Disney Dining Plan - You Choose

[tarzan_rocks]

Pretend that you get to choose which one of the following will be covered on next year’s Disney Dining Plan. Which would you choose?

Appetizer, dessert or gratuity

[LauraF]

That's easy - gratuity.

I have eaten at some expensive restaurants there but no appetizer or dessert I could order would be as much as the tip would be. I'm figuring $13+ for a standard table service meal . . . and that's a conservative estimate.

[Rayadragon]

As much as I'd like to say the appetizer or dessert, I'd have to go with the gratuity. Anymore we only go during the "free" dinning. It doesn't seem so free when you still have to pay the gratuity afterward. I'm normally so stuffed after my main meal that the loss of the dessert isn't a bad thing.

[BMan62]

As much as I would have liked to say gratuity, I just have a feeling that if the gratuity would be included again, the portion sizes and/or service would go down.

I like the appetizers, and they are more expensive than the desserts - making them the 'better value' - but I really enjoy something sweet after my meal, so I picked to keep the desserts on the DDP TS.

[MMouse6937]

I agree with the gratuity. I think it was nice to have it included and then give you the option to add a little extra if service was great.

I also would like to have the choice between the appetizer or dessert. Our family are not much of dessert people but would like an appetizer here and there.

[ibelieveindisneymagic]

I voted for the gratitity.

I use the DDP because I like having the food portion of our trip already paid for, and would rather pay upfront for all dining costs (except DH's beer!).

[FromKnoxvilleto Disney]

I chose gratuity for the same reason most people did. It is the most expensive of the three for a family of four. I do realize we are getting a bum deal with no app's and no gratuity the DDP is not that great of a deal anymore. If they would have at least left one then I wouldn't feel so cheated. But because my kids want it and it is for them we are doing it again in Aug.

[Mackflava99]

Gratuity because i wont have to carry much cash-
Desserts are there now-
Apetizers were revomed too-

Now my question is- if you remove desserts and appetizers but actually want to buy some- then what happens to gratuity? obviously you will have to increase it-

You really need all 3

[chicklittlemom]

I voted gratuity as well. It was the one thing that we loved the most about the old DDP- not carrying the $$ in the parks or even messing with it at the end of the meal.
We were so full after each meal with both the appetizer and desert- I wish it were one of the other.
When we made our latest reservations with WD Travel, I expressed to the CM how unhappy I was about the change in the gratuity with the DDP. He kinda chuckled and said "I hear you", but said that from what he was told, this is not going to change back. :shake:

[cal5755]

CHICKLITTLEMOM - i picked gratuity for the same reason... not wanting to carry around cash or add it to a credit card. I can do without an appetizer as the entree and dessert are plenty enough food..... although the choice of either appetizer or dessert would be better.....

[the real Alice]

I'd rather have a choice between an appetizer and dessert. That way DH and i can split one of each ;)

[Jared]

I'm actually shocked at the results. There have been so many threads criticizing Disney's decision to include gratuity, and now everyone wants it back? Gratuity should never be included, especially for small parties. That's a service charge, and I'm not too keen on that idea, either.

The service at the restaurants undoubtedly was worse for patrons at the Disney Dining Plans because the servers knew their 18 percent is coming. They should have to work for their tips like waiters at restaurants around the country.

I voted for the appetizer mainly because I prefer it to dessert. We decided not to use the plan in May because the appetizer is no longer included.

[chicklittlemom]

I'm actually shocked at the results. There have been so many threads criticizing Disney's decision to include gratuity, and now everyone wants it back? Gratuity should never be included, especially for small parties. That's a service charge, and I'm not too keen on that idea, either.

I agree that I am not happy about the idea of any gratuity being automatically added to your meal, no matter what size of the party. I think that why many liked having the gratuity as part of the DDP was the seamlessness (is that a word?) and ease of it. No pulling out the wallet and settling the bill (tip) at the end of the meal. No more money that I have to take on top of what I've paid for the trip. I've talked with other families and most agree with me in this..... Once I paid my trip off- that was it!!! For a family on a budget, this is great. You know it's all paid and if you want to spend any extra money, that's your choice. Now I have to sit down and budget about how much my gratuity is going to be for each meal and make sure we have that money when we go. I love trip planning, but not that much :eat: Maybe if I had not used the DDP back when the gratuity was included, I wouldn't care as much.
(Sorry, I really don't mean for this to sound like a rant...)

[KineGirl]

I would rather have appetizers over dessert but gratuity over appetizers.

