New member with room questions

[Flyerfan]

Hey neighbors! We are taking our first DVC trip in January, staying for 7 nights in a 1BR and possibly taking 1 to 3 other people. Wondering if you could answer a few questions.

Room Key question: How many room keys do they offer? Can you get charging priveleges put on the room key?

Housekeeping: I understand with our length of stay they will be doing one trash & towel service. We've never stayed in a room with a washer & dryer and I love the fact I can wash my clothes before we go home, but I was wondering about the towels. Can you request towels, if needed, before that tiime? Or do you have to wash them yourself?

Also, how do you tip housekeeping?

That's it for now, but I know I'll have more.

TIA
Sharon

 

[Deb & Bill]

Hey neighbors! We are taking our first DVC trip in January, staying for 7 nights in a 1BR and possibly taking 1 to 3 other people. Wondering if you could answer a few questions.

Room Key question: How many room keys do they offer? Can you get charging priveleges put on the room key?

You will get one room ID per person. A one bedroom sleeps four, so you'll get four keys. You can add charging privileges to the room key, but only one credit card per villa. So if you have your personal card attached to the room and you don't want your guests to charge to your card, you don't put charging privileges on the card. Otherwise, you'll have to sort out all the charges the night before you leave so they can pay you for whatever they charged before it all goes on your card.

Each room ID has the person's name on it and is issued specifically to the person when they are checked in. Are these people rotating into the villa or all staying at the same time? Sounds like you might be a bit crowded or over occupancy if all three are there at the same time. MS will sometimes allow a fifth person in the villa, but no bedding or linens will be provided. No cots or rollaways at DVC resorts.

Housekeeping: I understand with our length of stay they will be doing one trash & towel service. We've never stayed in a room with a washer & dryer and I love the fact I can wash my clothes before we go home, but I was wondering about the towels. Can you request towels, if needed, before that tiime? Or do you have to wash them yourself?

You get four bath towels, two hand towels and four facecloths in a one bedroom. With your 7 night stay, you'll get these replaced on day 4. That's all the towels they will issue you. If you want more, you'll have to pay for an additional towel pack. Not sure of the cost, but someone will post it here I'm sure.

Also, how do you tip housekeeping?

That's it for now, but I know I'll have more.

TIA
Sharon

We don't tip housekeeping since they are technically not a tipped position. However, if they do something especially nice for us or we leave a terrible mess (never happens to us, though), I might leave them some extra cash on the Trash & Towel day or when we check out.

 

[Flyerfan]

Are these people rotating into the villa or all staying at the same time? Sounds like you might be a bit crowded or over occupancy if all three are there at the same time. MS will sometimes allow a fifth person in the villa, but no bedding or linens will be provided.

Sorry, I wasn't thinking. If 2-3 additional, we'll switch to a 2BR. If only one, we'll keep the 1BR. Now, with a 2BR, I'm assuming we get more towels. I know this sounds trivial and I don't mind washing them, but I like to know these things.

 

[Deb & Bill]

In a two bedroom, you'll get 8 bath towels, four hand towels and 8 facecloths. Same thing, if you need more, you'll pay for them.

You'll need to call MS to find out if a two bedroom is available before you ask the others to go. It might be tough to change.

And if the three decide not to go at the last minute and you are stuck with the two bedroom, remember you read about those family horror stories here on the DIS.

Good luck!!

 

[Flyerfan]

In a two bedroom, you'll get 8 bath towels, four hand towels and 8 facecloths. Same thing, if you need more, you'll pay for them.

You'll need to call MS to find out if a two bedroom is available before you ask the others to go. It might be tough to change.

And if the three decide not to go at the last minute and you are stuck with the two bedroom, remember you read about those family horror stories here on the DIS.

Good luck!!

Thanks! Yes, it's my in-laws who may go (they don't really give us a straight answer) and I want to make it very clear that I will try to get a 2BR but may not be able to. Also, I am concerned about the cancellation thing.

Thanks again for answering my questions.

 

[Deb & Bill]

Hey, I like your DIS name. My son's school teams are called the Flyers (after Snoopy, though, not the hockey team).

 

[Caskbill]

I wouldn't get too concerned about the towels thing. Washing them is really simple, just throw them in the washer on your way out the door. For towels, it's really just a case of freshening them up. It's not even necessary to even use soap (assuming you're not using the towels to mop the floor ).

When you get back, throw them in the dryer.

Or, pay $25/day for trash/towel service for a 2-B/R villa ($20/day for 1-B/R)

 

[flyerron]

Yup, Just wash the towels. We have several timeshares in other locations & when we use a unit with washer & dryer we will pack less clothing & wash as needed. Makes packing a lot lighter & easier. Take advantage of the facilities.

 

[jekjones1558]

Deb is absolutely correct that Disney considers mousekeeping a non-tipped position, but feel free to leave a small tip on trash and towel day and a little more at check-out if you have been satisfied with your service. The practice by DVCers in this regard is very mixed. We choose to acknowledge good service, especially since the quality of mousekeeping at all resorts has seemed to be inconsistent lately. We want good mousekeepers to know that they are appreciated and to remain with DVC. Have a wonderful stay, with or without your in-laws!

 

[CarolAnnC]

When we leave a tip for housekeeping, we usually write a little note, and leave it with the tip on the little shelf near the front door. We have also left it on the kitchen counter sometimes.

I agree with washing the towels. Usually we bring some laundry detergent from home and just throw a load of towels in when they accumulate. Toss them in the dryer before leaving for the pool or parks and they will be done when you return. Very easy!

 

[Bill K]

Go Devils!!!

 

[Flyerfan]

Go Devils!!!

