My rude bellman at the Poly......

[PratersloveDW]

The general rule of thumb for tipping goes as follows:

If you have very few bags, $2/ bag
Several bags, generally $1/ bag
Person getting luggage out of car, $2 - 3(period)
Valet driver, $2 - 3(period)

At nicer places, they will generally expect more. For instance, if you are staying at a very nice hotel and a doormen has to call you a cab, $2.

I agree with what a lot of you said, however. My DH and I do not make mega bucks and there are times that our luggage switches hands many times. I try to tip as many as possible but sometimes I almost feel it gets carried away. On our last trip, between our driver to and from the airport, the doormen and the bellhops, we spent around $25 before we got to our room. I really do appreciate what they do but that is NO way to act! They should be civil and take the money with thanks! Sorry you had to start your trip that way!

 

[Minybear]

Originally posted by PratersloveDW
The general rule of thumb for tipping goes as follows:

If you have very few bags, $2/ bag
Several bags, generally $1/ bag
Person getting luggage out of car, $2 - 3(period)
Valet driver, $2 - 3(period)

At nicer places, they will generally expect more. For instance, if you are staying at a very nice hotel and a doormen has to call you a cab, $2.

I agree with what a lot of you said, however. My DH and I do not make mega bucks and there are times that our luggage switches hands many times. I try to tip as many as possible but sometimes I almost feel it gets carried away. On our last trip, between our driver to and from the airport, the doormen and the bellhops, we spent around $25 before we got to our room. I really do appreciate what they do but that is NO way to act! They should be civil and take the money with thanks! Sorry you had to start your trip that way!

Thanks for the breakdown. I wish tiping was all included in these resorts. I just wish it was all done with and we wouldn't have to worry if we tipped to much or too little. Tipping is very frustrating for both the CM and the guest (thats just my opinion).

Minybear

 

[musicmom3]

How do you refuse bell services? Usually there is somebody who just grabs the bags from the Tiffany driver and off we go into Tipping Land. My girls and I are fully capable of toting our stuff, since we pack light. Do we try to intercept the luggage before the bell person, or yell "don't touch those!" or what????? It never occured to me that I could refuse bell services.

 

[Skatermom23]

I have two teenagers...Between the four of us we can handle our own suitcases!!!! I love to tip for good service but I agree that suitcases get handled by too many people....

 

[Muushka]

This is such a confusing issue. A while back I thought I had the whole luggage-tip thing down pat. About a year ago this subject came up. General consensus was tip the one who took the bags about $2-3. Tip the one who lugs it to your room $1 a bag. I could have lived with that. Then about 3 months ago it came up agan. It was mentioned that if you don't tip the one who took your luggage from the car to the hotel (the baggage handler) the $1 a bag that the saftey of your luggage could not be guarenteed. OYE!

I think when we arrive next month I will stop at the hotel prior to check in and ask EXACTLY what they expect.

Speaking of refusing bell services. We were leaving VWL one year. There were no cars lined up waiting for a space. We had just tipped the guy who brought the cart out to the car from the room. We wanted to pack the car ourselves. One of the bellman came over and started almost throwing our bags in the trunk. I told him I would do it and he ignored me. I told him once again in a little louder voice that I would do it please. He finally gave up. And no, I did not tip him!

 

[cottontail]

Hi:

A few years ago while arriving at the polynesion our room was not ready, we drove up to store our luggage my husband and son put all of the luggage and a styrofoam cooler on the luggage carrier themselves, not even thinking about tipping someone for wheeling it to the storage area a few feet away,

An hour later when we finally got into our room we had it brought up and did tip this person $1.00 a bag and at that time we found that our stryafoam cooler had the top completely smashed in, ooops we finally figured it out that we were supposed to tip the first guy, but my husband said that he and our son did all the work so why should this guy get the tip, lol,

The bellman who brought the bags to the room was kind enough to ask if our cooler was broken before we arrirve at the poly we said no then he went and found another cooler for us to use. The bellman who had stored our luggage had a shaved head and tattoes all over his arms, I kind of thought that disney had strict rules for their staff, he just looked out of place for a bellman.

Deb.

 

[Bill From PA]

Re:Quote As for not tipping "every single person that touches my luggage", try transferring your luggage a few times without bell services. I think you will change your mind.


I'm another 'do it yourself' type. Until such time as I can't physically do the task, I'd prefer to schlep the bags to wherever they need to go. I'm not comfortable being fawned over, such treatment does raise a sense of obligation in me which I'd rather not have and I too am confused by the 'rules' in play when one guy unloads the car, another wheels them in and yet another drops them at the room. We're doing a split stay in Jan. and the thing that decided the issue of whether or not to rent a car was that we'd be able do the resort switch without all this hassle.

Bill From PA

 

[PlutoPony]

At the Poly, I think you'd be hard pressed NOT to use a bellman, especially if you're a first timer. There's no way I would have found my way to the room by myself the first time, with bags or without . We were fortunate there as one bellman took the bags directly from the car trunk to the golf cart (or whatever they use there). He drove to an empty parking place, my husband parked the car and climbed onto the cart w/ the rest of us, then took us all to the room. One bellman, very easy and helpful. Definitely worth a good tip - or we'd have been wandering around for quite a while..!

