18% being added to ALL dining checks

[Shellandscott]

The letter I received from DDE stated that it will be all table services. My email back to them is asking.
Does this apply to buffets? Which should not be 18%, it should be 10 or 15%.

And is this pre or post tax?

I do not see it being a big deal on most of the places. As stated above it now saves me at least 2% maybe more.

 

[KYMickey]

The cost is not what concerns me. What concerns me is that service in restaurants (at Disney and other places) has been in a constant state of decline in recent years in this will just encourage it. It used to be that waiters and waitresses were courteous and anxious to provide customers with good service, now days many of them make you feel like you're imposing on them when you ask for anything!

If a member of the wait staff is guaranteed an 18% tip there's not a whole lot of incentive for them to dry good service. A tip (or gratuity if you prefer) is supposed to be a payment (or reward) for service, if it's guaranteed any incentive to provide it is eliminated. Be it at Disney or elsewhere things need to be done to encourage servers to provide good service, not discourage it. I'm sure most of us have had incidents when dining with a large group (with a guaranteed gratuity) that service has been below what we expected, now they'll be a normal case for all dining experiences!

 

[agnes!]

Anybody want to bet how hard it will be to get through to the DDE offices tomorrow?

Btw, it is *my* understanding that the 18% service charge will be added to the dining receipts for ALL parties of 6 or more. NOT just to DDE checks, but to everyone who has 6 or more people in their dining group.

agnes!

 

[mitros]

Anybody want to bet how hard it will be to get through to the DDE offices tomorrow?

Btw, it is *my* understanding that the 18% service charge will be added to the dining receipts for ALL parties of 6 or more. NOT just to DDE checks, but to everyone who has 6 or more people in their dining group.

agnes!

OK, what did I miss? I got 2 separate e-mails from the DDE and I did not see anything about parties of 6 or more.....what did I miss?

 

[TDC Nala]

OK, what did I miss? I got 2 separate e-mails from the DDE and I did not see anything about parties of 6 or more.....what did I miss?

You got emails from DDE. They're not going to mention parties of 6 or more specifically. If you're DDE, it doesn't matter how many people there are in your group, you will get the automatic gratuity as long as they're covered by that DDE card. For DDE's email to mention parties of 6 or more would further confuse the issue as far as use of DDE is concerned.

If you are NOT using DDE, the 2008 rule is going to be that all parties of 6 or more, whether on the DDP or not, will be assessed the automatic gratuity. (This is mentioned in the 2008 DDP brochure for the information of those on the DDP). The limit is currently parties of 8 or more, but for 2008 the party size is being reduced to 6.

 

[JeffH]

As soon as I got the emails (that seemed to clearly say EVERY check, not parties of 6 or more)...and I would not assume they mean parties of 6 or more since whenever they do mean parties of x or more it IS stated parties of x or more...I send a pretty cross reply questioning it's legality and stupidity and how it only lead to poor service and loud vocalizations by myself.

I too, normally tip over 20% (at the buffets), so this would actually be a "discount" for me, but I fear the loss of service which is one of the joys of eating at WDW (including Rainforest and PH, which both seem to understand the importance of the customer).

 

[TDC Nala]

As soon as I got the emails (that seemed to clearly say EVERY check, not parties of 6 or more)...and I would not assume they mean parties of 6 or more since whenever they do mean parties of x or more it IS stated parties of x or more...I send a pretty cross reply questioning it's legality and stupidity and how it only lead to poor service and loud vocalizations by myself.

I too, normally tip over 20% (at the buffets), so this would actually be a "discount" for me, but I fear the loss of service which is one of the joys of eating at WDW (including Rainforest and PH, which both seem to understand the importance of the customer).

The emails (sent only to DDE members) referred to EVERY check for DDE members in 2008 (and it applies only to the table service restaurants and the lounges, not counter service).

If you're NOT using DDE, and you are eating at a WDW table service restaurant, you will have the autograt added ONLY if you are a party of 6 or more (unless Disney announces a change to this anticipated policy between now and January 1).

 

[mitros]

You got emails from DDE. They're not going to mention parties of 6 or more specifically. If you're DDE, it doesn't matter how many people there are in your group, you will get the automatic gratuity as long as they're covered by that DDE card. For DDE's email to mention parties of 6 or more would further confuse the issue as far as use of DDE is concerned.

If you are NOT using DDE, the 2008 rule is going to be that all parties of 6 or more, whether on the DDP or not, will be assessed the automatic gratuity. (This is mentioned in the 2008 DDP brochure for the information of those on the DDP). The limit is currently parties of 8 or more, but for 2008 the party size is being reduced to 6.

Well, I hope that everyone that uses the DDE will now be pissed off sufficiently to get on the phone tomorrow, {no matter how long it takes} and let them know exactly how we feel. I'm getting on the phone first thing in the morning, and they WILL get an earful, rest assured of that!

 

[newmommie77]

What I don't like is that I am "requred" to tip 18% or talk to a manager to report bad service. I was a waitress and we typically tip 20% with the exception of bad service. Well, this last trip we had IMHO very bad service. We were at the playhouse disney lunch and just to name a few, my drink never came, she didnt clean the plates (we had a pile for 5 people), she never refilled the kids drinks and she cleaned our table when we were up dancing with JoJo (all of our stuff was still at the table...she took everyone else's drink and napkins and everything). Well we tipped her 12%. Now, if we were at Disney now, we would have had to call the manager over, waited for him to come and then subsequently discussed our issues with him, and wait for him to adjust our bill. This would have been more time and aggravation than I would want to deal with during our vacation. A tip should be a tip...not automatic.

