I was told by a CM waiter that in Jan they will add 18% to DDE users

[bicker]

I agree Claire -- something sounds fishy. I won't believe a word of it until someone announces it officially, on letterhead.

 

[just another guy]

That interesting. If they're adding on an automatic 18% gratuity for DDE, that would make me more readily disbelieve the rumor that they're removing the 18% gratuity for the Dining Plan.

I don't know why people continue to think this is a rumor some are just making up. There are signs hanging up around disney backstage, and union reps have sat down, and ran through the new policies with some servers I know.

*18% on DDP, GONE! (there will be some sort of setup where the paperwork will have a space to write in the tip, and it was show the guest what 18% of their bill would be, as well as 20% of their bill would be, so people know how to tip)
*18% added to DDE users
*Parties of 6+ = 18% grat

Its not official as they haven't voted, but its not like disney is just going to give up, and let everything stay the same. They've made a lot of changed included taking away full timers bonuses, and other stuff. Disney flat out said they want the 18% gone from the DDP. The servers union counter argued, and I'm told thats where they got the 18% on the DDE, and the lower number for adding grat. This way, the servers should still get about the same amount of grat as before the changed. Its a give and take setup right now, and the servers union is just trying to get as much as they can for the servers.

 

[bicker]

So what you're saying is that the union got as much as they lost; sounds like a fine negotiation.

I still won't advocate getting concerned about changes until they are official.

 

[Claire L]

I am thinking that people on the DDP will not be carrying as much cash or possibly have access to as much so why is the tip not included? If on DDE you will have cash or other means to pay so having the money will not be such an issue. Also if people are on DDP they know that they don't need to budget for meals so will they want to have to pay the tip? Also what will the tip be based on will it be the DDP price or the price of the meal had it not been on DDP?

Claire

 

[makinorlando]

I always tip back at least the 20% discount. It is just DD and I and we are not high maintenance diners, so that is generally my rule of thumb, I usually will round up to the nearest dollar. It is so easy not having to "do the math"!!!!

 

[bicker]

I am thinking that people on the DDP will not be carrying as much cash or possibly have access to as much so why is the tip not included?

That shouldn't matter, as long as they allow you to put the gratuity on your room charge.

Also if people are on DDP they know that they don't need to budget for meals so will they want to have to pay the tip?

Presumably, if they suggested change becomes reality, guests will be informed, at time of purchase and then again at check-in. While minor details may change without notice, high-level descriptions of what you're paying for and how much it will cost you are things that won't change without notice.

Also what will the tip be based on will it be the DDP price or the price of the meal had it not been on DDP?

Clearly that would be up to the guest, as is the case with any meal where a discount is used. The standards of our society is that the tip should be on the price of the meal BEFORE the discount.

 

[Lewisc]

I always base my tip on the price before a % discount or BOGO offer. However if the restaurant offers a price fixed dinner special I base my tip on the price of the special. I don't go back and add up what my dinner would have cost on the a la carte menu. One might argue the DDP provides the customer with fixed price dinner special. In fact the non-Disney owned restaurants took that approach in calcualting the tips owed their servers.

Clearly that would be up to the guest, as is the case with any meal where a discount is used. The standards of our society is that the tip should be on the price of the meal BEFORE the discount.

 

[bicker]

True but how would Average Joe arrive at the amount on which to base his gratuity? The allocation is not public information.

 

[Lewisc]

True but how would Average Joe arrive at the amount on which to base his gratuity? The allocation is not public information.

The maximum amount would be the entire cost of the DDP for the day, for some meals that would be less then the menu price of the items ordered. A reasonable person could even deduct $8-$10 for a CS meal and $3-$4 for a snack from the daily cost of the plan.

I'll speculate that Disney was no longer willing to pay servers 18% of the a la carte menu pricing of the items when guests were being given "complete meal" discount pricing.

 

[Tiffany]

I'm surprised - we always tip 20% on the original bill - I guess not every one does. The 18% will end up saving us money, so it won't be so bad!

I was thinking the same thing when I read the OP. If I go somewhere and they automatically add a tip I do not add to that amount so it will save me money also.

 

[marivaid]

I'll speculate that Disney was no longer willing to pay servers 18% of the a la carte menu pricing of the items when guests were being given "complete meal" discount pricing.

I was thinking that it could also be a way to discourage guests on the DDP to order the most expensive item(s) on the menu.

 

[Starr W.]

