Do you leave a tip at buffet meals?

[whalenj]

Can someone please let me know if it's expected to leave a tip at a buffet? If we have a party of 6 or larger and some of the buffets are character buffets are we just charged the 18% tip anyway?

I'm can't really find anything to clarify this?

I know someone here can help me!

Thanks!

 

[starann]

A party of 6 or more will be auto charged the tip of 18%, even at buffets.

However a party of less than 6 can determine how much they want to leave, but yes a tip is customary.

HTH!

 

[whalenj]

Thanks! I wasn't sure if that applied to buffets, but now I do!

Good thing I had set some funds aside to cover that just in case.....

Thanks again!

 

[livndisney]

Oh yes, at WDW you are expected to tip at a buffet. We even had a server write in on the bill what he thought he should get as a tip (Party of 3). Mind you we never saw him after we sat down-we had to ask other servers for drink refills and a chef brought us straws!

 

[PatsGirl]

While I do tip at buffets, I think 18% is outrageous and Disney should not be applying this automatically to buffets. Of course it's unlikely that it'll effect me at all since it's usually just DD and myself, sometimes a friend. I tip according to service, whatever that might be in the restaurant. Some buffets the server comes over immediately, takes a drink order, lets you know the character line-up, etc. and are very helpful. Some restaurants also include alcohol orders and the waitperson is running for those as well. For non-alcoholic, help-myself breakfast and dinner buffets, I tip about 10%. If the waitperson is bringing out cocktails, changing up plates between courses, serving coffee after the meal, etc. I tip about 15%.

 

[tripletots]

Thanks! I wasn't sure if that applied to buffets, but now I do!

Good thing I had set some funds aside to cover that just in case.....

Thanks again!

If you are staying onsite and have charging priviliges (sorry I can't spell it) on your room key and plan on paying tips with cash be careful. We paid with cash for all our tips and over half of them also room charged the tip as well doubling the gratuties. I went every 3 days to settle our bill and this is when I caught it. I still cringe at LeCellier when our tip was 32.87 and we told her we were paying cash and she acknowledged that. We left her a $50 (we really liked her) and she still room charged the 32.87. Aside from LeCellier this happened at 1900 Park Fare, Cape May Dinner Buffet, Chef Mickeys and Boma. And yes they were all told were were paying tips in cash and on DDP.

 

[SueEllen]

If you are staying onsite and have charging priviliges (sorry I can't spell it) on your room key and plan on paying tips with cash be careful. We paid with cash for all our tips and over half of them also room charged the tip as well doubling the gratuties. I went every 3 days to settle our bill and this is when I caught it. I still cringe at LeCellier when our tip was 32.87 and we told her we were paying cash and she acknowledged that. We left her a $50 (we really liked her) and she still room charged the 32.87. Aside from LeCellier this happened at 1900 Park Fare, Cape May Dinner Buffet, Chef Mickeys and Boma. And yes they were all told were were paying tips in cash and on DDP.

That is quite interesting! They cannot charge the tips back to your room key unless you sign for them, so I'd love to know how your servers managed to do that one. Good catch though, and I hope you were able to get all of those reversed. It's a good reminder to everyone to check their room accounts periodically to make sure the charges look correct.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Okay, well, it appears there were eight (at least) in her party.

While it shouldn't be the diner's responsibility, where there is an automatic service fee added to a check, it is ultimately up to the person 'paying' the check to verify what they are paying.

In this case, it APPEARS that the PP was signing the check as it existed (i.e. a final total of $0 for the food and beverages, plus $32.87 for the service charge; plus then tipping cash.

After the fact, she knows she should have been checking the final-final-final receipt before leaving the restaurant. Or state specifically not just that they would be tipping in cash, but instructing the server NOT to invoke the room charge.

 

[Dashzap]

I always thought 10% was the traditional tip for a buffet waitstaff.

 

[robb01]

We usually do, since they refill your drinks and bus the tables

 

[DisDreaminMom]

I have read on a few tipping posts that buffet restaurant servers get $2 per guest, or $3 each for great service. Is this wrong? I mean, you are getting your own food.

 

[swilshire]

We tip 10% at buffets if the service is just basic. If it's good, we'll tip 15 - 20%. A good server at a buffet does almost as much as a server in a full-service restaurant.

We went to Golden Corral recently and our picky eater 9yo was very disgruntled that there were no french fries on the buffet. DH had ask one of the cooks and they said there wouldn't be any. The server noticed and got this "wait a minute" look on her face. I knew immediately what was up. She came back a few minutes later with a huge plate of fries. She got more than 25% just for being so attentive.

Sheila

 

[jlima]

I always thought 10% was the traditional tip for a buffet waitstaff.

