Let's discuss tipping....Magical Express/Car Services/Mears/Shuttles to airports??

[edk35]

I am just curious as to what most tip for these services? We have never tried the Magical Express because we use a car service we love. However I have friends that might use it so I thought I would ask about tipping for that and for those that have ever used MEARS from WDW to get to a park off site. Do most people tip for the magical express service??

We are using our car service because it is actually cheaper than using Mears when we go to Universal Studios. If we used MEARS it cost 18 a person roundtrip and we are a family of 5........ where as the car service is 70 so that is the better deal even with the tip. So do most people tip MEARS for this same service?? They pick you up at your resort and take you to the park you want to go to along with stopping at other resorts to pick up other guests. If my dh and older son decide to go back to US for an extra day ...then using MEARS would be cheaper if it is just the two of them.

Also what is customary for tipping your car service if you use one?? I would think 20% of the total cost but divided in half in case you get a different driver on the return to the airport. How about those shuttles that you might take from a parking lot to the airport terminal. We sometimes use those long term parking lots for our trips. What is customary for tipping those people?? We usually give them a few bucks. Just curious.....would love your thoughts on your tipping habits. My friends think we tip too much for these type services.

 

[edk35]

 

[Lewisc]

20% is a standard tip for a car service. Customary tip for DME, or parking lot shuttle driver, is $1-$2/ bag.

 

[edk35]

20% is a standard tip for a car service. Customary tip for DME, or parking lot shuttle driver, is $1-$2/ bag.

I told my friends that for car service 20% is good. We usually tip above that though but we have used the same service for years so that is why. We were having the "car service vs. DME" conversation. DME is free and the tipping is minimal vs car service. I love the car service route.

 

[Edd]

I don't think tipping is based on a percentage. It is based on service performed above the normal routine. It really amazes me to put a percentage on a dirty car, unpolite or lazy driver, tardiness or just ignorance. Actually 20% is a high amount and that should be reserved for the very best and most outstanding service received from a driver.

20% is not the standard tip for car service. That is the percentage owners receive for subbing out rides to other drivers.

 

[redrosesix]

20% is a standard tip for a car service. Customary tip for DME, or parking lot shuttle driver, is $1-$2/ bag.

thanks so much for posting this info. Any chance you dis people could do a sticky on tipping somewhere for us international visitors -- tipping is so different everywhere we go, plus you have services like ME which would not be found elsewhere.

 

[kaytieeldr]

A sticky isn't a bad idea - but unlike the tipping thread on the Dining forum, Edd makes a good point. There really isn't a standard for private car drivers - and he's right. Bad/disappointing service, or a dirty vehicle, (or a driver who gets lost, or spends the entire ride talking on the phone) isn't deserving of much of a tip, if any.

I guess I'm trying to say it's too subjective. Now, on the other hand, there ARE standard tips or standard percentages for luggage handling ($1-$2 per bag, but not less than $2 total) whenever a service person handles your luggage; sort of 15% for a cab driver but I'll see if I can find a 'better' explanation, and that would include any normal luggage handling - but, for example, if you took a cab home from the supermarket and the driver helped you carry ten bags of groceries up/into the house, you'd tip more... see what I mean about it being sort of subjective?

Dining tipping is SO much easier

 

[edk35]

A sticky isn't a bad idea - but unlike the tipping thread on the Dining forum, Edd makes a good point. There really isn't a standard for private car drivers - and he's right. Bad/disappointing service, or a dirty vehicle, (or a driver who gets lost, or spends the entire ride talking on the phone) isn't deserving of much of a tip, if any.

I guess I'm trying to say it's too subjective. Now, on the other hand, there ARE standard tips or standard percentages for luggage handling ($1-$2 per bag, but not less than $2 total) whenever a service person handles your luggage; sort of 15% for a cab driver but I'll see if I can find a 'better' explanation, and that would include any normal luggage handling - but, for example, if you took a cab home from the supermarket and the driver helped you carry ten bags of groceries up/into the house, you'd tip more... see what I mean about it being sort of subjective?

Dining tipping is SO much easier

But how about this: You use a sky cab at curb side..he brings your luggage to the curbside check in....but hands it off to another sky cab behind the counter. I feel I should tip both now. Or what about when you arrive at resort....bell services handles your bags from DME, your car or car service. You tip them to hold it til you check in or room is ready. Then you tip again when it is brought to the room. I usually tip less for the ones that just take your luggage to hold.

I have to agree about car service tipping too. However.....we have only used one service for our trips and we have always had a great experience.

 

[Zippa D Doodah]

With 2-3 bags I always tip at least $5 for DME.

