Question Regarding tipping budget

[safetymom]

I am here at DL and it is listed in the book in the room that housekeepers are a tipped position.

 

[Amirah95]

As always it's up to the induviduals occupying the room to tip housekeeping if they feel they want to. I have question...are there any doormen/women on WDW property at the Deluxe resorts?

 

[Minnie&Nana]

There are bellmen (never have seen a woman in this cm postion) at every resort, but the deluxe resort bellmen really greet you and take your things right away.

 

[RoLaren]

As to how much to allow for tips...man, my tipping budget is huge LOL. I've just known too many people in tipped positions to stiff them.

Not including meals, I plan to tip:

Towncar driver; 15 dollars each way to/from airport

Mousekeeping; 5-10 dollars per day for 3 people in the room (10 would be if we had turndown service). If 4 people in the room, I tip the regular mousekeepers 10 per day and tip another 5 for turndown. We use a LOT of towels.

Bellmen: $2 per bag usually, sometimes more if they're extra helpful (or like the one at GF last year who took the time to fill our icebucket for us before he said goodbye! In any event I never tip a bellman less than 10 dollars.

I would also tip a couple dollars extra for getting extra blankets/towels brought up.

We don't have many skycaps at our local airport, but if one approaches/helps us in Orlando or elsewhere, we certainly do tip them and well! I have only had a bag lost once in my life, and that was when my *cough*cheap*cough* ex husband wouldn't tip the skycap. They sent our bags to Dollywood instead of Disneyworld!

Man, I better start writing my list down it's adding up. But I couldn't enjoy my trip as much if I didn't take care of the people who were making my stay so magical. It's more fun to share For a week long WDW vacation at a deluxe resort, I'm figuring we'll tip about 130.00 not including food related tips.

Safetymom are you having/did you have fun at DL? After all that weather in FL you deserved a perfect trip!

I'm so glad they're listing mousekeepers at DL as a tipped position now. They work hard, they deserve tips. I have a relative who worked in housekeeping at a hotel (not wdw) and it's backbreaking work, and heaven knows they're underpaid. Hopefully WDW isn't far behind.

 

[safetymom]

I am here in DL right now. The weather is perfect but still keeping an eye on FL. We are having a great time.

 

[RoLaren]

Originally posted by safetymom
I am here in DL right now. The weather is perfect but still keeping an eye on FL. We are having a great time.

I'm very glad to hear it! You and your family really deserved a great and magical trip after all the hurricane stuff you had go to through!

 

[safetymom]

Thank you. All I have to worry about now is when the next one is supposed to hit FL. Hopefully we can fly in to MCO before it hits.

 

[disneychrista]

From everything I have read both officially and unofficially, it has stated that Mousekeeping (at least at WDW) is not considered a tipped position. While it may be customary to tip housekeeping at other hotels, Disney does not expect it at theirs.

Of course this policy could have changed, I have not been to WDW in two years and have not really "kept up" on every little change.

 

[safetymom]

Can't provide of the policy at WDW but printed in the directory in your room at Disneyland it states that Housekeeping is a tipped postion.

 

[HoosierFantasia]

I generally tip 15% for a normal job to a waiter/waitress. I will do less if they suck and more if they do a better than average job.
I dont use skycabs so no tipping there.
We use towncar service adn the tip is included (which I dont like).
I will tip bellman $1 per bag. But this is what bugs me. The bellman is there loading your bags on the cart from the car. You give him the tip and he says to check-in. You check-in and let him know what room and he says "Go on up to your room and I will bring them up shortly". 10 minutes later your bags are at the door with a different guy bringing them into your room. I usually tell the guy that the other bellman has the tip and to get your haplf from him. They dont like it but I dont like the switch they pull. I used to work in a hotel as a bellman and many guys I worked with did this on purpose to help each other out and to get more tips from people.
I have never tipped housekeeping.
I do tip if they are bringing me something requested that wasn't supposed to be there to begin with.
I don't believe that tipping housekeeping is a "custom in the US".
I bet if there was an anonymous pol you will find even on this board that most people don't tip housekeeping.
I think that is a big problem with the people in the service industry these days. Expecting a tip for doing what you are supposed to do. THe work ethic in this country has gone downhill.
Sorry, had to rant.
Bill

 

[chesirekate]

We always tip housekeeping. It averages $3-4 a day depending on how much we're in the room, etc. Like my toddler daughter just about covered the floor with muffin crumbs one morning before we headed out so that would warrant a bit more for me, but we also only use one bed if we get two doubles so the second bed doesn't have to be put back together and we usually only use a couple towels. So, we just kind of look at the room and take it from there.

