Poor service because of the DDP?

[mom2my3kids]

WOW and Double WOW!!!

It was sure nice of you to give the waiters extra tips like that. I know some of them do deserve it, specially after all they go through.

As for your second experience, I don't know how you did it, you must be an . If that was me, I would have been thrown out of the restaurant.

I would not let anyone talk my my child that way, I would of told her good. Just like one time we were at the movies, my middle child with all the excitement must of been kicking this ladies seat in front of us. Instead of being a adult and saying something to me, she turns around and screams at my son who was 8 at the time to stop fffffffrff kicking her seat. My son was so upset he started crying because he didn't realized he had kicked her seat. I leaned down and told her off good, I told her never to talk my my son that way and if she had a problem she should of said something to me. I told her he was not doing it deliberately and she should be ashamed of herself. She was middle aged and her daughter started to get in on it and I told her good also, finally our husbands said please lets watch the movie, as the previews were starting. People have nerve to think they can talk to other peoples children in a rude and mean manner, not my kids..

 

[autumnsmommy]

We had a bad server in Kona, and it was a DDP issue, other tables she had she would check on, but we were ignored and sat with empty glasses, etc. The other tables were not DDP, and got nice service, friendly banter, tasting portions, etc, while we were passed over. It doesn't take a lot to keep me happy, just refill my tea and I'm ok.

 

[Disney Padawan]

We had a bad server in Kona, and it was a DDP issue, other tables she had she would check on, but we were ignored and sat with empty glasses, etc. The other tables were not DDP, and got nice service, friendly banter, tasting portions, etc, while we were passed over. It doesn't take a lot to keep me happy, just refill my tea and I'm ok.

Sorry this happened to you, I keep hearing more and more stories like yours. Just curious, when did you go?

 

[deltachi8]

I have been to WDW before the DDP and since it's inception have made trips both on and off the plan and I have noticed no difference in service. O fthe best 5 servers I have experienced, two coame off plan (Spoodles and Marrekesh) and three on plan (Ohana, LeCelier, Mama Melrose).

 

[Lewisc]

I wonder what will happen in 2008. Will DDP guests get poor service because servers are afraid of getting stiffed?

I'll consider either tipping in advance or saying something like please run a room charge check (or credit card, or I'll pay cash) for my drinks and for the tip.

edited to add I won't be purchased the 2008 DDP if the plan is as outlined on All-Ears.

 

[Disney Padawan]

I wonder what will happen in 2008. Will DDP guests get poor service because servers are afraid of getting stiffed?

I wonder this myself.

 

[lilyv]

The more complicated the DPP plan is, the more the cast members have to take time to explain. Add in that guest don't always appreciated the "rules"...and you have a messy situation. I understand adults being annoyed at what they are "allowed." Annoyed guests don't usually tip well, if at all. If the tip is left to the guest next year, there may be quite a drop in tips to servers.

What server wouldn't prefer a "regular" table, unfortunately?

I wish Disney would just give x% off, and call it square. Give the guest some sort of card-something easy. Let the guest make their food choices, rather than having them made for them.

As I read about possibilities for next year, and contrast them with this year the entire set up reminds me of the rules in a dorm cafeteria. Not my cup of tea.

 

[wilde_oscar]

The more complicated the DPP plan is, the more the cast members have to take time to explain. Add in that guest don't always appreciated the "rules"...and you have a messy situation. I understand adults being annoyed at what they are "allowed." Annoyed guests don't usually tip well, if at all. If the tip is left to the guest next year, there may be quite a drop in tips to servers.

What server wouldn't prefer a "regular" table, unfortunately?

I wish Disney would just give x% off, and call it square. Give the guest some sort of card-something easy. Let the guest make their food choices, rather than having them made for them.

As I read about possibilities for next year, and contrast them with this year the entire set up reminds me of the rules in a dorm cafeteria. Not my cup of tea.

Well I have been holding off commenting on this thread, as I have been blasted in several threads of similar topic... but here goes.

There is a % off method it is the DDE (http://allearsnet.com/pl/discounts.htm)

The whole thing of tipping, and having the tip removed from DDP... This move brings the Dinning package more in line with Cruise Ships, and all inclusive trips like Sandals. And moving the tip to the guest is better for service. I have gone into the details as to why this is many times, but let me sum up this way... Applebees, you tip at the end of the meal based on service. The new DDP works the same way. Servers will have to educate the customer in a polite way, and work for the tip… the universe has operated this way for a long time.

The server asking you to order appie, entrée, and desert all at once is most likely to improve table timings. Faster table turn over, would make it possible to process more people though the restaurant, but ya have to have a good kitchen staff to make that work. To that end, removing the appie will help to improve table timing. As with all things WDW does, they are trying to maximize profit. We as guests try to maximize our value. That is the reason boards like this are so popular, everyone can share their experience so the next time, or the next person can squeeze out a little more enjoyment.

