Do you tip at buffet restaurants? About This Page:

[krisk11]

And if so how much? What percentage is a good tip for wait staff at a buffet? We are going with the QS DDP but are still doing 2 ts meals (Cape May Cafe and Chef Mickey) and I'm trying to budget.

[Ashli]

You will probably get a huge variety of answer with this question, from "as much or more as a regular server" to "no."

Personally, I go with Emily Post on this and give the 10%. Here's a link to her guidelines for tipping: General Tipping Guidelines

[Pax]

I agree with Ashli - yes to a tip, but "marginally less" is reasonable. Your server will handle things for you - drinks especially, but also clearing away used dishes, making sure everyone has what they need, answering questions, and - the good ones, anyway - making you feel completely welcome and at ease.

You could take whatever your usual tipping % would be, and knock 5 points off the top, and that would not be unreasonable. At least, not IMO.

I believe, however, that Disney themselves draw no real distinction between Buffet meals, and Table Service meals. So a party of six or more, should probably expect the automatic gratuity to be applied to the bill, right from the start.

[OneLittleSpark]

Originally Posted by Ashli

You will probably get a huge variety of answer with this question, from "as much or more as a regular server" to "no."

Personally, I go with Emily Post on this and give the 10%. Here's a link to her guidelines for tipping: General Tipping Guidelines

Agreed!

[Dave Marx]

Here's a link to her guidelines for tipping: General Tipping Guidelines

"Emily" is basing her guidelines on the typical buffet. There are plenty of inexpensive buffet restaurants where 10% seems fair, or even generous. Some buffet restaurants are little more than cafeterias - you even have to get your own drinks. So, just how much should you tip a busboy?

Now, if your server takes alcoholic beverage (and even soft drink) orders, doesn't he/she deserve as good as any bar server gets (on the bar portion of the tab)?

As the vast majority of the replies in this thread show, the service at a Disney buffet tends to be a cut above. Disney's own, best guideline is that the staff automatically gets 18% for tables for six or more. This rate was worked out between Disney and the servers' union a long time ago, and part of the expectation is that the servers will do more than might be expected elsewhere.

So, since this is a budget, budget 18%-20%. It doesn't mean you actually have to spend every cent you budgeted, if you feel the service didn't warrant it. A good budget sets your maximum expenditure levels, not the minimums.

[Ashli]

Originally Posted by Dave Marx

"Emily" is basing her guidelines on the typical buffet. There are plenty of inexpensive buffet restaurants where 10% seems fair, or even generous. Some buffet restaurants are little more than cafeterias - you even have to get your own drinks. So, just how much should you tip a busboy?

I was wondering where you got that the Emily Post guideline was for a "typical buffet" that might not even have a server providing your drinks? On the guideline sheet it says "Wait Service (Buffet)". To me, wait service involves the waiter actually being responsible for getting you something, not just walking by grabbing plates. You said it yourself though, Disney buffets are more expensive - which means they are still getting more than say, a Ryan's server, if I give 10% because the meal is considerably more expensive. Yet they are doing the same job - getting drinks and clearing plates. So if they do it better at a Disney restaurant they are getting compensated for their better work since the meal is more expensive. ($3 per person on a $30 buffet as opposed to $1 per person on an $8-10 buffet)

I used to work as a server in high school and I agree with the previous poster that said it is much more stressful to take orders, make sure they are correct, come out at the correct time (for example, not while the person is still eating their salad), etc, than to be able to remember what someone had to drink and grab their dirty plates.

ETA: This website, http://people.howstuffworks.com/tipping2.htm , also recommends 10% at buffets and they specifically reference a place where the server cleans plates, gets your drinks, and brings clean plates for you to return to the buffet.

[Caldercup]

The servers at Disney buffets seem (to me) to work as much as those at table service meals. They greet us, tell us how the buffet "works," help me with my dietary special need (I have to eat gluten free), explain the entertainment or characters, take our drink orders and fill them. Then they are at the table several times throughout the meal to remove plates and refill drinks. If the characters need to be tracked down, they get them to come to us. Then they handle the paying of the bill and wish us well on our travels.

Seriously, I've only once -- in all my trips -- felt that a buffet server deserved less than what I normally tip a table service server.

[sk8mom6]

I usually tip 10% at a buffet, and that's what I do at home. Haven't been to a buffet at WDW in years.
I think you have to consider how much work they are doing. I might be tempted to give a larger tip at WDW.

[WeRDisneyFanatics]

We usually tip 15% at a buffet, which is about my standard for adequate service. I've rarely been wowed by the service at a Disney buffet. The couple of times that we've needed help seeing a character that missed us in the rotation, the servers seemed put-out so we've not had one go above and beyond in that regard.

[Pax]

Originally Posted by sk8mom6

I think you have to consider how much work they are doing. I might be tempted to give a larger tip at WDW.

I do that anyway, everywhere in WDW. Normally at home, I tip 15% to 20%. At Disney, my default is 20% to 25%. Buffets usually get the lower end of that, though.

I also tip extra (generally another 5%) for holidays and/or "exemplary" service - and I've tipped as high as 50% for truly outstanding service on a holiday. And unsurprisingly, WDW's servers very often come in for that extra bit for exemplary service. So I probably average around 25% when I'm there.

[Carousel96]

We usually tip 15% for "average" service at a WDW buffet.
By the time they tell us how things work and what's particularly good, bring drinks, replace the silverware DH dropped, clear dirty plates, refill drinks, wrangle characters, clear more plates, refill my diet coke again...... I've seen more of my buffet waistaff than the ones at a "regular" TS place.

[Katara81]

We tip the same (18%) at character buffets as at regular restaurants. Honestly, we have had consistently better service from buffet servers at WDW than at regular restaurants. If it wasn't a character buffet, I might consider knocking a couple bucks off, but I can only recall doing one non-character ever.....

[Nala]

We tip the same at buffets as we do for table service, 18-20% And as with table service, we will tip above that it the service is outstanding.

[Kynna]

We do %15 at buffets and %20 at table service as a standard and give or take a little if the service is more or less than average.

[DVC393]

We tip 18-20% regardless. The waitstaff at the buffets, in our opinion, work as hard or more than those at table service. They are constantly clearing dishes and making sure beverages are refilled. We usually use the TIW card and are charged the 18% and usually leave a little more. They receive the same base wage as table service waitstaff and we don't feel they deserve to be penalized for being assigned to a buffet. We have over 50 trips to WDW and have never had anyone that has deserved less than the standard tip.