Tipping at Disney resorts question

[MinnieLovesMickey12]

For those that tip mousekeeping and say that they would tip more at a Deluxe than they would at a Value, why is that?
If the room is a standard room at both levels, the mousekeeper is doing the same exact job. Not trying to be argumentative, just a question of curiosity.

For the same reason you would tip a server more for a more expensive meal. The Hamburger is just as easy to walk out to your table as the Filet Mignon but you do not tip the same for both of those items.

 

[BebopBaloo]

For the same reason you would tip a server more for a more expensive meal. The Hamburger is just as easy to walk out to your table as the Filet Mignon but you do not tip the same for both of those items.

That makes sense except that you are tipping a percentage based on the cost of your meal and the quality of the service and food. So in the restaurant situation you would still tip 20% whether you are buying a $10 meal, or a $100 meal. The percentage stays the same.

 

[anmickey]

For the same reason you would tip a server more for a more expensive meal. The Hamburger is just as easy to walk out to your table as the Filet Mignon but you do not tip the same for both of those items.

So based on this rationalization you tip housekeeping a percentage of the total bill as you would in a restaurant?

I think on our vacation I'll tip housekeeping (or any other service I receive) based on the amount of extra work my family creates for them. I'm not sure that I believe that leaving fresh towels and making up the beds (a standard part of their job) warrants a tip. However, if my 3yo eats a muffin and sprinkles his crumbs all over the ground and they have to vacuum up after him (not something they should have to do daily) then its more fair to compensate for that. Generally, I try to make their jobs easier for them and tidy up after my family. I'm not really inclined to do that AND leave them $5/day.

I'd do the same thing at counter service restaurants that provide table bussing. I don't usually tip but sometimes my toddler leaves a big mess and then its appropriate (I feel) to leave a few dollars for the person that has to clean up after him (beyond just picking up some dirty plates).

 

[MinnieLovesMickey12]

That makes sense except that you are tipping a percentage based on the cost of your meal and the quality of the service and food. So in the restaurant situation you would still tip 20% whether you are buying a $10 meal, or a $100 meal. The percentage stays the same.

That is exactly right. I would tip based on the amount the room costs. Same percentage just different amounts. My housekeeping tips come out to around 5% of room cost. If the room costs $100 they get $5. If the room costs $200 or more they get $10. If the room was over $300 a night I would tip around $15. Then I wouldn't stay in a room that cost more than $300 a night unless someone else was paying for it.

Also when it comes to meals I would not tip 20% whether it was $10 or $100. A 20% tip on a $10 ticket would only be $2. I would never leave only $2 no matter what so on a $10 check I would tip about 40% and leave them $4 as a minimum for serving me. On a $20 check I probably would tip $5 so a little more than 20%. I tip better on meals than on housekeeping. If the meal is over $100 then I tip a flat 20% of the total bill after tax.

 

[mm1971]

Ok, this is a bit embarassing, since I feel that I should know this, but I'm going to ask it anyway. We are planning a stay in February at the WL for 10 days. This is the nicest vacation my family has taken and one of the nicest hotels we'll have ever stayed at. I read a thread on here about tipping housekeeping and that isn't something that ever even really occurred to me. This vacation I want to be prepared and make sure I am tipping those that are expecting it and tipping an appropriate amount. I don't want to leave anybody out because we're inexperienced. I also don't have extra money to be throwing at anybody and everybody we come in contact with. So my question is:

Who do you tip on your Disney vacations, how much, and do you feel it is optional or not?

We typically leave a daily tip for Mousekeeping between $3-5 depending on how well they clean the room and if they are doing anything extra.

Waiters/waitresses at sit down restaurants obviously.

Bell Services $1-2/bag if you use them.

Valet a few dollars if you use the service.

Not sure there are any others that would be expected.

 

[bookgirl]

I tip

waiter/waitress @ 15-20%
bellhop $1 per bag
valet $5 for prompt service but never less than $3
housekeeping $2 per day

 

[tinkerone]

i always leave a tip for mouse keeping. while i don't do it for what i get, it does normally come down to getting something in return. i've been there with persons who do not tip and i can tell you that we got the towel animals and they didn't. after the second day of this they asked what we were doing differently, they left tips after that.
also, on one stay last year, i gave mouse keeping a few extra dollars on the first day and requested she leave a few extra soaps and shampoos as i was making up a surprise basket for my grown children for xmas to let them know i had planned a family trip as a gift. five days later and thrity six of each shampoo and soap, i had to ask her to stop leaving them as i had plenty.
they do go out of their way for you if you leave a tip. not the reason to leave it but a side benefit.

 

[Hipcat]

This is a good guide.