[JerseyDad]

I'm actually shocked at the results. There have been so many threads criticizing Disney's decision to include gratuity, and now everyone wants it back? Gratuity should never be included, especially for small parties. That's a service charge, and I'm not too keen on that idea, either.

The service at the restaurants undoubtedly was worse for patrons at the Disney Dining Plans because the servers knew their 18 percent is coming. They should have to work for their tips like waiters at restaurants around the country.

I voted for the appetizer mainly because I prefer it to dessert. We decided not to use the plan in May because the appetizer is no longer included.

....I have to whole-heartedly agree!!

Although we're not fans of the Dining Plan, the way I'd feel if I ever used it would be:


There is NO WAY I will allow someone else to determine what gratuity I will leave for service that I've not yet received!!

I generally leave 20% tip minimum for good service...with tips up to 25% for EXCEPTIONAL service.

We usually have dinner in one of the Epcot restaurants, and I'll forego the dessert at dinner to be able to have a treat later on while visiting "the world"




....however...I'd opt for an appetizer if I was to ever use the Dining Plan.

[CleveSJM]

I like gratuity just for the fact that it would be a fixed prepaid expense that way. No extra payment needed under a basic order.

[Texas Tinkerbell Too]

I'm actually shocked at the results. There have been so many threads criticizing Disney's decision to include gratuity, and now everyone wants it back? Gratuity should never be included, especially for small parties. That's a service charge, and I'm not too keen on that idea, either.

The service at the restaurants undoubtedly was worse for patrons at the Disney Dining Plans because the servers knew their 18 percent is coming. They should have to work for their tips like waiters at restaurants around the country.


I 100% agree. We felt like some of our wait staff just "herd" us in and out like cattle last year. We had very little to almost no conversation and barely got a smile from some of them. If I do not have good service, then even the BEST food doesn't taste as good to me. Our worst meal was at Whispering canyon. The waitress was downright rude. I am glad to pay for the service I receive this year. And I suspect it will be much better.:twocents:

[beksy]

I like to be able to chose how much gratuity to leave so I went with appetizer. There are so many great sweets out there that a lot of times we'd rather hold off and get something a little later on somewhere else.

[Crow]

gratuity. lots of times im too full for dessert

[elmjimmlm]

Appetizers for sure...Most of the time I like them over the meal anyway...:thumbsup:

[GrmGrninGost]

I went with gratuity, but why not all of them like it used to be?

[MickeyandTink]

I'm going with gratuity as well because like many of you, I loved being able to budget my expenses. If service was really good, I kicked in an extra $10 or so.

However, if they would at least offer the option of appetizer or dessert then the changes wouldn't bug me as much.

[RocknRoller94]

Gratuity saves the most $$, which you can use on dessert and Appetizer.:mickey:

[Mickey91]

I went with gratuity. I still think it is a rip that we don't get it all anymore. The DDP didn't come down far enough in price to have taken away all they did.:mad:

[Natazu]

I like having control over the gratuity. I don't like paying for appetizers, not even a little. If they want to reduce the cost per day another $10 a person, I won't mind paying for appetizers. Something is going to have to change before we'll go back to the dining plan, that's for sure.

[BelleLovesTheBeast]

Gratuity!

I hate that this has been removed. I like to go in to the restaurant and only have to worry about paying for alcohol if I even order any. I like the convenience of not having to worry about it.

In second would be appetizer. I really wish that the would just give you a choice of app or dessert. I'm not much of a dessert eater. I'd rather have the app.

[thrillme]

I really don't care for the Disney Dining Plan but...I REALLY hate the ADR system too.

I voted Gratuity because I don't like having to figure it up and pay for something else that I feel I already paid for (I don't think the overall COST of the dining plan has gone down "enough" to compensate for the cost of gratuity).

Normally we don't eat dessert...we save it for the Dole Whips. The appetizer would be nice but it's usually less than gratuity.

[Soul_Power]

Gratuity - hands down!

I went to WDW for the first time last summer, and I LOVVVEEED the dining plan! I was really disappointed to find out that gratuity is no longer included in the new dining plan because a great part about the old dining plan was not having to fork over any money at the end of the meal!

[Mrs Bus Driver]

Having been a waitress at one time I would prefer to leave my own tip. If the service is great I will leave more then the 18%, if the service is bad I will leave less or none. Please don't think I'm an ogre or something I almost always leave more. While wait staff count on tips as part of their pay they all know that part of the job is earning the tip. I don't like the idea of being told what I'm tipping before I've even been served. Bad service can ruin a good meal and good service can smooth over a bad one. Just my :twocents: