VIP tour and tipping.

[disney075]

Hi, was wondering what is customary to tip for a VIP tour (7 hours)? Do people do 20% or something different? Thanks in advance!

 

[zemmer]

I have read on other forums that many people tip the equivalent of one hour.

 

[LoveToVisitDisney]

I've heard some say $100, which is drastically different than one hour. Does anyone else have any insight - touring in two weeks and want to tip appropriately.

 

[twinmom13]

I have heard $100, one hour, 10%, 20%, and $100 per person. As noted above, these can work out to drastically different amounts. As far as I can tell, there is no standard amount. I cannot remember exactly what I tipped, but it was somewhere in the middle.

 

[TwinkleKS]

I've been in multiple discussion on this ... as others have stated there really is no "standard" amount. Depending on the season the 1 hour / 20% can vary drastically as well. I have heard of others going with $50 per person when in larger groups. $300 seems to be a good middle ground ...

 

[holden]

We did the equivalent of one hour. Our guide was fabulous! Ask for Raevon! You can request tour guides.

 

[Micca]

Ask for Raevon!

Great guitar player!

 

[emily nicole]

Do we need to plan to tip for Keys to the Kingdom? I know that’s different than a VIP tour but piggybacking here since I never thought of tipping for a tour.

 

[MFL101]

Tipping gone crazy. We give $100

 

[LoveToVisitDisney]

Does anyone know if you tip via credit card or does it need to be cash?

 

[holden]

Does anyone know if you tip via credit card or does it need to be cash?

I assume cash. The guides don’t have anything on them that would allow them to accept a credit card. I wouldn’t tip until the end of the tour. There’s always the possibility that you get a so-so guide. We tipped more than we originally planned because our guide was beyond what we expected.

 

[GoingSince1990]

When tipping is expected, Disney makes sure to let people know it with a little note (“We are often asked about gratuities...”) and a blank line to add it to a credit card payment. Tipping of VIP tour guides is genuinely not expected and optional, as no suggestion is made, and cash is the only option even though many people don’t carry cash these days. Our last VIP tour was at Disneyland and was $600 per hour for 7 hours and I tipped $200. Our guide seemed very happy to be getting a tip at all; I suspect that quite often they get nothing.

 

[GoingSince1990]

Do we need to plan to tip for Keys to the Kingdom? I know that’s different than a VIP tour but piggybacking here since I never thought of tipping for a tour.

I’ve never seen anyone tip for nonprivate tours like Walk in Walt’s Footsteps or Ultimate Nights of Adventure.

 

[twinmom13]

I tip for Ultimate tours, and I have seen others tip as well, but certainly not everyone.

I read somewhere (here, probably) that plaids can accept tips but other, non-plaid tour guides cannot. I also read that a good rule of thumb is to tip when VIP is in the name, but not otherwise. I don't know about the validity of either statement, it is just what I read. I am sure there is a lot of variability.

 

[trivan]

I generally start around 1 hour for the tip for the private VIP tour. It will go up or down based upon the day and how the guide interacts with us. One tour we just had a human FastPass, so the tip went down, on others the guide was forward thinking, tried to stay one step in front of what we wanted to do so it went up. There is no option to tip with CC as they just bill you based upon the hours.

 

[Vincent405]

When tipping is expected, Disney makes sure to let people know it with a little note (“We are often asked about gratuities...”) and a blank line to add it to a credit card payment. Tipping of VIP tour guides is genuinely not expected and optional, as no suggestion is made, and cash is the only option even though many people don’t carry cash these days. Our last VIP tour was at Disneyland and was $600 per hour for 7 hours and I tipped $200. Our guide seemed very happy to be getting a tip at all; I suspect that quite often they get nothing.

Wow - what do you get for that?

 

[DisneyJen2020]

I'm going to Disney for a long weekend in March to celebrate my birthday. We've decided to get two 7-8 hour days and 1 10-12 hour day with a VIP guide, as I will be on crutches and will already be slowing down my party (hoping the VIP guide will help us make up some time). I think we will have the same person all three days. Our rate is $550 two of the days and $650 the third day (the third day starts a higher rate spike for spring break I think). Any advice on how much to tip generously but within reason? We'll have four adults and two kids total. Will probably stay at 1 park only for two of the days and do two parks the third day (we'll make sure the longer day is one of the lower rate days).

 

[GeneralTso]

We tipped in cash, I think it was $200. We had an outstanding Plaid and she was worth every penny.

 

[GADisneyDad14]

Any advice on how much to tip generously but within reason?

Just FYI, you are going to find a WIDE variety of answers and no consensus one way or the other, and a lot of people who don’t really want to reply, given the personal nature of tipping.

BTW, to the DIS!

 

[DisneyJen2020]

We tipped in cash, I think it was $200. We had an outstanding Plaid and she was worth every penny.

Thank you - would you suggest that amount each day I assume?