Not doing DDP mainly because I hate leaving large tips.

[tubtruck]

Well we are off to Disney next month, we have decided not to do the DDP this year. To be honest I feel the value has been sucked out of it over the years the starter went the distance, the included tip was removed (apparently people prefer paying this themselves, who are they trying to kid !!).

We made our reservations as normal but have since decided to dump the plan and pay in cash. I feel we will make a saving as there are many times that the dessert is eaten simply to gain value of the plan and a few less calories will not do me any harm.

I will also be inclined not to simply go for the steak but probably check out a few less expensive items on the menu. The further added benefit will of course the near compulsory huge tip which incidentally I detest will be reduced.

I never understood why in the US it is a percentage of the bill, does a server really do any more work bringing two fillet steaks and a $100 bottle of wine to my table than when they bring two burgers and cokes yet god forbid if they dont get their ludicrous 18 - 20%.

So at least this year I can look forward to dishing out a little less of my hard earned to over paid servers which to be honest was beginning to put me off the more expensive foods on the menu anyway.

 

[torsie24]

Considering 15% is a standard tip I wouldn't call 18% "ludicrous"

I'm not going to start a tipping row but its not the same system as the UK. Being a DVC owner you must know that?

 

[crabbie1]

Well we are off to Disney next month, we have decided not to do the DDP this year. To be honest I feel the value has been sucked out of it over the years the starter went the distance, the included tip was removed (apparently people prefer paying this themselves, who are they trying to kid !!).

We made our reservations as normal but have since decided to dump the plan and pay in cash. I feel we will make a saving as there are many times that the dessert is eaten simply to gain value of the plan and a few less calories will not do me any harm.

I will also be inclined not to simply go for the steak but probably check out a few less expensive items on the menu. The further added benefit will of course the near compulsory huge tip which incidentally I detest will be reduced.

I never understood why in the US it is a percentage of the bill, does a server really do any more work bringing two fillet steaks and a $100 bottle of wine to my table than when they bring two burgers and cokes yet god forbid if they dont get their ludicrous 18 - 20%.

So at least this year I can look forward to dishing out a little less of my hard earned to over paid servers which to be honest was beginning to put me off the more expensive foods on the menu anyway.

If you own dvc why dont you get the TIW card? I don't think the servers are overpaid either and like the previous poster Im not going to open a huge can of worms regards tipping. It is frowned upon not to tip the minimum and I do feel if the service is poor then it should be questioned but saying that I have only had to do it once but spoke to the manager as the server pointed out the meal did not include the tip and circled it!!! That is the only time I have never left a tip due to her rudeness. Before owning dvc I have never had an issue leaving the 18% and always factored it in prior to leaving the UK.
This is a subject that everyone has their own opinion on.
Have a good holiday .

Sent from my iPad using DISBoards

 

[tubtruck]

Very brave of you to admit to ever undertipping I think thats the first time I have ever seen anyone admit to it on a board. I have done it on an occasion when a server said "oh you are English, let me explain to you how much you MUST tip"

 

[torsie24]

We didn't tip at Boma.

Our server brought us our first drink then disappeared. We went thirsty for the rest of the meal and ate amongst dirty tables where others had left and the plates weren't picked up.

 

[Minniesgal]

I agree with you on the DDP there is no value in it. We have run the numbers many times and cant see any benefit. As suggested the TIW is better.

Not using the DDP wont reduce the percentage of your tip, 18% is still expected but it will reduce the amount if you reduce the bill.

As for tipping when in Rome....

 

[scoobydooby]

The free DDP is great value for us. Tips at 20% will be £300-400 for two weeks. That's very cheap to eat out 28 times and includes breakfast as we use the snack credits for breakfasts often. I wouldn't pay for it because I would eat more appetisers without it but for free, even paying the tips is good value for my family. I have no issue with the tips it's their salary, which in anyones reality is very low.

