Tipping for ME

[mlwear]

How have you handled tipping for ME?

I believe in one thread I read someone gave the driver the tip that they would have given a bellhop.

I read this on another site

There is no longer any incentive for the valets and bellmen to give great Disney service as it was figured out that the valets have to move each bag at least three times and where there is no guest interaction, there is no tip. Disney does give them $1 per family but, that works out to about being 10 cents a bag for the average family. Bellmen get $4 per family to bring the bags to the room

Definitely tip bellman who takes your luggage from your room at the end of your stay, but when you arrive if it just appears in your room while you are gone is there anyway to tip or do you think what Disney is paying as indicated above is sufficient (I think they are unpaying, myself)?

I don't understand why someone would tip the driver more than a couple of dollars. I doubt that he is going to tip out to those handling the baggage.

Experiences? Comments?

 

[Lewisc]

The normal tip for a bellhop handling bags is $1-$2/bag. A family with 10 bags, who chose to use a bellhop, should be tipping more than $4.

If you chose to pickup your own luggage the ME driver is responsible for loading and unloading your bags from under the bus. The normal tip for a courtesy/shuttle bus driver who does that is $1-$2 /bag. When ME works as intended you won't be bringing your luggage with you and won't have to tip.

The compensation that's paid to the luggage delivery people is between Disney and the union. Normally the bellhop takes some time to tell you about the resort and your room. With ME luggage delivery it's just dropped off in your room. I wouldn't be surprised if they're able to sometimes drop off more than one family in a trip.

I think some guests don't realize the ME driver tip isn't included. Some guests forget the tip for the bellhop who, at your request, helps with your luggage when you check out should be tipped by the guest.

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

The only gratuity that's paid by Disney for Magical Express guests is the inbound bell service gratuity for delivery of your bags to your room -- and then only if you're using the service as it's meant to be used (checking your bags from your home airport directly to your room).

I don't know the validity of the OP's statement that "Disney does give them $1 per family." In any case, I agree with Lewisc's statement that "The compensation that's paid to the luggage delivery people is between Disney and the union." Presumably, Disney pays what it must to hire and retain qualified people -- and that applies to all WDW jobs, not just to those who deliver DME bags to rooms. For many positions, a union contract enters into that equation.

Some guests elect not to use the yellow baggage routing tags so that they can retrieve their own bags at baggage claim and bring them to the DME motor coach. Such guests should tip the motor coach driver, who will load and unload the bags from the cargo hold of the coach. Also, such guests should tip at the resort for any bell service assistance with the bags to the room.

I posted the following before, but this seems like a good thread in which to post this again.

Disney's official explanation is that they cover the inbound bell service gratuity for Magical Express luggage delivered to the room. Here's what Disney's Magical Express FAQ (for meeting attendees) says:

Q: Are Bell Service gratuities included for luggage delivery to my Resort room?

A: Yes, but for the inbound service only. Gratuities are not included if you elect to use Bell Services for luggage assistance when departing.​

In another thread, Tyler (Chip 'n Dale Express) explained how this works, and it doesn't seem that those who deliver the luggage to the rooms are being cheated out of tips. Tyler wrote:

Moderates and Deluxes both have Bell Services. DME luggage is done "GTY" which is the same as convention guest luggage. Instead of getting an hourly wage increase, it's a per bag guaranteed rate. From what I have heard (through the rumor mill) bellmen are always very eager to do GTY's.

Value Resorts use Luggage Assistance. CMs are regular hourly CMs, so DME luggage is processed just as usual.​

 

[MemoryMakers2669]

We tipped our driver, as he did put our bags ON the bus and then took them OFF the bus at the airport....for departure anyway. We gave him $1 a bag or stroller.

From the airport to the resort though, I am not sure what my party did (I was not with them). He didn't do anything but open the door and drive the bus really.

 

[mlwear]

Ok, now I understand why another poster tippped the driver. Of course, if he is loading your luggage he should be tipped. We will just have ME (not the driver) handle our inbound luggage all together, and the driver will be "opening and closing the door" . That 's what I didn't understand.

Moving luggage all day would seem to be a tough job, I just didn't want anyone to get cheated.

Thanks for all the clarification.

 

[Richfield Autopia]

These posts about tipping always deal with the bell service at the hotel and the Mears bus drivers who handle bags and drive the bus.

What about the Remote Airline Check-in employees at the resort? They don't work for the airlines or for Disney or for Mears. They work for a company called BAGS.

At airports, if you check your bags at the counter, you're not supposed to tip the counter employee. If you check your bags at the curb, you are supposed to tip the skycap.

If you check your bags with Remote Airline Check-in, what's proper?

 

[maryliz]

Dumb question, but we always drive so bear with me ... on the way FROM the airport heading to WDW, we won't have our luggage with us. So do you tip your driver? And what would be appropriate? On the way back TO the airport, you tip since he is putting your luggage on/off the bus for you. We're using ME in a little over a week. Since we always drive, I'm just used to hauling my own luggage where it needs to go

TIA ...

MaryLiz

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

on the way FROM the airport heading to WDW, we won't have our luggage with us. So do you tip your driver? And what would be appropriate?

It is not customary to tip a driver who is only providing transportation to a large number of people. Of course, tips are always welcome, and if the driver does something to make your trip particularly pleasant, you may want to give the driver two dollars, or more, whatever you feel appropriate.

