Please TIP, for goodness sake.

[Elsaalltheway]

Disney is providing that ride as a courtesy. You paid for the room, not the ride. They can stop MDE any time.

I think there are actual rumors about Disney taking over, as they are still contracted with Mears. But we will see. and yes we pay for the room, and the cleaning, and also the grounds and the front desk, but yet they still help. and the magical express is a courtesy just like the front desk but I've been on many trips where I have never even been to the front desk, but yet I paid for it, because it's built into the cost of the room.

 

[JacknSally]

Definitely a generational thing. I don't carry cash. Ever. I don't even have a wallet where I could fit cash. Just a card holder. It would be great if they had a some way to tip via digital currency like google pay, Venmo or Cash app. For this trip I plan on getting a bunch of $5 Target gift cards to use as tips for mousekeeping and bell services.

Also, if you knew where a good deal of your cash has been, you really wouldn't want to touch it. Just, no.

I haven't read all the responses, so forgive me if this has been addressed previously.

OP, while your intentions are good, as a former hotel employee, I recommend not tipping with gift cards, or at least not retailer-specific gift cards. Many of these employees rely on tips to pay their bills. Rent can't be paid with Target gift cards. Many rely on tips to buy groceries. Yes, some Targets offer groceries, but not all. The employee may not live near a Target that does, and may not have a way to transport groceries home from the nearest Target that does. The employee may choose not to shop at Target for any number of other reasons - for one thing, Target is very expensive, so a $5 gift card to Target is a nice gesture but wouldn't get them far, and wouldn't be worth making a special trip to Target to use. If they don't regularly shop at Target, they may never use the gift card, which means you wasted your money. Sure, they could save it and maybe other people would tip with a Target gift card and then they'd have enough gift cards squirreled away to splurge on something at Target, but the likelihood of that is low.

I use Target in my response because OP specified Target, but this is applicable for any specific retailer - Starbucks, Dunkin, Walmart, Target, etc. If you're going to tip, please use cash. The employees genuinely prefer it and while they understand tips aren't guaranteed and they are appreciative of most any tip they receive, if you want to show your appreciation for an employee, cash is best and easiest for everyone.

If you're adamant about tipping in gift cards, please look for generic ones (Visa, Mastercard, Green Dot) that have no fees after the initial purchase, though with these I believe the minimum you can get is a $25 card. For Disney CM's specifically, you may look in to purchasing Disney gift cards - that way they could at least use them on food while at work or merch to take home if they want.

 

[tidefan]

I think we’re ready to close this thread and leave this specific iteration of this topic behind.

On a general note, though, I find it super intriguing that threads about tipping always inspire such passionate disagreement on this forum. We’re talking about a few bucks at most, which is nothing considering the overall price of a Disney trip.

I wonder why it always brings out such strong opinions.

So, I think it is where it gets into "forced" tipping that rocks the boat.

For instance. We are fortunate to live close enough to WDW that we can travel by car. One of our home DVC resorts is Saratoga Springs. So, we get there, and now, with online check in, you get a nice text letting you know your room, and because we are 8-9 hours away, it's often ready before we get there. So, we pull in, scan our bands at the entrance and pull right up to our building. No need to even go to Carriage House. However, as of a few years ago, they removed luggage carts from each building.

There was a lot of back and forth as to why they did that, but someone on here stated that it was specifically mentioned in the CBA for Bell Services that they be removed. Translation: More people would be "forced" to use Bell Services. However, what that does to people like us who drive and pull right up to the unit is that now we have a lot more trips to make to and from the car (NOTE: I got smart after the first couple of times and now have a foldable hand truck that is amazing). It would be a complete pain to drive to carriage house, unload my luggage to have someone drive it to the unit where I could have just had it in my car to begin with.

There were a number of people that said that DVC "outlawed" luggage carts as kids may ride them, etc. However, they are still magically available at Disney's Vero Beach Resort and Disney's Hilton Head Island Resort...

Also, one quick note to add. I think that WL may be the exception to this as they seem to be the one resort that allows guests to take carts on their own.

(Last thing - the tipping does get heated... I mentioned that it bugged me a bit that by almost all etiquette standards (read: Emily Post, et. al.), tipping at Buffets is typically 10% and that the charged 18% at a place like Boma I thought seemed excessive. That created more of a firestorm than I certainly thought it would...)

 

[elle21]

I think we’re ready to close this thread and leave this specific iteration of this topic behind.

On a general note, though, I find it super intriguing that threads about tipping always inspire such passionate disagreement on this forum. We’re talking about a few bucks at most, which is nothing considering the overall price of a Disney trip.

I wonder why it always brings out such strong opinions.

I think it’s a response to tipping in all of life. If I gave a few extra bucks or $10 to every single person who served me or did a job for me I’d be spending a lot of extra money every month. And the idea of all workers wanting tips for doing their jobs that they are getting paid for comes across as greedy. Plus many of us are already giving a portion of our income to charitable giving. I don’t feel the need to bestow charity on the girl who scoops the ice cream I’m paying for. Or puts my ‘to-go’ order in a bag.

