Tipping the mousekeepers

[Elise79]

$5 per day. We are a family of 4. My view is if you are privileged enough to be at WDW then you can stretch to tipping someone who barely earns enough to stay above the official poverty line. I'm embarrassed that people don't.

We own and stay DVC and as such don't get daily housekeeping. I take out trash to the trash rooms on our way out everyday and if DD makes a mess I tidy it up - why should I tip someone who comes in a picks up the dirty towels (which will be in a pile waiting) and puts out clean ones plus a few toiletries? Even if doing a full clean they will only change the bed. And why are you embarrassed that I have made that choice?

Apart from wait staff no position earns a lower hourly rate because of expected tips. Also not all Americans tip housekeeping either.

 

[RDP]

We own and stay DVC and as such don't get daily housekeeping. I take out trash to the trash rooms on our way out everyday and if DD makes a mess I tidy it up - why should I tip someone who comes in a picks up the dirty towels (which will be in a pile waiting) and puts out clean ones plus a few toiletries? Even if doing a full clean they will only change the bed. And why are you embarrassed that I have made that choice?

Apart from wait staff no position earns a lower hourly rate because of expected tips. Also not all Americans tip housekeeping either.

With you on this one, the service is very basic with DVC, we tend to tip a bit more if we are staying on a cash reservation with daily service. Although when you start to compare this to cruise vacations where the cabin staff are automatically tipped it opens up a whole new can of worms.

Sent from my iPad using DISBoards

 

[scoobydooby]

Sorry you feel like that but this site is not for judging others. Bottom line is they are doing a job that is advertised without tips, people who stay in Disney resorts are already paying for that service included in their nightly rate, it is entirely upto the guest to decide how much tip they want to leave. No-one should feel embarassed about something that is not expected.

I am not judging anyone else I am expressing
My opinion. I checked the rules. This seems to be allowed even if it's different to yours. There's no need for you to be sorry about my view I'm quite comfortable with it.

I was not referring to people staying DVC where the service is quite different.

 

[queendisney]

DBF and I tip $2 per day. Last year we tipped every day with just one exception (when we had no change)- on this day alone, we didn't return to anything 'special' in the room (i.e. a towel animal or one of our mascots being placed in an amusing position etc.).

May be this was the one day that you had a change in mousekeeping lady.


I must admit I never tip to get extra's or special towel animals. We tip because we want to. It always amazes me how emotive this subject gets.

 

[disney_princess_85]

May be this was the one day that you had a change in mousekeeping lady.

Maybe, it just seemed a bit coincidental. Even though we tip because we want to and not because we want to get something special, I admit that it did irk me slightly that the clean was extremely basic on the one day we neglected to leave a tip (old towels were still there and the toiletries hadn't been replenished, plus no 'extras' as previously mentioned). We will continue to tip anyway, as we do at all hotels we stay at in the US.

 

[ben1993]

It actually never occurred to me to tip housekeeping in previous trips, but I have seen it mentioned a number of times since. To be honest, we leave the room pretty much clean and tidy out of habit anyway so I don't feel like I'm putting the CM or employee out of their way without a tip.

 

[UKDEB]

I love these boards and my numerous trips to WDW have been enhanced immeasurably thanks to the information I've gleaned over the years, but it's also true that they're a breeding ground for myths and half-truths. A "Chinese Whispers" environment, if you like, where reality gets diluted and altered the more it's passed on. Two prime examples are contained in this one short thread. Disney does allow its housekeeping staff to accept tips, in the same way that it does for other hospitality positions where tips are the norm (wait staff, bell-hops, valet, and the like). It's not expected (again, that's true of all tip-able positions) but that's very different from saying that Disney turns a blind eye to an impermissible activity.

Secondly, it isn't necessary to leave the tips in a marked envelope. They do know it's for them. We've always left the money loose on the table or dresser and only once has it not been taken - when we left a $5 note because we didn't have any singles. Mousekeeping envelopes are the invention of boards such as these. Most people staying at a Disney hotel will either not be aware of the practice or, like me, will not wish to subscribe to it.

