Towel animals and such from housekeeping

[rickdrat]

I'm not exactly a Disney expert on these matters so I'm just curious;

We recently spent a week with a school group at All Star Movies. When we checked in we were greeted by a towel Mickey head on our bed. During the course of our stay we observed little bunnies, photos, even princess costumes displayed in the windows of several other rooms. However, our room was never given this "special" treatment again.

We've had similar experiences on cruises. My wife and I assumed this had something to do with leaving a gratuity for the housekeeper on a daily basis. My practice has always been to tip at the end of my stay, not day by day.

Either way, I'm not upset or disappointed with anyone. Just wondering what others have encountered and is there some secret/luck to getting those decorations?

 

[Disneydreamer23]

That was the same for me when i was down there in Oct/Nov i never got towel animals at all and I was there on my honeymoon and I tipped the ,maid 5.00 every other day. I was there for 3 weeks. Never once got a towel animal. My mom told me she has written notes before asking to make them with like 5 bucks underneath, but I was there in Sept 2010 and had a towel animal on my bed every day same resort, I think it depends on if you get a lazy maid or not

 

[real mad hatter]

whoo ?Hoo!

Get up early,just as the mousemaid arrives at your resort landing,and sneak up and nab a towel animal before she sees you.Only joking or am i:lookaroun We leave $3.00 per day and a wee note saying unless you leave a towel animal you will turn into a frog and live unhappily ever after.Only joking or am I :lookaroun.:wave:

 

[UberPlannerMom]

I don't think there is a really a trick to getting one. I would imagine that how hard they are working that day it taken into account. If the rooms they are cleaning resemble the mess left after a party then they obviously have less time to do fun things because they are doing so much other stuff. Being with a school trip that may have been the case. I have seen what one teenager does to a room, let alone 4!

That said, we have usually gotten a few things each trip. We don't always get towel animals. We have also gotten a window display with our Disney toys and little bits of them set up doing funny things around the room (watching TV, playing go fish, etc.) We leave a tip each day, in a tip envelope that I design before the trip just for a disney trip, with a note in each envelope thanking them for the nice clean room or extra towels or whatever and telling them something fun or funny about the previous day. I doubt that that has much to do with us getting displays but being there makes me smile so much that I really want to share a smile.

 

[CB2@disney]

I tip $3 per day per person everyday in a special tip envelope that I make before going with Disney font with a Thank you and a wish for a magical day. Now I also have a child in the room with stuff animals and things that makes it easy for them to decorate the room with. We always get at least 1 towel animal a day. We've been at times when we've gotten 3 or 4 in one day too.

 

[dave&di]

In 2008 we stayed at the GF, we never ever had a towel animal and we left $5 daily for mousekeeping.

In 2010 we stayed at the Poly, over 8 nights we got 2 towel animals, one elephant and one dog, the dog was made from a towel but had stuck on paper eyes and nose and black felt ears!!! We also left a $5 tip daily.

I don't think there is any logic to it, I guess its just down to luck depending on which mousekeeper you get.

 

[Crush Dude!]

Depends on your mousekeeper, we got 2in 3 weeks at Pop, 10 in 3 weeks at OKW and one every night on our Med Cruise LOVE THEM :sohappy:

 

[Annielkd]

The tip doesn't matter. One year I had someone at Caribean Beach, and she would specifically go out of her way to bring me all kinds of them (my son was 5 and she thought he was adorable). Then we went to Animal Kingdom, none there... then Beach Club... none, port orleans riverside- asked for them there, they brough them. Boardwalk had them when we got there, but none after. I guess the cleaning staff doesn't make them... they have to get them... so I guess it depends on the individual cleaning person. I also tried a note with a 10.00 tip... didn't work.

 

[DisneyJoe]

It's best to tip daily, as you could theoretically have a different mousekeeper each day. If you wait until the end of your stay, only the one for that day gets that tip.

Some know how to make them on the spot, some have no idea; it depends on the training that they receive, and if they have the time or inclination to make them.

