By You may be surprised to learn that one of the most divisive Disney vacation topics is tipping. Seriously, David has really stepped in it a few times with his writing on this subject.
Some people feel strongly that tipping embodies the quirks of American capitalism and isn’t something vacationers should be expected to do.
Others realize that such philosophies hurt only one group of people: The Cast Members who dutifully work hard to sprinkle a bit of Pixie Dust onto your Disney vacation.
So, we consider tipping a must in several instances. Let’s quickly talk about when you should tip at Walt Disney World.
Table Service and Signature Dining Restaurants
Let’s begin with the obvious one. When you order at a sit-down restaurant, one where you have a server, tipping is customary in the United States.
For parties of six or more, Disney will automatically add a gratuity of 18 percent to the bill. So, we can use that as the baseline for what Disney deems a respectable tip.
Obviously, you can go up from there, depending on the quality of the service. We consider Cast Members angels temporarily living on Earth. So, we tip well, generally in the 25 percent range. This is NOT standard nor expected. We’re merely relaying information about what we do.
We’ll add that we generally use the Disney Dining Plan, which leads to a secondary discussion. When you use the dining plan at a Table Service restaurant, you’re still expected to tip.
A Cast Member will be paid based on the assumption that you are tipping. So, their hourly salary shrinks when you don’t tip. We’re not trying to make you feel guilty. We’re simply telling you how this works.
Disney and third-party vendors structure their staffing salaries on the presumption that the servers earn tips. Use this information as you see fit, but it’s part of why we tip so well. We’re on the dining plan, so our only out-of-pocket expense is the tip.
Mousekeeping
Someone we love currently works at Mousekeeping. So, we requested feedback on best practices from them. This one’s coming straight from the people whose wallets are impacted.
According to one of them, you should tip daily rather than at the end of your stay, and the reason why makes sense. Mousekeepers don’t work every day of the week.
So, the person who takes care of you throughout your vacation may not be servicing your room the day you check out.
For this reason, the best thing you can do is to tip daily. We understand how inconvenient that is, but the rationale makes perfect sense.
In terms of amounts, what we’ve heard is that most people don’t tip. That’s a grim assessment, but it also helps you to calibrate. Even if you leave a couple of dollars, you’re doing more than many guests.
The general consensus is that Mousekeeping considers $5 per night pretty good at most resorts. Guests staying in Deluxe Tier resorts or suites should tip more, as should those who, you know, absolutely wreck their rooms.
We have, umm, fallen into that category a couple of times. Hey, it’s vacation. Things happen. Just apologize by tipping better when applicable.
RideShare and Minnie Van Drivers
Your rideshare app will remind you of this point, but driver pay isn’t that good…unless the customer tips well. That’s why driver intel sites suggest that hourly pay varies wildly.
Opinions also vary wildly about a fair rideshare tip. We recently read one that indicated 15-20 percent is fair, with a baseline that you should always tip at least $5.
At Disney, that sounds fair, although we’d note that you should tip more on Minnie Vans. Those drivers are Disney Cast Members, and they’ll do more for you than other rideshare options.
Bell Services
Now that guests can check into hotel rooms without ever visiting the front desk, Bell Services has become a service you’re less likely to use during your trip.
The exceptions are when you arrive early and your hotel room isn’t ready yet. Then, you’d need to drop off your bags at Bell Services for a while, liberating you to go to the park.
If not for Bell Services, you’d need to wait until your hotel room is ready. So, you should tip accordingly. Within the past calendar year, we’ve specifically asked Bell Services about tipping.
Multiple staff members told us that they consider $5 a bag the typical tip. On the internet, we’ve read any number of posts indicating that $2-$3 a bag is fine. Should you choose to do that, well, anything is better than nothing.
We’re relaying the information that when someone at Bell Services gets or gives your luggage, they’re hoping for $10 for every two bags at a minimum. So, $4 would be a little light.
Again, when we discuss tipping, we fully understand that everyone is different. We simply want to provide you with a complete perspective of this issue. Ultimately, the Cast Members are the ones performing the service, and they’re the ones you’re attempting to show your respect and gratitude.
Room Service
The final four tipping topics won’t apply to most people visiting Disney World. Even as frequent vacationers, we have rarely ordered Room Service during our hundreds of days spent on vacation here.
So, we didn’t realize this fact, but Disney automatically adds an 18 percent gratuity to every Room Service order. Note that you can tip more than that if so inclined. Especially good service would justify it.
Still, the baseline here is what Disney automatically adds to the bill. Anything more than that would be considered going above and beyond.
Salon and Spa Services
Disney owns and operates several salon and spa services, most of which are under the Senses Spa brand. You’ll even find Senses Spa on Disney Cruise Line.
As far as tipping goes, Disney automatically adds an 18-20 percent gratuity to every treatment. You can obviously tip more than that for excellent service, but that’s the baseline amount. You’ll pay it no matter what.
For services such as those rendered at Harmony Barber Shop and Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique, you technically aren’t expected to offer a tip. Technically.
Cast Members have told us that it breaks their heart when they don’t receive a tip, which you can easily add to the credit card payment on your bill. They hope for similar tips to servers, which means 18 percent or more, depending on the service.
We consider this a small price to pay when the Cast Member is providing your family with an unforgettable memory. Note that Cast Members actually prefer cash, too.
The explanation is that they won’t get a credit card payment added until the appropriate paycheck, which could be three weeks later. Cash is quicker. So, when you appreciate your Cast Member a great deal, the nicest thing you can do is ask for their Paypal or Venmo ID. Then, zap them cash that way.
Valet Parking
This service works the same at Disney as it would anywhere else. Should you use valet parking, you should expect to tip. It’s customary everywhere in the United States where people use valet parking.
According to Disney, the expected tip is $5-$10 per key handoff. So, it’s one of the most expensive kinds of tips at Disney World. To a larger point, when you plan to tip, you should visit a bank and ask for money in small bills.
We’ve been in situations where we only had a $20 but needed to tip. It leads to awkward trips to the hotel gift shop, where we buy a cheap snack just to get change.
VIP Tour Guide
Finally, when you’re lucky enough to take a VIP Tour at Disney, you should always tip your guide. You may read online that you’re not expected to tip. Folks, that’s just a lie.
Cast Members double as your gofers for a full workday. The least you can do when you hand Disney several thousand dollars for a VIP Tour is to tip the Cast Member who makes the magic happen for you.
Suggestions vary wildly for how much to tip, and we’ll add that a handful of VIP Tour Guides will reject any top offer. However, VIP Tour communities indicate a $100 tip at a minimum, with substantially more given in some instances. In case that surprises you, please consider that even $500 represents only a ten percent tip.
So, there are our somehow controversial opinions on tipping at Disney World. Don’t @ us.