18% Gratuity for 6 or more???

[mrsangeli]

Okay, help me understand this...

I am actually travelling with a group of six. We're still in the process of signing up our sixth member and getting them on the DDP, but I just caught this little line:

Gratuities are not included unless otherwise indicated. An 18% gratuity will be added automatically for parties of 6 or more.

So, this means what? That when I sit down with my group, we automatically have to pay 18% out of pocket? Or is that taken out of what we've already paid?

Help!

 

[TDC Nala]

As of 1/1/08, gratuities are no longer included in the dining plan. Your group of six will be billed an 18% gratuity on the total amount of your bill. Any issues with service or the amount of the tip should be addressed with a manager.

If the checks are split, each check will reflect an automatic tip of 18% of the total ordered on that check.

 

[mrsangeli]

So, like, I'm going to sit down for a table service, and regardless whether or not I want to, I am going to charge a TS on each of our cards and then they are going to bring me a seperate bill for 18% of whatever the bill would have been had I paid for it???

So, if I go to, say the San Angel Inn, and the four "adults" in my party all get a $31 meal and the two "children" get $10 kids meals, that means I will be getting a $141 dollar meal, and they will automatically have me pay $26 out of pocket for it?

 

[mom2my3kids]

So, like, I'm going to sit down for a table service, and regardless whether or not I want to, I am going to charge a TS on each of our cards and then they are going to bring me a seperate bill for 18% of whatever the bill would have been had I paid for it???

So, if I go to, say the San Angel Inn, and the four "adults" in my party all get a $31 meal and the two "children" get $10 kids meals, that means I will be getting a $141 dollar meal, and they will automatically have me pay $26 out of pocket for it?

Yes, just like you would do at any other table service meal that a server waits on you in the USA...

 

[smidgy]

Yes, the restuarants are NOT included in your Park admission. neither are any counter service meals. you can pay less for counter service meals. you can bring in sandwiches in your back pack. but if you choose to eat at a sit down, table service RESTAURANT.,you should pay a tip for the servers. only recently has the tip NOT been included on the DDP,. ALthough most people would not think twice about tipping, they add the tip for larger parties, just so a server doesn't spend most of her night on one party, and end up making almost NO money.

 

[bblanch]

I assumed this change was regardless of party size. Do they really only bill you the 18% if your party is 6+?

 

[eeyoregon]

I assumed this change was regardless of party size. Do they really only bill you the 18% if your party is 6+?

Yes. Groups of 6 or more are automatically billed 18% whereas smaller parties tip what they deem appropriate (20% is what I tip if service was good/excellent, less if it wasn't).

 

[mrsangeli]

Thanks...I didn't mean to incite another "Principles of Tipping" discussion...I simply was under the impression when I purchased the DDP that I wasn't going to have to worry about paying anything for those meals as I thought the gratuity was included.

To me, I would have rather the gratuity been included in what I've already paid. We're on a budget and I was hoping I didn't have to make sure I had $30 for meals each day.

I'm seriously considering canceling the DDP now. Not because I don't like tipping (I'm a pretty consistent 15%er), but because I don't want to be carrying money around just for meals each day. That, to me, was the point of the DDP to begin with.

 

[bicker]

There is no need to carry money around. You can put the gratuities on your room charge.

 

[mbanks21]

So instead of paying $26 of pocket you want to pay $170 for that meal including tip? And then have to pay for a counter service meal another $80 or so and then more for snacks? Makes sense to me!

 

[TDC Nala]

I assumed this change was regardless of party size. Do they really only bill you the 18% if your party is 6+?

Yes, they will bill all groups of six or more, using the dining plan or not, including infants and people who are not eating. If it's human and sitting at the table it is considered part of the party.

Members of the Disney Dining Experience (which is not the same thing as the Disney Dining Plan) will have an 18% tip automatically added regardless of party size.

