Tipping Front Desk CM's ??????

[Mr Organizer]

I am going to throw a curveball into the online check in vs. front desk check in option. Assuming I check in at the front desk, should I TIP the CM ? FYI - for years now I have been throwing some cash at the person who checks me in at a hotel. I cant tell you how many perks have come my way doing this....upgraded views, bigger rooms, drink coupons, move to concierge floors, free breakfasts, etc. etc. I mean it. Try it sometime. I would like to try it for my upcoming stay at GF. BUT - Can Disney front desk CM's accept tips ? Has anyone ever tried to tip them ? Would that make them more likely to spread some pixie dust ? Would it offend them if they were not able to accept tips ?

 

[Sarahslay]

I am going to throw a curveball into the online check in vs. front desk check in option. Assuming I check in at the front desk, should I TIP the CM ? FYI - for years now I have been throwing some cash at the person who checks me in at a hotel. I cant tell you how many perks have come my way doing this....upgraded views, bigger rooms, drink coupons, move to concierge floors, free breakfasts, etc. etc. I mean it. Try it sometime. I would like to try it for my upcoming stay at GF. BUT - Can Disney front desk CM's accept tips ? Has anyone ever tried to tip them ? Would that make them more likely to spread some pixie dust ? Would it offend them if they were not able to accept tips ?

Since a lot of the resorts have been running pretty full there isn't much they are going to be able to do as far as upgrades and what not at the moment, and unless you're going after GF opens their club level I doubt that's going to happen. I've gotten pixie dust without throwing cash though, just by being nice. Our most recent trip with did a split stay and at both resorts our room wasn't ready until way past when they say it will be (like, a few hours past). So I went up and nicely asked about it, and we got credit of a few hundred dollars put on our account, I was just nice and waited and got free money. We actually got money refunded to us after check-out from the second resort because we didn't spent the whole credit. Of course, due to the categories of rooms we had there was nowhere else to go up from there, we were at the top, but I've never given them money and have never even seen anyone give money on the sly. At other hotels? Sure, my hubby has done it plenty of times, but never at Disney. I don't know if they're not allowed to accept tips, but it just seems weird to me to do it since normally they're supposed to throw around the pixie dust out of good will not out of $$$.

 

[Marionnette]

I am going to throw a curveball into the online check in vs. front desk check in option. Assuming I check in at the front desk, should I TIP the CM ? FYI - for years now I have been throwing some cash at the person who checks me in at a hotel. I cant tell you how many perks have come my way doing this....upgraded views, bigger rooms, drink coupons, move to concierge floors, free breakfasts, etc. etc. I mean it. Try it sometime. I would like to try it for my upcoming stay at GF. BUT - Can Disney front desk CM's accept tips ? Has anyone ever tried to tip them ? Would that make them more likely to spread some pixie dust ? Would it offend them if they were not able to accept tips ?

I don't think pixie dust gets spread in that manner. And I don't believe that front desk personnel are allowed to accept tips. It's not even a matter of them being offended if offered one. It's a matter of being dismissed if they accept one.

Pixie dust upgrades are actually a result of the hotel's need to move you to a different room and not because a CM is feeling particularly generous. They could switch you from a standard view that overlooks a dumpster to one that has a sideways view of a body of water if you don't like the location. But upgrades to a more spacious room or one with a view of the castle aren't going to happen because you slipped a $20 between your ID and credit card when you handed them to the front desk CM at check in. Your room got assigned days before your arrival and it's unlikely that an "upgrade" is even available for the exact nights of your stay.

If a CM does something to make your stay more magical, you can reward them by sending a letter, email (wdw.guest.communications@disneyworld.com). Guest compliments go a long way toward consideration for promotions and raises, which benefit the CM more in the long run.

 

[BoardWalkBelle]

Disney front desk cms cant accept bribes..err tips.

 

[Dug720]

Disney front desk cms cant accept bribes..err tips.

Exactly what I was going to say. If you want to bribe the front desk, go to Vegas.

 

[SeanWM48]

they are probably asked not to but i mean whatever, if you want to throw the guy/gal 5 bucks there's no harm in it, maybe they can give you a break somewhere. i'm sure they've seen it all before.

sometimes it's genuinely warranted

 

[nkereina]

That is a thing in Vegas, but not at WDW. At WDW, rooms are assigned a few days in advance. Its not the front desk staff's job to move those around unless there's an issue, and in my own experience, they have often had to loop in others to help them when it needs to be done. Every WDW resort has multiple bookable room categories, so its like Tetris when trying to shift things around. There's also not a loyalty program there like you'd see at Vegas hotels where there are upgraded rooms held back for the high rollers.

