Beginning in January - 18% Gratuity....

[disneyfan2kids]

It makes a difference - not in the effort required - but in the amount the server is required to "tip share" with cooks, hostesses etc.

Many times their tip share is not based on actual tips received - but on total sales. So cutting back your percentage of tip on a more expensive meal really costs the server. They still have to pay out the same amount to the hostess based on your total bill... not your total tip.

I can't say if that is how it is at Disney or not... but that is why it is important to base your percentage on the bill in addition to the level of service.

Wow...didn't know that... makes sense though! All the more reason to tip appropriately.

I have owned a restaurant and have several friends that do.....I have never heard of anyone having to tip out according to their sales instead of a percentage of the gratuity that is received....and by the way...this is usually left up to the discretion of the server....

Well, I'm sure different restaurants all over the country have different policies. Just because someone has never heard of it happening in their experience doesn't mean it doesn't happen.

 

[TLSnell1981]

Wow...didn't know that... makes sense though! All the more reason to tip appropriately.



Well, I'm sure different restaurants all over the country have different policies. Just because someone has never heard of it happening in their experience doesn't mean it doesn't happen.

While there may be a few, I can't believe that many restaurants would make a server tip out based on their sales....not their actual tips. This makes no sense....and most places this is voluntary just like a customer leaving a tip....but I bet if the don't... their food and drinks don't come up as fast as others that do....or their tables aren't bussed as efficiently.

 

[disneyfan2kids]

While there may be a few, I can't believe that many restaurants would make a server tip out based on their sales....not their actual tips. This makes no sense....and most places this is voluntary just like a customer leaving a tip....but I bet if the don't... their food and drinks don't come up as fast as others that do....or their tables aren't bussed as efficiently.

I worked as a server a million years ago when in school. (For the record... I was HORRIBLE at it. That's why I tip well, I think their job is SO much more difficult than people think.) Tipping out others wasn't voluntary if you ever wanted anything done again...hahahaha! Kinda kills the whole voluntary thing when you realize without their help you can't survive working there in the future.

 

[Rozzie]

We always had to tip out on our sales. To the bussers was on our general sales, and to the bartenders, a percentage of our alcohol sales. It was not voluntary, it was mandatory.

 

[wezee]

I have owned a restaurant and have several friends that do.....I have never heard of anyone having to tip out according to their sales instead of a percentage of the gratuity that is received....and by the way...this is usually left up to the discretion of the server....

My son works (as a waiter)at a very nice seafood restaurant in Ohio. He makes less than $3 an hour (and is also a full time college student). He has to pay his bartenders, hostess and busboys out of his tips. This policy is mandated by his employer! This kid is an awesome waiter and is considered one of the top servers at his restaurant.......but I cannot tell you how many times people come in and run up a $100+ meal tab...and only leave $2 tip. He also said, many of these people come back every other week, expect over the top service (are very demanding) and feel no shame in leaving a couple of dollars each time!

I realize most of you tip your servers well, but considering the anti-tipping sentiment from many of the recent posters, it leads me to believe that there are a whole bunch of low tippers or no tippers out there.

Maybe some of you need walk a mile in these servers shoes for one month, and see how it feels to continually bust your butt, night after night just to get stiffed over and over again. And those of you who own restaurants......put on an apron for a few nights and see how the other half lives.

Sorry for the ranting..........just had to blow off some steam and I will now crawl back into the shadows and keep quiet.

 

[Rozzie]

My son works (as a waiter)at a very nice seafood restaurant in Ohio. He makes less than $3 an hour (and is also a full time college student). He has to pay his bartenders, hostess and busboys out of his tips. This policy is mandated by his employer! This kid is an awesome waiter and is considered one of the top servers at his restaurant.......but I cannot tell you how many times people come in and run up a $100+ meal tab...and only leave $2 tip. He also said, many of these people come back every other week, expect over the top service (are very demanding) and feel no shame in leaving a couple of dollars each time!

