Another DDE Question

[AlyLynn]

We were planning on buying our DDE card in 2 weeks when we got to Disney. Last night someone who has the card told DH that it can't be bought at Disney, you have to get it through the mail. I thought I had read that you could buy it at WDW. Do we have to order it in advance? Thanks!

 

[pumba]

dont worry
Just take your AP pass or your voucher and get that at the same time at Guest Relations at one of the Parks or at DTD also.......we just did this a few weeks ago and it was so darn easy......just make sure you bring your photo id too.....cause I had to go back twice to get my DDE card .......

 

[AlyLynn]

Thanks!

 

[thomas998]

We were planning on buying our DDE card in 2 weeks when we got to Disney. Last night someone who has the card told DH that it can't be bought at Disney, you have to get it through the mail. I thought I had read that you could buy it at WDW. Do we have to order it in advance? Thanks!

You can purchase it over the phone and then pick up a temporary card from the ticket window in downtown disney. That's what I had to do last year.

One word of warning... The DDE no longer provides a 20% discount. So don't get it in hopes of getting the discount. The changes of the card have been as follows, you get a 20% discount BUT they then add on a 18% gratuity to your bill... so you are really only getting a 2% discount.

I also noticed that the quality of the service we had when I presented the card dropped quickly. I assume the servers know that once you've given them the card they are going to get a 18% tip so there is no reason to do squat. The was most noticable in the Crystal Palace where our server brought us a refill on our cokes one time... yep one time and then he gets a 10 dollar tip! I'm guessing we could have argued about removing the forced tip because of poor service but considering how slow he was in getting a simple glass of coke, lord only knows how long it would have taken and you don't go to disney to waste time fighting.

In otherwords, think long and hard about why you are going to get the DDE card. I frankly can see no reason to do it, you are an annual passholder so you already get free parking... you're just paying $65 so that the bill will be re shuffled and an automatic tip made (which would be fine if the staff deserved but if you eating a buffet why would you expect to tip someone 18% for bringing you a glass of water).

 

[pumba]

But Thomas ...remember that if you were a tipper before the dde ......as we are ....you are not really losing.....if you never tipped before then you would be losing...

we also used the dde at our resort......last year we were at Port orleans FQ and this year we did All Star Movies........we had most of our breakfasts and snacks there at the resort...and a few meals....this all added up quite a bit......

Tipping at a buffet .....well that can go on and on and on......we tipped the 18 percent that was on our card and also gave more at Crystal palace a few weeks ago...The waitress asked for our drink order....she then brought us our drinks.....she then picked up our dishes at different times.( 6 of us ) she then asked if we wanted coffee with our desserts ...which some of us did.....she replenished the drinks for the others in our group....A buffet wait person can do more for us then a waitress at a signature restaurant.......

To us, the DDE card (and many others) enjoy the bonus that this provides.

The card was 60 dollars two weeks ago.....

http://www.wdwinfo.com/disneydiningexperience.htm

 

[disneylaurie]

We will be getting the DDE card when we go in December. We always tip 20% when we use the card so I figure, we are now saving 2%! We just always figured it as we got the tip for free - good deal! We also usually go with at least 6-8 adults so the savings really adds up!

 

[n2mm]

Not sure what the PP was talking about, but we just used our DDE card last month and we got 20% discount on all of TS meals!! We paid for the 18% tip just like always and there is no difference than using the card on previous trips. Anyone who tells you that they no longer get the 20% discount, must be folks who never tipped previously. I guess those are the folks who we need to thank for now having the actually tip added to our bill. Like others, we use to just add the 20% back on, but now since Disney wants to do the math for us and tack on the tip, I generally just do it "their" way instead of my way. Of course, excellent service still merits extra from us. As for level of service, no difference. We have been DDE members for 3 years. This year since the policy changed we used our DDE discount -- 2008 version -- 9 days in January 12 days in April/May and actually thought our service was better than previous trips. The only stinky service we got on our last trip earlier this month was from Spoodles. Other than that, our service from all of our TS locations was perfect. Afterall, the server does not even know you are using the DDE discount until the end of your meal.....

 

[thomas998]

Not sure what the PP was talking about, but we just used our DDE card last month and we got 20% discount on all of TS meals!! We paid for the 18% tip just like always and there is no difference than using the card on previous trips. Anyone who tells you that they no longer get the 20% discount, must be folks who never tipped previously. I guess those are the folks who we need to thank for now having the actually tip added to our bill. Like others, we use to just add the 20% back on, but now since Disney wants to do the math for us and tack on the tip, I generally just do it "their" way instead of my way. Of course, excellent service still merits extra from us. As for level of service, no difference. We have been DDE members for 3 years. This year since the policy changed we used our DDE discount -- 2008 version -- 9 days in January 12 days in April/May and actually thought our service was better than previous trips. The only stinky service we got on our last trip earlier this month was from Spoodles. Other than that, our service from all of our TS locations was perfect. Afterall, the server does not even know you are using the DDE discount until the end of your meal.....