 

[musicmom3]

Uh-oh. I am suspecting that this might be true of the All Stars, too. Those resorts are pretty spread out. Maybe my "do it myself" idea is heading out the window....

 

[melindaandrob]

I wonder if we had the same bellman, we stayed at the Poly last year and as we are driving in the cart he is pretty miserable, when we got to the room he practically stood in the hall and threw the bags in LOL! Dh and I thought this rather humerous because we always tip well AND we help with the bags, the kids roll their own! After he left dd(11) says "I don't think he is having a Disney day"

 

[dreamflight99]

I was stunned to read this thread, and the "counting" of the tip by the Poly BM. Completely unacceptable behavior. This should definitely be reported to the resort management.

I always tip everyone whom assists me with my bags. I tip Valet, for unloading the bags from the vehicle onto the luggage cart (and valeting my vehicle). I tip the standard $1 per bag, plus additional for parking the car. I usually tip the Bellman a bit more as they usually DO more, (IE: FILL ice bucket, check room temp, television, lights, etc.). I do the same at the AP curbside check-in. Even though we always travel first class, and the baggage tags reflect the class, I still feel SAFER tipping properly *(thus somehow ensuring delivery of our belongings!! LOL).

I also have DH stay with/near the cart and "watch" our possessions, as we have actually had items swiped from the cart during a resort stay. It was not at WDW, but in a major city. Valet charges more than $40 per eve at this particular location. The valet unloaded the cart, and left everything UNATTENDED as he awaited the arrival of a bellman, etc. I went inside to check-in, and DH & DD went to the shop for something. In this interim, apparently, someone walked past our cart...and swiped the Nintendo Gameboy advance travel pack, filled with games and accessories. Total of the loss, about $850.00. We never even noticed it until the next day, when we looked for the item. We recalled the Valet had "HUNG" the bag on one of the hooks at the top of the cart. We were sickened and disappointed by this experience.

We chalked it up to experience, and since that time we ALWAYS keep an eye on the cart from the moment the bags are loaded, until they are delivered securely to our suite. Many times, DH has told me how happy he was that he was watching the bags, as they are almost ALWAYS left unattended at some point (leaving them vulnerable for theft). Even in the nicest locations, thieves can be lurking.

I'm traveling to London/Paris in a week, and will keep a very close eye on our bags. We have a chauffered limo picking us up from Heathrow, where I'll be sure to take care of the driver. The same will go for the bellman at the hotel, etc. We intend to leave the "bulk" of our belongings in storage at the hotel, while we travel to Paris for four eves. The concierge emailed me, and told me this would be no trouble *(ensuring us the bags would be secure during our absence).

I believe most of the DISers whom frequent these boards are gracious and generous travelers/tippers. I read so many posts about tipping mousekeeping, valet, bellman, etc., and am happy to know these associates are well-appreciated by the majority of visitors. But...to openly COUNT a tip, (no matter the amount) and then GIVE a look is unconscionable! Thank goodness most of the bellman employed by Disney throughout the resorts are NOT like this!

TTFN...DF99

 

[PneumaticTransit]

I don't know if I can spread insite on this or not, but I will try. I worked at ASMo for 2 years and frequently in luggage. Value Resorts are different from Deluxe Resorts - Value Resorts get paid normal wages, Deluxe Resorts get paid like $2/hour and rely on tips (like waitresses).
Here's my opinion on luggage assistance for the value resorts. Taking it out of your car and tagging it to store in the luggage room is not that hard. I rarely received a tip, and did not expect one. Just because I stored your luggage doesn't mean that I will be delivering that luggage to your room - it all depends when your room is ready and who's on deck to deliver luggage next. Most of the time, people are not in the room when you deliver luggage - so I again - no tip, no hard feelings. If the Guests are there, about 30% of them would tip (about $2-$3 total regardless of how many bags they have). At the end of your stay when it's time to pick up the luggage from the room, again - most people have already checked out of the room. I feel that picking up the luggage was the most difficult (if ever a reason for a tip, this would be it). I always told guest (only if they asked about tipping) that they should put the tip in an marked envelope for the luggage person and leave it under the handle of one their suitcases to be picked up. This eliminates the confusion between housekeeping tips and luggage tips. And again, just because I brought your luggage down from your room to storage doesn't mean that I will be the one getting it out for you when you need it - however this is when most people tip (about 50% of the time). Luggage Cast Members (where I worked anyway) were very nice - if they recieved a tip for getting your large load of luggage out when they knew that someone else brought it down, they will share it. And if a Guest asked me to share the tip with who stored it, I always would. It's not a pleasant job - manual labor in 100 degree heat is never fun, but don't feel pressured to tip if you feel it isn't warranted. I never expected it - it was always a pleasant surprise. If a CM asks you for a tip, report them. It's just plain rude and uncalled for. Counting tips in public is also a big no-no, especially if it was just given to you. (I will admit I never looked to see the amount I was tipped - just stuck it in my pocket and thanked them. One lady gave me a $20 by mistake and chased after me when she realized it. If I had looked, I would have definitely said something, but I always thought it was rude to look. Everything worked out, she took back the $20 and gave me $3 - no hard feelings).

