Gratuity to be removed from DDP!!

[kaysmommie]

I will probably skip the DDP in 2008 since tax and tip is not included and we don't really need 4 desserts and appetizers with every meal anyway. Also I usually tip 20% so with us the servers will do better. Now if the service is not good we only tip 15%. I do feel bad for the servers though because some people on the DDP won't tip. They depend on this money as most of their income.

 

[wilde_oscar]

I will probably skip the DDP in 2008 since tax and tip is not included and we don't really need 4 desserts and appetizers with every meal anyway. Also I usually tip 20% so with us the servers will do better. Now if the service is not good we only tip 15%. I do feel bad for the servers though because some people on the DDP won't tip. They depend on this money as most of their income.

wait a tic, they choose the job they have, they know that good service = tip = gas in the car and rent gets paid. If they are no good at their job = no tip = the world needs ditch diggers too. If I were lousy at my job and brought a half assed attitude as I have seen on some servers (some, not all) I'd probably not be getting a raise nor a bonus. Ya gotta be in it to win it, every performance should be as if this is the only chance the patron will have to see in their lifetime. would ya tip me 15% for taking 20 min to bring you drinks, not clearing the plates, disappearing for 45 min with your card, then slapping down the bilfold without even a thank you? And yet I was forced to tip 18% for this. UG When you tip for bad service you encourage more bad service.

 

[Colleen27]

True, although I believe Disney always knew it would be flushing some money down the drain with the DDP, i.e. as a loss leader to increase on-site hotel occupancy (and consequently theme park attendance, merchandise sales, etc.). It just amazes me that apparently they miscalculated the cost of this loss leader so badly that they feel it necessary to increase the effective price by as much as 20% (or more, depending on how one uses the DDP) in one fell swoop. What business raises its prices by 20-25% all at once? That is not fine-tuning to find the sweet spot; that's a radical change.

Do we know that cost is the sole motivator, though? There are numerous threads here about the service issues that have arisen with the DDP - it is very possible that dropping the gratuity from the plan is driven by service concerns as well as by profit margin.

I like the DDP for convenience as much as for value and since we order drinks we've always used both meal credits & the room charge simultaneously, so I kind of like this change (if it is in fact going to happen). My DH, on the other hand, is much more focused on the value, and a reduction in the value of the DDP combined with the new smoking policy will probably be enough for him to want to try the Dolphin next time. For our upcoming trip, the DDP was the tipping point that kept us in a Disney resort despite the smoking rule change.

 

[DisOrBust]

How clever. Disney has taken away any real individuality left in their restaurants by standardizing their menus and removing favorites. Many said oh this is needed because the DDP is SUCH a value! Well not much of a value anymore is it?

 

[SlightlyGoofy]

To the poster who wanted to know what the 'bounceback' is ---

Rumor has it that DW 'might' offer a bounceback offer during this years Free Dining promotion where you could sign up for the same deal next year. Who knows if it is true or not but I was wondering if that promotion might include the Free Dining in its current form rather than a morphed version.

If I had my druthers I would prefer to see an all CS dining plan. Or one where you could choose how many CS or TS you want as some like one more than the other.

Slightly Goofy

 

[Muushka]

We will also eat off-site or at our resort. In-room. No problema! I agree, it is rather liberating. We were up in the air about the DDP anyway. This just helped us make up our minds.

 

[phlufster]

First of all, I am not "pot-stirring", I am just passing along information that was giving to me and trust me it is valid information. It has not been officially approved yet, however we were told to prepare for it and I am letting you all know so that you can too.

We were told that this is a decision that is being made so that Disney can save money. The way that the dining plan is set up, the gratuity that gets paid to the servers is money coming straight out of the profit margin for Disney. Disney doesn't want to pay us anymore, they want you to. It wouldn't be the first time Disney has made a change that negatively effects the CM's and guests while being a "positive" financial decision for themselves.

wait a tic, they choose the job they have, they know that good service = tip = gas in the car and rent gets paid. If they are no good at their job = no tip = the world needs ditch diggers too. If I were lousy at my job and brought a half assed attitude as I have seen on some servers (some, not all) I'd probably not be getting a raise nor a bonus. Ya gotta be in it to win it, every performance should be as if this is the only chance the patron will have to see in their lifetime. would ya tip me 15% for taking 20 min to bring you drinks, not clearing the plates, disappearing for 45 min with your card, then slapping down the bilfold without even a thank you? And yet I was forced to tip 18% for this. UG When you tip for bad service you encourage more bad service.

This is great in theory, but what about the posters that say they would never tip over $10 no matter what. I have had many tables where my service is great, but something was wrong with the way their food was cooked and it was reflected in my tip. This isn't fair, but you deal with it. Unfortunately many people do not understand the restaurant business and don't appreciate what servers do for them. Servers aren't as low on the food chain as people like to put them and it is too bad that many people don't appreciate the hard work that they do for them.

Also, if you were lousy at your job, you would still get your base rate which I imagine must be more than the $2.35 we get.

 

[CanadianGuy]

Welll since this just rumor.. what we don't know is if the PRICE of the DDP will CHANGE as a result of this proposed change.

