DDP 2008 Tipping

[Tigger1]

For the 6 of us we would tip about $54 per meal for tip based on 18 % on DDP. This is for about 1 to 1 1/2 hour of service. The server would also have more tables besides ours. I do not see that the service has been that exceptional in the past.

When my Daughter and I go for pizza in a local Italian restaurant, the service is exceptional, our bill is under $15. An 18% tip would be under $3.00.

I may no longer tip based on % of the bill but rather on service and what I feel will give the server a fair hourly amount. I will also consider that it is hard for wait staff to get a 40 hour week or to work 2 different jobs to get 40 hours worth of work. As for atmosphere, I pay for that with the meal, tip is based on service.

What would you consider a fair hourly wage for a server.

 

[JimMIA]

For the 6 of us we would tip about $54 per meal for tip based on 18 % on DDP. This is for about 1 to 1 1/2 hour of service. The server would also have more tables besides ours. I do not see that the service has been that exceptional in the past.

When my Daughter and I go for pizza in a local Italian restaurant, the service is exceptional, our bill is under $15. An 18% tip would be under $3.00.

This has to be the Non Sequitur of the Year, if not the decade!

And if I went to McD's and got a $1 double cheesburger, and the service was exceptional, an 18% tip would be only $.18.

On the other hand, your party of six is apparently eating $300 worth of food for the tip to be 18%. If you and your daughter order $300 worth of pizza and the service is exceptional, your tip would also be $54.

Please...

 

[Nancyg56]

I did have an issue with service in one TS restaurant in January and discussed the gratuity with the manager. I did not ask that the portion of tech tip included with the DDP be removed but I did ask that the gratuity on our extras be removed. The manager did this. I felt that the portion included should be between her and the server.

 

[DVC Sadie]

This has to be the Non Sequitur of the Year, if not the decade!

And if I went to McD's and got a $1 double cheesburger, and the service was exceptional, an 18% tip would be only $.18.

On the other hand, your party of six is apparently eating $300 worth of food for the tip to be 18%. If you and your daughter order $300 worth of pizza and the service is exceptional, your tip would also be $54.

Please...

That is exactly why I believe that Disney will have no choice in the future but to implement a 18% gratuity across the board whether or not the patron chooses any of the dining plans or decides to pay OOP.

 

[DVC Sadie]

For the 6 of us we would tip about $54 per meal for tip based on 18 % on DDP. This is for about 1 to 1 1/2 hour of service. The server would also have more tables besides ours. I do not see that the service has been that exceptional in the past.

When my Daughter and I go for pizza in a local Italian restaurant, the service is exceptional, our bill is under $15. An 18% tip would be under $3.00.

I may no longer tip based on % of the bill but rather on service and what I feel will give the server a fair hourly amount. I will also consider that it is hard for wait staff to get a 40 hour week or to work 2 different jobs to get 40 hours worth of work. As for atmosphere, I pay for that with the meal, tip is based on service.

What would you consider a fair hourly wage for a server.

I thought that all parties of 6 or more automatically had the gratuity added so therefore would be receiving the 54.00 tip.

 

[TLSnell1981]

All I can tell you is that I've eaten dozens of meals at WDW over the last 5 years, both on DDP with a guaranteed tip included, and OOP without any tip added to the bill. I've never noticed any difference in the service based on how I was paying for the meal or whether or not a gratuity was included.

In fact, the only place we've ever had really awful service, we were paying OOP -- but that was Alfredo's, and I think they gave everyone rotten service, no matter how you paid. Good riddance to that place!

I'm not the only one who has had this experience either. There have been numerous posts to this effect over the last 2-3 years.

From those with a different point of view, the comment is always speculative: "I'm afraid an automatic tip will diminish service," never "I got bad service because the tip was included."

Last year we received less than stellar service ( and I'm being kind) at Chef's and at H&V. H&V being horrible service and the food wasn't edible. I had to ask repeatedly for refills and to have the "dirties" removed. I will not be dining at either of these locations on my next trip.

The service at CRT reminded me of an old "I LOVE LUCY" episode. The one where Rickey takes a sip of his coffee, sets it down and she takes away his cup. He takes a bite of toast, sets it down and she takes his plate. They might as well be on roller skates. I think I saw my server 3 times.

The gratuity was included in each of these meals.

A mediocre or bad server has no incentive to improve. A great server can become disgruntled....they make the same no matter what level of service is provided. How many people would work harder in any job if they knew they had no opportunity for a raise? Especially, knowing their co-worker's performance was not up to par, but received the same pay and would receive increases on the same schedule they did?