These two particular beliefs have been perpetuated for so long they've gained folklore status, so I just needed to unload! I hope it helps someone.

 

[Shazzie B]

I normally tip housekeeping where ever we stay; even though we keep our rooms tidy ourselves. Of course it's mainly in the vain hope that the kids learn to appreciate the value of those that clean up after them Fat chance!!

 

[Tinks73]

We as many others on here tip mousekeeping 1$ per person, because we have a young son who takes soft toys with him on vacation we generally set up a fun scene of his toys such as Mickey on the bed with his armbands on sat in an inflatable ring, we put the tip on the ring, when we get back to the room we find the mouse keeper had joined in the fun and we found Mickey in the bath with a towel round him, much to the delight of my son, part of the fun of coming back to the room is to see what we will see,

 

[chmurf]

Secondly, it isn't necessary to leave the tips in a marked envelope. They do know it's for them. We've always left the money loose on the table or dresser and only once has it not been taken - when we left a $5 note because we didn't have any singles.

I will argue with that. Not on the need for marked enveloppe, but on the need to make it perfectly clear that it's for mousekeeping. such as leaving a small bit of paper on top of the bills.
You had the experience yourself, when it's not "obvious" that it's for them, they don't take it (your fiver was not taken). And the reason comes from a legal standpoint. Taking money (or anything else) from a hotel room is theft.
I would even hint that if mousekeeping is not a tipped position (unlike other positions at Disney's) it's because housekeepers are not supposed/allowed to take anything from a guest room, and not placing mousekeepers in a tipped position is the way to avoid issues and it's to protect mousekeepers from theft accusations.

unless you leave at least a tiny bit of paper indicating that this is a tip, when it's inside your room, mousekeepers should not take the money (and most of the time they won't)
Marked envelopes is going a bit too far in my opinion and I also don't subscribe to the "envelop worship".

 

[dixonsontour]

I will argue with that. Not on the need for marked enveloppe, but on the need to make it perfectly clear that it's for mousekeeping. such as leaving a small bit of paper on top of the bills.
You had the experience yourself, when it's not "obvious" that it's for them, they don't take it (your fiver was not taken). And the reason comes from a legal standpoint. Taking money (or anything else) from a hotel room is theft.
I would even hint that if mousekeeping is not a tipped position (unlike other positions at Disney's) it's because housekeepers are not supposed/allowed to take anything from a guest room, and not placing mousekeepers in a tipped position is the way to avoid issues and it's to protect mousekeepers from theft accusations.

unless you leave at least a tiny bit of paper indicating that this is a tip, when it's inside your room, mousekeepers should not take the money (and most of the time they won't)
Marked envelopes is going a bit too far in my opinion and I also don't subscribe to the "envelop worship".

That has been my experience at disney aswell - the couple of dollars I left on the side were only taken if I wrote thank you and put the note on top. The couple of times I just left the cash in the same place it wasn't touched.

 

[queendisney]

Marked envelopes is going a bit too far in my opinion and I also don't subscribe to the "envelop worship".

We are doing it this year, its just a bit of fun. Strange thing to call it 'envelop worship' a tad condensending 'in my opinion'.. There are no rules written down anywhere so anything goes. Some people tip, some don't, some leave notes, some leave an envelope and some just leave the money... there is obviously never going tobe a final decision so lets just respect what ever each one of us decides to do.

I do tip mousekeeping and I will leave it in a pretty little envelope with mickey and minnie printed on it and a thank you on the front placed on the table by the door...

 

[Rienchen]

As above Mousekeeping is not a tipped postion, they should not really accept any tips but Disney turn a blind eye to it.

Personally I do not tip them, I only tip postions where it is expected but if you feel you want to tip them I am sure they will appreciate it.

