Tipping Info Thread for Disney Dining

[TwiddleDeeTwiddleDum]

Tipping is a matter of personal choice, however when we are having a few at the bar, when our table is ready we pay the tab & leave a tip for the bartender.

After dinner when we pay that bill we tip according to that total. Now if we've ordered additional drinks during dinner that the bartender prepared for the waitresses, can't control what happens there but I'd hope the waitresses take care of their bartender at the end of their shift

 

[iteachlit]

Excuse my ignorance, but if I'm at a bar for a couple of beers do you pay and therefore tip per drink or do you pay for the drinks and then leave an overall tip at the end?
I think I'm okay with all other tipping situations but not quite sure about this one.

The bartender will usually run a tab for you. Normally, he or she will hold your Key to the World Card (assuming you're staying on property) until you are ready to settle up. You can then add a tip to your bill.

Those of you who have a Tables in Wonderland card can also save 20% off lounge/bar purchases. If you use the TIW card, don't forget that an 18% gratuity will be automatically added.

 

[the5beans]

ok, I have 2 questions:
1) We have the dining plus package & our party is 6 people (2 adults, 1 teen, 1 child and 2 infants under the age of 2). Our reservations for dining are for 6, but we only have 4 eaters. Do we get hit with the manditory 18% for parties of 6 or more?

2) I want to tip in cash, is this acceptable or does everything have to go threw the cc linked to your passes?

 

[Tricia1972]

ok, I have 2 questions:
1) We have the dining plus package & our party is 6 people (2 adults, 1 teen, 1 child and 2 infants under the age of 2). Our reservations for dining are for 6, but we only have 4 eaters. Do we get hit with the manditory 18% for parties of 6 or more?

Yes. All parties of 6 are subject to the auto gratuity. It's explained a little bit more under #5 of the FAQ in the first post.

2) I want to tip in cash, is this acceptable or does everything have to go threw the cc linked to your passes?

Tipping in cash is fine. When you pay your bill, give them the room card to deduct the DDP credits and give them the cash to pay the balance due (gratuity and any items you may order that are not covered by the DDP)

 

[disnewbie108]

Thanks for putting together a comprehensive tipping FAQ. I am pretty sure I have everything I need. There was one thing I could not find. Per #5 tip on the first page of this thread, it states:

"Parties of 6 include everyone at the table, including children under 3 and infants. If you are dining with another group and paying separate, you are still subject to the 18% gratuity added to the bill. Each group at the table can get their own bill with their portion of the gratuity split out."

Can any one clarify when the 18% is calculated and seperate checks are requested, will the 18% be split on the seperate bills for all the food ordered by all people at the table? Or will each person only be charged 18% based on what they ordered? Sorry if this has been asked already.

Ex: We are a party of 7.
Family 1= me, DH, DS7, DS1
Family 2 = MIL & FIL
Family 3 = BIL

So will the 18% be calculated for everything the whole party of 7 orders, or 18% for family 1 for what family 1 orders, 18% for family 2 for what family 2 orders, etc...

I am only asking this because we are all on the DDP, but I know we will order some appetizers/beer/wine not covered on the plan and I dont want the other parties to have to pay extra for gratuity that only we are enjoying/craving....Make sense? Too complicated? Am I too crazy???

Sorry....

TIA

 

[jenseib]

Thanks for putting together a comprehensive tipping FAQ. I am pretty sure I have everything I need. There was one thing I could not find. Per #5 tip on the first page of this thread, it states:

"Parties of 6 include everyone at the table, including children under 3 and infants. If you are dining with another group and paying separate, you are still subject to the 18% gratuity added to the bill. Each group at the table can get their own bill with their portion of the gratuity split out."

Can any one clarify when the 18% is calculated and seperate checks are requested, will the 18% be split on the seperate bills for all the food ordered by all people at the table? Or will each person only be charged 18% based on what they ordered? Sorry if this has been asked already.

Ex: We are a party of 7.
Family 1= me, DH, DS7, DS1
Family 2 = MIL & FIL
Family 3 = BIL

So will the 18% be calculated for everything the whole party of 7 orders, or 18% for family 1 for what family 1 orders, 18% for family 2 for what family 2 orders, etc...