I am doing the DxDP for my next trip and will be a party of 4. I can choose what gratuity I want. The only reason I am dining this often at WDW, this trip, is because my DGDs love the character meals. I will save money on the plan this trip. If my service isn't better than last year's, I will be eating in my villa more often on my next vacation.

Maybe, I just have the "Eeyore" syndrome about this....maybe not.

 

[ssawka]

I too totally disagree with an automatic "service charge" (that's what an automatic charge is, not a "gratuity"), however I wanted to comment on the question of what to base a tip on. Having worked as a waiter, I understand that the servers work hard and deserve a reasonable tip, however I alway thought that basing the tip on the prices set by the restaurant is absurd. I mean does it take more effort to bring you a $30 steak versus a $10 piece of chicken? Unfortunatley there is not a better guide, and call it social presure, but I do tip based on the total check.

I also agree that it is absurd to tip 18% for a buffet. Really, is it fair to tip a server at a buffet the same percentage as a server at a full service restaurant?

One final thought... The whole problem with the automatic service charge stems from the government allowing restaurant owners to underpay their wait staff. In this country we have minimum wage law. This minimum wage should be applied to all employees regardless of whether it is customary for customers to tip them. If you look up "gratuity" in the dictionary it says "a gift of money", since when should a "gift" be used as a person's base salary.

Ok, I'm stepping down from my soap box now.

 

[kimsuenew]

We tip 20% everywhere, regardless of meal price or if it is a buffet. For superior service we tend to tip more, and for service that leaves a little (or lot) to be desired we tip less... but we still tip some regardless.

I am sure there will be people that tip the old standard 10% (my wealthy in-laws will tip no more), some that will do 15%, some 18%, some 20%, and some more, or less, than that!

I am hoping that the servers do OK with the change, a guaranteed 18% was at least guaranteed!

 

[Brian Noble]

I mean does it take more effort to bring you a $30 steak versus a $10 piece of chicken? Unfortunatley there is not a better guide, and call it social presure, but I do tip based on the total check.

Usually, the $30 steak is $30 instead of $15.99 in part because your server has fewer tables to cover, and hence can (and does) provide better service. More attentive refills of beverages, or the ability to appear just before being needed, etc.

 

[Lewisc]

Is there really any difference then the check for food? The price isn't negotiable but if the food is awful a manager will take the food back, and allow the guest to order a different menu item, or perhaps reduce the check.

Guests who think the service is awful should be asking for a manager. If the service isn't bad enough to complain (and try to get the situation corrected) then it probably isn't bad enough to justify removing the charge from the check.

Technically, legally, that is probably correct. They're not surprising anyone with this charge -- it's in the literature for DDE and it will be on every menu. In that context, yes, I'd say it's mandatory and they will charge it to your room if you leave without settling the tip.

However, if there is a legitimate issue with service, I'm sure a manager would listen to a complaint and make an appropriate adjustment. I can't imagine them saying "Too bad, so sad; automatic is automatic!"

 

[Lewisc]

Is there really any difference then the check for food? The price isn't negotiable but if the food is awful a manager will take the food back, and allow the guest to order a different menu item, or perhaps reduce the check.

Guests who think the service is awful should be asking for a manager. If the service isn't bad enough to complain (and try to get the situation corrected) then it probably isn't bad enough to justify removing the charge from the check.

Technically, legally, that is probably correct. They're not surprising anyone with this charge -- it's in the literature for DDE and it will be on every menu. In that context, yes, I'd say it's mandatory and they will charge it to your room if you leave without settling the tip.

However, if there is a legitimate issue with service, I'm sure a manager would listen to a complaint and make an appropriate adjustment. I can't imagine them saying "Too bad, so sad; automatic is automatic!"

 

[ssawka]

Brian,

I was talking specifically about menu options at a particular restaurant. The number of tables a server had is not determined by an individual customer's menu choice.

For example, at Le Cellier you can order the $18 Heirloom Squash Ravioli or the $30 14 oz. New York Strip Steak. Does the server have to do more work for the New York Strip versus the Ravioli? Now it is possible that a server would provide better service to the customer that ordered the steak, but I personally would not want the level of service that I receive determined by what I order.

Again, I am not condoning basing a tip on another criteria, I'm just saying that our tradition of determining an appropriate gratuity because of price is a bit strange.

