Tipping at WDW on a budget -

[terrier72]

No problem. When you get seated, just tell the server you do not plan on tipping (before you order your food). Get the server's opinion.

I love it!

 

[branv]

Yes.

If the tip is too much then chose a cheaper restaurant or don't do the DDP and eat counter service. There is not tipping there.

of course you need to tip properly.

18-20% is a normal and proper tip amount. Orlando is an extremely high COL area too and your server is a real person who is getting $2.xx per hour wages and expects tips on the entire bill.

If you are a party of 6 or more (including non-eating infants) you automatically have an 18% tip included in your bill.

Also those same tips are expected at buffets so keep that in mind when planning where you'd like to eat.

CRT is tip included BTW as is HDDR.

Yes, you should tip at minimum 15%, usual is 20%. Unless service is an honest nightmare, in which case you shouldn't just leave less of a tip but should ask to see the manager.

Though I too wonder why this is even a question. It's no different than tipping in the real world -- do you not tip then?

As stated, these servers make in the $2 range an hour. They also have to share their tips with the rest of the staff (bussers, etc). If you can't afford to tip, opt for a counter service restaurant.

 

[Claire&TheBoys]

In the OP's defense, I don't think she's asking *IF* she has to tip, she's asking if 15% or more is really expected. I think the thinking is, "the food is so expensive, can I leave less than the 'expected' amount?"

The answer is simply, NO.

On a $100 meal at WDW, the difference between a 10% tip and a 18% tip is $8. That is not a huge difference to me, but to a server making $4.23/hr (that is the tipped-employee minimum wage in Florida) it's enough for a couple of gallons of gas.

 

[indimom]

Yes, you should pay the tip they recommend 15-20%.

If you are like me (I'm pretty budget minded), you might want to really work through whether the meal plan is your best option, especially since your kids appear to be in that middle ground on the dining plan - perhaps not able to eat enough to make it worthwhile??

My kids will be 10 and 12 when we go to Disney this year. That means we have four adults on the meal plan. The price was for a two-week stay. Especially since it's not really designed toward our "typical" eating habits. We would never order FOUR desserts at a sit-down restaurant (occasionally one or two to share if we haven't already gotten stuffed!) and NEVER at a fast food restaurant. Sometimes I share a plate and salad with one of the kids or they might share something. If an app sounds good, we might share one. The kids occasionally order kids meals. We often drink water (especially when it's hot out - pop and milk are just yucky then).

I went through our dining locations one by one and chose items that are pretty typical for our family. I included a good number of desserts (just not four at every meal and only a few with counter service), added some apps we might like, as well as a couple adult drinks and fun drinks for the kids.I also allowed $5 per day/per person for snacks. I added 18% gratuity to the meals.
Then I priced out the dining plan with tips (I didn't even include any fun drinks, apps or alcoholic drinks which would cost even more). It was hundreds MORE to do the dining plan without getting some of the extras we like!

Needless to say, we are going to pay OOP on this trip. We'll be getting the food we want, without all the extras we don't want, and saving money too. We are sticking to the same basic plan (one sit-down, one counter, one snack) since we rarely eat breakfast anyway and I think this plan is going to work sooo much better for us (and I won't be wasting tip $$ on food that is going to go to waste on a plate ).

I know I'm going WAY off topic, but you sounded like a budget-minded person and I wanted to give you food for thought... Hope it helps!

 

[disneydreamersx4]

In the OP's defense, I don't think she's asking *IF* she has to tip, she's asking if 15% or more is really expected. I think the thinking is, "the food is so expensive, can I leave less than the 'expected' amount?"

The answer is simply, NO.

On a $100 meal at WDW, the difference between a 10% tip and a 18% tip is $8. That is not a huge difference to me, but to a server making $4.23/hr (that is the tipped-employee minimum wage in Florida) it's enough for a couple of gallons of gas.

OP Here - Thank you Claire & the Boys, that is what I was trying to say, is 15% or more expected since the prices of the meals are so much more than we would pay for at restaurants at home. Although I do understand that if you want table service you should tip at least 15% . So we'll have to budget for the tips or like suggested get the counter service plan and pay OOP for any table services.

 

[momof3Disneykids]

How much should you tip if your waiter/waitress dose not do their job well (does not refill drinks in timely manner does not attend to table as needed etc.)

 

[deerhart]

I think we tipped around the suggested tip. I really don't remember (or even paid that close attention) With us it depends on whether or not DH or I is signing the bill. DH is from further east (and the big city) and tips higher then midwestern small town born and raised (difference between being raised where 15% was considered a minimum and where 10% was considered high!). So for a $100.00 I would have left somewhere between $12 and $17. I think last year I set a budget of $15.00 per ts average.

