Hi Sean, welcome back to planDisney. I hope you and your loved ones are safe from the fires and that planning for your trip brings you some magic!
You didn't mention which Disney Beach Resort you are visiting, but we can talk about tipping at all of them. We just returned from the perfect Christmas at
Aulani, and we love
Hilton Head and
Vero Beach, so wherever you've booked, I know you will have a splashtastic time!
Housekeeping services depend on whether you stay on Disney Vacation Club points or visit as a cash-paying guest. Cash-paying guests receive daily housekeeping like a regular hotel. If you are staying on points, it depends on the length of your visit. For stays longer than eight nights, you will have a complete cleaning service on the fourth day and trash and towel service on the eighth day. If your visit is less than eight days, you will have trash and towel service on the fourth day.
That being said, Disney reserves the right to check your room at any time, and what we found at Aulani was that if a Housekeeping Cast Member stopped by, our trash was changed, and we magically had a new set of towels! They will also bring anything you need if you call them during your visit.
While
tipping is not mandatory, it is customary to tip at the spa,
bell services, housekeeping, and valet. We like to leave $5/day for housekeeping at the end of our visit. If we use valet parking, we usually give them $5-10 when they bring our car, and we tip bell services $1-2/bag. So I would bring cash, but you do not need to carry it to the pool!
If you have any other questions, don't hesitate to swim on back.
Rayna