Do you guys tip your mousekeepers?

[fernoppi]

I am staying in a value resort and I didn't really think about tipping the mousekeepers until I found some cute mousekeeper tip envelopes on themouseforless.com . It seems like it would be a fun thing to do and I am sure they'd appreciate it.

I haven't traveled much so I'm not sure what the norms are and this is my first time to Disney World.

Do you guys usually tip? And if so, how much per night for a value resort?

 

[me_minnie_me]

I did tip mousekeeping when I stayed at POP last time. I left a couple of dollars each day in a mousekeeping envelope that I made up myself. When I came back each night everything was cleaned and the trash/recycling was taken away. I believe the norm is to leave one to two dollars per person each day that you're there.

Hope this helps

 

[Hedy]

I tip $1 per person +$1, so $2 when I'm alone and $3 when my mother is there. I just take a normal envelope, write "mousekeeping" on it, and stick some Disney stickers on it. I mainly make the envelopes b/c it's easier than writing notes, plus I can just stick them day by day in my passporter.

 

[tkldisney]

It depends on number of people in room. When it's just dh & I, I leave 5.00 a day and we stay in deluxe resort.
I just returned from a stay at value & I left 2.00 a day for just me. Friend with me did not tip. She didn't know I did, put it under my pillow everyday. I got towel animals & mickey head shapes on my bed daily.
If it's 3 to 4 people and you don't leave a big mess, I'd say 5.00 a day would be okay.

 

[Peepster]

This just came up at my place of employment and corporate expectations seemed to mirror my past actions during travel, whether business or pleasure. For stays of over one night, $2 per person (even $5 total would be appreciated) per night and a dollar or two more if additional services are requested.

I'll probably get flamed again, but I don't care what Disney says about housekeeping being a non-tipped position. Tips reward and encourage good service and it's not like these folks are making much, if any, over minimum wage. Those of us who tip can hardly make up for the boorish and rude behavior that I've witnessed from guests interactions with housekeeping staff.

If you can't afford to tip, then you shouldn't be on vacation at WDW. And if you're at Disney anyway and absolutely can't afford to tip, then at least leave a nice note acknowledging a job well done (if it is, of course). If the job is not well done, a call to management should be made.

Just my two cents.

 

[Disney753]

IT IS UP TO YOU WHAT YOU DO. MY POLICY IS 1.00 PER PERSON IN THE ROOM PER NIGHT AND I DO IT DAILY NOT AT THE END. I ONLY DO THIS AT DISNEY. AGAIN IT IS UP TO EACH PERSON HOW THEY FEEL ABOUT TIPPING

 

[fernoppi]

Thanks for the feedback. Mousekeepers should be happy too =) I am really looking forward to towel animals. I want them! The more towel animals, the better the tip.

Often though, the mousekeeper is not the same one for your entire stay though right? It can be whoever right?

This sounds stupid......but how should I do it? I'd like to leave a tip in the morning before we leave, for the mousekeeper who cleaned up the day before. But it might make more sense to leave tip for the mousekeeper who cleans up the room that day, since they'll be there to pick it up right? I am just thinking in terms of leaving a better tip for the better service - and I won't really know until we return that night from the parks. Am I making sense?

 

[teacup317]

Oh fernoppi you have just open the pandoras box of a question the dreaded shouldItiphowmuchshouldItip question!

Oh no ............... you might need a group hug by the time you get all the answers. LOL

 

[boardom]

I'll probably get flamed again, but I don't care what Disney says about housekeeping being a non-tipped position.

Disney says housekeeping is a non-tipped position??? Whaaaaa? Really?? How weird. I tip housekeepers everywhere I stay, why wouldn't I at DIsney? That's so odd.

 

[spalady]

I too, tip where ever I go ~not much just a couple dollars to thank them.

 

[AnninIowa]

We tip $5 per night (it is two of us) and leave it in an envelope (I've printed the Mousekeeping ones online) on the sick so they are sure to find it. We've stayed at BC and AKL. Don't count on a tip getting you a towel animal, though; in two trips to WDW, no towels animals for us, ever!

 

[snomofinn]

Yes, I tip too! $5 a day for the 4 of us, we always stay at the CBR.

 

[Native NYer]

I didn't know Disney considers housekeeping a non-tipped position.
I tip at any hotel I stay at, not just Disney. When we (mom, nephew, and I) were at the Poly in January, we left $10 a day. Some of my friends think I overtip. But that's just a personal choice.

I think whatever you can afford to leave is perfectly fine. It's really a personal choice.

 

[stellablue]

Thanks for the feedback. Mousekeepers should be happy too =) I am really looking forward to towel animals. I want them! The more towel animals, the better the tip.

