Gratuity @ Buffet?

[bellybaby6]

Sorry if this is a strange question, but do you pay gratuity at the buffets? Thanks.

 

[sconnell]

I would say, yes, but my question is, How much? We'll be on the 2008 DDP, so we'll have to pay the tip. Now, I just need to go estimate how much we need to save for tips!

 

[bellybaby6]

I would say, yes, but my question is, How much? We'll be on the 2008 DDP, so we'll have to pay the tip. Now, I just need to go estimate how much we need to save for tips!

I'm in the same boat & that's what I'm trying to figure out! I need an estimate of $$$ to be spent on tipping.

 

[PlutoPup]

I just went in November and we ate at 3 buffets. Now, while I would leave a tip -I wouldn't give the 18%. After all, YOU are getting the food yourselves!

What annoyed me this last visit was that disney automatically adds the 18% tip on the bill for parties of 8 or more. I dont feel a server who gets drinks deserves what a server who SERVES your food and drinks, KWIM? Im not cheap, but leaving a $40 + tip for a buffet made me lol

 

[MisunderstoodLilo]

We do. I'm not sure why, but we do tip less at buffets than at regular restaurants...some of those servers work just as hard even though you're up getting your own food. I may have to rethink how I do that, especially for someone who's attentive.

But yes, always tip.

 

[sconnell]

I just went in November and we ate at 3 buffets. Now, while I would leave a tip -I wouldn't give the 18%. After all, YOU are getting the food yourselves!

What annoyed me this last visit was that disney automatically adds the 18% tip on the bill for parties of 8 or more. I dont feel a server who gets drinks deserves what a server who SERVES your food and drinks, KWIM? Im not cheap, but leaving a $40 + tip for a buffet made me lol

Hmm, I didn't think of that. We are two families of 4 and 4 + an infant, so I guess when we eat together, we'll be a party of 9! We had planned to eat together a lot! So maybe we can be seated near each other, but not together???
Ok, I just figured out one of out typical meals and that won't be so bad for each family. About $12 at 1900 Park Fare Supercalifragilistic Breakfast, and we'll do LOTS of Character meals. We're doing the bounce back free dining or else having to pay for the tip wouldn't make it worthwhile for us to do DDP.
MOST of our meals will be Character because we will have 2 moms, 2 dads, 2 six year olds (1 boy and 1 girl), 2 four year olds (1 boy and 1 girl), and a one year old. Standing in line to see characters is torture and us in some places would be tourture on others!!!

 

[pumba]

I think we had more service from the buffet servers then we did at a sit down resturant.....Our server at the ts got our drink order and our food order ......and that was it..asked us twice if everything was okey.....took away our plates....asked us if we wanted dessert...
our server at the buffet in Disney.....took our drink order and told us about the buffet. She took away our plates twice and came back twice to fill our cold drinks.....then she came back and asked us if we would like coffee with our dessert and brought us that.....She was attentive and asked us if every thing was okey.......she deserved as much of a tip as the server for the ts restaurant..so we always give the same......

 

[dgagnon519]

I do tip both buffets and ts. I know this will probably sound cheap, but at Disney I intend to tip 12% on buffets and 15% on table service. If I receive excellent service than I will do 15% buffet and 18% ts.
Buffets at Disney are very high priced so a 10% tip I do not think is bad. I am sure others will disagree, but that is the beauty of disboard.
I went through the menus and prices and have budgeted my tips accordingly.

 

[sconnell]

I think we had more service from the buffet servers then we did at a sit down resturant.....Our server at the ts got our drink order and our food order ......and that was it..asked us twice if everything was okey.....took away our plates....asked us if we wanted dessert...
our server at the buffet in Disney.....took our drink order and told us about the buffet. She took away our plates twice and came back twice to fill our cold drinks.....then she came back and asked us if we would like coffee with our dessert and brought us that.....She was attentive and asked us if every thing was okey.......she deserved as much of a tip as the server for the ts restaurant..so we always give the same......

My DH ALWAYS needs something that isn't on the buffet. Like, IDK, mayo or something. Whatever they don't have out there, he'll need it. lol.

 

[yxe dad]

We do. I'm not sure why, but we do tip less at buffets than at regular restaurants...some of those servers work just as hard even though you're up getting your own food. I may have to rethink how I do that, especially for someone who's attentive.

But yes, always tip.

