Who here is not in the "clique" like me? Part 4

[DznyFan]

Donna, thanks for the yummy coffee cake!

Pozey, sounds like a fun day at work - have fun at laser tag! I have to say, the weather for your trip sounds fabulous.

Michele - sounds like the trip was fun - awww.... poor kids..... split up the boys and the girls. (not a bad idea!)

 

[lyzziesmom]

Nice reference to the "first job" thread!!

Unfortunately......it's now gone....

Yeah, I just saw that. I wonder if something else happened this morning? Or if the OP just complained because she was getting "picked on." Guess we'll never know.

DznyFan: I read a rumor that they may or may not raise the DDP price, but that they will most likely no longer include tips in the price. So then you're paying for DDP, and paying for tips as well. Now for me, that's not a big deal, but I've seen some people say that they'll need to budget an extra $200-$300 for tips... WTH are these people eating?!? I can't imagine needing that much for just tips for one TS meal a day.

Love the trip report, especially with the pictures! I always have every intention of putting my pictures together into a story and posting on the TR board, but somehow it never happens. I'm not one to take notes either, that would be just one more thing to keep track of, so my memories of each day are not always crystal-clear. You know how it is, you get vacation-fog.

 

[DisneyGirl4188]

DznyFan: I read a rumor that they may or may not raise the DDP price, but that they will most likely no longer include tips in the price. So then you're paying for DDP, and paying for tips as well. Now for me, that's not a big deal, but I've seen some people say that they'll need to budget an extra $200-$300 for tips... WTH are these people eating?!? I can't imagine needing that much for just tips for one TS meal a day.

I think these people have large families and they are tipping 20% (of the meal, not what they paid for the plan). So, if they have a meal costing $250.00 each day that adds up. I'm not sure though.

 

[DznyFan]

Yeah, I just saw that. I wonder if something else happened this morning? Or if the OP just complained because she was getting "picked on." Guess we'll never know.

DznyFan: I read a rumor that they may or may not raise the DDP price, but that they will most likely no longer include tips in the price. So then you're paying for DDP, and paying for tips as well. Now for me, that's not a big deal, but I've seen some people say that they'll need to budget an extra $200-$300 for tips... WTH are these people eating?!? I can't imagine needing that much for just tips for one TS meal a day.

Love the trip report, especially with the pictures! I always have every intention of putting my pictures together into a story and posting on the TR board, but somehow it never happens. I'm not one to take notes either, that would be just one more thing to keep track of, so my memories of each day are not always crystal-clear. You know how it is, you get vacation-fog.

Oh, yeah - now I remember reading something about the tips! Yeah, I suppose it could make a significant difference in the budget - even for those of us who only pay for the dining plan (and tix) when we go. I know that our Narcoosee's meal last week was over $300.00 after tax - DH got a "half bottle" of wine, and I had one drink - which we paid and tipped for separately. So the tip alone just for that meal would have been between $45 and $60. (before the wine and drink) Now, granted, we don't usually eat that expensive! In fact, if we were not using the dining plan, we would be much more conservative, except DH likes the table service restaurants for lunch too, so DDP usually keeps us out of those for lunches and saves us money. I guess we'll just have to sit down and budget!

 

[lyzziesmom]

Wow, I guess I can see how the tips would add up. In that case I'm sure a lot less people would get the DDP, I know I can feed all three of us for a full day at CS for less than $60. And then add in paying for the DDP - about $65-$70 for the three of us at today's rates - and it's just no longer a good deal. Darn it, I really like the DDP, it lets us do things we normally would not do. Without it, we do not eat at TS places or character meals at all. I'm hoping this change will be very unpopular and Disney will either not institute the change at all or will revert back to including the tip after a short period of time. Just like everything else, I guess we'll have to wait and see.

 

[DisneyGirl4188]

I love the DDP because I don't have to worry about what things cost. I do think that the servers are going to get screwed out of some tips.

Our first trip we ate off site a couple times, but after the DDP we never went offsite to eat. I do think that if the DDP ends up not being a good deal for us, we may venture offsite again or we may just end up eating more CS.

 

[pozey]

DznyFan - I too am loving the trip reports. And the pictures just add to the story. The girls look like they were having a BLAST!!

 

[pozey]

Pozey, sounds like a fun day at work - have fun at laser tag! I have to say, the weather for your trip sounds fabulous.

I know.....doesn't the weather look GREAT?!?! I'm glad I looked too. I told DW last night to make sure that we pack at least a light jacket for everyone. Some of the mornings and evenings look like it might be very cool.

Plus, I will probably pack a long sleeved shirt or two for everyone as well. As for me......I'll be wearing shorts and a t-shirt (Disney of course) all the time regardless of the weather. Once summer hits.......shorts and short-sleeved shirts only for me (outside of work).

