Dining plan changes to KILL Free Dining???

[RiversideBunny]

This is the first time I've heard of this! We almost always order a bottle of wine, which could easily equal or exceed the cost of an entree, and have always included the cost when computing our tip. There have been times when our alchohol cost has exceeded our food cost.

I agree that the cost of drinks should always be included in the amount that is used to figure a tip.
There have been (many) times when a bunch of us sat in a bar and had nothing but beer and drinks. We always tipped the server based on the amount of the total bill.
Many servers prefer to work in bars or places where a lot of drinks are served because they get larger tips that way.

 

[Lucky]

Going back to the issue of whether the dining plan - free or not - is good for cast members -

Obviously a guaranteed 18% tip on the current plan is better for them than no guaranteed tip under the 2008 plan, especially if some guests mistakenly think the tip is still included.

But I think having the new dining plan is better for CMs than no dining plan at all. Anything that helps fill the restaurants creates more jobs and more tips.

 

[RiversideBunny]

I've said it before and I'll say it again. It isn't fair for Disney to offer a discount with a premium that you are to pay when using the "free" add on. Thus the offer won't come again. They aren't that stupid.

Jimbo, I'm sorry but I don't follow your logic on this.
Offering free dining is a marketing angle used when Disney wants to increase the number of guests staying at WDW resorts.
People hear the word 'free' and they go for it.

Are you saying that Disney won't offer free dining anymore because people will do some math and say that it really isn't free and then the marketing promotion of 'free dining' won't work?

 

[Carolwood]

Maybe this will help settle the tipping debate... then again maybe not.

From tipguide.org

Restaurants or bars

If you get awful service, talk to the manager. The manager cannot correct the situation if he doesn't know about it. Skipping the tip will not accomplish anything, and the next poor customer who gets that server will get the same service you did.

If you are buying the meal and someone offers to get the tip, tell them they can buy next time, and you pay the whole thing. This prevents any uneasiness about them seeing the amount of the bill or worrying that they will be stingy on the tip.

Restaurants report a percentage (around 12%) of the gross sales for food and beverage to the IRS for their staff. This means that if you have a $200 food bill and $200 wine bill, the restaurant will report 12% of $400 or $48 as income to the server. In other words, the server has to pay tax on it whether you tip it or not. If the restaurants do not report it accurately, the restaurant and the wait staff get audited by the IRS.

Please don't get hung up on the 12%. It is just a reasonable example. I recommend tipping 10-15% on the alcohol and 15-20% on the food. 10% on the wine is perfectly acceptable. Whether to tip 10 or 15 percent would depend in large part on how helpful the server was in choosing the wine and serving it.

Food server - 15-20%.
Counter service - 15-20%.
Cocktail server - 15-20%. For free drinks in Vegas, tip $1-2 per round.
Bartender - 15-20% or $1 per drink. If at the bar before a meal, settle up with the bartender before you go to your table.
Wine steward - 10% of wine bill.
If a bar has a cover charge, you do not tip on it.
Busboys - Nothing, unless he did something extra special like cleaning up a huge mess. Then give him $1-2.
Maitre d' - Nothing, unless he gets you a special table or the restaurant is full and you had no reservation. Then give $5-10 or more.
Coat check - $1
Restroom attendant - $1
Separate checks - If you want separate checks, ask the server to go ahead and add 18% gratuity to each check.
Musician in lounge - $1-5
Musician that visits table - $2-3 if you make a special request. Optional if he just stops by and plays.
Takeout - If you get good service, in other words, the waiter gets and packages the food, then at your choice you can tip $1-2 or up to 10%. Nothing is really necessary.
Drive through - Nothing.
Self-service restaurant or buffet - Nothing unless there is some service. Tip 10% if the server delivers all or part of your meal or keeps your drinks refilled.
When breakfast is included in the price of the hotel room - Estimate the value of the meal by looking at a menu. If there is no breakfast menu, consider the quality of the hotel and the price of an evening meal, then make your best estimate. Your tip should be 15-20% of your estimate.
Teppanyaki chef - 15-20% of the total bill. The gratuity will be split among the wait staff and the chef.


