Do you leave tips?

[Lights_Out]

Okay so this'll be the first time I go to Disneyland where I'm paying for everything and I was wondering if you had to leave tips at the table service restaurants?
Is this a stupid question?

Thanks

 

[pixiewings71]

At table service restaurants yes, we leave tips. It's just like eating at any sit down restaurant.

 

[WA Kay]

No, it is not a stupid question.

 

[Gisele]

If one likes the service that the wait person provides, then I recommend leaving a tip, at least 20%, 15% is fine too. I normally leave 20% or higher. For example when I dine at The Blue Bayou, I always leave a tip. When I just wanted pommes frites (Only served at Café Orleans, a P.S.T.S.) I left a tip (I ordered one Pirate Punch too ) I had done so, because I especially liked the quality of service that the young server had given. I wish that I had written her name down! I read her name tag, but sometimes, I really need to write names down. Anyway, I gave her far above 20%, but then, that is me. One can leave whatever amount they feel good about,and that fits their budget (Again, a tip is based upon the quality of the wait persons service)

 

[blackssrider00]

I agree with tipping anytime we go to a restaurants inside the park we always leave a tip and I go by how good of service I get. As for the maid service inside the hotels I don’t tip but that’s just me.

 

[Disneylvrforever]

I agree with tipping anytime we go to a restaurants inside the park we always leave a tip and I go by how good of service I get. As for the maid service inside the hotels I don’t tip but that’s just me.

I'd leave something for maid service. They have a tough job! But that has nothing to do w/ the op.

 

[TheAXIOM]

Oh yeah, definitely bring something a little extra for your servers for table service

When I go with my aunt, she always leaves a tip for maid service too. I've never thought about it before, but I think it's a good idea!

 

[ylatan]

that is the reason most hotel rooms have envelopes...you are supposed to tip the maids.

i never knew that and then when i found out i felt really bad for all the maids i did not tip! hopefully they forgive me.

 

[TheAXIOM]

There's ENVELOPES?

Oh my... I'm right in that boat of guilt with ya, ylatan :/

 

[TiggerNZ]

so I should tip then.....here in NZ we only usually tip for really really good service, over and above - more the norm here is not to tip.

Thanks for the heads-up though, I will remember that!

and Maids too - never even crossed my mind to do that - opps!!!

 

[Krissy Marissy]

I always leave a tip for the maid, they after all are cleaning up my mess each day! Also tip the bell boy. As for restaurants I always tip because I was a server once and I know what it is like...if the service is really really awful and I can see no logical explanation then I only leave 10% otherwise it is always 20% at least.

 

[LavenderPeach]

so I should tip then.....here in NZ we only usually tip for really really good service, over and above - more the norm here is not to tip.

Thanks for the heads-up though, I will remember that!

and Maids too - never even crossed my mind to do that - opps!!!

Yes, here in the US tipping is the norm and it is expected (i remember being surprised that i didn't have to tip when I went to Australia).

 

[prettyprincessbelle]

There's ENVELOPES?

Oh my... I'm right in that boat of guilt with ya, ylatan :/

I made envelopes for both table service tipping and maid service. And I uh, forgot them. I'm going to bring them this time!

But yes, OP, we do tip at table service restaurants!

 

[Sherry E]

As everyone has clarified, tips are definitiely expected at all table service restaurants, but it should be noted that at Goofy's Kitchen (and maybe the other character buffets, too - not sure??), they add the gratuity/tip onto your bill for you (even if it is a buffet!). You pay for everything up front, before you are seated. So in that case, you don't need to tip the server (who basically brings your beverages, since the food you get yourself!) anything unless you REALLY feel generous! But it is not expected in those instances!!!

The envelopes I generally find at the DLR hotels are inside the drawer of whatever table happens to be in the room. However, the envelopes are usually with the hotel stationery and postcards, so I imagine many folks assume the envelopes are for mailing purposes, like if you are staying there for a while and want to send a note to someone. I haven't seen any other envelopes around. But if you are not going to use them for mailing, then, yes, that is the perfect way to leave a little something for the housekeeping staff! And, as a PP stated, we always tip the bell staff if they take our bags for us to storage or come and pick them up from us in our room.

 

[pixiewings71]

I tip 10-25% depending on the service of the wait staff. The better the staff/experience the better the tip. But, I always tip because here many of the wait staff is paid minimum wage only.

As for maid service, we don't make a big mess in our rooms, we tend to keep them very picked up so it's not hard to clean up after us. If we have made a big huge mess or asked for extras we do tip the maids extra, otherwise we just leave a little bit for them when we leave.

 

[Lights_Out]

Interesting...

How much do you tip the maids?

Thanks everyone

 

[tzuhouse]

At WDW, we tipped $5.00 per day since there were 4 of us. Almost every evening we returned to towel animals on the beds. She went above and beyond, making slides and such for the stuffed animals in the room to play with. We enjoyed getting back to the room to see what had been done almost as much as the parks, themselves.

I think someone had told me $1.00 per person per day. You won't have the same person each day, at least not at WDW, so instead of leaving one big one at the end of the stay, we did it each morning. I made mousekeeping envelopes up ahead of time with our name and the date. It made it easy for me to just whip out the next day's envelope and put it on the table where she would see it when she entered. I also put the $5.00 into each one and sealed them long before the trip. That way I wasn't scrounging for tip money each morning.

Mary

 

[Gisele]

Just wanted to add to my first post, that for me, it is not just the quality of the service provided, but also how much I really like the servers level of friendliness, helpfulness, character and personality. I have (Not at Dl) encountered very poor servers, but because in the State Of California, in that industry, typically minimum wage is earned, which is $8.00 per hour. I still will leave a small tip, most definitely not 20%, more like 10% or less.
My experience last year, at The Blue Bayou was especially nice with our server, Diana. I do not remember unfortunately the name of my server this past August. She was nice, and efficient, however, she was no Diana. Anyway, I left her a 20% tip. I felt that it was warranted well enough. Diana's service, and friendliness, et al. though was most definitely worth above 20%.

 

[gr8leg8]

just an fyi

you can add the housekeeping tip at the front desk also.

If someone has gone above and beyond
Mention it to the Manager.

"We really appreciated <insert name>'s good service."
These comments will be collected in an employee personal file and help with Employee recognition programs.

Of course all hotels are different,
but I think I read that at WDW the housekeeping staff
"pool" their tips. Meaning they split them equally. Your good intent does always reward the person who earned it.
But it does reward the workers you don't see. Laundry, etc.

2 more days...

 

[bonita_babe232]

so I should tip then.....here in NZ we only usually tip for really really good service, over and above - more the norm here is not to tip.

Thanks for the heads-up though, I will remember that!

and Maids too - never even crossed my mind to do that - opps!!!

I wish i lived there!!! We ALWAYS tip, but i turthfully don't like that we "HAVE" to tip or its rude..... i mean if someone does something special for us then yea great u should get something special but i don't like that we tip people just for doing there jobs... you know what i mean... i make min. wage at a gas station but i don't get tips for turning the pump on.... ..... Like i said we tip cause its the way things are but i don't really understand it..... alot of countrys don't tip my fiancee had/has a hard time understanding why we tip here cause in his country it doesn't happen either, inless you get really good service or something...