs me that he won't be the one bringing the bags to the room (i.e. tip me now) that's obnoxious.

PS - Forgot to add, $3 on delivery seems about right to me for Disney valets. $2 is acceptable if that's all you have. $5 is good too.

The part that is problematic for me is that I highly doubt valet and bell services share tips since valets are an outsourced service and bell staff are Disney employees. So it doesn't seem quite right not to tip the valet who loads all the luggage onto the cart and brings it inside. On the other hand, it seems unfair to expect guests to tip twice just because Disney has new rules that don't allow bell services to deal with luggage unless it is already inside. I tend to be a generous tipper but I prefer to schlep my own luggage rather than deal with this issue. I have even wheeled my suitcases inside and then had bell services put them on the cart. Ridiculous. I have only used DME once on an arrival and it sure was nice not having to mess with this.

 

[DisneyWalker44]

The part that is problematic for me is that I highly doubt valet and bell services share tips since valets are an outsourced service and bell staff are Disney employees. So it doesn't seem quite right not to tip the valet who loads all the luggage onto the cart and brings it inside.

I don't mean to seem callous to the plight of the valet staff. As I said, I've worked for tips, I know how important they are.

But if there really is a <messed> up system where the valets load the carts but don't share in the tips, that's not our problem. They need to work that out, not us. But I'm not so sure there isn't tip-sharing just because they have different employers. While it's not exactly the same, I know of many situations where there is sharing (usually through a tip-out system rather than formal sharing) between positions that are employees and those that are independent contractors (of the same employer).

 

[Greg K.]

...the rule of thumb for luggage was to tip a dollar a bag. We usually have six or seven bags, so I just give 'em $10.

As for valet: I tip $2 on pickup.

 

[MissMet]

...the rule of thumb for luggage was to tip a dollar a bag. We usually have six or seven bags, so I just give 'em $10.

As for valet: I tip $2 on pickup.

Last I heard it was upped to $2 a bag & $3 at valet pickup.

 

[Steve@BWV]

Last I heard it was upped to $2 a bag & $3 at valet pickup.

This is about the standard. And these are done at pickup of car or drop off of luggage. As others have said, a tip should be offered after the service is completed. If you think of how we tip in a restaurant it is always at the completion of the meal, not after each course. And never fell obligated to tip beyond the value of the service received.