 

[DVCJones]

We also stopped using the DDP. There is little to no value in it. We now use the TIW card and pay OOP. However, the tip is still added to the TIW which still bothers me. As someone who mostly tips 20%, it does bother me to be forced to tip18% at a buffet style restaurant. I just don't feel bringing drinks and clearing dishes is the same as taking orders, coordinating courses, timing food delivery, keeping up with drinks/refills, clearing dishes...etc.

I even feel this way after being a waitress for 10 years!!!

 

[tubtruck]

I have always felt aggrieved as I cannot see why 18% of a food bill is expected when you have actually paid a set price for food, why should people not pay 18% of the price of the cost of the DDP minus the cost of a counter service meal and a snack. That is the price you have paid.

 

[greengeen]

I have always felt aggrieved as I cannot see why 18% of a food bill is expected when you have actually paid a set price for food, why should people not pay 18% of the price of the cost of the DDP minus the cost of a counter service meal and a snack. That is the price you have paid.

If you dislike the customary tipping practice in the US, then you really shouldn't come here and dine, ever. Not giving a proper tip just isn't acceptable.

 

[tubtruck]

When did it customarily go up from 15% and when did it become customary to also tip this new inflated percentage for buffet meals ?

I pay it because its expected, it does not mean I like paying it or feel they have earned it, I treat it as more of a forced charity gesture like a leaving present to people at work.

 

[Aliceacc]

As for tipping when in Rome....

The reality is that, whether people like it or not, in the United States, the waitstaff earns their money through tips. I know that when I waitressed in college, I made far, far less than minimum wage... it was something like $10 per NIGHT. The rest of my salary was the tips I made (minus the percent that I paid to the busboys/busgirls. Like me, they earned $10 per night, and the rest of their salary was the 20% of our tips the waitstaff paid them.)

Were tips to be discontinuued, it would merely mean that food prices would increase to compensate.

When my 13 year old daughter recently went to a restaurant with friends for the first time (Friendlys, a burger and ice cream place) I made SURE she knew how much to tip. I told her the easiest thing would be to divide the check by 5, and then round down. While we leave a standard 20%, I figured that a bit less from a group of tweens would be fine. But I made sure that she realized that she needed to tip, and that her age didn't excuse her from the practice.

Perhaps a solution for those who don't believe in tipping would be to look into the wide variety of counter service options at WDW... No tip expected.

And, for the record, each person/family really needs to crunch the numbers. Last year, we didn't do the DDP, choosing instead to save money by enrolling the kids in YES classes. We found that we really missed the DDP. Instead of going into a restaurant and ordering what I was in the mood for, I found myself looking at the prices. And when we did the math, we found that we had pretty much eaten up the money saved by the YES class. So, for us at least, it's back to the DDP next summer.

 

[chmurf]

I never understood why in the US it is a percentage of the bill, does a server really do any more work bringing two fillet steaks and a $100 bottle of wine to my table than when they bring two burgers and cokes yet god forbid if they dont get their ludicrous 18 - 20%.

I pay it because its expected, it does not mean I like paying it or feel they have earned it, I treat it as more of a forced charity gesture like a leaving present to people at work.

You probalbly should realise that :

1 - tip is an integral part of a waiter's salary. Their work contract says that part of their wages is paid by the employer, and part is paid with tips. You may not like it, or you may not understand it, or think that system is ludicrous, still it is the system and that's how it works.
Being aggrieved by this tipping system is just as if your boss declared "I am aggrieved that I have to pay you your full salary. I don't understand why I should pay you in full when you spend your day breathing the air inside MY shop " ... try to imagine that and not to feel outraged ...

2 - Waiters are taxed based, not on how much they actually get in tips, but on how much they should have made in tips.
It they cash in $10.000 in a month between all of their tables, they get taxed on the tip they should have received on those $10.000.
If they received more tips, then good for them, but if they made less tip than expected, they get taxed on money they didn't even earn.
Once again, imagine that the Revenue Service would tax you for more than your actual income ... wouldn't you feel aggreived again ? (or worse ...)

as they say : "when in Rome ..."
It's not a question wether or not the system is good or if you like it. It's about people who work and have to deal with those laws and regulations and still make a living out of their jobs.
Indeed if you don't like tipping, or if you feel cheated, or if you feel ilt's unfair, then don't do TS restaurants and so be it.