Here in Las Vegas people do SO many different things. Some people will say $1 per person, and some people will leave 15%. But that can vary SO much because leave 15% at a buffet that's $24 pp and leaving 15% for a buffet that's $9 pp is like night and day.

I will leave $1 per person if it's good service and $2 per person if it's excellent service. There is a health department code here in Clark County that requires a guest to take a clean plate every time you go back for food. If the server can't be bothered to take away the used plates and I have to put them on a vacant table to get rid of them, then the server just lost $4.

For Mother's Day I took the kids to the Brunch in the Steakhouse at Circus Circus. They have a buffet set up, plus you can order off the entire steakhouse menu. I tipped 18%, because the server was explaining the menu, bringing the entrees, refilling the champagne, etc. (VERY nice if you ever come to Las Vegas!)

 

[jlima]

We tip 10% at buffets if the service is just basic. If it's good, we'll tip 15 - 20%. A good server at a buffet does almost as much as a server in a full-service restaurant.

We went to Golden Corral recently and our picky eater 9yo was very disgruntled that there were no french fries on the buffet. DH had ask one of the cooks and they said there wouldn't be any. The server noticed and got this "wait a minute" look on her face. I knew immediately what was up. She came back a few minutes later with a huge plate of fries. She got more than 25% just for being so attentive.

Sheila

Food servers LOVE people like you!!

 

[FoundMyPrince]

I always thought 10% was the traditional tip for a buffet waitstaff.

Apparently not at WDW.

 

[spaceacewannabe]

Apparently not at WDW.

Keep in mind at WDW, in addition to typical buffet duties, they are making sure you see the characters and navigating around them to bring you beverages and take away plates. I personally would never tip 10% at a buffet; that's way low (for where I live, at least). It's rare for me to tip less than 20% anywhere. If I can afford to eat out, I can afford to tip decently.

 

[gottagodisney]

My family tipped 18%, as suggested, on the bill, even at the buffets. I found that the buffet "servers" provided, in most cases, just as much service as the waitstaff at the table service places. I typically tip 15% at home at a regular restaraunt, a couple of bucks at a buffet. At Disney...what the heck....what's another couple of bucks added to the millions you're already spending?

I think when I added all the tips up for our last trip, we spent about $140 on tips. This was for 6 nts of table service. I found myself thinking on several occasions....hmmmm- when I make my move and work for Disney, I think I'll be a waitress at one of these places!1

 

[swilshire]

Food servers LOVE people like you!!

My daughter calls it server kharma. I put in a few years as one and both of my two oldest kids have done the same. DS is currently working in a restaurant on the verge of going out of business, so tips are awful. He did much better when he was home over the summer and worked as a valet.

Though I try to be fair, if service is bad, I'm also the first to deduct something from the tip or leave nothing at all if the service is really bad.

Sheila

 

[julezdisney]

We tipped at our Character Meal at 1900. However, we had an exceptional busser who kept checking on us, kept our drinks filled, took our things promptly, let us know when characters were nearby, etc. I was feeling generous and went with the 20%, however the 18% would've been fine. Just budget accordingly!

BTW, I don't think 10% has been customary for 15 years or something. Isn't it more like 15% these days typically?

 

[kaytieeldr]

Here in Las Vegas people do SO many different things. Some people will say $1 per person, and some people will leave 15%. But that can vary SO much because leave 15% at a buffet that's $24 pp and leaving 15% for a buffet that's $9 pp is like night and day.

Well, okay - what if you didn't pay anything for the buffet, if you got comped (WON'T happen at Disney, not uncommon in Las Vegas). Are you thenk justified in tipping nothing? I go on the bus to the Connecticut casinos on occasion, with a friend. Part of the deal includes the buffet free. She tips a dollar; I tip 15-20%. I just do. I've had family members work in food service for many years.

I always thought 10% was the traditional tip for a buffet waitstaff.

Apparently not at WDW.

"Traditional" is whatever the majority of, in this case diners, makes it traditional or typical or normal or average. But anyway - Disney's house, Disney's rules. If you are invoking the T-Dub discount, or dining with a party totalling six or more persons, you are automatically assessed a service charge of 18% - no matter what style sit-down restaurant you're at.

What if you have breakfast at CRT? That's VERY easy for your server, even if you ask for refills. No remembering who gets what - just place the correct number of pre-filled plate on the table and 'see ya'. What do you tip there? 12.5%? That's halfway between what people think it's okay to tip at a location where you get most of your own food (but not beverage, or silverware, or napkins, or clear your own table between courses...) and what most people think is a reasonable tip at a restaurant where the server takes and delivers your entire order.

If you are not in either of the above categories, your initial dining check will list what 18% of your total is, and what 20% of that amount is. That does not mean your party of five or fewer is required to tip those percentages