I Couldn't Believe My Ears!

[bouncy54]

I see this is a HOT issue with some people here... like the smoking and kids on a harness subjects.

Sorry I even started the thread now.

 

[wtccheermom]

We were a party of eight and our share of the tip for 2 adults, 1 child, and 1 under 2 was about 30.00 each meal and the funny part was our party was never seated together. We were always put at 2 four top tables in the same area.

I also wanted to add that this past trip I did not mind the 18% because at all but 1 restaurant we had over the top service and it was well deserved.

 

[maxiesmom]

I agree that a $72 tip for a buffet is ridiculous. I find it amazing what our culture decides to tip or not. I mean really...

$72 was not the right tip amount for 8 people. It should be $47.50.

And honestly, I think the buffet CMs do as much if not more than the wait staff at table service restaurants. They bring your drink, then constantly have to clean your dirty plates away. Which can mean many runs back and forth. It is not like they do nothing, or only check on you once.

 

[TaraPA]

I see this is a HOT issue with some people here... like the smoking and kids on a harness subjects.

Sorry I even started the thread now.

It will probably get locked shortly, threads on tipping are not allowed anymore on The DIS (unless they recently reversed that)!

 

[poohgirl6]

I see this is a HOT issue with some people here... like the smoking and kids on a harness subjects.

Sorry I even started the thread now.

Yes, it certainly seems to be Not sure but lots of Disers seem to have strong opinions about tipping (if you think this thread is bad, don't even bring up the subject of tipping/not tipping Mousekeepers).

OP, do what is best for your family. I don't see how splitting up your group is worth the hassle, but if that works for you, then great! Hope you have a great time

 

[dizneechic]

So am I following you correctly? Say your party consists of 4 adults and 4 kids your total for breakfast (assuming by the 8:05/:10 times) would be 119.92 + tax (not sure the exact %) and 18% tip (21.40). Rather than having the 18% automatically added your dividing your party into 2, so the meals would still cost the same and now both tables need to tip. So even if you cheaped out and left 10% tips on your new totals of 59.96 per table (so a 10% tip would be 6 bucks per table) you save under $10 combined for the inconvenience of splitting up and not giving the wait staff the tip they deserve?

As for what we leave... we have Tables in Wonderland and 18% is automatically added to every meal we use our card at. We don't think twice about it. The staff there isn't incredibly overpaid, and the wait staff do a lot of work. Unless we had an absolutely horrible experience I wouldn't think twice about trying to short them on the tip they rightfully earned (regardless if we were at one OR two tables ).

 

[wtccheermom]

Yes, it certainly seems to be Not sure but lots of Disers seem to have strong opinions about tipping (if you think this thread is bad, don't even bring up the subject of tipping/not tipping Mousekeepers).

OP, do what is best for your family. I don't see how splitting up your group is worth the hassle, but if that works for you, then great! Hope you have a great time

Make sure you split it up under 2 separate reservations because our party was put at 2 separate tables but because we were all under the same reservation number we fell under the automatic 18% rule.

 

[Bunnyfeather]

michelle, you are free to tip anyone who does a great job for you. Any non-degreed service is tippable, garbage man and babysitter and fast food worker. But I think it is especially important in jobs where tipping is so customary that the pay for the job is calculated assuming I have tipped! Anywhere tipping is required and I don't feel it is appropriate, I don't have to go there and nobody will make me.

And your hairdresser doesn't get $40 for that haircut, she probably nets more like $5 to $10. She probably rents that tiny little station for a huge amount of money, and if there is someone else working the register/making appointments/washing hair, those people have to be paid, too.

Oh, and I agree with others that if a waitperson chased me out to complain about the tip amount rudely, the entire tip would be gone. A polite question about the service would be fine, but accosting me and demanding more money is not acceptable.

 

[robinb]

My husband forgot to wake me up so I could make our reservations at the Crystal Palace for Nov. 14th. I was in kind of a sleepy panic when I called to make our reservation an hour after they opened in Florida, so the following didn't sink in until I got off the phone.

Right at the end of making our reservation, the man said that because our party consisted of more than 6 people, (8) they tack on an 18% gratuity charge.

Is this correct? A $72.00 tip for a buffet meal? Wowzer! I'd love to have made those kind of tips, for that amount of work, when I was a young waitress at that ole' truck stop! And to think, I used to run my butt off all day long for a paltry 10%! We should have moved to Florida & worked at WDW! We'd have been rich! (oh..that's right, there was no WDW back then)

So.. I just called again and split our group up. One ressie is at 8:05, the other is at 8:10. We may not get to sit together, but that's ok. We may get lucky and at least be able to get tables "close" to each other.

Now I have read everything! You split your party up in order to stiff the waitress her 18% tip. Unbelievable.

 

[Andrea73]

For some reason I thought the auto tip thing was for parties of 8. I was wrong. We will have three meals with a party of 7, CP breakfast, Cap May dinner and Boma dinner. We have 6 TS meals with a party of 4. It will be interesting to see if we get lesser service with the larger "auto-tip" group.

