Spoke with some servers during our DDP meals about their tips...

[phlufster]

I think another good thing to point out when talking about tips is the fact that servers have to tip other people out at the end of the night. Where I work we tip 2-3% of our sales to the food runners and up to 10% of our liqour sales to the bartender.

Just imagine if a party of four had dinner and drinks and rang up a $200 bill with $50 of that being alcohol and they do not tip the server for one reason or another. The server would have to pay out $3-$4.50 to the food runners and $5 to the bar. Now, not only did they get stiffed, but they had to pay up to $10 out of their pocket to wait on that table!! Could you imagine going to your job and have to pay your boss out of your pocket?

I think it is very important that people are educated on how restaurants work. My fellow servers and I have said that Restaurant 101 should be a course in high school!!!

 

[blsx3]

I like the fact that the tip is included, however, if you get an unfriendly waiter/waitress that isn't doing a good job they are going to be receiving that tip regardless of the service they provide...

 

[Bronte]

When I was a waitress I made $1.87 per hour ... I had to tip out to the bus boy and hostess plus pay taxes on a set percentage regardless if I recieved that percentage or not.

 

[bicker]

I like the fact that the tip is included, however, if you get an unfriendly waiter/waitress that isn't doing a good job they are going to be receiving that tip regardless of the service they provide...

If you have a problem with service, immediately bring it to the attention of the manager. In almost every case, the manager will make things right for you, have someone get you what is missing, resolve a delay, even switch servers if you feel you've been treated rudely. There is no reason to accept poor service on the Dining Plan, so get it fixed, and you won't need to worry about the fact that the tip is included.

 

[susieq76]

The funny thing for us is- in Disney, when we're on the DDP- if the server gets 18%- its a crappy tip. My DH feels that we pay fairly little for the DP so he tips like he would anyway at home on our meals. He was a server and knows the deal so why not give them a little extra? We're on vacataion. Of course he doesn't tip (since they're getting 18% anyway) on really poor service- but that had only happened to us once (Alfredos). He does the same thing at an all-inclusive resort.

 

[LSchrow]

....Of course he doesn't tip (since they're getting 18% anyway) on really poor service- but that had only happened to us once (Alfredos).....

we must've had the same server!
we didn't order alcohol (we noticed that the 2 tables next to us who did order wine were given attentive service).
we gave him our order, & he just LITERALLY ignored us for the rest of the time we were there.
we had a great time anyway (the couple next to us was lotsa fun), and the wonderful busboy took over all our serving, etc.
maybe not nice, but i def got some satisfaction at the end of our meal, handing the busboy a VERY nice tip (the waiter suddenly "found us" upon seeing the green, but too late for him....)

 

[maminnie]

Just a thought...

If some of the servers are frustrated with the dining plan it could be that if they added up the prices for all the items the customer received on the dining plan (app, entree, dessert, non-alc. beverage) it would add up to much more than the amount that is allocated by Disney for that table service meal. Therefore the tip would be greater if the customer tipped 15 to 20%. (Although many people might not have ordered that many items/courses at a meal.)

maminnie

 

[bicker]

If some of the servers are frustrated with the dining plan it could be that if they added up the prices for all the items the customer received on the dining plan (app, entree, dessert, non-alc. beverage) it would add up to much more than the amount that is allocated by Disney for that table service meal.

Of course, it is important to keep in mind that that only affects the few non-Disney owned restaurants participating on the Dining Plan, and it doesn't even affect all of them as far as we know, but rather only the few that we've had confirmation of this regarding (San Angel Inn, Wolfgang Puck, Raglan Road, as far as I recall).

The vast majority of participating restaurants are owned by Disney, and servers get 18% of the total ordered, NOT 18% of an arbitrary allocation.

Generally, Disney restaurant servers are pleased with the Dining Plan because it seems to have reduced the number of times they get stiffed.

 

[aes74]

It is not part of the European cultre to tip. Waiters and waitresses are paid a salary and are not dependent on tips over there. When we first moved over there I was leaving US style tips and I actually had a server explain to me that that was not required and sometimes could be offensive as in you feel they NEED the money.

Over there just leaving the small coin change (less than 2 bucks Euro) on a normal lunch or dinner and maybe a little more for dinner fancy.

Yes, this is true, but it is also a traveler's responsiblility to find out what the customs and cultures are of a country before they visit. We toured France last year at Christmas and before we left I did all the research I could to find out what is customary over there, from greetings to paying for taxis, to restaurant etiquette and tipping. I wanted to make sure my family was polite and respectful. Servers in Florida earn next to nothing, have to share it with hostesses, busboys, etc., and serving hoardes of people during high season can be pretty crazy. It always surprises me that people can extensively plan their itineraries for months but not check up on culture differences at all.

 

[aes74]

There are some states that require servers to be paid minimum wage, WA. being one. Servers in WA state earn as of yesterday $7.93 and hour plus tips. I know this is where the confusion and disbelief of people being paid less than minimum (national even) came from for me.

Disbelief = I can't believe anyone can be paid so little!

I did NOT know this!! Wow!!! We always pay 20% tip here in Florida (unless someone was horrible) and I can't believe there are such discrepencies in states! Yikes! Why isn't Florida of all places doing this??

