At what price can the tipping stop!!!

[DISNEY1975]

OK..my family of 11 are going to eat at some top priced restaurants.

Even here in Boston, I have not seen prices like some Ive been seeing at Disney. One restaurant we are going to is Yachtsman Steakhouse. I figure ea. would order approx $80 in food, plus a couple of bottles of wine. Bill a bit over $1000.

Are we expected to pay a $200 + tip?

 

[bubba]

Just a question ... What would you normally tip at similar priced restaurants in Boston ?

 

[ms.ojo]

You're a large group ordering nice meals at a nice restaurant.

Let's say you were 5 smaller groups each eating $200 worth of food at this same nice restaurant and thus tipping $40. I assume that wouldn't raise a flag with you. But total all 5 tables giving $40 each and voila.... a $200 tip! It is what it is.

 

[ahill004]

Yep. You are willing to pay more for the food! You should also pay for (hopefully) the excellent and attentive service higher end restaurants provide. Servers are generally given FAR fewer tables for the evening at such restaurants AND these more expensive, leisurely meals, especially with 11 people, take that table up for a MUCH longer period of time than an average dinner.

 

[polineedyan]

We took 6 of us. We never did ts, so I probably shouldnt even be posting, but I thought it was automatic grat. Apparently not..I would tip 15-20%. Tastefully, you should always tip at least 15%. Dont feel obligated to tip higher, especially if your tab is up there.. As a server, I dont really expect anything more than 12%. They know how much youre spending on the meal, and again, as a server, I do take that into consideration when getting tipped. 15% is very acceptable. If not, tough toenails. Ive read reports that servers and bartenders in disney make around 60k a year, so dont feel guilty if youre around that 15% range..

 

[iloveokw]

I know I sound crabby, but......If you can't afford the tip - don't eat at the restaurants. That is part of their pay.

 

[LittleStinkerbelle]

I think with a group your size they'll add the 18% gratuitiy automatically. Or is that just if you're on ddp/dde?

 

[DISNEY1975]

Just a question ... What would you normally tip at similar priced restaurants in Boston ?

I have never been to a high end restaurant with 11 people!

I suppose what a poster below stated, if we broke it up into seperate tables, paying $60 each, I wouldnt give it a second thought..but $200 to serve one table seems a bit much.

Its a shame other restaurants with lower priced meals, who still need to serve my party of 11, are making less due to food prices.

 

[disneymom0104]

I think with a group your size they'll add the 18% gratuitiy automatically. Or is that just if you're on ddp/dde?

I was going to say this as well, I do believe it will be automatic gratuity, which is 18%. With a party of 11 that does not sound like an unreasonable tip.

 

[SoonipiLady]

of course!

That said, if you receive good service, you should tip 15% or better. Just because it's one big bill, doesn't mean you should be able to "reduce" the tip to a lower percent....unless of course your service isn't acceptable.

Taking care of a large party such as yours, especially in a high end restaurant, takes enough of the server's attention that taking more parties for a good portion of you meal may not be possible. He/she shouldn't suffer twice, once for having a reduced number of tables and then again by having a reduced tip from your large party.

Do the right thing, bite the bullet, take care of your server....

Karen

 

[DISNEY1975]

I know I sound crabby, but......If you can't afford the tip - don't eat at the restaurants. That is part of their pay.

We can afford it, it just seems extreme. If the waiter has 2 tables, he is making $200/hr.

I just wasnt sure if there was ever a limit on a tip.

 

[ilovefh]

I think with a group your size they'll add the 18% gratuity automatically. Or is that just if you're on ddp/dde?

For parties of six or more they automatically add gratuity.

 

[ilovefh]

We can afford it, it just seems extreme. If the waiter has 2 tables, he is making $200/hr.

You'd think, but most likely you'll be there for two hours and they will probably only have another table for four (this was how it was for CRT, everyone had 16 person sections, give or take) Say you leave 200 and the other table leaves 50. They make 250 in two hours. The catch is, like most other posts on tipping have pointed out, they don't keep that money!

At least 10% goes to the busser, if not more. Also another at least 10% goes to the food runner. Most of these places have a bartender so let's assume 10% goes to them. Now 30% of what they make goes to the people that help them. Out of that 250 they would only keep 168. Not that $84 an hour is bad, it isn't but it is certainly not $200!

 

[jrt1176]

20% is 20%...

If thats too much, might I suggest the Sizzler. They have a few nearby locations. Perhaps you will find their prices more to your liking.

Bon Appetit

 

[4-for-Disney]

We are going in November and we are using the Dining Plan. I know this year tips are not included on the DP for TS so 15% tip should be reasonable, right? I am trying to budget our $$ and we are doing 6 TS so I figure no more than $200 towards tips should do the trick. We are a family of 4. What is everyone's opinions?

 

[Missin'Disney]

great point! Sometimes even more than 30% is tipped out to bus, bar, runner and hostess. I don't think OP realized that point. Plus, taxes do have to be paid on the cash as well. It's not just cash in the pocket. Considering at YS this may be the servers only table for hours, and there may be two servers splitting the tip if this is not his/her only table. A lot of times there is the "front" server; "back" server at a high end restaurant. Then they are splitting the tip. Many diners think that servers are pocketing 100% of the tip, and that is quite wrong! It is back-braking, foot-aching labor and the server goes home sore & exhausted after 10 hours of running ragged and being barked at by their managers and often their customers as well. Have some compassion.

 

[jrt1176]

I'd say tip what you normally tip.

With 15% being the min. Although, it seems that more people tip towards 20% anymore...

 

[D&R love Disney]

With 11 of you at YSH you are going to be there at least 2 hours taking up a good chunk of your waiters time.

We had 11 at our wedding dinner at YSH and it was around $1100 back in 2004. Our waiter was FANTASTIC! He did have help serving but otherwise he pretty much took care of us by himself. He deserved every penny of the 25% tip my Dad gave him.

 

[DISNEY1975]

We are going in November and we are using the Dining Plan. I know this year tips are not included on the DP for TS so 15% tip should be reasonable, right? I am trying to budget our $$ and we are doing 6 TS so I figure no more than $200 towards tips should do the trick. We are a family of 4. What is everyone's opinions?

It depends on where you are dining. I read a post earlier today that a family of 4 paid $165 for Princess breakfast (eggs and sausage) in Norway..thats a $30 - $33 tip. I would figure more like $300 for tipping, especially if you are doing TS dinners.

 

[hildarumpole]

I worked as a hostess in a fine dining restaurant in college. The waitstaff's tips were taxed based on the total of their checks for their shift, not what they actually got in tips. They also had to give 10% each to the bartender and busboy. If someone didn't leave a tip or a small one, they often made little to no money beyond min. wage. A table of 11 can be more work than 2 4-tops and a 3-top, because it takes more coordination to make sure everyone gets their food and drinks at about the same time. Depending upon the staffing and how busy the restaurant is, that big group may be the only table for the waiter for the shift. If anything, a large group should tip more generously, provided you get good service. Just because the meal costs more doesn't make it right to tip less than the going rate. Budget for it or go to a cheaper place.