I would not split my party because I already tip well for good service. But I am a bit irritated that the server will get a set amount even if the service is horrible. But if the service is bad enough to warrant a tip reduction, it needs to be pointed out to management anyway.

 

[bouncy54]

Yes, it certainly seems to be Not sure but lots of Disers seem to have strong opinions about tipping (if you think this thread is bad, don't even bring up the subject of tipping/not tipping Mousekeepers).

OP, do what is best for your family. I don't see how splitting up your group is worth the hassle, but if that works for you, then great! Hope you have a great time

Thanks for your kind words. Splitting up our 2 families is not a big deal. We see each other nearly every day here at home. There are no small children traveling with us, other than our 10yo grandson and he's really not into the whole character thing. It doesn't matter to any of us if we sit a few tables away from each other. And yes... what works for our family is what we're going with. Money is a factor for us. Every penny counts.

I have found the WDW Dis boards much more..er.. "confrontational" than the DL Dis boards. I don't know why that is, but I've been around for a few years, and that's always been my observation. Think I'll stop posting here although I'll read the boards for information.

 

[dizneechic]

Can someone explain why the buffet servers should get as much as a waitress who busts her *** to give you a good experience? It's not like the buffet at WDW is cheap and you're not already paying for good service. Sorry, it's just hard for me to understand when I am already paying good money for a service, why I have to pay extra because it's the deemed cultural thing to do.

I have yet to experience a buffet at Disney where we were brought to a table and abandoned by wait staff. Granted we do mainly character meals, but our waitstaff constantly comes and checks on us, clears plates, handles special requests (like my kids who want more of something specific that might not be on the buffet), bring us drinks and keeps them topped of, are friendly and make sure our experience is everything it is meant to be. This past trip was my dd's b-day and the wait staff at the buffets even brought out a special cake & card for her (was noted on our the ADR's, but nothing was ever expected!), something above and beyond. In fact our buffet waitstaff (since we had 9 TS meals total this last trip) were as present as our waiter we had at LeCellier. The only difference is the LeCellier waiter took our order and brought our plates out, but he didn't have to clear them a few times like at the buffets when the kids would make multiple plates because they didn't want their food touching anything.

 

[robinb]

But I am a bit irritated that the server will get a set amount even if the service is horrible. But if the service is bad enough to warrant a tip reduction, it needs to be pointed out to management anyway.

In that case I have heard that management will reduce or remove the tip.

 

[crazycatlady]

I am always surprised by how many nasty, judgmental comments spring up from someone asking a question....

 

[2DisPrincesses]

My DH is in the restraunt industry as was I before staying home with my children. Buffet or not, most servers work VERY hard for their money.

We have almost always had excellent service at DW buffets. As mentioned before, they are clearing plates, refilling drinks, cleaning up messes, making sure you see characters, etc.

The OP says she was a waitress- not sure I understand why she would be looking to save money at the servers expense.

 

[leanne11]

i think the split was a good idea.. wish i would have thought of it... we went to the luau just me and dh couple of yrs ago.. i remember the server somehow let us know even though the show was not over it was tip time.. we were enjoying the show and he was asking about tips in cash and he wanted it now.. we didnt see anyone else being hit up during the show so i told him later on.. but he got pissed and didnt see him again for the nite..went to look for him but none of our tables saw him again...dont know if he got in trouble for that or what happened..by the way no one serviced us at all after the lava cake thing came out..

 

[Andrea73]

In that case I have heard that management will reduce or remove the tip.

Exactly, which is why it is not worth worrying about. If service is that bad....the management will deal with it.

 

[maxiesmom]

Thanks for your kind words. Splitting up our 2 families is not a big deal. We see each other nearly every day here at home. There are no small children traveling with us, other than our 10yo grandson and he's really not into the whole character thing. It doesn't matter to any of us if we sit a few tables away from each other. And yes... what works for our family is what we're going with. Money is a factor for us. Every penny counts.

I have yet to meet anyone for who money isn't a factor. However, most people do not find shortchanging someone who is working hard for you a way to make the most of your money.

What you plan on doing ahead of time to someone who may give you stellar service isn't kind. So how can you be suprised when some of our reactions to it are not kind either?

 

[2DisPrincesses]

i think the split was a good idea.. wish i would have thought of it... we went to the luau just me and dh couple of yrs ago.. i remember the server somehow let us know even though the show was not over it was tip time.. we were enjoying the show and he was asking about tips in cash and he wanted it now.. we didnt see anyone else being hit up during the show so i told him later on.. but he got pissed and didnt see him again for the nite..went to look for him but none of our tables saw him again...dont know if he got in trouble for that or what happened..by the way no one serviced us at all after the lava cake thing came out..

Wow- he certainly had quite the nerve.

 

[hentob]

Splitting up our 2 families is not a big deal. We see each other nearly every day here at home.

You have yet to acknowledge that your calculations were wrong and your tip WILL NOT be $72

It will only be $47.50

Will you still be splitting your family up? The tip comes out to be less than $6 a person. Not bad at all. To me, well worth hanging out and enjoying the company of loved ones.