Tipping at Disney's Grand California

[cinder-ellah]

Our family is staying at Disney's Grand California the first week of June, first time staying at such a luxury Hotel.

I have a question about tipping........who do we tip and how much ?

 

[bumbershoot]

If you're having your car parked by the valet people, you tip them (when you drop off and pick up the car, I believe). The Bell Services people will probably help you with your bags and you tip them. And housekeeping as well (some say they are a fully paid, untipped position, but our hotel info thing at DLH last week stated that housekeeping staff are appropriate to tip for good service).

 

[MagicalMomAZ]

Anyone who does you a "service". Like mentioned above - brings in your bags, parks your car, cleans your room.

A waiter brings your food,..get it?
Typically a couple bucks is good here or there.

 

[Hester]

Here is a little more detail on when and who to tip:

Valet Parking:
I don't recommend this, simply since you can easily park your own car. But if you do, tip $2-$5 each time you request your vehicle.

Bell Service:
When you check-in you can either pull into the car port at the front of the hotel or go to temporary parking. When you pull into the car port, a bell will greet you and ask if you'll want help with your bags. You may have two different bells help you - one to the front desk (or temp. storage area) and another to bring your bags to your room. I always tip both times - when given a claim ticket at temp. storage -AND- when a bell brings the bags up to the room. The rule of thumb is $1 per bag or other item (ice chest etc.) Remember, you can opt to handle your own bags, in this case you don't tip anyone. You can check-in, then go park your car yourself in guest parking.

Housekeeping:
This is an old tradition that is rarely still followed. I generally don't tip housekeeping, but if you have the extra money and the service is good - leave an envelope CLEARLY marked "Housekeeping". Any amount would be appreciated and it is a very nice gesture, especially if you leave the room a mess like some people I know

Room Service:
Tip similar to how you would in a restaurant, but obviously do so when your food is brought to your room - not after. Double check that gratuity is not automatically added to your bill (I can't recall seeing this at the GCH, but certainly double check) - either way, still tip something for the delivery to your room.

Misc:
Whenever you request anything that is brought to your room by a person and you answer the door - coffee pot, roll away, sheets, towels, etc - you tip this person. A couple of bucks is fine.

Once additional thing that I highly recommend is that you contact the hotel manager should you encounter an outstanding cast member in the hotel (a little note left at the front desk will suffice.) Nothing beats good service and attitude and sometimes it's hit or miss at Disneyland Resort. If we all reward outstanding service, I feel it creates motivation and perhaps a demand for it. Do the same if you encounter poor service, but be polite and specific without emotional language.

I think that pretty much covers it!

 

[Mouseaholic!!!]

Who else to ask but.....Emily Post. Here are travel tipping guidelines from the Emily Post website.

Skycap
$2 first bag, $1 per additional bag

Doorman
$1-$2 for carrying luggage
$1-$2 for hailing cab
$1-$4 beyond the call of duty

Bellhop
$2 first bag, $1 per additional bag

Housekeeper
$2-$5 per day, left daily

Concierge
$5 for tickets or reservations, $10 if hard to get; no need to tip for answering questions

Taxi driver
15% plus an extra $1-$2 if helped with bags



We tip well. Remember, the salaries of many in the service industry are adjusted because they receive tip. Another reason, Disney is known for a low wage scale. Finally, a $5 tip for our Mousekeeper may mean she can buy an extra gallon or two of milk for her children......and after a week of our tips.......she can afford to take her family to see UP !!!

You are staying in a beautiful hotel - even at Castmember rates, it's stll not a budget price. We consider gratuities part of our travel expense. If we consider the cost of tips will break the budget, we adjust our travel accordingly.

 

[The Red Head]

Now I have a question too. I see two different amounts for bellman on this thread. And I thought it was something different than either of the amounts. I thought it was $5 the first bag and $1 for each additional bag.

 

[bumbershoot]

I've only ever heard $1 per bag, that's what we did at DLH, and the bell guys seemed VERY happy to receive that amount.

Although the WDW people seem to state that "mousekeeping" is NOT a tipped position, like I mentioned, in the hotel info book thing at the DLH it does state that they are...so I think maybe the pay is different for mousekeeping at WDW and housekeeping at DLR....

