If your hotel has its own shuttle to the park, how much to tip?

[LisainCalifornia]

Hi all,
I have a question that I am hoping some of you can help with. If you stay at a hotel that has a free shuttle to Disneyland Park, how much and how often should you tip the shuttle driver? I was thinking one dollar per person in your group, but that was just a guess. And do you tip every single time you ride? This could get expensive if you are using the shuttle not only to get the park and back, but also use it for afternoon breaks back to the hotel.

Thanks,
Lisa

 

[sonnyjane]

A dollar per person seems high. I'd say $2, maybe $3 a ride per group honestly. They aren't handling any bags.

 

[LisainCalifornia]

That sounds better! A shuttle actually sounds great to me after so many trips with all the walking, but then I started to try to add up the tips, and began to worry. That could get very pricey if you take it like 4 times a day!

 

[skiingfast]

That sounds better! A shuttle actually sounds great to me after so many trips with all the walking, but then I started to try to add up the tips, and began to worry. That could get very pricey if you take it like 4 times a day!

I wouldn't tip each time. I doubt every group on any trip will all tip. Maybe just a few dollars at the end of the day, or 5 or 10 at the end of the trip. After all it is a free shuttle right?

 

[Sosai X]

It's a free shuttle, not a taxi or a limousine service. Tip not required. The driver is a regular employee of the hotel. He gets paid whether or not anyone rides, unlike a hack who lives on fares.

 

[Amysita]

I typically go solo & get a roll of quarters before I go and tip 50 cents for each shuttle ride. If I'm not solo, I tip $1 for the group per shuttle. I tip each time I ride because I'm not sure how they work the tips, do they gather up all the tips from the tip jars at the end of the day & split it evenly among the bus drivers for the day, or do the tips each individual driver receive stay with just that driver? I'd hate for my morning & afternoon drivers to get nothing and leave my tip for the day with the evening driver and think that possibly the other drivers got nothing. I have noticed that about 1/2 the passengers on the bus tip...so that's your call what you're comfortable with on the to tip or not to tip front.

 

[PinkBudgie]

Wow, I never thought to tip on a free shuttle before! Otherwise it wouldn't be free. I always thought like Sosai. I just say thank you when I get off. I never saw anyone tip either. It seems different than a cab to me because you are sharing it with lots of people and it is not personalized service like a cab or bellhop or maid. I wouldn't tip on ART or city buses either.

 

[LisainCalifornia]

Wow, I never thought to tip on a free shuttle before! Otherwise it wouldn't be free. I always thought like Sosai. I just say thank you when I get off. I never saw anyone tip either. It seems different than a cab to me because you are sharing it with lots of people and it is not personalized service like a cab or bellhop or maid. I wouldn't tip on ART or city buses either.

It is actually pretty common practice to tip for a free shuttle. If you google tipping shuttle driver at Hyatt or Candy Cane Inn you will see most people recommend doing this. The Hyatt Regency Orange County has a dedicated shuttle bus that stops at one (sometimes 2) other hotels, and they always have a tip basket out. The reviews that talk about the dedicated shuttle for the Candy Cane Inn often say "don't forget to tip the shuttle driver!", so I know it is done there as well.

The problem with only tipping once a day or for one trip is that you often will have a different driver for each trip--even in the span of one day.

I realize that people don't tip on ART and city buses, but this is because you are paying for a service (the bus ride) and it isn't free. I know it is sort of arbitrary!

I appreciate the input!

 

[skiingfast]

It is actually pretty common practice to tip for a free shuttle. If you google tipping shuttle driver at Hyatt or Candy Cane Inn you will see most people recommend doing this. The Hyatt Regency Orange County has a dedicated shuttle bus that stops at one (sometimes 2) other hotels, and they always have a tip basket out. The reviews that talk about the dedicated shuttle for the Candy Cane Inn often say "don't forget to tip the shuttle driver!", so I know it is done there as well.

The problem with only tipping once a day or for one trip is that you often will have a different driver for each trip--even in the span of one day.

I realize that people don't tip on ART and city buses, but this is because you are paying for a service (the bus ride) and it isn't free. I know it is sort of arbitrary!

I appreciate the input!

This reminds of someone I know. They drive an airport suttle for a large hotel. So it's much bigger than a van. He said on a good day he'd get $50. This is with carrying about 20 people per trip, 10-15 trips per day. So at the high end 25cents per passenger, and he handled bags.

Another friend worked at a nice resort, top 10 conde naste. The guests could request a driver. Typically he was taking them to dinner. He loved this work, because he was also a valet. When driving somone around in the resorts Lexus he got an auto gratuity of 20%, usually this worked out to about $25 to take people to dinner, wait, bring them back. But the bonus was when he got a tip on top of that. $10 or $20, but usually about 1 of 3 trips. So about 1/3 of guests using the included shuttle were tipping in a resort that starts at several hundred per night.

 

[Dobie]

Two summers ago, when the Dobies stayed at the Sheraton, we put a 20 in the tip basket at the end of our five day trip.

 

[lulubelle]

We (just two adults) have utilized both the CCI and Sheraton free shuttles. And honestly, I never tip when they take us to the park, but usually put in one or two dollars at the end of the day when taking us back to the resort. Why? I don't really know or have a good answer, I am just telling you what we do. Do what feels right for you.

 

[DebbieB]

I stayed at the Homewood last December on a solo trip and tipped $1 each trip. There were sometimes different drivers each way. They had a tip jar in the front. If I took an afternoon break and it was the same driver, I didn't tip again.

 

[pixiewings71]

We tip depending on the driver. Some drivers are just better than others, some are dealing with rude people and still have a good attitude, some drivers are just rude and don't deserve a tip. We tip as much as $5 per trip but again, it depends on the driver.