Tipping Mousekeeping?

[autigger]

I have not been to WDW since I was in middle school and I have not stayed on site since I was even younger. I am taking my family (wife and two small children) in September and I have read in a couple of places about tipping the mouse keeping service.

Is this necessary, and, if so, what amount is appropriate? Does this help the likelihood of receiving "towel animals" or are towel animals usually just for deluxe resorts? We are staying at All-Star Music.

 

[RickEff]

This will be the first time we have used the Magical Express service and am unsure if we are supposed to tip the driver. I tipped the Mears shuttle driver, but he also loaded/unloaded our luggage at the airport and resort. As I understand, with ME our luggage will magically appear in our room sometime after we check in, so does that guy just lose out?:veryconfu

ME is run by Mears.

I generally tip $2.00 per person if there's no luggage, more if there is. Tipping is never an obligation. Give them what you feel it was worth to you. I figure with ME nowadays I save a lot of money, so a couple of bucks is worth it to me.

 

[alitressa]

Only during one of my stays did I ever leave a tip in the room. It didn't get me anything special at all (no towel animals, etc). For me to tip Mousekeeping, I would expect it to be an extra special job they do. Rarely have I had anything out of the ordinary special in relation to housekeeping services at any of the resorts. My room is extra simple to clean too being non-clutter type people - just make bed, clean bathroom and replace towels. Many of them don't even say nothing when you pass them in the halls anyway (but not always, of course) like they use to years ago.

Yes, I dislike tipping at restaurants too for ordinary service.
:drevil:

You do realize that wait staff are not paid the same minimal wage that those working for minimal wage at other jobs do. In my state mimimum wage is 6.15 but ONLY 2.23 for those employees who receive tips. Why deprive a waiter from making a decent living just b/c they did not do an extraordinary job?

 

[Dwarful]

First off, let me say that I have worked in the food service industry and I tip. With that being said, I think that the USA has gotten into the tipping frenzy. Seems like everytime I turn around there is someone else who "deserves" a tip. I'd love it if businesses paid their employees to do the job and let tips be what they were intended to be, a bonus in appreciation for a service.

I am curious, with meals tips are generally increased by the size of the bill, do most people increase their room tips for more expensive rooms? value resorts get $1 but a suite at a deluxe would get $5? just curious as to what most people now consider the norm.

 

[WDWRLD]

Speaking of tipping...What would be a good rule to go by for tipping at the Spa at the GF? My wife is going there and I was wondering what should be given for a tip.

 

[Pooh For Presid]

We recently stayed at the Poly (concierge). I brought a series of envelopes from home and put a $5 bill in each with a thank you note on the outside of the envelope. They were good about cleaning the room and doing the turn down service, but not a single towel animal. In addition we had a stuffed Pooh Bear and Tigger and bought an Eeyor (sp?) (Yes we have a problem that we freely admit) and did not get them set up together once. We have always had Mousekeeping do something during our week stays elsewhere. Is this some sort of Poly thing or are concierge too stuffy for something like this? I have to admit after a week we were disappointed. One of many reasons will not do concierge again.

In addition 10 to 20 % is standard for spa services.

 

[WI DISNEY FAN]

I thought a thread simmilar to this in the past indicated all tips are combined and split evenly among the mousekeepers.

I am always interested when people post about towel animals. Many seem to think that mousekeepers are in someway obligated to create these animals. Give me a break, a towel animal or lack of one is not going to have a negative effect on a persons trip. If it is, you need to take a deep breath and relax. Another thing, if you take a towel animal home you are stealing. Just my two cents worth, let the bashing begin.

 

[tigsmom]

Speaking of tipping...What would be a good rule to go by for tipping at the Spa at the GF? My wife is going there and I was wondering what should be given for a tip.

The same as other businesses. I usually tip my hairdresser 15-20% depending on what I am having done, so I would do the same at the spa. Of course, you could always tip more if you felt they went "above and beyond".

 

[tigsmom]

...

I am curious, with meals tips are generally increased by the size of the bill, do most people increase their room tips for more expensive rooms? value resorts get $1 but a suite at a deluxe would get $5? just curious as to what most people now consider the norm.

We usually stay at the deluxe, but I don't increase our tip any. We do not use a suite and we are the same careful 4 people no matter where we stay. We use the same towels/day and use the same 2 beds.

We usually tip $5/day but will add more if the kids have been particularly messy and I haven't picked up their stuff myself.

 

[jholiiday]

Ok -

1. Tipping hotel housekeeping is a common, expected practice - like tipping for meals. I try and adjust my tip amount based on cost of living - I'll tip more in Manhattan, than I will in Harrisburg. For Central Florida, I'd say the minimum is 3 dollars a day - add 2 dollars per person, and there you have it.

2. If you make a bigger mess, have several people in the room, and/or actually make something dirty, you should tip more. I find that people are sloppier in hotels - you wouldn't leave globs of toothpaste all over your own sunk, etc.