This year will be higher because one DS will be 10 and thus on the "adult" pricing.

I also have to remember that not all states are like ours where the restaurant HAS to pay each employee at least the minimum wage regardless of whether they make it in tips or not.

 

[deerhart]

How much should you tip if your waiter/waitress dose not do their job well (does not refill drinks in timely manner does not attend to table as needed etc.)

At home, I tip 12-15% regularly, unless its a regular place I eat (for example DH and I had lunch today at Red Robin and we ALWAYS have the same waitress so we tip like 25%!). For exceptional service we tip closer to 20%, for bad/so so service we tip 10%. But for lunch, I tip a minimum of at least $1.00 (so if I have a lunch someplace and the total bill is like $7 I usually tip $1.00 + whatever left over change it will take to make the bill an even $9)

But, its hard for us to get really really bad service, we are just that laid back LOL. I recognize that some places get busy and that sometimes places do get understaffed for a variety of reasons and we do take this into account. If there is usually a problem, it is generally handled by us getting a discount off our bill.

I think a better question is whether or not people tip based off the TOTAL bill (after tax) or the pre-tax amount. This can make a huge difference especially at places like Disney with much higher tax rates.

 

[WickedElphaba]

Not sure if its different in Fl but it is *NOT* $2 in MI(or IN or OH or IL) it is mininum wage which is 7.45...The waiters report the tips and if they are not making the 7.45 the company picks up the rest. At the restaurants I have managed if a server does not make it 3 times it typically was grounds for dismissal as if your tips were THAT low EVERY time you set foot on my floor...you were not made to be a waiter. At 1 and 2 there were write up/meeting. Also if for any reason if the shift was cut short it would be adjusted or if i had 5 of 8 servers not make it that night (could have been a kitchen issue etc) but if EVERYONE else made it without issue and a server failed 3 times....It is not customers being "cheap"

Also I will remind EVERYONE 15% is an accepted amount. It isnt a law(at least in my state) Tip what you feel the service was worth BUT if you tip under the "accepted" norm I highly suggest contacting the manager on floor. Also even if you can only afford the 15% but serice was FAR above this Contact the manager. You dont have to say "i could only leave" or anything like that BUT most major chains have guest "wow" promotions which actually are worth far more then the % typical for people to leave amazing service because sadly people are always more willing to complain then appreciate so companies know that if the service was so good that you feel the need to tell the manager the worker deserves a bonus

simply my 2c from spending way to many years in food service LOL

ETA ok saw someone mention that 2$ isnt what FL is...still surprised that they dont have to match up to the state min

and I have been out of "tippable" service for 4 years now so perhaps they have moved off from that....

 

[Purseval]

I tip minimum 15% of the total bill and I'll usually round it up to an even dollar amount. So I won't pay a $53.27 bill I'll make it $54. Even though we're frugal we don't pad our budget by stiffing someone who's probably watching pennies just as (if not more) carefully.

 

[mjkacmom]

years in food service LOL

ETA ok saw someone mention that 2$ isnt what FL is...still surprised that they dont have to match up to the state min

and I have been out of "tippable" service for 4 years now so perhaps they have moved off from that....

NJ minimum wage is $7.25, but STILL $2.13 for servers, the same as when I waitressed 20 years ago. And we have the highest COL in the country.

 

[Tiger926]

Saw a few posts about minimum wage, so thought I'd post this info from the government website about Florida's minimum wage, which incidentally, just increased. Based on these, it looks like severs make $4.23/hour.

http://www.floridajobs.org/minimumwage/index.htm
http://www.flemploymentlawblog.com/...-tipped-employees-also-rises-on-july-24-2009/

Here in my Canadian province, servers make $9.50 PLUS tips. Quite a difference...

This being said, tips should be based on service, so OP should plan on paying tips at WDW.

HTH, Tiger

 

[CarolAnnB]

Do the servers at the buffets make the same rate as those at full service restaurants? I would tip 18-20% at a full service restaurant, but if they are only bringing drinks and the check, I thought the tip would be less. But perhaps they can handle more tables at once and it works out the same.

 

[cnlmom]

I will put on my fireresistant suit, but I tip according to the service. I do not buy into the "rule" that I have to give at least 15%. If you take forever to get my order, I have to get up and get my own water refill, you do not check on my meal and I have to track you down to get my bill, you can darn well expect that I will not be tipping you. I also will be pointing things out to your management. I do not feel obligated in any way to tip anything for crummy service.


