Tipping Mousekeeping

[ZPT1022]

Hi, I am sure that this has been discussed before, however the search feature is unavailable right now. We are going to AKL in about 11 days and I was wondering, for two adults, how much do you normally tip Mousekeeping? Also, would it be entirely inappropriate to include a note with the tip one day and ask for a towel animal?? FH has been checking out the boards and is curious about them, he's never seen one before, and I'd love for him to get just one. Thanks in advance!

Becky

 

[cinmell]

There have been quite a few threads on this subject. Some say Disney housekeeping is not a tipped position and others tip $1-$2 per day per person. We usually tip a dollar per person for each day. I hope this helps.

 

[Disneydenise]

I tip a $1 per person per day. I have never gotten a towel animal but if you have stuff toys with you I have had them arranged very cute around the room. We did get a bunch of bunny ears of wash clothes in the sink area of our room.

 

[Eeyore1954]

My DW and I usually tip $2 - $3/day. We put it in envelopes before we leave, so the $ is set aside. We leave the envelope on the sink.

You can ask about towel animals, but not all mousekeepers know how to make them. I would not ask for them myself -- it's a nice surprise if it happens, but I wouldn't want to pressure the mousekeeper if they didn't know how to make it.

 

[tampafan]

We tip $1 per person per day. We use the envelopes on this web site

http://users.adelphia.net/~heidiw/maid_envelopes/index.html

We have been many times (more than 15) in the past few years and have received towel animals twice. Once, the housekeeper actually gave our kids large plush Mickey and Dumbo. It is a great treat when you get them, but not a sure bet. If it were, it would not be special when it did happen

I hope you have a great trip!

 

[skuttle]

DH and I (just the two of us) tip $3 per day. We also use the envelopes in the post above.

 

[TiggerPiglet]

We tip about $3 to $4 a day. We've never had an animal towel made for us, but our kids' stuffed animals were always placed differently around the room everyday. I remember they couldn't wait to get back to the room to see where their stuffed animals would be. (this was at ASMo)

Have a great time at AKL.

 

[Redbeard52]

Oh wow...a thread that I can actually contribute to! Woo-hoo...

This may sound excessive but we always tip $5 a day. We leave the $5 bill on the pillow and set out for the day.

My resort of choice is OKW and when we tip like that there the service has been superior.

(No, I'm not advising anyone to "bribe" their Mousekeeper...)

About half the time we have gotten towel surprises and one time we came home (about six guys in a two-bedroom home) to find the beer that we had in the 'fridge had been iced down and placed in cooler (that we had not provided). This was near the end of our trip and I think we had the same Mousekeeper that entire week. It was a great treat!

 

[hmp2z]

Hi! We tip $3 per day for myself & husband. I made up a different Mousekeeping envelope for each day; let me know if you want me to send the file to you. At the GF, we got flowers every day from Mousekeeping, arranged in our towels. At the WL, we got towel rabbits & ducks, and we didn't get anything at the AKL for our only night there.
Cheers!
Heather W

 

[skiwee1]

We tip $5 a day and that is for 2 adults and one child. We are very neat or would leave more. We have always gotten towel animals. We also get my DDs stuffed animals mixed in with them. At the WL we got a canoe made out of towels, 2 ink pens as oars, a towel bird, and my DD's baby bop rowing. It was adorable! I do suggest tipping but not asking for towel animals.

 

[Meriweather]

We (2 adults) tip $2.00 a day (everywhere, not just Disney).
We have gotten LOTS of towel animals and also beanie arranging It's fun and always something to look forward to seeing when we return to our room (it isn't done everyday, so always a surprise).
Last trip, DH got involved and folded the money in oragami shapes. He and the housekeeper had a good time

 

[WDW2002]

If you choose to tip, $1 per person, per day is the guide. Some leave extra on the last day. As for leaving a note and asking for towel animals, you can try it but as others have said not everyone knows how to do it or will have time to do. Not to mention, some maids may not even be able to read the note, where I live most maids are hispanic and do not speak/read english and understand (verbally) very little english.

If you are leaving a tip to GET the towl animals you maybe setting yourself for disapointment and feeling like you got "riped off"

 

[dandave]

When I tip, I use the provided resort stationary. I put the name of the mousekeeper left on my mousekeeping card on the envelope (I want to be sure that the proper mousekeeper gets the tip), write a brief thank-you for what I have viewed as exceptional service, and tip at least $1 per person in the room.
If the mousekeeper has not even bothered to leave me that little Mickey card with her name, then I do not bother tip. That's just me, however.

 

[ZPT1022]

If you are leaving a tip to GET the towl animals you maybe setting yourself for disapointment and feeling like you got "riped off"

I would be tipping because I feel it's the correct thing to do I just wanted to make sure I knew the correct amount etiquette- wise, as it has been about 2 years since we last traveled. As far as the towel animal, I don't expect it and I never even considered making the mousekeeper feel bad if they didn't know how to do it. FH has been perusing these boards a bit and he is very curious to see one of these towel animals. Last time we went we were at the Beach Club and nothing like that happened, although when I stayed at CBR with my family awhile ago every day when we got back our stuffed animals would be doing different things- it was really cute I will have to go look at those envelopes, and that's a good idea to make sure to put the person's name on it! Thanks for all the help

 

[dsneygirl]

We usually leave $2 per day for 2 adults. Maybe a little more on the last day. I don't use any envelopes or anything just leve the money on the pillow.

