Does 2 year old count as person in party of 6? Re:Mandatory tip.

[bumbershoot]

We'll be splitting our reservations into 2 parties so that we can tip based on service.

You do understand that if you have lousy service you can *speak to a manager* about it, yes? Send someone over, they chat, if service doesn't improve, the manager will help you out with the tip? Pretty easy. Easier than the silliness of sitting separately from your party.

 

[Jennasis]

Thanks for all the replies. I was thinking she would be counted even though she won't be eating. We'll be splitting our reservations into 2 parties so that we can tip based on service. Thanks!

You can tip based on service. If your service does not warrant 18%, ask Tfor the manager and have it adjusted to what you feel is appropriate. I cannot remember the last time I tipped less Than 20%. 18% would be quite the step down...for us.

 

[goofyintoronto]

You do understand that if you have lousy service you can *speak to a manager* about it, yes? Send someone over, they chat, if service doesn't improve, the manager will help you out with the tip? Pretty easy. Easier than the silliness of sitting separately from your party.

Totally agree. To purposely separate a party for the sole purpose of avoiding that auto-grat is strange if you ask me. Even as a party of 3, you'll still see the 18% or 20% tip amount on your bill. If you're planning to avoid 18% (with the intention of tipping lower than that), then thats odd too. Unless the service is REALLY lousy.

 

[Rich M]

With an infant do you have to include them on the reservation? I will be in the same situation of 5 adults and 1 23 month old.

 

[SomDayMyPrnceWillCom]

We have a 6 month old infant with our party of 6. I originally made the reservations for 6. Then read here that it needed to include the infant as well. So, I went online to change to 7. Several weren't available so I was going to keep trying, but several were available. However, once I'd make the ressie and have it changed, it kept giving me errors and said it could not change it. Sigh. So after many attempts of doing this, I call DVC member services to help with the changing of the reservations and was told the infant does NOT need to be added on. Now, I know that sometimes the phone cast members aren't the most informed but this was a DVC member services rep. I asked again to make sure and he insisted it was not necessary to add the infant on the reservation. Now with that being said, she is not sitting up yet and will probably be held by one of the adults in the group and allow everyone to eat and take turns holding her so it shouldn't be a problem with seating. Strollers aren't allowed in most restaurants anyway. I remember bringing my stroller into a few restaurants because my son was only 5 months old and not sitting up yet by himself but I honestly can't remember if I included him on reservations then or not. We leave tomorrow and arrive Saturday morning to check in, so hopefully not having the baby on the reservation won't be an issue.

 

[Regan117]

We have a 6 month old infant with our party of 6. I originally made the reservations for 6. Then read here that it needed to include the infant as well. So, I went online to change to 7. Several weren't available so I was going to keep trying, but several were available. However, once I'd make the ressie and have it changed, it kept giving me errors and said it could not change it. Sigh. So after many attempts of doing this, I call DVC member services to help with the changing of the reservations and was told the infant does NOT need to be added on. Now, I know that sometimes the phone cast members aren't the most informed but this was a DVC member services rep. I asked again to make sure and he insisted it was not necessary to add the infant on the reservation. Now with that being said, she is not sitting up yet and will probably be held by one of the adults in the group and allow everyone to eat and take turns holding her so it shouldn't be a problem with seating. Strollers aren't allowed in most restaurants anyway. I remember bringing my stroller into a few restaurants because my son was only 5 months old and not sitting up yet by himself but I honestly can't remember if I included him on reservations then or not. We leave tomorrow and arrive Saturday morning to check in, so hopefully not having the baby on the reservation won't be an issue.

They gave you bad info. The baby counts because they won't put high chairs in the aisles. They move a chair and put the high chair in that spot. So in order to accommodate the baby, they need a table large enough for everyone.

Edited to add: baby still counts if you're holding it, since it's about the number of bodies in the restaurant (due to fire codes).

 

[Figmentmommy]

With an infant do you have to include them on the reservation? I will be in the same situation of 5 adults and 1 23 month old.

Yes. Everyone at the table- regardless of age- must be counted.

 

[Jennasis]

We have a 6 month old infant with our party of 6. I originally made the reservations for 6. Then read here that it needed to include the infant as well. So, I went online to change to 7. Several weren't available so I was going to keep trying, but several were available. However, once I'd make the ressie and have it changed, it kept giving me errors and said it could not change it. Sigh. So after many attempts of doing this, I call DVC member services to help with the changing of the reservations and was told the infant does NOT need to be added on. Now, I know that sometimes the phone cast members aren't the most informed but this was a DVC member services rep. I asked again to make sure and he insisted it was not necessary to add the infant on the reservation. Now with that being said, she is not sitting up yet and will probably be held by one of the adults in the group and allow everyone to eat and take turns holding her so it shouldn't be a problem with seating. Strollers aren't allowed in most restaurants anyway. I remember bringing my stroller into a few restaurants because my son was only 5 months old and not sitting up yet by himself but I honestly can't remember if I included him on reservations then or not. We leave tomorrow and arrive Saturday morning to check in, so hopefully not having the baby on the reservation won't be an issue.

The Cm you spoke to was wrong. Infants do count. You won't likely encounter an issue when you check on but they may tack on the gratuity when you sit.

 

[bumbershoot]

With an infant do you have to include them on the reservation? I will be in the same situation of 5 adults and 1 23 month old.

Yes.

I call DVC member services to help with the changing of the reservations and was told the infant does NOT need to be added on.

They were wrong.

The Cm you spoke to was wrong. Infants do count. You won't likely encounter an issue when you check on but they may tack on the gratuity when you sit.

They were already going to have the autograt because they were a party of 6 plus infant. So they'll just have to worry about fire codes and is the table big enough. Hope they can get in.

