Leaving tips = towel animals??

[2excited4words]

We have taken more than 40 family trips to WDW since it opened and it wasn't until I found the DIS that I even knew towel animals existed.

Out of all of our stays (and we always tip mousekeeping and leave thank you notes) we have only gotten towel animals on two trips: our GF trip in 2003 (got one towel animal at RPC- my husband was so attatched to it that I asked if I could reimburse them for the washcloths and take it home (it is a duckling) and they said for me to keep it. But I would never dream of taking home big ones like some of what I've seen and would always offer to pay for them before just doing so.

We also tipped separately at GF for turndown service- five dollars per day just in case anyone was wondering about that. I left the envelopes together once- will never do that again- one housekeeper took them both even though someone else was to turn down the room later in the day. After that, I tried to leave the turndown envelope AFTER the room had been made up for the day.

Now, on our last trip in 04, we stayed in a wing room (Whaaa, my beloved north wing, RIP 2007!) at CR and we happened to meet our mousekeeper in the hallway on our first day. She left us towel animals EVERY day. She was a sweet lady and took a shine to my little girl because my daughter thanked her every single time she saw her for our "beautiful clean room and all her hard work". She made her a 'doll' out of towels, that again I offered to pay for and CR staff said it was a gift.

We tip our mousekeepers well- towel animals or no we leave 10.00 a day in an envelope with a thank you note. (three adults and one child in the room and we try not to be tooo messy!) We did that for 8 nights last week at Poly and not a single towel animal. But my room was spotless, they always left extra towels by request and you should have SEEN how many bath products they left us LOL.

I want to learn to make them too now. I wonder if you can learn how to do it online?

wonder how they'll handle it too with the new luxury towels just rolled out- they looked and felt really expensive- I wonder if they'll back ofIf on towel animals not wanting people to want to take the new luxury towels home? Just wondering out loud. . .

We are staying at GF and I have thought about how I can leave a tip for a.m. staff and turndown staff when we may not be back in the in between. Hmmm. I do hope we get at least a couple of TA's because it will just thrill my DD6. I'm wondering how tacky it would be to mention it in a thank you note - like if we have one to say how much she just loved it?

As far as your thoughts about the new towels, maybe the will continue using lesser quality ones for TA's.

 

[DznyDreamz]

We have been at the AKL for the past 2 nights. Yesterday morning we left a $3 tip (all the cash I had on hand) and the bath mat was shaped into a big bow like Minnie would wear. This morning, we left $5 and the mat was shaped into a big clam shell type shape. I actually like it this way because its a very nice touch, but there isn't the whole "what do we do with it" question. Last trip we stayed at CBR and received a cute little bunny that we took home. Are you supposed to take them with you? I don't know if thats frowned upon or not. I left the tip mostly because I appreciated their efforts and the extra touches are just that....extra.

 

[KIMHELMS99]

I know this has been asked but I can't seem to find it, could someone tell me the website to find mousekeeping envelopes. TIA.

 

[scrump]

We always tip, regardless. And we always get towel animals, but I highly doubt there is a connection between the two.