 

[Boo Bear]

I always tip housekeeping $5 per day. In WDW I dropped my room service tray as I exited my room and there way pancake syrup everywhere. I left the housekeeper $20 that day because she stopped cleaning another room to clean my tray mess.

For cab drivers and waiters/waitresses I leave 20%. That's how they earn their living and I factor gratuity into my budget.

 

[The Red Head]

I've only ever heard $1 per bag, that's what we did at DLH, and the bell guys seemed VERY happy to receive that amount.

Years ago I had heard about the $5 for first bag and I don't remember where, and we have been paying that for at least 4 years, so I would have assumed it would have gone up or stayed about the same.

But I did google this, since I now have wondered if we have been over tipping. And the answers were all over the place. A few places said $1-$2 per bag. But then I also found the following:

Tip the bellhop $5, in a first-rate hotel, plus $1 for each piece of luggage.

Tip $5 per bag in a five-star hotel and $1-2 dollars per bag everywhere else.

$2 per bag, coming and going.

The general rule is $1 per bag, but if you’re alone and only have one bag you might want to add a few dollars to the tip.

$1-$2 per bag if they bring the bags to your room. If they prepare your room and show you around, tipping $5-$10 should cover everything (including the bags).

$1 to $2 per bag, or a flat $5 plus $1 per bag

First I was a little confused, but then it seemed like the higher amount was for nicer hotels. When we stay at Paradise Pier I tend to bring my own luggage up, because of where the parking is. At the Grand CA, we always have our luggage brought up, and the bellmen asks if we need help and fills our ice bucket for us. So I think I can justify the amount we have been tipping, they always go above and beyond there.

 

[cinder-ellah]

Thank you sooooo much for all of your help.
We ususally stay at the Desert Inn and just wanted to splurge for a change.
Sometimes you just have to........
I appreciate all the good advice.
Leaving tomorrow morning from Portland Oregon to Disneyland and am getting excited !

Thanks again...........

 

[amyamya]

There was a thread about this awhile ago, and some of us said that even though we left tips out, they were not picked up. I left a tip at the GCH every day and it was never taken. There was a lot of back and forth about if the housekeepers were supposed to take tips. FYI.

 

[The Red Head]

I have read that you are supposed to leave the housekeeping tips in an envelope labeled "housekeeping" so they know it is for them. If you leave money sitting out, they may just think it is your money you left sitting out.

 

[toocherie]

I only tip when I drop off my car with valet if they actually help with something--often they help unload my Mom's scooter and I will tip $5. I definitely tip picking up the car.

Housekeeping I usually leave $5 a day--but like others have not had it taken. I try to leave it under the little card tent about mousekeeping. I did have an instance at SSR in WDW where the maid didn't take the money I left but luckily I was in the room and made sure she got it. Might have been a language issue too.

Ok, and a vent. It really steams me that there are two different bellman that handle your luggage--so you end up tipping twice. Once guy unloads the luggage from the car and takes it to temp. storage and another one takes it to the room. I can see that if you're checking in really early and your room is not ready--but I'm usually checking in late afternoon and the room is generally ready.

 

[bumbershoot]

I have read that you are supposed to leave the housekeeping tips in an envelope labeled "housekeeping" so they know it is for them. If you leave money sitting out, they may just think it is your money you left sitting out.

Having had change taken from a hotel room, when it was very clearly NOT a tip, I am happy that they try to be sure it's for them! So last week I would put our housekeeping tip on the bedside table, with a note stating "for housekeeping" on it. Each day they would tear off the note, take the money, and everyone seemed happy.

(then the one day I thought "maybe we're tipping too little" and left a bit more, the housekeeper threw away our huge Disney bag with the box for E's stormtrooper blaster (which had been sitting in the same spot since our second day there and the housekeeper(s) had been ignoring), which we really really wanted for the plane home.... The tip went back down the next day and we let the hotel know, though it was the following day when we actually realized it so it was long gone, and we know it might not have been the same housekeeper, but it was the principle of the thing.)