A Few Tips On Tipping at Walt Disney World
On of the most frequent questions that gets asked in the Walt Disney World for Grown-ups member forums usually goes along the lines of "Who do I need to tip on my Walt Disney World Vacation?" Tipping is a highly personal choice, and you should never be required to leave a tip, especially when you experience poor service, but it is the custom in the US to leave a tip for certain service providers. We've gathered together a few tips on tipping to answer your questions. As a general rule of thumb you want to tip anyone who you interact with that handles your baggage or cleans up after you. The following service professionals are in jobs that are commonly receive tips.
Limo or Cab Driver:
Tips can vary depending on service, but plan on Assume 15 - 20% and an extra $1 to $2 for help with luggage. Many Limo companies in the area will add in a 20% tip to your bill, so be sure to know if you've paid that in advance
Serving Staff at Disney Bars and Table Service Restaurants:
Disney suggests an 18 - 20% tip on all checks. If you pay attention you'll even notice that they do the math for you and your bill will be printed with how much 18% or 20% of the check would be, however you are responsible for deciding how much to tip. The Disney Dinner shows, and any private dining will automatically add an 18% gratuity for your bill, so be aware if you have already paid a gratuity.
On the Disney Dining Plan? Your tip is not included, so be sure that you have the funds with you in order to leave an appropriate tip for your servers. For more information read out previous article on Tipping On The Disney Dining Plan.
Disney Offers Tip Suggestions on your Receipt
Thanks to BuffaloBill For Sharing his Reciept on the Forum
Sky Caps, Magical Express Driver, Valets & Bell Hops:
These are the guys that schlep your bags, and the more bags they're hauling for you, the more they should get. The rule of thumb for anyone slinging your luggage is $2 first bag, and $1 for each additional bag.
Housekeeping:
A tip for housekeeping in the US is not required or even common outside of luxury hotels in big cities, however, it has become the custom at Walt Disney World and my experience with Disney housekeeping is that they will always go above and beyond service that I get anywhere else. My rule of thumb for housekeeping is $5 per night for 1-2 people, $10 per night for 3-5 people. I always leave the on a daily basis in case the housekeeping staff changes during my stay.
Room Charge & Credit Cards:
While it's easy to leave a tip on your credit card or room charge at Disney, it's also easy to lose track of how much money that you're spending when you charge them. To avoid sticker shock when you look at the next bill try to budget for tips before you leave.
Preplan Your Tip Expenditures To Avoid Surprises
Tip Envelopes:
Tip envelopes are a great way to budget for tips ahead of time for those little costs that can quickly add up. The bonus of tip envelopes is that I can just grab one and know that there is an appropriate amount inside. This easy method keeps me from fumbling through cash in what can sometimes be awkward places.
How do you make them? Simply grab a stack of small letter envelopes, and stuff them with the appropriate amount of money you'll need. Seal them, and label the front with who or what the tip envelope is for. Click here for some cute envelope ideas from our members! For instance, when considering housekeeping tips for a three night trip for two, I would have three envelopes each with $5 inside and labeled on the outside it would say "Mousekeeping, Thank You for Your Service, Tip Inside." Each day I would leave one envelope out on the bed for them to take.
That's the basics of Disney tipping! If you have any great tipping tips, leave a comment below and share your thoughts.
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DebC wrote on Tue, 09/08/2015 - 13:37:
Housekeeping at WDW is a non-tipped position based on the negotiations with the union. Only Bell Service, Food and Beverage Servers and valet parkers are tipped positions.
Lynn D wrote on Tue, 09/08/2015 - 14:23:
We have always tipped for housekeeping service, not just at Disney World, but everywhere we stay. Does "non-tipped position" mean that they are paid more than the housekeeping jobs in other hotels? I do not understand that term since it is up to the public whether to tip or not.
Jason Honingford wrote on Tue, 09/08/2015 - 16:05:
Generally you tip more in fancier hotels as housekeeping provides more services, such as doing the dishes and cleaning your coffee maker. If you leave a note and request more soaps, or you are a messy guest requiring them to do more work such as pick up your trash, it is polite to leave a tip and you just may just get an extra present, which is a towel animal at Disney. Mousekeeping spends time arranging your toiletries if you leave them out all over the sink. It's all up to you how you want to show your appreciation.
njv wrote on Tue, 09/08/2015 - 20:37:
I always tip housekeeping as they work hard for what I am sure is not that much money. They always give me extra soap or coffee when I ask and my room is always immaculate.
Jodie wrote on Wed, 09/09/2015 - 02:15:
I always tip housekeeping even though we are nice and neat. I think people that say you're not supposed to are tightwads and need to have a service job once in their lives.
Dave wrote on Wed, 09/09/2015 - 13:32:
Lynn, the answer to your question is, yes. It is paid at a higher rate. but no one is stopping you from tipping anyway. I always do. but most people do not, so housekeeping needs the additional hourly pay.
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