tipping

[martinrmn]

Good evening all. I was wondering if people could advise me on tipping in hotels. We are flying in December and are staying on I drive and then the Poly. We normally tip $2 per day on I drive but were wondering what the rate is for Disney hotels?

 

[Snowy-girls]

Hi,i am assuming you mean the maid's .If yes,then you should tip the same,no matter where or what hotel you stay in .The recommended(recommended by who-i don't know )is $1 per person per day.Albeit there are 4 of us,myself,hubby,Dd8+Dd4,but i did tip only $3 per day+not the 'recommended' $4 in my case.Hope this helps you .x.(p,s i stayed on I Drive-but would do the same in a WDW hotel as well).

 

[martinrmn]

Sorry should have been clearer. Yes, I meant tipping the maids. There will be 3 of us so will tip $2-$3, depending on the service. It would be interesting to know who decided $1 per person per night. For a family of 3 over 14 nights that would cost $42. It may not seem a lot but couple this with other tips and the 14 days will cost a lot of money just in tips. I will tip for good/exceptional service but it seems that you are expected to tip for everything. Any thoughts?

 

[dbriggsq]

We don't tip for housekeeping - we have been a family of 7 so tipping over a 14 night stay would have added $100 to our already very expensive holiday.

People will tell you that it is normal to tip for housekeeping but certainly at Disney it is not a 'tipped' position therefore you should not feel obligated to tip. Actually by tipping housekeeping you may actually be making the housekeepers position worse because if management see that guest are regulary tipping their employees they may feel tempted to keep their pay at a lower level than they could normally expect to be.

 

[Dimplenose]

I had 2 rooms for the four of us and tipped $4 in total each day. When we met the maid she thanked us for the tips with a great big smile (I don't know if she was thinking we were mugs - LOL!) She was always super friendly but I don't think we got any better service because we did tip from our first visit when I was totally unaware of the culture to tip the maid.

(I do tip but try not to think about how long it took me - a classroom assistant - to earn the money I've just left as a tip!)

 

[Snowy-girls]

Sorry should have been clearer. Yes, I meant tipping the maids. There will be 3 of us so will tip $2-$3, depending on the service. It would be interesting to know who decided $1 per person per night. For a family of 3 over 14 nights that would cost $42. It may not seem a lot but couple this with other tips and the 14 days will cost a lot of money just in tips. I will tip for good/exceptional service but it seems that you are expected to tip for everything. Any thoughts?

I totally agree+know where you are coming from.On 2 occasions our bins where not emptied-so i did think about leaving only $2 the next day-but you don't always get the same person cleaning your room every day-so then the other person would 'miss out' as such.I actually made a note of how much we paid out in tips on our 16night holiday this Easter+was pretty shocked at the total-tipping the taxi driver,waiters/waitresses,maids,bellboys,free shuttle 'drivers',a balloon modelling man at Chilli's ,the list is endless.
I know it's not what you originally asked but in restaurants-i am more 'tougher' on what tips i leave-i don't just go with the flow+do what is expected,like you i ONLY tip what i feel the person deserves.x.

 

[martinrmn]

I totally agree with the comments.
The last time we went we ate in TGI Fridays. The waiter actually left us a guide on what to tip! Needless to say we did not leave a tip simply because I thought he was bloody cheeky!!

 

[kevin harrison]

If you are going to America on holiday, you should tip, it is expected - when in Rome....

People who rely on tips actually get taxed in advance on anticipated tips for the year. What is $1 a day per person to clean a room? Absolutly nothing.

I was told by a server once that Brits are the worst for not tipping.

 

[Nitram64]

A lot of americans don't tip.I will leave tips for good service.

 

[torsie24]

I'm more thanh happy to tip food servers, as I know their wages are awful. We start at 15/20 percent depending on the type of restaurant (ie less for a buffet) and then add from there if it was great service etc. I'd hate to be an american waitress! Also I know it adds a lot to the bill, but food is generally so much cheaper there anyway that it's not that bad really.