 

[shellybaxter]

One of the things I don't like about pretty much any hotel room is the towels. At home we use "bath sheets", large fluffy towels. At DVC we take them with us. Since it's just DH and I, I just pack two in our suitcases. Just like at home we use them for three or four days and then wash them. I thought I'd hate the washer and dryer in the villa, but I LOVE it. I don't mind doing laundry at all since it's no trouble.

We tip mousekeeping on trash and towel day ($3) and full cleaning day ($10) by putting the money in a special "thank you" envelop. We like to be appreciative to the mousekeepers; its definately not required.

 

[rugrats2001]

Deb is absolutely correct that Disney considers mousekeeping a non-tipped position, but feel free to leave a small tip on trash and towel day and a little more at check-out if you have been satisfied with your service.

I'm not clear on why you would tip for T&T day - Do they do more than spend two minutes dropping off towels and picking up your bag(s) of trash? I wouldn't consider this to be personal service, any more than the guy at McDonald's emptying the trash or refilling the napkin dispensers.

Regular housekeeping should be tipped if it is satisfactory, but T&T doesnt sound like a tippable service, and why would you tip at check-out, if they never actually perform any services for you?

 

[Boston5602]

I'm not clear on why you would tip for T&T day - Do they do more than spend two minutes dropping off towels and picking up your bag(s) of trash? I wouldn't consider this to be personal service, any more than the guy at McDonald's emptying the trash or refilling the napkin dispensers.

Regular housekeeping should be tipped if it is satisfactory, but T&T doesnt sound like a tippable service, and why would you tip at check-out, if they never actually perform any services for you?

To the first part , to each their own on if they want to tip or not. I do tip a couple of dollars because we have trash rooms available to us and I could have taken care of the trash myself.

When leaving, I tip because my family were the ones that used the room that housekeeping is now coming into to clean.

 

[Simba's Mom]

Hey neighbors! We are taking our first DVC trip in January, staying for 7 nights in a 1BR and possibly taking 1 to 3 other people. Wondering if you could answer a few questions.

Room Key question: How many room keys do they offer? Can you get charging priveleges put on the room key?

I had to laugh at this question. OT, I know, but does anyone else remember Richyams answering that question on this board that they only give 1 room key per room. And I think the person he responded to thought he was serious. If I remember, he was talking about all the "cost-savings" measures by DVC. Anther one that had me laughing was he said that every family who books at OKW has to put in one day helping maintenence, painting, cleaning, etc. Anyone else remember this?

 

[jekjones1558]

eck-out, if they never actually perform any services for you?
To the first part , to each their own on if they want to tip or not. I do tip a couple of dollars because we have trash rooms available to us and I could have taken care of the trash myself.

When leaving, I tip because my family were the ones that used the room that housekeeping is now coming into to clean.

Ditto.

Again, tipping is a totally personal decision. I value a clean room and Disney seems to be having difficulty getting and retaining good mousekeepers of late. My few dollars won't solve the problem, but at the very least a competent mousekeeper will know that I noticed and appreciated. It has been my experience that mousekeepers are often assigned to a certain area, so it may well be that the person who gets the "check-out" tip is the same person who prepared my room. If I see mousekeepers near my room, I even ask who cleaned it. The poor mousekeeper often thinks that I am about to complain and is most pleased to receive a tip instead. You can bet that my service is extra good for the rest of the stay!

 

[rugrats2001]

Ditto.

Again, tipping is a totally personal decision. I value a clean room and Disney seems to be having difficulty getting and retaining good mousekeepers of late. My few dollars won't solve the problem, but at the very least a competent mousekeeper will know that I noticed and appreciated. It has been my experience that mousekeepers are often assigned to a certain area, so it may well be that the person who gets the "check-out" tip is the same person who prepared my room. If I see mousekeepers near my room, I even ask who cleaned it. The poor mousekeeper often thinks that I am about to complain and is most pleased to receive a tip instead. You can bet that my service is extra good for the rest of the stay!

We always tip housekeeping for regular room cleaning & bed making, on a daily basis. These services take real time and effort, and can be done poorly, merely satisfactory, or most excellently. The job done by a daily housekeeper makes all the difference for our feeling of being on vacation. The same goes for room service delivery.

T&T, on the other hand, should take a housekeeper no more than 3-4 minutes per room, requires no special skills or care, and should not vary by individual. They don't clean up after you, and don't provide any personalized service. Any housekeeper should be easily able to do 10 or 15 T&T's per hour, every hour. I don't feel a need to leave a tip to make a housekeeper 'feel noticed and appreciated' doing an impersonal job like T&T, any more than I would tip the guy wiping down tables at Cracker Barrel. Their paycheck shows our appreciation for this part of their job. (and yes, I have had crummy, low paying jobs, without tips, and didn't count on the customer to boost my ego or my wallet)

What services are extra good for the rest of your stay after you tip the housekeeper who cleaned your room before you checked in? Is there something extra they provide other than T&T service on day 4? Is there more to the DVC standard housekeeping than I am aware of?

If you feel better leaving a tip for this service, then I am happy for you. For us, T&T is just a basic service paid for by the point fees.

 

[flyerron]

Yeah, Rugrats2001 is probably right, however tipping is a individuals decision. these maids probably don't make a lot of money & a couple of bucks would be appreciated- who knows sometimes that comes back in spades. You never know when you may need a favor & it may help. Personally we do tip.

 

[bobbiwoz]

We have never stayed long enough for a full cleaning and have only have T&T days. We leave a tip and a Thank you note for the service, and have often been surprised with a towel animal.

It's a "pass it along" sort of thing for us.

Bobbi