Disney Dining Experience Changes

[DisneyMusician2]

Interresting. Ill see if I can find out anytrhing as well. It doesnt seem to make any sense though considering it was just pulled from the MYW Dining plan??? Belle

It makes perfect sense from a contract negotiation standpoint. Servers still want their paid 18% from Dining Plan Guests (which is increasingly popular) and Disney doesn't want to foot the bill.

So eliminate the gratuitity from the plan and trasfer the cost to the consumer. It is a great business move and will save them some cash.

People will still eat at Table Service, but it really throws the affordability of DDE and DDP out the window a bit.

 

[nemobruce]

Doing some early research on this, looks like by law you are not required to pay the 18% gratuity. As I also tip this or more I think by requiring it is going to cause some problems.

 

[DisneyJoe]

I am thinking this is JUST for DDE members. I cant imagine that being enforced otherwise. I will give a call as well just to be sure. Belle

My thoughts exactly.

I'm checking some sources too.

 

[Moustronaut]

I am thinking this is JUST for DDE members. I cant imagine that being enforced otherwise. I will give a call as well just to be sure. Belle

Belle I spoke to the DDE office and was told this is for everyone, not just DDE members.

 

[csmat99]

It makes perfect sense from a contract negotiation standpoint. Servers still want their paid 18% from Dining Plan Guests (which is increasingly popular) and Disney doesn't want to foot the bill.

So eliminate the gratuitity from the plan and trasfer the cost to the consumer. It is a great business move and will save them some cash.

People will still eat at Table Service, but it really throws the affordability of DDE and DDP out the window a bit.

This is not a great business move. America has never accepted Tips being included in the bill. Someone made a great point about ordering wine or spirits. You don't tip 18% on liquor. This will be a mess and I see Disney changing this within a month.

 

[DisneyMusician2]

Doing some early research on this, looks like by law you are not required to pay the 18% gratuity. As I also tip this or more I think by requiring it is going to cause some problems.

How did you come to these facts? It would be really great to throw it out there:king:

I know some people who would easily make a scene in a restaurant if they felt it would get them heard (i.e. a result of band service combined with mandatory gratuity). This could get ugly before it gets better.

 

[wannabeBelle]

Just confirmed by Marsha at DDE office the 18% Gratuity is for EVERYONE regardless of if they have a DDE card, or are just paying customers!!!! Belle

 

[DisneyMusician2]

This is not a great business move. America has never accepted Tips being included in the bill. Someone made a great point about ordering wine or spirits. You don't tip 18% on liquor. This will be a mess and I see Disney changing this within a month.

Acceptance or not, people will pay it if they have to. This we have certainly noticed with Disney price increases over the years.

Disney is not worried at all about losing table serivce business. They are turning it away in droves right now. Maybe this will create space for those walk-up guests.

 

[nemobruce]

I was looking at the resturant laws in the state of Fl. I still need to do some more checking to be 100% accurate. But i am pretty sure they cant require you to pay the 18%. There are no laws requiring you to pay a tip.

 

[PigletIsMyCat]

Just confirmed by Marsha at DDE office the 18% Gratuity is for EVERYONE regardless of if they have a DDE card, or are just paying customers!!!! Belle

And are we sure this is just for table service? Has anyone actually confirmed that yet? Cause it'll really frost my cupcakes if I have to pay 18% on my popcorn and hot dogs.

 

[JimboJones123]

Wow, this is very *expletive*ed-up.

Why not just raise the cost of everything 18% right off the bat and say tips are included already?

Again, the DDP arguement comes up. Would you be tipping the 18% on the value of what YOU ACTUALLY PAID for the sit down meal ($26ish of the $37.99) or on what the cost would have been without the plan (up to $45 or even $50 at some places)?

But to REQUIRE - WITHOUT ARGUEMENT that you pay an attitional 18% -- or about $300 for a party of 4 for a week is almost cruel. What if you don't have the $$ to pay the REQUIRED tip. I know you shouldn't be going out to eat if you aren't going to tip, but to be REQUIRED to tip on something that is ALREADY PAID FOR could cause major problems.

I hope they decide to add a prepaid tip option to the packages as well where you can pay a prepaid tip on the value of the meal (again, that $26 ish). Then if you feel like leaving more you can.

I don't think a prepaid option would work based on the value of what the meal would possibly be. Unless it would include a refund option. But then it's more trouble than it's worth.

I don't see this one ending without there being some major mud smeared.

 

[wdwmagic]

I just would like to see Disney go back to the old days - no dining plan, no automatic tips, no crazy 180 days advanced reservations. How nice it would be to book with a days notice - or even a walk up!

As it currently is, since the dining plan introduction, menus have shrunk, quality has declined, restaurants are rediculously crowded, and booking reservations has become a sometimes impossible chore, and not at all fun.

 

[wannabeBelle]

It is for all dining (at this point we think table service), regardless of whether you are paying regular cash, DDE or DDP.

Connfirmed as well. Only table service locations are affected as the QSL wouldnt have a gratuity in any event. Belle

 

[wdwmagic]

Connfirmed as well. Only table service locations are affected as the QSL wouldnt have a gratuity in any event. Belle

THanks :wave:

 

[JimboJones123]

I just would like to see Disney go back to the old days - no dining plan, no automatic tips, no crazy 180 days advanced reservations. How nice it would be to book with a days notice - or even a walk up!

