Disneyland Hotel - Checking In and Out

[2tinkerbell]

We are staying at the DLH for my DD's surprise birthday trip. We arrive around 10am so I am not anticipating our room to be ready at all. I think our luggage will be stored at Bell Services. I will be packing a Park day bag.

When our room is ready, do we go pick up our luggage at Bell Services or do they deliver it to your room when you are not there or do you call for your luggage to be delivered when you get to your room?
If you call for your luggage, about how long before it is delivered to your room?
Am I correct in assuming that I would tip either when picking up our luggage ourselves or upon delivery?
If it is delivered to our room and we are not there do I take the tip down to Bell Services?

When we check out, we will be doing so in the morning after Goofy's Kitchen. We then can spend until 3:30pm in the Parks. I again believe that we can store our luggage at Bell Services.

Do we take our luggage to Bell Services when checking out or do they come to get it.
Do they have restrooms where we can freshen up prior to leaving for the airport?
When I pick up our luggage from Bell Services, I assume I tip them correct?
I would think the process of picking up luggage from Bell Services should take about 15 minutes, do you think that is about right?

Note: I am not talking about a ton of luggage - one suitcase and our travel bags for the airplane.

TIA! I am trying to figure out some logistics and my tip money.

 

[whoever]

They will only deliver to the room if you are there.

 

[MemoriesintheMaking]

From our experience there last year...we left our bags with bell services when we arrived around 10 AM or so, and I tipped about $5.00 then. (I think the usual is about $1-2 per bag, as far as I know.) Then, when we got the text that the room was ready, we headed to the room and called bell services from there. Our bags arrived in about 10 minutes, I'd say, and I tipped $5 or so again. I'm not sure if our time was standard - I could see it taking a few minutes longer if they are really busy. From our window, we could see the luggage cart being wheeled to our tower with our luggage and what looked like luggage for a couple of other rooms. I'm not sure if they would leave the bags in the room without you there. Someone else might know that answer to that one.

When we checked out, we brought our bags down ourselves and gave them to bell services, again with the same tip. I'm sure if you called from the room someone would come get them if you didn't want to take them down yourself. Finally, when we were ready to grab a taxi and head to the airport, we asked bell services for our bags and tipped one more time.

As far as restrooms, I know there are some in the main tower, but I don't have firsthand experience with them. I'm sure others know where they are.

Have a wonderful trip!! We love the DLH so much!

 

[MemoriesintheMaking]

They will only deliver to the room if you are there.

Ah, see - I knew someone would know the answer! I took a long time posting my reply, and you beat me to it with your reply!

 

[larina]

They only deliver when you're there. You call for it once you're in the room. Takes between 10 and 30 minutes usually, but can be 30 or more (longest I've personally waited was 45 minutes at PPH). Yes, you tip when they bring your bags up (some also tip whoever loads them of the cart from your car, but most don't) and then again when they come and take them from the room.

I think you can use the restrooms near the pool to freshen up. They also have public restrooms.

Yes, picking up at bell services should be pretty quick.

 

[2tinkerbell]

Thanks! I didn't realize that you tip when you leave your luggage as well as when you pick it up. That makes sense. I am glad I asked.

 

[MemoriesintheMaking]

Thanks! I didn't realize that you tip when you leave your luggage as well as when you pick it up. That makes sense. I am glad I asked.

I'm sorry, I should have mentioned that I may not be in the majority in that area. I didn't even think about it...I get a bit neurotic about tipping on vacation, and probably tend to over-tip to err on the safe side. Just my weirdness showing through - if I over-tip, then I don't worry about it. You would also be just fine tipping when you pick up or have them delivered.

Have fun!

 

[2tinkerbell]

I'm sorry, I should have mentioned that I may not be in the majority in that area. I didn't even think about it...I get a bit neurotic about tipping on vacation, and probably tend to over-tip to err on the safe side. Just my weirdness showing through - if I over-tip, then I don't worry about it. You would also be just fine tipping when you pick up or have them delivered.

Have fun!

I tend to be the same way when I tip. I would rather error on the positive side than not tip when I should have. Thanks for you advise. We have never stayed at a delux type hotel. CCI or a Courtyard by Marriott type is our usual.