I do have one question though: I always wait and tip housekeeping the total for all days at the end of the trip, but now I'm kicking myself and thinking I should leave it every day, because what if a different person cleans the room the last day? I suppose it would all work out at the end of the day, but I'm curious what others who tip do. Do you spread it out and tip every day or wait and do the big tip at the end?

 

[metivier]

We tip each day, and tip separately for turndown service.

I like the make-them-before-we-go envelopes idea -- that will save lots of time!

 

[Dawnflower]

HoosierFantasia You should be given a big ol smack (kiss)!!! I AGREE with you 100%!! My husband and I have decided that we will carry all of our luggage to the room, and will not let anyone else touch it, because of the switcheroo game to get the extra tip!! Everything you said "ditto" it for me and my guess is a larger majority of people than will admit it outloud!!

I am also the one who will tip way above and beyond for service way above and beyond! I was told that buffet waitress should get more than normal because she "prebuses" my table!! Is cleaning up my dishes really NOT part of what I am already paying for? And if not, tell me where to go stack em, cause I am not going to tip larger because they have to remove them from the table!

Darn it, I promised myself I was going to stay out of this thread!! I am so dissappointed with myself!

FYI: I was a waitress during my late teens and early 20's so I understand what all they do.

 

[HoosierFantasia]

I always enjoy a kiss from a Kentucky girl. Ashley Judd is my favorite Kentucky girl.

I noticed you are headed to the AKL tomorrow for your trip. Have a wonderful time. We stayed there in OCtober of 2002. Great time to go and a beautiful place to stay. We had a Savannah view room. My DD 9 (then 2.5) loved waking up and seeing the giraffes outside her room. She still talks about the "place where we slept with the animals".

Have a good trip and don't forget to tip appropriately, he he!

Bill

 

[disneyfanz04]

Just put a poll on over at the resort board about tipping mousekeeping...please do go vote...dying to know just how many people do and don't tip housekeeping.

 

[sphere99]

ALWAYS tip the skycap at curbside checkin very generously, usually at least $10 or more. And be nice to those jerks--they determine if your bags get to where they're supposed to go and are tagged right. I've always done this and never lost a bag--wonder if there's a connection??? But I never thought of another benefit for tipping them--you might not get charged for overweight bags?

I have never ever tipped at curbside check in and have never even thought to do it! Never saw anyone ever do and travel a lot for my husbands business. never once have I had any luggage lost or mistreated in any way! Why in the world would you trip the curbside check in people when you do not trip the regular check in people inside, they do the very same job...

 

[safetymom]

sphere99, you are misinformed about tiping the skycap. They do not work for the airline and they should be tipped.

No need to overtip but $1-2 a bag is a good tip. Sometimes you may want to tip more. Most business people know that a good skycap is worth a tip so you don't have any problems.

 

[sphere99]

Perhaps we are talking about two different things. I know that when I drive up to the curb and check my bags at American, those people work for AA. Maybe its different at each airport?

 

[safetymom]

Every airport that I have flown in/out has skycaps. Their wage depends on tips. The next time you fly I suggest you ask them if they work for the airline.

http://www.cnn.com/2003/TRAVEL/ADVISOR/12/09/hln.adviser.skycap/

http://www.boscovstravel.com/business/tips.asp

http://www.findalink.net/tippingetiquette.php

 

[missypie]

Originally posted by sphere99
I have never ever tipped at curbside check in and have never even thought to do it! Never saw anyone ever do and travel a lot for my husbands business.

How in the world have you managed to avoid it? I didn't know it COULD be avoided! Years ago DH and I got ourselves into an embarassing situation where we realized that we had no cash on us for a tip for curbside checkin...I swear the guy would have followed us to an ATM if one had been nearby. He was VERY obvious about wanting a tip.