Beginning in January - 18% Gratuity....

[ead79]

I have two main concerns about this announcement. First of all, I fear that service will suffer if the wait staff know ahead of time exactly what their tip will be. Second, I don't like the idea of an included 18% tip at a buffet style restaurant where the server only brings your drinks. For regular table service restaurants where you order off a menu, I tend to tip 20%+ already. For buffet style restaurants, I tip 15% typically. I don't like Disney handling this for me, but I suppose I'll live with it. Now I guess my standard tip will actually go down a bit, though I still plan to tip extra for superior service.

 

[PennyW]

I can't afford 18% tip with every meal. That's not right.

Just curious ... how much do you normally tip your server when you go out to eat?

 

[aripantaloon]

I should probably just go to the other thread, but since this one is shorter, I'm posting it here.

I would bet that most people would just forget about having a chat with the manager since that would be a pain, unless there was something absolutely horrible about the service. Plus, one person's idea of good service is usually totally different from another's.

 

[cjsmith]

Here is the update regarding the 18% tip according allears.net, this is cut and pasted directly from the website. It does not just pertain to using the DDE, it's just in the newsletter there first.



"The Walt Disney World® Resort will be implementing an across property policy change regarding gratuity at all food and beverage locations. Effective January 1, 2008, 18% gratuity will be added to all transactions, regardless of party size. (11/8/07 Disney Dining Experience Newsletter)

This is reportedly for ALL table service locations regardless of whether you are using a Disney Dining Experience card or not."

 

[frayedend]

dunno, think ME will take us??

If they do, will I have to tip the driver? I don't know if I can afford that.

 

[frayedend]

Here is the update regarding the 18% tip according allears.net, this is cut and pasted directly from the website. It does not just pertain to using the DDE, it's just in the newsletter there first.



"The Walt Disney World® Resort will be implementing an across property policy change regarding gratuity at all food and beverage locations. Effective January 1, 2008, 18% gratuity will be added to all transactions, regardless of party size. (11/8/07 Disney Dining Experience Newsletter)

This is reportedly for ALL table service locations regardless of whether you are using a Disney Dining Experience card or not."

Yes, Reportedly. Reported by who, probably someone on the Disboards.

 

[Mickey Fliers]

I don't think we ever added anything to the DDP so I wasn't aware that they added a tip for that. I wonder why? Is it because they assume people may not leave a tip for a few glasses of wine or an extra appetizer? I do find it strange since someone paying OOP doesn't have the tip added to the bill.

For the 2008 DDP, Gratuity is no longer included in the price of the meal.

The speculation is (after an email was sent to DDE card holders) that an 18% gratuity will be automatically added to every TS meal.

DDP or not, you will need to tip your wait staff.

 

[Ciciwoowoo]

I'm jumping into the fray!

I've heard that as Americans, we are conditioned to pay a tip, but not all countries do this. Disney has a lot of international visitors who might not be aware of the need to tip unless it is listed on the bill.

I actually think that a mandatory tip would help ensure than the waitstaff was not "stiffed" due to a lack of knowledge of American customs.

 

[Tricia1972]

Here is the update regarding the 18% tip according allears.net, this is cut and pasted directly from the website. It does not just pertain to using the DDE, it's just in the newsletter there first.



"The Walt Disney World® Resort will be implementing an across property policy change regarding gratuity at all food and beverage locations. Effective January 1, 2008, 18% gratuity will be added to all transactions, regardless of party size. (11/8/07 Disney Dining Experience Newsletter)

This is reportedly for ALL table service locations regardless of whether you are using a Disney Dining Experience card or not."

Thanks for posting that! This was posted before, and it was pointed out that Deb could A) Be wrong and B) Uses the word reportedly, which does not indicate that it's fact yet.

 

[BarleyJack]

Here is the update regarding the 18% tip according allears.net, this is cut and pasted directly from the website. It does not just pertain to using the DDE, it's just in the newsletter there first.



"The Walt Disney World® Resort will be implementing an across property policy change regarding gratuity at all food and beverage locations. Effective January 1, 2008, 18% gratuity will be added to all transactions, regardless of party size. (11/8/07 Disney Dining Experience Newsletter)

This is reportedly for ALL table service locations regardless of whether you are using a Disney Dining Experience card or not."

