Anyone still buying the DDE card?

[FOTM_Ring_Bearer]

We look at the DDE card as the discount covers the tip. We always give the 20% discount back as the tip. So, I really don't care if they add the 18% back on.
I've been going to Disney for a long time. And I've used the packages that included the tip (way before the current DDP). We just haven't had servers where I wouldn't give a good tip. When we did the packages that included the tip, I thought it was a great deal. One less thing I had to think about. I never worried that I wasn't going to be treated well, because the server already had their tip.

And yes, I will renew my DDE card.

 

[ILoveDisney&Cruising]

We still got it. And still love it!

 

[yxe dad]

The correct calculation, based on a $100 pre tax amount is:

$100.00 Amount of Bill, pre-tax and pre-tip
18.00 Tip (@18%)
5.20 Tax (6.5% of $80, the discounted amount)
- 20.00 Discount (20% of original)

$103.20 Final Amount Paid

Without using DDE

$100.00 Bill
15.00 to 20.00 Tip
6.50 Tax

$121.50 to $126.50 depending on the tip.

So the savings is at least $18.30 (if you normally tip 15%) to $23.30 (if you normally tip 20%).

And, if you use it once at Victoria and Albert's for two people you have saved almost the entire cost of the card.

Thanks for the info!

 

[DVC~OKW~96]

Perhaps it's my concept of manners coming into play. I would never attend a wedding without a gift, but I hate when couples include mention of gifts in their invitations. The gift stops being a gesture of kindness and becomes nothing but a demanded fee for the privilege of attending their wedding. A little class, dignity and graciousness is all I ask. This rubs me exactly the same way.

Oh my gosh I so agree with this! We have the DDE and have had it for several years. We haven't decided about renewal yet, because we are struggling with this very premise.

 

[McKeeFamily3]

Just a little food for thought for you here. As a server I can tell you that most servers are on the fence about automatic gratuity when it comes to discount dining cards. It seems as most of you get the idea that (given good service) you would leave 15-20% of the PRE-discounted bill. However, the majority of people leave a tip for the discounted amount. As an example, in our area there is a popular discount card that offers buy 1 meal get 1 meal free. The total pre-discounted bill may be $50 and the bill after 1 of the meals is taken off may be $35. Most people will tip 15-20% of $35 not the $50. We HATE discount cards for this reason. We appreciate the dining programs that include the gratuity because we know we will get a fair tip for the service we provide. On the flip side of that (and why we are on the fence) is that if a gratuity is automatic, people are less likely to leave a tip over that set amount. When left to there own devices, they may leave 20% or more for excellent service. Some people may say "why quibble over a couple of bucks" but when you make $2.35 an hour, every little $ counts!

 

[AKV707]

We have a DDE card now and i think that we always will. No matter how you look at it, you save money with the DDE. I agree that the tip thing is not a good idea. DW and i normally tip 20% unless service is really sub par in which case we will tip slightly less. So before this rule went into effect, we would just pay the full value of the check when using the DDE. We figure that it is not our server's fault that we have the DDE so the 20% was 20% of the original non discounted value.

Now, we will just pay the check amount with the discount and the tip included. Now we are saving more. We always eat table service dinners, so the DDE pays for itself really quickly.

 

[TLSnell1981]

We will not be purchasing the DDE. We save more on the DxDP.

 

[Luigi's Girl]

We will definitely continue to renew our DDE. We always give the discount back as the tip like many others have stated. We will still leave a 20% tip, sometimes maybe even more for a fabulous server, even though they are adding on only 18%. Only if the service is less than great will we not leave the additional 2%.

 

[Uncleromulus]

Have the DDE, use the DDE , and will renew the DDE!!!

 

[PatsMom]

We're getting the DDE for our February trip. Used to do the DDP but with the changes the math works out better for us with the DDE. We will have three trips before it expires and we do enjoy a good meal so I will definitely get my money's worth out of it. The automatic tip doesn't bother me - it is less than we normally would leave for good service (20%). So we would probably leave some extra on the table if we had a good server and had cash in our pockets. We would have to receive truly bad service to complain to a manager and get it removed but I would do it if I felt the situation warranted it. Any service bad enough to deserve less than an 18% tip should be brought to management's attention anyhow I think.

 

[ntsammy5]

We'll use ours for Table Service next month, but we won't be renewing.

Bill From PA

You're really upset about the R&C issue huh? I'm not happy about it either but I just don't use the card in bars now.

 

[davinakb]

We have already got our new DDE card. We always tipped 20% or more on our pre-discount check (including several bottles of, let's face it, highly marked-up wine), basically just gave the discount right back. As a wee act of protest at being forced to tip, we figure we'll just leave the tip at the 18%. If the service is really spectacular, we'll happily add more. FWIW.

 

[MickeyNicki]

I am getting it for sure....we normally tip 20% so this is actually saving us even more money!

 

[disney queen]

yep, still using it! i agree~~we usually add back in the 20% as the tip.....

 

[i3utterfli82]

I honestly can't understand why anyone would be upset with an auto grat of 18% and potentially not buy the card because of it. Even at a bar.

 

[Merylj]

We`re looking at it as prepaying the tip so it suits us fine. if we receive bad service I`ll speak to a manager. I won`t insist on the tip removal though. We have yet to experience bad service anywhere on disney property usually the total opposite

 

[JCMcGinn]

We just returned from a MLK extended weekend trip and found a couple of issues with the new auto-tip policy. The first, and most easily dealt with, was when checking in with the host/ess. They would ask if we were on a dining plan. The first couple of times we said that we were using the DDE and we saw a notation on the table slip that the seater would leave for the server. At least one of our servers seemed to take advantage of the auto-tip, it's hard to say for sure. Our solution to this was to classify the DDE as not a "plan", answer no to the host's question, and present the card with our payment.
The second problem was a bit more troubling and had to do with how well Disney communicated the change in policy. Some of our servers mentioned the automatic gratuity, while most of them did not. Of those who did not, some spread the slips showing the details of the bill for easy viewing while some folded the detail sheets and showed only the signiture slip with the total and a space for gratuity. If you didn't know the policy it would be normal to double tip. The worst offender was a server at 50's Prime Time who ommited the detail sheet showing the tip already added from the folder altogether. In the cases where the server mentioned the policy we thanked them for mentioning it and left a small extra amout. Those that didn't had to make do with the 18% which saved us from the 20% or more that we tipped on our own.

 

[Snow Shoe]

Bought ours over Christmas and used it through 1/2/08. We're going back in June and planning on using it then also. The 18% gratuity is less than I usually leave anyway. If the service is better then average, I'll leave a little extra to make up the difference. The auto gratuity to me is no big deal, it really makes it simpler for me in the long run.

 

[Paul in CT]

We renewed our DDE card for our December trip. The added 18% service charge does not change our opinion of its value. We always tipped the 20% savings. It made it easy to calculate the tip.

 

[BaBeeCee14]

My card is good through May, so I will be using it my upcoming trip. However, I will not be renewing it. I am opposed strongly to the auto gratuity. This is not because I don't tip, but because a tip is optional and the amount tipped is up to the individual. This is nothing but an 18% added fee, just like the taxes.

It's true that you're now "saving the tip" or that you can have the tip adjusted if you feel the service didn't warrant it, but I just loath the concept of a mandatory tip.

This is exactly how I feel about the whole thing which is why I wasn't sure if I should get the card. I mean yes, if there is a problem with the service I can speak to a manager and have the gratuity adjusted, but I feel like it shouldn't even have to get to that point. Tips should be optional and the amount given should be what I feel is appropriate.