Tipping Info Thread for Disney Dining

[gretchenohar@hotmail]

Actually, Fairy Godmothers in Training at BBB can accept tips.
At one time it was a non-tipped position, but that's not the case anymore. There's an old thread about this somewhere, but I can't find it right now. We make up special tip envelopes for the FGIT, similar to the ones for Mousekeeping.

 

[Pixeldust Fairy]

you didn't mention how much the bill was and how much you tipped in cash. even if you are paying separately and have separate checks you are still are party of 6 or more.
did you all just throw the cash in the middle of the table somewhere? even cash tips should be IN the billfold.I'm suspecting someone in your party of 9 (I'm not saying you) didn't leave 18% .
since you paid with a credit card, that was the only waythey had of making up the difference. as a PP stated, if your bill was $100, your tip had to be $18. let's say your party of 9 had 3 sep. checks, 3 persons each. and each bill was $100. so the table's total bill would be $300, and no matter how you all paid and how many sep checks you had, the total tip from the table should have been $54. if the cash left was short, they did the only thing they could and charged it to whoever paid by credit/room charge.

No, we tipped 20% all of us did. None of us left with out leaving well above the 18% for the tip. No one in my family would skip out on the tip. We all work in service and that was never an option. In all the years we have traveled and paid like we do (separating tickets) we have never had this happen before this incident. I know it's easy to say someone in your party did not tip accordingly. But I am positive we all left the proper amount.

 

[jenseib]

I have a question. When we were at WDW in July of 2013 we ate at LTT. We were a party of 9 and we had separate tickets. We all paid in different ways, but we all left cash as a tip. When I returned to our hotel, I checked my balance on my credit card and there was a charge for dining on it for $12-$14. I called to see why there was a charge and I was told that LTT reported we had skipped out on the tip. Which we had not. Disney credited my card back, but it was still stressful.

Fast forward to this September, my brother and I will be going to WDW on the dining plan and we are responsible for tips as I understand. If we pay with cash, how do we ensure that this "mistake" does not happen again? We always tip and everyone in our party tipped on that day.

Be sure to write CASH on the the reciept so there is proof you left cash.

 

[smidgy]

hmmm. did you all put the tips in the billfolds? you'd like to think another diner woldn't steal the tip, but you never know. maybe a kid or a teen.

I never thought about this since we always leave it on the room charge and that is our proof. and we never have the tip required, as a party of 2. I wonder how someone could get proof of the cash tip being at least 18%? maybe I just wouldn't tip cash anymore.

 

[Tricia1972]

I am always a party of 7 or more at Disney. When we get our bill (again using $100 because that is easy) we get a bill for $118 and the option to leave an additional gratuity if we choose.

Cash left it on the table for gratuity, left your bill underpaid by $18, and perhaps they thought that the cash on the table was additional gratuity?

As you said, just looking for making site this doesn't happen next time. Best option for the future is all minors and receipts in the folio with a dash or "cash" written on the gratuity line.

 

[Mambo Junkie]

I know you have probably answered this ad nauseam, and I did read the first 7 pages, so I got most of my questions answered.
We will be a party of 6 - 4 adults, (1) 4 year old and (1) 2 year old. I know we will have the automatic 18% gratuity added to our bill. (We are on the dining plan). So, the 18% will be based on the total bill (before taxes)? What about CP? Based on only 5 CPs? I also plan to pay with a gift card. When the bill comes, in the gratuity area, do I write paid w/gc? I will get a receipt with a zero balance after they have taken the gift card? Is it just easier to pay up at the resort or handle it at the table (to avoid confusion)?

 

[mom2of2]

Since you are an auto grat if you don't have a credit card attached to your room they will ask you how you would like to pay the balance due, that's when you can say gift card and give them the card. You will have to sign 2 receipts, 1 for the usage of the DP and 1 for the GC. The grat is based on the bill prior to taxes and at CP you will be charged for 5 CP. Whether or not you want to charge back to the room and then pay there with a GC is up to you. It doesn't matter to the server and you still have to sign at the restaurant either way

 

[maxiesmom]

I know you have probably answered this ad nauseam, and I did read the first 7 pages, so I got most of my questions answered.
We will be a party of 6 - 4 adults, (1) 4 year old and (1) 2 year old. I know we will have the automatic 18% gratuity added to our bill. (We are on the dining plan). So, the 18% will be based on the total bill (before taxes)? What about CP? Based on only 5 CPs? I also plan to pay with a gift card. When the bill comes, in the gratuity area, do I write paid w/gc? I will get a receipt with a zero balance after they have taken the gift card? Is it just easier to pay up at the resort or handle it at the table (to avoid confusion)?

