tips/gratuities
 

Any tips on tipping? We hadn't factored it in, and now it seems that the $200 gift card that was in our package will go on tips for the 'free' DDP in our package!

you pay the tip based on the total amount of your check before taxes.

granted that a regular TS meal is around $35pp, you can budget between $6.3 and $7 per person and per TS meal (per adult, for children that's around $8 to $10 for the kid menu, so $1.5 to $2 per child per meal seems a good estimate for your budget) Also don't forget that alcoholic beverages are not included in the DDP, if you intend to have some, factor that in too (+ tip)

don't forget tips for mousekeeping (standard seems to be $1 for the room + $1 per person per day) if you choose to tip them, and tips for people like the DME driver, or luggage services if you use them.

How many in you party? 6 or more have 18% automatically added, 5 or less you decide the amount.

Tipping can be a 'hot' subject here, mainly because of the vast differences of opinion in which are tipped and non-tipped positions. However, as a general rule...


At table service restaurants, 15-20% of the pre-tax cost for good service, 20% or more for excellent. At Disney (and some off-site) TS restaurants, there will be a suggested tip on your check at 18% of the pre-tax cost. For buffets, suggested amount is 10% of the pre-tax bill.

For bartenders, at least $1 per drink (possibly more for a mixed drink, i.e. cocktail).

For luggage/bell services, $1 per bag

House/mousekeeping, again suggested amount is $1 per person per day. We use DVC accommodation so don't get daily housekeeping and therefore only leave tips on the days we are due a full clean or trash and towel service. Mousekeeping is not technically a tipped position so whether or not you leave a tip is really up to you. We have often found (particularly in off-site hotels and DVC accommodation) that a good tip for housekeeping can help to get you extra coffee/tea sachets, washing powder etc.

There are pther tipped positions, such as concierge services etc. but, unless you are planning to use them, you needn't worry too much about those.

It's a common misconception that the free dining is actually free - you pay for it in other ways, such as paying rack rate for the room etc. However, you would always have to factor in the cost of tips whether you were paying for your meals or not so the food itself is still free.

One of the reasons we gave up on the free dining was that we were spending as much on tips as a meal would cost offsite at somewhere like Longhornes/Lonestar. We absolutely love the dining plan but we ate at the signature restaurants and the bill could easily be $200 for the 3 of us and suggested tip $36-$40. I always leave the minimum suggested which for 3 weeks really adds up. Last year stayed at Bonnet Creek which is a great resort. Rooms double the size of Saratoga and a third of the cost so the free dining isn't really free. We would have had to spend about £3000 on food to be paying same as we would have at SSR and we didn't spend anywhere near that but still ate like Kings. Dining plan was great I the old days when tip and starter included

We have decided against the "free" dining this year because of increase cost & tips.
The first year we stayed at OKW with free DDP it cost us £80/nt, this year they wanted nearer £160/nt. Doubled within 5 years so back to offsite for us.

I've been looking on disney.com thinking that a room discount is actually a better deal than free dining unless you have enough adults or opt for a deluxe resort.

It is one of the benefits of the QSDP, although I do appreciate that not everyone is happy to eat CS meals every day for 2-3 weeks.

To the OP, you can look up prices and check menus via the Dining tab at the top of the page on here and you should be able to get a rough estimate of what you're looking at based on where you are eating. At least you will then have some idea on how to budget accordingly. :goodvibes

Just out of interest, if the tip is a 'suggested' amount, what happens if you don't? ?

Tipping for good service is the norm over there - the servers have a lower wage (and the minimum wage for servers is also set lower) as they pay is made up in tips. They are also taxed on expected tips - so if you didn't tip you would cost your server money.

Also servers do dislike Brits as we seem to have got a reputation for not tipping and have been know to point out that gratuity is not included in the DDP.

Personally, tipping is just part of the cost of our meals. I tip here too which most servers are generally surprised at except I usually tip 10-15% here for good service but in the US I would tip 20% for good service.

Bartenders are good ones to tip well - you can get some nice drinks but tipping your bartender as they don't use measures :thumbsup2

With tipping I truly believe its a case of when in Rome...

All depends on the server. Disney policy is probably to smile and accept, I am sure they don't want anyone to cause a scene in a Disney restaurant.
Offsite I have been shouted at, had rotten service so left $1 the girl came shouting and balling, I shouted back telling her she should not be working in a restaurant. I know others who have been chased into the car park having arguments.

I generally tip 15-20% for good service, you have to accept when paying for a meal in the US you are paying for food and the restaurant profit, the service is not included, they get a minimal wage and are taxed on assumed wages, if you don't tip they are still taxed. By all means tip less for poor service but if the service is good you are just paying what they deserve.

Nothing at all. However, the amount to tip is what is suggested. Tipping itself is not a suggestion. Tipping is common practice in the US and service charges are not built into the price you pay for meals at TS restaurants, like they are in this country. You can choose not to tip if you wish, however bear in mind that it is standard practice to tip and by not doing so, you could seem either ignorant, rude or unappreciative.

Having said that, I would never suggest that you should leave a tip if the service you received was under-par. We have never had such bad service in the US that I have felt a tip wasn't warranted and, if we did, I would be asking to speak to a manager.

This is all good advice thanks! I don't tip here if the food/service is bad, but from what I remember the service is always good in wdw. We'll see about the food! We're staying in OKW but not on points so I'm guessing we'll have mousekeeping everyday?

Yes, if you are staying on a reservation booked directly with Disney you will have mousekeeping every day.

Just an additional note about bad food is that you shouldn't not tip if the meal is poor, you should let your server know that the food is not acceptable. To tip poorly for bad food would not be the done thing as it is not the server's fault if the food isn't up to par.

Housekeeping isn't necessarily a tipped position.

I agree with Joh - if you have bad food let your server know they will get it put right. Only once did we have a bad meal in WDW - we let the server know but didn't want to wait for it to be redone so she spoke to her manager who compd the meals. The sever got tipped by us as if we had paid for the meals as her service was excellent. She spoke to the manager we hasn't asked for anything just pointed out that our food wasn't right.

And if by any chance they don't correct the food issue ask to speak to a manager as well as reducing the tip.