Do you tip 20% at the buffets?

[Bellex917]

Just curious. I have always tipped 20% at the buffets, but I've been wondering if that's really "too much" considering they usually grab us a drink and clear a plate, and that's about it. Considering we do the character buffets the tip could be over $40 for our family with really minimal interaction. I'm wondering if 20% is standard for the buffets.

 

[EACarlson]

It's not for me. I tipped I think $20 the last time I was at Chef Mickey's with my family of 4. I'll tip well for table service, but picking up dishes and bringing drinks isn't worth that much to me.

 

[Brian Noble]

I defer to Miss Manners.

https://www.disboards.com/threads/miss-manners-tipping-website.1814275/#post-24910682

 

[meremac]

Absolutely. At least 20%, oftentimes closer to 25%.

 

[gottalovepluto]

No. (However, I would make an exception if I had kids that left the table a disaster zone.)

 

[missingdisneymore]

Absolutely, 20% at minimum. The concept that they are doing less is crazy to me. You go to a table service, they bring you your appetizer, then entrée, clear them. When you go to a buffet they are repeatedly clearing your plates so that you have a constant fresh table. I never feel as though there is less interaction.

Also, the tips share policy at Disney restaurants is crazy. That tip does not just go to the server, but to several other wait staff as well at a minimum required percentage. If people do not tip at least 18 to 20% at a minimum, there are times where they could end up literally paying to serve you on the payment policy.

 

[georgina]

Just curious. I have always tipped 20% at the buffets, but I've been wondering if that's really "too much" considering they usually grab us a drink and clear a plate, and that's about it. Considering we do the character buffets the tip could be over $40 for our family with really minimal interaction. I'm wondering if 20% is standard for the buffets.

Haven’t been to a Disney buffet in many years, but no, I would not tip 20% for a limited service buffet

Really really wish we could change the pay structure and get rid of the tipping economy in the US

 

[Anthony1971]

We do as well. Personally I feel the Buffet people work harder as they need to clear multiple plates for many and they have always been very helpful with explaining..... If we have a different experience then the tip will absolutely be different and this has happened only place I can recall at Disney was House of Blues once while not Disney owned it still would not matter.
I do not disagree with tipping is expensive. Some I know would rather just eat at CS and this year buy the CS DP then tip which makes little sense to me but everyone has a choice.

 

[MICKIMINI]

Yes. More if we like our server. We had a great server from VT at Boma prior to covid (we're in NH) and got us a boatload of zebra domes and other goodies for the villa LOL. I think we tipped her way more than the value of the food, but we had such a genuinely fun interaction with her that we felt good about it. We are minimum 20%.

 

[MinnieMSue]

Yes I feel like my waiters have been excellent at Tusker house and talking about the different choices and very attentive to us. I feel like they worked harder than lots of other waiters we have had

 

[pens4821]

Of course. They work harder than servers in most other restaurants. There may be some tables that don’t eat much, but they are clearing a lot more dishes than just your normal sit down meal. Now if they aren’t doing a good job or refilling my drink I won’t. But if they are keeping up with things they most certainly deserve it.

 

[jo-jo]

We do 20-25 % everywhere.

What drives me crazy, is at a table service if you get the chicken dish for $40 or the steak dish for $70, it’s still one dish, but tip is higher.

 

[BrianL]

At Disney buffets, yes, becayse the service has always been pretty good - for me anyway. There are some local buffets where I don't tip as much because they really don't do anything - depending on the place sometimes not even really clearing plates! I do always tip something though.

 

[reddog21]

Personally tip what you feel is appropriate. There is no right or wrong tip not matter what the manners police think it should be.

I generally tip 20% at any table unless the food and or service is horrific(it has to be pretty bad). I do not and will not tip anymore than 10% on Togo orders.

 

[J-Dog]

I disagree that most buffet attendants work harder than wait staff at a table-service restaurant. They do often take drink orders and do a lot of bussing tables, but they don't take food orders, they aren't really concerned about whether you are happy with your food or not (granted, it's mostly because you can just go get something else at a buffet), and at many buffets you pay up-front, so they don't deal with that either.

In general, I tip 18-20% at a table service restaurant, and the same at a buffet, although I'm much more likely to "round down" the tip at a buffet, if the service wasn't spectacular.

 

[wendlle]

at a buffet no

 

[disneydreamer1980]

We’re a larger party so the 18% is automatically applied to our bill and I will add money to that most of the time but at buffets I don’t. Even at 18% they’re making a decent amount of money. The waitstaff positions at WDW are coveted positions because of the percentage tips on inflated prices. They’re not your average, stereotypical underpaid server.

 

[mi*vida*loca]

No. With my family of 4 that tip could be well over $50. That’s insane IMO. The most I will leave at a buffet is $20.

Last few trips have been myself and DD only. I’m still not tipping 20% at a buffet.

I tip 20% at Ohana and Toppolino.

 

[bwr827]

20% tip expectation is bananas. Quick service for me!

Restaurant prices have shot up, so tips have shot up too since they are a percentage.

I don’t know the actual stats, but it would not surprise me to learn that wait staff incomes have risen more than any other profession in the past few years.

 

[missingdisneymore]

We’re a larger party so the 18% is automatically applied to our bill and I will add money to that most of the time but at buffets I don’t. Even at 18% they’re making a decent amount of money. The waitstaff positions at WDW are coveted positions because of the percentage tips on inflated prices. They’re not your average, stereotypical underpaid server.

You do realize they don’t get to keep all of that tip, right? They have a tip share structure. They only keep a percentage of it. How much they have to tip share to other positions is automatic based on the total of the bill. They have to pay that out, no matter what. They only get to keep what’s left over, sometimes, there isn’t any left over when people tip very low. In situations where someone leaves $10 on a $200 bill at Crystal Palace, they have to pay all of those other tip shares based on that $200 bill, and they literally end up having to pay out of their portion of tips, to cover those automatic amounts, meaning, they literally paid to serve that party.