ME not good for Disney Cast Members

[RweTHEREyet]

We learned in a conversation with a bellman at the one of the Deluxe resorts that their salary is only $3.00 per hour. We talked with someone that had worked there since it opened and this person stated that they were changing to another role within Disney. When we asked why, we learned it was because of Magical Express.

Because a Guest’s bags go directly from bus to your room, the bellman do not assist the Guest and the bellman does not receive a tip. In addition, it seems that most Guests are assuming that since they don’t tip anyone on the way in, that they should not tip when leaving, although a Bellman may get the bags from the room to their next destination. The bellman are getting stiffed in this situation, in my opinion.

We did not use Magical Express, but I had not honestly thought about the impact would have on the Cast Members there. I honestly do not know of anyone that can live in Orlando, or anywhere for that matter, on $3.00 per hour, especially someone with a family.

 

[Laurajean1014]

I may not be understanding your post. The bus driver takes your bags, where? Don't they drop off bags and guests at member services or hospitality house or check in? At that point the bus driver would drive away and Bell Services would pick up from their, hence a tip for services.

How is it different than the scenerio I just posted?

 

[seashoreCM]

ME bags come in to the resort on a truck at a different time from the guests' bus.

THere is nobody in the room most of the time when the ME bags are delivered to the room.

Is Florida one of the states where a tipped employee with a salary less than the minimum wage must be paid extra money to come up to minimum wage for any pay period when tips were insufficient?

Disney hints:
http://members.aol.com/ajaynejr/disney.htm

Celebration, Disney's experimental prototype community of tomorrow, would be a failure if the aforementioned bellman could not live a relatively normal life there and raise his family there.

 

[helenk]

I think that the OP is saying that since the guest does not see the bellman with your bags, as they maybe taken to your room while you are not there, the bellman would not receive a tip

 

[RweTHEREyet]

I may not be understanding your post. The bus driver takes your bags, where? Don't they drop off bags and guests at member services or hospitality house or check in? At that point the bus driver would drive away and Bell Services would pick up from their, hence a tip for services.

How is it different than the scenerio I just posted?

Guests using ME and their bags do not arrive at the same time. Unless a Guest has checked into their room and is sitting their when the bags are delivered, they would never encounter anyone delivering their bags. It isn't the same as arriving at the resort with your bags.

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

Disney's official line is that they cover the inbound bell service gratuity for Magical Express luggage delivered to the room. Here's what Disney's Magical Express FAQ (for meeting attendees) says:

Q: Are Bell Service gratuities included for luggage delivery to my Resort room?

A: Yes, but for the inbound service only. Gratuities are not included if you elect to use Bell Services for luggage assistance when departing.​

In another thread, Tyler (Chip 'n Dale Express) explained how this works, and it doesn't seem that those who deliver the luggage to the rooms are being cheated out of tips. Tyler wrote:

Moderates and Deluxes both have Bell Services. DME luggage is done "GTY" which is the same as convention guest luggage. Instead of getting an hourly wage increase, it's a per bag guaranteed rate. From what I have heard (through the rumor mill) bellmen are always very eager to do GTY's.

Value Resorts use Luggage Assistance. CMs are regular hourly CMs, so DME luggage is processed just as usual.​

 

[RweTHEREyet]

all I can say is that the individual that we were talking to said that ME was making it so he could not earn the living he once did. He wasn't saying this to get any tips from us as we were not staying at that resort or having any bags delivered. Maybe the GTY is not equalling what most people tip. I know we are usually generous with tips, may the GTY rate is not.

And, maybe a lot of ME users think that the return tip is included and that is where the shortfall is.

 

[Ted and Holly]

ME bags come in to the resort on a truck at a different time from the guests' bus.

THere is nobody in the room most of the time when the ME bags are delivered to the room.

Is Florida one of the states where a tipped employee with a salary less than the minimum wage must be paid extra money to come up to minimum wage for any pay period when tips were insufficient?

Disney hints:
http://members.aol.com/ajaynejr/disney.htm

Celebration, Disney's experimental prototype community of tomorrow, would be a failure if the aforementioned bellman could not live a relatively normal life there and raise his family there.

Off topic, but with real estate prices the way they are, the majority of those that work at WDW probably can not afford to live in Celebration. Minimum wage is not going to buy you a half million dollar house.

Celebration is NOT an EPCOT. It is a planned community. It made a lot of money. Period.

Ted