As for tipping the maids, I'm happy to as well as I am excited about my Mousekeeping envlopes and I'm hoping it'll score me some good towel animals! Plus we always tip in hotels as I feel it means if you have a dishonest maid who might steal something, they are less likely to take it from you as you've been nice to them!! (wierd logic perhaps, but I'm just being honest)

 

[stevechase]

Hi all

Two weeks back and still really missing it.

This is always a big issue with most Brits, we keep hearing how, 'they' waitresses, housekeeping etc come to rely on tips because of thier low basic rates.

We just got back and had 3 weeks at POR, five of us, at $1 per person, per day thats a $105, now to lay that out at the end of a 9k holiday aint on really, whether they expect it or not.

Now bear in mind, how many rooms do each of them look after on a daily basis, I dunno say 20, 30 dont know say 30 at a guess. Family of four in each one for a minimum of a week, $4 per day x 7 days $28, someone checks out every other day. I know this is all very assumptious, but you can see where I am going, $28 every other day, thats only based on the basics I have guessed. Realically, if they cop for a load of Brits there for 2 weeks or more they are bloody quids in, low basic salary or not.

Its always raised issues with 'us' cause its not how we do things here, but there has to be a limit. I mean, the guy that checked our luggage in at Newark before we flew to Disney, bear in mind he is an official airport employee, blatantly asked if his service was good meaning, can I have some cash. Can you only imagine someone saying that at check in at Gatwick or Manchester, you would soon tell them where to go.

Waitressing, I must admit I do tip, not a fan of it, but they do normally go out of their way, well they dont thats what they are like all the time I guess, but it is better service at restaurants in general than in the UK based on my experience.

I guess we will all never really get used to it and I wouldnt let it spoil my hols, but it is expected far too often and in some cases for practically nothing.

Cheers

Up the Reds!

Steve

 

[jayduk]

Also I know it adds a lot to the bill, but food is generally so much cheaper there anyway that it's not that bad really.

That is the way we looked at it last year too!! But back then the dollar to the pound was much better. I think we'll just go with the flow and tip for good service 15-20%.

I should point out that i will only tip out there because i'm told it's what they do in America because wages in those jobs are low -don't know how true this is or not but i'll go with it. However i'm not a huge fan on tipping in the UK, there is a minimum wage and most waitress'/waiters get more than that. My partner is a Nursery Nurse who gets minimum wage, she has to deal with loads of screaming kids, cleaning up after them and trying to entertain them all day and not one parent gives her a tip, they are however happy to moan when given half a chance. Anyway, this is a different discussion for a different place. Worth noting tho that UK visitors probably don't tip in US because they don't here and haven't been told about their tipping culture.

 

[howlongtillsummer?]

I agree about the complexities of tipping! One thing that serously irritates me is the addition of automatic gratutity, such as on the Disney Dining Plan.

Gratutity must surely be a customer's decision or else it simply becomes part of the bill.

I would suggest that servers are likely to reduce their level of attentiveness when they feel they are guaranteed a large tip anyway. Not all of course, but surely there must be some.

In my opinion, the 18% gratutity is technically optional, and should I think that a server was seriously below par, I might well call over a supervisor and explain my difficulties with this.

I left a very small tip in Liberty Tree Tavern while paying out of pocket. On my way out I stopped by the manager to explain my reasons for this, expecting nothing more. She insisted on refunding my portion of the bill, even though I protested that this was not necessary.

I have to say that I would find it challenging to manage a staff who were assured of high tips before they did anything. Surely this negates some motivation for good service?

 

[Mrs Dazzle]

If you are going to America on holiday, you should tip, it is expected - when in Rome....

I was told by a server once that Brits are the worst for not tipping.

