We did it again! Family of 4 eats for $75 a day. Read all about it, plus reviews!

[kpm76]

This thread has really taken on a life of its own. Do those of you that insist that customers are required to leave a decent tip think it's fair that the waitstaff that bends over backwards to make sure customers have everything they need gets the same gratuity as the ones who slack? It has occurred to me on several occasions that we don't reward those that do a superior job; we tend to just leave 20%. I have though on rare occasions left less when service was sub par. Tips should not be an expectation; they need to be earned.

 

[jarrdisney]

I think there's something really wrong with a culture of being required to tip for service whether the service is good or not.

People keep talking about the low wages of wait staff and how they rely on tips to survive. If that's the case isn't that what everyone should be getting worked up about? Shouldn't you all be putting your energies into being disgusted that there is no decent minimum wage and that the waiting staff are effectively underpaid by their employers rather than getting angry with not-well-off members of the public who received bad service?

If I got bad service I would leave a small tip. There have been occasions (very rare) when I haven't tipped at all. If the tip is an integral part of their wage it should be paid by the employers and, if necessary, reflected in the food prices (I don't think that is neccessary at Disney as prices are high enough already).

We don't live in that society and never will. That being said, Tip your server.

 

[pinchy]

We don't live in that society and never will. That being said, Tip your server.

you make it sound like it's an impossibility even though societies like that exist elsewhere in the world

I don't pretend to completely have that in the UK, but we're at least a few steps closer to it because there is a minimum wage and we don't have a culture (yet... crosses fingers) where you necessarily tip for bad service. Certainly no one expects you to tip 20% to fund your waiting staff's salaries. 12.5% is pretty standard and generally discretionary.

 

[mejo]

There is no possible way you could be serious about this comment.
Do you honestly think that a server likes to have ANY customer that doesn't tip???
I can tell you, without a doubt, you are 100% wrong! You could be Celine Dion, and if you don't leave a tip for good/satisfactory service, I could care less who you are or how nice you think you are.


Also, BTW, without tips, they are without a living so the job really doesn't matter now does it???

Yes, I am very serious about that. I have managed restaurants, I also know that the below minimum wage for waitresses is not so much the case anymore. I also know that waitresses do not need to be making more than I do with a masters degree and believe me many of them do.

 

[jarrdisney]

Yes, I am very serious about that. I have managed restaurants, I also know that the below minimum wage for waitresses is not so much the case anymore. I also know that waitresses do not need to be making more than I do with a masters degree and believe me many of them do.

Remind me when I am in KS never to eat the restaurants you managed.

 

[jarrdisney]

you make it sound like it's an impossibility even though societies like that exist elsewhere in the world

I don't pretend to completely have that in the UK, but we're at least a few steps closer to it because there is a minimum wage and we don't have a culture (yet... crosses fingers) where you necessarily tip for bad service. Certainly no one expects you to tip 20% to fund your waiting staff's salaries. 12.5% is pretty standard and generally discretionary.

We don't live in that society and the poster does not either. Try getting by on $3/hr with taxes taken out.

 

[pinchy]

We don't live in that society and the poster does not either. Try getting by on $3/hr with taxes taken out.

that doesn't change the fact that lots of anger is being misdirected

it is not the OPs fault that the waiting staff are theoretically poorly paid

it is not the job of the OP to directly fund the waiting staffs salary

 

[majortom]

that doesn't change the fact that lots of anger is being misdirected

No, it is not.

it is not the OPs fault that the waiting staff are theoretically poorly paid

it is not the job of the OP to directly fund the waiting staffs salary

Actually, in most states in this country, that is exactly the direct role of customers at restaurants. State governments agree to let restaurants pay a lower minimum wage, because waiters are partially paid directly by customers. One may not like it, but that is our system here. If one does not want to participate, one should not eat in table service restaurants. Wait staff (and those to whom they tip out: bartenders, bus boys, food runners) depend on this money to live. They take these jobs based on expectations of a minimum of 15% - 18% of their checks. Disney clearly supports that expectation based on their 18% gratuity on large parties and Disney Dining Plan guest. One thing to be sure about, Disney is never free with their own money. Given that they even charge themselves 18%, it is hard to justify paying someone under 10%.

