yeah its another tipping question..humor me, ok...

[jellybeans0607]

so i have a party of 8, i understand they will present us with a bill for the tip most likely for 18%.
but, is there leway? i understand i can pay more, but what if i want to leave less, for whatever reason, can i? how can they force you to pay a specific tip?

 

[PlutoLuvr]

It's a line item on your bill. It's similar to any food item or drink on your bill. There's no "most likely" about the 18 percent. It's just there. I suppose you could throw down a few more bucks if you want to add more or try and negotiate a lower tip with a manager if you had poor service, but it is very much automatic. This isn't a suggested amount like others see on their receipts who don't have the auto grat.

We use the DDE, so we see the auto grat line item all the time. I've never tried to get them to lower the amount. I never saw a need to. If I had poor service, I'd request a manager immediately and request whatever was needed in order to fix the problem at the time, not wait until the end of the meal and try and get them to lower the tip.

HTH

 

[LisaInNc]

They are just going to add it in and if you wanted to leave less you are going to have to get a manager to adjust it. For that trouble I would not bother unless the service was really bad or the table ordered a $400 bottle of wine !

 

[jellybeans0607]

It's a line item on your bill. It's similar to any food item or drink on your bill. There's no "most likely" about the 18 percent. It's just there. I suppose you could throw down a few more bucks if you want to add more or try and negotiate a lower tip with a manager if you had poor service, but it is very much automatic. This isn't a suggested amount like others see on their receipts who don't have the auto grat.

We use the DDE, so we see the auto grat line item all the time. I've never tried to get them to lower the amount. I never saw a need to. If I had poor service, I'd request a manager immediately and request whatever was needed in order to fix the problem at the time, not wait until the end of the meal and try and get them to lower the tip.

HTH

no i probably wont want to pay less, or even if i wanted to i wouldnt. im a server so i couldnt physically do it, but no i wont leave more than that. it bothers me the way they handle that, so even as i normally would give 20-25 i will just give the demanded 18%. i just wish it was left to the patron what they wanted to give, and gave you the suggestion, not the demand for money.

 

[PlutoLuvr]

I wish it was left up to the patron, too. This was evidently some point of contention with the union and Disney (I guess removing the auto grat from the DDP but then putting it in with the DDE and parties of 6 or more).

 

[k5thbeatle]

no i probably wont want to pay less, or even if i wanted to i wouldnt. im a server so i couldnt physically do it, but no i wont leave more than that. it bothers me the way they handle that, so even as i normally would give 20-25 i will just give the demanded 18%. i just wish it was left to the patron what they wanted to give, and gave you the suggestion, not the demand for money.

Couldn't agree more. With DDP there is no incentive for quality of food or service...imho!

 

[jellybeans0607]

Couldn't agree more. With DDP there is no incentive for quality of food or service...imho!

yup and that sucks. as soon as they see we are on the ddp and that their tip is gauranteed, why should they even bother.

 

[catne]

yup and that sucks. as soon as they see we are on the ddp and that their tip is gauranteed, why should they even bother.

DDP does not guarantee an automatic tip anymore. It's only on parties of 6 or more that have a guaranteed tip. Parties of 5 or less it's just a suggested tip. The Disney dining Experience (DDE) has the tip automatically added on the bill, but not on the DDP

Guaranteed tip amounts are not just at Disney...at every restaurant I've ever been to all over the country there has been guaranteed tips charged on large parties, and they just add it to the bill (it's usually printed on the menu, too.) Some places the # varies...I've seen it charged on as low as a Party of 5 and as many as Party of 8.

 

[jellybeans0607]

DDP does not guarantee an automatic tip anymore. It's only on parties of 6 or more that have a guaranteed tip. Parties of 5 or less it's just a suggested tip. The Disney dining Experience (DDE) has the tip automatically added on the bill, but not on the DDP

Guaranteed tip amounts are not just at Disney...at every restaurant I've ever been to all over the country there has been guaranteed tips charged on large parties, and they just add it to the bill (it's usually printed on the menu, too.) Some places the # varies...I've seen it charged on as low as a Party of 5 and as many as Party of 8.

we are a party of 8. and no, not here in MA, i have never seen a restaurant do that. i serve at an UNO, and i can gaurantee we dont do that. i served a party of 22 on sat night, no forced tipping. its a horrible practice.

 

[JLKennedy]

Okay, so let's play devils advocate:

Hypothetically:

We are a party of 8, we are on the dining plan without charge privileges to our KTTW card. I use my "dining" vouchers to pay for my meal, but since there are no "charging" rights to my card, and I don't carry cash with me, how exactly does "one" pay their 18% gratuity?

 

[DISNEY1975]

I wish it was left up to the patron, too. This was evidently some point of contention with the union and Disney (I guess removing the auto grat from the DDP but then putting it in with the DDE and parties of 6 or more).

I suppose they have to do that for the numerous foreigners they get who are not used to tipping.

 

[jellybeans0607]

Okay, so let's play devils advocate:

Hypothetically:

We are a party of 8, we are on the dining plan without charge privileges to our KTTW card. I use my "dining" vouchers to pay for my meal, but since there are no "charging" rights to my card, and I don't carry cash with me, how exactly does "one" pay their 18% gratuity?

yeah, really it has to be optional. they just arent presenting it as an option. i cant believe its legal to demand a tip, suggest yes, but not demand.
but in anycase, if this were the case, i would think they would just charge it to your room, right? you need a CC to secure a room right? or maybe you dont, i dont know.
but if you werent staying on property, then theyre out of luck, right.