3. While stealing a full size towel is certainly wrong, Hotel staff may well be empowered to give small items away - sometimes you just need to make a customers day - a washcloth is a small token of goodwill. Anything larger, and I'd decline.

 

[tracyandalex]

i was wondering, are the mousekeeping wges based on tips like waitstaff wages are?

when we went to the world in april we saw the same lady every day cleaning our floor and she did a good job, so at the end of the week we left her $10. we never got anything special, but no matter what time we left and what time we returned, our room was always clean when we got back.

tracy

 

[poohbear6103]

We have always had such nice mousekeepers. They seem so happy that someone takes the time to actually say "hello" to them. We always leave $5 in the room before we leave for the day. I learned that you have to put it somewhere obvious for them or with a note because many a times I have come back and it is still there since they probably thought it wasn't a tip. I think towel animals depends on the mousekeeper and also how busy they are. When we were there a week ago, we didn't get anything. When we were there in 2004 during value season, we got a few. We also got a big Pooh Bear that year and when we returned, he was sitting on the bed, with one of my fiancee's war books opened as if he were reading it! Kind of funny considering the topic of the book and it being Pooh Bear but that was the first time someone took the time to do that so it was super cute

 

[sdwsq2005]

As far as tipping Mousekeeping, my question is....do you leave a tip everyday, or just combine the amount and leave it in an envelope at the end of your stay?
Sheila

 

[tigsmom]

As far as tipping Mousekeeping, my question is....do you leave a tip everyday, or just combine the amount and leave it in an envelope at the end of your stay?
Sheila

Its better to leave it everyday because you may not get the same person everyday.

 

[Dwarful]

We usually stay at the deluxe, but I don't increase our tip any. We do not use a suite and we are the same careful 4 people no matter where we stay. We use the same towels/day and use the same 2 beds.

We usually tip $5/day but will add more if the kids have been particularly messy and I haven't picked up their stuff myself.

Thanks for the answer. I was just curious since we (people in general) tip more for a more expensive meal because of the total bill, even though the server is carrying the same four plates (hamburger vs.steak ) My husband and my family call me the "Disney Dictator" because I am a hotel freak, I pack a Bongo bag (which is a collapsable clothes hamper) to store dirty laundry until I go do laundry. I unpack all suitcases and store them away, I put away our toothbrushes and other items before we head to the parks..I just can't handle the clutter and I think how easier it is to clean a sink area w/o four toothbrushes setting out (maybe I am a germaphobe). My friend on the other hand just leaves stuff where it falls when in hotels/resorts with the thought "Hey I'm on vacation" thats just drives me crazy.

 

[Anthony95]

i thought people only do this on cruises. glad i found this thread!

 

[Dwarful]

I think its hit and miss with the mousekeeping. I know we have friends who don't ever leave any tips for hotel staff. However, my brother who travels extensively for business leaves very generous tips. We fall in the average range. I am curious if the Mousekeepers who work at the different levels receive a better % per day. For example do only 40 % of the guests at the Values leave tips, where 60% at the moderates and 80% at the deluxe? Just curious.

 

[3fordisney]

I am curious about the towel animals. During past visits, we would get a different towel animal or our stuffed animals arranged in the windows every day. When we were there this past Dec., there was not a single one during the entire trip. I know its silly, but it was something we always looked forward to seeing. We like to see the displays in room windows. It was a little disappointing. It doesn't ruin the trip at all, but I feel like its part of the Disney magic. Is it something they do not do anymore?

I never thought to take the animals home. We just set it aside. Has anyone who has been this year gotten this?

We tip housekeeping when they do a good job and go above and beyond, like towel animals and creative displays. Otherwise, its like going to any other hotel.

 

[Dwarful]

we;ve stayed onsite lots of times, for long stays (10+ days) and have never had a towel animal. We have had the mousekeepers do cute little displays with the things the girls had (dolls, stuffed animals, blankets etc).

 

[amykissangel]

My friend works at a salon, and anything from 15% on up is acceptable I'm so jealous - tell your wife to have fun...I'm too poor for the GF:brick:

 

[tigsmom]

Thanks for the answer. I was just curious since we (people in general) tip more for a more expensive meal because of the total bill, even though the server is carrying the same four plates (hamburger vs.steak ) My husband and my family call me the "Disney Dictator" because I am a hotel freak, I pack a Bongo bag (which is a collapsable clothes hamper) to store dirty laundry until I go do laundry. I unpack all suitcases and store them away, I put away our toothbrushes and other items before we head to the parks..I just can't handle the clutter and I think how easier it is to clean a sink area w/o four toothbrushes setting out (maybe I am a germaphobe). My friend on the other hand just leaves stuff where it falls when in hotels/resorts with the thought "Hey I'm on vacation" thats just drives me crazy.

I'm just like you. I put most stuff away so the mousekeeper won't have to trip over it or deal with our "personal" stuff.