The Disney Tipping Info Thread *Updated 9.1.09*

[kaytieeldr]

"Figuring" an $18.50 per person tip would mean each person's total food order is just under $103. That's impossible.

Disney offers assistance in calculating gratuity amounts. Parties of six or more, Disney adds an automatic 18% service charge to the check. Simple. Parties of five or fewer, the receipt calculates and displays what 18% of the check is, and what 20% of the check is, for the Guest's convenience. The Guest can actually decide on her/his own, how much, aka what percent, tip to leave in these cases.

 

[ms mouse]

I read the tip is included in CRT, does that mean automatically added or included in your 2 credits. How about things like fantasmic package and candlelight package? Thanks!

 

[crimsontide27]

"Figuring" an $18.50 per person tip would mean each person's total food order is just under $103. That's impossible.

Disney offers assistance in calculating gratuity amounts. Parties of six or more, Disney adds an automatic 18% service charge to the check. Simple. Parties of five or fewer, the receipt calculates and displays what 18% of the check is, and what 20% of the check is, for the Guest's convenience. The Guest can actually decide on her/his own, how much, aka what percent, tip to leave in these cases.

The $18.50 quoted above was based on the meal plan prices, not $18.50 per person tip.

 

[GHfan]

I am trying to decide if we should bring cash to pay for our tips at sit down meals. We have the free dining and I don't know how this works. Do they ask before you place your order if you have the dining plan? When your meal is finished, do they still bring you a receipt even though you have the dining plan? How do you put the tip on your KTTW card?
Sorry so many questions, but this is all new to me! So any info you can give me about how all this works from when you walk into a restaurant to the time you leave would be greatly appreciated!

 

[brockash]

I'm interested in this too. We'll be at WDW for our first free dining in less than a week!!! Any info. would be great!

 

[mrsltg]

They will bring you a bill with the price as though you were not on the dining plan. You then use your KTTW as you would a credit card at a restaurant. They will take credits if you want to use credits or will charge it to your room if that's your choice. You will get a receipt back showing the total zeroed out and you can add a tip to that with your KTTW (it will be charged back to your room) or you can leave cash. Clear as mud, right?

 

[brockash]

That's great, thanks so much for all the info.

 

[bas71873]

They will bring you a bill with the price as though you were not on the dining plan. You then use your KTTW as you would a credit card at a restaurant. They will take credits if you want to use credits or will charge it to your room if that's your choice. You will get a receipt back showing the total zeroed out and you can add a tip to that with your KTTW (it will be charged back to your room) or you can leave cash. Clear as mud, right?

LOTS OF PAPER IMO Here is what I did and it made my life a whole lot easier. I used the all ears site and figured out approximately what my TS meal would cost my family each day. I figured up the tip at both 15% and 20% and put cash in an envelope, along with my ADR info on an index card, and labeled my envelopes by day. Then I just carried that day's envelope with me and left the others in the room safe. Worked very well for me and it took very little time as I didn't have to sit and wait for all that paper to sign

Just offering a little alternative.

 

[neverrest]

How does this work for groups? We are going as a group of 7. (3 different rooms).
Can we have seperate bills?

 

[gelebean]

They will bring you a bill with the price as though you were not on the dining plan. You then use your KTTW as you would a credit card at a restaurant. They will take credits if you want to use credits or will charge it to your room if that's your choice. You will get a receipt back showing the total zeroed out and you can add a tip to that with your KTTW (it will be charged back to your room) or you can leave cash. Clear as mud, right?

I have never used the DP but will for the first time in mid September.

My friend told me to make sure if you have charging privileges on your KTTW card that they don't accidentally charge your meal to your room instead of using your credits. She told me I would be better off giving them one of my kids KTTW cards to charge the credits on and then use mine with the charging privileges to do the tip. Anyone had any problems like this?

Still sounds a little confusing to me

 

[ShhhQ]

LOTS OF PAPER IMO Here is what I did and it made my life a whole lot easier. I used the all ears site and figured out approximately what my TS meal would cost my family each day. I figured up the tip at both 15% and 20% and put cash in an envelope, along with my ADR info on an index card, and labeled my envelopes by day. Then I just carried that day's envelope with me and left the others in the room safe. Worked very well for me and it took very little time as I didn't have to sit and wait for all that paper to sign

Just offering a little alternative.

That is a great idea.... I was planning on doing something similar, but never thought about seperate envelopes....