To me.. all this agitata over this is pointless until an official announcement is made. We can't know what the proposed change will mean for the price of the DDP.. because nothing has been officially announced.

Until it is.. getting upset over this seems rather pointless.

Knox

 

[Pumbaa_]

Until it is.. getting upset over this seems rather pointless.

but Knox, it is what we like to do!

 

[Tam1067]

I have mixed feelings about this, but ultimately the servers will lose out. Also, the many foreign tourists generally do not tip as well as Americans do (on average) because in other countries, tipping is not expected as it is here. So the servers will lose from them as well, even if the service is good. I think the servers at buffets will get hurt the most because most people do not tip 18% at a buffet, ever.

 

[blanq]

...We were told that this is a decision that is being made so that Disney can save money. The way that the dining plan is set up, the gratuity that gets paid to the servers is money coming straight out of the profit margin for Disney. Disney doesn't want to pay us anymore, they want you to. It wouldn't be the first time Disney has made a change that negatively effects the CM's and guests while being a "positive" financial decision for themselves.

This does not surprise me at all, and is in fact what I thought the motivation to make the change would be. Not to dis all of those getting "free dining", but I would prefer that Disney drop the free dining they have offered the last two years, and leave the dining plan pricing as is. That promotion, I am sure, has brought in some new business, but there are 10 1/2 months in the rest of the year to consider.

 

[rentayenta]

wait a tic, they choose the job they have, they know that good service = tip = gas in the car and rent gets paid. If they are no good at their job = no tip = the world needs ditch diggers too. If I were lousy at my job and brought a half assed attitude as I have seen on some servers (some, not all) I'd probably not be getting a raise nor a bonus. Ya gotta be in it to win it, every performance should be as if this is the only chance the patron will have to see in their lifetime. would ya tip me 15% for taking 20 min to bring you drinks, not clearing the plates, disappearing for 45 min with your card, then slapping down the bilfold without even a thank you? And yet I was forced to tip 18% for this. UG When you tip for bad service you encourage more bad service.

Unfortunately good service does not always equal a good tip. Many other factors besides service factor in what people tip like the kind of day they have had, the dinner conversation, their child's attitude while at dinner, the taste of the food which has NOTHING to do with the server, and how long they had to wait for a table, etc., I was an excellent server and made lots of money but there are folks who are cheap and who don't know how to tip. No amount of excellent service can teach class and fairness.

 

[disneyjunkie]

I am VERY curious if anyone else has done this....
and if there will be any issues with it!
(GREAT idea BTW if it is OK!)

I'm planning to do this during our trip in August. As long as I'm willing to pay for the things not covered by the plan, I don't see why the server needs to know we're on the plan as soon as we sit down.

It doesn't matter to me if the tip is included or not. We'll continue to book the dining plan.

 

[Kayleebug]

If this happens, I will not be using the DDP in the future and will be eating a lot of meals off site.

 

[Bubbley4Disney]

I wish there was a poll posted on this topic of how many people think that Disney is just trying to squeeze more money out of the customers, or to provide a better dining experience for the customer and to encourage the Servers to provide better service. I personally believe Disney has the better interest of the Customer. If the servers can't make enough $ at Disney Parks doing what they do, the way Disney sets up the DDP... I am sure there are other restaurants in Florida, Right? I believe the DDP is a great value either way...

 

[brooke1]

If this comes to be, i ill do what i ahve done in the past, eat CS meals and one TS at Chef Mickeys, because my DS likes it


Brooke

 

[jtnsami]

Unfortunately good service does not always equal a good tip. Many other factors besides service factor in what people tip like the kind of day they have had, the dinner conversation, their child's attitude while at dinner, the taste of the food which has NOTHING to do with the server, and how long they had to wait for a table, etc., I was an excellent server and made lots of money but there are folks who are cheap and who don't know how to tip. No amount of excellent service can teach class and fairness.

No truer words were ever spoken.

 

[disneyjunkie]

I wish there was a poll posted on this topic of how many people think that Disney is just trying to squeeze more money out of the customers, or to provide a better dining experience for the customer and to encourage the Servers to provide better service. I personally believe Disney has the better interest of the Customer. If the servers can't make enough $ at Disney Parks doing what they do, the way Disney sets up the DDP... I am sure there are other restaurants in Florida, Right? I believe the DDP is a great value either way...

 

[perd]

Well, I guess we'll enjoy our free dining in September and that'll be that! I can't see paying for the DDP PLUS paying tip (and did someone say taxes too?) Like someone else said, we don't need an appetizer and dessert for each person. We don't need a TS meal every day.

I really think this will backfire on Disney. People go to DisneyWorld for different reasons. Some go just for the parks. I haven't been nearly as much as some people, I think 5 times total, and only 1 of those onsite. If it were just the parks, I wouldn't go anymore. But I was on the verge of a new kind of experience at DW, staying onsite, using the DDP, and with kids not little anymore, I was looking forward to spending time just relaxing and enjoying the resorts and meals and not so much emphasis on spending all day in the parks. I was happy to see the DDP was a good value and I had visions of going once or twice a year and enjoying the whole Disney experience, including DDP.

I just can't see doing it if the price remains the same but we have to pay tip and possibly tax.

 

[rentayenta]

No truer words were ever spoken.

Thank you.