tipping on DDP???

[Summer-Caitlin]

I too am curious about how much extra I should tip. I feel the general concensus is to up it to a max of 25% for above and beyond service. For my trip in August I will tip above the standard 18% included for excellent service, but I'm quite happy to stick with the 18% if I just get so-so service.
I have a question though regarding alcohol. No one in my party drinks alcohol with their meal so we will likely end up drinking soft drinks or bottled water. Our party will consist of 3 Adults for the first week and 2 thereafter. In this case, will the server get all the extra tip or does 10% go to the Barman for the soft drinks?
I also have waited tables before and I know it is a difficult job, but to be honest I would have been very happy with the 18% tip included, we very rarely saw that much of a tip anyway!

 

[RACHELSMOM1]

I too am curious about how much extra I should tip. I feel the general concensus is to up it to a max of 25% for above and beyond service. For my trip in August I will tip above the standard 18% included for excellent service, but I'm quite happy to stick with the 18% if I just get so-so service.
I have a question though regarding alcohol. No one in my party drinks alcohol with their meal so we will likely end up drinking soft drinks or bottled water. Our party will consist of 3 Adults for the first week and 2 thereafter. In this case, will the server get all the extra tip or does 10% go to the Barman for the soft drinks?
I also have waited tables before and I know it is a difficult job, but to be honest I would have been very happy with the 18% tip included, we very rarely saw that much of a tip anyway!

Am I missing something, here? When did the "general consensus is up to 25%" begin - I sure don't understand that? If you did not have DDP and were paying OOP for all the meals, would your tip be up to 25%? I am guessing that CMs who are servers love the DDP because so many people feel so guilty that they have free dining or a prepaid DDP, that they are willing to shell out more and more money for a tip that in some cases (as previous posters have stated) equals up to 50%..

 

[Barbers2005]

Am I missing something, here? When did the "general consensus is up to 25%" begin - I sure don't understand that?

It didn't- the standard for tipping is still 15-20%. If people want to be super generous, that's great, but don't feel obligated to leave that large of a tip.

 

[Summer-Caitlin]

Sorry, I didn't mean to say that I think people should tip up to 25%, but every time this question gets asked, 25% seems to be the figure that most people come back with. Bear in mind that I think this is really generous. I agree about tipping extra for exceedingly good service, but I agree that many feel guilty and prob tip more than they should, me included!

 

[Lewisc]

None of the terms of the 2008 dining plan has been released, including price. The question is what is our total cost, including out of pocket tips.

It's more then rumor, the new union contract gives Disney the right to drop included tips and Disney has told the union they plan to drop included tips.

I'll agree we shouldn't be alarmed until we see the cost and terms of the 2008plan. Disney could be reducing the cost, increases in the cash menu prices might make the meal plan a good deal even without included tips or Disney might make other changes to the plan (good or bad).

I think I may have hit on the answer, increases in the menu prices will make the DDP look like a good deal, even without tips.

The "no tip included policy" is not a Disney policy. It is, however, being touted as truth by some people. It is only heresay at this point. I hope we all remember that until Disney adopts this policy, it is rumour and heresay, and nothing to be alarmed about.
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Thanks to the previous poster who posted this.....the moderators of this board have been saying this since we first started hearing this.. Until Disney formally announces this, it is in fact rumour....

 

[Nancyg56]

Am I missing something, here? When did the "general consensus is up to 25%" begin - I sure don't understand that? If you did not have DDP and were paying OOP for all the meals, would your tip be up to 25%? I am guessing that CMs who are servers love the DDP because so many people feel so guilty that they have free dining or a prepaid DDP, that they are willing to shell out more and more money for a tip that in some cases (as previous posters have stated) equals up to 50%..

We tip what we want. I generally leave at least 20%, but we do leave more on occasion. I do not need a guilty conscience to leave over 20%, and would do so whether I paid OOP for my meal in my home town or if it was included in a package. My DH and I leave tips when we are on an all inclusive plan whenever we feel the server has provided us with above average service. We consider it to be part of our vacation budget.