It is customary to tip a driver who handles your luggage at the completion of service (in other words, when he or she retrieves your luggage from the cargo hold of the motor coach at the end of your ride). $1-2 per bag is customary. I would adjust the amount upward or downward based on whether the driver provides personal, friendly service.

 

[maryliz]

Thanks, Horace ! I'm glad to know that what I was thinking was what you posted

MaryLiz

 

[Richfield Autopia]

Two days ago, I asked, but nobody answered:

These posts about tipping always deal with the bell service at the hotel and the Mears bus drivers who handle bags and drive the bus.

What about the Remote Airline Check-in employees at the resort? They don't work for the airlines or for Disney or for Mears. They work for a company called BAGS.

At airports, if you check your bags at the counter, you're not supposed to tip the counter employee. If you check your bags at the curb, you are supposed to tip the skycap.

If you check your bags with Remote Airline Check-in, what's proper?

 

[lacy1101]

I have one question (forgive me if it has been answered in this thread already). If we call bell services to assist with our luggage when we leave the resort, will he drop the bags at the curb and then the ME driver loads them onto the bus? If so, that would mean tipping the bellman and the ME driver as both handled our luggage, right?

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

If we call bell services to assist with our luggage when we leave the resort, will he drop the bags at the curb and then the ME driver loads them onto the bus? If so, that would mean tipping the bellman and the ME driver as both handled our luggage, right?

Yes. It would be customary and proper to tip the Disney bellman and the Mears DME driver. They perform different functions, and I think it's safe to say they don't share their tips with each other.

In each case, you would tradiionally tip when the service is completed.

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

What about the Remote Airline Check-in employees at the resort? They don't work for the airlines or for Disney or for Mears. They work for a company called BAGS.

At airports, if you check your bags at the counter, you're not supposed to tip the counter employee. If you check your bags at the curb, you are supposed to tip the skycap.

If you check your bags with Remote Airline Check-in, what's proper?

I don't know the answer to that question.

 

[Letsbgoofy]

Richfield Autopia,

Good question, but I don't have the answer either.

 

[CleveRocks]

I have one question (forgive me if it has been answered in this thread already). If we call bell services to assist with our luggage when we leave the resort, will he drop the bags at the curb and then the ME driver loads them onto the bus? If so, that would mean tipping the bellman and the ME driver as both handled our luggage, right?

YES, it would be customary to tip both, and YES, you're correct in assuming that a Bell Services CM will not load the luggage onto the bus for you.

However, if you are going a busy time of year or leaving at a busy time of day, don't expect to call Bell Services and have them come to your room immediately. When I was ready to leave my CBR room for good on Saturday May 14 (I was using Express Checkout), I called BS just before checkout time -- I just wanted my luggage stored because our DME ride wasn't until 4:00 p.m. BS told me they were very backed up and would we please just leave our luggage grouped together just inside the hotel room door. They also said if we wanted to leave a tip we should leave that on top of the luggage, as well (I did).

When we came back from an afternoon at DTD, we waited at the front of CBR and when our bus time was near I asked BS to bring our stored bags out. The CM who brought them to me REFUSED MY TIP. Granted, she didn't wheel them far but she still had to lift like 12 bags (there were 6 of us, and the 12 included carry-ons) onto the cart to wheel it to me. And after I got off the bus I tipped the DME driver who loaded and then unloaded my luggage.

-- Eric

 

[IlovePiglet]

Ok, I think I can help.
On the inbound portion of the ride (MCO - WDW) the bellman's tip is supposedly included. I believe I was told it's $4 a room.
That's the only tip included. The drivers (who you already know work for Mears) are not compensated by Disney, the outbound bellman (WDW - MCO) are not included, the greeters that CleveRocks mentions in his post are a nontip position, and the BAGS people I don't think accept tips.
What I do in a situation like this is if I'm not sure, I offer it anyway.

 

[wjmcd3]

DISNEY

 

[Chip 'n Dale Express]

Two days ago, I asked, but nobody answered:

These posts about tipping always deal with the bell service at the hotel and the Mears bus drivers who handle bags and drive the bus.

What about the Remote Airline Check-in employees at the resort? They don't work for the airlines or for Disney or for Mears. They work for a company called BAGS.

At airports, if you check your bags at the counter, you're not supposed to tip the counter employee. If you check your bags at the curb, you are supposed to tip the skycap.

If you check your bags with Remote Airline Check-in, what's proper?

From what they have told me, they are non-tipped.

 

[PCFriar80]

Richfield -
I started (or at least I tried) a thread on this a few days ago, as we checked
out of the BCV's. I got some indifferent replies, meaning nobody really knew.
When I initially checked our two bags at the desk in the BC, the process was great, easy and "convenient". In my attempted startup thread I indicated it
was much better than curbside check-in. I did not tip "initially", but as I walked
back to our villa, I felt the need to tip based on the service "they" provide.
Bottom line, I now believe a tip is worthy for this position/service, and I did go back and tip them. I don't care how much they're paid, they print my boarding
passes and initiate the process of getting my bags on the plane. Saves me a lot of hefting from the resort to the airport!

 

[jackmac]

I was at POR and the Beach Club last weekend and used Magical Express to and from MCO. From MCO to the POR I did not tip the driver because all of my luggage was being delivered to the resort. The driver never touched my bags. Others that did have the driver load and unload their bags tipped.

Going from the Beach Club to MCO I used the Resort Check-in. I brought my bags from my room to the check-in station and had my golf clubs delivered from storage by bell services. I tipped bell services for bringing my clubs and I tipped the Resort Check-in people like I would for curb side check-in.