Do you tip extra on DDP?

[WDWFanatic]

I know that 18% is included, but do you leave extra. I usually leave 20% unless the service is terrible.

Thanks

[mudpuppysmom]

We up our tip based on the service we received. One thing that always got me on the DDP was that the tip was included so the CM's could basically treat you however they wanted (ie, ignore you basically the entire meal) and STILL get a decent tip!!

We ate at a few really outstanding places and tipped well above the 18% included on the plan and then we ate at places that they definitely did not deserve an 18% tip no way, no how.

Personally, I'm glad the tip will not be included on the new DDP!! The CM's will have to work for their tips now. Granted we'll have to carry cash to tip out, but I'd rather do that than have subpar service and know they are getting a decent tip for it.

[ibelieveindisneymagic]

We usually leave an additional tip...DH was a waiter, and remembers how horrible it could be some days, so we try and top it off a bit.

At most meals, DH will get a glass of wine, or beer, so we just add a couple of bucks to that bill, which we're paying OOP anyways.

[disneycouple2004]

Above par gets extra..otherwise we don't.

[WTDing]

On our trip last week we generally tipped extra at every meal. It was an easy choice as we had relaitvely good to great service at all of our table service meals (even though we were on DDP).

The extra tip was contingent on the type of meal as well. Obviously for buffets we left less than at meals where the server did quite a lot.

I must also say that we had the same waiter at the Garden Grill as last year (Nic) and he is the best server we have had in WDW and his extra tip reflected it.

[cal5755]

We always tip extra.

I have to say that on the DDP we never had bad service from a CM at any ts we had. There were some that went beyond their duties but we NEVER recieved bad service.

On a side note... I feel bad that tips are no longer included for servers. I feel that there will be too many people that will nitpick and the slightest imperfection from a server will result in little or no tip.

[DizneyRox]

When tip is included, I DO NOT leave anything more than the requirement. AND if service is poor, I will certainly make a stink about it.

I'm not a big fan of included gratuity. Gratuity is based on level of service, so a set amount really irks me.

[tinkerbell04]

When tip is included, I DO NOT leave anything more than the requirement. AND if service is poor, I will certainly make a stink about it.

I'm not a big fan of included gratuity. Gratuity is based on level of service, so a set amount really irks me.
:ditto:

[Mousefever]

We normally tip 20% unless the service is bad. Most of the service we received last January was very good to excellent, with the Brown Derby being the exception. We had such a fabulous server at the 50s Primetime Cafe (she kept my dad in line, much to his delight!) that we almost doubled the 18%. She helped us create a wonderful memory and we wanted to reward her for that.


:dory:

[Jared]

I can't believe so many people actually tip more than the 18 percent already allotted on the Disney Dining Plan.

My family, and everybody else I know at home, tips no more than 15 percent! So 18 percent is already more than usual.

More than that would be insane.

[Mousefever]

I'm not sure that we share the same definition of insanity. To each their own!:mickey:


:dory:

[Seasonscraps]

If the cast member is exceptional - super friendly, great recomendations, quick on the draw refills - we will leave a little extra.

[Hammer]

I can't believe so many people actually tip more than the 18 percent already allotted on the Disney Dining Plan.

My family, and everybody else I know at home, tips no more than 15 percent! So 18 percent is already more than usual.

More than that would be insane.


I'm not sure that we share the same definition of insanity. To each their own!:mickey:


:dory:


Sorry, Jared, I'm with Mousefever on this issue. Most people I know tip 20%, at least. The exception is one friend of mine and I usually will throw in an extra dollar or two after he has left the table when we go out with other co-workers for lunch. I do not think I am insane.

[kathymk616]

Sanity is not an issue here at all. I have heard of and read about individual standards' covering a wide range, from 10% to 25%. But some people regularly tip more, some less. I am in my 30's, and I was taught growing up to tip 15% for good service (but nothing special) and 20% for outstanding service. This is what I still do. As the costs of eating out have gone up, so have my tips, but not my percentages. (Ah, the magic of percentages!) I tip 10% at buffets.

The fact remains that a tip is something a patron chooses to leave (and that they hopefully bear in mind is something a server depends on for the bulk of their income).

[BugeyedMuggy]

We always tip alittle more if the server is very good & helpful with the menu. Since I have not eaten everything at WDW it is always good to get another opinion and we can ask questions & get feedback from our server. One thing to check if you have the DDP is that if you do get alcholic drinks SOME restaurants actually add the 18% tip to that part as well. It will say "18% tip included " on the pay reciept.

[Polynesian Dweller]

I look at the 18% that's included on DDP as the tip for standard service. Leaving extra for above standard service still seems appropriate.

[GrmGrninGost]

Exceptional service will get extra from me! There's nothing like a friendly, helpful waiter to make the meal more enjoyable! Also, we ate at Planet Hollywood on the DDP a couple weeks back. I was astounded that our bill showed the waiter was getting a flat rate. I believe it was $12.00. Had my DW not caught this, the poor fellow would have gotten a $12.00 tip for a $200.00 plus meal! I suppose the places that are not Disney owned have there own tip allowances.

[tinksmom02]

One thing to check if you have the DDP is that if you do get alcholic drinks SOME restaurants actually add the 18% tip to that part as well. It will say "18% tip included " on the pay reciept.