 

[married2mm]

I can understand where you're coming from.
We actually tip what we want,rather than be dictated to.
Also,don't like being tied to adrs,prefer qsdp and still have credits left over.

When we first went to Florida,had no idea about the whole tipping thing..
Buffets,drinks,etc.
I still think it's very odd to rely on tips as part of your salary,but I'm not really understanding our economic situation,never mind another continents!!

I think the best idea,is to do what works for you.

 

[chmurf]

I still think it's very odd to rely on tips as part of your salary,but I'm not really understanding our economic situation,never mind another continents!!

It's all about "service"

If you get paid the same amount, not depending on how you perform, do you think overall performance will be high ?

I live in France, so I'll tell you about waiters (oh no, don't get me started about waiters ... especially French ones ... you've never seen such rude people ... and mind you, my BIL is a waiter in a Parisian Café ...)

When the tip (or service) is included, why on earth would the waiter want to keep you as satisfied as can be ? ... he gets the same salary at the end of the week.
But when the waiter knows that if you're not happy, he doesn't get paid ... then he's more likely to be polite, considerate and efficient.

At the end of the day, you end up paying the same amount.
You'll be paying $50 + $10 tip for a meal in the US, and you'd have paid $60 for the same meal in Europe (except that in europe you'd probably have left a couple of quids on the table for tip (which you have already paid for on the check, btw) , so you'd eventually have paid more ...

People would frown over the huge tip in the US, but would frown all the same over the higher price of the european restaurant, but at the end of the day it's all the same, except that ... when the tip is not included ... you're more likely to get great service ...

so, from a guest/client/patron point of view ... paying the tip on top often means better service at the same price ... isn't that great ?

 

[Kath2003]

If you dislike the customary tipping practice in the US, then you really shouldn't come here and dine, ever. Not giving a proper tip just isn't acceptable.

This. When you visit a country, you should be respectful enough to abide by the customs of that country. Tipping isn't some kind of well-kept secret in the US, any decent travel website will tell you that it is standard and expected. We know it is expected therefore we account for it in the cost of the holiday. If we cannot afford the cost of the trip, or do not feel it offers us value for money, we don't go on that trip.

 

[LeaversOnTour]

I agree very odd to include tipping as part of salaries. I guess taxi drivers and other such services are the same?

How much would the average waiter/waitress earn it tips of a night lets say at one of the downtown disney restaurants? Is there an average number of tables an individual is expected to wait on per hour?

 

[tinks_1989]

We didn't tip at Boma.

Our server brought us our first drink then disappeared. We went thirsty for the rest of the meal and ate amongst dirty tables where others had left and the plates weren't picked up.

Same as us we had terrible service at boma thought we had to refill our drinks from a fountain or something as we never saw our waitress after being shown to our table x

 

[Portugal1000]

I think the problem is that the cost of Disney Restaurants has sky rocketed probably so people on the DP think they are getting great value. I am more than happy to pay 18% but not happy to pay $47 plus tax for a steak.
We have 6 meals booked this year (going tomorrow) 5 character meals as my 2 nieces are coming for first time so cant really not go. I know they will be expensive but will be worth it to see their faces. I had to stop myself at Cinderellas Royal Table though. Would have been over $500.

 

[MrRomance]

Tipping is always an topic that erupts into arguments, so I am not going to say too much on this. What I would say is that servers in the US are deliberately paid significantly below minimum wage to account for the fact that they receive tips. It's a culture thing and the assumption is that people will stick with what is a known cultural norm. I don't really agree with it, but the fact is, most servers make $2-3 an hour in actual pay. So by not paying the tip simply out of principle (different story if the service is bad but I would argue you can address that with the manager which will have more effect than not paying a tip) what happens is the server doesn't get a decent living wage. Having lived in the US for 5 years, I had a number of friends who were servers and they money they make is what is ludicrous. I don't think 15 - 20% is a lot to pay, but when you factor in these people are probably making $20 a night in actual wages, I think it is good karma to pay the tips.