 

[Nancyg56]

I think I may have hit on the answer, increases in the menu prices will make the DDP look like a good deal, even without tips.

Or the menu increase may be the point where customers decide that eating meals off site makes better financial sense than eating the majority of meals on Disney property.

 

[eeyoresnr]

Actually, I have a friend that is a waiter in Disney World and he makes closer to $60,000. While he likes that extra money, he does get annoyed when people treat him like he's a lower class person deserving of charity. Tips aren't charity, but I think I know what you are saying.

kinda funny... there was a thread last month about the DDP and tipping and several servers jumped in saying they make no where near $60,000 a year, but if you do the math I think it's pretty common

 

[eeyoresnr]

First off Waiters/Waitresses get a raises every time a restaurant increases its prices. I know that restaurants in my area have increased prices at least once a year since I can remember.

wrong
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For "tipped employees" meeting eligibility requirements for the tip credit under the FLSA, employers may count tips actually received as wages under the FLSA, but the employer must pay "tipped employees" a direct wage in an amount equal to the minimum wage of $6.67 minus $3.02 (which, as required by Florida's Constitution, is the 2003 tip credit existing under the FLSA), or a direct hourly wage of $3.65 as of January 1, 2007.

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servers do not get raises every time a menu price goes up. In Florida we don't even get regular minimum wage I was a server in California for 15 years and the only time we got a raise was when the state minimum went up, granted there we at least made the full amount, not the small amount Florida employers pay.

 

[RACHELSMOM1]

kinda funny... there was a thread last month about the DDP and tipping and several servers jumped in saying they make no where near $60,000 a year, but if you do the math I think it's pretty common

And, for some reason, it seems to be servers who like to talk about the rumours of "no more tips included with DDP." We just tip whatever we feel is earned by the servers, and the 18% included with DDP seems adequate to me.

 

[smidgy]

I have waitressed on and off for many years and tended barfor many years(in Illinois). NEVER has my FAR less than minimum wage increased with menu price increases.
now that I got that off my chest (whew! I feel like dory, "I've never eaten a fish") I like to dine out, and tip 20%, unless service is really bad.
at disney I tip 20% unless service is bad. so I generally add a little more., even tho I am on the DDP. and even more, if service is really good. If I were a server there (I WISH!!! my dream!) I would still be happy with the 18%, since a lot of people tip only 15, and (GAK) sometimes 10.
as far as getting decent service when the servers know the tip in included automatically, all I can say is this: I give the same service to all my customers. even those regulars who would RAVE about me, ALWAYS ask for me, and leave me 10%.(because they don't know any better.) I think disney restaurants must have managers that know which servers give excellant service.. regardless.. and which "slack off" in service to DDP customers.. In the bar and restaurant business, you are a TEAM, from the hostess to the server,to the bartender, to the busboys,to the cook. and you all join in to give the best service possible. the "cheap" people are made up for by the generous people, and the reputation of the establishment is the MOST important factor for everyone. (how do you know that the cheap people might not recommend you to big spenders? or might come back time and again on slow nights, when you welcome their business?)
my experience in dining at disney has been wonderful (with the exception of dining at San Angel after illuminations, and we felt VERY rushed.) outside of that, I never felt cheated in service by being on the DDP.

 

[JVL1018]

servers do not get raises every time a menu price goes up. In Florida we don't even get regular minimum wage I was a server in California for 15 years and the only time we got a raise was when the state minimum went up, granted there we at least made the full amount, not the small amount Florida employers pay.

I could be wrong but when I read the previous post about servers getting a raise every time the meal prices go up, I am pretty sure he meant not that your wage goes up, but your tips go up accordingly.

If you were tipped 20% on a $15 meal it would be $3.00
If that meal went up to $18, then your tip would be $3.60, so there's your "raise" right there.

 

[eeyoresnr]

I could be wrong but when I read the previous post about servers getting a raise every time the meal prices go up, I am pretty sure he meant not that your wage goes up, but your tips go up accordingly.