 

[bytheblood]

I am glad to hear that the OP recived that type of response. Overall, I have found the service in Disney to be lacking when I am on the DP, but good when I am not.

This included Mama Melrose, Concourse, Le Cellier, Chef Mickey's, CRT, H&V...there are others I did only on the DP and the service was not good.

 

[kelleigh1]

There are some states that require servers to be paid minimum wage, WA. being one.

I believe that Massachusetts actually has a Minimum Wage and then a Servers Minimum Wage. I thought I remember seeing that on the Fair Wages report info at the store where I work part-time.

 

[OurDogCisco]

We just had a really bad server at Artist Point the other day. We sat there with just drinks for an hour while another family ate their entire meal and left and they were seated after us. When our waitress came out with appetizer we asked her why it took an hour. She had a puzzled look on her face. Anyways, she sent out the manager who said that it was a server error. They ended up covering all our drinks for the meal. I ordered a Lodge Fizz and dh ordered a Wine flight Package. I thought that was nice considering we were leaving the next day. So I'm sure something happened to order but not sure what. We got great service after that. She might have just had a bad night. Because the table on the other side of us thought she was slow too. Anyways, I was glad she sent out the manager to correct the problem. Oh, and I had the best Salmon I've ever had in my life... Gotta go just for the salmon they gave me the recipe and cedar plank to make my own at home.

 

[aes74]

I am glad to hear that the OP recived that type of response. Overall, I have found the service in Disney to be lacking when I am on the DP, but good when I am not.

This included Mama Melrose, Concourse, Le Cellier, Chef Mickey's, CRT, H&V...there are others I did only on the DP and the service was not good.

See, I was thinking the same thing. We are going on a trip in March, and planning on using the DDP. I am excited...but kind of worried, too. Not only will we be on the DDP but we don't drink alcohol!! Every server's dream!!!

 

[cmwade77]

We generally tip 20% for good service. My DD is a server and depends on her tips to live (most servers are paid somewhere in the $4 - $5 per hour range).

How do they get away with paying less than the Federal minimum wage of $5.50 per hour? Here in California Minimum Wage is now $7.50 an hour, but even that is too little in my opinion for anyone to survive.

 

[cmwade77]

See, I was thinking the same thing. We are going on a trip in March, and planning on using the DDP. I am excited...but kind of worried, too. Not only will we be on the DDP but we don't drink alcohol!! Every server's dream!!!

We don't drink Alcohol, but we always had great service on the DDP, so hopefully that trend will continue.

 

[thatduffgirl]

When I was a server in Texas (about 10 years ago) we were paid $1.80 an hour + tips. I think it has gone up .50 since then.

We also had to pay tax on a minimum of 8% of our sales, regardless of whether we were tipped that or not.


If you were having a busy night, then it had the potential to be pretty good. But if it was slow, the manager would make you take apart the coffee pot and deep clean it, stuff like that, all for $1.80 an hour.


Waiting tables is hard work. Although I really enjoyed the people I met, I hope never to work at a restaurant again.

 

[bicker]

How do they get away with paying less than the Federal minimum wage

The minimum wage law allows paying less than minimum wage for employees in positions classified as tipped positions.

 

[maminnie]

bicker:

What I was saying is if I walk into Le Cellier and order an app, a filet, a dessert and a non-alc. beverage as a paying customer rather than a DDP customer it will add up to quite a bit more then what that meal is allocated for on the $38.99 Dining Plan.

So what you are saying is that you believe that the server gets an 18% tip on all those individual items added up? I can't imagine that is what Disney does. My guess is that the server would get 18% of the value of what is allocated for that table service DDP meal. If this is the case the server would get a lot less of a tip by those that actually would give a 15 to 20% tip. I realize that the dining plan does eliminate issues with those that tip poorly or not at all.

maminnie

 

[honeymo78]

bicker:

What I was saying is if I walk into Le Cellier and order an app, a filet, a dessert and a non-alc. beverage as a paying customer rather than a DDP customer it will add up to quite a bit more then what that meal is allocated for on the $38.99 Dining Plan.

So what you are saying is that you believe that the server gets an 18% tip on all those individual items added up? I can't imagine that is what Disney does. My guess is that the server would get 18% of the value of what is allocated for that table service DDP meal. If this is the case the server would get a lot less of a tip by those that actually would give a 15 to 20% tip. I realize that the dining plan does eliminate issues with those that tip poorly or not at all.

maminnie

In a disney owned restaurant (which is most of them) that is exactly what Disney does. Its not a matter of belief but of fact. If the bill for your 2 app, entree, dessert and bev is $100 - the server gets an $18 tip in their paycheck for that meal. This has been confirmed by several servers. Most people don't feel the need to tip extra here since servers are getting a full 18%.

In non disney owned locations like Raglan Road there is a set amount given per diner (lets say $25/person since the math is easy) then the server gets a $9 tip for your 2 meals, no matter what the menu says. Those restaurants have contracted with disney for that amount and all the servers that work there are aware of what they will get. In those locations some people tip more since they know the server doesn't get 18% of the menu prices.