Disney Dining Experience

[formercast84]

:veryconfu
I was really irritated when I learned about the auto-gratuity because I've had some pretty bad service myself in the last year. But once I got to Disney and began eating at some full service restaurants I started appreciating the convenience (and extra 2% savings) of the auto-tip and now I kinda like having it there.

That is the point. I don't want an auto-tip. A tip is supposed to reflect the level of service you get. You no longer have that control or option so regardless of service, you pay 18% unless you want to go through a long process to complain to the management. Further, my DDE card should not be used as a guarantee offset to pay their service people. I rarely tip more than 15% anyway. A tip of 18% to mean means above average service. Disney already inflates their food costs so your tip is already well above what it would be virtually anywhere else.

All I am saying here is that DDE members should get a choice like everyone else. If you go by what Disney says, it had a lot to do with people tipping less than 10%. I guess the only conclusion there is that most DDE members were already very bad tippers and my 15% or so was already well above the average DDE member. But so much for having a choice. We returned our DDE card for a refund and Disney quickly refunded the full amount. It will be the last DDE membership we will have.

 

[Monty]

That is the point. I don't want an auto-tip. A tip is supposed to reflect the level of service you get. You no longer have that control or option so regardless of service, you pay 18% unless you want to go through a long process to complain to the management. Further, my DDE card should not be used as a guarantee offset to pay their service people. I rarely tip more than 15% anyway. A tip of 18% to mean means above average service. Disney already inflates their food costs so your tip is already well above what it would be virtually anywhere else.

All I am saying here is that DDE members should get a choice like everyone else. If you go by what Disney says, it had a lot to do with people tipping less than 10%. I guess the only conclusion there is that most DDE members were already very bad tippers and my 15% or so was already well above the average DDE member. But so much for having a choice. We returned our DDE card for a refund and Disney quickly refunded the full amount. It will be the last DDE membership we will have.

:brick: :brick: :brick:

Your principles are expensive. :shrug:

 

[davinakb]

That's a $22 savings. After 3 meals the card has paid for itself. Depending on how often you eat at full service meals it could have paid for itself within 2-4 days, and you get to keep it all year!

We usually hit the savings in one meal; this year it was Bistro de Paris for four wine-drinking adults, then 3 other meals that trip. And the parking adds up too: on our last trip, we ate four dinners at the resorts; that saved $40 in parking right there. FWIW.

 

[formercast84]

Tips

We usually hit the savings in one meal; this year it was Bistro de Paris for four wine-drinking adults, then 3 other meals that trip. And the parking adds up too: on our last trip, we ate four dinners at the resorts; that saved $40 in parking right there. FWIW.

We are Annual Passholders so there is no cost savings for parking for us. My principles may be expensive (not really), but I guess we could do like so many others and let Disney just take our money and tell us what to do. What happened to the good old Disney were it was about the guest. I guess the dollars won and we lost. If you don't mind Disney telling you how much to tip regardless of food and service, then by all means, stay or become DDE members. The mouse has finally become a rat.

 

[Monty]

We are Annual Passholders so there is no cost savings for parking for us. My principles may be expensive (not really), but I guess we could do like so many others and let Disney just take our money and tell us what to do. What happened to the good old Disney were it was about the guest. I guess the dollars won and we lost. If you don't mind Disney telling you how much to tip regardless of food and service, then by all means, stay or become DDE members. The mouse has finally become a rat.

My apologies for my earlier comment, it was meant mostly in jest, but you just seem a lot more upset by this than it justifies.

 

[formercast84]

My apologies for my earlier comment, it was meant mostly in jest, but you just seem a lot more upset by this than it justifies.

We are upset in a cumulative sense. For the past few years we have seen hotels at Disney go up in average price by about 40% and the food costs rise about 30%. It just seems like Disney charges more and offers less and less. I have been going to Disney World since the second week it opened. I even worked there as a monorail driver. Disney isn't the guest centered company it used to be. It seems any more that they just want to squeeze as much money as they can out of you and offer you the absolute minimum in friendly and courteous service. When I worked there you could be fired almost on the spot for not having the "Disney Look" (You had to go to the Disney University for training for this and on being knowledgable and courteous). People were written up for just not smiling at a guest. I have even heard them cussing over the past few years and these types of policies are not centered on making things "friendly" for their guests. I think that these are things to be angry about. Unless people complain, they will never stop.

 

[davinakb]

We are Annual Passholders so there is no cost savings for parking for us.

We are AP too, I meant the valet parking at the resorts when going to dinner.

It just seems like Disney charges more and offers less and less.

We started going more frequently at the beginning of the decline (shrinking menus, ADRs harder to get, etc.), hemmed and hawed over the DDE renewal. Figured since we will go to WDW/eat anyway, we'd leave it at 18%, unless stellar service; but be more critical of poor service when being forced to tip.