As it currently is since the dining plan introduction, menus have shrunk, quality has declined, restaurants are rediculously crowded, and booking reservations has become a sometimes impossible chore, and not at all fun.

That would also requre an expansion of CS options.

And maybe some variety on these favorites.

Pizza
Hot Dog
Burger
Chicken Finger
Salad

I can the the EXACT same Burger at Beaches and Cream as Pecos Bills as Electric Umbrella as Everything Pop as Sci-fi as Blah Blah Blah. Enough shoving the table dining in our faces as the only alternative to these 5 bright and wonderful items.

 

[PigletIsMyCat]

I've been quickly losing interest in all table service dining on property. As a local, there are days when you wake up in the morning and think, 'Gee, it would be great to have dinner at Chef Mickey's tonight', or when your DH sells a large job and ends up with a couple extra bucks at the end of the week and you think 'Wow, it sure would be nice to go to dinner at Disney one night this week'. And then you spend hours on the phone with Dining trying to find one bleeping restaurant that isn't booked solid all week long. Yesterday I was trying for dinner for three adults and there was nothing except one slot at Concourse for 9:45pm (we couldn't eat that late - my mom was visiting and had an early flight today). This mandatory 18% might be the last nail in the coffin as far as dining is concerned.


And we were all set to get the DDE next month as an xmas present to ourselves. Why bother now?

 

[wdwmagic]

That would also requre an expansion of CS options.

And maybe some variety on these favorites.

Pizza
Hot Dog
Burger
Chicken Finger
Salad

I can the the EXACT same Burger at Beaches and Cream as Pecos Bills as Electric Umbrella as Everything Pop as Sci-fi as Blah Blah Blah. Enough shoving the table dining in our faces as the only alternative to these 5 bright and wonderful items.

Extra counter service capacity is already available. Two immedaitely spring to mind at MK, the closed Noodle station has huge capacity, and there is also El Pirata y el Perico.

 

[JimboJones123]

I've been quickly losing interest in all table service dining on property. As a local, there are days when you wake up in the morning and think, 'Gee, it would be great to have dinner at Chef Mickey's tonight', or when your DH sells a large job and ends up with a couple extra bucks at the end of the week and you think 'Wow, it sure would be nice to go to dinner at Disney one night this week'. And then you spend hours on the phone with Dining trying to find one bleeping restaurant that isn't booked solid all week long. Yesterday I was trying for dinner for three adults and there was nothing except one slot at Concourse for 9:45pm (we couldn't eat that late - my mom was visiting and had an early flight today). This mandatory 18% might be the last nail in the coffin as far as dining is concerned.


And we were all set to get the DDP next month as an xmas present to ourselves. Why bother now?

Don't think just the locals are getting tired of it. I loved being able to make the reservation and get in at your reservation time. More and More each year for the past 4 years we have been waiting 15,30,40,60, and in one case at Resturauntasaurus 78 minutes after OUR SCHEDULED CHECK IN TIME to get our table. That's after getting there the additional 10-15 minutes early each time.

We had 9 reservations last trip. We spend almost 4 hours waiting to be seated. That's half a park day WASTED.

We plan to scale back to 1, maybe 2 sit down meals from now on. Only at the 3-4 pm hour so we aren't stuck waiting pointlessly.

 

[wdwmagic]

I've been quickly losing interest in all table service dining on property. As a local, there are days when you wake up in the morning and think, 'Gee, it would be great to have dinner at Chef Mickey's tonight', or when your DH sells a large job and ends up with a couple extra bucks at the end of the week and you think 'Wow, it sure would be nice to go to dinner at Disney one night this week'. And then you spend hours on the phone with Dining trying to find one bleeping restaurant that isn't booked solid all week long. Yesterday I was trying for dinner for three adults and there was nothing except one slot at Concourse for 9:45pm (we couldn't eat that late - my mom was visiting and had an early flight today). This mandatory 18% might be the last nail in the coffin as far as dining is concerned.


And we were all set to get the DDE next month as an xmas present to ourselves. Why bother now?

I understand your position. It isn't just locals that suffer from this either. People who are booking a trip on short notice, or those who dont wish to spend months ahead doing military planning of dining are left with nothing close to their trip.

In my opinion, everyone loses out with the DDP existance.

 

[Moustronaut]

Again, the DDP arguement comes up. Would you be tipping the 18% on the value of what YOU ACTUALLY PAID for the sit down meal ($26ish of the $37.99) or on what the cost would have been without the plan (up to $45 or even $50 at some places)?

But to REQUIRE - WITHOUT ARGUEMENT that you pay an attitional 18% -- or about $300 for a party of 4 for a week is almost cruel. What if you don't have the $$ to pay the REQUIRED tip. I know you shouldn't be going out to eat if you aren't going to tip, but to be REQUIRED to tip on something that is ALREADY PAID FOR could cause major problems.

This new gratuity policy JUST got announced to anyone on this board. I mean really, like an hour ago. It's not unreasonable to think that the DDP could be changing or already changed to include tip again. Just see how this plays out. It doesn't go into effect until the 1st of January.