In my opinion it is easier to charge the tip to the room to avoid confusion. One trip when I tried to leave a tip on a gift card, they charged the whole amount to the gift card. Even though I had made it clear I was on the dining plan, and had that card in the folder. And they can't immediately credit back to the gift card, so I ended up making another ADR to use up the "extra" dining credit. And another restaurant almost made the same mistake, but caught it.

 

[JuffoWup]

First off I apologize because I'm sure this is answered somewhere in the thread but I don't have much time to read it:

I'm going next week (9/4-9/12) with a total group of 8. Most of our restaurants are all eight of us. There are four in one room (two different couples), two in the second, two in the third.

I'm sure sometimes some of us will be getting drinks etc but maybe not. Point being, how do I ask (Without making them angry and the best way to handle it) to have it basically tip out to four different parties? I know there's something about it being charged automatically, but I'd rather it just be split between the four couples. Let me know and thanks for all your help!

 

[jenseib]

First off I apologize because I'm sure this is answered somewhere in the thread but I don't have much time to read it:

I'm going next week (9/4-9/12) with a total group of 8. Most of our restaurants are all eight of us. There are four in one room (two different couples), two in the second, two in the third.

I'm sure sometimes some of us will be getting drinks etc but maybe not. Point being, how do I ask (Without making them angry and the best way to handle it) to have it basically tip out to four different parties? I know there's something about it being charged automatically, but I'd rather it just be split between the four couples. Let me know and thanks for all your help!

Each family will ask for their own bill and then the tip for those meals will be added.

 

[JuffoWup]

Each family will ask for their own bill and then the tip for those meals will be added.

I'll assume this works with the (free) Dining Plan? If so, thanks so much. Want to make sure our servers get tipped properly and well

 

[Alesia]

First off I apologize because I'm sure this is answered somewhere in the thread but I don't have much time to read it:

I'm going next week (9/4-9/12) with a total group of 8. Most of our restaurants are all eight of us. There are four in one room (two different couples), two in the second, two in the third.

I'm sure sometimes some of us will be getting drinks etc but maybe not. Point being, how do I ask (Without making them angry and the best way to handle it) to have it basically tip out to four different parties? I know there's something about it being charged automatically, but I'd rather it just be split between the four couples. Let me know and thanks for all your help!

You handle this in the exact same way you would in any restaurant - you just ask for separate checks.

 

[mom2of2]

I'll assume this works with the (free) Dining Plan? If so, thanks so much. Want to make sure our servers get tipped properly and well

It works regardless of whether you purchased the dining plan or got it for free.

 

[Malibustyle23]

Please remind me, I remember at the bottom of the TS meals receipts there are 2 suggested tips amounts listed is it 18 and 20%? Thanks!

 

[mattsar]

Thanks so much for all the information! We are a family of 4, so it seems it will be pretty straight forward!

 

[mom2of2]

Please remind me, I remember at the bottom of the TS meals receipts there are 2 suggested tips amounts listed is it 18 and 20%? Thanks!

Yes

 

[ValarDisneyus]

I just got back last week and was on the dining plan. When they bring you the bill,unless you are a party of 8 or more I believe, they will bring you a bill for the total of your meal and there is a spot on the check that gives you a recommended tip amount ( if I am not mistaken it shows 18% and 20%) this is just a suggestion. there is then a spot for you to writ in the tip amount. They will take the check back after you put your room card in the sleeve and fill out the tip amount. They will bring you the final copies of your receipt one for the room charge and one for the tip amount. You sign both of them and look over them to make sure all charges are correct. If you have any doubt about weather a tip has been added, check the original receipt for added grituity. It is really easy and if you ever have any questions you can always ask the server they are very understanding about the confusion behind understanding the charges on the dinning plan. Don't fret, I have never been double charged for my tip. if it happens I would assume it was an oversight by not reading the check closely. Have a great trip and enjoy.

Forgive me; I haven't read all the way through yet, but I was wondering how this has changed now that there are magic bands, please? Thanks in advance!

 

[MakiraMarlena]

It doesn't. The magic band is only the device you use to pay for the meal. Everything else is the same.

 

[maxiesmom]

Forgive me; I haven't read all the way through yet, but I was wondering how this has changed now that there are magic bands, please? Thanks in advance!

They bring out a little pad, and you roll your band over it. Pretty simple.

 

[ValarDisneyus]

And then you just sign for the tip amount?