I am only asking this because we are all on the DDP, but I know we will order some appetizers/beer/wine not covered on the plan and I dont want the other parties to have to pay extra for gratuity that only we are enjoying/craving....Make sense? Too complicated? Am I too crazy???

Sorry....

TIA

It is split per check to what you oredred. so if your family ordered more, your tip would be more

 

[kaytieeldr]

I am only asking this because we are all on the DDP, but I know we will order some appetizers/beer/wine not covered on the plan and I dont want the other parties to have to pay extra for gratuity that only we are enjoying/craving....Make sense? Too complicated? Am I too crazy???

Not too complicated and you're not crazy. You'll get two checks and they'll get one. Their check will show their purchases, and will show them what 18% and 20% of their check is for their convenience. It's not a command, the actual amount/percentage tipped is up to the diner/dining party.

Your party will get a check like theirs indicating your Dining Plan purchases, with the same convenience tip amounts. You'll get another actual check - the one you need to pay - showing your purchases, your total, the tax, the total-total, and again the convenience tip amounts.

 

[disnewbie108]

Awesome! Thanks!

 

[myhappyplace1]

Thanks for the tipping info!!

 

[scrap_heaven]

Okay I read the whole thread!

So when booking my ADr's I called for a couple of them and the reservation ladies said to make my ADR for five since baby will only be 9 months old and won't count in the total "people" which would make our party a party of 6, she said it will be only 5 people and we won't be charged a gratuity.

So who is wrong?

 

[Tricia1972]

Okay I read the whole thread!

So when booking my ADr's I called for a couple of them and the reservation ladies said to make my ADR for five since baby will only be 9 months old and won't count in the total "people" which would make our party a party of 6, she said it will be only 5 people and we won't be charged a gratuity.

So who is wrong?

The reservation agent was 100% wrong. You need to count the infant in your reservation total, it's been that way forever as far as I know. As of right now you technically aren't booked for the right party size and you may want to try calling back and get that corrected.

You will also be charged the 18% gratuity, regardless if you rebook for 6 or not, because when you dine you will be dining with 6.

 

[jenseib]

Okay I read the whole thread!

So when booking my ADr's I called for a couple of them and the reservation ladies said to make my ADR for five since baby will only be 9 months old and won't count in the total "people" which would make our party a party of 6, she said it will be only 5 people and we won't be charged a gratuity.

So who is wrong?

My guess is it would depend on the server.

 

[Tricia1972]

I've never read of an infant not counting towards the total of 6 on the boards. True more people are likely to complain than compliment, but nobody has jumped in and corrected a complaint either. (and we do that a lot on the DIS )

I know that in my experience last visit to Disney we were a party of 5 plus 1 infant for four days at multiple restaurants, and we were always subject to the auto gratuity.

In the case of the question at hand, I would count on paying the 18% auto gratuity and be pleasantly surprised if they didn't charge it.

 

[mittmee mouse]

I was told that the infant has to be counted, and if we show up with a reservation of 6 instead of 7 (to include our infant) we could be turned away if they can't accomodate 7. The CM I talked to said it was for safety reasons and to count towards capacity.

 

[scrap_heaven]

Oh crap on a stick.............

Now most of my ADR's are wrong.

What do I do now??

 

[jenseib]

Oh crap on a stick.............

Now most of my ADR's are wrong.

What do I do now??

Call back and change them

 

[theycallmered]

My husband and I will be travelling with another couple to WDW in September. How can we manage to split the tip between the two couples? We are eating all (except one) meal together.

Thanks for any tips (haha, get it? Tips! )

 

[Tricia1972]

My husband and I will be travelling with another couple to WDW in September. How can we manage to split the tip between the two couples? We are eating all (except one) meal together.

Thanks for any tips (haha, get it? Tips! )

Just ask for separate checks, and you'll be able to split the tips.

 

[theycallmered]

Just ask for separate checks, and you'll be able to split the tips.

Thanks! Why are the obvious answers the ones that never seem to come to ourselves?

 

[Tricia1972]

I think because splitting checks isn't as welcomed in the real world as it is in "The World". In fact some restaurants around here flatly forbid you from splitting checks.

It's very easy to split in "The World" though.