I have never used the DP but will for the first time in mid September.

My friend told me to make sure if you have charging privileges on your KTTW card that they don't accidentally charge your meal to your room instead of using your credits. She told me I would be better off giving them one of my kids KTTW cards to charge the credits on and then use mine with the charging privileges to do the tip. Anyone had any problems like this?

Still sounds a little confusing to me

That very advice is why last year I chose NOT to connect my KTTW card and my Credit card.... worked out fine!

 

[bas71873]

I have never used the DP but will for the first time in mid September.

My friend told me to make sure if you have charging privileges on your KTTW card that they don't accidentally charge your meal to your room instead of using your credits. She told me I would be better off giving them one of my kids KTTW cards to charge the credits on and then use mine with the charging privileges to do the tip. Anyone had any problems like this?

Still sounds a little confusing to me

Gelebean....there is always the human error. That is why it's "safer" to use a KTTW that does NOT have charging privileges. We just used our DDs card when we ate so that the server had no option but to use the appropriate credits. And then I paid cash for my tips. I know for our trip in Feb (2 A and 1 C) all of our dining credits were linked to the vaca ressie so it didn't matter whose card got used because as a FAMILY with a 7 day dining plan ressie, we had 21 TSs, 21 QSs and 21 Snack credits. After each use, your receipt will have a listing of what you have left so you can keep track. My DH was famous for forgetting about the snack credits and just paying for a drink or popcorn and I didn't realize it until 2 days before we were leaving WDW and I still had 15 snack credits remaining!!!!! It's really not as difficult as it sounds

 

[bas71873]

That is a great idea.... I was planning on doing something similar, but never thought about seperate envelopes....

ShhhQ - it really made life simple and I didn't have to think late at night or early in the AM when I was packing my park bag. I just grabbed my envelope and tossed it in. I did the same concept for mousekeeping too.

 

[lookslikefun]

What is the going rate for tips at table service restaurants in the world? What is the tipping etiquette at a buffet style meal? We are trying to budget for tips are wondering if the gratuities rate is the same as it is here.
Thanks in advance.

 

[mom2my3kids]

What is the going rate for tips at table service restaurants in the world? What is the tipping etiquette at a buffet style meal? We are trying to budget for tips are wondering if the gratuities rate is the same as it is here.
Thanks in advance.

15-20 Percent of the bill, Disney will add 18% for party's of 6+

 

[Gm2SJ]

What is the going rate for tips at table service restaurants in the world? What is the tipping etiquette at a buffet style meal? We are trying to budget for tips are wondering if the gratuities rate is the same as it is here.
Thanks in advance.

If you're on the DDP and go to the Hoop De Doo Review, it says the tip is included--so don't double tip

 

[anne0866]

Gelebean....there is always the human error. That is why it's "safer" to use a KTTW that does NOT have charging privileges. We just used our DDs card when we ate so that the server had no option but to use the appropriate credits. And then I paid cash for my tips. I know for our trip in Feb (2 A and 1 C) all of our dining credits were linked to the vaca ressie so it didn't matter whose card got used because as a FAMILY with a 7 day dining plan ressie, we had 21 TSs, 21 QSs and 21 Snack credits. After each use, your receipt will have a listing of what you have left so you can keep track. My DH was famous for forgetting about the snack credits and just paying for a drink or popcorn and I didn't realize it until 2 days before we were leaving WDW and I still had 15 snack credits remaining!!!!! It's really not as difficult as it sounds

Great idea to use the card that does not have chrging privileges!!!! Thanks so much. We had several meals sharged to our room duriing lasy year. I never thought about using our son's KTTW card. Thanks so much! It takes so much time to have the errors corrected. Thanks again!

 

[blithespirits5]

Can you have two different credit cards associated to one room's KTTW cards (one for each guest's KTTW card)? My brother and I are staying in one room, but it would be nice to use our KTTW cards for tips but charging to our own credit cards.

 

[Pumbaa_]

I am sorry, it is one card attached to the room, and the cards can either have charging rights or no charging rights

 

[Pumbaa_]

Link to Disney Tipping thread

Due to the hotly debated topic of tipping, the mods have restricted tipping questions to one thread. This thread is on the main Restaurant Board and is for asking questions about tipping.

Please direct all your tipping posts to that thread.

Thank you for your understanding,

The Restaurant Board Mods