 

[DanenRox]

I've not been in on all of the DDP discussions so I'd love to know if there is a popular opinion as to why Disney just didn't raise the price of the DDP and keep tipping (and appetizers for that matter) included. The Deluxe is waaaay too much food. I so enjoyed prepaying our entire dining bill without worrying about tipping...not that it's a problem, but I always hate the part of the meal when the different people in your party start digging in their pockets, doing math, wrestling over the bill. The old DDP took care of all of that! If I were in charge, I would've just raised the price of the basic plan!

 

[Brian Noble]

ssawka: presumably, unless one is dining solo, though, the price differences on individual menu items work themselves out---that is, unless everyone goes for the surf-n-turf, for example.

 

[CoachBagFanatic]

Well, some would argue that the prices are not really inflated -- that you are paying for atmosphere, location, convenience, etc. Whether they are inflated or not, I think the gratuity should be based on the menu prices and the service you receive.

I don't have any sympathy at all for those who say, "If I have to tip 18%, I can't afford to eat at Disney restaurants." A reasonable tip is just good manners, it's a part of the cost of dining out, and if someone truly can't afford a reasonable tip, they should eat somewhere they can afford.

It's not fair to the servers to make them bear part of our vacation cost by stiffing them or giving them low tips.

Well said.

 

[JimMIA]

I've not been in on all of the DDP discussions so I'd love to know if there is a popular opinion as to why Disney just didn't raise the price of the DDP and keep tipping (and appetizers for that matter) included. The Deluxe is waaaay too much food. I so enjoyed prepaying our entire dining bill without worrying about tipping...not that it's a problem, but I always hate the part of the meal when the different people in your party start digging in their pockets, doing math, wrestling over the bill. The old DDP took care of all of that! If I were in charge, I would've just raised the price of the basic plan!

The reason is eliminating the gratuity put about $9-10 per adult, per day, in their pockets without any increase in cost. In fact, if anything, their costs went down because they no longer have to account for the tips.

$9-10 for each adult, for each day someone is on the regular DDP, is a ton of money over the course of a year.

And every penny of that is transferred out of our pockets into theirs without them spending a cent.

 

[mom2my3kids]

I don't think anyone can argue (famous last words) that's Disney's restaurant meal prices are somewhat inflated. Since tipping is no longer included in the dining plan, do you think people will stick to the 18-20%
tip on meal prices, or will come up with a more realistic gratuity based on the dining experience?

Do I think Disney Restaurants are overpriced, Heck Yeah!!! Would I ever not tip accordingly because of it HECK NO!!! Its not the servers fault the food cost so much, and I am sure its expensive to live in Orlando compared to my City where I am excited to get 5.00 tip on a 20.00 meal..

 

[frannn]

I am making a spreadsheet to determine if we are "saving" anything by using the deluxe dining plan (using the term "saving" loosely because we normally wouldn't eat at the finer dining TS). In my computations, I am just figuring 18% accross the board. I am sure there will be a few buffets where we will feel the need to only tip 10-15% (if we do not get drink refills, plates cleared, etc), and TS meals where we will tip 20%+ for outstanding service. But, just to be sure we take enough $$, I will throw the tip into our cash budget. I really hope they do not make the 18% tip mandatory for all diners. I like to have the opportunity to base the tip on the level of service received. I'm thinking the tips will run about an extra 300+ for our TS choices.

 

[DiszyDeanette]

ITA!

When the servers at WDW on the DP start getting stiffed enmass or start quitting enmass then I am sure that Disney will implement the 18% tip across the board whether on a dining plan or not.

Exactly. If the stiffing wasn't a problem, there would be no auto-gratuities, ever.

 

[DiszyDeanette]

For the 6 of us we would tip about $54 per meal for tip based on 18 % on DDP. This is for about 1 to 1 1/2 hour of service. The server would also have more tables besides ours. I do not see that the service has been that exceptional in the past.

When my Daughter and I go for pizza in a local Italian restaurant, the service is exceptional, our bill is under $15. An 18% tip would be under $3.00.

I may no longer tip based on % of the bill but rather on service and what I feel will give the server a fair hourly amount. I will also consider that it is hard for wait staff to get a 40 hour week or to work 2 different jobs to get 40 hours worth of work. As for atmosphere, I pay for that with the meal, tip is based on service.

What would you consider a fair hourly wage for a server.

Six people at one table take up a LOT of a server's time, not to mention space in their section. If your party of six can't afford to tip appropriately, then I'd suggest McDonalds.