 

[dandave]

The reasons I like to leave my tip in an addressed envelope are (1) so that the intended mousekeeper gets the tip, and (2) because they are not supposed to touch any of your things. I don't expect them to take my pocket change off of the armoire, so I wouldn't expect them to take cash left on the bed.
Yes, I know that they "touch" stuffed animals to arrange them. That's different, IMHO. I was told by the housekeeping supervisor at the Poly, that they are not supposed to move or even touch any of your things.

 

[Tesabat]

Just returned from AKL - we spoke to several different housekeepers during our stay. All were nice. However, we were staying during a period of low occupancy - and they were on a rotating schedule. They said every time it is low occupancy, no one works the same hallway twice in a row - they get rotated around. I'm assuming this is to give them a proportionate share of checkout days. And, one time when my brother ran back to the room to get something after we had left for the morning, he found two housekeepers cleaning the rooms as a team.

Due to this disclosure - as well as the extended family with us who thought I was insane to tip every day - I left a tip at the end of our stay as I normally do outside of WDW and as my family was raised to do. (With a brother and a sister there, they KNOW what Mom told them! No getting around it!) I used the $1 per day per person rule of thumb.

It was interesting to note the differences between the housekeepers. Upon check-in - our room was clean and passed my test. My brother, sister and brother-in-law were disappointed in the cleanliness of the connecting room (though they never said anything until later in the stay). The connecting room was not ready when we checked in, and I'm assuming that it was not cleaned by the same person as ours.

Next day - everything looked bright and very clean - and there was a towel animal in both rooms on the tub. The day after that - extra towels, soaps, etc. VERY sparkling room, no towel animals. The day after that - my mouth dropped when we walked in. The housekeeper had left an artistic display on the sink - never knew you could do so much with washcloths and towels, and the room was very clean too boot. Next day - clean room, lots of extra soaps and shampoos, towels, but nothing fancy - and the top bunk bed had been turned down.

So - it definitely varied from person to person, and I'm not sure that all of them have the training to create towel animals and artistic displays - fans, soap holders, etc. out of towels and washcloths, so even if you requested one - you might not get one - and I'd only do so if it wouldn't be a disappointment to you when your request was not fulfilled.

 

[Nuts4Disney]

Originally posted by dandave
If the mousekeeper has not even bothered to leave me that little Mickey card with her name, then I do not bother tip. That's just me, however.

I don't want to be difficult, but just for clarity, I want to point out that the "Mickey cards" may not be available all the time for the mousekeepers. I do not recall receiving the Mickey cards w/ the mousekeeper's name on my last trip in May.

We ALWAYS tip based on service. There is 2 of us. We tip $4-$5/day, depending on the service.

We're also extremely neat. We only use 1 bed. We have very little garbage. The room is already tidy & in order before the mousekeeper comes in.

We haven't [yet] made a real "mess" in the room. I understand that people have families & are more "cramped" in the room than we are, but I have seen how some folks leave their rooms, & it's a Total Mess! I've seen food, garbage, clothes on the floor... It looked as though the "guests" shook the room upside down like a snowglobe, & where ever things landed, they landed.

We have found nice "surprises" in our room from time to time, like the towel animals, etc. As many others have posted before me, they are "surprises," totally unexpected, & Not requested. I also agree that it is inappropriate to request towel animals or any other such "gifts" of welcome from the mousekeepers, or anyone else for that matter. IMHO, appropriate requests are for pillows, towels, etc., not gifts or surprises.

Hope this helps you. Have a Magical vacation at WDW!

**Ooops! Edited to correct the tip amount.

 

[NBA goofy]

To make a long story short while I was going to college, my wife worked at a hotel as a maid. Because of that we tip $5.00 a day. However, while we were at ASMU last weekend we left a note with the tip asking for body wash because we were out. This was not done so we subtractred a dollar and left another note. We were there for four days and the body wash was never filled up. And everyday that it was not done we subtracted a $1.00

 

[Jen D]

I also agree that it is inappropriate to request towel animals or any other such "gifts" of welcome from the mousekeepers, or anyone else for that matter.

Okay, I thought I knew everything I ever needed to know about the hot subjects of tipping and towel animals from this board, but I guess I am confused (having never received a towel animal! I rented dvc points. Those dvc maids don't do the towel animal thang.) Are towel animals gifts? I thought it was just a different way of folding a hotel towel. You aren't actually supposed to take them with you, are you?

I guess I'm an idiot. I thought you'd look at it, say what a cute duck, and then unfold it and start washing your face. You aren't allowed to bring them home with you are you?

Anyway, since I was working under the assumption that a towel animal is just a cute way of folding a washcloth, I'd say asking for one isn't a bad idea. If you don't get it, you don't get it. If it is actually a "gift" you take home, that is a different story.

Someone please clarify the towel animal issue! My world is shaken!