Disney restaurants. Do you have to eat?

[nicnic]

Hi,
My question is, do you have to purchase full meals at disney restaurants eg main course, or can you just order starter and get drinks (alcoholic drinks)?!
I would like to sample the cocktails they do at sci-fi and 50's prime time in MGM but we have late lunch reservations at play 'n' dine and wont be too hungry for dinner. We would just be ordering say onion rings/beef chili and the drinks, my daughter will be eating. Is this possible to go and just drink or do you have to order food?
also is it reccomended to make reservations for the disney restaurants like the sci-fi/rose and crown/plaza/rainforest/big river grille ??
thanks

 

[BSikor]

You can but I would not think the server would be too pleased. Servers are notoriously greedy and want to make a good tip and if you only order drinks and a starter then your check wont be to high and they won't normaly get a good tip. I would recommend tipping a bit more than you normally would to compensate for the server not making as much as he or she could have with a full dining table. This may seem petty but its true and since I work in restaurants it is customary since the restaurant is not a bar.

 

[LoriMistress]

Disney restaurants. Do you have to eat?

If you want not be hungry than yes. If you like, you can bring in your lunch to the parks.:king:

 

[SqueakyMouse]

My suggestion would be to pick off-peak times to have anything less than a full meal. I've seen plenty of folks late in the evening stop-by Prime Time just for a plate of onion rings or an ice cream treat. For my family, appies and drinks often total to more than what many folks spend on a meal.

 

[figmentmom]

My suggestion would be to pick off-peak times to have anything less than a full meal. I've seen plenty of folks late in the evening stop-by Prime Time just for a plate of onion rings or an ice cream treat. For my family, appies and drinks often total to more than what many folks spend on a meal.

I agree - go early or late (you'd want to do that to avoid crowds, anyway), and have a great time!:wave:

 

[wdwmagic]

You can but I would not think the server would be too pleased. Servers are notoriously greedy and want to make a good tip and if you only order drinks and a starter then your check wont be to high and they won't normaly get a good tip. I would recommend tipping a bit more than you normally would to compensate for the server not making as much as he or she could have with a full dining table. This may seem petty but its true and since I work in restaurants it is customary since the restaurant is not a bar.

Isn't the guest the priority here though, and not what the server wants or expects? I fully agree that good service warrants a tip, but I really think tipping has got out of hand. It is almost as though it is becoming expected that we should do whatever suits the server the most, and give an increasingly large tip. Maybe its because I am English, we have a much less of a tipping culture. :shrug:

I think if the guest just wants a drink and something small to eat, they should do it, regardless of how that may impact the servers tip. Afterall, the time spent by the server will be less, and the table time taken up by the guests will be less, so why should that equate to giving a bigger tip?

 

[BSikor]

Isn't the guest the priority here though, and not what the server wants or expects? I fully agree that good service warrants a tip, but I really think tipping has got out of hand. It is almost as though it is becoming expected that we should do whatever suits the server the most, and give an increasingly large tip. Maybe its because I am English, we have a much less of a tipping culture. :shrug:

I think if the guest just wants a drink and something small to eat, they should do it, regardless of how that may impact the servers tip. Afterall, the time spent by the server will be less, and the table time taken up by the guests will be less, so why should that equate to giving a bigger tip?

True. It SHOULD be that way but unfortunatly. It's not the case. Some servers are greedy money grubing people but not all of them. I'm not saying I agree with it. I'm just saying that it is the common way things are done. The server that spends time with you could cut into time that he could spend with other guests that are would tip him more. Keep in mind minimum wage is a little over $6 an hour for regular CM's but servers only get $3 something and live off tips. Most service Cm's don't even get paychecks because the government taxes them for the tips they get. Every tip makes a difference for these people.

I hope that helps.

 

[wdwmagic]

True. It SHOULD be that way but unfortunatly. It's not the case. Some servers are greedy money grubing people but not all of them. I'm not saying I agree with it. I'm just saying that it is the common way things are done. The server that spends time with you could cut into time that he could spend with other guests that are would tip him more. Keep in mind minimum wage is a little over $6 an hour for regular CM's but servers only get $3 something and live off tips. Most service Cm's don't even get paychecks because the government taxes them for the tips they get. Every tip makes a difference for these people.

I hope that helps.

Sorry to derail the thread subject, but I am interested in this.
I'm not at all familiar with US employment law, but how can an employee be getting paid below the minimum wage?

Could you explain further the part about server CMs not getting paychecks?
Thanks

 

[shanny]

when you wait tables, the minimum wage is about $3. servers make most of their money from tips, which i dont believe are taxable, but i may be wrong. when i worked in a restuarant none of our money was taxable, but the place was very poorly run, which is probably the reason the owner didnt show up and the place was ultimately closed. :shrug:

 

[ThinkTink721]

Hi,
My question is, do you have to purchase full meals at disney restaurants eg main course, or can you just order starter and get drinks (alcoholic drinks)?!
I would like to sample the cocktails they do at sci-fi and 50's prime time in MGM but we have late lunch reservations at play 'n' dine and wont be too hungry for dinner. We would just be ordering say onion rings/beef chili and the drinks, my daughter will be eating. Is this possible to go and just drink or do you have to order food?
also is it reccomended to make reservations for the disney restaurants like the sci-fi/rose and crown/plaza/rainforest/big river grille ??
thanks

I wouldn't worry about it...go when you want to go.
We are planning to go to the Sci-Fi Dine-In Theatre one night after Fantasmic for some shakes & onion rings!
:slurp: :wave:

 

[Wilt Dasney]

Sorry to derail the thread subject, but I am interested in this.
I'm not at all familiar with US employment law, but how can an employee be getting paid below the minimum wage?