I realize most of you tip your servers well, but considering the anti-tipping sentiment from many of the recent posters, it leads me to believe that there are a whole bunch of low tippers or no tippers out there.

Maybe some of you need walk a mile in these servers shoes for one month, and see how it feels to continually bust your butt, night after night just to get stiffed over and over again. And those of you who own restaurants......put on an apron for a few nights and see how the other half lives.

Sorry for the ranting..........just had to blow off some steam and I will now crawl back into the shadows and keep quiet.

 

[chobie]

I have owned a restaurant and have several friends that do.....I have never heard of anyone having to tip out according to their sales instead of a percentage of the gratuity that is received....and by the way...this is usually left up to the discretion of the server....

Between my DH and I, we have worked as servers in several different restaurants and we always had to tip out on the sales amount.

 

[TLSnell1981]

I still believe in calling it like it is....a service charge not a gratuity. I dare say a good server still makes a good wage....as I said earlier....more than some with a college degree. They also go into their position knowing what their salary is. I feel it's wrong that a person goes in with the expectation they are entitled to at least 18% "gratuity". I know and appreciate the hard work involved. I would often help out and whatever tips I made was divided amongst my employees.

My DH and I have both decided to not purchase the AP or the DDE. I will also make my ADRs for 5 or less when eating on property. You will still get my gratuity, but it WILL be freely given...not mandated.

 

[bicker]

So we have Disney [really it is the same at most every restaurant in the United States] paying servers a bad wage and charging vastly over the odds for the food. Why not just pay the servers a fair wage. I can't understand why such a large company can't pay their staff.

Because people generally punish restaurants for pricing restaurant meals that way, and reward restaurants for pricing restaurant meals the way they're doing it.

Also how did they come up with 18% the tip rate is 15%.

There will almost surely never be an answer to that that folks skeptical about the amount will be satisfied with. It is therefore sufficient to say that "how" they came up with it "doesn't matter".

 

[DVC Sadie]

Whether someone calls it a tip or a gratuity, it makes no difference to me. I just wish that WDW would be consistent across the board in regards to tips either being included or adding the 18% to ALL diners irregardless of DP they choose.

 

[Mackey Mouse]

I agree with the previous poster, if you are going to make it mandatory, it should be mandatory for all not specific groups. I do not get it.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Actually, it is deserved strictly on finesse.

I guess I am probably in the minority here but I don't like the flat 18% for a different reason. I like the option of tipping based on the service I get not the size of the bill. I try and tip about 15 to 18% but on the rare occasion we spend a lot I do cut back.

Interesting... you tip LESS when the check is HIGHER?

We've eaten at almost all WDW restaurants, and almost every time, we are asked are we on any Disney Dining Plan or discount program? We have DDE, have been on DDP, as well as AP and DVC,

Again, I've never been asked about a discount program - but if/since you have several options, and if asked, it would be reasonable to respond, "Yes, but we haven't decided which discount to use".

but for the most part, we've been asked as soon as we've been seated. We have received horrible service (CRT and Coral Reef, for instance), as well as great service, while using all forms of discounts/plans mentioned above.

Again, interesting - especially given that from its inception, through 12/31/07, use of the DDE required no mandatory tip. Therefore, using the DDE can't reasonably be the cause of poor service.

I read all this whit my toes curled up in my shoes.
Why don’t they pay all waiters and waitresses enough to feed there families and pay the bills?

In most states in this country, the Federal Minimum Wage for restaurant servers is $2.13 per hour. If that's all the law requires for this standardly-tipped position, why would the employer pay more? Even the standard minimum wage in this country only results in an annual gross income of about $13,000 - which generally isn't (nearly) enough money to support oneself, let alone a family.

I understand someone wanting to make a good wage, but servers know the wage going into this job.

Yes, servers know the wage going in. They ALSO know that a great deal of their actual income is from tips.

