Tips for Mousekeeping

[Nank]

I am a newbie at Disney. Haven't been there (or anywhere) for a very long time.

Do I tip them every night or just once at the end of the trip?

 

[kirbsam]

Everyone tells you to tip each night, because your housekeeper may chnage throughout the week. by tipping each night, you are actually tipping the person before they clean your room.

 

[Nank]

So, how do you figure how much to tip?

Really, we go to the Jersey shore every year. I haven't stayed in a hotel for this long in 20 years. Please help with advice. Thanks.

 

[tink76]

It is said to give a dollar per person and maybe a little more if you are extra messy

 

[packy]

We tip every morning. This year at Poly (Aug 23-30) the Mousekeeper wrote us a nice Thank You note after the first morning. She did our room all five days and we left tips each morning. Even though I would put us in the 'not messy' category as we would clean up each morning before leaving, the room was really immaculate when we returned. They appreciate it.

 

[dixiegirl]

DH and I tip every morning. As was posted above, you may not always have the same person each day. I believe that the running average is about $1 per person in the room per day. DH and I always tip a bit more - mostly because I have done this type of job a long time ago so we tip $5 per day for the two of us.

 

[traci]

Where do you put the tip? I mean do you leave it out with a note or in an envelope? We would also like to do this.

I have never tipped housekeeping before - is this a commom practice? I am from the midwest and thought I had pretty good manners - now I feel bad

 

[wdwgoofeeee]

Put the tip in an envelope marked Housekeeping or Mousekeeping if you prefer. I understand there are sites that let you print the Mousekeeping envelopes from your home printer.....don't know where they are.
Make sure you leave the tip in a visible spot and clearly marked. We do what someone suggested a long time ago and place it on the toilet (with the lid down of course ).

 

[ilovefh]

Where do you put the tip? I mean do you leave it out with a note or in an envelope? We would also like to do this.

I have never tipped housekeeping before - is this a commom practice? I am from the midwest and thought I had pretty good manners - now I feel bad

Yes it is a very common practice. I just want to offer a bit of a different more flamed perspective. At WDW (and I'm talking strictly at WDW) housekeeping is not a tipped position. Which means they are paid a higher wage and any tips they get they do not have to declare. If you call Disney they will tell you housekeeping is not a tipped position there. It is a nice gesture to tip, but at Disney is not necessary since the position is not a tipped position. If you do not tip at WDW you should not feel guilty.

 

[ciera321]

We leave $5 each morning on the vanity area for 3 of us, DH, DS 12, and me.

 

[Reese]

Dh and I are taking our five kids and have two rooms that are connected. Can we leave the mouskeeping tip in one room or should we seperate it and put some in both rooms?

 

[thelionqueen]

True you do not have to tip Mousekeeping, but we always do!

We tip daily $3 cash and other "stuff".

I got the idea from this board, so I am passing it on to you. We went to our local Wal-Mart store and got local souvenirs (we live in Colorado).

I got a 2 suede change purses that has "Colorado" embroidered on it, a "half" snowglobe magnet and 2 postcards, grand total $6.77.

We will leave a note on the postcard the 1st night along with the $$ in the change purse thanking them for keeping our room clean and tidy. It is a great thrill for the mousekeepers to get souvenirs from our state, almost like a trip for them every morning to our room.

This serves 2 purposes. It takes very little additional $$ to make a very nice gesture, and encourages the mousekeeper to do the best job they can for you. I am a very picky, clean, neat and tidy person and I expect this even on vacation (what can I say, I'm a Virgo ) If you can make someone happy that in turn makes you happy it's well worth the extra $$. We also get towel animals or something special every day which makes my kids excited to go back to the room.

I highly recommend tipping in any way you choose to do it, it's just the right thing to do in my opininon. Anything else is a bonus and can just make someone's day a little brighter...

 

[pegster]

SUPER IDEA. I NEVER THOUGHT ABOUT SOUVIES. WE LIVE IN SMITHFIELD HAMTOWN THINK I WILL DO THAT. THANKS!

WE LEAVE IN 8 DAYS!!!!!!!!!SO EXCITED!!!!

 

[indigoxtreme]

Here is one site for mousekeeping envelopes. This is what we used. I left tips in both rooms. The one for 4 people I left $5 a day and the other with the 2 22 year olds I left $3 none of us arein the relly messy category.

http://www.themouseforless.com/downloads/trip/mousekeeping.shtml

 

[Nank]

Great. Thanks everyone. I just printed out 5 envelopes!

 

[packy]

True you do not have to tip Mousekeeping, but we always do!

We tip daily $3 cash and other "stuff".

I got the idea from this board, so I am passing it on to you. We went to our local Wal-Mart store and got local souvenirs (we live in Colorado).

I got a 2 suede change purses that has "Colorado" embroidered on it, a "half" snowglobe magnet and 2 postcards, grand total $6.77.

We will leave a note on the postcard the 1st night along with the $$ in the change purse thanking them for keeping our room clean and tidy. It is a great thrill for the mousekeepers to get souvenirs from our state, almost like a trip for them every morning to our room.

This serves 2 purposes. It takes very little additional $$ to make a very nice gesture, and encourages the mousekeeper to do the best job they can for you. I am a very picky, clean, neat and tidy person and I expect this even on vacation (what can I say, I'm a Virgo ) If you can make someone happy that in turn makes you happy it's well worth the extra $$. We also get towel animals or something special every day which makes my kids excited to go back to the room.

I highly recommend tipping in any way you choose to do it, it's just the right thing to do in my opininon. Anything else is a bonus and can just make someone's day a little brighter...

Now that is something I have never thought of or read on these boards. A great idea as opposed to just giving money.

 

[mill4023]

Yes it is a very common practice. I just want to offer a bit of a different more flamed perspective. At WDW (and I'm talking strictly at WDW) housekeeping is not a tipped position. Which means they are paid a higher wage and any tips they get they do not have to declare. If you call Disney they will tell you housekeeping is not a tipped position there. It is a nice gesture to tip, but at Disney is not necessary since the position is not a tipped position. If you do not tip at WDW you should not feel guilty.

I hope you meant they don't have to declare tips to their employer. Because they are definitely supposed to declare them to the IRS. By higher wage, do you just mean they have to be paid at least minimum wage?

We tipped $5 a day for 6 of us at POR (yes, one was under 3 yrs old). I just left the money sitting on the pillow. I figured they would know it was a tip that way.

 

[ilovefh]

I hope you meant they don't have to declare tips to their employer. Because they are definitely supposed to declare them to the IRS. By higher wage, do you just mean they have to be paid at least minimum wage?

We tipped $5 a day for 6 of us at POR (yes, one was under 3 yrs old). I just left the money sitting on the pillow. I figured they would know it was a tip that way.

Yes, because they are paid a non tip wage they don't declare them. Whether or not they are supposed to is another thing. I don't think I knew one person who worked in housekeeping and declared their tips. Since it is not a tipped position and not required the employer cannot automatically assume that people will tip, especially when they tell people that ask if its a tipped position that it is not. Yes they are paid at leat minimum wage. More than that actually. As poorly as Disney pays all positions, all positions make higher than minimum wage (except for the CP which I believe makes minimum wage, or maybe 6.25). I'm not saying people shouldn't tip at WDW, all I'm saying is that it is a personal choice and not something required.

According to WDW it is not a tipped position so if people do not tip they should feel fine about that decision. It is not the same as other hotels where housekeeping makes less than minimum wage and expects the tips to bring up their hourly rate to minimum wage.