Do you tip housekeeping at DVC?

[ILuvCrush]

I have a question... its sorta off topic, but related to the general discussion. How expensive is it to pay for daily housekeeping, when staying on points??

I'm still processing my paperwork, so I wasn't sure where I could find out

Thanks
Paula

 

[Anal Annie]

Those who your recognize day to day also tend to be those who recognize you...

The whole "tipping" position drives me crazy. As a person who lives in NY and travels to NYC a lot, there are some expected "norms", regardless of how the position is qualified as.

I have a question for everyone...do you tip the person who delivers your paper, picks up your trash, your super (this isn't very common outside NYC and other large cities, so I expect some confusion), parking attendant, etc? Maybe not daily/weekly, but at least around the holidays?

My first job was a paper route when I was 10! Had it all the way into HS, then turned it over to my little brother at some point. That was in WV in the '70's - things have changed...we no longer have a paper carrier that walks around with papers folded up in a bag slung over their shoulders. I went out of my way to always put the papers inbetween the screen door and heavy door so they wouldn't get wet or blow away. If they didn't have a screen door I put it under the mat. So you bet I wanted my tips every week!! Now the carriers drive thru in the middle of the night and sling the darned thing into the driveway. But yes, I still tip them a little something so hopefully they'll put it in a plastic bag when it's raining (or in the PAPERBOX that's on the mailbox pole)!

As far as tipping...I am not quite up on all the etiquette but we tip delivery people, the trash people (at the holidays), hairdressers etc. For DVC Mousekeeping - we only leave $1 pp for T & T day if our stay is that long. I mean, they're only dumping the trash & setting out a new stack of towels. Nobody is sticking their face in the toilet to clean it or scrubbing the tub. We will leave a little more on our check-out day for whoever does the "real" cleaning.

 

[MiaSRN62]

I always tip (unless there was a problem). These are folks who, for the most part, work very hard to make our vacation more enjoyable. I can afford to buy DVC, buy airplane tickets, and buy theme park tickets. I have no problem leaving a tip for someone who probably doesn't make too much on this job.

I agree 100% backyardponder....we always tip housekeeping.........
Most people tip hairdressers for instance, and they make over minimum wage.

while it's a personal decision, many sources do saying it's proper ettiquette to tip housekeeping :
http://www.preferredconsumer.com/food_drink/articles/tipping_basics.html

http://www.findalink.net/tippingetiquette.php

http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/family/etiquette/hotel-service-tipping-apr05

While not all, the majority of web sites I found suggested tipping the hotel housekeeper was appropriate. But it is at each individual's discretion. We tip the guys from the furniture store who delivered our new living room couches and tables even.....so I'll definitely leave a tip to those who clean up after me, scrub my toilet and make my bed etc

 

[DISNEY FIX]

I always tip (unless there was a problem). These are folks who, for the most part, work very hard to make our vacation more enjoyable. I can afford to buy DVC, buy airplane tickets, and buy theme park tickets. I have no problem leaving a tip for someone who probably doesn't make too much on this job.

I'm with you on this one. I was suprised by how many no tippers there are. Oh well.

 

[JaxFLBear]

I have a question... its sorta off topic, but related to the general discussion. How expensive is it to pay for daily housekeeping, when staying on points??

I'm still processing my paperwork, so I wasn't sure where I could find out

Thanks
Paula

Current rates from the member website:

Pay As You Play
With Pay As You Play service, you'll be provided with the following amenities free of charge at the start of your stay. After that, you may purchase more for the following fees:

Toiletries Package, $5.00 - 1 facial soap, 1 bath soap, 1 shampoo, 1 conditioner, 1 shower gel
Coffee Package, $3.00 - 1 package of coffee, 8 sugars, 8 creamers, 8 artificial sweeteners
Towel Package, $6.00 - 4 bath towels, 2 hand towels, 4 washcloths, 1 bath mat
Laundry Detergent (only in One-, Two-, and Three-bedroom Vacation Homes), $1.00 - 1 box​

Additional Full Cleaning Rates:
Studio/Inn Room - $30.00 per day requested
One-Bedroom - $45.00 per day requested
Two-Bedroom - $60.00 per day requested
Three-Bedroom - $75.00 per day requested

Additional Trash & Towel Rates:
Studio/Inn Room - $15.00 per day requested
One-Bedroom - $20.00 per day requested
Two-Bedroom - $25.00 per day requested
Three-Bedroom - $35.00 per day requested

Note: Rates are subject to change

 

[ILuvCrush]

Thanks Michael!!