/carmi

 

[chobie]

This thread has really taken on a life of its own. Do those of you that insist that customers are required to leave a decent tip think it's fair that the waitstaff that bends over backwards to make sure customers have everything they need gets the same gratuity as the ones who slack? It has occurred to me on several occasions that we don't reward those that do a superior job; we tend to just leave 20%. I have though on rare occasions left less when service was sub par. Tips should not be an expectation; they need to be earned.

I don't believe that anyone said that people should be required to tip for bad service. What we are saying is don't go into a full service restaurant if you cannot tip because you can't aford it or will not tip because you are cheap or have a philosophical problem with the custom.

Tips need to be earned, no one is disaggreeing with that. What we have a problem with is people who expect NOT to tip. That is just plain rude. But since apparently these cheap, rude people abound I almost always tip 20% to make up for those. JMHO.

 

[chobie]

I think the owners and managers of those establishments would much rather have me as a customer. As far as that goes the waitresses would rather have me too, without customers, they are out of a job.

Interesting that you assume all servers are females...


The last time I waited tables the owner, who was also the manager, would not tolerate repeat customers who did not tip, he did not want their business. He had built up a local reputation of good food, good prices AND good servers that stayed with him for years. He was more concerned with keeping his staff who he knew were good servers, or they would not be working for him.

Now that was a boss I respected, because he respected his staff.

 

[chobie]

As for the OP, they gave some good pointers. If eating is not your thing when you go to WDW, then the OP has some helpful tips (no pun intended) and its one way to economize, because let's face it, either way you will spending alot of money just to be there.

 

[majortom]

I normally avoid these threads where everyone is arguing, but you are arguing over tips? All the OP wanted to let us know how they ate on $75 a day. I think it is great that you can budget like that! Glad you had a great time. We plan to!

I think it is great that someone can eat for $75 a day, my only issue with this post is it does not show one can do it without cheating the servers. If I were to say that I was able to achieve this by stealing food from the counter service restaurants, no one would say "wow, what a great thing!", these posts have some great ideas on how to economize, but also include one that is tantamount to saying "and then just get one's server to pay for part of one's meal."

/carmi

 

[Mickey'snewestfan]

I think the owners and managers of those establishments would much rather have me as a customer. As far as that goes the waitresses would rather have me too, without customers, they are out of a job.

A couple of points here

1) In this thread we're talking about Disney restaurants, which frequently turn away walk ups since they're too full. If they didn't have you they'd have someone else -- someone who would likely tip.

2) The server has taxes witheld on the tip the IRS assumes you left -- whether or not you actually left it. Even if she gets that money back when she files at the end of the year, she (or he) is still has less money in her pocket NOW, and the government is the one getting any interest that money earns.

So no, I don't think the waitress should be "glad to have you" if you don't tip.

 

[traviesojmt]

I think it is great that someone can eat for $75 a day, my only issue with this post is it does not show one can do it without cheating the servers. If I were to say that I was able to achieve this by stealing food from the counter service restaurants, no one would say "wow, what a great thing!", these posts have some great ideas on how to economize, but also include one that is tantamount to saying "and then just get one's server to pay for part of one's meal."

/carmi

She did not cheat the servers. All of these posts that are intended to flame her do not bother to mention that she had someone else with her who made up the difference it tips. Apparently, the tipping argument isn't as fun when you realize that someone was helping her make up the tips. I personally enjoyed that she shared her meal plans with us. I have no idea why anyone would chose to volunteer any information on this board. Someone will no doubt find something wrong with anything someone chooses to share. To compare her report with stealing shows that you did not bother to read the rest of what she tried to share. Her mother (who fortunately doesn't believe that her daughter should not be allowed in TS restaurants due to her lack of money) chose to pay a larger portion of the tip to help her family save some money. Feel free to argue that not everyone will have someone at WDW to help them keep this budget. But stop calling this poor woman a cheat. Her only crime that I can see was bothering to post at all.