I checked on this specifically last week, and every place that we ordered drinks from, and used the DDP, included an 18% gratuity on the drinks. BOMA, Ohana's, 1900 Park Fare all added the gratuity to the drinks bill. And I remember that Hollywood and Vine added it to my mom's drinks in January.

I left a couple extra dollars a few times last week. I remember leaving a little extra at Ohana, the server was really nice, brought us extra dessert, and didn't rush us out of our table at all. I left extra at 1900, also, she was a really nice server as well.

I used to wait tables, so my standard of tipping is at least 18%, and that's for bad service. There have been very few times that I've left 10 or 15% (not at Disney), but the service has to be exceptionally awful. Most of the time the server gets 20% from me.

[BugeyedMuggy]

We went to 9 restaurants and all added the 18% on drinks with the exception of the new Italian restaurant (can't remember the name) We found out after my DH gave an extra 20% at out first restaurant. That waiter must have been pleased.:D

[PAYROLL PRINCESS]

We gave extra at a couple of restaurants but the Kona server didn't deserve a tip at all. This was the worst service I've ever had anywhere! And most of the servers gave us basic service so they did not get extra. And I used to bartend so I realize how important tips are, but they need to have been earned.

[Tinkerbellaella]

The experience we had on the DDP was as soon as the server found out we were on it, the level of service stepped down. Why work hard on the table that I am guaranteed a good tip, I will focus on the tables that I need to earn my tip. That is the impression we got. It was really bad in the restaurants where the servers being in character, ie; Sci Fi and 50s Prime Time, make the whole experience. Those restaurants we chose because of that and not the food. We did not have one experience where we would have tipped more and many times we would have tipped a lot less than the 18%. I also don't believe at any restaurant inside or outside of Disney that they should automatically add the tip in.

[Jared]

Sorry, Jared, I'm with Mousefever on this issue. Most people I know tip 20%, at least. The exception is one friend of mine and I usually will throw in an extra dollar or two after he has left the table when we go out with other co-workers for lunch. I do not think I am insane.
No need to apologize, Christine. All Phillies fans are slightly insane. ;) (Congratulations, by the way. Who are you rooting for tonight?)

Maybe I'm cheap and didn't know. Still, 18 percent seems like a lot, especially when it's included regardless of the service quality. Twenty percent, to me, sounds exorbitant.

Perhaps if I'm ever a waiter I'll better understand why I'm wrong.

Well, after some research, it seems like I am cheap! Twenty percent is apparently the new tipping norm, with 15 percent considered low. Perhaps I'll have to rethink my policy in the future.

[Jeff G]

We always tip alittle more if the server is very good & helpful with the menu. Since I have not eaten everything at WDW it is always good to get another opinion and we can ask questions & get feedback from our server. One thing to check if you have the DDP is that if you do get alcholic drinks SOME restaurants actually add the 18% tip to that part as well. It will say "18% tip included " on the pay reciept.

On all of our meals this past week the 18% was added to the drinks. My families bar bill at Biergarten was $35 so I left $40 with the waitress. Come to find out with tip and tax already included I needed to add an extra $5:blush:.

We had great service at almost every restraunt this year which I ended up tipping extra for (usually $5). With average to subpar service though I don't tip extra.

[lightyearfan]

well first off let me say that me and dw loved the ddp, after hearing allot of bad reaction to the ddp we were a little worried, but i have to admit, not only was the food outstanding but the service was the best that it ever was. now we've been to WDW a few times now, and this past trip was probably our best dining experience that we've had at the world, as stated above , being that the service was so great we left anywhere from 5-10 extra. but most of the time it was 10, because it was a great experience for us.

Victor

[disneyfan328]

After just returning from a WONDERFUL 9 day trip on the DDP (free dining) I felt that I needed to put in my two cents on this topic. I was thankful that the 18 % was included, and to be honest was not planning on needing too much extra money for tipping after reading a lot of posts on these boards. I got the impression from reading a lot of reviews that once the servers found out you were on the ddp (free) that your level of service went down so that is what I was prepared for. However, I must say that I was for the most part pleasantly suprised with the level of service that we received. So much in fact that I stopped and took the time to fill out comment cards for 2 of the best servers that we had -

Props to Jeff at the Coral Reef and Lauren at the Le Cellier.

We really only got mediocre or regular service at once place Hollywood and Vine and everything else was pretty great. We only had once bad expierence and that was with Chef Mickeys. That waitress (and I won't name names) didn't deserve the 18% she got. She was rude and the service was terrible. It was so bad that I actually called back to let them know how terribly disappointed I was especially being that we paid oop for this meal since we had already used all of our ddp credits.

So in most cases where we got great service yes we left extra. In regular service places, the 18 % that they got was all that they got and once I truly felt that no tip was deserved at all, but I couldn't really do anything about it.

[NJRRK]

We were there the last week of August and the only place I did not leave an extra $5+ was CM.

We must have had the same server the last poster did because in order to get her attention to give us the bill DS13 had to "accidently" push his chair back as she was passing by, I was then able to ask for my bill.

[MickeyandTink]

Generally, I think 18% is a very fair tip. However, in a couple of the restaurants where the server went "above and beyond", I included an extra $5-10.

[pwdebbie]

We added extra tip when it was deserved. Some servers we had were outstanding.

Do they really get 18% for each meal? The way I figured it, most of our meals cost more than the price of the DDP, so how could there be money left over for tip?

Deb