 

[JLKennedy]

How can they charge it if you don't have a credit card on file at the resort? And then if they did, one could just call the 800 number on their cc and dispute charges stating that you did not authorize any charges to that card...

Even if you paid your deposit by credit card, they don't have access to all 16 digits (it's law for security a "company" is only allowed the first four and the last four digits, the eight in between must be xxxxx'ed out. And if you booked through a travel agent and paid the agency and the agency in turned paid the resort/disney mgmt, there would be no way for them to "charge" anything.

I don't think it is "legal" to mandate a gratuity (whether it's right or not is another topic of morality).

I imagine the waiter/waitress would get stiffed, unless all wait staff pool their monies together each night and they equally divide it amongst them?

 

[jellybeans0607]

i guess they simply cant force a tip. and if i wanted to leave something different there would have to be a way to change it, or if i left a cash tip for 10% they cant dispute that. its a tip, not something purchased.
now dont everyone think im going in there and not tipping. sure ill tip the 18% its actually saving me money where i would have normally tipped 20-25%. i just dont like being told what to do.

 

[mrsksomeday]

You don't have to eat on Disney property if you don't like the rules. The way you show a company you don't like their practices is to not spend your money there.

I have no issues with an 18% tip, I factor it in with my vacation budget. We were just there earlier this month, ever server got over 22%, the server at 50's Prime Time Cafe got 25% from us, he was fantastic.

Even when the tip was included on the dining plan we always had great servers. I can't imagine having to serve as many people as they do in a shift. I am grateful for them being there and will tip accordingly.

 

[jellybeans0607]

You don't have to eat on Disney property if you don't like the rules. The way you show a company you don't like their practices is to not spend your money there.

I have no issues with an 18% tip, I factor it in with my vacation budget. We were just there earlier this month, ever server got over 22%, the server at 50's Prime Time Cafe got 25% from us, he was fantastic.

Even when the tip was included on the dining plan we always had great servers. I can't imagine having to serve as many people as they do in a shift. I am grateful for them being there and will tip accordingly.

no, we'll still be eating there. when the tip was included we too always gave more, but now they arent just not including it, they are demading a specific amount. being a server i can appreciate the job and they will get their 18% that they demand, they wont get more this trip. thats how ill show i dont like the practice. ill keep the other 7% that i would normally tip in my pocket.

 

[mrsksomeday]

It is also usual around here to include a mandatory tip for parties over 6. It is that way at Disney and for parties less than 6 there are suggested tip amounts.

I do want to state my previous post was just my opinion, I wasn't trying to be sarcastic or argumentative.

 

[TDC Nala]

Okay, so let's play devils advocate:

Hypothetically:

We are a party of 8, we are on the dining plan without charge privileges to our KTTW card. I use my "dining" vouchers to pay for my meal, but since there are no "charging" rights to my card, and I don't carry cash with me, how exactly does "one" pay their 18% gratuity?

You need to have some way available to pay your gratuity, as it is not included in the dining plan.

 

[suprgrlx]

Okay, so let's play devils advocate:

Hypothetically:

We are a party of 8, we are on the dining plan without charge privileges to our KTTW card. I use my "dining" vouchers to pay for my meal, but since there are no "charging" rights to my card, and I don't carry cash with me, how exactly does "one" pay their 18% gratuity?

Let's assume for a minute that it's legal to charge an automatic gratuity (whether for larger parties or people on DDE). Actually, I don't see that it would be very different than a "service charge" or "handling fee" or something which appears to be legal since it is seen in many industries. By searching online, I came across these couple of articles which seem to imply the legality of auto grat if disclosed on the menu:

http://law.justanswer.com/is-it-legal/lp3t-ohio-legal-refuse-pay
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080213154107AA7P6Ui

Now, assuming that it is legal to charge this extra fee, then I don't see how your example above makes any sense. What you are suggesting is like walking into a restaurant with only part of the money required to pay for the bill (since you have the meal & tax money, but no tip money). I would assume that you could be handled like anyone without the money to pay for their bill. Disney might possibly decide not to pursue the matter, but I would think that would be their prerogative.

 

[SnwflkCts]

I am in DC area where parties of 8 ARE normally charged gratuity automatically. It is NOT a WDW thing.

A "potential" tip is not a guarantee of getting a good or bad waiter. The waiter is either good or not good to begin with when you show up. (Of course I take into account we are all human and some days are better than others ...).

I am really NOT trying to agitate but I am just a little amazed that of all the "cost cutting" things people try to do ... tipping is like "the way" to save! There are other ways to save and if a meal at ANY restaurant (including a tip) is too much then the cost cutting must be the entire meal ... not at the expense of those making a living from it.

That said -- another poster said it nicely -- you should inform the manager way BEFORE the tip if your server is not up to par.

Oh and about that hypothetical question:
On a normal day of life (non-WDW), one carries real money and not monopoly money sooo you must just TRY to imagine that WDW is still part of the unmagical real world and carry a little cash ... or ok MasterCard. If you "HEAVEN FORBID" had to call a cab to get you back to your resort -- they won't take a KTTW card either. Neither does an Urgent Care. I like to travel light too but things (that require money!) do happen even at WDW!!!!!!!!!!