Dining plan speculation that I have heard for 2008~

[global_mom]

Just very curious, I am sure that someone knows the answer to this.....

What did the Dining Plan look like prior to its current state? Was there actually a "plan" or was it more similar to DL's Dining "plan" structure?

We only started using the Dining Plan in Jan. of 2006 and have used it 5 or 6 times but were just curious about what existed prior.

Thanks!

 

[bicker]

There have been a number of package deals that included food in the past. The current Premium Plan and Platinum Plan are descendants of predecessors that have been offered for many years, though of course, those are both much more expensive than the Disney Dining Plan. In the same general class as the Disney Dining Plan, there used to be the Food 'n' Fun package. The problem with that package for many of us is that it was only worthwhile if you planned on spending a lot of time enjoying golf or water sprites or such, instead of touring the theme parks.

 

[honeymo78]

In addition to the Food & Fun, I think the last plan that was similar to the DDP was the Dream Maker Silver package (from around 03-04) where you got 2 wishes per person per night and those wishes could be used on dining, recreation or tours, some requiring 2 wishes (signature dining for example). The cost was about $65-70 per night for adults. The DDP is certainly the most inexpensive and flexible dining only package I can remember disney offering. Every other package seemed to have a recreation component, whether you planned on using it or not.

 

[global_mom]

Thank you for the DDP background info. We like the DDP just the way it is and hate to see it change!

 

[poggs]

As a person from the UK, if the DDP dropped the tip, then I would resort to standard UK tip amounts.
If the service was ok, then no tip, if it was good then 5%, if it was amazingly awesome, then maybe 10%. I always find it unbelievable how much tipping is required in the Us. e.g It would never cross anyones mind to ever tip a bartender or bellman or a baggage handler in the UK. I only recently discovered I was supposed to tip the Pizza delivery man! Amazing place the US!

 

[disneyjunkie]

As a person from the UK, if the DDP dropped the tip, then I would resort to standard UK tip amounts.
If the service was ok, then no tip, if it was good then 5%, if it was amazingly awesome, then maybe 10%. I always find it unbelievable how much tipping is required in the Us. e.g It would never cross anyones mind to ever tip a bartender or bellman or a baggage handler in the UK. I only recently discovered I was supposed to tip the Pizza delivery man! Amazing place the US!

Why wouldn't you follow the standard US tip amounts?

 

[Amyrlin]

As a person from the UK, if the DDP dropped the tip, then I would resort to standard UK tip amounts.
If the service was ok, then no tip, if it was good then 5%, if it was amazingly awesome, then maybe 10%. I always find it unbelievable how much tipping is required in the Us. e.g It would never cross anyones mind to ever tip a bartender or bellman or a baggage handler in the UK. I only recently discovered I was supposed to tip the Pizza delivery man! Amazing place the US!

Now I know why it is that some servers assume UK (an other international guests) guests will tip badly. If we are in the US we should adapt and follow US pratiaces. Over here it is very different servers have a higher minimim wage, and the tax position is also different. The minimum wage for servers over there is very low to start off with.

Yes, we can argue that the wait staff should be given a decent wage byt he resturant owners, but that would also mean food prices going up and I bet it would be more than by the amount to make up the wages!


I know, when we come from a different cultre, where £5 tip is acceptable, or only 10% is seen as good, that handing over 15% or more can be difficult, but it is the correct ettiquette to adapt, rather than remain, or appear to remain, ignorant of another cultre.


(PS, it sounds like you are also a bit tight on tips in the UK, 5% for good service!).

 

[bicker]

As a person from the UK, if the DDP dropped the tip, then I would resort to standard UK tip amounts. If the service was ok, then no tip, if it was good then 5%, if it was amazingly awesome, then maybe 10%.

Please don't do that. It is customary when visiting a foreign country to comply with the customs of that country. You don't want Americans visiting London driving on the right, so please tip as per American standard (15% for good service; 20% for excellent service; at full-service restaurants) when visiting the United States.

It is not the servers' fault that things are the way they are, so don't take your upset at the change out on them. If you don't like the change in policy, if it is announced as is probably going to be the case, then please do not purchase the Dining Plan.

Thanks!

I always find it unbelievable how much tipping is required in the Us.

I always find it unbelievable how much everything costs in the UK.

 

[Pumbaa_]

As a person from the UK, if the DDP dropped the tip, then I would resort to standard UK tip amounts.
If the service was ok, then no tip, if it was good then 5%, if it was amazingly awesome, then maybe 10%. I always find it unbelievable how much tipping is required in the Us. e.g It would never cross anyones mind to ever tip a bartender or bellman or a baggage handler in the UK. I only recently discovered I was supposed to tip the Pizza delivery man! Amazing place the US!

In the US, most servers make LESS than minimum wage. Typically $3 or less. (and of that amount, most of that goes to taxes and any benefits they may have). They have to report a certain percentage of their receipts as taxable income (tips). Failure to tip is basically stiffing the server and costing the server to pay taxes on income they did not receive.

If you do not want to tip, please do not frequent TS. Tipping is not expected at CS places. You may be more comfortable dining there.

 

[digman6]

I agree with you both as a former server. If you are coming here to vacation the least you can do is as we do here in America. Again you would not want us to drive on the wrong side of the road.

Times like this I shake my head and think a few thoughts that I shall keep to myself when it comes to the "tipping issue"

Someof these people are supporting there familes and or going to school at 3$hr.

 

[Amyrlin]

Please do not see poggs as the typical UK visitor, he (she) is not (btw most of us do tip the bell boy etc over here)

 

[JimMIA]

Now I know why it is that some servers assume UK (an other international guests) guests will tip badly. If we are in the US we should adapt and follow US pratiaces. Over here it is very different servers have a higher minimim wage, and the tax position is also different. The minimum wage for servers over there is very low to start off with.