We didn't tip mousekeeping.
Not sure if it affected the way they cleaned our room or anything. We never got a towel animal for example, but 10 nights would have been $30 in tips and to be honest a towel animal is not worth that much to me ;-)

Mum and I never left the room in a mess, if I had children who pretty much tore the room apart I might tip

 

[Slapshot1188]

Maybe its a cultural thing, but leaving unopened food as a tip seems rather bizarre. Do we really think the Mousekeepers load up a golfcart of unopened cookies, milk and soda and drive it to their van to bring home to add to their 6 year supply of such items?

I understand that folks are going to leave food behind as it's just not practical to take on a plane or on a long drive but I really don't see the Mousekeepers jumping for joy that someone left them a box of donuts and a bananna..

I think that's just work for them to clean it out and likely throw it in the trash...

 

[gemma85]

I will argue with that. Not on the need for marked enveloppe, but on the need to make it perfectly clear that it's for mousekeeping. such as leaving a small bit of paper on top of the bills.
You had the experience yourself, when it's not "obvious" that it's for them, they don't take it (your fiver was not taken). And the reason comes from a legal standpoint. Taking money (or anything else) from a hotel room is theft.
I would even hint that if mousekeeping is not a tipped position (unlike other positions at Disney's) it's because housekeepers are not supposed/allowed to take anything from a guest room, and not placing mousekeepers in a tipped position is the way to avoid issues and it's to protect mousekeepers from theft accusations.

unless you leave at least a tiny bit of paper indicating that this is a tip, when it's inside your room, mousekeepers should not take the money (and most of the time they won't)
Marked envelopes is going a bit too far in my opinion and I also don't subscribe to the "envelop worship".

I work as a chambermaid and I know it's different tip wise over USA then here but I would never take money from a room as it might not be for me. Only time I would take it is if they left a note saying its for me, handed it to me personally or actually departed room

 

[LeaversOnTour]

For us the whole unopened food thing is purely as has been pointed out that we have neither the space or inclination to take back random pieces of food.

The food stuff has been left after a discussion with lady, or in the case of a previous stay man cleaning the room. They seemed appreciative, even if they really thought - what the hell are they thinking!

If they decide to be polite and then bin it - so be it. Its what we would have done anyways.

Its out of habit more than anything, we travelled to the Dominican Republic alot before we had children (we got married there) and as most of them live practically third world the "left overs" were very much appreciated. as were Tips.

We have stayed in OKW the last 3 visits, and in the same building. We have had the same "team" service the rooms - as they are obviously allocated a certain block to work on. When you stay for a couple of weeks you build up a rapour.

The last visit we went with our in laws - we didnt feel the need to tip on top of what they had, because frankly they are weird and tip enough for about 4 families, yet surprisingly wont spend 20 quid on a meal out.

US $ is like monopoly money to them once they have it in there hands. Its like its not real because they have already "paid" for it in the UK.

 

[disney_princess_85]

Maybe its a cultural thing, but leaving unopened food as a tip seems rather bizarre. Do we really think the Mousekeepers load up a golfcart of unopened cookies, milk and soda and drive it to their van to bring home to add to their 6 year supply of such items?

I understand that folks are going to leave food behind as it's just not practical to take on a plane or on a long drive but I really don't see the Mousekeepers jumping for joy that someone left them a box of donuts and a bananna..

I think that's just work for them to clean it out and likely throw it in the trash...

Yep, I agree with everything you said.

 

[baylie666]

Last time we stayed (ok it was an age ago) we didn't tip purely because we didn't think of it (we don't tip in my country) and we still had excellent service, our toys ended up in some funny situations and tea party set ups and we had animal towels left for us....... just saying

 

[Cinderelley]

I've never thought it to be a tipping position. Mainly because the DCL line has tipping envelopes for the "mousekeeping". Therefore, I've never left tips for the hotels. I think I'll start though. I know I'd appreciate it.

 

[tinks_1989]

We have always left tips for mouse keeping when we have stayed on site last visit though we had a couple of days where they didn't take it. Even though it was clearly labeled mouse keeping