do you tip the mousekeepers or not?

[bigyanks]

A couple of trips ago we left tips in pretty envelopes labelled "Mousekeeper" and the never took them!! I put them on the dresser, taped them to the mirror, everything. I don't know if they noticed or didn't think they deserved it. (we aren't messy people, it was just making beds really) It was weird.
Our last trip we left the pretty envelopes and they were taken, but we have yet to have the towel animals in the window and such. The kids were kind of disappointed because other rooms had them. Maybe we just keep getting newbies that haven't learned how to make them.

did you leave them out in the open? i kinda encouraged it the first time by leaving them on the bed so she had to move them in order to make the bed then she just added to it as she got more stuff.

[mercurywaxing]

You tip:

• your cab/car driver, he drives you for 20 minutes max. It's not to ensure service the next time because you might not get the same person.
• the guy that takes the bags at the airport.
• the guy that carries your bags to your room, and he's with you the entire time so that's not to ensure service.
• the guy that parks your car after you get it back. You won't see him again either.

All those people don't do half as much daily as the housekeeping staff. They clean up your toilets, tub, filthy sink, dirty towels. They deserve a little bonus just as much as all those other people, if not more.

And this reminds me that I forgot to tip last trip. I feel like a jerk.

[edwardsfire]

Absolutely tip the maids. Its to insure proper service and usually they go way out the way to get or do whatever you need. A small note and a tip of APPRECIATION usually you'll have surplus what you need. People harp on here how paying someone parking in the next car behind theirs to spread the magic..why not share and make the day who help make the magic?

I have to disagree about the "ensure proper service" part of your statement.
A maid at WDW ESPECIALLY...better darn well provide the same basic service..tip or no tip. That is their job, no different than any other.
Now, im not talking about extra towels,towel animals or any extras....im just talking about the basics....clean sheets,towels,carpet and bathroom/sink.
I can easily go get more towels if needed.
I honestly agree that if i left a tip, i might get more "service" whatever that is, extra soap? Extra towels? Whatever it is, i aint missin it.
Honestly, in over 18 years of going to WDW/DLR as an adult..and NEVER tipping mousekeeping, we have ALWAYS had excellent service as EXPECTED.
Nothing more, nothing less.
I respect you comments, i just had to comment on the part i hilighted.

[mercurywaxing]

I have to disagree about the "ensure proper service" part of your statement.
A maid at WDW ESPECIALLY...better darn well provide the same basic service..tip or no tip. That is their job, no different than any other.

Agreed. When I was in the room on my last trip a CM knocked on the door and said she was the room inspector and was checking to make sure that the room was cleaned. She had a clipboard and the housekeeping uniform on. I saw her several other times that trip in different parts of the hotel right after the housekeeping staff had left the area.

I've never seen that at any non-Disney hotels, btw.

[WDW Donna]

did you leave them out in the open? i kinda encouraged it the first time by leaving them on the bed so she had to move them in order to make the bed then she just added to it as she got more stuff.

I put them on bed, on the pillow, on the dresser taped to the mirror. I even put the two or three she missed the previous days together. (the kids had decorated envelopes for each day) There is no way she could have missed them. Weird. I figured they would end up in the garbage so we took them back on the last day. I was never sure if it was the same mousekeeper to turn over a room when people left or the same one everyday assigned to one room.

[bigyanks]

ohh i was referring to the display stuff, for her grabbing the tip i can only hope she got the tip we left it on top of the table with her name on it.

[grumpy of ohio]

I have to disagree about the "ensure proper service" part of your statement.
A maid at WDW ESPECIALLY...better darn well provide the same basic service..tip or no tip. That is their job, no different than any other.
Now, im not talking about extra towels,towel animals or any extras....im just talking about the basics....clean sheets,towels,carpet and bathroom/sink.
I can easily go get more towels if needed.
I honestly agree that if i left a tip, i might get more "service" whatever that is, extra soap? Extra towels? Whatever it is, i aint missin it.
Honestly, in over 18 years of going to WDW/DLR as an adult..and NEVER tipping mousekeeping, we have ALWAYS had excellent service as EXPECTED.
Nothing more, nothing less.
I respect you comments, i just had to comment on the part i hilighted.

I totally agree, no matter what your choice is in life, you picked it. Whether it is to flip hamburgers at McDonald's for 7.75 an hour or president of some company for 6 figures, you are paid what the job pays, you know up front and if you're not satisfied with the work or pay scale, move on. We only tip if we asked for something far beyond the maids services. It's her job to clean and resupply, it's what she gets paid for. I'm not going to pay or tip for towel animals or window scenes. It seems that before towel animals were bestowed on guests, there was never any mention of tipping house services but when the towels got turned into little trinkets for guests by a few maids and it became known by these forums, everyone wants them and tipping seemed to be the way of getting some. All we want is our room cleaned, beds made and supplies restocked, that's their job.

These forums are leading to alot of little secrets, unasked for gifts and magic touches known to guests and that ticks off people who don't receive them. It used to be nice before computer days when you received alittle something extra while at Disney, now, everyone knows and wants. What we get from our trips, stays with us, those tips and secrets we found thru our 42 trips are our little nuggets.

[llawrence1970]

I tip $2 a day, but that's a choice for every person to make for themselves. I feel like when you're staying in a Disney hotel for more than a day you're beginning a relationship (even tho it may or may not continue with the same person). Personally, giving that little extra every morning helps me start the day making magic for someone else. It sets the stage for the rest of my magical day at Disney!

I agree we all choose our jobs in life, but I like to feel appreciated at work and love it when my customers give me a special note of thanks even when I'm just doing my job.

Just my two cents.....

[SnowCinder82]

I tip:

mousekeeping (just because, yeah it might be their job to clean, BUT it's personal work, taking out someone's bathroom trash)

waiter/waitress (if they are nice, and do something other than put food in front of me, if they smile, they dont have to tell me their life story, but just a hello, how are you, and a smile, f.y.i. i used to be a waitress)

hairstylist (again it's their job but it's personal work)

also my husband is a LEO and i'm an EMT, we dont have money to go around willy nilly, BUT we understand that for whatever reason that people have the jobs that they do, that union dues take a chunk out of the pay check (North Carolina doesnt have unions, it's right to work state) and these people can't really "opt out" of the union and still have their jobs..

but in the end tipping is a personal choice.

[Veritas]

yup, we leave tip everyday incase they change during our stay

[TInkerchelli]

We tip daily before we leave for the day :>). I always put myself in their shoes and I know for a fact that alot of ppl on vacation just throw stuff around etc. I always feel for them. plus it makes me feel good.
"Tinkerchelli"

[TTAfanatic]

I plan to tip on my next trip, not to "grease the wheels" per say, but to show my appriciation for a job well done. I know that I will get great service if I tip or not, but I want to let Mousekeeping know I appriciate their hard work.