Being asked if we were going to tip.....

[mickey&minniealways]

I think if a server asked if I was going to include a tip I would probabley reply in one of two ways.
1. It all depends on how good the service is.
2. Now that you have asked not as well as it might have been.

I guess it all depends on my mood at the time. If you get a good server tip them well and make sure they know that you were pleased. They are more likely to continue that great service with other customers. I find that please and thank you helps alot also.

It might also help if until things get settled to a point where people are used to it maybe some of these resteraunts should post somewhere what plans include a tip and what plans don't. If this was in view when you walked in it would clear up alot of confusion for people. Just a thought.

 

[sorul82?]

The "patron" seems to really get forgotten in all this mess. It's always big, bad Disney and the poor servers. What about us? We weren't involved in union negotiations. What about us?

I am with you on this!

 

[irene_dsc]

It doesnt' really include tips it just has an 18% tip automatically added to your bill so after dining you get 20% off then 18% added to your bill so essentially you are saving 2% beyond the meal and tip. I dont' recall how much it is (I'm thinking $60, but that could be off), but you have to be a Fl resident or have an AP to purchase one and it is good for a bit longer than 1 year.

Well, it's a 2% discount if you wouldn't have paid a tip. If you would've paid an 18% tip anyhow, you are still getting a 20% discount over what you would've paid.

 

[dylansmama]

I wasn't weird about it at all b/c I have friends from Europe and they may tip $2 on a $50 meal. It's the culture and they don't know any different.

One lady started to ask and I saw she was uncomfortable and I laughed and said, Of coarse I am giving you a tip, I don't live in Europe. She laughed and was glad I was understanding.

They work hard (most of them for tips) and they get left little or nothing too often (I asked)

 

[kat777]

I wasn't weird about it at all b/c I have friends from Europe and they may tip $2 on a $50 meal. It's the culture and they don't know any different.

One lady started to ask and I saw she was uncomfortable and I laughed and said, Of coarse I am giving you a tip, I don't live in Europe. She laughed and was glad I was understanding.

They work hard (most of them for tips) and they get left little or nothing too often (I asked)

As I just said on another thread, I hope WDW or the servers actually make your system clear to foreign travellers so they are at least given the opportunity to tip appropriately before being stereotyped.

 

[MagicAllison]

What ticks me off about this is that I had no idea it was going on! We haven't been to WDW in 7 years and have never used the dining plan. When I booked last month the lady talked me into upgrading our package to include the dining plan. She said it would make things easier and cheaper since we were planning on eating at restaurants anyway. She also said "appitizers and tips are not included". I'm not an idiot and my brain processed this info. Had I known we are about to spend a week getting treated like cheap arses for being on the plan and have tipping questioned at every meal I would not have opted for the package.

I will be calling, writing, emailing *whatever is takes* after the trip if I feel I was slighted in any way because of this plan!

 

[my3squeals]

For the record I must say I hate the changes. That said we were there Jan 19-23 and after reading many horror stories of rude waitstaff with the new "tip not added" dining plan, I must say we never once encountered a CM soliciting a tip. We were a party of 5 except for 1 meal were a cousin who lives in Orlando joined us. Of course the tip was automatically added for our party of 6 (although one of those was under 3, another post another rant ) The waitress came with our bill asking for my room key for the DDP swipe and quietly and very tactfully reminded me of the balance left after the swipe. I was prepared for the worse but was pleasantly surprised by her tactfulness yet appropiate way to handle the "tip". I felt had I not been informed and expecting to have an additional amount owed on my bill, she presented it in a way I could have easily asked for furhter explanation without ruffling my feathers or hers. Needless to say she got the 20% recommendation! And at a buffet at that!

 

[Shir Kahn]

I seriously feel very sorry for the servers that have to put up with all of this. To be forced to mention the tip before the meal is even served is a ludicrous way of doing things and Disney really needs to rethink this idea. When we go in March, I'm going to make sure my servers know right away that I'm aware of the new dining plan mess and that I'll be tipping cash. That being said, how much I tip will be determined by the actual service!