I was thinking the same thing when I read a similar thread a couple of weeks ago. I've had better service at buffets then TS at WDW with the only exception being O'hana(worst service ever). The buffet servers often work harder, clearing more plates, getting more drinks, and tend to put up with more kids running around screaming and a making a mess(just thinking back to my CP dinner) than a server would at a TS restaurant like Boma. If 18% is the going rate for a tip at WDW, I would never tip less to a buffet server unless he/she was as terrible as my server at O'hana's. BUT I would also bring in to his/her attention and the manager on my way out!

 

[El Nebuloso]

We tip the same at buffets as ts. As others have said, the buffet servers often provide the same level of service or even more than table service staff.

 

[fires_grumpy]

When DW and I are at WDW and eatting at TS or Buffets I tip the same 18 to 20 %. I feel sorry for some of the servers at the buffets. We where at CP in Oct and this family with 3 childs had more food on the floor then I had eatten. And I`m no lite eater The father was letting the youngest child throw cookies on the floor,just to keep him quiet. When they left the parents or kids did not clean up the mess under the table or around them. The server did and did it with a smile. I felt like helping her. I guess I come from the old school. I try to leave where I ate as clean as I found it.So I figure the work just as hard as some one who takes your order and brings your food. I know not everone leaves a mess like the one I seen that night. If I had kids and they did that they would be cleaning there mess up. So that is why I tip the sameat both types of resturants.

 

[familyS]

We tip at buffets. How much we tip depends on the service received.

Every time we have dined at a WDW buffet, we have received a lot of attention from the wait person. Particularly at the character meals, when the wait person kept an eye on us and the characters and made sure we were at the table when the characters went by our table. We have always tipped this wait staff just as we would at any other TS.

 

[shellybaxter]

We tip the same at buffets as we do at other TS restaurants. I was thinking of this issue last night when we went to a new restaurant here in our small rural town. They have a buffet on Friday and Saturaday nights - which we didn't know when we went there, but stayed for anyway. The buffet was great and the service was unbelievable. The server came to our table with water, offered us other drinks, and then explained the buffet to us. She brought soup for my husband and drinks for us both. She promptly took my salad plate and dh's soup bowl. As I approached the buffet (it was served in covered dishes) she approached and held each of the dish covers as I chose my food. We were one of the first couples in the restaurant so I thought maybe this was just for me, but nope, we saw this done over and over again. Each wait person appeared to have only one or two tables at a time. After I got my food she asked if I needed anything else. When we were finished she took our dinner plates and prepared us crepe suzette at the dessert table while we chose from the rest of the table. She refilled our water glasses quickly and brought our check as we were finishing. What wonderful service. We tipped $15.00 on a $60.00 check, over 20%. As I was doing so I remembered those who will only tip 10 to 12% because its a buffet and wondered how they would have tipped in this situation? I tip based on service and I've always received service at buffets equilivant to the TS so I tip accordingly

 

[disneyjunkie]

I also tip the same amount at both buffets and table service places.

 

[disneyfav4ever]

For me it depends on the service. If I have a very good server, clears plates, brings drinks, is friendly, takes my pictures with the characters, etc, I've left up to about 25% at times. I've had some great servers at CRT, Boma, and Crystal Palace.

But then I've also had horrible service at buffets, including one gentlemen server who made snappy comments, took literally half an hour to bring me my drink, and did not clear my plate, who I only left 10% for, that was more then he deserved in my opinion.

 

[Eeyore's Pal]

We tip the same at buffets as regular table service -- 20% for good service, more or less if service is better or less than expected.

While the server many not bring your plates to you they certainly clear your plates, and at a typical buffet meal, wwwaaayyy more plates than at a regular meal. And they still take care of everything else -- drinks, condiments, special requests, etc.

 

[my3disneygirls]

I tip 20% regardless if it is a buffet or sit down. If the service is not good that percentage goes down. If the server at the buffet is on top of clearing plates, keeping glasses full and is on top of things I think they deserve a good tip. On the other hand if were sitting with a table full of dirty plates and empty glasses the tip will suffer.

 

[Nancyg56]

I also tip 20% for standard service even at a buffet. I adjust up or down depending on the level of service. I can honestly say that the service at buffet restaurants in Disney has always been stellar and generally add more when I am using the DDP.

 

[TDC Nala]

What annoyed me this last visit was that disney automatically adds the 18% tip on the bill for parties of 8 or more.

Starting January 1, this will be parties of 6 or more.

I tip the same for buffets as for table service.

Since I have a DDE card, I guess it's going to be 18% from now on.