 

[lindakmonty]

Hey everybody!! darn...I missed that thread last night. I would have jumped in there some too, but that was way past my bed time I'm usually in bed by 10

Dznyfan... I LOVE your TR...the pix make it so much fun. Erin and her friend look like they were having so much fun

Michele...sorry you got home so late. Have fun today 2 hr waits for Maverick on a Tues yikes!!! I guess I'll be running there 1st thing the 26th!

pozey... sounds like fun. the weather sounds like when we went to Yellowstone... early there would be frost on the windows and w/in a few hrs it would be 75! we just layered and went w/the flow. you guys are going to have so much fun!!

what...no more tips included in the ddp why don't they just cut down on how much they're already tipping. don't they tip like 18% or something??? why don't they just make it 15% and let us tip more if we want like we do now that would help wouldn't it???? If they change that I'm sure we'd cut way back on our spending on meals...only a few ts that are must do's. now we're more likely to try new places and if they change it I don't think we'd do the ddp at all...guess we'll see

ohhhhhh My mom called she's moving!!!! which is great b/c she's been living at my duplex CHEAP to help her out no good deed goes unpunished! well, now she said she found a place that is for elderly and all her clients will be where she lives and she can just walk client to client...so I can rent it out much more than I was letting her stay there for but..now I don't know if I should keep it or not decisions decisions

 

[DisneyGirl4188]

Linda, the other rumor is that now DDE customers will have 18% automatically added to their bill. The thought is that since Disney took away 18% on the DDP, the servers are mad, so Disney added the tip to the other plan (DDE). So, Disney saves money by not paying tips and the server still gets a guaranteed tip. However, many DDEers said they just paid the 20% they saved by using the card as the tip. Now, servers are losing out on 2% (that is, if DDEers don't pay more than 18%).

One server said that Disney wants to get rid of the DDP. I guess this is the first step (if that's true).

I feel that if Disney wants to get rid of the tip, then we should only have to tip based on the plan price instead of the actual meal price. Still, that means that servers are losing out on tips.


I wish the US would be like other countries and not have tips. It makes no sense to me to have to pay 18% of the bill. Why do servers get more money if I order lobster instead of a salad? Does it take more effort to bring the more expensive item?

OK, off my soapbox now.

 

[DisneyGirl4188]

ohhhhhh My mom called she's moving!!!! which is great b/c she's been living at my duplex CHEAP to help her out no good deed goes unpunished! well, now she said she found a place that is for elderly and all her clients will be where she lives and she can just walk client to client...so I can rent it out much more than I was letting her stay there for but..now I don't know if I should keep it or not decisions decisions

Yeah! Good luck on that decision.

 

[lindakmonty]

Amber, thanks, I had no clue everything going on but I'm right w/ya on the tips

 

[lindakmonty]

Yeah! Good luck on that decision.

there are pros and cons to everything I guess!! It is good come tax time though

 

[lyzziesmom]

Linda: You talking about your mom moving reminds me, my mom told me that my grandparents are moving. They have lived in the same house since my mom was a little girl, out in the country in MN. They board horses and their ranch used to be more operational, but they don't do much with it these days. They are not even taking any of their stuff, just their clothing and a few personal items! Everything else they are going to just leave with the house, or donate. This makes me very sad. I told my mom that I want the books. They have a large bookcase full of books that I used to always read when we visited during the summers, and now my girls enjoying reading them. They were planning on just throwing them away! I just don't understand how someone can have almost 50 years of memories in a house and just up and leave, and not take anything with you. They are not moving to a retirement home, just a new prefab house a little closer to town. They have already bought the new house but are not selling their old house until next year I think. I really wish they would keep the house in the family, it's a really neat old house, over 100 years old - it used to be two old houses that were somehow put together, which you can tell because the upstairs hallway slants where the houses were joined. I know it's none of my business, but it almost makes me not want to go visit my grandparents any more after they move, because it just won't be the same without being in the sunny kitchen in their little yellow farmhouse, and visiting the horses and playing with the barn cats and sleeping in my mom's old tiny bedroom with the frayed quilt and the sprung mattress. It just all seems so weird.

 

[surfergrl31]

Linda, the other rumor is that now DDE customers will have 18% automatically added to their bill. The thought is that since Disney took away 18% on the DDP, the servers are mad, so Disney added the tip to the other plan (DDE). So, Disney saves money by not paying tips and the server still gets a guaranteed tip. However, many DDEers said they just paid the 20% they saved by using the card as the tip. Now, servers are losing out on 2% (that is, if DDEers don't pay more than 18%).

One server said that Disney wants to get rid of the DDP. I guess this is the first step (if that's true).