 

[starwarsdisney]

We were there jan16-23. The first night we were there we went to Ohanas. The waiter even before getting our drink order asked us if we were on the dining plan. He asked us to see our cards. He came out and asks us how will you be paying. We replied we are on the dining plan and not going to order anything beyond that. Rudly huffed and rolled his eyes and stated " For my services of course." WELL Tipping in my book is earned not expected. We saw him once getting our drinks and once when the bill came. He did have a server assisting him and he did all the work. I wanted to give all the tip to the assistant and nothing to the main server.
The service has gotten worse since dec 06 since last trip. I can truly say Our only great service was at Le Celliar and we even called for the manager to brag on our server Stephine. And we tipped her ver generously..

It's one thing for them to meantion or remind you that the tip is not included in the DDP, but if a server responded to us like that, I would go to the manager right away and ask for a different server. I understand that they may be getting screwed, but come on don't ruin my dinner by being tactless. My wife and I would consider ourselves good tippers, but you have to earn it. Maybe we should just head this off at the pass and let the server know right away when we sit down that we are aware that the tip is not included and we intend to pay in cash based on the service we're given!

 

[sjaakie]

I wasn't weird about it at all b/c I have friends from Europe and they may tip $2 on a $50 meal. It's the culture and they don't know any different.

One lady started to ask and I saw she was uncomfortable and I laughed and said, Of coarse I am giving you a tip, I don't live in Europe. She laughed and was glad I was understanding.

They work hard (most of them for tips) and they get left little or nothing too often (I asked)

That amount is ridicules and certainly not our "culture ".
We don't live in the dark middle ages any more

In Europe a tip is something you give to a waiter just for the fun.
He/ she doesn't need it to keep his kids alive thank god from charity of the guests . Never the less we tip 10/20 Euro's and remember its just fur the fun. Mostly the tips are put together and saved for a year. Then the whole bunch goes to Disneyland Paris once a year from the tipping they get.

The whole tipping system stinks.
People should make a decent living and not have to stiff the guests before they even got there dinner.


And this may come as a culture shock to the waiters but a tip is an polite gesture from the guests to a waiter an not a god given right.

 

[mandymouse]

When we go in March, I'm going to make sure my servers know right away that I'm aware of the new dining plan mess and that I'll be tipping cash. That being said, how much I tip will be determined by the actual service!

I hate the idea that my server will ask how I am paying the tip, before we've even ordered

Maybe someone on here could design a slip that we could hand to our server as soon as they come over that says

'We are on the Disney Dining Plan - and we will be paying our tip by ............'

and then we wouldn't even have to enter the conversation about tips

Have we got any good designers on here ?

 

[melomouse]

We just got back on February 3rd after 8 nights of DDP. . This was the third time we've used it - once for free. This was the first time with the new non-inclusive tip.

Honestly, except for the poor server in Le Cellier who rang himself in a .23 tip and could not correct it, we had no problems whatsoever. No one ever made me feel uncomfortable in "asking" for a tip. In fact, as they explained the DDP when we sat down, I smiled and said we used it before, only now at the end, we have to add a tip. Sometimes I would make a joke about having to pay OOP for my crab cakes, soup, my adult beverage - whatever.

I'm sure I will get flamed for this - but why get upset BEFORE you arrive and just see how it goes? I knew the servers felt weird about asking and I tried to ease their discomfort a bit.I knew the deal going in.

Am I happy about the changes? Not really - it was an awesome deal before. But for goshsakes, I'm not gonna go on and on about how rude it is to ask for/explain the tip process before I get there! Let it go, people!

 

[annie1995]

He came out and asks us how will you be paying. We replied we are on the dining plan and not going to order anything beyond that. Rudly huffed and rolled his eyes and stated " For my services of course." WELL Tipping in my book is earned not expected.

Oh that is so not cool. That would have lowered his tip from me right away, and I would have had a quick visit with a manager. If the servers don't like the new system, quit and go somewhere else to work. I definately don't want to contend with a server who is rude because I am using the dining plan. Its part of Disney vacation packages so they need to like it or leave. There are many more resturants in the Orlando area they can work at.