We just got back and used the DDE card and based our tip on the amount before the discount and went with at least 20%.

I read the other thread about DDP taking off the 18% gratuity, how many DDP users are going to tip 18% OOP?

 

[wildernesslodgelover]

The only problem I have with gratuity added to the bill is this: Many times the servers know they can slack, because the gratuity is included. Other than that, it does not bother me, because we are 20% tippers. But I don't want it to be assumed, I want the server to earn it.

BUT...since you do not present your DDE card until the very end, the server will not know that the gratuity is added. Sooo, no problem with it.

Also, I am sure if you have poor service, you can always refuse the tip. That's how it was at the restaurant I used to waitress at. It rarely happened (I don't think a lot of people realize that you can refuse to pay the included gratuity) but if a patron talked to a manager and stated their case as to why they did not want to tip, the manager always agreed with them, whether their claim was justified or not. You know...like, if the steak was overcooked. .. well, that's not the server's fault. If you said nothing to the server and ate it, it should have nothing to do with the tip. But a lot of patrons don't get that.

 

[wilde_oscar]

I am not sure I totally agree with having a tip 'forced' upon you. I know about the minimum wage not being applicable to servers but surely the level of service determines a tip, how can you then make it known that service was not good if you are forced to pay 18%? I must say we have rarely tipped less than 15 usually it is about 20%. I also agree about the whole 18% not going to the server, if I pay by CC I still leave a cash tip, just feel better leaving cash rather than adding it onto the CC.

Claire

Sing it out loud sister... the tip is dependent on good service. Ask any economist... The automatic tip provides a dis-incentive to servers to provide the best service possible.

DDPers of "the world" unite... have the automatic 18% tip removed for lousy service.

I would no more tip for bad service then I would pay my mechanic before a test drive to make sure the car is actually fixed, and receive the worn out parts that were replaced... too many scamers in the world.

 

[wdw4us2]

I hope this is not true. We have had a DDE card for over 10 years now and and not been happy with the changes in the past few years. This began when they opened membership up to non-Florida residents while at the same time they raised the menu prices by 20%.

We always tip between 18-20% of the original bill unless we receive extremely poor service. I don't like someone forcing us to pay an automatic 18% gratuity, especially since we are usually a party of four.

If this is true, it would seem that Disney is just trying to find a way to have less people belong to the DDE.

 

[Merriwind]

We're another DDE family that usually just adds the entire 20% discount back as the tip. I don't love the idea of a forced tip, so we'll be keeping the 2% discount. If service is not up to par, we will have no problem speaking to a manager to reduce or eliminate the tip. Can't really imagine that happening, but if it did, we would act accordingly.

I do see Lewisc's point that this could all be tied in with the gratuity not being included on DDP. It's a concession to the union that doesn't cost WDW a penny. Removing DDP gratuities took from the union, and makes money for WDW. If it passes, it's a win all-around for WDW management. Makes sense.

 

[gina2000]

I wonder what the gross sales figure for the DDE card is verses the gross sales of the DDP. That's the only way you can truly tell if the waitstaff is getting a good/bad/equal deal to their previous contract.

Sounds like WDW is making the DDE card less attractive for some people....those who do not tip adequately. I wonder how the waitstaff will fare with the DDP if people who are using it are not adequate tippers.

Time will tell.

 

[CPM]

I have had the Disney Dining Experience card for about 10 years. I don't remember it having anything to do with the Wilderness Lodge. I believe it used to be called the Food and Wine card, and I think at one point they were two separate cards (that was before I had it, so I'm not positive - but a loooong time ago it worked a little differently).

I've had it for at least 14 years. I never heard of it as any Wilderness Lodge thing either.
I do remember it being called the Food and Wine card. It was bright red or orange back then. Don't remember two separate cards though.

 

[CPM]

The only reason I could see them doing this is if many people tend to tip on the amount after the discounted check is presented.
I always ask for the original check and the discounted one, so I know what it was before the DDE was applied.
I find it hard to believe they can group DDE users as a whole and label them "bad tippers".

 

[gina2000]

This is a win/win for WDW. They no longer have to pay the 18% gratuity on DDP receipts. The patron does. The patron now also must pay a mandatory 18% on the DDE. The waitstaff is trading one for the other and depending on gross receipts, may or may not make out on the deal. The patrons lose $$ on the DDP and the patrons using DDE had to leave a tip all along...now it's just mandatory.

They just shuffled the cards to keep the waitstaff happy.....and possibly....not the patrons.