what is your real issue with the Dining plan tip increase - PassPorter - A Community of Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise Line, and General Travel Forums
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View Poll Results: The Dining Plan ticks me off because:
what is your real issue with the Dining plan tip increase
i am curious (and it really is PURE curiousity)
is it the AMOUNT you have to tip? the fact you are being forced? both? another misc. reason...?
is there FAR more to this than i can ever understand?
i would never use the Dining Plan, i like to have more control over my meals, but i just really want to know how people are feeling on this issue, in a global, general, vote-taking way.
PLEASE eloborate with an answer...im going to write a mini story on my blog about it...no one will be qouted AT ALL, i just want to know what the general consensus is
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I don't mind a standard gratuity when I'm out with a large group, but if it's just me and my family, I don't think we should be told what to tip Tipping is supposed to be based on service....great service gets great tips, and likewise, poor service gets poor tips.
My guess is that's what most people are upset about
The tipping issue is always a difficult one for us Brits - on average tips here run at no more than 10% - but if the service is lousy one wouldn't be expected to tip at all.
Of course, we have a minimum wage culture here, so tipping isn't vital to wait staff. That said, meal prices (certainly at WDW) are no lower than in England so there is a feeling amongst Brits that we are paying the wait staff's wages, whilst the restaurant owner rakes in the profits! It's a cultural thing, I guess.
That said, I always tip properly when in the US. However, to answer the original question, I don't like my tip pre-determined. I don't have an issue if we're in a large party, but for a couple or family we should be free to tip accordingly dependent upon the service received.
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I have never used the dining plan, and probably nwever will. It just doesn't for us. Having said that we have eaten at several restaraunts that automaticly add a tip to your bill, and some times I have expressed that the tip was too much for the service that we received. We have also added more to the tip for outstanding service. I can feel the pain a little, the servers know that they will recieve at least this much tip no matter what and this leaves the door open for sub-par service. Just my opinion.
I have never used the dining plan, and probably nwever will. It just doesn't for us. Having said that we have eaten at several restaraunts that automaticly add a tip to your bill, and some times I have expressed that the tip was too much for the service that we received. We have also added more to the tip for outstanding service. I can feel the pain a little, the servers know that they will recieve at least this much tip no matter what and this leaves the door open for sub-par service. Just my opinion.
It is nice to have it added in so that you dont have to worry about it. But sents this has been part of the DDP some of the wait staff feels that if you are on the DDP they should not give you the best service then can. It seems like they give it to the nonDDP guests. That is how it was for this past trip, we had one server at a place that was really great so we gave him an extra tip but at the same time we were at another place that the guy was like her is your food I'm not worrying with you until i need to bring your icecream out. That also happened at a few place we ate at 2 weeks ago.
I feel that if the service was/is not up to par that you should be able to talk to the servers boss and say hay look the service was not good the tip for this person should only be XYZ and them not give them the aloted 18% that is added in to each meal.
As a server (one of my many jobs) you go over what you are trained to do for two reasons. First to keep the guest happy and coming back. And secondly so that they give you a good tip and they will ask for you the next time they come. I have customers that I hve waited on for the last 6 years and if I am not there they either ask for my sister or they walk out. They know with the two of us they are going to get great service and a nice chat with their meal. When you really think about wait staff's pay is 2.85 about they do live off their tips so the sad part for me is I see both sides to the subject.
I don't mind a standard gratuity when I'm out with a large group, but if it's just me and my family, I don't think we should be told what to tip Tipping is supposed to be based on service....great service gets great tips, and likewise, poor service gets poor tips.
My guess is that's what most people are upset about
I think the thing to remember here is that the 18% tip is only added automatically to groups of 6 or more, or to people using the DDE - not the DDP. Disney has supposedly confirmed that. So for our family of 4, there is no "automatic" gratuity.
My issue is that I would prefer the gratuity included in the price of the plan because having to pay it seperately takes away from the all-inclusiveness that the DDP is supposed to represent.
My issue is that I would prefer the gratuity included in the price of the plan because having to pay it seperately takes away from the all-inclusiveness that the DDP is supposed to represent.
I totally agree! We've used DDP twice now, but I'm not sure we'll use it again. (Unless it's free, of course! ) I also wish they would let you choose between an appetizer and dessert. I don't always want a whole dessert at the end of a meal, but if our family could share two appetizers and two desserts, that would be great!
I think the thing to remember here is that the 18% tip is only added automatically to groups of 6 or more, or to people using the DDE - not the DDP. Disney has supposedly confirmed that. So for our family of 4, there is no "automatic" gratuity.
My issue is that I would prefer the gratuity included in the price of the plan because having to pay it seperately takes away from the all-inclusiveness that the DDP is supposed to represent.
I agree...we are a family of 5 so the 18% is not madatory and I have no problem with paying a tip...we have usually had great service and they deserve it but having to pay the tip OOP does take away from the ease and the inclusiveness of the plan....
We use DDE, not the DDP. I always tip 20%; it has to be real bad service for me not to. But to have it mandated is not right. It should be the customer's decision
Like others above, my objection to the automatic gratuity is that is leaves CMs with NO motivation to serve you well. They get that 18% whether they do a great job or a lousy one, so some of them figure "why bother?" Others do put forth the effort to provide good service, and we leave them an extra tip, but I would like to be able to decide for myself how much to leave EVERY time.
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I just really feel that tipping should be at your own discretion. I always tip 15-20% or more so it is not that I don't want to tip, I just think it is not Disney or anyone else's place to dictate what I have to tip. I think the servers are the ones that will suffer for this. We always tip extra if we get excellent service but I really believe that most people will just stick with what is on the bill and be done with it. Also, I would like to have the option to lower the tip if my service is lousy. It just isn't right to force me to give based on what the Disney thinks the standard is.
Personally speaking I am happier than a clam that they have removed the included tip in the dining plan. However, I'm not a passholder, and thus don't do the DDE, but to include the tip on larger dining parties isn't fair either. Because now the DDE users getting stuck with the included tip are going to be recipients of what we experienced when the tip was included in the DDP-service with the attitude of "we are getting our tip no matter what, so why bother?"! That drove me nuts!
I tip based on service-not the total of my bill. Yes I understand that servers rely on tips, but the fact is if you give crappy service, you get a crappy tip! Simply "depending" on tips doesn't mean you're going to get them-you have to go above and beyond if you want to "depend" on a great tip.
I've waited tables so I can sympathize with those excellent servers who give the 110% and truly deserve that 18%. Unfortunately I have yet to experience that from any server at Disney, except for one experience and I rewarded that server with extra above and beyond the DDP. I truly hope with our upcoming trip that the attitude will have changed for the better among the servers-because I did not care for the "who cares" attitude.
Tipping is about the service you recieve... If you recieve good service you tip well... It helps to hold servers to a higher standard...
If my tip is 18% i expect premium service... this also disadvantages the servers who might have gotten a larger tip...
My biggest problem comes though when I dont recieve great service and I am expected to pay for something i did not recieve.
Conceptually it would be the same as saying all gas is going to cost $50 regaurdless of how much you take. if you take less oh well... you'll make it up later!
just not a great idea...
BTW i usually tip between 18 and 20...
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Tipping is supposed to be based on service....great service gets great tips, and likewise, poor service gets poor tips.
Kimberly
) I also wish they would let you choose between an appetizer and dessert. I don't always want a whole dessert at the end of a meal, but if our family could share two appetizers and two desserts, that would be great!
ANGIE
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