Often though, the mousekeeper is not the same one for your entire stay though right? It can be whoever right?

This sounds stupid......but how should I do it? I'd like to leave a tip in the morning before we leave, for the mousekeeper who cleaned up the day before. But it might make more sense to leave tip for the mousekeeper who cleans up the room that day, since they'll be there to pick it up right? I am just thinking in terms of leaving a better tip for the better service - and I won't really know until we return that night from the parks. Am I making sense?

DON'T expect more towel animals for more tip. I think that the # of towel animals you receive just depends on the mousekeeper and maybe if they sense you have children in your room or if you are celebrating a special occassion, you might get more. We tipped $5-$6/day for the two of us at both places where we did our split stay (1 mod. & 1 deluxe) and only got a towel animal upon arrival at each place. Think of the towel animals like you think of the free upgrade thing-it's a nice surprise that you get sometimes

That said, we were very pleased with the level of service Mousekeeping provided at both of our resorts. Rooms were spotless every day, got new towels every time we requested.

I would suggest leaving a little every day, if you are going to leave a tip. It's hard to say if the same people clean everyday, so it's fairly distributed this way.

We actually used those same cute Mousekeeping envelopes that the OP described. It was alot of fun to leave them!

One thing I'd like to add though, is I think that tipping Mousekeeping is a bit different than tipping a waiter. From what I understand, mousekeeping does receive a base pay (likely minimum wage, but not as low as servers), so it's not "expected" to leave a tip for mousekeeping on a daily basis or any at all. It's more of an "if you can afford it and want to show extra appreciation." If you are only able to save up tip $ for your servers, there are other ways to say thank you to your Mousekeeper: leave a thank you note, have your child draw a picture for them, a BIG one would be to take down their name and send a nice note of awknowledgement to their boss!

 

[Br'er Soap]

How could you not tip the cleaning service in ANY hotel unless they did a bad job? I wouldn't think twice about tipping. ::shrugs:: Unless it's just me... ... ... ...

Anyway, we give them a couple bucks per night (or more if they do a better job)

 

[garettdoyle]

I recommend doing a search on the forum and you will find a many different opinions.

I am a frequent business traveler. Most of the companies I have worked for do not reimburse tips to housekeeping staff.

For those that regularly tip this position, do you tip other positions that are non-tip postions? bus drivers? life guards?

Feel free to do whatever you would like but don't feel guilty if you don't. These are non-tip positions being paid accordingly.

 

[Iggipolka]

I have tried to tip Mousekeeping and they never take my envelopes! I print out envelopes with Mousekeeping written on them in huge letters and generally put $3 a day for the two of us inside of them. I leave them on a pillow on the bed in the morning and they are always placed on the nightstand next to the bed when we return to our room in the afternoon.

My wife thought that maybe it's a language issue and we should find out what housekeeping/mousekeeping would be in Spanish.

Has anyone else had this issue?

 

[stellablue]

I have tried to tip Mousekeeping and they never take my envelopes! I print out envelopes with Mousekeeping written on them in huge letters and generally put $3 a day for the two of us inside of them. I leave them on a pillow on the bed in the morning and they are always placed on the nightstand next to the bed when we return to our room in the afternoon.

My wife thought that maybe it's a language issue and we should find out what housekeeping/mousekeeping would be in Spanish.

Has anyone else had this issue?

We thought about this when we got there. They usually leave a card in the bathroom or on the table with their name on it (the mousekeeper's name w/the phone # for mousekeeping in case you need to contact them). We attached the card to our envelope every morning and left it on the main table in our room. I think at our 2nd resort, we taped the card and the envelope to the bathroom mirror, so it would be clear that the envelope was for them.
This seemed to work out well.

 

[nurse.darcy]

I tip housekeeping/mousekeeping at any hotel I go to and I travel a lot. I have never had my envelopes NOT picked up except for one time. I actually called the manager of the hotel (non-disney) and let them know the name of the housekeeper (she left the little card) and that she did not pick up her tip and I would like her to have it. He informed me ever so politely that housekeeping is not normally a tipped position but they do allow them to keep what is left for them. I was flabbergasted. . .100s of business trips (pre nursing) and I never knew that it really is not considered a tipped position. I still leave tips, because I LOVE the great service I get. Not sure if I would get it without the tip but glad that I don't have to worry.

 

[fernoppi]

We stayed at a cheap hotel when we went to Disneyland. We stayed 3 nights and no one ever did any housekeeping. No new towels, no emptying of trash, etc. Therefore no tip.

Thanks for everyone's feedback. This is only my second vacation ever so it's nice to know what is "expected."