Actually, yes. Gifts, notes, everyone counts!
Actually, I was just thinking about this today. I need to be even better at this than I have been.
I have a doctor who just helped me get over a problem I've been having for years. I will give him something if only a handwritten thank you, although I will probably buy him a gift. What a blessing to have had his help! He's making a fortune but that's not the point. Everyone has feelings. Everyone counts.
Copper
I wish I could afford to be as generous financially.1) What is considered poorly paid?
2) Per the contract, maids at WDW earn up to $12.47/hr, plus incentive pay.
I never heard of NOT tipping maids til I read it on the DIS. LOL! I thought everyone knew to tip. My parents always tipped maids when we stayed in hotels. Didn't matter if it was the 8 Days Inn outside of WDW or some local hotel in Atlantic City where we spent summers. It wasn't til I came upon the DIS did I realize not everyone tips. I was surprised to say the least.
Same here, I am quite surprised that people did not know to tip. My parents always tipped, even at some awful motels we were at.But I did learn on DIS to start tipping daily. I always left the tip at the end of the week and it isn't quite fair if the person cleaning all week happens to be off the day you are leaving.
I was just wondering how much you tip the park janitors & bus drivers? Do you tip them the same amount per day as you tip Mousekeeping or do you give a little bit more?
The bus drivers don't scrub the toilets and clean up after guests. I haven't seen a custodian in a Disney park bathroom the last 4 trips I've been to WDW. Guess that explains the trash overflowing and the obvious neglect. Maybe if I saw one and saw them doing a goodjob I'd tip them too. I tip bathroom attendants in casinos so it wouldn't be any different at WDW.

I'd be interested in knowing why -- no wrong answer! Thanks.
The bus drivers I've found lately have been on the borderline of nasty with my mom on her ECV. Either they didn't want to load her or copped an attitude. I miss the bus drivers of years gone by that actually had a smile on their face and talked during the trip. Still, they don't do the dirty job that housekeepers do and don't deserve a tip in my eyes. Totally different jobs.
As far as janitors, and I'm talking about restroom ones that have to do the real dirty work and not the park ones, I would love see trash emptied and not overflowing like it has been the last two years. Toilets that weren't digusting. Sinks that were wiped down. Hand towel dispensers with hand towels in them. I used to give the restroom janitors a buck if I saw one in the restrooms doing a great job. The ladies in the casino restrooms are in and out of every stall after someone comes out cleaning and checking for tp and such. They are wiping the counters, checking to make sure everything is available. I give them a buck or two every time I went into one that had a person on the ball.
I would never just give a tip to the front of the park. Who are they going to give it to? Someone that I've never seen do anything? Sorry, your argument is just plain silly. I guess if it makes you feel better about not tipping..........
Housekeeping is a tipped position at every other hotel except WDW. The managers at the WDW resorts I have stayed said indeed the mousekeepers are allowed to keep their tips. I tip because I believe they are DESERVING of it. Not because they expect it. Not because it makes me feel better. Not because it is or isn't a tipped position. It is because they do a very dirty and difficult job and they DESERVE the extra money. Making $12 a hour to clean up after people and the demands of some of the most obnoxius people is worthy of a tip. After reading the whining that goes on at this board about not getting this, demanding this, complaining about that, they deserve higher pay.
I also will stick with my, if you can't afford to tip, wait to you can philosophy. Honestly if you are going on a vacation you can barely afford, your words not mine, I would be rethinking the vacation, tipping aside. I know I could not enjoy myself knowing I can't afford it.
I don't need anyone telling me something isn't a tipped position. If someone wants to rely on that and not tip based on actually deserving something extra so be it. I would never base my tip on what their hourly wage is anyway. If you are deserving of a show of appreciation for a difficult job well done, what does what your hourly wage have to do with it. Not anymore deserving of it? Oh sorry, you make this much, I'm not going to show my appreciation to you. Sorry. I don't do that. I love to tip those that I feel deserve the extra for doing a hard job well.
I know everyone has different standards of tipping but I don't have to think it is right when someone doesn't tip.
I also will stick with my, if you can't afford to tip, wait to you can philosophy. Honestly if you are going on a vacation you can barely afford, your words not mine, I would be rethinking the vacation, tipping aside. I know I could not enjoy myself knowing I can't afford it.
.

Funny thing with your argument is that I mentioned that I usually do tip-$5/day for the both of us. What I said is that it's the last thing I budget into our vacation & if a vacation arrives where I can barely afford it, I don't tip the extras, I just tip what is CUSTOMARY to tip-those in tipped positions (waiters, bellhops, those making less than minimum wage & in TIPPED positions, as defined by WDW).
What bothers me about your argument is that you are saying that it's wrong not to tip a housekeeper, when it's been already proven on this board by a WDW CM that housekeeping is a NON-tipped position. I'm not saying it's wrong that you tip them-it's great and you are very generous to do so. I'm just saying that it's wrong for you to judge others who don't tip them-those people are still following tipping rules on vacation.
You are the exact reason why I do not like the whole concept of tipping. You decide who, "in your eyes" should and should not be tipped when you have no professional experience to do so. Do not look down on people who do not agree with your personal choice is all I am saying.
Seriously, why the $12/hour housekeeper & why not the $12/hour park janitor? Why is cleaning an isolated hotel room a harder job than cleaning puke off of a ride, trash off the ground? If you are telling people it's wrong not to tip housekeeping, than you should be tipping every single non-Tipped employee at WDW OR just accept the fact that tipping a non-tipped position is a PERSONAL CHOICE & not judge others for deciding not to tip them.
For some people-$12/hour is quite a bit of money & my guess is there are alot of travelers who actually make $12/hour or LESS & save for years for their WDW vacation. They are not in a position to give extra when they, themselves, do not have the extra to give. It sounds like you do have the extra to give & that's great-but remember that not everyone is in that position.
Moral of my argument here-there is nothing wrong with those who decide not to tip a position that is NOT a tipped position in the first place. It is a choice & you should respect that.