Dining Plan idea

[mickeysgirl17]

Since service is starting to get really bad at the table service restaurants, because of the CM's automatically getting their 18% tip with the dining plan, I'm wondering why Disney hasn't done anything about it yet. I've read this on another website before and I totally agree that it should be done. Disney shouldn't automatically give their servers 18% tip. Instead, the guest should choose how much of a tip to give the server. If they did good, they should get the whole thing, if not, the guest shouldn't give the whole 18% tip. This would greatly make a difference in how service will be. Who agrees with me?

 

[bicker]

You're assuming facts not in evidence. There are many folks reporting that service is as good as ever, that the automatic tipping has had no appreciable effect on service. As such, there is nothing for Disney to "do about it".

 

[powellrj]

sorry but when we were there in August, we had great service. Bad service can happen at anytime. I don't think the dining plan has anything to do with it.

 

[BCV23]

The service is as fine as ever. It is one of the reasons we keep returning to WDW because table service meals are an important part of the trip for us.

 

[Amyrlin]

We were there in SEpt on the dinning plan, and for most places the swrvice was really good. The only place it was a bit sosoo was 'Ohana, but I think that may have been for ll the tables, not just the DDP ones.

I should add we will usually have some extras and the DDP is used, so that *may* make a difference.

 

[ExPirateShopGirl]

We just returned home after 9 days in WDW, not a bad server/dining experience the entire trip. The server at Sci-fi could have been a bit clearer about the apple crsip she packaged for me to-go. I wouldn't have personally added the ala mode in a to-go container but what they hey... good thing I looked before we left!



Pleasant dining surprise of the trip: Sunshine Seasons in the Land at Epcot. Yummy roasted chicken tzatziki salad flatbread meal and salmon.

 

[Aimeedyan]

While we had 2 less-than-pleasant service encounters in our recent trip, it was only 2 out of 10 table service spots and the other 8 were fantastic. I honestly don't think those 2 waiters-with-attitude cared whether or not we were on the DDP; they were equal opportunity snots and treated all tables around us the same way

I see nothing that Disney needs to fix.

 

[eblack0409]

DH and I were there last month and although we didn't have bad service, the couple beside us did, they too were on the DDP...they spoke with the manager and they asked if they could have the automatic tip lowered...the manager said yes....and asked them what percentage they would like to give....they gave the number and the manager lowered the server's tip....

You always have the right to request the tip be lowered....or if you get great service, you can give the server an additional tip....

 

[Brooknwdw]

We just returned from 8 days of free dining plan...the service was really good! I don't think we had sub par service at any places. We ate at:

Le'Cellier
Ohana
Boma
Chef Mickey's
Biergarten
Brown Derby

 

[mickeysgirl17]

Wow. I can't believe how many of you had great service. I kept on hearing about bad service because of the dining plan and servers getting automatic tips so they didn't do so great. I constantly read peoples reviews and many of them did have bad service and they think it was because of the tip they get.

 

[lynninpa]

Since service is starting to get really bad at the table service restaurants, because of the CM's automatically getting their 18% tip with the dining plan, I'm wondering why Disney hasn't done anything about it yet. I've read this on another website before and I totally agree that it should be done. Disney shouldn't automatically give their servers 18% tip. Instead, the guest should choose how much of a tip to give the server. If they did good, they should get the whole thing, if not, the guest shouldn't give the whole 18% tip. This would greatly make a difference in how service will be. Who agrees with me?

We were there in August on the dining plan (free, to boot) and our service at 5 out of 6 restaurants was excellent. Not good. Not great. EXCELLENT! The servers at those restaurants were so wonderful, in fact, that we tipped above and beyond the included 18%.

 

[SarahKate]

C'mon guys, this is no different than any other restaurant that you go to. You're not going to get GREAT service at every single hometown restaurant you go to, nor will you get 100% great service at WDW restaurants. Yes, it's the happiest place on earth but they're still regular people. If you experience bad service, do something proactive and tell someone in management there. Even if you can't lower the tip amount on the DDP, at least you'll know that you tried to do something about it.

For all the TONS of people who experience great service at WDW, there will be some who have not so great or even bad service. Everyone keeps blaming the DDP for the bad service they're experiencing - bad service at a restaurant happens EVERYWHERE.

 

[Cass]

How about we just let Disney run their own company?

 

[kaytieeldr]

Ah, c'mon Cass - what fun would that be?

I think the 'bad service due to automatic tipping' is a matter of perception. Some people are getting service less than what they desire/expect and are blaming it on the Dining Plan's included tip. Bicker's right about assuming facts not in evidence. Some Guests are disappointed in the service for whatever reason and figure it's due to the existing plan. Could be, could be not. Could just be bad servers, or good servers having a bad night.

I had one meal with one with good but rushed service, one great service, two fantastic and one truly outstanding. The service, not the meals. And every server knew I was on the Dining Plan. The rushed meal was at 8:45 at Coral Reef and, well, I can see that they'd want to get out for the night - although there were plenty of Guests still eating when I left.

 

[bicker]

Some Guests are disappointed in the service for whatever reason and figure it's due to the existing plan. Could be, could be not. Could just be bad servers, or good servers having a bad night.

... or bad customers. (Did I just say that? )

 

[tripletots]

Our party of 7 were at Disney in August on the DDP. We had great service at all the restuarants we ate. Service at some TS was better than others but it was all good. The best was at Garden Grill, our server Jose was very attentive and the not so best was at O'hana's when they forgot to seat us so after 30 minutes we went back up there and they blamed it on a computer glitch. Again, we are a party of seven and our waitress at O'hana's only brought out one platter of food and then our check. She was ready to get rid of us and reseat our table. But we still had fun!

We are going again in late August 2007 and we are doing the dining plan again.

 

[ReneeA]

We had great servers at all the restaurants in Aug/Sept. on the dining plan. They were all friendly and made sure we got the most out of our dining plan. A couple times we had to wait a minute or two for drink refills, but that was due to super busy restaurants and not poor servers.

I am always shocked to hear of people getting bad service at ALL their TS meals. I have to assume it has something to do with their attitude than consistantly poor servers everywhere they go.

 

[n2mm]

I agree with most that my service has not changed. I've always had great service, but occassionally I have had a bad server. On the couple of occassions I've had a bad server, there was no correlation to whether I was using the DDP, the DDE, or CM discount. Could the OP tell us about the bad service they have had using the DDP. I would be curious to hear. In the past 12 months, we used the DDP & DDE for 10 days in September, used the DDE 15 days in October, used the DDE 6 days in December, used the DDE 8 days in February, used the DDP & DDE 12 days in April/May, and used the DDP & DDE 5 days in August. I can't tell you that any of my services at any place we went to was bad and with more than 60 TS meals involved during the last 12 months, I think that would be a good record. And BTW, we leave in less than a week for another 14 days of DDP & DDE. While our service has been good to outstanding, nothing negative really stands out at all. The only thing that I have noticed that when going to the restraurants, when we are DDP we seems to get seated faster than when we are not DDP. I don't know why, but it sure seems to be a pattern on my ADR waits.

 

[balletomane]

What *I'd* like to know is if the servers are actually rec'g 18% of what the bill would've been w/o a diner being on the DDP.

 

[bicker]

If I understand your question correctly, as far as we know, at Disney-owned restaurants, servers (not necessarily the primary waiter/waitress, but the service staff that served your table, as a whole) always get the entire 18%.