Tipping?

[fostapeepz]

This is extremely newbie, but we have never been on a trip like this.

Where, who and how much do you typically tip at Disneyland? How about transportation (taxi or shuttle)? Is there any tipping at the airport? What about the hotel?

Any TIPS you can give are greatly appreciated.

 

[skiingfast]

Tipping = The Great Debate.

Where are you staying? How many people are going?

 

[Mister Toad]

I was actually thinking about this yesterday. We were at dinner at Cafe Orleans and the whole experience we were in and out in like an hour. I normally tip over 20% when out eating and did the same there, but then I got to thinking.

Most restaurants we are there well over an hour, and given the whole fast pace of sit down dining at the parks, do other people tip the same or less? I completely understand that the staff has to make money and I have no problems tipping, but I was curious what the practice was.

Thanks, sorry to threadjack.

My 2 cents about tipping. I travel a lot of business so I have run into a lot of the accepted tipping practices.

Airport: The only people I would ever consider tipping at the airport would be if you check bags with the skycap (The people outside that can take your bags). Other than that, nobody in the airport (restaurants not included) is every tipped for their ordinary service

Restaurants (Including Hotel): I usually tip around 20% at restaurants in the hotel. If you do room service, keep in mind that they often include the tip in the check, feel free to add anything if you want (I usually only add because I expense it, its normally around 18%)

Hotel: The bellman is normally tipped if you have them take your luggage and deliver it to the room. I would say about $5-10 (The higher end if you have a lot of bags, heavy bags, feel generous. I wouldn't dip below $5 personally). Other people to tip in the hotel would be housekeeping. While this isn't required, I usually try to do it. Usually a few bucks a day. I would tip more if you have a very messy room (kids, lots of people, etc.) or if you just feel generous. I just leave a few $ sitting on the desk every day. Only other times I tip in the hotel is if I get a lot of help from someone (Use the courtesy shuttle, bell desk helps out a lot with reservations, other information, things such as this, usually depends on how much effort they make)

Hope this is a start!

 

[fostapeepz]

I just reserved a shuttle to take us from and back to the airport and it figured a tip in for us, so that was helpful. It's paid up front.

I'm sure we'll take our own bags to the room. We're not used to being waited on!

Restaurants I knew, because we do that here - but I wasn't sure about the 'fast food' type places. Surely not?

There are 5 of us, two adults, one tween, and two 7yr olds. We are staying at the Desert Palm Inn and Suites in a kid suite. I will take your advice on tipping housekeeping. A few bucks a day is worth it.

 

[specialks]

We also tip our housekeeping staff if we are staying more than 1 night. $2-$5/day depending on service. We stay in a suite in DL and it has a kitchen and the housekeeping staff actually does our dishes for us each day. That is worth the extra per day than just if they made the beds. I had always been "taught" by my family to leave a lump sum tip at the end of our vacation. Now, I think I should be doing it each day. I don't know if the same person cleans our room each day and then I wouldn't want the final person taking the whole tip for all the other people who cleaned during the other days. Just a thought.

Finally, a bit of a thread hijack...
Do you tip at a restaurant on the subtotal of the bill or the total after tax?

 

[skiingfast]

Finally, a bit of a thread hijack...
Do you tip at a restaurant on the subtotal of the bill or the total after tax?

I tip on the whole amount, which leaves an extra high tip. A tip should be based on the service, which doesn't include tax or other fees that are imposed on the bill.



As far as housekeeping this is hardly a custom. It fairly uncommon now and almost non existent in generations before us. Also I collected data which showed that Dissers tip mousekeeping on disney resort stays at a much higher rate 70% than what the US population does in general. Which is about 15-20% at 4.5 and 5 star hotels.

 

[pixiewings71]

We also tip our housekeeping staff if we are staying more than 1 night. $2-$5/day depending on service. We stay in a suite in DL and it has a kitchen and the housekeeping staff actually does our dishes for us each day. That is worth the extra per day than just if they made the beds. I had always been "taught" by my family to leave a lump sum tip at the end of our vacation. Now, I think I should be doing it each day. I don't know if the same person cleans our room each day and then I wouldn't want the final person taking the whole tip for all the other people who cleaned during the other days. Just a thought.

Finally, a bit of a thread hijack...
Do you tip at a restaurant on the subtotal of the bill or the total after tax?