Free upgrades at WDW happen due to resort operational needs and not out of the goodness of CMs hearts. They're also short staffed on housekeeping now, which adds another wrench. While I don't think there's any harm in trying to tip, I don't think it would help you get anything more.

 

[Mle8308]

Only CM's in tipped positions (servers, bell services, housekeeping) are allowed to accept tips. If a FD CM accepted a tip, it could be grounds for termination. Like another poster suggested, submit a Cast compliment. It does get recognized.

 

[Dug720]

Like another poster suggested, submit a Cast compliment. It does get recognized.

And THAT can ultimately mean more to the CM in the end than the $5-20 you were planning to slip them when it comes time for reviews and/or promotions.

 

[focusondisney]

they are probably asked not to but i mean whatever, if you want to throw the guy/gal 5 bucks there's no harm in it, maybe they can give you a break somewhere. i'm sure they've seen it all before.

sometimes it's genuinely warranted

Nope. Non tipped positions at Disney can lose their jobs if caught accepting money from guests. So there is harm in it for the CM. But, if you want to put them in a position to risk losing their job, go ahead.

Also, the CMs the public sees rarely control the room inventory or assignments anyway. There are assigners behind the scenes that do. Typically, if the front desk staff need to find a different room, they have to call or contact the room assigners for permission. Very rarely are they able to make room assignment changes without permission.

 

[Dug720]

Also, the CMs the public sees rarely control the room inventory or assignments anyway. There are assigners behind the scenes that do. Typically, if the front desk staff need to find a different room, they have to call or contact the room assigners for permission. Very rarely are they able to make room assignment changes without permission.

This exactly. When I was "pixie dusted" into a Pirate Room during a Marathon Weekend (ordinarily I would have taken it - but I didn't want to risk banging into the bed frame with having to run that far), the CM I met with WAS able to look on the computer to see if there were options, she said she thought there was something, but to actually make the change, she had to make a call to someone else.

 

[DVC Doc]

Non tipped CM’s ARE allowed to accept tips but are supposed to refuse 3 times before accepting, and then are supposed to report it to their supervisor. However if you are expecting a quid pro quo room upgrade for a tip, that is almost certainly not going to happen. Definitely go with a cast compliment for great service.

 

[Eastern]

ime CMs are generally not rulebreakers. They might accept a tip but you would still get a parking lot view if you booked std.

 

[ninafeliz]

My brother is used to this when he travels, and is convinced that you can "tip" your way into anything at resorts/hotels. He travels a lot, always stays at high end places, and has been to Vegas a lot where I know this is done. He doesn't quite believe me that this doesn't seem to be likely to work at Disney lol. Or maybe he does, because AFAIK he hasn't tried it, but he always books the room he wants and has stayed at the Four Seasons the last couple of times he traveled to WDW with his family. He is just so incredulous to think that you can't slip money to, say, get into SAB if you aren't staying there. I don't even think he cares, he just assumes it can be done anywhere .

 

[MsThumper]

We have had more then our share of “pixie dust” and it is clear that it was all determined before we got there.

 

[Dis Dragon]

I tried to tip the desk guy at bell services at CBR once and he flat out refused it, he said to tip one of the people with the orange shirts on (he was wearing blue). It was conflicting to me because he was exceptionally helpful and I felt it deserved recognition, but that was like our second trip and I was ignorant of cast complements at the time or I would have definitely submitted one for him.

 

[Deb & Bill]

Only CM's in tipped positions (servers, bell services, housekeeping) are allowed to accept tips. If a FD CM accepted a tip, it could be grounds for termination. Like another poster suggested, submit a Cast compliment. It does get recognized.

Housekeeping is a non-tipped position. Food and beverage servers, valet parking and bell services are tipped positions.

 

[Mle8308]

Housekeeping is a non-tipped position. Food and beverage servers, valet parking and bell services are tipped positions.

Housekeeping is considered a position at Disney that is allowed to accept tips.

 

[DJFan88]

One of the front desk guys helped me out with a general question, and actually went above and beyond sprinkling a little pixie dust, and refused a tip saying he just likes to make people happy. Perhaps he can't accept one, but he was very nice and super helpful. This was at the Wilderness Lodge.

 

[Deb & Bill]

Housekeeping is considered a position at Disney that is allowed to accept tips.

They may accept tips, but they are not a tipped position. They are paid a higher wage than the other positions.