The single towel package isn't very much to cover 4 days for 8 people in a 2br.... I guess I'll be looking at a 2nd one of those at least

Paula

 

[jlewisinsyr]

Thanks Michael!!

The single towel package isn't very much to cover 4 days for 8 people in a 2br.... I guess I'll be looking at a 2nd one of those at least

Paula

I've always assumed, although I'm sure someone can speak about this a little more, that if you have a two bedroom, your basic allotment is twice as many towels as the studios (three times as much with a Grand Villa). It wouldn't make sense otherwise.

So if this holds true, and they give you twice as many, you'll have a towel for each person, which will be replaced on day 4. It's similar to what you probably do at home.

 

[debbiepump]

No I don't. If staying only a day past the 'tidy' service, just call housekeeping and cancel and do ourselves. Not a biggie to us to throw our towels in with a load of whites if we're washing, can take out our own garbage, but then there are only 2 of us and no kids.

 

[CraftyMouse]

I've always assumed, although I'm sure someone can speak about this a little more, that if you have a two bedroom, your basic allotment is twice as many towels as the studios (three times as much with a Grand Villa). It wouldn't make sense otherwise.

So if this holds true, and they give you twice as many, you'll have a towel for each person, which will be replaced on day 4. It's similar to what you probably do at home.

Each unit has the number of towels that occupancy permits. So...STs and 1BRs will have 4 towels/washcloths 2BRs will have 8T/8W and GVs will have 12T/12W.

ILuvCrush...why not just throw your towels in the washer as needed? We often have 8 in a 2BR and have never needed to purchase extra towel packs. We tend to use our towels for a few days and then wash them ourselves. If you prefer clean towels every day then you can wash them more frequently.

 

[apurplebrat]

We always tip. We make our tipping envelopes before we leave home. We tip on T&T, full service day and when we chechout. If we call for extra pillows we tip the CM that brings those. We add in tipping to our budget.

 

[a Really Bad Egg]

Yep...we tip...just because we want to...no worries if others don't feel the same.

 

[MiaSRN62]

I don't tip mousekeeping either. I agree that is why we pay dues.

I agree our dues go towards paying for housekeeping services, but it's not like mousekeepers at the DVC resorts make any more money than the mousekeeper at the other non-DVC resorts. And in my humble opinion, housekeepers perform some of the nastier and more thankless jobs in WDW. They clean up dirty diapers, when kids get sick all over the beds or on the floors, just plain filth left by other guests....toilets and bathrooms that are left yucky.....I won't even tell u specifically what was being cleaned up by a mousekeeper on one of our visits. It was not a DVC stay, but rather at POP. We were told our room was done and proceeded over. We got there, and found the mousekeeper still cleaning a filthy room---let's just say, used personal hygeine products were being removed from bedding. Thankfully they were stripping the whole bed and providing all new sheets/comforters....it was bad....just gross.........

I also had friends in college who cleaned hotels/motels in NJ during school breaks and they could tell u some stories of how bad cleaning some rooms can be.

I just think these Mousekeepers see everything.....and if I can afford to vacation and dine in style, it's no biggie for me to throw a few dollars their way. Minimum wage working in a wdw gift shop, or being a restaurant hostess or a customer service rep, is alot different than making minimum wage and cleaning up after people imho.
I appreciate what they do to make my stay more enjoyable. But I still respect it's a personal decision for those that decide to tip or not........

 

[Sammie]

I don't tip housekeeping because I do not require any services above the initial cleaning of our unit.

We do not get towel and trash service. We launder our towels, and sheets if needed, take out our own trash, wash dishes and put them away before we leave. We also vacumn daily and keep things very clean while there. We bring a bottle of 409 Spray to keep counter tops and such clean and wiped down.