Last year, the gratuity WAS included in the DDP. This year, it is not. If you eat at table service restaurants, you will be paying the 18% tip for your party of six regardless of whether you use the DDP or not. Canceling the DDP will help your budget only if you switch to all counter service dining. You might as well use it, and budget for the tips; you'll get your counter service and snacks for practically nothing.

 

[howdyfrtx]

We are a party of 10 and when I made our ADR's they couldn't give us a table for 10 (for some of our reservation). They had to split us up 6 at one table and 4 at another. So, my question is would we get one bill for all 10 of us which would inlcude the gratuity or would it be for the 6 at one table with the gratuity and then 4 at the other table with no graturity added?

 

[trspohr]

We are a party of 10 and when I made our ADR's they couldn't give us a table for 10 (for some of our reservation). They had to split us up 6 at one table and 4 at another. So, my question is would we get one bill for all 10 of us which would inlcude the gratuity or would it be for the 6 at one table with the gratuity and then 4 at the other table with no graturity added?

Hmmm... That is a good question. We are a prty of 8, and have a couple meals that are for 2 tables of 4. Any ideas?

 

[RMulieri]

As far as I know,I think You will still be charged the gratuity because you are all under one reservation number.

 

[Belle5]

2 1/2 years ago when we were a GG with 12 people, we had ADRs at 50sPrimetime and we were separated into two tables wayyyy across the room from each other. Our server made sure that he took care of both tables and even tried to play with us as if we were at one table (I remember DH kept sneaking across the restaurant to check on the kids and he was made to stand in the corner because he couldn't "stay in his seat" during supper. We had one check.

 

[TDC Nala]

We are a party of 10 and when I made our ADR's they couldn't give us a table for 10 (for some of our reservation). They had to split us up 6 at one table and 4 at another. So, my question is would we get one bill for all 10 of us which would inlcude the gratuity or would it be for the 6 at one table with the gratuity and then 4 at the other table with no graturity added?

If your party (assuming the entire party is booked on one reservation) is put at two separate tables, and each table has the same server, each table will be charged the 18% auto tip. If the two tables have different servers, and there are fewer than six people at each table, they will not be charged the auto tip.

 

[mrsangeli]

So instead of paying $26 of pocket you want to pay $170 for that meal including tip? And then have to pay for a counter service meal another $80 or so and then more for snacks? Makes sense to me!

The idea was to select only the couple of table services that we were really eager to do (Whispering, Biergarten, Sci Fi, etc.) and then use the rest as counter services, or since we have a family suite at the ASMu, to use our kitchenette more.

Hope that makes sense.

 

[TDC Nala]

I would think you should look at how many times out of your trip you want to eat at table service. If you would normally only want those three TS restaurants on a 7 night trip, and all the rest would be counter service, then the dining plan would be pretty much just for convenience.

If you want one TS for every day of your stay, seriously consider the dining plan - especially if you have children under 10. The DDP is a major deal for them. If you want a TS for almost every day of your stay- say 6 days on a 7 night trip - then also consider DDP. The TS meals could either pay for themselves or almost pay for themselves, even though you must pay the tip - and then you still get a counter service and snack per night of your stay.

DDP can still be a good deal, it's just no longer a GREAT deal (unless you're under age 10 and you actually like the children's menus).

You do not have to carry cash. You can pay the tips with a credit card or a room key linked to a credit card.

 

[mrsangeli]

Thanks much.

This wouldn't be nearly so excruciating if we weren't already paying full price for the DDP as it is. We're going from August 12th through the 21st (and as teachers, we don't have the option to go during the school year, when we can get the plan free).

Any advice as to how we can pretend to be British and get the deal during those dates for UK residents?

 

[TDC Nala]

Move to Britain? I think you actually have to live there to book their offer.

Actually they give the Brits longer because it takes them longer to get here. And when they get here, they tend to stay longer and spend more money.

You should look at what your meal costs would be if you didn't use the plan and see if you still want to use it despite the tip thing.