 

[jbbt]

Yes, I am very serious about that. I have managed restaurants, I also know that the below minimum wage for waitresses is not so much the case anymore. I also know that waitresses do not need to be making more than I do with a masters degree and believe me many of them do.

I can't believe I'm still commenting on this thread and this may well be a waste of my breathe because some people will never be convinced. Anyway, my sister manages a restaurant in "Smalltown" America. Before that, she was a server for many years. So last night I had the opportunity to interview her about this debate. Let me start by saying that her restaurant has prices and offerings similar to Disney, appetizers in the 7-9 dollar range and entrees in the 19-23 dollar range. Here are some things she told me. Her servers get $3.28/hr, but they don't collect a pay check as all of that gets applied to taxes for their tips. She said they have to at least claim 10% in tips of their food and beverage bill before tax that very night. She said that sometimes people don't leave tips or tip low, but it always works out. Her servers average 15-20% in tips every night. It all balances out. She said it is not uncommon for them to walk out on a Wednesday night with $200 in their pocket (nothing special about Wednesday - just an example). I asked if we should feel sorry for the servers at Disney who do AT LEAST as well as the servers in her restaurant and she thought that was silly. She actually makes less than her servers, but gets other perks. She is a single mom who is able to pay her mortgage and support her family just fine. Yes, she works hard, but for her, the trade off is worth it.

I know not every server in every restaurant makes the same amount of money. I just thought it was interesting information.

 

[majortom]

She did not cheat the servers. All of these posts that are intended to flame her do not bother to mention that she had someone else with her who made up the difference it tips.

Then she also did not eat for under $75 a day. You cannot have it both ways. By posting her exact dollar amounts without posting how much someone else added in tips, she is doing one of two things:

1. Arguing that these are valid amounts to tip.
2. Misleading readers into thinking one can eat as she did for those amounts she listed.

Either is wrong. Again saying "one can eat for $75 a day if one has someone else paying for everything over $75" may be true but is certainly meaningless.

/carmi

 

[chobie]

I can't believe I'm still commenting on this thread and this may well be a waste of my breathe because some people will never be convinced. Anyway, my sister manages a restaurant in "Smalltown" America. Before that, she was a server for many years. So last night I had the opportunity to interview her about this debate. Let me start by saying that her restaurant has prices and offerings similar to Disney, appetizers in the 7-9 dollar range and entrees in the 19-23 dollar range. Here are some things she told me. Her servers get $3.28/hr, but they don't collect a pay check as all of that gets applied to taxes for their tips. She said they have to at least claim 10% in tips of their food and beverage bill before tax that very night. She said that sometimes people don't leave tips or tip low, but it always works out. Her servers average 15-20% in tips every night. It all balances out. She said it is not uncommon for them to walk out on a Wednesday night with $200 in their pocket (nothing special about Wednesday - just an example). I asked if we should feel sorry for the servers at Disney who do AT LEAST as well as the servers in her restaurant and she thought that was silly. She actually makes less than her servers, but gets other perks. She is a single mom who is able to pay her mortgage and support her family just fine. Yes, she works hard, but for her, the trade off is worth it.

I know not every server in every restaurant makes the same amount of money. I just thought it was interesting information.

So your point is that its okay to be a cheap tipper because other people will make up for it?

 

[jbbt]

So your point is that its okay to be a cheap tipper because other people will make up for it?

Are you for real?????

 

[singitalto]

Can we get back to topic. Can you debate tipping policies on a seperate thread? Thanks!

 

[chobie]

Are you for real?????

Are you?