I was there last week and while they do take off the 20% they then add back 18% for a tip.

My personal thought on tips is that I figure in 10% from the start... if the service sucks it goes down from there if it is good or excellent it goes up. From my perspective being forced to pay someone 18% for bad service is insulting to me as a customer. We went to 4 different sit downs last trip and 2 had service that was pathetic, 1 had excellent service and 1 was average. Had it been left to me I would have tipped more than 18% at one place 10% at the other an absolutely nothing at 2... instead of having the good waiters rewarded this new system just lumps the good and bad into one group. The end result will be chasing out the best waiter that realize they are getting paid the same as lazy ones and the only ones that will stay will be the sluggs.

A tip isn't a waiters' right it is a reward for going beyond what they are paid to do.

 

[Eeyore's Pal]

So much misinformation . . . so little time.

 

[DisneyGirl@Heart]

So much misinformation . . . so little time.

 

[Corinne]

My personal thought on tips is that I figure in 10% from the start... if the service sucks it goes down from there if it is good or excellent it goes up. QUOTE]


Wow! I have never heard of anyone tipping 10% or LESS! The "normal" tip is 15% and up from there. We almost always tip 20% unless the service was really bad, then it is 15%. We have used the DDE ever since it became available to Passholders. I still think it is a good deal for us.

 

[Mickey_Man]

I was there last week and while they do take off the 20% they then add back 18% for a tip.

My personal thought on tips is that I figure in 10% from the start... if the service sucks it goes down from there if it is good or excellent it goes up. From my perspective being forced to pay someone 18% for bad service is insulting to me as a customer. We went to 4 different sit downs last trip and 2 had service that was pathetic, 1 had excellent service and 1 was average. Had it been left to me I would have tipped more than 18% at one place 10% at the other an absolutely nothing at 2... instead of having the good waiters rewarded this new system just lumps the good and bad into one group. The end result will be chasing out the best waiter that realize they are getting paid the same as lazy ones and the only ones that will stay will be the sluggs.

A tip isn't a waiters' right it is a reward for going beyond what they are paid to do.

If you are skeptical about the quality of service you will get by providing the information about DDE, then don't tell them until AFTER your dinner. Quite often DW and I are asked "Are you on a dining plan?", to which we promptly reply "No." Then we enjoy our meal, 95+% of the time with good service or better, and then happily give them our DDE card and are gracious to include the 18% tip. Anyone who thinks this isn't a savings isn't being fair to the idea of tipping. Is a tip a waiter's right? Well - not exactly, but the law does allow them to get paid less than minimum wage because of those tips. Some could argue that if you do not tip, you are guilty of theft of service.

 

[SarahInMN]

Last night someone who has the card told DH that it can't be bought at Disney, you have to get it through the mail.

We bought our DDE when we exchanged our vouchers for annual passes. It was simple and quick.

I also noticed that the quality of the service we had when I presented the card dropped quickly.

We ate at 8 table service restaurants when we were at WDW a few weeks back. We didn't always remember to tell them that we had a DDE card, and I don't believe we got better service when we didn't tell them.

As for the tip issue, we always tip 20%, so the DDE is a savings. Anyone who gripes about the 18% tip being added on must not usually tip. We also added on extra for excellent service.

A tip isn't a waiters' right it is a reward for going beyond what they are paid to do.

Actually, as another poster pointed out, employers can pay waitstaff less than minimum wage because of those tips. My father was always, well, thrifty when I was growing up, and I will never, ever forget that he always tipped well because he said he never knew if his daughter would be the waiting tables.

Our DDE paid for itself within the first 48 hours of our trip.

 

[thomas998]

My personal thought on tips is that I figure in 10% from the start... if the service sucks it goes down from there if it is good or excellent it goes up. QUOTE]


Wow! I have never heard of anyone tipping 10% or LESS! The "normal" tip is 15% and up from there. We almost always tip 20% unless the service was really bad, then it is 15%. We have used the DDE ever since it became available to Passholders. I still think it is a good deal for us.

20 years ago, 10% was the common amount. Sometime between then and now, the waiters of America have managed to hoodwink most of America into believing that because of inflation tips should be more. What most people that bought into that line seemed to forget was that the price of food in restraunts was going up with inflation so the 10% tip was going up with inflation on its own. Considering how much food at Disney has increased the whole notion of their 18% tip is baffling. Most waiters in your local restraunt that only remove plates and refresh drinks would probably work for tips along if they got 18% of Disneys overpriced tickets... Again, I'm not against tips for someone that deserves it but 18% of a overpriced character meal that is only a buffet is insulting... Let's be honest, at least half your check in those character meals isn't for covering the food its for covering the cost of the folks in the furry suits and princess dresses... are we supposed to believe that the tip is shared with Cinderella? I seriously doubt it.