two different stories

[newfiegirl]

ok, my friend just got back from disney yesterday and she told me that after each meal she would get the bill with the price of what their meal would have cost if she was not on ddp, then the gratuity was also there... so before they left her or her husband would have to pay the 20 or 30 dollar tip. i was trying to tell her that i thought it was optional and you could pay the suggested amount or something smaller (or nothing at all if you so inclined). please clear this up fpr us....

 

[Lynn5700]

I think you definitely have to pay the tip when there are 6 people or more eating. I think.

They put the suggested 18% tip, and 20% tip on the bill.

 

[USAswimmer626]

I believe that the amounts listed on the receipt are just suggested amount at the 18 and 20% increments. You are not obligated to tip those amounts, and may tip more or less. 15% at the price of a Disney meal is certainly a good tip, especially at the rate that the tables turn over.

 

[newfiegirl]

yes i should have indicated that they are a family of 4, but they were sure they had to pay the gratuity listed...or maybe they were made to feel that way.

 

[IndySam]

A little off-topic, but we had a long conversation with our waiter at Chef Mickey's last year. He said that long ago he was in a supervisory position at one of Disney's restaurants, but finally decided to be "demoted" to waiter because he was tired of seeing how much more money they were raking in with tips than he was as their boss.

I was on the dining plan, and our typical bill for a table service dinner was $140. Despite the "suggested" amounts listed, I usually just tipped $20 (14%). I figured that was plenty for an hour's work, especially when you consider they are working multiple tables during that time.

 

[MarkinNM]

Tipping is up to YOU!!

 

[newfiegirl]

ok, if i didnt have this board to answer my question, how would i know that tipping is ...optional. my friend booked her trip and just went without knowing much beforehand so for some reason she felt that the tip had to be paid. even after our discussion tonight she still feels sure that tipping is required. so is this explained or written anywhere in the restaiurants?

 

[Lynn5700]

I bet the Disney servers make a killing in tips!! Good for them!

 

[IndySam]

ok, if i didnt have this board to answer my question, how would i know that tipping is ...optional. my friend booked her trip and just went without knowing much beforehand so for some reason she felt that the tip had to be paid. even after our discussion tonight she still feels sure that tipping is required. so is this explained or written anywhere in the restaiurants?

I don't really think tipping is "optional", it's just that the amount printed on the ticket is merely a "suggested" amount. It's just like any other table service restaurant anywhere else in the country. Tip what you feel like tipping, unless there's 6 or more of you. Then it's required.

 

[Chris Rex]

To put it very simply: Tipping is NOT included in the dining plan.

If you don't leave a tip, the waiter does not GET a tip for your time spent there.

If you would not tip in general (shame on you! ;-) ) then you would not tip now. If you would tip in general, you WOULD tip now.

 

[~M&M~]

Whether you are on the dining plan or not, tipping at Disney restaurants is just like tipping at any other restaurant. The suggested amounts listed on the receipts are simply to help you figure out the amount of tip you want to leave. We love the service while dining at Disney and like to leave nice tips.

 

[NJRA]

A little off-topic, but we had a long conversation with our waiter at Chef Mickey's last year. He said that long ago he was in a supervisory position at one of Disney's restaurants, but finally decided to be "demoted" to waiter because he was tired of seeing how much more money they were raking in with tips than he was as their boss.

I was on the dining plan, and our typical bill for a table service dinner was $140. Despite the "suggested" amounts listed, I usually just tipped $20 (14%). I figured that was plenty for an hour's work, especially when you consider they are working multiple tables during that time.

Did you also know that servers only get paid $2.35 an hour.....I myself am a server and I hate that people think that all of us make a ton of money. It's just not true. I've had days I left work with $100.00 in my pocket(rarely) and other days I've left with $5.00 in my pocket. I belive if your server gave you great service and made your dinner an enjoyable experince you should leave them a tip that reflects that service... not a smaller one because they have other tables to. That just makes no sence to me.....

 

[MarkinNM]

Did you also know that servers only get paid $2.35 an hour.....I myself am a server and I hate that people think that all of us make a ton of money. It's just not true. I've had days I left work with $100.00 in my pocket(rarely) and other days I've left with $5.00 in my pocket. I belive if your server gave you great service and made your dinner an enjoyable experince you should leave them a tip that reflects that service... not a smaller one because they have other tables to. That just makes no sence to me.....

Tipping is optional, period...........