 

[LaDonna]

We went on our first cruise last month and I did not plan enough for tips I was a bit overwhelmed to say the least. Went to a hotel that had valet parking, this was a first for us, we tipped him and then we realized when we got out we had a different guy handling our luggage that we needed to tip and of course this happened when we left too...... and then we drove to the parking garage for our cruise and was going to board a shuttle bus and the guy loaded luggage onto the bus and we tipped him we got onto the bus and there was another tip jar we weren’t expecting that, then we got to the cruise terminal and some more guys unloaded and they were expecting a tip..... I can’t help it that my first thought was this is ridiculous! And same thing happened on way back to garage. That whole trip really I felt like I just needed to have dollar bills stuffed into my pockets! I think it’s gotten way out of hand

 

[Elsaalltheway]

Just my two cents. I think its funny that some euro cities are going the way of now allowing tipping. In some countries its still offensive to leave a tip. I think as a society we need to put that back on the buisnesses and pay a living wage, and no longer allowing tipping. You go to Starbucks and you tip but yet you go in side one at Barnes and Noble or Target and some don't allow tipping. It's hard to know when and where to tip. Its funny we are in america and we go to epcot and its still expcepted to tip around the world when if we went to England or China or some other countries and again its an instult to tip. But yet the all mighty dollar still drives.

So if you tip you are awesome, if you don't tip. That's your right and you are still awesome because its a choice to tip or not. The reason you don't tip is yours and yours alone.

 

[DrunkJam]

I think it’s a response to tipping in all of life. If I gave a few extra bucks or $10 to every single person who served me or did a job for me I’d be spending a lot of extra money every month. And the idea of all workers wanting tips for doing their jobs that they are getting paid for comes across as greedy. Plus many of us are already giving a portion of our income to charitable giving. I don’t feel the need to bestow charity on the girl who scoops the ice cream I’m paying for. Or puts my ‘to-go’ order in a bag.

That is the other thing about tipping. There is a psychological impact of being the person who "donates" 20% of the cost of their meal, or an arbitrary dollar sum for services rendered, which is not always healthy, just the same as the psychological impact of being the person who needs that donation to make their unrealistically small wages cover basic living expenses is not healthy. No one wants to think about either part of that equation.

 

[hsc3boys]

Coming from the U.K., we find your tipping system confusing and extreme. The percentages expected at restaurants especially a buffet is way higher than what we would tip at home. The one thing I will never get my head round is why tipping in restaurants is based on a percentage of the bill, is it more effort to carry the most expensive dish than the cheapest dish, or an alcoholic drink instead of a glass of water. Regardless of which country your tipping in why is it based on a percentage of the bill? Bags I get, you pay an amount per bag, makes perfect sense.
Most of us visiting from the U.K. stay for 14 days sometimes more, so all those small tips here and there really start to mount up. As DVC members I enjoy having a kitchen to prepare meals, less tips to pay. With the exchange rate at the moment I find a lot of Disney restaurants over priced as it is.

 

[hsc3boys]

Quick question, when my husband is collected and taken to the Disney car centre to get a hire car and dropped back after returning the hire car he tips the driver, is this the correct practice?

 

[GoingSince1990]

Coming from the U.K., we find your tipping system confusing and extreme. The percentages expected at restaurants especially a buffet is way higher than what we would tip at home. The one thing I will never get my head round is why tipping in restaurants is based on a percentage of the bill, is it more effort to carry the most expensive dish than the cheapest dish, or an alcoholic drink instead of a glass of water. Regardless of which country your tipping in why is it based on a percentage of the bill? Bags I get, you pay an amount per bag, makes perfect sense.
Most of us visiting from the U.K. stay for 14 days sometimes more, so all those small tips here and there really start to mount up. As DVC members I enjoy having a kitchen to prepare meals, less tips to pay. With the exchange rate at the moment I find a lot of Disney restaurants over priced as it is.

Conversely, when we visit the UK, waitstaff and barstaff seem to be extremely happy with how we tip. On one occasion after eating breakfast in a hotel in Sunderland, the waitress rushed after us as we were leaving because "you've left some money on the table, pet!" and wanted to return it to us.

 

[SaintsManiac]

Quick question, when my husband is collected and taken to the Disney car centre to get a hire car and dropped back after returning the hire car he tips the driver, is this the correct practice?

If you mean the rental shuttle driver I wouldn’t. If taking Uber I would. Yep it’s confusing!

 

[DGsAtBLT]

Disney is providing that ride as a courtesy. You paid for the room, not the ride. They can stop MDE any time. It is your choice, but we tip at least $1/bag. That’s not going to make or break anyone. It’s not the driver’s fault that Disney’s room pricing is high.

