Tipping in the US - Aulani, Hawaii

[blondietink]

Well from here in rural USA, we only tip 10% at restaurants, 15% if it is excellent service only. But the cost of living is lower here than in a place like Hawaii or NYC. DH gets very upset when he has to tip more than that. We prefer to leave our tip in cash, so make sure if you are charging a dinner that a tip is not automatically added if you want to tip in cash. DH always crosses out the blank line on receipts for tips and just carries the total before tips down to the bottom of the receipt.

For luggage service we tip $1.00 per bag brought or picked up from the room. Same if we get a porter at the airport to help with bags. We have had some porters refuse tips when offered.

If we park the car in valet, we pay a $1.00 tip when they get the car for us. Do not pay a tip when they take the car from you and drive it to the valet lot. We learned this in Las Vegas.

We never take a taxi, so don't know what to tip there.

 

[k3chantal]

Well from here in rural USA, we only tip 10% at restaurants, 15% if it is excellent service only. But the cost of living is lower here than in a place like Hawaii or NYC. DH gets very upset when he has to tip more than that. We prefer to leave our tip in cash, so make sure if you are charging a dinner that a tip is not automatically added if you want to tip in cash. DH always crosses out the blank line on receipts for tips and just carries the total before tips down to the bottom of the receipt.

For luggage service we tip $1.00 per bag brought or picked up from the room. Same if we get a porter at the airport to help with bags. We have had some porters refuse tips when offered.

If we park the car in valet, we pay a $1.00 tip when they get the car for us. Do not pay a tip when they take the car from you and drive it to the valet lot. We learned this in Las Vegas.

We never take a taxi, so don't know what to tip there.

18 to 20% is pretty standard in any larger city or area. I am confident that any server in Disney World would feel pretty sad to get a ten% tip.

That said, we are talking about buffet, where tipping probably can safely be less since you are serving yourself.

 

[sweetdana]

Well from here in rural USA, we only tip 10% at restaurants, 15% if it is excellent service only. But the cost of living is lower here than in a place like Hawaii or NYC. DH gets very upset when he has to tip more than that. We prefer to leave our tip in cash, so make sure if you are charging a dinner that a tip is not automatically added if you want to tip in cash. DH always crosses out the blank line on receipts for tips and just carries the total before tips down to the bottom of the receipt.

For luggage service we tip $1.00 per bag brought or picked up from the room. .

Not from rural. But mid size ... But this is dead on for us. 10% -12% at least 1$ per person in party. ( more if babies throwing food on the floor.)
15-% for great


* Disney buffets are different. ( to me) I will not pay 25$ cause a bill is 120$ to have breakfast with Mickey Mouse. Or a 59$ pp at cape may does not = service tips of 9$ per person. I'd consider being generous, but not 20%. Really 10% is more than fair. It is too much money. ( and I was a waitress through college.)

 

[k3chantal]

There is a great smart phone app called Tip Calculator and its free. It not only gives you an idea of what is a good tip (breaks the percentages down into categories of type of service: poor 5%, fair 10%, good 15%, great 20% and excellent 25%) it also can give you a break down of how much each person in your party owes if you are dividing the bill evenly.

I think when you go to major centers of populations whether that be because it is a major city (NY/ San Francisco, etc...) or major vacations spots, you should tip the way the majority of the 'native' population does. I would venture a guess that in Disney World that would be 18 to 20% since this is what they are adding to their TIW card. Remember these servers not only work in these expensive areas but they live there too....... I just don't think tipping is the place to cut corners if you are being careful with your budget.

I will say that with a buffet style meal, you're probably not getting five star like service.......

 

[Dean]

Well from here in rural USA, we only tip 10% at restaurants, 15% if it is excellent service only. But the cost of living is lower here than in a place like Hawaii or NYC. DH gets very upset when he has to tip more than that. We prefer to leave our tip in cash, so make sure if you are charging a dinner that a tip is not automatically added if you want to tip in cash. DH always crosses out the blank line on receipts for tips and just carries the total before tips down to the bottom of the receipt.