I waited tables for many years putting myself through college and have been known to take a second job waiting tables for extra money, so I am well aware of how important tips are and how little resturants pay their servers.


I just get so frusterated that it is expected that a server should get a tip simply because they are a server. You should expect a tip for good service. If you choose not to give good service, I should be able to choose not to tip you.

This said, I will tip ( and quite often tip well) and would budget for tips.

Regarding buffets, this one always stumps me. I really do not feel like I should fork over 20% when I get up and get my own food. Yes, you refill my drinks and clear plates, but......I do not feel that is "worth" the same amount of tip I would give someone who sat me, discussed specials, took my order, brought me drinks, bread, salad, food, took my dessert order and cleared my plates. So I tip less at buffets....go ahead flame away, but it is what I personally choose to do.

 

[tinkermom23]

Regarding buffets, this one always stumps me. I really do not feel like I should fork over 20% when I get up and get my own food. Yes, you refill my drinks and clear plates, but......I do not feel that is "worth" the same amount of tip I would give someone who sat me, discussed specials, took my order, brought me drinks, bread, salad, food, took my dessert order and cleared my plates. So I tip less at buffets....go ahead flame away, but it is what I personally choose to do.

I agree...we are stumped too.
We usually do not tip as much at a buffet where we are getting up to get all of our food. Now, a "family style" buffet which, by the way we have only ever experienced at WDW, we tip the same as full service, since we are served everything at our table.

We also do not travel very often but we tend to tip everywhere like we tip at home, except a tad bit more when we're on vacation, not sure why??? Just want to spread our happy mood!

 

[Alesia]

For those of you who tip less for buffets, you might want to keep in mind that the servers there tip out the same percentage of their sales to the support staff (hostesses, bus boys, bartenders, etc.) as servers in full service restaurants do. That means that when you cut the tip for them, say to 10%, they still have to tip out 7% *I think* to the support staff, leaving them with only 3%.

 

[rockundergirl]

Let me start out by saying I was a waitress for 2 years while i was in college. It is 100% out of control that when you eat out food costs 20% more because you have to tip. Servers should get a fair salary and insurance like any other job on the planet. An extra tip on top should be a surprise and an "extra". its a shame that food establishments can get away with making customers pay the salary of their staff! And don't tell me the price of the food would go up 20%... It wouldn't. The amount an average restaurant makes on soda alone could give a 10 dollar increase per hour per staff member. ( it costs about 7 cents to make a coke they charge 3 dollars for!) I just had a problem like this at a massage place called massage envy. They had a promotion for a 49 dollar massage, I decided to try it. After my massage I was informed that the reg price of the massage was 149.00 dollars so i was expected to tip on that amount. (25% suggested) so my 50 dollar massage turned into a 100 dollar massage! ( i was planning on a 20 dollar tip which i thought was a lot )

 

[DOOM1001]

Servers in Florida do make like $3 or $4 an hour but it doesn't necessarily mean they will get that.A lot of what they get in their paycheck also depends on how much they claim they earned in tips.It's not uncommon for a server for 2 weeks work,maybe 60-70 hours might get a paycheck for those two weeks of $50-$100,so the reality is they do live off the tips.Another thing to remember is in most major restaurants they are NOT keeping all of the tips they receive,they usually will have to tip out food runners,bussers,bartenders etc..On a busy night it's possible they may have received $150 total in tips but will leave with $100 as they would have had to tip out the other employees.On slower nights they may receive $90 total tips and leave with $60,usually it's close to 1/3 of their tips that they have to share,although that varies by restaurant.

 

[deerhart]

One thing about buffets, usually the wait staff has a lot more work to do because they have to constantly remove plates due to the fact that you have to have a clean plate for every visit to the buffet.

So if you have a family like mine where people may make 3, 4, 5, and in the case of one of my kids stuffing his face 6 trips to the buffet (can we say they liked the dessert) that's a TON of plates to clear from our table (versus the 4 dinner plates at a regular sit down)

 

[mickeymaker2003]

Does anyone here know for sure if they have to "tip-out" at Disney restaurants?

I always thought it was funny that tips are based off the price of your order. It isn't any more work to bring my $8 burger and fries than it is to bring out my husband's $24 steak, yet the tip is three times as much. The same thing at the buffets... it isn't any more work to clear my table and bring beverages for dinner than it is for breakfast (if anything breakfast might be a little more work because i might want milk and juice to drink), yet since the buffet costs almost twice as much for dinner as it does for breakfast, the expected tip is twice as much for the same amount of effort

Now, don't get me wrong, I do tip based upon the order total, but I do find it to be an arbitrary way to decide...