 

[kaytieeldr]

But how about this: You use a sky cab at curb side..he brings your luggage to the curbside check in....but hands it off to another sky cab behind the counter. I feel I should tip both now. Or what about when you arrive at resort....bell services handles your bags from DME, your car or car service. You tip them to hold it til you check in or room is ready. Then you tip again when it is brought to the room. I usually tip less for the ones that just take your luggage to hold.

Interesting questions... I'm doing this from memory (nothing in writing) so PLEASE don't take this as the final word, but rather a jumping-off point, things to consider...

Okay, at the airport you may actual be encountering two different positions - the Porter and the SkyCap. My experience - yours may vary - is that the SkyCaps rarely move far from the counter, so if one does help you from the actual physical curb to the counter, that will likely be the same person who checks you in. Even if it isn't, they share tips as far as I know, so you can just tip one person and they will split all money at the end of the shift.

The Porter or Porter/SkyCap is the one with the large cart who will greet you pretty much on the sidewalks outside the terminal - as in any level, especially notably level one where you disembark from the DME bus (at least in Orlando - I have GOT to write a letter to Logan Airport about the lack of comparable staffing, among other things, but I digress ), or inside at baggage claim when you arrive.

It is more likely this person will accompany you to the airline's counter inside the terminal, but if the line is long or simply if you request it, they will bring your luggage - with you - to the SkyCap counter instead. If you use the services of a Porter to move your luggage to where it needs to be checked in, you tip the Porter. If you use the services of a SkyCap TO check you in, you tip the SkyCap (in addition to any charge imposed by the airline). If you use both services, you tip both people.

It is customarily not necessary to tip when you turn your luggage over to Bell Services to hold, especially if you've done all the work, i.e. haul it all from wherever you exit your transportation to the Bell counter/desk. It is more typical to tip when your luggage is delivered to your room.

If, however, you have used the DME tags and are merely leaving your carry-on luggage because your room isn't ready, and you don't expect to be in your room when it is ready/when your luggage is delivered to your room, you might want to tip for the items you leave with Bell Services up front - since, again in my experience - they will deliver ALL your luggage, because Magical Express covers the tip for the Magical Express-transported luggage.

If ALL you have is checked luggage that is being delivered via Magical Express, you do not need to tip even if you are in the room. Disney tips.

 

[goofy4tink]

A few thoughts...
DME...if I have only carryon luggage, that I keep with me on the bus, I tend to not tip the driver. But, if the driver has provided something 'special', that makes my ride to the resort nicer than I expected, then I will tip. If a driver takes my larger than usual carryon and stows it under the bus, then he/she is entitled to a tip. But....if that driver then mentions that 'gratuities are always gratefully accepted'...nope, all bets are off. There is signage, posted right where you exit the bus, that states this. If a driver tells me, it's too much like 'guilting me' into tipping them. I have handed over no tip one time, when it would have been expected, because that driver 'asked' for a tip.
Again...$1-2 per bag is normal.
Bell Services?? These are the folks that get my goat every time. If you drive up,to the front of your resort (especially a deluxe), and start to pop the trunk to get your bags out, there is always someone from Bell Services right there, ready to help. Same thing if you arrive via a towncar service. So, if they help you out, they will expect a $1-2 per bag tip. Now....you go inside, and checkin. Your room isn't ready, so you leave your bags with Bell Services. The CMs who take those bags, left by the outside CMs when you got there, now look for a $1-2 per bag tip for stowing the luggage.
Now, hours later, your room is ready, you call Bell Services to get your bags....yep, the guy that brings those bags to your room is expecting that $1-2 per bag tip.

Curbside? I tip just the person who helped me...the one who took my bags and printed out my boarding pass. I'm sure they switch off, so no one is left getting no tips that day.

Towncar drivers? Normal would be 15-20% of the total, split in two. But, that doesn't get handed over if my experience is just mediocre. I had one driver, Tiffany Towncar, who didn't say a word upon picking my dd and I up at baggage claim, not a word on the ride to the resort, not a word when we got there...just a curt 'have a good stay' as he got back in his car. He got $10. Well, we got the same driver on the ride back to MCO...he was a changed man..very chatty, very upbeat. He got $20 for that ride. Maybe he had a bad day when we arrived, don't know. But that isn't my problem, and tipped accordingly.

Tipping is a very personal thing. I tend to tip better than some. I have a friend who tips very little. And we could have the exact same experience. I tip Bell Services about $5 for 3 bags. Same for anyone who touches those 3 bags.

