The Disney Tipping Info Thread *Updated 9.1.09*

[cinderlexa's mom]

I don't mind paying the 18% on the cost of the food/drinks, but does anyone have a receipt to look at, I'm wondering if they figure the tip on the subtotal, or after sales tax...I don't like paying gratutity on sales tax!

TIA!

 

[Tricia1972]

The suggested gratuity amount is figured on the pre-tax amount.

 

[GraceLuvsWDW]

FYI I just returned from 9 glorious days at WDW. Upon check out, my room folio showed 2 different restaurant tips charged to the room-'OHana and Akershus. At all my meals I wrote cash on the tip line and tipped in cash. However, they were able to charge these tips to my room key above and beyond the tip I gave in cash. It was very difficult getting the management to remove the charges.
Just be aware of any charges-the dining plan definitely has some flaws when it comes to the tipping issues. The service on this trip was worse than ever before (not horrible-just not as great as it used to be) A lot of servers were very straight up in your face about asking for tips because they weren't included. IMHO this needs to be addressed!!

 

[cinderlexa's mom]

I thought the Disney Dining Experience card/Tables in Wonderland card automaticaly charges 18% gratuity?

So it wouldn't be "suggested"...

Anyone with DDE know if the automatic gratuity is figured pre-tax?

 

[imthatgirl]

I thought the Disney Dining Experience card/Tables in Wonderland card automaticaly charges 18% gratuity?

So it wouldn't be "suggested"...

Anyone with DDE know if the automatic gratuity is figured pre-tax?

yup, always pre-tax.

 

[ShhhQ]

FYI I just returned from 9 glorious days at WDW. Upon check out, my room folio showed 2 different restaurant tips charged to the room-'OHana and Akershus. At all my meals I wrote cash on the tip line and tipped in cash. However, they were able to charge these tips to my room key above and beyond the tip I gave in cash. It was very difficult getting the management to remove the charges.
Just be aware of any charges-the dining plan definitely has some flaws when it comes to the tipping issues. The service on this trip was worse than ever before (not horrible-just not as great as it used to be) A lot of servers were very straight up in your face about asking for tips because they weren't included. IMHO this needs to be addressed!!

That is why it is best not to use a card with charging privilidges if you are not putting your tip on that card.

 

[lilsydney]

after reading so many stories where people were charged tips twice (once in cash and then again on the room) I am thinking that we don't use the room key for any charging and use the rewards card and gift cards we have instead?

I was originally thinking of only using the room key and then paying that off with the gift cards/rewards

do you think it makes a difference??

we didn't do the DDP last time so I guess it didn't matter (and we never used our room key) just did everything OOP

I am almost stressed out thinking about this now

 

[smidgy]

Weird they count my newborn LOL...being a server myself I usually tip 20% anyways but I do think its silly to count my newborn I guess they do it because they are taking up space where they can seat an adult...although if I have a problem with our service I will definately be speaking with a manager...we went to eat at an outback and with a party they automatically do gratuity which I understand to an extent...the problem was our waitress had messed up 6 of the 10 meal orders and also was rude and did not refill our drinks...we had to walk to the bar or get another server to get our refills...luckily after we explained to the manager we did not have to leave the 18% gratuity but it was only because the other server and bartender who repeatedly got our refills verified our story...we left a small tip for our original server and gave the rest to the other server who helped us and the bartender...

BOY! am I glad to hear that! I haven't read through the whole thread but where I waitress we have ONE particular server who caters only to her "regulars" (and the other 2 of us are not allowed to take those "high tipping" tables")and I usually end up catering to her "other" tables, ie. refilling water, iced tea, taking away their dirty dishes. why? cause I want them to have a great dining experience and come back! this other waitress never does any other side work, etc.
I want to THANK you so much for NOT tipping the errant waitress much, and giving a little extra to the servers who actually CARED about your dining experience. um, it would help if management was told about such "errant" servers"... gives the rest of us a bad name.

 

[pegryfun]

We just got back from WDW last night and we were on the DDP (free dining) and we payed cash on all our TS meals. So, when you get the bill, there will be a suggested amount for the tip; one amount for 18% and one for 20%. You don't have to do any percent, but we did use ithe suggestions and rounded them off. Also, if you are paying a cash tip like we did ,write "cash" in the tip area and put the cash with the bill. Don't put an amount in that area because they may charge that to your room (if you want to charge it to your room, then put the amount in) This worked for us.

 

[hematite153]

after reading so many stories where people were charged tips twice (once in cash and then again on the room) I am thinking that we don't use the room key for any charging and use the rewards card and gift cards we have instead?

Actually, I was thinking that the problem that allows for the double charge occurs when people leave cash since it becomes easy to add a room charge and not have it stand out. Whereas, if you charge tips to your room then a second charge would stand out and be easily refuted. JMHO.

