Mandatory tips at WDW

[tyniknate]

I just wanted to post and see if anyone else feels the way I do about the mandatory 20% tip on parties of 8 or more. We went on the dining plan last trip and are planning to go this way again next year. Yes, we will again be a party of 8. I'm wondering why we are penalized for being a party of 8? Sure, we can split into smaller groups to eat, but the whole point is sitting down to dinner together - even at WDW.

Here's the thing that really makes me angry. We eat at a buffet like Chef Mickey's. The cafeteria-quality food is already way overpriced at $40 per person. Gotta figure Disney is making a 90% profit on those type meals, since the quality of the food isn't what it used to be. Sure, using the dining plan gives a small discount, but it is still a little pricey. Our wait-person takes us to our table, brings us a drink and tells us to have a nice meal. We are charged a 20% tip for that? At $320 for the 8 us us - that's a $64 tip for bringing us drinks. If you take that times 10 days of meals - that's an additional $640 in tips for the trip. Am I wrong for feeling this way? Please don't go on and on about the poor servers making less than minimum wage. I don't believe it for a minute. And at $64 per meal, times 1 hour per table, times an eight hour shift.......that's a whole lottal money that goes home every night. I don't mind tipping for service, but it should be based on service. Not mandated by party size.

 

[daisygirl902]

I agree totally...I am not usually one to complain, nor have many bad service experiences as I am very easy to please...however this last trip we ate in a large party at Flying Fish...the service was horrible - so bad that I called to speak to the area manager...and the woman made a killing on the mandatory tip from our table...I was so irate! There were 15 of us in total, and just the tip on my bill alone was $28, so I'm assuming she made close to $250 on our table, for sub par service...

What am I referring to by sub par service you ask?
-When being seated, they weren't sure if they had brought the right party in , and made us stand awkwardly in the middle of the restaurant while they figured it out (not the servers fault, but a bad foot to start off on for Signature Dining)
-Server being abrupt, and answering questions in a very rushed fashion (this can be acceptable when busy, but we were first seating so they were not busy at all, and when combined with the below issues it grated on my nerves).
-She brought out the desserts so far apart that my husband (the slowest eater ever) was FINISHED his before mine hit the table...
-She made a mistake on the bill (charging my sister - all the way at the other end of the table, for my appetizer), and when asked to fix it, left us waiting for almost 30 minutes, knowing that we were trying to get out in time to head over and see Wishes.
-No apologies, no empathy for the wait, nothing...she was one of the worst servers I have encountered at Disney...

Keep in mind I rarely have servers I don't like - I am fairly easy to please...but I do like to have a bit of control over the amount of money I'm going to put in someones pocket at the end of the day.

FYI - I am NOT a cheap tipper, and normally tip 20% and more for any meal in a restaurant, be it at Disney or elsewhere, but if the service sucks have been known to knock it down to 10 or 15%. This is how the service industry works in my mind!!

End rant...lol

 

[madalex]

The practice of assessing a mandatory tip at 18% - 20% for larger parties (6 or 8 or more) is a completely common practice in the restaurant industry and is not in any way limited to Disney. If this is problematic for you, perhaps CS meals are the way to go for your party.

 

[Tricia1972]

Closing this thread. All tipping discussion is limited to the tipping sticky at the top of this forum. The first post explains why there is one thread, has the thread guidelines and a tipping FAQ. (The FAQ will have the tipping facts, things like it's 18% for a party of 6 or more, etc)

Quick Click to the sticky