We only tip hotel staff (housekeepers, front desk, bellmen) if they do something above and beyond the normal call of duty. IE if we were in a room with a kitchen and the housekeeping staff did our dishes then yes, we would tip, however if they simply came in and cleaned the room and left clean towels we are not likely to tip. Unfortunately you don't know what kind of service you're going to get until you've been there a few days.

At a restaurant we tip on the total before taxes, we normally tip 20% for excellent service but we've been known to leave more. We've also been known to hand the tip to a sub server who took better care of us then our regular server. Tips are a gratuity, it's a Thank You for your hard work and good service, it's not something that should be expected at all. Unfortunately in these times it is easy to forget that.

 

[disneymama83]

ITA with you Pixiewings

I tip based on level of service at restaurants. The better the service the better the tip. I don't like when it is expected or even added to our bill.

For hotels I leave a $2-$3 tip on the bed each day, again depending on the job done. However, I will say that we don't leave the room too messy, I just can't let it get filthy just because someone is coming in to clean.

I also have to add that if we receive good service I almost always let the manager know. So they get a good tip and compliment to the manager. I feel that we complain when there is a problem, but we should also praise when we receive good quality service.

 

[Desert Dwellers]

When tipping in restaurants, tip on the food and drink total before taxes. Doubling the tax is a quick and easy way to figure your tip.

 

[Cagirl767]

As for shuttle tipping, I have never tipped on the ART, but we always handle our strollers and backpacks. If it's been a private shuttle such as at Hyatt, and if they help with a stroller or something, I'd tip a dollar or two.

I would tip the housekeeping if we had left a breakfast mess or they washed our dishes or even left extra towels without asking every day. Sometimes they set up the kids' stuffed animals and shoes and make their beds with their personal sleeping bags and blankets and pick up their souvenirs. I'd consider this over and above.

 

[Disney Dreams]

General tipping guidelines can vary, but in here are some suggestions I can offer from our traveling and experience.

Skycap - $1-$2 per bag (more if they're heavy)

Taxi, shuttle driver - 15%, 20% (or 15%+$1/bag) if driver helps with bags

Courtesy shuttle - $1-$2 per bag if driver helps with the bags.

Valet - $2 or $3 upon returning the car to you

Bellman - If helping with bags, $1-2 per bag. Same at checkout.

Room Service - 15-20% (but check to make sure it's not already added)

Maid service - $2-$3 per day, more if you make a big mess and they clean it up : (Tip daily because you never know if it's going to be the same person everyday.)

Restaurant server - 15-20% before the tax. One important side note: If you have a coupon or get something comp'd, tip on the TRUE price of what you ordered, not the price you were charged. Ex: Meal is $15 (before tax for 2 drinks and 2 entrees), but you had a buy-one-get-one-entree-free coupon. If you had paid for the second entree the bill would have been $20. Tip should be based on $20, not $15.

Self-service restaurant or buffet - If the server keeps your drinks refilled and/or brings some of the food to you, 10%.

...As far as roomservice this is hardly a custom. It fairly uncommon now and almost non existent in generations before us.

Are you saying tipping is hardly custom and is fairly uncommon or ordering room service is? I agree room service is more rare now than previously. I disagree that tipping for it is not common.

- Dreams

 

[skiingfast]

I disagree that tipping for it is not common.

- Dreams

You can disagree if you would like. However as I stated tipping is only common in very high end hotels. Yet even there it is not common since only 1 of 5 guests do it.

 

[bumbershoot]

I'm sure we'll take our own bags to the room. We're not used to being waited on!

If you're checking in at proper checkin time and your room is ready, that's no problem. But if you get in earlier and want to go to the parks, you'll want to consider leaving your bags with the hotel (most hotels have a locked luggage room), and when you do that, you tip (I tip, though with ALL tips I tip reluctantly b/c I hate the whole thing and want to live in Europe LOL) when you put the bags in and take them out, because someone on staff is going to be handling the bags (even if they don't take them to your room).

And no, you don't tip at counter service places.

We also tip our housekeeping staff if we are staying more than 1 night. $2-$5/day depending on service. We stay in a suite in DL and it has a kitchen and the housekeeping staff actually does our dishes for us each day.

I've never heard of that!

Doubling the tax is a quick and easy way to figure your tip.

Just be aware of the tax. In Anaheim, it's...7ish percent, yes? So doubling it only gets to 14, 15%***. Here in western WA, it's over 9%, so doubling it is getting up towards 20%. It's likely changed by now, but when I lived in South Carolina, sales tax was 4%. Obviously, doubling that isn't leaving much...