 

[alle]

Just got back from Riverside. Tipped every day and picked up after ourselves daily. Only got a towel Mickey on one bed at the beginning of our stay Very disappointed (it's you, Ruby, we're speaking about in room 3712). Our granddaughters were very sad as they saw towel creatures in the windows of other rooms.:

 

[luv]

First, the towel animal thing isn't done by tips. Some people luck out and get them, some don't. MOST people don't get one. It's an uncommon treat and not something to expect. You usually won't get one. That's the way the cookie crumbles.:king:

Second, tipping at the end of the stay is much like tipping all waitresses for the year on New Year's Eve. When you tip at the end of your stay, whoever works that day gets the tips for the work done by everyone the whole week. It's totally possible for one person to do it the first three night, another the fourth and a third person the fifth day who picks up the tip. If you want the person who cleans the room to get the tip, tip daily. Just a word to the wise. Your decision, of course!

 

[disneygirl76]

I agree with the others, there is no real rhyme or reason to getting the towel animals. That being said, when we stayed at concierge level on two separate occasions, we did get them every day. As for tips, we also tip every day b/c mousekeeping changes during the week.

 

[I_heart_Tigger]

I tipped every day on my last trip and no towel animals though I did see them in the rooms on either side of mine which I assume means our mousekeeper knows how to do them and chose not to for my room for some reason.

 

[Minnie1976]

In 2008 was the 1st time I saw the towel animals. We got a lot, but our granddaughter was with us. Since then we may have gotten one each trip. I dodn't know what makes them leave them or not. Maybe if you have children with you. I know we had to call for washclothes because our granddaughter would let us use them. I leave a tip almost every morning.

 

[jmfuents]

Last trip I didn't get any towel animals until I actually made one myself and left it with my tip for the mousekeeper! Then I got one or two everyday!

 

[s&k'smom]

On our last trip they would set up dd's stuffed animals and also left a few towel animals during the week including a monkey hanging up. That being said the standard is one dollar per person per day. On our last two trips housekeeping was great so I made a point to go to the front desk to mention how happy I was with it, I work at a hotel, (believe me nothing like the GF) and know that housekeeping is the single hardest job at any hotel so I tend to really make a point of great housekeeping.

 

[Poofiesdream]

Just got back staying at Music. Left a good tip everyday. Told them it was my mom's 87th birthday. Only towel animal was mickey on the bed when we arrived!

 

[G00fyDad]

It does not depend on how much you are tipping. It depends on whether the Mousekeeper even knows how to make them, and if they have time. By the way, OP, if you are tipping at the end of your stay, please stop. You might have had a different person clean the room each day. :wave:

 

[Vader2112]

I thnk most of the towel animals are already pre made and on the housekeeping cart.
I stayed for a week at Coronado Springs it was my B-day and the resort pulled out all the stops and bumped me to a 2 bedroom to 3 bath suite with a bar, diningroom and living room. I had a ton of balloons in the room which deflated and others were popped by the kids. I left a $30.00 tip the next day do to the mess and being giddy from the upgrade. I did not receive any animals the whole week.
I could not complain though as I was treated in total VIP fashion the whole week by the reort as well as WDW it self. I guess it pays to turn 40 and be born the same week the park opened. I thought I was on extreme home makeover.

I would love to write about the expereince but not sure where to post on the forum.

I

 

[eroyee]

I thnk most of the towel animals are already pre made and on the housekeeping cart.
I stayed for a week at Coronado Springs it was my B-day and the resort pulled out all the stops and bumped me to a 2 bedroom to 3 bath suite with a bar, diningroom and living room. I had a ton of balloons in the room which deflated and others were popped by the kids. I left a $30.00 tip the next day do to the mess and being giddy from the upgrade. I did not receive any animals the whole week.
I could not complain though as I was treated in total VIP fashion the whole week by the reort as well as WDW it self. I guess it pays to turn 40 and be born the same week the park opened. I thought I was on extreme home makeover.

I would love to write about the expereince but not sure where to post on the forum.

I

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