Dvc reps recently don't even know their own jobs, let alone the dining cm jobs!

 

[JerseyJanice]

Isn't the 18% calculated on food and drinks pre-tax?

So if children under 3 dine at buffets or other AYCE, there is no charge for them, and then you wouldn't be paying a gratuity for them.

But if you were at an ala carte restaurant and ordered your toddler a child's meal and soft drink, then you would pay 18% of the price for those items.

Correct?

 

[Betty Rohrer]

Thanks for all the replies. I was thinking she would be counted even though she won't be eating. We'll be splitting our reservations into 2 parties so that we can tip based on service. Thanks!

even with split ressies seated together will get auto tip. been there done that also. each party will tip based on what was eaten by that part of party

 

[Regan117]

Isn't the 18% calculated on food and drinks pre-tax?

So if children under 3 dine at buffets or other AYCE, there is no charge for them, and then you wouldn't be paying a gratuity for them.

But if you were at an ala carte restaurant and ordered your toddler a child's meal and soft drink, then you would pay 18% of the price for those items.

Correct?

At a buffet or AYCTE meal, if the under-3 child is sitting with you, the 18% gratuity will be added. But it isn't going to make your bill any higher, as the child isn't paying to eat.

 

[Betty Rohrer]

Isn't the 18% calculated on food and drinks pre-tax?

So if children under 3 dine at buffets or other AYCE, there is no charge for them, and then you wouldn't be paying a gratuity for them.

But if you were at an ala carte restaurant and ordered your toddler a child's meal and soft drink, then you would pay 18% of the price for those items.

Correct?

correct

 

[Betty Rohrer]

We have a 6 month old infant with our party of 6. I originally made the reservations for 6. Then read here that it needed to include the infant as well. So, I went online to change to 7. Several weren't available so I was going to keep trying, but several were available. However, once I'd make the ressie and have it changed, it kept giving me errors and said it could not change it. Sigh. So after many attempts of doing this, I call DVC member services to help with the changing of the reservations and was told the infant does NOT need to be added on. Now, I know that sometimes the phone cast members aren't the most informed but this was a DVC member services rep. I asked again to make sure and he insisted it was not necessary to add the infant on the reservation. Now with that being said, she is not sitting up yet and will probably be held by one of the adults in the group and allow everyone to eat and take turns holding her so it shouldn't be a problem with seating. Strollers aren't allowed in most restaurants anyway. I remember bringing my stroller into a few restaurants because my son was only 5 months old and not sitting up yet by himself but I honestly can't remember if I included him on reservations then or not. We leave tomorrow and arrive Saturday morning to check in, so hopefully not having the baby on the reservation won't be an issue.

we had to count 4 month old on all ressies and she was held at all places. a couple of places commented about thanks for doing this correctly. be ready for possible issues with back up plans if there is an issue

 

[maxiesmom]

We have a 6 month old infant with our party of 6. I originally made the reservations for 6. Then read here that it needed to include the infant as well. So, I went online to change to 7. Several weren't available so I was going to keep trying, but several were available. However, once I'd make the ressie and have it changed, it kept giving me errors and said it could not change it. Sigh. So after many attempts of doing this, I call DVC member services to help with the changing of the reservations and was told the infant does NOT need to be added on. Now, I know that sometimes the phone cast members aren't the most informed but this was a DVC member services rep. I asked again to make sure and he insisted it was not necessary to add the infant on the reservation. Now with that being said, she is not sitting up yet and will probably be held by one of the adults in the group and allow everyone to eat and take turns holding her so it shouldn't be a problem with seating. Strollers aren't allowed in most restaurants anyway. I remember bringing my stroller into a few restaurants because my son was only 5 months old and not sitting up yet by himself but I honestly can't remember if I included him on reservations then or not. We leave tomorrow and arrive Saturday morning to check in, so hopefully not having the baby on the reservation won't be an issue.

As others have said, that is very very very very bad information. You DO need to count even tiny infants on your ADRs.

Hopefully it won't be an issue. But it might be.

 

[Minnesota!]

With an infant do you have to include them on the reservation? I will be in the same situation of 5 adults and 1 23 month old.

Yes, you do.

 

[Dis703]

even with split ressies seated together will get auto tip. been there done that also. each party will tip based on what was eaten by that part of party

I was pretty sure this is the case. If you sit as a party of 6 or more it doesn't matter how you pay the bill it will be figured in split or not.

 

[TwoMisfits]

I'm just not sure why this is ever an issue? The only place I can see this mattering is Disney TS buffets, since standard sit down service 18% gratuity is automatic across most regular TS in the US for large parties. And I understand those Disney buffets are already overpriced, so paying 18% on the overprice does hurt, but when you are paying for just 2 adults in your party (b/c the infant is free), and you'd pay 10-15% at a standard buffet service meal anywhere in the US...you're only talking an extra 3-8% of the meal cost, which even at the most expensive buffet on property is likely about $5-8 extra for the meal. For that little money, I'm not sure I would split up a party when I wanted to hang out with the other family and when they could help me entertain my kid and provide me good conversation. If I felt like that money really mattered, I'd likely plan to skip the buffets and eat where I'd be paying 18% tip minimum anyway...

I mean, Disney is not the place to leave $1/person at buffets...heck, I'm not sure there are any buffets left in the US where you can walk out feeling good about yourself leaving $1/person.

 

[bumbershoot]

I'm just not sure why this is ever an issue?

I don't either. But maybe many people don't know that if you're having poor service you should be talking to a manager while it's happening. That's the only thing that makes sense to me. People get weird about the autograt on TIW, too, and all that needs to happen is talk with the manager if service is truly that awful.

 

[ShellieMimi]

I'm just not sure why this is ever an issue?

People are cheap, basically.