Let the debate continue....

 

[George]

Jimbo, I'm sorry but I don't follow your logic on this.
Offering free dining is a marketing angle used when Disney wants to increase the number of guests staying at WDW resorts.
People hear the word 'free' and they go for it.

Are you saying that Disney won't offer free dining anymore because people will do some math and say that it really isn't free and then the marketing promotion of 'free dining' won't work?

I don't think that is quite what JJ is saying. A lot of people, if they got a free meal for their family wouldn't tip at all. Another group (probably the largest) would leave a tip that would be a fraction of what the tip would had they paid full cost. Thus, servers would be in a tough position. So..since the folks in charge of the Disney dining plan probably thought about this eventuality when tipping was left off of the dining plan, there is a fair chance that they are not going to offer free dining in the future.

Of course, there are ways around this problem. Disney could include tips during the free dining promotion and pay servers a higher hourly wage during this time or you could get a ticket pointing out the full value of your meal and that a gratuity was not included (of course, this would be incredibly crass). Nonetheless, I agree with JJ that this could be a sign that this promotion is coming to an end.

 

[DisneyJoe]

If Disney was worried about the servers getting their tip, they would have left the tip in the plan during union contract negotiations.

 

[Lucky]

Thanks, Carolwood, for the tipping suggestions. It's also a good idea to take into account how much work a server does, and how long you are taking up soace at a table. For example if you go to a diner and order only a cup of coffee that a server re-fills over and over, 15% or even 20% is totally inadequate.

 

[JimboJones123]

I don't think that is quite what JJ is saying. A lot of people, if they got a free meal for their family wouldn't tip at all. Another group (probably the largest) would leave a tip that would be a fraction of what the tip would had they paid full cost. Thus, servers would be in a tough position. So..since the folks in charge of the Disney dining plan probably thought about this eventuality when tipping was left off of the dining plan, there is a fair chance that they are not going to offer free dining in the future.

Of course, there are ways around this problem. Disney could include tips during the free dining promotion and pay servers a higher hourly wage during this time or you could get a ticket pointing out the full value of your meal and that a gratuity was not included (of course, this would be incredibly crass). Nonetheless, I agree with JJ that this could be a sign that this promotion is coming to an end.

Thanks. Didn't think this would be such a controversy. It only took 125 posts to find somebody that agreed that it "might" be a problem to offer Free Dining -- and in more ways than one. Wonder if it's agenda or just the inability to see that there may be an issue. There are just to many people here that want to argue for the sake of arguing. You could tell them that leaving their kids in the car on a 102 degree day is bad and they would argue against you. I am so tired of coming to this site and it turning out to be wdwconflict.com.

 

[Computer Magic]

Thanks. Didn't think this would be such a controversy. It only took 125 posts to find somebody that agreed that it "might" be a problem to offer Free Dining -- and in more ways than one. Wonder if it's agenda or just the inability to see that there may be an issue. There are just to many people here that want to argue for the sake of arguing. You could tell them that leaving their kids in the car on a 102 degree day is bad and they would argue against you. I am so tired of coming to this site and it turning out to be wdwconflict.com.

There are plenty of people that think their opinon is the only one and become offended when others offer a different viewpoint.

 

[Beauty_Belle]

Free dining could be an issue but they are taking a lot out of the dining plan already.

Under this new dining plan, is there going to be something posted at the restaurants? I can really see servers not getting any sort of tip or people arguing over the fact of how it was last year.

 

[JimboJones123]

There are plenty of people that think their opinon is the only one and become offended when others offer a different viewpoint.

:king:

 

[pajammies]

I'm fairly new here as far as posting, I do alot more lurking:lookaroun I have a couple questions. Someone somewhere on this thread mentioned trying to get a room when the free dining was offered and all value rooms were booked,
Were they actually booked or were they not affering any more "free dining" with the bookings at that time. Do they limit the number of free dining promos? It seemed to be running the full length of thime it was suppose to though.:shrug: I'm curious because are there people that will have booked a room during the dining promotion that don't have free dining?