The ride is not a courtesy. That implies DME is being done solely for the guest. The second it stops being beneficial to Disney, expect it to go away or be charged for it.

Hey maybe we’re all providing the courtesy to Disney by taking it, not too shabby to have bus loads of people spending all their money and time on your property. The cost is likely accounted for in the room rate too.

 

[Punkrockbebop]

Just because it’s a smart business idea does not make a free airport ride any less of a courtesy. It’s free and it’s saving you at least $60 to a little over $100 RT. So, what’s $1-2/bag to show some appreciation to an employee?

 

[the_grinch]

instead of asking why some people do not tip why not ask why the company's do not pay better .i should not be put in the spot to determine a person wage .if i agree to pay for a service that should include all cost for said service.and if company dose not pay well said person should look for new job till company has a hard time filling said job and pay better.not the other way company pays less and less and said employee counts on tip for what they should make. why is it OK for people to get mad when Disney raise price on ticket or rooms when a tip is a raise in the over all price of going to Disney

 

[Redhead5]

I've been told that the workers at the Disney resorts are not allowed to accept tips (except for wait staff and bartenders) and any tips they get have to go into a communal bucket used for the entire staff of the resort to have sodas, etc. If they get caught not turning the tips over they are fired. Has this changed?

 

[Evita_W]

Honestly, I have a hard time tipping someone for simply doing their job. If they go above and beyond, sure give them a tip, but really in this case they are paid to drive the bus and load/unload the luggage, why should they be tipped for that? If they aren't being paid enough, that is something they need to take up with their employer.

Now, if you have exceptionally heavy luggage or are asking something else that is above and beyond, then sure, tipping may be called for, but otherwise I just don't see it.

 

[elaine amj]

The one that bugs me is people complaining about the mandatory 18% tip when 6 or more at table in restaurants, or using TIW. So many people post trying to find out if they have to pay it, or how to get out of it!

I always wonder about this too. Aren't they already tipping 18% normally anyway? I am a hopeless cheapskate, but I still tip.

We went on our first cruise last month and I did not plan enough for tips I was a bit overwhelmed to say the least.

I felt the same way after last year's cruise! I am used to tipping for having my bags handled and whatever but I usually avoid it when I can (yes, I am cheap enough to go down to the front desk to ask for stuff instead of feeling obligated to tip the staff who delivers it to me). But between airport parking and luggage transfers on the ship, there are SO many ppl to tip it felt super overwhelming!

The one thing I will never get my head round is why tipping in restaurants is based on a percentage of the bill, is it more effort to carry the most expensive dish than the cheapest dish, or an alcoholic drink instead of a glass of water. Regardless of which country your tipping in why is it based on a percentage of the bill?

My kids work in a cafe. As they gain more experience, they hope to move to a place like Applebees where the price point is higher. After that, the hope is a nicer dining place where the price point goes up. Our thoughts are that the more experience they get (and the better they get), they can "climb the ladder" to earn more tips. At least that's how I rationalize it. This is such a cultural "unspoken" thing, maybe I have it all wrong lol.

 

[tidefan]

I always wonder about this too. Aren't they already tipping 18% normally anyway? I am a hopeless cheapskate, but I still tip.

You know, when I was growing up, and even until a few years ago, 15% of the tab was the norm in restaurants (maybe 10% for bad service and 20% for outstanding). When did the norm change to 18-20% (and why?) - (BTW, not talking specifically about Disney, just restaurants in general)

 

[Best_Vacation_EVER!]

We almost always tip well (probably too often and too much but thats a whole other coversation) but really if we're doing MDE (only 2 times ever) without the driver having to deal with the bags (i.e. we've always tagged them and the driver never saw them) we won't tip the MDE driver. At that point we view ourselves as butts in the prepaid seats --- paid for by the insane rates we pay for our onsite resort stays --- where exactly zero extra services were performed.

We tip well where the extra services warrant a tip (bell services, restaurant servers, etc..) . We don't tip the bus driver between the resort and the theme park --- so really if the MDE driver doesn't have to deal with our bags there seems like very little reason to tip. They're literally paid to get us from the airport to the resort and with ZERO special services offered if luggage isn't invovled --- it's not much different than the regular resort to park bus driver --- who we never tip. It seems weird to offer a tip to one but not the other....

We usually rent a car so maybe I'm missing something but unless the driver is handling your luggage or providing an extra service -- there really is no extra service which would require a tip.

 

[CampbellzSoup]

Disney is providing that ride as a courtesy. You paid for the room, not the ride. They can stop MDE any time. It is your choice, but we tip at least $1/bag. That’s not going to make or break anyone. It’s not the driver’s fault that Disney’s room pricing is high.

...is this a real post? The bus service is designed so you don’t go off their property and spend money elsewhere hence being trapped on Disney property. Their not shuttling you out of the goodness of their heart...see Minnie Vans for details on that.