When I was a waitress we offered free birthday dinners, and although we were an expensive place, a reservation for 2 in which one person was free, many people would only tip on the amount that was on their bill. Although the tip may look appropriate but a 20% tip on a $25 bill is very different than a tip on $50. I can see where Disney is coming from. They are trying to protect their employees, but a required 18% is ridiculous.

 

[Another Voice]

Going to WDW is beginning to feel like buying a used car.

There are so many "discounts", so many charges, so many rules, so many "but if you'd like this it will cost you more", so many secret codes, so many tricks just to get restaurant reservations that you can't help but either spend eight weeks doing research or getting the feeling you're being ripped-off some how.

Pretty soon WDW resturants will be just like an airliner - everyone in every seat will be paying a different price for the same thing.

 

[CanadianGuy]

Pretty soon WDW resturants will be just like an airliner - everyone in every seat will be paying a different price for the same thing.

You can unbuckle your seatbelt.. With DDE, DDP, Premium DDP, Platinum DDP, and the Wine & Dine add-on option ... and whatever else is so secret we don't even know about it.... I think we're arrived at the destination you mention.

"As we've arrived at our destination, please watch your step and lower your head as you disembark. If you forget to watch your step and lower your head, then watch your language and lower your voice. "

Knox

 

[honeymom]

In other countries, tip is usually included in the tab. When visitors from other countries come here, they often don't tip because they are so used to having it included. Often wait staff deliver top notch service only to not be tipped due to cultural differences. Since wait staff here depends on tips to make a living, they are often shortchanged if they work in places that cater to many foreign tourists.

I suspect that Disney had complaints from their staff about lack of tips that led to the new policy. I personally am not outraged by having them add an 18% tip on. If I really had service that wasn't worth that much (which I don't think happens all that often) I would ask to speak to a manager. I would think Disney management might want to know about any waitstaff problems anyway.

 

[KYMickey]

I agree that policy may have been implemented based on complaints from the servers about low tips. However I'm sure everyone who visits WDW has seen the overall decline in service, especially in the restaurants. This policy will just allow the deterioration to continue unchecked and will reward the servers for mediocre (at best) service. The deterioration can be seen elsewhere across the country but in my opinion is even worse at WDW that in most places.

The dining public expects and deserves good service and restaurants should do everything in their power to ensure their customers have a good experience.

 

[agnes!]

I just spoke to both the DDE office and to Disney Dining.

Yes, all DDE diners wil be assessed the 18% service charge, regardless of party size, but at Table Service locations that accept the DDE, not at the counter service locations.

The following was confirmed in the WDW ADR/PS system.

ALL DINING PARTIES OF SIX OR MORE will be assessed the 18% service charge starting January 1, 2008. This is a change from the previous service charge for parties of EIGHT or more.

This change is in the system, it is not rumors, it is not Internet speculation, it is now a fact. The Dine-Line CM I spoke to was surprised, her leads did not know about the change either.

agnes!

 

[CanadianGuy]

ALL DINING PARTIES OF SIX OR MORE will be assessed the 18% service charge starting January 1, 2008. This is a change from the previous service charge for parties of EIGHT or more.

This has been pretty much known since the 2008 Disney Dining Plan brochure came out about a month ago and indicated as much.

 

[doubletrouble_vb]

A 12% tip for poor service? I'd think the server would just think you were poor at math and really intended a 15% tip.

 

[agnes!]

This has been pretty much known since the 2008 Disney Dining Plan brochure came out about a month ago and indicated as much.

I did not know. The WDW CM I spoke to at the Dine-Line did not know, and her leads were unaware of it as well.

agnes!

 

[CanadianGuy]

Oh sorry.. it was rehashed pretty hard on some boards here a while back.. it was overshadowed by the removal of the 'included tip' in the DDP.

I would LOVE to see Disney just get rid of all these 'plans' and just sell the stuff for the prices on the menu.

Wow.. That'd almost be ... magical.



Knox

 

[Luv2Roam]

This has been rehashed on so many threads already.
And like the other times I have posted, and the same with pp, we actually will be saving the 2% since we always just figured the 20% discount covered the tip.
We dine at WDW often and I do not agree the service has gone downhill or is poor.
If anything I notice the table service servers at WDW are better than most any other place we eat sit down.
IF I have an issue with the 18% then I will bring it to the manager's attention.
I agree that buffets should not have the 18% tip. I think that s going too far. But I have atendency to avoid buffets anyway. So still very little impact on us.

 

[manning]

I've had some time to refelct after my intial reaction to this. Since then I've learned, I think, that this only applies to DDE visitors--well that's a great reason not to take advantage of DDE as far as I'm concerned. This still seems to be a remarkably counter productive move.

Well, looks like things are going to be interesting when I'm down there in Jan.

I will be requesting the tip be removed and I will be applying the appropriate tip according to level of service!!!!

By the way what is the phone number to call if it is permitted to post here??