If you have any questions about whether on not this affects your DDP, call 1-407-WDW-DINE. <this is a recording>

 

[Tricia1972]

I am in both threads right now, and that was pointed out there too. Most will take the route of apathy and that will benefit the servers.

For me, if it's bad enough to not tip 18%, it's bad enough to talk to a manger. Hopefully service improves if more people talk to the managers.

 

[frayedend]

For the 2008 DDP, Gratuity is no longer included in the price of the meal.

The speculation is (after an email was sent to DDE card holders) that an 18% gratuity will be automatically added to every TS meal.

DDP or not, you will need to tip your wait staff.

What I meant was that I did not know they put the 18% tip on the bill for extra things you order that are not on the dining plan. Since I don't think I ever ordered extra I never saw this before and I was just wondering why they would add the tip to the bill, when others paying OOP for the entire meal did not have the tip added to the bill. It really was an off topic question based on another post here.

 

[keys2kingdom]

Yes, Reportedly. Reported by who, probably someone on the Disboards.

I doubt it, Deb usually checks her info very carefully. Not saying it's infallible but they don't usually base things on nonsense postings on a discussion board. There may be some teeth to this yet, it will be interesting to watch.

 

[cjsmith]

If you have any questions about whether on not this affects your DDP, call 1-407-WDW-DINE. <this is a recording>

I did call dining and got a different answer than you did about whether or not this was just for DDE. I also spoke with a friend of ours who works at Disney and is in a senior staff position. According to him, it's across the boards not just for those who have the DDE.

I don't use the DDP so I don't need to worry what it does there since I have the DDE and book under a Florida resident discount.

 

[hddanis]

If you are concerned about your DDP...........call them

1-407-939-3463 or 1-407-WDW-DINE.

Why would anyone trust anyone on a discussion board ???

I just called them and was told it was for everyone, not just DDE...She asked two separate supervisors/reservations managers to find out.

 

[paulh]

Does anyone know if you can Fedex beer to the resort???

i do the beer run from SSR to the hess garage many mornings only takes 15 min walk both ways,would cary sodas beers in troly bag.Workmen uesd to say should be carying beers little did they know i had 36 in trolly bag
Paulh

 

[frayedend]

I doubt it, Deb usually checks her info very carefully. Not saying it's infallible but they don't usually base things on nonsense postings on a discussion board. There may be some teeth to this yet, it will be interesting to watch.

I was just being sarcastic. I don't think she really got it from here. I do think that saying "reportedly" means that one is not certain. Who knows, maybe Disney did this on purpose to see what the general feeling would be. Now they know.

 

[BarleyJack]

I did call dining and got a different answer than you did about whether or not this was just for DDE. I also spoke with a friend of ours who works at Disney and is in a senior staff position. According to him, it's across the boards not just for those who have the DDE.

I don't use the DDP so I don't need to worry what it does there since I have the DDE and book under a Florida resident discount.

Name this staffer, I'll call them.

 

[cjsmith]

Thanks for posting that! This was posted before, and it was pointed out that Deb could A) Be wrong and B) Uses the word reportedly, which does not indicate that it's fact yet.

Here's another quote now added on her site.



"IMPORTANT NOTE: Several Cast Members have contacted AllEars® to say that this is only for Disney Dining Experience Card users. However, the information we verified this morning from 2 different sources stated it is for all Table Service. We are continuing to check on this. "

 

[Tricia1972]

Deb just updated her site

http://www.allears.net/din/restnews.htm

[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif] The Walt Disney World® Resort will be implementing an across property policy change regarding gratuity at all food and beverage locations. Effective January 1, 2008, 18% gratuity will be added to all transactions, regardless of party size. (11/8/07 Disney Dining Experience Newsletter) [/FONT]

[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]This is reportedly for ALL table service locations regardless of whether you are using a Disney Dining Experience card or not.[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]IMPORTANT NOTE:[/FONT][FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif] Several Cast Members have contacted AllEars® to say that this is only for Disney Dining Experience Card users. However, the information we verified this morning from 2 different sources stated it is for all Table Service. We are continuing to check on this.​

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