Tipping the bellhops.....

[Shammett29]

I know the standard is $1-$2 per bag. My question is, when you have bellhop #1 that unloads your car, bellhop #2 that wheels your luggage to the next stop and bellhop #3 that delivers luggage to your room, how do you split this up? I have read before to only tip the bellhop who delivers the luggage to your room. However, in the past when I have tried this, the others look at me like I've stiffed them. I don't want to be cheap, so was wondering how others handle this. Also, what if I have 12 small grocery bags that I need to get to my room, I'm assuming I still need to tip that standard amount, right?

 

[Robert P]

Having played the WDW revolving bellhop game before, our solution now is: we split the tip.
Half to the bellhop taking the bags from us, and half to the one bringing them to the room. (We haven't encountered a 3 bellhop situation at WDW yet, but who knows....)

As for the grocery bags, my answer would be in the form of a question:
What is different between twelve 5 lb grocery bags versus one 60 lb luggage piece? While I may tip more just for the fact that the twelve small bags will require an extra trip (maybe two) through the door, I wouldn't consider tipping the standard amounts you mentioned, in that situation.

That's just my opinion. Others may disagree. Opinions vary.

 

[goofy4tink]

Man, don't get my dh started on this one....we stayed at the Polynesian, arrived in a towncar, and by the time we got to our room (right away by the way), we had spent close to $20 in tips for 4 bags. Everyone seemed to have their hand out!! The guy who helped get the bags to the curb area, the guy who loaded the bags on the luggage cart, the guy who brought the bags, with us, to our room.
Anyway...if you are arriving in your own car, I would be very tempted to leave the smaller bags in the car. Then, let Bell Services help with the larger bags, or tell them you will keep them yourself. When you can get into the room, head back to the car and bring the rest of the stuff in.
I'm not being cheap, I'm really not. But, when it takes two or three sets of people to get my bags from the car to my room, at $1-2 per bag, well, I get annoyed.

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

We always tip the bellhop who took our bags up to our room. Actually on this topic maybe the Resorts should say the one who takes the bags out of the car should also take that guests bags to their room. When we stay at the Clearwater Beach Marriott Suites on Sand Key the bellman who takes our bags from our car is the same one who takes them to our room. The reason I say that is because last month when we checked into the Contemporary the bellhop who took our bags out of our car was told by another one that he would take them up and I think the 1st one was upset at that, since my mom overheard him say he wanted to do it.

 

[Shammett29]

That would be too easy . I guess I can see why they don't do that since your room may not be ready and you won't know until you check in. But, it is frustrating. I wonder if they pool the tips at the end of the day anyway. Anyone know?

 

[BuckeyeBelle]

Funny this issue should come up! Tuesday morning when we checked out of the Polynesian, we stowed two small bags (our carry-ons) with bell services until our 2:15 ME pickup time. It took two people to check them in, one to write the ticket and one to put the two small bags on the cart. This was on top of the airline check in, which also took two people to accomplish handling four medium-size bags. Then add on the person who retrieved our carry-ons in the afternoon and that makes five people total to tip. I guess I could have saved one person if I'd called bell services to transport the bags from our room to the desk, he could have checked the carry-ons in one step, but we didn't feel like waiting in the morning. I did split the tips, but only gave $1 per bag to each person, with a little extra for the person who drew up our boarding passes in addition to handling our bags.

I like to tip because the bellhops work hard and do a good job, but they do make it a little complicated!

 

[CoachBagFanatic]

We have always encountered two Bellman. The first one when we arrive at the resort and retrieves our luggage from the limo and the second one that brings our luggage to our room. We tip both of these gentleman. The same with departing from the resort. If we have to store our luggage than we tip that Bellman who brings it to storage and the one who retrieves it from storage. We have never had a third Bellman involved.

 

[shyjade]

Glad I use ME, less tipping to figure out!!

 

[Booyakasha]

My theory is the tip should be comparable to the effort. If someone takes my bag and puts them right out of the car onto a cart he/she may get $1 per bag. If someone hauls a cart all the way through the resort and then carries each bag into my room does the explanation ice bucket routine etc they are going to get more like $2 a bag as that is harder and takes more time. I tip on suitcases not small bags or camera bags or grocery bags. Now if someone goes above and beyond which does happen frequently at disney they get more. It is all relative.

B.

 

[kaffinito]

Solved that one by checking in first, then calling bell services to meet me at my vehicle. Then I help the bellman unload the truck and put the luggage on the cart. When we get to the room and unload the cart, then I tip the bellman, usually $1 to $2 per size/weight of bag.

That did not work at POFQ by the way. The bellman got to the room before I got back from the food court, so the luggage was there when I got back. My oldest son didn't tip him, of course. Luckily the same man was our bellman on check out, so I tipped him extra.