As far as roomservice this is hardly a custom. It fairly uncommon now and almost non existent in generations before us.

Staying at the DL in the 70s with my mom and stepdad, ordered room service and I know they tipped.

Room service generally has a service charge in there, which = tip, along with delivery charge etc etc. My carafe of room service coffee at the Grand cost upwards of $15 when all the fees were factored in!




***a quick google says it's 8.75%, I think I was thinking of Orlando!

 

[skiingfast]

Staying at the DL in the 70s with my mom and stepdad, ordered room service and I know they tipped.

Room service generally has a service charge in there, which = tip, along with delivery charge etc etc. My carafe of room service coffee at the Grand cost upwards of $15 when all the fees were factored in!

Tipping for room service is hardly similar to tipping a housekeeper other than the fact that they both take place in a hotel. I would tip a valet and bell hop too.

Room Service, valets, and bellhops are all optional of course as is eating at a restaurant.

 

[Disney Dreams]

...Room Service, valets, and bellhops are all optional of course as is eating at a restaurant.

Tipping overall is optional (except of course when added in by the establishment). Tipping for room service is as customary as tipping for table service at a restaurant.

You can disagree if you would like. However as I stated tipping is only common in very high end hotels. Yet even there it is not common since only 1 of 5 guests do it.

This is simply not true. Tipping for room service is customary no matter what "level" hotel/motel you are staying in. In fact, it is VERY common that a gratuity is already added on to your bill (in addition to a service fee), as many hotels/motels simply include it.

I don't know where you are finding your statistic that 1 out of 5 guests at high end hotels tip, but I would not trust that source.

One point which can get confusing is terminology. Generally speaking....
Service charge - does not go to service
Delivery charge - does not go to the server
Gratuity - goes to the server

If a gratuity is not already included (which again, it often is), it is absolutely customary to leave a gratuity for room service.

- Dreams

 

[skiingfast]

Tipping overall is optional (except of course when added in by the establishment). Tipping for room service is as customary as tipping for table service at a restaurant.



This is simply not true. Tipping for room service is customary no matter what "level" hotel/motel you are staying in. In fact, it is VERY common that a gratuity is already added on to your bill (in addition to a service fee), as many hotels/motels simply include it.

I don't know where you are finding your statistic that 1 out of 5 guests at high end hotels tip, but I would not trust that source.

One point which can get confusing is terminology. Generally speaking....
Service charge - does not go to service
Delivery charge - does not go to the server
Gratuity - goes to the server

If a gratuity is not already included (which again, it often is), it is absolutely customary to leave a gratuity for room service.

- Dreams

You are taking my words out of context. Room service is not housekeeping.

Housekeeping is not commonly tipped. Get it?

 

[MaiynaMouse]

You are taking my words out of context. Room service is not housekeeping.

Housekeeping is not commonly tipped. Get it?

I think the confusion is that in a previous post, skiingfast, you did say that room service is not commonly tipped.

My two cents....we do tip for nearly everything that is service related. We tip the bellhop, room service, housekeeping, valet. I don't think it's something that is always necessary or expected but I do believe it makes a difference in the service received. 20 % is standard for us in a restaurant or for room service. Would I tip at counter service? No. As for the others (bell hop, housekeeping, valet, etc) it all depends, as other posters have already pointed out.

 

[skiingfast]

I think the confusion is that in a previous post, skiingfast, you did say that room service is not commonly tipped.

In my first post I had switch room service for housekeeping which I fixed. However in a later post which Dreams quoted I mentioned that housekeeping is not commonly tipped where as room service is.

 

[MaiynaMouse]

In my first post I had switch room service for housekeeping which I fixed. However in a later post which Dreams quoted I mentioned that housekeeping is not commonly tipped where as room service is.

Let's not split hairs, skiingfast. Yes, in your post (post #6) you switched Room service for housekeeping, after the fact....big difference. It's now changed. Thank you. Yes, in a later post (#16) you mention something about taking words out of context. Nothing was taken out of context.....your words were simply quoted and I then mentioned the inconsistency of the terminology between room service and housekeeping.....two VERY different things.....

Let's help the OP figure out if tipping is necessary. My thoughts.....go with your gut. You know when you've had great service and whether or not you need to add an additional gratuity on top of what you've already paid.

 

[bjoost]

When I called Disney Dining and made ressies at Ariel's and Goofy's they quoted me the price of the meal and said that didn't include tax of 8.75% and a tip of 18%.