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Travel-g191-s606/United-States:Tipping.And.Etiquette.html

 

[CPT Tripss]

Tipping in general and tipping hotel maids in particular is a surprisingly divisive topic.

That said, there are some employees who's job description assumes that they will be tipped by the guests they interact with (bell hop, valet, taxi drivers, restaurant wait staff, ... ummmm ... missing any common ones here?)

Tipping Disney Housekeeping (Mousekeeping) is a particularly thorny issue and there is nothing close to a consensus as to whether one should or shouldn't tip the maid. For what its worth, most mousekeepers are entry level and paid with the assumption that their's is not a 'tipped' profession.

Disney mousekeepers earn about $10.00/hr with few earning significantly more than this and none earning more than $13.50 (if I remember correctly). So this isn't a person earning even less than minimum wage and whatever your conscience is comfortable with in regards to additional gratuity should be your guide.

and yet...

Knowing what I know, just from my personal perspective on the issue, I can't respect a person that spends thousands of dollars taking a vacation yet cannot bother to throw a couple of bucks towards the woman keeping their room clean. Or who refuse to do so 'on principle'. But that's just me.

TYPICAL DISNEY TIPPING:
1) DME
. . . if you use DME, you don't tip
. . . luggage is delivered to your room without you present
. . . the tip is paid by Disney (by Union contract), not by you
2) Front Desk & Concierge
. . . these are not tipped positions, so don't even offer
. . . if they take the tip for themselves, they can be terminated
3) Room Maids
. . . maids are one of the higher paid jobs hourly jobs at WDW
. . . but, maids at WDW can make as much as $13.82/hr, PLUS bonuses
. . . tips are not necessary nor encouraged
. . . some tip, thinking maids make minimum wage, like at many hotels
4) Luggage
. . . if luggage is toted AT YOUR REQUEST, $1 per bag is reasonable
5) Table Service Eateries
. . . normal "waitress" tips are customary
. . . typically, 15% for very good service
. . . more/less based upon the level of service
. . . unless 6-or-more on ressie, where 18% tip is automatic
6) Valet Parking
. . . valet attendants ARE NOT employees of Disney
. . . they are subcontractors
. . . WHEN THE CAR IS PICKED-UP, $1-$3 is customary
7) Disney Bus Drivers
. . . Disney bus drivers are non-tipped

Disney housekeepers my be better paid than others in the area, but they sure aren't well paid. In fact they probably don't even make a "living wage." http://livingwage.mit.edu/places/1209553000

Don't be a cheapskate . . . Be like the first poster and tip them!

 

[GSUJillybean]

Tipping in general and tipping hotel maids in particular is a surprisingly divisive topic.

That said, there are some employees who's job description assumes that they will be tipped by the guests they interact with (bell hop, valet, taxi drivers, restaurant wait staff, ... ummmm ... missing any common ones here?)

Tipping Disney Housekeeping (Mousekeeping) is a particularly thorny issue and there is nothing close to a consensus as to whether one should or shouldn't tip the maid. For what its worth, most mousekeepers are entry level and paid with the assumption that their's is not a 'tipped' profession.

Disney mousekeepers earn about $10.00/hr with few earning significantly more than this and none earning more than $13.50 (if I remember correctly). So this isn't a person earning even less than minimum wage and whatever your conscience is comfortable with in regards to additional gratuity should be your guide.

and yet...

Knowing what I know, just from my personal perspective on the issue, I can't respect a person that spends thousands of dollars taking a vacation yet cannot bother to throw a couple of bucks towards the woman keeping their room clean. Or who refuse to do so 'on principle'. But that's just me.

I agree.

 

[krystal276]

Here's a question - now that I know how much to tip, do you tip the DME drivers when they put your luggage under the bus or when they get it out?

 

[OurBigTrip]

Disney housekeepers my be better paid than others in the area, but they sure aren't well paid. In fact they probably don't even make a "living wage." http://livingwage.mit.edu/places/1209553000

Don't be a cheapskate . . . Be like the first poster and tip them!

No thanks. I'm for people doing what they choose to do, rather than being guilted into doing something that someone else thinks they should do.

To each his or her own.

 

[maxiesmom]

Here's a question - now that I know how much to tip, do you tip the DME drivers when they put your luggage under the bus or when they get it out?

When they get it out.

 

[teentoddlermom]

Lol, you guys should start tipping nearly everyone in the customer service industry then. I make $10/hr and nobody ever thinks to tip their gas station attendant.

We won't be using DME or having anyone carry our luggage or park our car, so no worries about tips there. We typically tip servers about 12-15%, though I have left 5-10% on bad service and one time we left nothing because it was so bad. I am undecided about whether or not I will leave something for mousekeeping, but I have set aside $30 ($5 a day) in case I do decide to.