What bothers me the most is the sense of entitlement I'm seeing by some posters. I think most servers realistically know they will average 10% in tips, but I'm seeing that some expect at least 18% regardless.

I'm missing something. How many of the posters on this thread are servers who appear to feel 'entitled' to an 18% tip?

 

[kaytieeldr]

So we have Disney paying servers a bad wage and charging vastly over the odds for the food. Why not just pay the servers a fair wage. I can't understand why such a large company can't pay their staff.
Also how did they come up with 18% the tip rate is 15%.

Disney, like restaurants in most states throughout this country, pays their servers the Federal minimum wage, as required by law. Is there a valid reason why Disney should pay their servers more than three times as much as all the other restaurants in Orlando? And if they were to do that, the food for which they're charging "vastly over the odds" would go up even higher.
Say a steak costs $20.
Since there are additional payroll costs incurred when wages increase, Disney would need to raise the price more than 15%-20%. Rough estimate, the price would go up 20%-25%; after all, Disney isn't going to eat (pun intended) the additional costs. They're going to pass them on to the diner.
Now your presumedly overpriced steak cost $24.00 or $24.60 or $25.00 - and every other menu item price increases comparably. So now your $35 dinner costs $42 or $42.88 or $43.75.
Plus tax - after all, if the price of the food goes up, so does the tax.
Now, instead of paying $42.53 or $43.58 or $44.28, you're paying $44.73 or $45.58 or $46.59
Tipping for restaurant food is an expected cost of the food in this country, and should be considered when making dining choices.
As for the chosen amount (forgive me, bicker) this is my theory - keeping in mind I like numbers, as if ya couldn't tell .
Diners in the US generally tip 15% or 20%.
The average of these two amounts is 17.5%.
Disney simply rounded to the closest whole number.
When the decimal is between zero and four, you round down (and yes, I know that no rounding is required with a zero).
When the decimal is between five and nine, you round up.
Voila! Eighteen percent.

 

[disneyfan2kids]

Disney, like restaurants in most states throughout this country, pays their servers the Federal minimum wage, as required by law. Is there a valid reason why Disney should pay their servers more than three times as much as all the other restaurants in Orlando? And if they were to do that, the food for which they're charging "vastly over the odds" would go up even higher.
Say a steak costs $20.
Since there are additional payroll costs incurred when wages increase, Disney would need to raise the price more than 15%-20%. Rough estimate, the price would go up 20%-25%; after all, Disney isn't going to eat (pun intended) the additional costs. They're going to pass them on to the diner.
Now your presumedly overpriced steak cost $24.00 or $24.60 or $25.00 - and every other menu item price increases comparably. So now your $35 dinner costs $42 or $42.88 or $43.75.
Plus tax - after all, if the price of the food goes up, so does the tax.
Now, instead of paying $42.53 or $43.58 or $44.28, you're paying $44.73 or $45.58 or $46.59
Tipping for restaurant food is an expected cost of the food in this country, and should be considered when making dining choices.
As for the chosen amount (forgive me, bicker) this is my theory - keeping in mind I like numbers, as if ya couldn't tell .
Diners in the US generally tip 15% or 20%.
The average of these two amounts is 17.5%.
Disney simply rounded to the closest whole number.
When the decimal is between zero and four, you round down (and yes, I know that no rounding is required with a zero).
When the decimal is between five and nine, you round up.
Voila! Eighteen percent.

 

[smjj]

Kaytieeldr, If you quote someone, please do not modify the quote as you did with mine(reply # 879), you gave it an entirely different meaning. Please correct it...smjj

 

[TLSnell1981]

Kaytieeldr, If you quote someone, please do not modify the quote as you did with mine(reply # 879), you gave it an entirely different meaning. Please correct it...smjj

This happens frequently...I think this is called "spin".

 

[disneyfan2kids]

This happens frequently...I think this is called "spin".

And you felt the need to add this because...???

I believe OP can probably defend him/herself just fine.

 

[Pumbaa_]

This thread has come to an end.