For luggage service we tip $1.00 per bag brought or picked up from the room. Same if we get a porter at the airport to help with bags. We have had some porters refuse tips when offered.

If we park the car in valet, we pay a $1.00 tip when they get the car for us. Do not pay a tip when they take the car from you and drive it to the valet lot. We learned this in Las Vegas.

We never take a taxi, so don't know what to tip there.

I'm not picking on you but I would say that if there are standards, it goes both ways. I believe the 18-20% as a standard would apply across the board for the US. Prices in rural areas also tend to be less so that difference should compensate somewhat for the differences in cost of living. That actually illustrates a reason to have a standard, so that you don't have to micromanage too much.

 

[blondietink]

Just to add to the mix: a friend of mine's sister is a waitress at WDW. She makes, on average, $500.00 per night on tips alone. Yes, she is a good waitress, but that is a huge amount of money, IMHO.

DH has been a teacher for over 30 years and makes a whole lot less than that.

 

[Dean]

Just to add to the mix: a friend of mine's sister is a waitress at WDW. She makes, on average, $500.00 per night on tips alone. Yes, she is a good waitress, but that is a huge amount of money, IMHO.

DH has been a teacher for over 30 years and makes a whole lot less than that.

I know there are places where valet's make 6 figures. However, I try not to concern myself with what people make nor make it the focal point of my tipping approach either way. Thus when someone starts talking about how little one group or the other makes or how hard they work, I tune it out because it really is meaningless in the discussion of what/how much is appropriate to tip.

 

[merina888]

I wonder where in Western NY you live, blondietink. I also live in Western NY, although in Rochester specifically. I have also lived in the southern tier. Every where I've been, the standard is always 15% for decent service, 20% for good to excellent service, less than 15% for subpar service.

Minimum wage for those in restaurant service is less than standard minimum wage, by $3-4 an hour. Those tips are a huge part of their income. I would suggest you ask around and find out if what you think is standard where you live is standard. I'm betting most people average 15%.

 

[vicki_c]

I wonder where in Western NY you live, blondietink. I also live in Western NY, although in Rochester specifically. I have also lived in the southern tier. Every where I've been, the standard is always 15% for decent service, 20% for good to excellent service, less than 15% for subpar service.

Minimum wage for those in restaurant service is less than standard minimum wage, by $3-4 an hour. Those tips are a huge part of their income. I would suggest you ask around and find out if what you think is standard where you live is standard. I'm betting most people average 15%.

I agree. I worked In the S. Tier for 20 years and tipping there was no different than anywhere else. 15% was the figure we always used.

 

[Iceman93]

Just to add to the mix: a friend of mine's sister is a waitress at WDW. She makes, on average, $500.00 per night on tips alone. Yes, she is a good waitress, but that is a huge amount of money, IMHO.

I certainly hope she works at V&A, where that kind of money is most likely earned.

 

[blondietink]

I certainly hope she works at V&A, where that kind of money is most likely earned.

Nope. She works in one of the regular table service restaurants at a resort, and it's just a moderate resort.

I wonder where in Western NY you live, blondietink. I also live in Western NY, although in Rochester specifically. I have also lived in the southern tier. Every where I've been, the standard is always 15% for decent service, 20% for good to excellent service, less than 15% for subpar service.

Minimum wage for those in restaurant service is less than standard minimum wage, by $3-4 an hour. Those tips are a huge part of their income. I would suggest you ask around and find out if what you think is standard where you live is standard. I'm betting most people average 15%.

Orleans County, where we still have double digit unemployment. Many people at the local family restaurants don't even leave any tip, or if they do, it's just a quarter or other small loose change.

 

[Dean]

Nope. She works in one of the regular table service restaurants at a resort, and it's just a moderate resort.

I wouldn't be surprised if the staff at the more family oriented places such as the secondary restaurants at the deluxe's or the sit down's at the moderate's make as much or more than those at the signature's due to a faster pace and increased volume.