20% dvc discount at Dolphin Fountain

Shelly S

Mouseketeer
Joined
Oct 2, 1999
Not sure if this is already posted but if you use your dvc 20% off discount at Dolphin Fountain be sure to look at the restaurant bill really well. They added an 18% service charge (not gratuity) after taking off the 20% discount on Friday 9/20. I questioned the server and he said they started doing this with only the dvc discount about a month ago and that the manager could remove it. He also said the service charge was not added to any other type of discount, just DVC. Manager did remove the 18% but it is a ridiculous charge that you are not told about in advance and it basically negates the dvc discount. Not sure if the other Swan/Dolphin restaurants are adding that same service charge but just wanted to give a heads up to check the bill
 
Perhaps the server was mistaken or misspoke? 18% is exactly like the gratuity automatically added on TIW. It's also how much gratuity is added to parties of 6 or more when dining anywhere on site. I can see maybe they meant that it's a charge that is only automatically added to parties of less than 6 on a DVC discount, not that it isn't added at all elsewhere.

Did the server or manager explain what the "service charge" was? Seems pretty sketchy to add a charge that is apparently elective, and then quickly remove it when a customer complains.
 


Perhaps the server was mistaken or misspoke? 18% is exactly like the gratuity automatically added on TIW. It's also how much gratuity is added to parties of 6 or more when dining anywhere on site. I can see maybe they meant that it's a charge that is only automatically added to parties of less than 6 on a DVC discount, not that it isn't added at all elsewhere.

Did the server or manager explain what the "service charge" was? Seems pretty sketchy to add a charge that is apparently elective, and then quickly remove it when a customer complains.
No I don’t believe it was a gratuity. There was printed information in the folder with the check that 15% to 20% was customary gratuity. It also stated that gratuity would never be added automatically. I specifically asked the server if it was gratuity and he said no. He said it was just a service charge added on the dvc discount. I asked him what it was for and he said he didn’t know, that it was just something added by Marriott to the dvc discount. The manager did not come over just had the charge removed. In hindsight I should have asked to speak to the manager. If anyone else has this charge added I would love to know what they were told. We may go back there in December and if the service charge still exists I will ask more questions. I suppose it could have been gratuity but everything I read and was told said it was not. Hopefully someone else gets a better answer.
 
I will now be checking all our restaurant bills in the future at Disney.
 


It's just because they probably haven't set up a different button or whatever for the DVC discount. We've used TIW there several times and that auto-grat's the 18% as expected. Hopefully they fix it ASAP since it's not part of the agreement. To be fair, they're not on the TIW list and they've always honored that, so it's probably just an oversight they need to address.

(It does not "negate the discount", though. :rolleyes: )
 
If you don’t notice and you add a tip, then the additional charge would negate the discount, I think.
 
I probably would have thought that was the tip and pay that without adding anything else (or a couple off bucks extra).
 
We will probably be eating there again in December, loved the burgers. I plan to ask more questions if 18% fee is added on again. The waiter did say it was a very recent change.
 
Would love to know more about this/if anyone else has been.

I had no idea they took the DVC discount or TIW.
 
Just used my DVC discount there and got the 18% service charge. (We were a party of 2.) I assumed it was a tip and only added a couple extra bucks to the bill (normally would have left a little more of a tip.)

Wish I’d known to question it. What a ridiculous charge that yes, negates the DVC discount I got if that charge doesn’t actually go to the server. Grrrr.
 
DVC discount has been accepted at Swan/Dolphin for years. I'm pretty sure the 18% "Service Charge" is in fact a gratuity. We always use TIW and not DVC when eating at the Swan/Dolphin so I cannot say if it is new or not but I'm sure if it is new, it's a way to guarantee the servers receive a decent tip.
 
That's weird that they would even have a DVC discount
In one sense yes, but if it generates traffic no. We have had lunch at Cabanas and dinner at Il Mulino and Bluezoo. The DVC and/or TIW discounts have taken us there. Otherwise we would likely not have gone.

ETA: I have photos in my notes app of receipts. Whether TIW or DVC discount at the Swolphin, the receipt says “18% service charge”, whereas my Disney receipts all say gratuity. I’d certainly bet it is an automatic gratuity.
 
We will be there again in less than 2 weeks. I am going to question the manager, not server about what the charge actually is. The server told me it was not the tip, that is why it was confusing and I had the charge removed. Server was great and I left him a good tip. I will report back
 
In one sense yes, but if it generates traffic no. We have had lunch at Cabanas and dinner at Il Mulino and Bluezoo. The DVC and/or TIW discounts have taken us there. Otherwise we would likely not have gone
Same here. And they're plenty popular, but Il Mulino (in our case) had empty tables, so why not offer a discount to draw in people regular to the area?
 
We will be there again in less than 2 weeks. I am going to question the manager, not server about what the charge actually is. The server told me it was not the tip, that is why it was confusing and I had the charge removed. Server was great and I left him a good tip. I will report back

Thanks!
 

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