I feel that if Disney wants to get rid of the tip, then we should only have to tip based on the plan price instead of the actual meal price. Still, that means that servers are losing out on tips.


I wish the US would be like other countries and not have tips. It makes no sense to me to have to pay 18% of the bill. Why do servers get more money if I order lobster instead of a salad? Does it take more effort to bring the more expensive item?

OK, off my soapbox now.

Can I borrow your soapbox for a minute?

I wish the US would go to having no tips also. I don't mind leaving a little extra money if the service was fantastic, but I get a little peeved to be made to tip for poor service because they are paid so little.

Here is the scoop on the DDP

-As it looks now, tips are out and possible price is to be raised
-DDE will automatically have 18% added to their bill based on first total(before discount)
-All parties with 6 or more people will have 18% added to their bill.
*the contract does say that this is a temp-perm proposal so it could change~one can only hope*

There has been a big huff about it on the other boards, but I would just rather pay a little increase if they would keep the tips. The union voted down the contract and this is what happens. Oh well I'll use a little extra money to try out some other Orlando resturants.


lyzziesmom-loved the riddle gave me my first morning giggle.

 

[lyzziesmom]

Amber: I totally understand what you're saying about the tips. I hate tipping at restaurants (and remember, Emma's dad was/is a server) because these days all they really do is write down your order & deliver it to the kitchen, then check on you once (if you're lucky) and drop the check. Most places have a runner or busboy who delivers the food, so the server does not even actually serve you! And they certainly don't cook. Yes I understand they only make just over $2.50/hour in their check, but why can't that be changed to at least minimum wage and do away with tips? Also they are usually offered incentives to "push" the daily specials (or at least they were at RFC when he worked there), which I really hate. I don't want to be told to order something just because they have too much inventory and/or the certain meat is about to turn if they don't sell it! Ok, rant over. Long story short, I happen to like the DDP the way it is and hope they don't change it too much.

Linda: I say if you can rent out the duplex for a decent price, go for it! If you think you can make more money selling it, then that would probably make a nice DVC payment. Either way, it looks like you'll be doing better so it seems like a win/win.

Well I talked to the Girl Scout people, and we don't have to cancel Lyzzie's camp after all! I explained that we could not get an appointment before the paperwork deadline for the health form, and that she has an appt. for Tuesday so the paperwork will be about a week late. The lady was very understanding and said the deadline is pretty much put into place to create a false sense of urgency, or else people will not get the paperwork in at all. Whew! Lyzzie will be so happy.

 

[DisneyGirl4188]

There has been a big huff about it on the other boards, but I would just rather pay a little increase if they would keep the tips. The union voted down the contract and this is what happens. Oh well I'll use a little extra money to try out some other Orlando resturants.

Yeah, I read a couple of the other threads. I wouldn't mind an increase either. The tipping isn't so terrible for us, because it's just DH and I. I do feel bad for the families that end up having to tip 40+ dollars each meal.

I would like to visit CityWalk once, but haven't because I stick with WDW. However, if I am going offsite to eat, I might as well go there and who knows, maybe I'll end up at IOA too.

 

[DisneyGirl4188]

Lyzziesmom, that's great she can still go to camp!

 

[DznyFan]

Lyzziesmom - what a neat little story, and what great memories! That place sounds like such an heirloom, what with it's age and history. Sad you won't be able to share it with your girls anymore.

I guess the DDE automatically adding 18% doesn't make a huge difference, providing the DDE user already tips somewhere in that area. DDP however, dropping tips and increasing the price is kind of a bummer. It pretty much defeats the purpose, plus I don't feel obligated to eat dessert every meal. Of course, for folks like Lyzziesmom, it's a WONDERFUL thing. We may have to rethink it for future trips - it just might not save us that much money. Funny, it hasn't even been available to DVC members until the past year or so anyway. I didn't know they didn't tip 'elsewhere', but I agree w/ Amber - it's not any difference whether the server brings you a salad or a lobster, and if it's bad service, its bad service! (or good service, on the other hand). But - thinking about it (here's putting it in perspective) - say you have a server in a high end restaurant (Narcoosee's for example) pulling in an average of $50 for tip for a table of four to six people. In only three tables, that server would make more than I make gross a day. Said server would make almost as much on two tables. Wow.

Pozey and Linda - oh yeah, you can sure tell they're having a good time! They're obviously theatre kids - hams! I liked the idea of adding the pics to the TRs exactly for the reason you guys are saying - so it feels more like you're there. I don't know, more - personal, I guess.
Glad everyone is enjoying it!

 

[DznyFan]

Lyzziesmom - that's great news about camp!

Linda - I agree w/ Lyzziesmom - can you make enough rent on your duplex to cover a DVC payment?