 

[crashbb]

thanks so much for posting this info. Any chance you dis people could do a sticky on tipping somewhere for us international visitors -- tipping is so different everywhere we go, plus you have services like ME which would not be found elsewhere.

Tipping guidelines in the US are the exact same as they are in Canada, so just do as you would do at home (I think, from previous posts that you are Canadian - sorry if you are not).

 

[edk35]

MY experience last time we flew from BWI was this: A "person" took our luggage from our van, across the street to the curbside. We had a lot for 5 people. SO I tipped him. There was another "person" that checked us in and took the bags from the other "person" so I tipped both. So when we arrive at say OKW on Monday.....I can say "hey let me check in and see if my room is ready" they will wait for me and hold my luggage on the cart?? I don't tip him at that point??? I go and check in, and then come back and tell the guy I am checked in. He will then be the one that takes our luggage to our room???? THEN I TIP??? So no tip for taking out of car service vehicle to put on cart while I am checking in???

 

[goofy4tink]

MY experience last time we flew from BWI was this: A "person" took our luggage from our van, across the street to the curbside. We had a lot for 5 people. SO I tipped him. There was another "person" that checked us in and took the bags from the other "person" so I tipped both. So when we arrive at say OKW on Monday.....I can say "hey let me check in and see if my room is ready" they will wait for me and hold my luggage on the cart?? I don't tip him at that point??? I go and check in, and then come back and tell the guy I am checked in. He will then be the one that takes our luggage to our room???? THEN I TIP??? So no tip for taking out of car service vehicle to put on cart while I am checking in???

That has not been my experience. There has been someone outside, to 'help' with my luggage. They load it onto a cart and then take it inside. There is got handed off to the 'inside' Bell Services people....way too many palms to cross with silver for my way of thinking.

 

[kaytieeldr]

You have got to stop staying at them thar fancy-schmancy, high-fangled hotel places. Alternatively, let the person who takes your luggage from the car bring it directly to storage. When you call to have it delivered to your room, THEN you tip.

Signed,
Anonymous Cost-Concious Traveler (who tipped $5 for the valet to drive her car from one end of the hotel to the other, and $10 for the wheechair guy at the airport - but that was different )

 

[edk35]

You have got to stop staying at them thar fancy-schmancy, high-fangled hotel places. Alternatively, let the person who takes your luggage from the car bring it directly to storage. When you call to have it delivered to your room, THEN you tip.

Signed,
Anonymous Cost-Concious Traveler (who tipped $5 for the valet to drive her car from one end of the hotel to the other, and $10 for the wheechair guy at the airport - but that was different )

So when my car driver pulls up at OKW on Monday.....I shouldn't tip the OKW bell person that takes the luggagee out?? I am guessing our room will be ready and we can check in and go straight to our room so the same person would also take our stuff. SO yes tip once. However .....if we were to arrive earlier in the day and our stuff has to be stored.....don't you feel that I should also tip that person that stores it and then of course tip the person that brings it to the room hours later??

 

[edk35]

bump bump

 

[goofy4tink]

So when my car driver pulls up at OKW on Monday.....I shouldn't tip the OKW bell person that takes the luggagee out?? I am guessing our room will be ready and we can check in and go straight to our room so the same person would also take our stuff. SO yes tip once. However .....if we were to arrive earlier in the day and our stuff has to be stored.....don't you feel that I should also tip that person that stores it and then of course tip the person that brings it to the room hours later??

See, if it were me, and I drove up, my stuff would stay in the car, especially at OKW. With the parking pretty much right outside the units, why tip someone to bring them to you? I would leave them in the car, checkin, and when the villa was ready, drive over and unpack the car..no luggage help needed, no tip needed.
At other DVC resorts, BWV, BCV etc, the parking can be a hike from the main bldg, so it makes sense to drive up and drop off your bags. But, I tend to drop the bags and leave someone standing there, with them, while I go off and park the car.

 

[kaytieeldr]

I found one site (and that's all I need ) to support my stand http://www.findalink.net/tippingetiquette.php, specifically "Bellman - When he helps you with your bags, tip $1-2 per bag. Give him the tip when he shows you your room. If he just carries the bags to the front desk and then disappears, save it for the person who carries the bags to your room."

 

[bytheblood]

I don't think tipping is based on a percentage. It is based on service performed above the normal routine. It really amazes me to put a percentage on a dirty car, unpolite or lazy driver, tardiness or just ignorance. Actually 20% is a high amount and that should be reserved for the very best and most outstanding service received from a driver.

20% is not the standard tip for car service. That is the percentage owners receive for subbing out rides to other drivers.

I agree 100%.