Gives us all a bad name, this is probably why they produce the little guides as to how much you 'should' tip

My DD and I were actually chased thru Newark airport this April when I refused to give the cab driver a tip - I knew he'd already ripped us off, but had enormous difficulty in getting him to understand this point. When I refused his very bolshy request for a tip I just walked away. Much to my DD's horror (and my disgust) he actually followed us shouting and hollering

We always tip, having American friends we've always learnt this is the way. Yes, there are times I do begrudge it. We've often stayed in hotels with 'free concierge parking' - this isn't free at the end of the day because you've got to give em a couple of bucks for taking the car away, then again for bringing the car back to you However, it's all part of the holiday and we just try and remember all the tips in the budget. And then try not to think about how much extra it's cost

In the main, service is far superior to anything over here (sadly).

 

[starrysky]

this is the same argument DH and I have been having. We only tip here if we get really good service and a good meal and I never leave a credit card tip its always cash. I have know people who have worked in restaurants and if the tip is left on a credit card its normally unlikely that the waiter/ress will get the tip back.

 

[Lizzybear]

I work in early years and though i'm not on minimum wage it's not a great deal more so I do begrudge tipping by default in the UK just because someone is on a low wage. I believe I work as hard as any waiter or waitress and will only tip for good service not by default... We tend to frequent the same couple of restaurants over here partly because we enjoy the food but also because we know the service is always good! I've never had a cause to not tip for a meal in the US but I was close once, the final straw was when the bill was $35 and I asked for change of a $50 traveller's cheque so I could tip separately and the guy was funny about it... As if I was going to tip $15 on a $35 check anyway!! In hotels I try to remember to do it every day ($2) but sometimes i've forgotten and had to add it on to the next day's (so possibly it's gone to a different maid) and haven't felt we've received poorer service as a result, I don't think it's as much a 'done thing' as tipping servers. I always leave more on the last day as the room tends to be messier with the inevitable extra rubbish!
I don't necessarily agree that Brits are always the worst tippers... I have a friend who works in room service in the Bellagio and he reckons Americans can be just as guilty of leaving nothing or a pittance!

 

[Boodle]

Good evening all. I was wondering if people could advise me on tipping in hotels. We are flying in December and are staying on I drive and then the Poly. We normally tip $2 per day on I drive but were wondering what the rate is for Disney hotels?

We always tip something, more for really exceptional service. Overall service is SO much better than at home so it's just a part of an American visit.

 

[Kath2003]

I tip, ESPECIALLY at the beginning of the stay. If you look after housekeeping, they will look after you...

 

[dbriggsq]

I really do think that in today's modern 'civilized' society we should do away with tipping altogether. It's very old fashioned and demeaning both to the tipper and the one receiving the tip. I always feel that when tipping someone I am somehow acting as though I'm in a higher position than them - as though I'm 'master' and they are 'servant'

I know that in the US waiters are paid less than minimum wage in the knowledge that this will be made up with tips but there was an outcry in the UK when it was suspected that some places over here were doing it. If an employer employs a person to do a job then they should pay that person the proper wage for doing it and not rely on it's customers to judge that person's work and reward them for it.

When I go out for a meal I want to be served in a timely fashion by someone who is good at their job and not fussed around every 2 minutes by someone asking if 'everything is OK sir' by someone looking for a big tip. Nor do I want to have to monitor that person's performance in order to calculate how much to 'pay' them. If the service is bad I don't want the embarrasment of having to ask for the manager to explain why I'm not giving a certain tip. The management should monitor the server's performance and act accordingly.

Life would be so much less complicated if there was no tipping.

Why do I feel obligated to tip my hairdresser but not my physiotherapist? It doesn't make any sense.

Any again - I think there is a danger that when we tip employees who work in 'untipped' positions like housekeepers then management might see this as an opportunity to lower their wages as they have done with waiters.

 

[wickesy]

I really do think that in today's modern 'civilized' society we should do away with tipping altogether. It's very old fashioned and demeaning both to the tipper and the one receiving the tip. I always feel that when tipping someone I am somehow acting as though I'm in a higher position than them - as though I'm 'master' and they are 'servant'

Oddly enough it makes me feel the opposite - I feel like I'm showing that I appreciate their service and that I don't see them as a 'servant' - but then table service makes me feel uncomfortable anyway, which is why I tend to stick to buffet/counter service restaurants.