If you were tipped 20% on a $15 meal it would be $3.00
If that meal went up to $18, then your tip would be $3.60, so there's your "raise" right there.

that doesn't always hold true either... many customers that eat at the same place every day might leave the change from a certain amount for the tip...but when prices go up they leave the same amount which is a lesser tip.
example: lunch and a drink totals $8.40 and customer pays with $10.00 and leaves the change $1.60 which is 19%. then prices go up and the same luch now cost $8.90 customer pays with $10.00 and leaves change which is now $1.10 which is now 12%. Not all customers sit and figure out percentages. Granted at Disney on the DDP if prices go up the servers will make more because it's 18% reguardless. But this does not hold true everywhere.

 

[bluejaygirl]

We had some really wonderful servers and only one time did I not leave extra. I consider 18% a nice tip for good service, but for really good or great service it doesn't seem enough. I tended to leave an extra $5 because it seemed easier than trying to figure out an actual %, and it seemed generous enough to show our appreciation.

 

[MasterShake]

that doesn't always hold true either... many customers that eat at the same place every day might leave the change from a certain amount for the tip...but when prices go up they leave the same amount which is a lesser tip.
example: lunch and a drink totals $8.40 and customer pays with $10.00 and leaves the change $1.60 which is 19%. then prices go up and the same luch now cost $8.90 customer pays with $10.00 and leaves change which is now $1.10 which is now 12%. Not all customers sit and figure out percentages. Granted at Disney on the DDP if prices go up the servers will make more because it's 18% reguardless. But this does not hold true everywhere.

Wrong....LOL

I have been discussing percentages and you are talking about something different. As the above poster mentioned if you tip 18% every time, then it would go up as the prices go up. I don't know a single person that tips the way you are describing. Those people are probably out there, but I would guess that they are the minority. People who tip the same amount and not by percentage have a different view then my own on tipping.

Please read my posts more carefully prior to saying I'm wrong. I'm not always right, but I usually do ok with simple math.

 

[DiszyDean]

I generally tip 18%-20% anyway, so IMO this is a decent tip. Our average TS meal under the DDP would have cost around $60-$80 dollars. Using $70 as a medium range (3 people in our party) , that means with the DDP the server is getting about $12.50 for a tip (I do not order drinks so they should get the full tip).

Almost no servers get to keep the full tip, ever. There is always somebody to tip out. Almost always busers, some places food runners or hosts, it depends on the restaurant. But there's always somebody for a server to tip out to, besides the bartender.

 

[DiszyDean]

wrong
___________________________________________________

For "tipped employees" meeting eligibility requirements for the tip credit under the FLSA, employers may count tips actually received as wages under the FLSA, but the employer must pay "tipped employees" a direct wage in an amount equal to the minimum wage of $6.67 minus $3.02 (which, as required by Florida's Constitution, is the 2003 tip credit existing under the FLSA), or a direct hourly wage of $3.65 as of January 1, 2007.

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servers do not get raises every time a menu price goes up. In Florida we don't even get regular minimum wage I was a server in California for 15 years and the only time we got a raise was when the state minimum went up, granted there we at least made the full amount, not the small amount Florida employers pay.

Most states only pay tipper servers $2.13/hr. FL is slightly more generous, CA even more so.

 

[laalaa]

I have been quite interested in this thread. I work as waitress at my local pizza hut in the uk. Tipping here int as generous as in the US from what I can see.

From what I can see tipping here, or in the restaurants where I have worked tends to be about 10% tops. There are only two customers that are regulars in our restaurant that tip near the 20% mark.

This is expecially relevant with big parties. I had a large table of 35 last week. They were my only table. So I was able to cater to their every need. Refills, chatting to the kids, singing happy birthday to the birthday girl. Cutting the cake and making up party bags. The bill came to £135 (about $270) and they left nothing. Now i know I shouldnt say this, but i was gutted, my section of usually 8 tables was closed for my whole shift. On an ordinary shift (about 5 hours) I usually make £25 ($50).

I did not realise florida waiting staff got paid so little

I have to say if I was doingthe dining plan, if i had received really good serivce,I would tip over the 18% already included.