 

[dfr]

H all,
I think this is the right place to post this?,as a visitor from the uk we are not used to tipping so much, and certainly not enforced (as of a party of 6).Do you still have to tip as much when having a self service buffet as in crystal palace, we are a party of 6 and find it strange to tip so much when you are getting your own food. it would be intresting to here the views of people from the U.S and the U.K

 

[Tricia1972]

H all,
I think this is the right place to post this?,as a visitor from the uk we are not used to tipping so much, and certainly not enforced (as of a party of 6).Do you still have to tip as much when having a self service buffet as in crystal palace, we are a party of 6 and find it strange to tip so much when you are getting your own food. it would be intresting to here the views of people from the U.S and the U.K

Yes you do tip the same percentage as a party of 6. Disney's policy is what it is, and they do not distinguish between Buffet or regular TS for their auto gratuity percentage. It's 18% across the board.

Hope this helps

 

[dfr]

Yes you do tip the same percentage as a party of 6. Disney's policy is what it is, and they do not distinguish between Buffet or regular TS for their auto gratuity percentage. It's 18% across the board.

Hope this helps

Yes thanks for that, guess its the standard 18% on all meals, do you know what the average meal bill or tip for 6 people on the DDP at a 1TS resturant would be, just a ball park figure would help.
Cheers
Dave

 

[Tricia1972]

All prices reflect 6 adults:
Buffets for breakfast will be about $120 - meal

Buffets for lunch will be about $150 - meal

Buffets for dinner will be about $180 - meal

These are rough numbers and rounded up.


The numbers would go down for each child in the party.

 

[dfr]

hi,
Just out of Curiosity, who gets all the tip money, because if a waiter/waitress is in charge of say 3 tables and the average turnover is 1.5hours per group and the average tip is $20 and they work a 6 hour day 5 days a week ,that’s about $1200 a week plus any actual wage they get, dose Disney take any of this money as profit or is this the average wage for the U.S it way above the average U.K wage???

 

[bicker]

Servers in the United States generally "tip-out" (share tips with) bussers, food-runners, and bartenders.

In addition, you need to factor in that many servers work many hours when there isn't quite so much of a crush of patrons, so much of the time they don't have 3 tables of patrons.

Disney doesn't take any of the gratuity as revenue.

 

[dfr]

Servers in the United States generally "tip-out" (share tips with) bussers, food-runners, and bartenders.

In addition, you need to factor in that many servers work many hours when there isn't quite so much of a crush of patrons, so much of the time they don't have 3 tables of patrons.

Disney doesn't take any of the gratuity as revenue.

Yes your right if they all pool the tips with other staff i guess it would bring the amount down a bit, but as far as quite times go and reading about how hard it is to get TS adr's they want be many quite times.Thanks for your reply i understand more know.

 

[bicker]

... but as far as [quiet] times go and reading about how hard it is to get TS adr's they want be many quite times ...

What you've been reading, about how hard it is to get reservations, is very misleading: Many of these reports are from people trying to get dinner reservations at 6:30 pm at Le Cellier, for example. The reality is that, even for 6:30 pm, there is always somewhere at WDW where you can get reservations for dinner, even the day-of. You just can't get reservations at the most popular theme park restaurants for that time. And reservations for 3:30 pm, for example, are often much more easily gotten. And those are the times of the day when the servers have less tables to serve. In many restaurants, servers spend a couple of hours prior to the evening rush doing prep-work, for salads and such. Don't get me wrong: There is money to be made, but isn't a gross windfall.

 

[Tricia1972]

Thanks for helping out answering this bicker. The information that you've given is 100% accurate.

I think that the only question that Dave implied/asked that was not answered yet is the servers base wage. Their base wage is $3.80/hour, and most do not work full time, nor even 6 hours 5 days a week, unless they work two serving jobs.

Beyond what has already been asked and answered it is not the intent of this or any thread on the Dis to justify, defend, or attack any server and what they may or may not make.

This thread is only to discuss tipping customs at Disney (which pretty closely mirror those in the rest of the US) and answer any direct tipping questions that a guest will have while traveling to Disney.

The guidelines of this thread are that debating is not permitted, and if any debate is perceived, someone from the moderating team will delete those posts.

 

[imthatgirl]

id like to add one more thing to this conversation, if thats ok. i have been a server for many years working from diners to now working in fine dining. everywhere i have worked(except for olive garden, dont know why) we've done something called "sidework". this is a time either before(prep work) or after(clean up) where you arent getting tables. at this time we still get server min wage, which here is 2.85. sidework greatly effects hourly wage. ive never worked for disney, but my best guess is they are making about $18-24 an hour and working about 6 hour shifts. of course that changes everyday, and changes according to tip outs. we do not tip out based on what we make, but rather what we sell.

the only reason i wanted to add this was to show that equasions to figure out what they make generally dont work. which i quickly found out when i became a server. when i did my math i thought i would be making $300 a night at dennys, ha-ha, as you might guess it didnt really happen. but i used to wonder why everyone didnt work at dennys, lol.