You give good service then you get a good tip, NOTHING is required.

It’s my money and NOTHING can tell me how to spend it, period…

I worked in the Restaurant business for over 12 years and never expected our servers to even “hint” at a tip, that is just sad. However a diner decides to tip is UP to them. I know tipping threads are looked on here on the DIS but it just irks me when even a suggestion is mentioned on how I should spend my money…..

 

[DisneyCruiser83]

Do they have a TiW card? With that, an 18% tip is automatically included. Otherwise, the tipping is optional.

 

[NJRA]

Tipping is optional, period...........

You give good service then you get a good tip, NOTHING is required.

It’s my money and NOTHING can tell me how to spend it, period…

I worked in the Restaurant business for over 12 years and never expected our servers to even “hint” at a tip, that is just sad. However a diner decides to tip is UP to them. I know tipping threads are looked on here on the DIS but it just irks me when even a suggestion is mentioned on how I should spend my money…..

I never once said anyone should be told how much to tip..... I said if you got great service you should not base your tip off of how many other tables the server has.....BUT off of the SERVICE you got.....

 

[IndySam]

Did you also know that servers only get paid $2.35 an hour.....I myself am a server and I hate that people think that all of us make a ton of money. It's just not true. I've had days I left work with $100.00 in my pocket(rarely) and other days I've left with $5.00 in my pocket. I belive if your server gave you great service and made your dinner an enjoyable experince you should leave them a tip that reflects that service... not a smaller one because they have other tables to. That just makes no sence to me.....

I'm aware that servers make a very low hourly wage. I'm also aware of how hard your job is. I wouldn't want to do it. But as I said, my typical tip was $20 a meal. I think that's an extremely fair amount of money to give a server for an hour's work, especially when you consider that most of these meals were buffets where the server doesn't actually have to bring me any food. It's just bringing drinks and clearing plates. I can't imagine that any of my servers were insulted when they saw my $20. As I said, it was my server at Chef Mickey's who told me that the money was very good, that he had observed this firsthand, and that's why he got into it.

Could you let us know how you ever left at the end of the day with only $5? How many tables did you wait? How much in tips was left on the tables. How was the tip money divided up? It just seems inconceivable that you could ever leave at the end of the day with only five bucks. I'm not trying to be argumentative, I just honestly don't understand how that could happen.

By the way, it seemed like a standard tip always used to be 15% until a few years ago. Why would the percentage ever go up? Shouldn't the increase in menu prices automatically increase the amount of money being tipped?

 

[kxs401]

I guess my question is "what do you mean by optional?"

Tipping (most places, in most circumstances) is legally optional -- that is, you can tip however much or little you wish, even if that is nothing.

However, I would be hard-pressed to think of a circumstance under which I consider tipping to be morally optional. A waiter has provided you with a service, trusting that he will be compensated for that service. To not at least leave some kind of tip is to my mind similar to stealing.

Of course, this doesn't mean I think you need to leave 20%, every time, regardless of the service... let your conscience be your guide!

 

[letthewookiewin]

I always tip and believed in tipping well when I recieve good service. However I have never understood tipping based on the amount of the meal. The wait person went through no more trouble to bring me an $8 salad than they would have a $50 steak.

 

[danielle782001]

We just came back from an 11 day trip on the DDP..I saw every receipt...It states "suggested" tipping amount at 18% and 20%...That is how you know that these are suggested amounts but you can give how ever much you want to leave...If your not on disboards you should be able to figure it out from reading the receipt...BTW, you can leave the tip on your room as well...Many servers will tell you that...Cash or room charge, we always tip around 19%.

 

[eliza61]

Tipping is up to YOU!!

The object of tipping is a way to "thank" your server for his/her work. My philosophy is simple. If you give me good service, I will thank you with a monetary gift. If you do not give me good service, I will not reward you with a monetary gift. I am sorry about the lousy salaries that servers recieve but your salary has no bearing what so ever on my equation.
Routine service will generally get you a very routine tip of 13-15%. Bad service will get you a tip of 2-3%. Once again, sorry you are having a bad day and yes I know every one has them but I will not reward your snarky attitude and bad service with my money. Exceptional service will get you any where between 25-30% tip from me, my dh & I have left 100 tips for servers that made our meals memorable on a couple of occasions.

Sorry, I don't buy into that "tips are mandatory" mindset. I will never reward a lousy server with my money.