FYI - I never noticed a 'tip scale' regarding the amount of bags someone had. For the most part, people tipped $1-3 total regardless. I have been tipped $20 for 2 bags, and have lugged around 40 bags for one family - no tip.

 

[Muushka]

Bless you PneumaticTransit. I really appreciate your post. Thank you for your great insight.

 

[ScarletFire]

$5 for the guy who helps you load it on the cart.

$5 per bag to the guy that brings it up to a max of $20.

Gives these guys a break. We can afford to go to WDW and they make lousy wages. Plus, I believe you get better service during your stay if you tip.

 

[jasper]

ScarletFire................how many zero's are in your salary? You're saying I should pay $25 to get 4 bags from my car to my room? I don't think so. Maybe $2 - $3 for the guy who takes them out of my car, and possibly $5 to $10 for bringing them up, depending on how helpful and friendly they are. Which leaves me at a max of $12 to $13, half of your figure.

I might consider leaving my career if I can get $20 a pop for wheeling a cart of bags down a hotel hallway. That could easily be $60/hour or more.

If they get $20 per trip, they are not making "lousy" wages.

 

[Muushka]

Originally posted by ScarletFire
$5 for the guy who helps you load it on the cart.

$5 per bag to the guy that brings it up to a max of $20.

Gives these guys a break. We can afford to go to WDW and they make lousy wages. Plus, I believe you get better service during your stay if you tip.

Nope. I will carry it myself for those prices. I really hope that the bellmen do not expect these sort of tips. Didn't I just read a great post about how much they really expect???

 

[mars315]

I DEFINITELY agree that a bellperson should never count the tip and make a face, nor should he in any way "beg" for a tip.

Having said that, while I am pretty frugal when it comes to squeezing every penny out of a dollar, I guess I am generous when it comes to tipping. When we check in to WDW (usually a deluxe, in case that matters) there are four of us with about 4 suitcases and a couple smaller carryons/laptops. We always tip the guy who removes our luggage from our car $5.00, and we tip the belleman who delivers our luggage $15-20, the higher amout would be if they offer to get ice, converse with us about the property, ask us if there is anything else he can get for us, etc.

On the way out we usually tip $10 to the person who loads up our luggage from the room, anf then $5.00 to the person who puts it in our car.

Again, that is OUR choice, and I would NEVER put up with someone sneering at the tip he was given.

Michelle

 

[tinkerbellmagic]

Originally posted by Mouselander

At the Yacht Club we took our luggage to the car ourselves when we checked out because of a long wait for a bell hop. The Concierge staff was not happy with us for doing so. Who cares!

Same thing happened to us at the Yacht Club. We got a very dirty look from an older gentleman from bell services, when he asked if we needed help and we said no thanks, and we brought our own luggage to our room. Heck, I had my teenage son with me. It seemed silly to use bell services.

Now, if I have someone else do my luggage, I always tip. We also tip the Disney Cruise Line bus drivers, which I don't see too many people do. I also tipped the guy at the Poly who delivered the refrigerator to our room.

Tink

 

[TDC Nala]

I carry my own. Usually I have one suitcase and I don't need anyone to help me move it.

 

[dreamflight99]

PneumaticTransit~ Thank you, for the candid & insightful post.
I had no idea so "many" people truly fail to tip. I usually have about 6 bags, (when at WDW) and tip a minimum of $8 to the valet, and $10 to the bellman. It's a cost only paid on arrival and departure at a resort *(with the exception of Valet service, I tip picking up & dropping off). I appreciate the assistance, friendly banter, and other help as mentioned above.

I guess I probably over~tip everywhere I go. I also tip doormen for hailing me a cab, counter coffee service associates, anyone whom "runs" a special request to my room (extra pillow, towels, etc.), carwash attendants, tour guides while on DCL excursions, tram/shuttle drivers, and even grocery bag associates whom assist me to my vehicle and load the bags. I learned this behavior from my DM & DF, whom ALWAYS kept a secret stash of extra bills on them for this very purpose. It's so kind to show gratitude, just as it is to feel appreciated. My parents believed if you have the money to eat in a restaurant, take a cab, or use the assistance of a bellman...you should have a little extra to express sincere appreciation. Housekeepers, especially, hold a special place in my heart.

As PneumaticTransit posted, tips are reserved for good/acceptable service. Only on very rare occasions, have I experienced poor service. For me, even in these circumstances...I STILL tip. I know most people in this position "rely" upon gratuity to make ends meet, etc. I always give the person the benefit of the doubt, as anyone can have a "BAD" day. I just tip less in such an instance.

As the Holiday Season approaches, I keep all these things in mind. I already have Holiday checks & cards made out for the Gardener and his family, the newspaper delivery person and her family, the poolman and his family, etc. I'm blessed to have such wonderful people taking care of things for us, and always wish them to know they are appreciated. As I venture to London & Paris, I'll pad my pockets with some extra pounds and Euros, for the wonderful people in the service industry.

TTFN...DF99