The reason I ask that is because quite honestly if I had not found this site I would not have known how really early you need to book ADR's. So there could be people that pay for the dining plan and are not able to get a table service meal because most places are booked. That would kind of suck!

Also I would like to ask the same question another poster did that I didn't see an answer to yet, Are the menus changed or limited during the promotion? I was able to find menus on a different website but wonder if they would be accurate.
Thanks in advance for your help

 

[ChrisMyst]

If servers were paid a full wage and you didn't have to tip then service levels would drop. Here in the UK tipping works very differently, and our levels of service are no comparison to the US. Some of the stories about bad service I hear on this site would be considered excelent here! It really is that bad. Keep your tipping system! It makes your experience so much better.

 

[AMartin767]

Not a great change...

I feel very strongly that the lack of gratuity being in the plan is going to result in servers at these locations getting stiffed on their tip. The old plan was a definite win-win in that way. During our last two trips under the new dining plans for 2005 and 2006, it was apparent that servers were delighted to hear a guest was using the plan because they were guaranteed the gratuity. Under the new plan, I fear it may result in a drop of service quality directly because of this possibility.

 

[brianhorn]

I'm fairly new here as far as posting, I do alot more lurking:lookaroun I have a couple questions. Someone somewhere on this thread mentioned trying to get a room when the free dining was offered and all value rooms were booked,
Were they actually booked or were they not affering any more "free dining" with the bookings at that time. Do they limit the number of free dining promos? It seemed to be running the full length of thime it was suppose to though.:shrug: I'm curious because are there people that will have booked a room during the dining promotion that don't have free dining?

The reason I ask that is because quite honestly if I had not found this site I would not have known how really early you need to book ADR's. So there could be people that pay for the dining plan and are not able to get a table service meal because most places are booked. That would kind of suck!

Also I would like to ask the same question another poster did that I didn't see an answer to yet, Are the menus changed or limited during the promotion? I was able to find menus on a different website but wonder if they would be accurate.
Thanks in advance for your help

Although I can not be positive I would asume like most promotions, there are limited number of rooms available at the promotion rate. I booked my room the day after the promotion was anounced and had no dificulity getting a room. The longer you wait the less lickley you are of getting the resort you want.

Last year there was no change in the menue for the free dinning. We orderd from the same menue as those without the meal plan.

 

[disney04]

When dose this no tip (in) start

 

[DisneyJoe]

Its for the 2008 plans.

 

[erasure fan1]

servers were delighted to hear a guest was using the plan because they were guaranteed the gratuity. Under the new plan, I fear it may result in a drop of service quality directly because of this possibility.

The no guaratteed tip will be be good for the quality of service. Anytime someone has to work for the money they give better service, for the most part. I found that service took a dump when we had the dining plan on this last trip. Why? They had my tip already. If Disney is smart they will stay away from the free dining promo (unless they include the tip for it.) This is what I see happening, better service for the most part and less money for the servers. I think this will happen with or without the free dining, thats the problem with this change.

 

[mthunholm]

I'd like to see the dining programs go away all together so that they actually have a reason to make the food palatable.

I totally agree, the food is much worse since the dining plan has been around. Only a few restaurants have good food.

 

[coozieman]

Free is Free (no matter how you slice it)

No matter how you slice it - Free Dining is still Free Dining. My family of 4 ( 3 adults plus 1 child) equals approx $140 per day x 7 days - Grand Total $980.

Who in their right mind wouldn't accept an offer that provides $980 worth of food in exchange for $177 (18%)? I'd run with that offer any day of the week.

Appetizers? Is this really worth complaining about? Personally, I have been dining in restaurants for 40 years and have purchased an appetizer - maybe 10-15 times....definately not a deal breaker for me.

In today's day and age...you gotta be willing to change with the times....