OT I wish there were gas attendants to tip!
Self serve gas is the new hell in America. If you are a wheelchair user, and would like help, it would take days in Massachusetts. There's a blue handicap sticker on the pump...but what does that do for you?

I love New Jersey! Full Service gas at the best price in the USA. I think I will tip the next time I'm on the NJTPK, especially because they are so nice!

 

[Sundancer UK]

It's a whole new world to me. We don't even have attendants at petrol/gas stations in the UK!
We also rarely need to tip anyone, because the minimum wage is a legal requirement here. We tip when service is very good normally, but don't have a set amount. I find the idea of having rules about this quite fascinating!

Do you all have quite a good head for maths? I'm sure I'd struggle each time to work out the 18% (or more) out because I am so not used to it. Fortunately my husband works it out quickly and easily lol. As it is I feel I should have a list to ring with me of who to tip and how much!
And don't even get me started on tax not being included in prices - I forget each and every time I go to buy anything! Oh I must sound such an idiot, really it's just because this is alien to me, I promise.

Each time one of these threads comes up I feel a little guilty. I'm sure there were people we might have forgotten to tip - but then I think my DH might have covered it without me realising. We didn't tip mousekeeping though But did leave her lots of british chocolates lol Next time I'm pretty sure we will tip.

 

[cobright]

For a laugh, at the end of a meal when you get the bill look at it thoughtfully then casually ask the waiter if he knows what 5% of whatever the total is. The look on their face is priceless.

 

[BuddyThomas]

TYPICAL DISNEY TIPPING:
1) DME
. . . if you use DME, you don't tip
. . . luggage is delivered to your room without you present
. . . the tip is paid by Disney (by Union contract), not by you
2) Front Desk & Concierge
. . . these are not tipped positions, so don't even offer
. . . if they take the tip for themselves, they can be terminated
3) Room Maids
. . . maids are one of the higher paid jobs hourly jobs at WDW
. . . but, maids at WDW can make as much as $13.82/hr, PLUS bonuses
. . . tips are not necessary nor encouraged
. . . some tip, thinking maids make minimum wage, like at many hotels
4) Luggage
. . . if luggage is toted AT YOUR REQUEST, $1 per bag is reasonable
5) Table Service Eateries
. . . normal "waitress" tips are customary
. . . typically, 15% for very good service
. . . more/less based upon the level of service
. . . unless 6-or-more on ressie, where 18% tip is automatic
6) Valet Parking
. . . valet attendants ARE NOT employees of Disney
. . . they are subcontractors
. . . WHEN THE CAR IS PICKED-UP, $1-$3 is customary
7) Disney Bus Drivers
. . . Disney bus drivers are non-tipped

Ahhh, another tipping thread, even though I have been personally scolded by the moderators more than once, being told "tipping discussions are not allowed." So.......I don't get it.

Anyway, to my point:

Rusty, I know you are clearly some sort of Disney insider and I usually agree with everything you have to say, but as someone who spent years and years in the service industry, I think you are a bit off base here on a couple of points-

1. You encourage tipping 15% at table service for "very good service", buy I can tell you with much certainty that 15% went the way of the dodo bird years ago. Standard is a minimum of 18% unless someone whipped down their pants and peed on your pasta right in front of you....or something equally despicable. It should be 20% or more for exceptional service.

2. $13.82 per hour for the mouse keepers might sound okay to some (not me) but I would simply remind you that people making such a wage are, after taxes, living at the poverty level. Thus, tipping them is something that I will always, always do.

Anyway, that's my two cents, and again, I usually agree with you and love your informative posts.

 

[BuddyThomas]

No thanks. I'm for people doing what they choose to do, rather than being guilted into doing something that someone else thinks they should do.

To each his or her own.

Wow. Just wow. Do you think anyone chooses to be a maid? They are doing what they HAVE to do to survive, not what they CHOOSE to do. Not everyone is born with a sweet little silver spoon on their perfect little mouth. Have some empathy for your fellow human beings on this planet.

 

[BuddyThomas]

For a laugh, at the end of a meal when you get the bill look at it thoughtfully then casually ask the waiter if he knows what 5% of whatever the total is. The look on their face is priceless.

Yeah that's a fun thing to do if you are a jerk.

 

[anmickey]

Well judging by a couple of the previous posters comments I can see how this subject can get escalated.....

Anyway, I wanted to thank all who provided helpful information. In the past we've opted to stay at budget friendly hotels (motels) where we handle our own luggage. Any service that would require a tip outside of restaurants isn't something I encounter a whole lot. For our FIRST trip to WDW we decided to go all the way and stay deluxe.

I just wanted to avoid any "awkward" moments and I think I have a good handle on what we'll encounter.