quick question about Rainforest Cafe...oh ...and tipping

[frazzle]

We will be arriving in on an international flight about 2 pm on the 22nd of June. I'm thinking it will take a few hours to get though customs and back to out hotel (Camelot Inn). I was wondering if I should book the family into The Rainforest Cafe about 5.30pm and then we could have a quick tour of the park before hitting the hay.

Does anyone know how long it takes to get through international and into Anaheim? Also can you only book at the Rainforest Cafe by phone. I haven't been able to find an email address for booking.

Feel free to suggest a better plan! I did wonder if we should go straight into the park and have dinner at the Carnation Cafe and save the Rainforest Cafe for another night (as we'll have the 5 for 3 day pass)

Last question.....

We don't tip for ANYTHING in NZ. So whats the deal in the U.S? I understand that you tip taxidrivers, valets, housekeeping, porters, waitresses.... but how much???


Thanks guys

 

[frazzle]

oops i forgot to ask. If I was to call the restaurant what are the area codes for calling into the U.S/California/Anaheim?

eg with the Disney reservation number of (714) 781-3463. What would I need to put in front?

 

[Disney Dreams]

It's been a few years since we've flown international, so I'll let someone else answer with a more current "guesstimate" on getting through customs.

....We don't tip for ANYTHING in NZ. So whats the deal in the U.S? I understand that you tip taxidrivers, valets, housekeeping, porters, waitresses.... but how much???...

Tipping:
Restaurants and bars - 15-20%

Taxi - We tend to give 10-20%. 20% if they help with bags, etc....

Housekeeping - We leave $1-$2 per day per person staying in the room. We tip daily since staffing could differ day to day.

Porters/Bell Staff - $1-$2 per bag, more if heavy LOL

Of course opinions may vary on these, but this is what we do.

oops i forgot to ask. If I was to call the restaurant what are the area codes for calling into the U.S/California/Anaheim?

eg with the Disney reservation number of (714) 781-3463. What would I need to put in front?

00 1 714 781 3463

Have a great trip and safe travels!

- Dreams

 

[dismom73]

I've flown a lot of international flights but, I'm not familiar with customs at LAX, I'm used to flying in and out of SFO. Customs shouldn't take you more than an hour though. If you are able to get to your hotel quickly and hit the ground running you should be able to get a few hours of play time in before your jet lag sets in. However, if you get stuck in traffic and the sun is beating down on you be prepared to arrive at the hotel in a zombie state. If you are able to get some park time in be sure to resist the urge to stay until closing (if it's open late). I would suggest setting a goal of the few things you want to hit that evening then heading to your hotel to get a goods night sleep, even if you don't feel tired yet. Also, drink PLENTY of water before you go to bed, and on the flight over. Most people don't realize that a big part of jet lag is from being dehydrated.

 

[Mister Toad]

The above post is accurate. 15% is considered "customary" on tipping at restaurants. Obviously more for really good service or less for bad service.

Everything posted above is pretty accurate. While I do usually tip housekeeping in a hotel, it is not viewed as a requirement similar to cab drivers and especially waiters/waitresses.

Hope this helps, good luck with customs, I have no experience myself with it.

 

[HydroGuy]

Tipping:
Restaurants and bars - 15-20%

Taxi - We tend to give 10-20%. 20% if they help with bags, etc....

Housekeeping - We leave $1-$2 per day per person staying in the room. We tip daily since staffing could differ day to day.

Porters/Bell Staff - $1-$2 per bag, more if heavy LOL

Of course opinions may vary on these, but this is what we do.

Pretty much what we do. For customs I would plan for an hour. If you are faster then be happy.

 

[NewbieMouse]

While I do usually tip housekeeping in a hotel, it is not viewed as a requirement similar to cab drivers and especially waiters/waitresses.

I've always heard of this, but I have never left a tip for hotel housekeeping in my life. They're probably spitting on my toothbrush cause I'm such a cheapskate

Do you leave a note with it or something? How do they know it's for them and not just money lying around (not that I would do that).

 

[Aust]

On Customs, when we flew from Australia in 2007, it took AGES - was about 2 hours from getting off the plane to picking up luggage. Customs spent a really long time talking to each lot of people who went through - wasn't just a quick check and stamp on the passport, they probably talked to us for a good 10 minutes (all very friendly but long enough to really suss us out!) and did the same for everyone else. I don't know if it's changed now but we were surprised at how long it took.

Then Disneyland Resort Express took about another hour I think to get to DLH. Time for this would vary depending on how long you have to wait for the bus to arrive and then how many hotels they drop off at before getting to yours.

So 3 1/2 hours might be a bit tight, also when you add in checking in etc.

 

[skiingfast]

I've always heard of this, but I have never left a tip for hotel housekeeping in my life. They're probably spitting on my toothbrush cause I'm such a cheapskate

Do you leave a note with it or something? How do they know it's for them and not just money lying around (not that I would do that).