I've heard of this too. Presumably these people are expected to make so much in tips (which I believe are not taxable, although I could be wrong) that their employers are not required to pay them minimum wage.

In some industries (barkeeping, for instance) tips can add up to much more than the person could expect from an hourly wage, so it seems to be a fair deal. I'm sure that isn't the case universally, though.

 

[ZapperZ]

Hum... I know of a few people who do wait tables (not at WDW). While they can get paid below minimum wage, this is done by considering that the tips they earn will push them at or above minimum wage. AND the tips are taxable. The W2 taxable income forms that we file with the IRS includes wages and TIPS.

So yes, they do depend on tips in many cases, and certainly at WDW where the Mouse can get away with paying these fine people less than minimum wage. The tips are supposed to make up the difference. And they are taxable.

I tend to give tips in cash and not include it in the credit card charges. I don't know how they do it at WDW, but many restaurants will not give the tips put on a credit card right away to the server, and also will take a percentage off due to credit card charges.

Zz.

 

[Laura]

True. It SHOULD be that way but unfortunatly. It's not the case. Some servers are greedy money grubing people but not all of them. I'm not saying I agree with it. I'm just saying that it is the common way things are done. The server that spends time with you could cut into time that he could spend with other guests that are would tip him more. Keep in mind minimum wage is a little over $6 an hour for regular CM's but servers only get $3 something and live off tips. Most service Cm's don't even get paychecks because the government taxes them for the tips they get. Every tip makes a difference for these people.

I hope that helps.

Yeah but having been a server myself, if a family just wants a couple drinks and an appetizer, I'd be thankful to get an "easy" table for once after my head had been spinning for a few hours straight from the tables with the huge orders.

Also, when I was waitressing I never really thought much about the tips until the end of the night when I added them up. Sometimes I'd get very obviously ripped off by a table (like when they racked up a $100 bill and I provided them excellent service and they left $1 on the table), but normally I wouldn't sit there and calculate what my tip SHOULD be based on what they were ordering. It really wasn't my business.

when you wait tables, the minimum wage is about $3. servers make most of their money from tips, which i dont believe are taxable, but i may be wrong. when i worked in a restuarant none of our money was taxable, but the place was very poorly run, which is probably the reason the owner didnt show up and the place was ultimately closed. :shrug:

They are taxable. You are supposed to report all of your tips. A lot of servers do not though, or only report a small percentage.

 

[BSikor]

Excactly. To sum it up...

When a guest orders something and pay with a credit card and tips with the credit card the amount of tips is recorded as income for the server. Most restaurants will keep track of the credit card tips and declare them to the goverment for the servers.

If a server is paid a cash tip it is their responsibility to claim or inform the government on a weekly basis (most restaurants require it on a daily basis) how much cash tips they made.

The total amount of this claimed tips is reported and the government needs to be paid their percentage in taxes so lets say a server worked 20 hours in a week and their pay check before taxes is about $60. Well if the server claimed to make $300 in those 20 hours, the government takes a percentage of the $300. Since the government is not going to bill servers every week, they take the taxes out of their paycheck like everyone else and that percentage is often higher than the amount Disney is paying them so as a result the entire check is paid to the government. Their check will be delivered to them on Thursday with the words "THIS IS NOT A VALID CHECK" printed on it since there wasn't enough on the paycheck to cover the taxes.

At the end of the year when it is time to claim taxes most of the time servers have to pay boat loads of money to make up for owed taxes.

Now don't get me wrong there are many dishonest servers who are not claiming all of their tips so that they do not get taxed as heavily. As a result they are only cheating themselves since what they claim goes directly into their annual earnings and if they ever need to get a loan then if they don't claim all their taxes then they may not be approved. The same thing goes for workers comp. If they get hurt they get paid a percentage of their tips and if they don't claim all of them they won't get much to help them while they are not allowed to work.

Bottom line, tip what you like. I personally have been a server and its not required to tip more if only ordering a little it just a nice thing to do. That table is that persons way of making money unlike the attractions host or custodians who get paid by the hour. The table that you are sitting in may only be sat in a few times a shift and if someone is sitting there eating O-Rings and a milkshake (Which I've done too mind you!) then its taking time away from the chance anothe group of guests can be sat where they could make more money. Again, all I'm saying is when I sit a table and take it up for a snack I compensate the server. Its not an easy job and they put up with a lot.

In my restaurant I have hired many ex-Disney servers who left because its expensive to drive out there everyday and because they had many "bad tippers" (guests who don't tip at 15% or above, even though 20% is getting to be average now) and were not making that much to put up with the angry guests.

Bottome line.... I promise... go and have a good time but it might be nice of you to show that you appreciate the service even if you are not ordering main courses. A couple extra buck won't break your bank and would mean a lot.

Thats all for now.

 

[nicnic]

Thanks for all the info. I know it may sound cheap just ordering appies and drinks. We are going there to sample the speciality cocktails (and to collect the glowing ice-cubes!) and there about $10 a go, so were really just substituting our food $$ for drink $$ so the bill would prob be about the same as a full meal. I always tip well, coming from England where tipping is not that common, we have travelled to the U.S many times and understand the waiters do not earn much, but saying that, I will tip more for good service and less for bad just as anyone would.
Just out of curiosity, has anyone tried these cocktails in primetime and sci-fi? I am really looking forward to winding down after long day at the park with a few cocktails!!

 

[Pumbas Nakasak]

At the MK if you dont clear your plate you are sent to the Dungeons, and have to polish he castle rockets

TO

 

[hcswingfield]

Prime Time does have a small bar. Maybe you could just sit at the bar and enjoy your cocktail, and not have to reserve a table that could be used for someone who wants a full meal.