Staffing at WDW is a delicate balance. Orlando in general is having entry level staffing issues because the popularity of the vacation destination pushes up cost of living, so it is tough to live on entry level wage, so entry level staff is in short supply. New York, NY is an example of this, great to visit, but would not wanna live there.

 

[lilyv]

Well I have been holding off commenting on this thread, as I have been blasted in several threads of similar topic... but here goes.

There is a % off method it is the DDE (http://allearsnet.com/pl/discounts.htm)

The whole thing of tipping, and having the tip removed from DDP... This move brings the Dinning package more in line with Cruise Ships, and all inclusive trips like Sandals. And moving the tip to the guest is better for service. I have gone into the details as to why this is many times, but let me sum up this way... Applebees, you tip at the end of the meal based on service. The new DDP works the same way. Servers will have to educate the customer in a polite way, and work for the tip… the universe has operated this way for a long time.

The server asking you to order appie, entrée, and desert all at once is most likely to improve table timings. Faster table turn over, would make it possible to process more people though the restaurant, but ya have to have a good kitchen staff to make that work. To that end, removing the appie will help to improve table timing. As with all things WDW does, they are trying to maximize profit. We as guests try to maximize our value. That is the reason boards like this are so popular, everyone can share their experience so the next time, or the next person can squeeze out a little more enjoyment.

Staffing at WDW is a delicate balance. Orlando in general is having entry level staffing issues because the popularity of the vacation destination pushes up cost of living, so it is tough to live on entry level wage, so entry level staff is in short supply. New York, NY is an example of this, great to visit, but would not wanna live there.

I'm well aware of the DDE. I wasn't clear-I wish there was just a % off card, period. While there are plenty of DDPers who are happy with the plan, there are also plenty who need long explanations, ask for substitutions, and so on. It's perfectly ok to do so, but eventually the servers are likely to shy away from DDPers just because of the few tables per evening that are very high maintenance. A simple % off would put the choice back on the customer, instead of making the server the allower/disallower.

 

[Disney Padawan]

Well I have been holding off commenting on this thread, as I have been blasted in several threads of similar topic... but here goes.

There is a % off method it is the DDE (http://allearsnet.com/pl/discounts.htm)

The whole thing of tipping, and having the tip removed from DDP... This move brings the Dinning package more in line with Cruise Ships, and all inclusive trips like Sandals. And moving the tip to the guest is better for service. I have gone into the details as to why this is many times, but let me sum up this way... Applebees, you tip at the end of the meal based on service. The new DDP works the same way. Servers will have to educate the customer in a polite way, and work for the tip… the universe has operated this way for a long time.

The server asking you to order appie, entrée, and desert all at once is most likely to improve table timings. Faster table turn over, would make it possible to process more people though the restaurant, but ya have to have a good kitchen staff to make that work. To that end, removing the appie will help to improve table timing. As with all things WDW does, they are trying to maximize profit. We as guests try to maximize our value. That is the reason boards like this are so popular, everyone can share their experience so the next time, or the next person can squeeze out a little more enjoyment.

Staffing at WDW is a delicate balance. Orlando in general is having entry level staffing issues because the popularity of the vacation destination pushes up cost of living, so it is tough to live on entry level wage, so entry level staff is in short supply. New York, NY is an example of this, great to visit, but would not wanna live there.

Well put. I agree, removing the tip from the DDP and leaving it up to the guest should increase CM service.

As for the DDE, I thought it was just a % off card, is this not the case?

 

[Nancyg56]

Well put. I agree, removing the tip from the DDP and leaving it up to the guest should increase CM service.

In theory it would. Even playing field, CM's do not have a guaranteed gratuity, and no prior knowledge of their customers. Yeah servers will increase their level of service. In practice...not so cut and dried. If after a period of time a pattern emerges that DDP guests are leaving little to no tip and those not on the plan seem to be leaving closer to the 15 to 18% a CM may not give the same amount of attention to DDP guests if it is busy. I am not saying it will happen, most servers in any restaurant are professionals and will practice their trade in that manner. I do feel that there is the possibility that the servers may not be compensated enough by some DDP guests and that may impact service down the line.


I was one of the people who never saw any evidence that the servers treated my family differently or unprofessionally when we used the DDP and we were able to enjoy it three times last year. I am not convinced that removing the gratuity will improve service but may have the opposite effect.

 

[intricatejewel]

The changes made to the 2008 dining package will be for both good and bad, in my opinion. I've only experienced the dining plan for the first time last year and we're doing it again for the "Free Dining" this fall. When we dined at Whispering Canyon last October, it was painfully obvious that our server gave us terrible service as opposed to her other tables that were not on the DDP. There were a couple more similiar experiences, but not as blatant. As I understand the 2008 DDP, tip is no longer included. Yes, that's a little more out of your pocket, but you're more than likely to get better service. Is it worth it to me? Probably not, because I liked the value aspect of the DDP. I'm content eating chicken strips and french fries for the duration of my trip to stay within budget. But boy, will I miss that all inclusive food aspect of my Disney vacation! It really helped make the vacation for us!

 

[disneyfav4ever]

Hmmm....that's terrible!!
After reading this, it's started me thinking.

