Are kids included in headcount for gratuity?

[MistyD]

If an auto-gratuity is added to your check based on the number of people at the table are kids also included? DD will be 2 1/2 when we are aw WDW next year and we are traveling with another family as well.

We had an experience last year in San Antonio on vacation. We went to a restaurant, 4 adults, a 2 1/2 year old and 2 kiddos under a year old. When the check came they charged us 20% gratuity for a party of 6 or more. We argued it because none of the kids even ate anything. 2 were too young and 1 was extremely picky so her Mom brought her something to eat. After MUCH discussion with the manager they removed it from our bill. I thought it was ridiculous that they would include 3 children that didn't eat!

 

[familyS]

I believe if the ADR is for 6 or more, you will be considered a table of 6 or more, no matter how many people order.

 

[n2mm]

Yes kids and infants are counted when you are seated whether they are eating or not. Our trip in August we were a party of 8 which included a 2 year old and a 3 month old (5 adults and 1 junior) and yes there was automatic gratuity included because we were a party of 8. There is no way around it.

 

[jsmla]

The restaurant where my DD is a server doesn't grat on kids and this drives her crazy. She had a table the other day 2 adults and 4 kids. The kids all drank Shirley Temples (w/ many refills that DD had to tip out the bartender for), took forever to eat, made a huge mess and left her $5 on an almost $80 bill. I know the OP's kids didn't really eat but in many cases kids in a restaurant mean more work for the server, not less.

Back in the day when mine were little we tipped big in restaurants. I once left an over 200% tip in Shoney's because the bill was only $3 (kids ate free) and we made a huge mess.

Jennifer

 

[TheRatPack]

We are outnumbered by our children LOL, we have 5 kids and only 4 of us are considered 'adults' by Disney standards....but yes, we get automatic gratuity added in at most every restaurant. I don't care....we always leave something anyway. Helps us to not have to do the math

 

[disneyfav4ever]

I would still tip more for kids, they are usually harder to serve since they can be pickier and messier. Ask any server, they'd probably rather have groups of adults then families.

 

[Sleepy]

I once left an over 200% tip in Shoney's because the bill was only $3 (kids ate free) and we made a huge mess.

I would be embarrased not only to admit it to anyone, but to actually leave a mess in the first place.

I never understood why people leave the table of a restaurant looking like a food fight had taken place.....food all over the table and floor. Even a 2 year old can be taught how to eat with manners. It is up to the parents to set a good example to show children how one should dine whether at home or in a restaurant.

 

[jsmla]

I would be embarrased not only to admit it to anyone, but to actually leave a mess in the first place.

I never understood why people leave the table of a restaurant looking like a food fight had taken place.....food all over the table and floor. Even a 2 year old can be taught how to eat with manners. It is up to the parents to set a good example to show children how one should dine whether at home or in a restaurant.

Nope, not a bit embarassed to admit it. No food fight either. Just two toddlers knocking over stuff. I cleaned up as much as I could without a mop but we were having a very bad morning with our drinks. If your kids have never made a mess anywhere, I congratulate you but it does happen every now and then to many of us no matter how embarassing it may be at the time or how much we would like to prevent it. It doesn't mean they don't have manners just very poor fine motor skills. They're now 20 and 22 and we almost never have to clean up after 'em.

Jennifer

 

[wdwscout]

I guess I am missing the point here. The gratuity is a percentage of the bill, right?
So, if the children didn't order anything, their 20% of $0 is still $0... right?
Was is just the fact that they added it automatically?
I think 20% is reasonable in most places, but I guess if you wanted to leave less, then that was way you wanted it removed. Otherwise, it doesn't make a difference.

Kids will count in the head count at your table at WDW.

 

[bellsandwhistles]

I guess I am missing the point here. The gratuity is a percentage of the bill, right?
So, if the children didn't order anything, their 20% of $0 is still $0... right?
Was is just the fact that they added it automatically?
I think 20% is reasonable in most places, but I guess if you wanted to leave less, then that was way you wanted it removed. Otherwise, it doesn't make a difference.

Kids will count in the head count at your table at WDW.

I totally agree!

 

[just another guy]

Yes, disney counts heads, not who is eating. Mom, dad, and their recent birth of 4 kids(all currently 6 months), and the grat would be included.

Back in the day when mine were little we tipped big in restaurants. I once left an over 200% tip in Shoney's because the bill was only $3 (kids ate free) and we made a huge mess.

Awesome! More people need to take into account their kids messes when tipping. Whats really weird is that its only american kids who do this. Maybe I should say its only american parents who let their kids eat like animals. I know several disney servers VERY well, and they've all told me this many times. Asian kids, european kids, south american kids, etc, never make a large mess. If its an american kid, for whatever reason, the parents have no problem letting their kids leave a 3 foot radius of gold fish crackers, rice, food smeared all over the tables, etc. Its a shame more americans don't teach manners.

