Tips

[Reese]

I was wondering if anyone knew if I could pay the tips for everyone in our group? We have 18 people and I thought it would be easier to roll the cost of tips into their entire price and than I could use that and cover everyone's tips at meals to keep it simple for them instead of telling them their price is this but they will need to allot for tips for 10 days worth of meals. We all have the dining plan so this way they really have nothing extra to worry about if I already include their tips.

 

[aripantaloon]

I think I'm slightly confused as to what you are asking. So, you, personally, want to pay for everyone's tips at the end of every meal. Beforehand, when they are paying you for the trip cost, you want to add on the tip cost to what each person owes you? Or are they paying you after the fact so you know what their actual tip would be? ETA: if they are paying you beforehand, how would you know what the tip amount would be anyway? That would vary based on the price of the menu items chosen.

I think you are going to have to write things down when you get your initial itemized bill(s) since as of our last trip, the final bill that you get to keep does not have the actual meal cost or itemized list of items eaten. I think it's going to be too much trouble to do it your way.

Why not just have everyone cover their own tips to make things easier on yourself? I can see doing it that way if you weren't passing the cost on to them, but you are.

 

[Reese]

I'm trying to keep it easy for everyone else going. I have looked at the resturants that we are planning on and have an approximate tip value per person. I just didn't know if the CM's would have trouble taking the tips for everyone off of one room?
Everyone going just wants a bottom line and pay that before we go. I'm rolling in airfare, MNSSHP tickets and La Nouba tickets. This way they know they only need their spending money when we go.
I just know having two rooms on the dining plan have compicated CM's in the past. I'm wondering anyone has charged the tips for numerous rooms into one room charge?

 

[Suellen]

I also take a picture with my iPhone to make the split out later (end of trip) easier!

 

[summermac]

No way would I ever do that. It is extremely easy for CMs to break the bill into rooms/parties. They have to for dining credit allottments anyway. Tell them to go to AllEars or whatever and budget for their tips accordingly. 18% automatic gratuity will apply b/c of your party size so that will help somewhat.

 

[mom2of2]

It can be done. What will happen is they (CM) will split the checks by room to deduct meal credits, then let the server know that all tips are to be charged to you. Unless you are doing all buffet it will be impossible to know how much the tips are beforehand

 

[Reese]

It can be done. What will happen is they (CM) will split the checks by room to deduct meal credits, then let the server know that all tips are to be charged to you. Unless you are doing all buffet it will be impossible to know how much the tips are beforehand

I know I won't know the exact price but I'm pretty good at estimating. Just my parents find it very annoying being "nickle and dimed" on disney vacation. So rather than listen to the rant about free dining costing this much per meal, or "Halloween tickets are HOW MUCH???", I have decided to give them a total cost for vacation. DH's family could care less but would prefer to pay for everything upfront.

 

[Pre]

I know I won't know the exact price but I'm pretty good at estimating. Just my parents find it very annoying being "nickle and dimed" on disney vacation. So rather than listen to the rant about free dining costing this much per meal, or "Halloween tickets are HOW MUCH???", I have decided to give them a total cost for vacation. DH's family could care less but would prefer to pay for everything upfront.

Would it be possible to estimate on the high side, charging everyone the same and then you pay them back at the end of the vacation? You could keep track of what everyone's tip would be each night in your hotel room. Say on the itemized recipt bob ate the chicken ,suizie the veal so together their tip would have been XX. Each night or discreetly keeping track after the meal. I think it would even out at the end of the trip.
Or alternative at the end of the trip splitting the extra tip between each person and returning the extra money.

 

[angierae]

Not getting into your reasons for wanting to do this, I will say that when we went to WDW with my MIL and we had three separate rooms, not a single restaurant gave her any trouble about putting the tips for all three rooms onto her KTTW, even tho we had three rooms.

(Well, I don't know if Coral Reef would have given us a hassle, we ended up getting the 18% tip for parties of 6 or more waived because the service was so horrible.)

 

[purple figment]

I know I won't know the exact price but I'm pretty good at estimating.

Since you probably have a pretty good idea of what your parents and in-laws would order, I agree with the poster who suggested estimating and then adding extra to allow for OOP items such as appetizers or specialty drinks or additional beverages because I assume you'll put those on your bill as well, especially if your parents don't want to be "nickeled and dimed" at every meal.

If you make a spreadsheet, you can input the information every evening to keep track of each family's expenses. At the end of the trip you can figure out if you need to ask for more or if there's extra to return to each family.

 

[amyr1]

Are you going to be able to eat together for even single meal? 18 of you?
I'd estimate the tips and have each guest get a gift card with that amount on it. They can use it and if there's anything left on it at the end they can buy a snack.

Amy

 

[Reese]

Thanks, I just wanted to make sure that I could charge them to one room. I'm estimating on the low side because I don't mind paying a few extra dollars for everyone. Alot of our meals are character meals and the other ones...well my family is pretty predictable, as for drinks no one but me will be drinking. It's the second time we've done Disney with 18 people and everyone wants to eat together so I'm planning accordingly, although I'm thinking we should leave the kids with everyone else and DH and could sneak over to V&A.

 

[TDC Nala]

Closing, as tipping discussion is allowed only on the tipping information thread on the main Restaurant board, and there's loads of advice here for the OP.