Just as a side note, my DD plays this game quite frequently when we are walking/running where she asks me questions about Disneyland. She will ask, "What is your favorite ride?" , "What would be your first ride?" , etc. Last night she asked, "If money were no object, what Disneyland hotel would you like to stay at?" I responded with the DLH and repeated the question back to her. She said the DLH. Man is she going to be surprised!

 

[krispin41]

I'm sorry, I should have mentioned that I may not be in the majority in that area. I didn't even think about it...I get a bit neurotic about tipping on vacation, and probably tend to over-tip to err on the safe side. Just my weirdness showing through - if I over-tip, then I don't worry about it. You would also be just fine tipping when you pick up or have them delivered.

Have fun!

I don't usually tip when I drop the bags off to bell services. I just drop them off, get my claim ticket and then head to the park. When I get the text that luggage is ready, I head back to the hotel (maybe not right away, but within the hour), pick up luggage, tip bell services and then head to the room.

On the last day, since we usually spend some time in the park, we will drop bags off at bell services, finalize things at the front desk and then head into the park. Again tipping when I pick up.

 

[aliceindisneyland]

We are staying at the DLH for my DD's surprise birthday trip. We arrive around 10am so I am not anticipating our room to be ready at all. I think our luggage will be stored at Bell Services. I will be packing a Park day bag.

When our room is ready, do we go pick up our luggage at Bell Services or do they deliver it to your room when you are not there or do you call for your luggage to be delivered when you get to your room?
If you call for your luggage, about how long before it is delivered to your room?
Am I correct in assuming that I would tip either when picking up our luggage ourselves or upon delivery?
If it is delivered to our room and we are not there do I take the tip down to Bell Services?

When we check out, we will be doing so in the morning after Goofy's Kitchen. We then can spend until 3:30pm in the Parks. I again believe that we can store our luggage at Bell Services.

Do we take our luggage to Bell Services when checking out or do they come to get it.
Do they have restrooms where we can freshen up prior to leaving for the airport?
When I pick up our luggage from Bell Services, I assume I tip them correct?
I would think the process of picking up luggage from Bell Services should take about 15 minutes, do you think that is about right?

Note: I am not talking about a ton of luggage - one suitcase and our travel bags for the airplane.

TIA! I am trying to figure out some logistics and my tip money.

After reading pp's experiences on how long it takes the bellhop to get to the room, it may be best to err on expecting a delay, but we have never waited longer than 5 minutes to have our luggage delivered or be picked up from the room. In fact, they're usually so fast that I've learned to get the tip ready before I pick up the phone. This has happened even during times when you'd expect them to be crazy busy, like 30min-1hr before EMH when people are trying to check out but want to make it to EMH. We've stayed at DLH about half a dozen times and GCH twice.

We tip 4 times because it is usually 4 different people helping us.
#1 removes your luggage from the car and puts it on the cart.
#2 delivers the cart to the room and puts everything in the room.
#3 comes to the room to retrieve the luggage.
#4 helps load luggage into the car.

We do take more luggage than you listed though, and we always have a cube ice chest that is stinking heavy, so it's only fair to tip each guy who has to pick it up.

For a restroom, the easiest to use when you're getting ready to leave is in the main lobby [downstairs]. There's a cute one in the Adventure Tower your DD might get a kick out of; my kids are fascinated by the wallpaper in that one.

 

[5forMickey]

Count me in on only tipping when the bags are delivered or taken from the room. I actually feel quite bad when using the bell services because there are so many of us and we travel with A LOT of bags. I usually tip $2.00 per bag. I wouldn't stress so much about tipping on vacation. There will always be people who tip more, and people who tip less. I used to worry about this just like you, and then my daughter started working as a waitress during college. She would tell me that some of her favorite tips came from elderly people who would make sure they handed her $5.00 as they were walking out the door rather than leaving it on the table. She knew that for most of that generation the typical tip was always $2.00, so for them to offer$5.00 she felt that said they were really pleased and thankful, it wasn't so much about the amount, it was about how they went about doing it (although, she did really like it when she got big tips also) Just do what you feel is right and then don't stress past that.

I LOVED reading about how you are surprising your daughter and the "question" game. Hoping you have a very magical time!!!