I am sure our unit is cleaner when we leave than when we arrived.

Maybe they should tip me.

If we had a situation where the housekeeper performed a special service during our stay such as an emergency cleaning, or the bringing of additional supplies etc. then yes definitely I would tip. Same policy for non DVC resorts.

 

[CraftyMouse]

And in my humble opinion, housekeepers perform some of the nastier and more thankless jobs in WDW. They clean up dirty diapers, when kids get sick all over the beds or on the floors, just plain filth left by other guests....toilets and bathrooms that are left yucky.

I agree that the housekeepers clean up a lot of nastiness. If we ever needed them to clean up an out-of-the-ordinary mess, such as you describe above, I would definitely leave a tip, however we have never needed that kind of service. We take out our own trash, vacuum and clean the unit as needed and help prepare the unit for the next guest at the end of our stay (stripping beds, etc.). We usually cancel the trash and towel service and have only had stays long enough for a full cleaning a couple of times so we never feel the need to tip.

 

[MiaSRN62]

If we ever needed them to clean up an out-of-the-ordinary mess, such as you describe above, I would definitely leave a tip, however we have never needed that kind of service. We take out our own trash, vacuum and clean the unit as needed and help prepare the unit for the next guest at the end of our stay (stripping beds, etc.). We usually cancel the trash and towel service and have only had stays long enough for a full cleaning a couple of times so we never feel the need to tip.

We do this alot as well CrafyMouse....they must love folks like us
But I guess I'm always thinking about the people they cleaned up before me---in order to make my villa nice for my stay. I see alot of people don't tip, so I guess I tip to thank them for providing me with a nice/clean/fresh villa upon our arrival (because it's almost 50/50 whether the people before us left a tip).....as well as thanking them with a tip for cleaning up after we leave (even though we rarely leave much of a mess). But ya know, this is just us and how we feel about it. I understand other peoples' feelings on the subject.

 

[TiffanyW1]

We have never tipped, but that is because we have had housekeeping issues ever single time we have stayed DVC (BCV, WLV, and AKV)

 

[FOTM_Ring_Bearer]

We always leave a tip. Maybe we've been lucky, but we've never walked into a villa that wasn't clean. I think the mousekeepers work very hard to get those villas cleaned as quickly as possible. It's just our way of saying thank you.

 

[wisbucky]

DH and I tip every visit. Just about on every trip we call or catch one the housekeepers in the hallway and ask for maybe an extra packet of coffee or maybe another scrubbie for the kitchen. When they bring it right away we always give them a few bucks. On trash and towel day we leave a tip on the counter along with maybe a request and a big thank you. If we dont have a request we still leave a tip and a big thank you.

These folks who work in housekeeping make very little money. They are working this job to put food on the table and/or support children. We are very fortunate to be able to take vacations like we do and the money we make buys more than just food and clothes. I look at this way, out of all the money we spend while at WDW giving $10.00 or so to housekeeping is not going to break me but may just provide a struggling family with a little something extra that they may otherwise never get.

My parents were very poor while I was growing up. They worked to put food on the table. I wore hand me down clothes and only got a toy at christmas and my birthday. When my parents received cash as a gift for helping a neighbor or others the money was immedaitely put towards extremely needed items. And these items consisted of socks, soap, bathroom supplies and etc. If you have never had to grow up under these conditions you really cant comprehend how an extra $5 or $10 can make a difference for the week.

 

[Muushka]

We have never tipped, but that is because we have had housekeeping issues ever single time we have stayed DVC (BCV, WLV, and AKV)

This surprises me. We have stayed at DVC twice a year, sometimes 3 times a year since 2001 and this is the only time we did not leave a tip. I guess we have been very lucky. I hope you have not been members long!

 

[Jaaron2]

We always tip. 5 dollars for every towel animal left Just kidding.

Once when we came back from being out mousekeeping took all my sons stuffed animals and created a scene with them. We just got such a kick out of it! We figure if we get good service we should pass along the appreciation.