This is a good point. I have only left house keeping tipe when I have stayed in nice hotels. 4star+ Or when staying a long time. I feel a night or two is not a big deal but after a week I know that I have been leaving lots of trash in the room in particular as I shop or eat in it ect...

Somestimes I have left a note. Or it's been the only thing on a table or bureau. If you lave a few dollars by your keys and phone or assorted papers they don't know if it is for them, or change you took out of your pocket the night before.

 

[sonnyjane]

I've always heard of this, but I have never left a tip for hotel housekeeping in my life. They're probably spitting on my toothbrush cause I'm such a cheapskate

Do you leave a note with it or something? How do they know it's for them and not just money lying around (not that I would do that).

I fold it into a piece of hotel stationary and label it "Housekeeping". Actually I have stayed at the Camelot (the OP's hotel) before, and they provide you with an envelope that has the name of your housekeeper in which to put the tip.

 

[Somegirl]

I agree with the advice regarding tipping.
About where to eat: I'd eat at the Carnation Cafe your first night. You'll want o be in Disneyland once you get there to soak it all in and you may not be up for a big "to do" like the Rainforest Cafe can be.

 

[toby78]

I've always heard of this, but I have never left a tip for hotel housekeeping in my life. They're probably spitting on my toothbrush cause I'm such a cheapskate

Do you leave a note with it or something? How do they know it's for them and not just money lying around (not that I would do that).

We just leave a few dollars on the pillows of our beds, that way when they make up the beds they will undoubtedly know it's for them.

 

[Raindown]

Do you leave a note with it or something? How do they know it's for them and not just money lying around (not that I would do that).

I leave it in the bathroom, it has never been passed up. Many times, I have noticed a difference in how "good" my room was serviced.

 

[Caroline NZ]

Hi,
After we arrived we spent the afternoon at the pool and then got an early night, in order to be up bright and early the next morning. We personally were too tired to go to the parks or have a big meal ( we just had a quiet meal at Mimis instead and even then the kids, aged 7 & 4, were pretty tired)

Did you know that Rainforest Cafe does it's own reservations?. Their phone number is 001 714 772 0413

 

[Kiwianna]

Which airline are you flying on? We were on Air NZ last September and arrived around 3.00pm as our flight was a little late. There were no flights just ahead of us, so we were out of the terminal within 30 minutes or so, but we had priority luggage, so that possibly helped.
How are you travelling to your hotel? We used the Disneyland Express and we noticed that other lanes on the motorways were at a standstill at times.
There was a lane for buses and vehicles with more than a certain number of passengers. (sorry, can't remember how many.)
The children travelling with us (9 and 7 year olds ) would not have coped with eating out that night, so we bought takeaways and ate in our hotel rooms.
You will have had breakfast on the plane before landing.
We did leave a tip each day for the hotel room cleaners, the amount depended on whether or not we wanted the bedlinen changed. The girls drew a smiley face and wrote Thank You on a sheet of hotel notepaper and we left the money with that.

 

[jimreuter]

If I remember correctly, you can't make a reservation at Rain Forest Cafe through the Disney Dining Line. The other DTD restaurants are ok, but not RFC unless things have changed.

 

[nana50]

The reason we tip here in the states is because most waitresses and waiters especially are paid below minimum wage and depend on their tips to make a decent living. Housekeeping makes minimum wage so it is not quite the same. It is a nice idea if you are really messy and they clean your room up nicely. All our cellphones have "tip" things in them to figure out how much to leave on a restaurant bill. I wish they would just pay them a decent wage and be done with it.

 

[AmyPond]

I've always heard of this, but I have never left a tip for hotel housekeeping in my life. They're probably spitting on my toothbrush cause I'm such a cheapskate

Do you leave a note with it or something? How do they know it's for them and not just money lying around (not that I would do that).

I doubt anyone is doing anything to your toothbrush. I don't know anyone, outside of people on this site, who tip housekeeping. Housekeeping is NOT a tipped profession. Which means they make at least minimum wage. Tipped professions, like restaurant servers, make below minimum wage.

Obviously people are welcome to tip if they want to. But it isn't really required or expected like tipping a server in a restaurant.

 

[Somegirl]

When I waited tables (forever ago) I was always paid minimum wage. What a lot of people don't know is that servers get taxed on their sales. When I worked I think it was 8% of total sales. So if someone doesn't tip you they actually end up costing you money. Sometimes sales would be so high you'd get a check for $20 for 5 days worth of work. That is how it works in California anyway.
Oh and the severs usually have to tip everybody else too, like the hostess and busboy. I started out as a hostess and the servers who tipped us well usually got the "good" tables, as in customers that look like they'll spend some money.

As far housekeeping goes I've always tipped if I stay more than one night. I think I should be leaving a little every day though instead of leaving it at the end. That way I might get more coffee refills or something.

 

[NewbieMouse]

I doubt anyone is doing anything to your toothbrush.

I know - I was just kidding. I always wondered why they put those little cards out with the housekeeper's name on it - how dumb I've been!

Our family actually lived in a hotel for nine weeks between moves last summer and I never tipped them once - yikes! Good thing we're pretty clean people.