We check into WDW this Thursday. I'm seriously thinking that each TS meal we have, when/if the server asks us at the beginning of our meal if we're on the DP, I may just tell them, "We are on the plan, but we may pay OOP for this meal. We haven't decided yet".

I think I may do the same thing. I know we have two "extra" meals that we have to pay OOP for. I was just going to pay OOP for the cheapest meals, CP and Boma. But now I think I'll hang on to the credits, so if we get a rude server, we can pay OOP and lower the tip.

I'd rather pay full price OOP for an expensive meal and have good service, then have horrible service with a "free" meal.

 

[Disney Padawan]

In theory it would. Even playing field, CM's do not have a guaranteed gratuity, and no prior knowledge of their customers. Yeah servers will increase their level of service. In practice...not so cut and dried. If after a period of time a pattern emerges that DDP guests are leaving little to no tip and those not on the plan seem to be leaving closer to the 15 to 18% a CM may not give the same amount of attention to DDP guests if it is busy. I am not saying it will happen, most servers in any restaurant are professionals and will practice their trade in that manner. I do feel that there is the possibility that the servers may not be compensated enough by some DDP guests and that may impact service down the line.

I didn't think about that one.

With time, there's always a possibility that this will happen, which will bring us back to where we are now. If Disney could hire more hands and increase wages, it will undoubtedly improve conditions, regardless of what DDP's are in use.

 

[LoveThatDarnMouse]

I wonder how much waiters and waitresses get paid an hour?
I'm curious if this may have something to do with the poor service with DDP customers?
Are They just trying to get a good tip from non DDP users, to make ends meet?
If this is true, it's still no excuse for bad service but it's just another reason why Disney should pay their employees higher wages.

We spoke to our waiter at Whispering Canyons last week about this. He was a struggling college student who lived about 45 minutes away from Disney. He said the only reason he hauled his butt all the way to Disney was because of the tips. He said he only made about $3.50 an hour. He said that the characters make nothing since they aren't making tips and it wouldn't be worth his time.

 

[Nancyg56]

I didn't think about that one.

With time, there's always a possibility that this will happen, which will bring us back to where we are now. If Disney could hire more hands and increase wages, it will undoubtedly improve conditions, regardless of what DDP's are in use.

Not likely, IMO. More likely Disney will end up having to ask people who purchase the DDP to agree to an automatic gratuity being added on the final bill. Have you used the Entertainment Book? I posted on another thread about my experience as a server and as a customer when this coupon was used. There is a reason why dining establishment are allowed to add an automatic tip onto the final bill, and it is not because they want to expedite the customers exit from the table .

There were many posts the past years of people stretching the plan and then resenting the tip that was added on, and yet they were not paying for the servers time out of their own pockets. Imagine these same people, on a budget, paying for a "value" that has only been decreased one dollar and that has had actual value decreased by the cost of an appetizer and the cost of an added gratuity. While a lot of people do not "punish" the server for this, there are many who will not care that the person enhancing their experience is earning their living. This person is the means to getting their food, that's all. The same family who used to split meals to keep their meals within budget and who is already stretching thin to afford this vacation may not feel compelled to look at eh total cost of the meal, but at the check total.

I know that not everyone is going to do this, but if there are enough DDP users who do and the server is very busy the DDP family may not have the same level as the non DDP family.

So........I think that losing the gratuity is only for the time being. It will come back and the only difference is that the customer will pay it. I think I saw that it is already going to be added on for parties of 6 or more. There was a reason for that and I think it will be expanded.

 

[Disney Padawan]

Not likely, IMO.
There were many posts the past years of people stretching the plan and then resenting the tip that was added on, and yet they were not paying for the servers time out of their own pockets. Imagine these same people, on a budget, paying for a "value" that has only been decreased one dollar and that has had actual value decreased by the cost of an appetizer and the cost of an added gratuity. While a lot of people do not "punish" the server for this, there are many who will not care that the person enhancing their experience is earning their living. This person is the means to getting their food, that's all. The same family who used to split meals to keep their meals within budget and who is already stretching thin to afford this vacation may not feel compelled to look at eh total cost of the meal, but at the check total.

I agree, most people never think about it from the server's point of view.
So, you don't think increasing their staff and hourly wage, will improve the situation? Just wondering?

 

[SEC]

We have the DDE card and use it instead of DDP because of the discount on alcohol and I would not be able to eat the amount of food that DDP provides (even with all the walking). Every server is so relieved when they find out we are not on DDP. Even today when I was making a reservation for October, the lady on the phone sounded relieved when I told her we were not on DDP. I do think that DDP has limited the menu selections and we do not like that.

 

[autumnsmommy]

Sorry this happened to you, I keep hearing more and more stories like yours. Just curious, when did you go?

May 07, week before Memorial Day...Sorry so long in posting, trying to plan next trip

 

[autumnsmommy]

I've used the DDE, and the DDP, and I believe we've gotten better service with the DDE by far. Also, strangely, better table locations- same size party.