 

[ROEDISNEY]

We tipped the one who took it out of our car and the one who took it to our room.

 

[Freakygeek]

According to this website and others you should tip the guy who takes the bags out of the car AND the one that brings them to your room. I guess I have been doing it wrong all along.

Thank goodness for ME and my teeny tiny carryon bag that I handle myself.

 

[mantismad]

According to this website and others you should tip the guy who takes the bags out of the car AND the one that brings them to your room. I guess I have been doing it wrong all along.

Thank goodness for ME and my teeny tiny carryon bag that I handle myself.

Thanks for the link to the tipping website it was very usefull.

 

[Markstudy]

I just got back from the Poly, and I had 7 of them.

it felt like a seagull attack at the pool, when your not watching your french fries.

The 1st guy took my keys as I got out of the car, and welcomed me to the resort.

He handed them to a 2nd guy to park the car.

3rd guy unloaded the bags from car

4th guy gave me a map and took time to draw directions to where I was going for lunch

5th guy helped me break a $20 and get some change (he looked like the manger)

6th guy brought bags to my room

7th guy brought my car back (when I left 30 minutes later for lunch)

Some of them gave me the sad puppy dog eyes...but I was dizzy, didn't know where to start with handing out the tips

If that's not enough to make your head spin- 3 minutes after my wife walks into the lobby, she is in the gift shop and finds a shirt to buy. I say "sure get it" and take it to the registrar (looks like an ordinary shirt to me) $79.00 wow! I laughed because she was worried we wouldn't have a way to spend all our Disney Visa Reward dollars. LOL

 

[BuckeyeBelle]

I just got back from the Poly, and I had 7 of them.

it felt like a seagull attack at the pool, when your not watching your french fries.

I couldn't have said it better myself! They are so very helpful, but it can really make your head spin sometimes.

 

[mars315]

It seems that the way Disney does it, they want you to have an opportunity to tip twice: once when they unload your bags, and then second when they bring your bags up to your room. I stay at a very nice resort in Asheville, NC, and they unload your bags, and there is no tipping. Then, when you are checked in, the same guy brings you and your bags up to your room. I guess that would not work at Disney with the volume of guests, and the fact that many people unload their bags much, much earlier than they are going to be able to get into their rooms.

I do have a question though: When I have checked in and my room is not ready, and they tell you that you will have to wait to come back to the resort, contact bell services and then wait up in your room for bell services to deliver your luggage, I have asked, Why can't bell services just deliver my luggage to my room when the room is ready and my luggage will be waiting for ME when I get back from the parks? (This was back when we first started going and we would tip the unloading bellman 20 dollars for a couple of bags.) Well, I was told that the bellmen ARE NOT ALLOWED TO ENTER MY ROOM AND LEAVE MY LUGGAGE WITHOUT MY BEING THERE. Then, why if you are using Magical Express, are the bellmen allowed to leave your luggage without you being there???? Anyway, after we saw how it was with the 2 different bellmen, we started tipping maybe 10 dollars for the person taking our bags from the car, and then tipping 20 to the person who brings our stuff up to the room and shows us around and gets us ice.

Even though I wish it were done a different way, I was always taught that you tip anyone who handles your bags.

 

[ransom]

Eh, I do it this way:

It all depends on them.

If they're not there to get my bags in a timely fashion, they don't get to handle them and they don't get a tip. That happened only once.

Other times, I've tipped everyone who helps us with our bags $2 per bag. If they're speedy, cheerful and careful, then I don't mind the cost.

 

[perdidobay]

I do it this way

I tip the person who takes the bags from the car $1-2 a bag. If he/she is nice I tip more. (smiles, asks were I'm from etc)
I tip the person who valets the car $2. We are dvc so the parking is free.
When I pick up the car I tip $2.

When my bags arrive in my room I tip $1-2 a bag.
If the bellman asks if he can get anything-ice, contact housekeeping for extra pillows, etc. I will tip extra.

I am very generous with tips on vacations, my reason being that if I can afford to take a vacation, I can afford to tip well.

Most of the valet staff I assume is a part timer with another job. Most of the ones I've talked to are.

An average weeklong vacations at WDW I spend $80 on tips not including meals.
We do alot of driving to the parks and back so most of it is in valet tips.

 

[TheRustyScupper]

. . . My question is, when you have bellhop #1 that unloads your car, bellhop #2 that wheels your luggage to the next stop and bellhop #3 that delivers luggage to your room, how do you split this up? . . .

1) Actually, everyone who totes a bag should be tipped, regardless of task.
2) They usual tip is $1 per bag, with a minimum of $2.
. . . one bag = $2
. . . two bags = $2
. . . three bags = $3
. . . four bags = $4
. . . etc
3) For valet parking, tip $2-$3 when you pick up the car, nothing to drop off.