Tip Bell Services at drop-off or pick-up?

[OKW Lover]

I do both since it’s never the same person!

Tips are pooled so it doesn't matter

 

[ColoradoMom12]

I tend to tip only when I pick up or if I have our luggage delivered to our room. The exception is if I have them pick up luggage from our room that I want them to hold. If I bring it to the desk myself, I don’t tip when I leave it (I probably would, however, if I were leaving one/many large bags. Usually when I leave something, it’s one or two small carry-on/backpack size things).

 

[Jimmy Mouse]

I tip everyone. Pull up to the resort, bell ask if we need a cart and they help me unload. I tip that person. Valet takes our keys and we tip them. If we happen to have valet retrieve our vehicle that person gets a tip but we usually just leave it parked all week. When our Bags get delivered to our room I tip that person. I tried to tip the CM that took us up to CL and she advised me that they cannot take tips. Tried to tip the guy that helped us with towels at the pool and again, they can't take tips. I also tip mouse keeping daily since it may be a different person each day. I'm a tipaholic lol

 

[MickeyWaffles]

We do both.

I worked as a bell services/valet dispatcher at a deluxe. Working as a dispatcher (not a tipped position) and seeing how hard the bell services team worked all day put me firmly in the “both” camp.

Tips are pooled so it doesn't matter

Interesting. I wonder when that changed. When I was a dispatcher, tips were NOT pooled (granted, this was almost 15 years ago.) Back then they kept what they received.

 

[dansdad]

Interesting. I wonder when that changed. When I was a dispatcher, tips were NOT pooled (granted, this was almost 15 years ago.) Back then they kept what they received.

As of about 3 years ago when my nephew was working Bell Services at the Epcot Area resorts, tips were not pooled. So a very recent change if accurate.

 

[Sandisw]

Tips are pooled so it doesn't matter

I didn't know that. It still won't change what I do, but good to know that everything is shared!

 

[Nancyg56]

I tip everyone. Pull up to the resort, bell ask if we need a cart and they help me unload. I tip that person. Valet takes our keys and we tip them. If we happen to have valet retrieve our vehicle that person gets a tip but we usually just leave it parked all week. When our Bags get delivered to our room I tip that person. I tried to tip the CM that took us up to CL and she advised me that they cannot take tips. Tried to tip the guy that helped us with towels at the pool and again, they can't take tips. I also tip mouse keeping daily since it may be a different person each day. I'm a tipaholic lol

I do too. I appreciate all the help I get and tip for the service.

OP- I tip both at drop off and pick up.

 

[nkereina]

I used to work at a non-Disney chain hotel, and the bell staff pooled their tips. But, I have stayed at other resorts (non-Disney) and once I attempted to tip the bellman when I dropped off my bags, and had him tell me to "save it for when you pick them up". Not sure if he was trying to be nice, or if people typically just tip when they pick them up.

 

[OKW Lover]

I regularly use Valet parking at resorts (we are local) and while waiting for my car to be brought around I've observed the valets put tip money into a slot at the valet counter.

 

[Sandi]

We never used this service at a value resort. Do they provide this for you as well? We'll do it ourselves if the room is ready.

Value resorts will hold your bags for you, too. I'm in the "tip when they give your bags back to you" camp. I tip more when they're delivered to my room (which the value resorts do not do -- except in association with DME which is entirely different), than when I'm retrieving them myself from the luggage folks.

 

[MomOTwins]

Both. The rule of etiquette I learned was tip everyone who you see handles your bags. Think about it this way: there are plenty of situations where you can't tip when they give it back to you. For example, if you have a split stay or a disney cruise and the staff are picking up your bags from your room to transfer, you can't wait to tip on the back end because that would be a different hotel/the cruise ship that returns the bag to you.

 

[AngiTN]

* My question is not about how much to tip, but rather the etiquette of when.*

I’ll be dropping a bag at Bell Services this weekend after an early AM flight so I can head out to the parks. Is it typical to tip when you first drop your bag, or when you retrieve it? I’ve always done the latter, but I feel badly if it’s not the same person who helped me earlier. Thanks for any info!

We do both

 

[TheSouthernBelle]

* My question is not about how much to tip, but rather the etiquette of when.*

I’ll be dropping a bag at Bell Services this weekend after an early AM flight so I can head out to the parks. Is it typical to tip when you first drop your bag, or when you retrieve it? I’ve always done the latter, but I feel badly if it’s not the same person who helped me earlier. Thanks for any info!

We tip both, we don't usually store our bags but we tip the person who gets our bags out of the car if we need to valet or check in and it's a deluxe, as well as the person who helps us to our room. For mods, we typically just bring our bags ourself since we will park closer to our room. We average one bag per person so it's not horrible if you don't include groceries.

 

[eeyoreandtink]

I have a question about this if anyone is willing to answer.

We normally just handle bags ourselves but this trip will be a little different. We planning arrival night at Pop before a 6 night stay on rented points at AKL. I also want to have groceries delivered. Can we drop our bags at AKL early on check in day, park the car and head to the parks, then call for our bags and groceries when we get back, or will we need to go to bell services and get them? I plan to tip on both ends either way.

 

[_19disnA]

Not sure who makes up the rules for etiquette. I only tip when the person delivers the bag to our room much like with a car valet, I tip when they return my car to me. Obviously, anyone can do what they want, but I thought the question related to more about wanting to know what others do vs what is 'right' or 'proper'.

 

[nkereina]

Can we drop our bags at AKL early on check in day, park the car and head to the parks, then call for our bags and groceries when we get back, or will we need to go to bell services and get them?

Yes, you can call for your bags and groceries. You just need to be in the room when they are delivered, so I would plan to call when you're back for the evening. If they are busy, it make take a while.

 

[OfCourseTheresAlwaysMyWay]

To me you tip at the end of a service. I'm usually traveling solo or with one other person, so unless we had an insane amount of luggage for some reason, I wouldn't tip at dropoff. Only at pickup.

That being said, during my trip in May I could not believe that I was the only person who tipped the Magical Express driver. In both directions. My bag was last off both times and no one gave the poor drivers anything.

 

[starry_solo]

If the person picks up from the room, then both.

If I bring it to the counter, then whomever delivers to the room gets the tip.

 

[_19disnA]

That being said, during my trip in May I could not believe that I was the only person who tipped the Magical Express driver.

Saw a sign posted at the front of the Magical Express bus that said something like 'tipping is permitted for exceptional service'. My interpretation of that is 1) tipping is not a requirement if the person is just doing their job, 2) they won't lose their job if u tip them and 3) tipping is permitted when they do something over and above. Many on our bus didn't have any luggage since it was being handled by Disney.

 

[MomOTwins]

Saw a sign posted at the front of the Magical Express bus that said something like 'tipping is permitted for exceptional service'. My interpretation of that is 1) tipping is not a requirement if the person is just doing their job, 2) they won't lose their job if u tip them and 3) tipping is permitted when they do something over and above. Many on our bus didn't have any luggage since it was being handled by Disney.

When using hotel shuttles at any non-Disney hotel, the custom is to tip the driver. It is weird to me that people don't tip at Magical Express (we always have $5 that one of my kids hands to the driver). If they handle your bags it is especially troubling not to tip.

I wish everyone had to work in a tipped position once in their lives. How would you feel if your boss just decided to only give you part of your paycheck if he/she deemed your work was "exceptional"? I'm all for tipping extra when someone goes above and beyond, but I do believe there is a baseline people should be prepared to pay when they accept competent service from a tipped position, unless a tipped employee is actively rude to you or doesn't perform their job. Remember, you always have the option NOT to use the service.