 

[Atchley]

Isn't it that 18% is automatically added to your meal bill now?
So if the meal costs $100 then you are charged an $18 tip right?
Now another question:
We will be on the DDP, so can I take the meal off of my card and then have the tip added on to the credit card connected to my room?
Also, tip is only on TS meals right?
Someone correct me if I'm wrong.
Thanks for the help.

 

[CEDmom]

Yes, disney counts heads, not who is eating. Mom, dad, and their recent birth of 4 kids(all currently 6 months), and the grat would be included.



Awesome! More people need to take into account their kids messes when tipping. Whats really weird is that its only american kids who do this. Maybe I should say its only american parents who let their kids eat like animals. I know several disney servers VERY well, and they've all told me this many times. Asian kids, european kids, south american kids, etc, never make a large mess. If its an american kid, for whatever reason, the parents have no problem letting their kids leave a 3 foot radius of gold fish crackers, rice, food smeared all over the tables, etc. Its a shame more americans don't teach manners.

I guess you haven't traveled much or you'd see for yourself that this is far from the truth .

I know, we should all just moved into the zoo .

OP, unless WDW is doing some fancy accounting the gratuity will be based on the total amount of the bill so like another poster I'm not sure what the issue is.

 

[jsmla]

Okay, for the last time. My kids did not then and do not now eat like animals. Here's the boring blow by blow of their horrrid, disgusting and unforgivable behviour:

Saturday morning at Shoney's.
Me, (28), DS (3), DD (9 months)

DS had food touching issues so we used several plates for his food. Extra plates=extra work for the server. Don't worry, he's gotten over it! He's even been known to eat a casserole now and then.

DD was not given a plate and messed up the high chair a bit. Not a lot, but it would need a wiping down with something other than a paper napkin after we left.

DS tried to reach past me to give something to his sister and knocked my very full Diet Coke over. That made a mess that required a mop.

That's it, no food all over the floor,(albiet quite a bit of Diet Coke) just a messier than normal morning.

Our total bill was something like $3.00. (This was back in the '80s and it was some sort of kids eat free thing.) I left a 10 because I felt like $.60 was ridiculously inadequate given the situation.

In retrospect I shouldn't have said "huge" mess. It was a medium mess. I just hate the implications that my kids were a bunch of pigs. My only intention was to point out that kids quite often mean more work for a server and that they are often ordering reduced price or free meals. This means more work on a lower tab.

Sorry to get so defensive. Even though they're both in college now and coudn't possibly care less about the DIS I can still get touchy over my children.

Jennifer

 

[apostolic4life]

We will have a new baby on our next trip and will be up to a reservation for six so we are planning on the auto-grat of 18% on all of our meals.

As for the fact kids can cause more work for a server, I completely agree! Even if they don't make a mess, the server will do extra things for us: i.e. extra plates for sharing, extra silverware to replaced items dropped on the floor. These things should be considered when tipping since they tend to be things the server would not need to do with most adults (yes, I have dropped silverware on occasion but I try to make sure it only happens once every meal ). Leaving a train wreck in our wake is something we do not do. Our children are held to levels of table behavior appropriate to their age. DD14 of course is expected to live up to adult levels of behavior, but for DD5 and DD2 we have lower standards. DD5 does well not making a mess, but sometimes accidents happen. DD2 seems to have problems sometimes and makes more of a mess. The way we deal with any mess though is simple; we clean it up before we leave.......if we have spilled drinks we ask for towels to sop it up, if we have food debris on the table or floor we pick it up. We had an incident on Christmas day at The Garden View Tea Room; our DD2 got sick and threw-up all over the table just as we were getting p to leave. DD2, DW, the table, two chairs and a highchair were covered, but my wife got it all cleaned up before we left. I know this is a special circumstance, but our child made a mess so we got it cleaned up before we left and even left the server a better than normal tip since she would have more work to do after we left (sanitizing, reseting the table, etc.).

Yes, kids can be extra work for a server, but we as parents don't have to leave a wake of destruction just because we have our kids with us!

 

[just another guy]

I guess you haven't traveled much or you'd see for yourself that this is far from the truth .

I know, we should all just moved into the zoo .

Ask any disney server, and they'll tell you the same. Wait no, they probably won't be honest and say some PC lie like "kids will be kids" or so.

Maybe its the fact that it cost some big bucks to travel over to the US, so only those people who are well off travel. You can make a connection that well off people have better manners.

Take it as you want, but I've seen it many times over.