Yes, we can argue that the wait staff should be given a decent wage byt he resturant owners, but that would also mean food prices going up and I bet it would be more than by the amount to make up the wages!


I know, when we come from a different cultre, where £5 tip is acceptable, or only 10% is seen as good, that handing over 15% or more can be difficult, but it is the correct ettiquette to adapt, rather than remain, or appear to remain, ignorant of another cultre.

Thanks for your thoughtful post.

Whenever any of us go to another country, we need to remember that we are in a different community, with different laws, different customs -- and different ideas of what is good manners and what is not. I'm sure most travelers from outside the US follow your example -- not that poster's. They represent their country admirably, and they wouldn't stiff a server any more than they would drive on the left side of the road.

Hopefully we Americans are equally respectful of your traditions and expectations.

(PS, it sounds like you are also a bit tight on tips in the UK, 5% for good service!).

Some people (from any country) will use whatever excuse they can think of to rationalize their behavior. They can call themselves whatever they want, and offer whatever excuses they want -- we all know they're just cheap. Thanks for pointing out that they are cheap in England as well.

 

[lonegungirl]

Just a thought, this morning (since we're currently planning our February cruise).... the cruise lines don't include the gratuity in the cost of dining included in the cruise fare, and taxes aren't necessarily included in the published price either. That is pretty-much parallel to what we're hearing in terms of the 2008 Dining Plan.

While that's certainly true, I guess the difference to me would be that you will still know what the tax is going to be before you pay for your trip, and you can pretty closely guestimate what your tips will be, since they give recommended amounts per person per day. You don't have to figure out a different amount each meal depending on what you order, is where I'm going.

You may, of course, decide to exceed the amount for good service, but then you could do that on the current DP as well.

Ultimately, I guess we'll just see what shakes out. It always seems to me that Disney has a cyclical nature about things like this--they start off with a good deal, then gradually take away from it until it becomes a crappy deal and no one utilizes it, and then they wipe it out and start clean with something else. There are always options.

 

[DISNEYFAMILYOFFOUR]

Actually I'm kind of surprised that most people seem to be focusing on the wine/appetizer issues, and are ok with the tip/taxes part. For me, that's the real annoyance, since I considered the convenience of pre-paying all the dining a big asset, and probably worth it even if you only broke even, money-wise, on the food.

Now, not only will you still have to pull out your money and calculate out the tip each meal, not only do you lose the exact knowledge of what each meal on the plan will cost you, but you even have the indignity of knowing that you actually had to pay twice for each meal--once before, for the plan, and once at the time of the meal, for the tip/taxes. Feh.

For me, it is the tipping/taxes issue also.

 

[Amyrlin]

I thinki it was only the tip that was potentially or speculated as being omitted, not the taxes as well.

 

[bicker]

You don't have to figure out a different amount each meal depending on what you order, is where I'm going.

Yeah, but that's just a nuance IMHO. Note that on-board the cruise ship, a mandatory gratuity is added to all bar orders, so there you've got a bit of that variability based on what you order.

Ultimately, I guess we'll just see what shakes out.

Always.

 

[Pumbaa_]

Please do not see poggs as the typical UK visitor, he (she) is not (btw most of us do tip the bell boy etc over here)

Never once thought that!

 

[gina2000]

Actually, I do see the DDP tip/tax situation as different as a cruise line tipping situation. On a cruise line, extras are billed with a tip to your shipboard account. When you settle up that account, your waitstaff receives the cruiseline's standard tip. No more thought is necessary and it only requires one credit card or cash layout to cover multiple expenses over several days.

When you leave your server their final gratuity at the end of the cruise, it again is one single tipping situation. You are given a guideline which you may choose to follow or not. Again, it's either one swipe of the credit card or one cash outlay for the entire trip. It's not a daily, every-TS-meal, figure-out-the-tip and swipe-the-credit-card or dig-out-the-money situation.

In the former instance, you don't need to figure out a thing except how to sign your name. In the latter instance, you only need to decide what your final tip will be based on cruise ship suggestions.

Now, look at the WDW dining plan w/o tip and tax. Each day, you have a TS meal. You must pull out a credit card/cash or room key and pay tip and tax (assuming this change will occur). If they don't figure out the tip, you'll have the opportunity to also do that. Is it a big deal? For many, no, but for those that have used the DDP for the convenience of never having to carry cash, figure out tax/tip or pay bills, it is.

I can see why people think it's a nuisance to have to pay the tip/tax separately. It's certainly easier to have an all-inclusive plan that IS all-inclusive or that settles up a final bill ONCE during the vacation.

 

[bicker]

Actually, I do see the DDP tip/tax situation as different as a cruise line tipping situation.

There are always going to be subtle difference in any significant analogy, unless you're talking about a tautology. The point is that we're talking about similar (but not exactly identical) scenarios with a similar (but not exactly identical) manifestations.

On a cruise line, extras are billed with a tip to your shipboard account.

That's actually not always the case, and where it is the case, that's a relatively recent change, just over the past ten years or so, for at least some cruise lines.

When you settle up that account, your waitstaff receives the cruiseline's standard tip.

Or not. On HAL for example, you can just tip each person personally, in cash, either at the end of the cruise or at each service.

 

[maggs]

Please do not see poggs as the typical UK visitor, he (she) is not (btw most of us do tip the bell boy etc over here)

Im a UK visitor and would never dream of tipping less than 20%, so Amyrlin, we are not all like that. We have had some bad service where I have left 15% but never less than that. If some UK visitors seem mean it really is because we dont have that same tipping culture and sometimes they dont know that they have to tip in a different way.

Maggs