DDP, Party of 8, gratuity, question

[Jaylin]

Quick question, I know with our party of 8 we will have the automatic 18% gratuity added to our bill. My question is with the DDP, we really have no "bill". So will they be handing us a bill at the end of the meal just for the cost of the tip? Can we just leave a cash tip on the table? Or is it more like a bill, that we have to pay our server?

 

[JustCallMeMommy]

They bring everyone a bill, even smaller parties on the DDP. You will use your Key to the World to pay for the meal with dining credits, and you can decide how to pay for the tip - charge to the room, cash, credit, etc.

 

[Jaylin]

Thanks, I realized that we get a bill, but with the DDP there is nothing due. So is the tip handled the same way it's handled when you order something not on the plan. The bill will actually say we owe $18 (for example) Are we able to just throw a $20 on the table and leave? We normally just put a cash tip on the table before we go....can we still do that?

 

[MOM POPPINS]

Same question asked a bit differently.. we are wondering the samething....

If we don't get a "bill" do we still get a "bill" for suggested tip amount and if so can we just tear up the paper of suggested amount to make sure it does not charge back to the room also and just leave cash???

 

[MOM POPPINS]

Our tips have always been added onto the bill in the past due to the size of our family but this time we are not always dining together... so I was actually wondering the samething about leaving the tip. I just don't want to leave cash and then they also charge our room for the tip... any suggestions???

 

[Jaylin]

I guess that's why I'm wondering too. If it's a mandatory tip, will it automatically get billed to the room? I don't want to leave cash and have it hit my room charge too....

 

[MOM POPPINS]

I do know with a party of 8 as you stated you will be billed but you will be given the chance to pay it however you wish to the room or cash. We always went back to the room for the fear of being charged and leaving cash. So to answer your question you can tell your server you want to pay cash for the automatic tip. In my situation we will be a smaller party this time so no automatic but I am assuming we will be given the chance to pay it either way.

My wonder is still will the request for tip be a seperate bill from any overages we decide to charge. Will we get 3 bills, one for DDP, one for tip and one for overages???

 

[DisneyFanJon]

If its a mandatory tip and you are on the dining plan then the receipt will list it as an item seperate from the meals - so you'll have a list of the items you have had and prices etc, the total, then the service charge/tip. When you come to "pay" using your Key to the world card you tell the CM how you want to pay the tip - so charge to room, pay there and then with a credit/debit card, or cash.

You can't just leave the tip on the table because when its a large party the tip isn't optional, its something that has to be paid so is "owed", but you can do it when you use your dining plan at the end so shouldnt be and delay.

We normally use cash because I imagine the tip system works like it does in the UK - staff get the tip in cash and it is theirs, but if its through a card then it gets paid through payroll and taxed. Maybe not but we prefer to do it that way.

 

[mom2of2]

At the end of your meal you will be handed a bill. At this point you should tell your server that you want to use your dining plan. You should then be asked how you want to pay the balance, if the only balance you will have is the grat then you can tell the server how you want to pay it. You will then have your card run, points deducted and either card charged or if you are paying cash..a new bill. You sign for the dining plan and if leaving cash put that in the folder.

As for how the server gets the auto grat...auto grat gets put on their paycheck regardless of how it's paid...cash or credit. The only way the server gets to take home the cash is if you tip over the 18%, they get the difference in cash. At the end of every shift the server pays back to Disney any auto grat they have received

 

[Sheaboys]

Not everyone puts charging on their room keys, so I assume, they have to ask how you plan on paying for tip. We have never put charging on our room key.

 

[TracyCat]

We too in the UK are not told what to leave as gratuity or Tip, this is at our discretion depending on the waiters performance during the meal. I believe the word disney use Gratuity should actually read Service Charge as its not optional. We are travelling this year as a party of 6 over the Christmas/New Year period, we've worked out that on top of the DDP costs we have a rather large Gratuity to pay at the end of each meal... Making the deal maybe not so good as we first thought.

 

[cwojchik]

We have gone twice on DDXP with 6 and what they do is total up what it would have cost you had you paid out of pocket and charge you gratituity based on that total. We always had that amount charged to the room and paid the total at the end of the trip.

 

[smiths02]

One suggestion:

You will get a "bill" for the automatic tip. Hand the server the $20 and ask for a receipt for the $18 tip being paid in cash. This way if the charge does show up to your room, you can dispute it easily.

In your case, I personally would rather not carry around the cash and just use my room charge or credit card.

 

[purple figment]

We too in the UK are not told what to leave as gratuity or Tip, this is at our discretion depending on the waiters performance during the meal. I believe the word disney use Gratuity should actually read Service Charge as its not optional.

It sounds like this is another example of the difference between UK English and American English. In the UK there's a clear distinction between tip/gratuity and service charge. In the US there is not. If one restaurant said it had a service charge of xx% and another said a gratuity of xx% it means the same thing. That amount will be added to your bill so if you want to leave less you will have to take the time to speak with the manager.

 

[Pumbaa_]

there is a sticky thread on the main restaurant board for tipping

all tipping discussion is limited to that thread

thank you!