a word about gratuities

[Jon81uk]

I have my CC already linked to my Magic Band, and I don't even have the band yet as I am not leaving until August.

You have your credit card details in you My Disney Experiance to allow for expediated hotel check-in. When you scan your magicband it still charges to your room account and then Disney charge your credit card just before check-out.

A credit card is not linked to a band, just to an MDE account and room account.

 

[jenos0524]

You have your credit card details in you My Disney Experiance to allow for expediated hotel check-in. When you scan your magicband it still charges to your room account and then Disney charge your credit card just before check-out.

A credit card is not linked to a band, just to an MDE account and room account.

Ok thanks, either way its all going to get charged to my CC at the end, so how it gets there doesn't matter to me.

 

[Uncle Lupe]

Is there any documentation that suggests not tipping in Disney dollars?

 

[formie]

Can I ask what the norm is for tipping bar staff at wdw, be it pool bar/ hotel bar / cart serving drinks (Epcot) etc?
Its not something that is done here so just trying to adapt to local customs when we visit

 

[PhilharMagician]

I tip in the 15% - 20% and on rare occasions when service is horrible then it could be as low as zero.

For buffets I tip in the 10% - 15% range. Servers are covering more tables and have less to do for each table. For this fact they do not earn as much money from me.

I tip about $1.00 per drink when sitting at a bar. In most cases, paying for your drink and tipping is done every time the bartender puts a drink in front of you. You can always ask a bartender if they will run a bar tab for you if you plan on having a few drinks. The worst thing they can say is no. Some places you can transfer a bar tab to you dining table, but you would tip the bartender before leaving the bar for the drinks you were served.

Also tipping Bell Services, Housekeeping, Magical Express driver and valet parking attendant is typical, but none is required. .

 

[Tony the Tigger]

Can I ask what the norm is for tipping bar staff at wdw, be it pool bar/ hotel bar / cart serving drinks (Epcot) etc?
Its not something that is done here so just trying to adapt to local customs when we visit

As a former bartender, the average is one dollar per drink, regardless of the price of the drink.

I tend to go a little higher on the first round, which will tend to get you better drinks in subsequent rounds. But that's only if I'm paying cash. If I start a tab, then I take care of the bartender at the end.

Certain exceptional bartenders we will go overboard for. There are two on property who have remembered us and our drinks from previous visits as long as a year or more ago. That's impressive.

 

[BuddyThomas]

I dont think it has been mentioned yet but if the service does not meet your expectations you may ask to speak to a manager and ask them to reduce the 18% tip.

While your statement is 100% true, this type of action should be reserved for extreme situations, such as if your waiter serves you s hamburger with a roach on it and then refuses to return it and take it off the bill, and then when you object to that, he spits on you, slaps you across the face, rips the tablecloth off the table sending all the food and drink flying, and then he pulls down his pants and moons your entire family while screaming that he hopes you all burn in hell at the top of his lungs. In that instance, please definitely call the manager and ask to eliminate the 18%.

On the other hand, if your food simply took longer than expected, or if your water glass didn't get refilled the second it was emptied, probably not a reason to go to Defcon 4 and call the manager to get your tip eliminated, unless someone is just looking for reasons not to tip, which is sadly often the case.

 

[BuddyThomas]

Can I (she says trembling not to start trolls off) ask what do you do about tip for buffets? Do you pay as you go into the restaurant and then leave tip on the table or as you leave the restaurant. In the uk a buffet is paid for as you enter so there is no bill to sort a tip.

Disney buffets are not like, say, the American chain, Golden Corral. They are higher end restaurants and you pay at the end of the meal, not before.

I've said it before and I will say it again. Buffet waiters work just as hard, if not harder than waiters at "traditional" restaurants. The only thing these waiters do not do is bring you your food and take your food order. They take drink orders, bring your drinks and cocktails, make sure you are well stocked on napkins, etc, and bus a ton of plates off your table, probably double or triple what they would do at a non-buffet restaurant.

They refill your soda and water, bring you more cocktails if you so desire, and can answer questions about the food in the buffet. They bring your check and they take care of dealing with that as well. It is not handled by a cashier before you enter. Thus, an 18% tip in the Disney buffets is 100% totally appropriate.

These people who advocate leaving a dollar or two on the table make by blood boil, especially since they can afford this very expensive vacation. Therefore, they should stop trying to come up with lame justifications to shortchange their service staff.

 

[J_Krafty24]

While your statement is 100% true, this type of action should be reserved for extreme situations, such as if your waiter serves you s hamburger with a . . .

Your example is quite extreme and overly dramatic. While food simply taking a little longer and drinks taking a minute or two to refil may not be worth calling the manager it does not need to be as extreme as you describe to be worth asking the manager to reduce the automatic tip.

 

[BuddyThomas]

Your example is quite extreme and overly dramatic. While food simply taking a little longer and drinks taking a minute or two to refil may not be worth calling the manager it does not need to be as extreme as you describe to be worth asking the manager to reduce the automatic tip.

Oh please. Obviously my "example" was extreme. It was humor - parody, if you will - of this ridiculous insistence by many (mainly international) folks on here that standard U.S. tipping practices do not apply to them.

 

[PhilharMagician]

While your statement is 100% true, this type of action should be reserved for extreme situations, such as if your waiter serves you s hamburger with a roach on it and then refuses to return it and take it off the bill, and then when you object to that, he spits on you, slaps you across the face, rips the tablecloth off the table sending all the food and drink flying, and then he pulls down his pants and moons your entire family while screaming that he hopes you all burn in hell at the top of his lungs. In that instance, please definitely call the manager and ask to eliminate the 18%.

On the other hand, if your food simply took longer than expected, or if your water glass didn't get refilled the second it was emptied, probably not a reason to go to Defcon 4 and call the manager to get your tip eliminated, unless someone is just looking for reasons not to tip, which is sadly often the case.

When they made the change to automatically add a 18% tip to your bill for TIW or DDE I was initially unaware of this change. We had dinner a few times on our trip and I added my customary 15% - 20% tip to the bottom of the bill. I noticed after about the third dinner that the cost of the meals were higher that I expected. Not once did a server ask about the extra tip. I kicked myself in the a$$ for not noticing it on the bill, but after tipping nearly 40% on a meal you would think someone would at least say thank you very much?

 

[NonnaT]

Just to clarify for #3. You are using your magic band to bill to your room and then you pay your room charges off with a credit card. There is no way to attach a credit card directly to your magic band. As I understand it, this was a security measure that was put in place to help prevent unauthorized charging and make the band more secure if lost.

You are absolutely correct! Sorry if I wasn't clear...

 

[NonnaT]

What tip percentage is automatically added at the buffets? The question of what is an appropriate tip for a buffet comes up often as well. Curious if Disney adds the standard 18% or a different amount.

Yes they do...

 

[NonnaT]

Is there any documentation that suggests not tipping in Disney dollars?

Nope, you may use Disney dollars as well.