How do you tip at WDW?

[Cheryl]

Hi All

Maybe this is a strange question to be posting but I just have to ask. I was talking to a friend of mine while we were at dinner. When adding the bill up, I added 25% gratuity to the bill for out waitress who was very attentive and gave her a high praise to the manager of the restaurant. My friend nearly freaked out. He asked what our "normal procedure" for tipping was and I said 20% if it's good service and more if it's even better. I think the lowest tip I've ever left was about 18%. He was astonished and when I asked, he stated that he leaves about 10% to 12% typically and less if it's not good service at all.

How do you all tip when dining at WDW? And, also, do you have a protocol when dining at a Character Dining buffet like Chef Mickeys? I'm very curious about this. Obviously, if it's a buffet, you'd be serving yourself, other than drinks/refills and removing the plates.

Thanks much for any input. Hopefuly I don't "offend" anyone asking about tipping procedures.

 

[tigsmom]

What about tipping for Mousekeeping at a Value Resort?? Should we?

Tipping is really up to you. IMHO, anyone who serves me food/drink or cleans up after my family (and we are pretty neat) deserves a tip.

 

[righttrack]

What about tipping for Mousekeeping at a Value Resort?? Should we?

They work just as hard if not harder. I would, but thats me. Its a personal decision.

 

[LUV4Goofy]

Thanks!:kiss:

 

[Laura]

I think it's rude (and ignorant) to leave less than 15% for decent service. If we don't have enough money to leave at least 15% for the server then we don't eat. My husband is a horrible tipper - he has a hard time calculating how much to give so he tends to tip about 10% and I'm constantly on his case about it. Just last week we had left the restaurant and I asked him how much he tipped and I wasn't happy with what he said so I made him turn the car around, drive back to the restaurant, and put more money on the table!

The service has to be absolutely horrendous for me to tip less than 15%. 15% is my "minimum" and I only do less if I feel like the server deserves punishment for being a moron (which is almost never).

In Disney I tip 20% regardless for sit down meals. I do this because it's a fair tip for outstanding service and it helps me plan my budget if I know my tip amount ahead of time. If the service ends up being bad, I guess I'll just bless them with the tip they don't deserve.

If you're like my husband and can't ever figure out how much to tip, here's how I do it...If you want to give 15% you just give $3 for every $20 of your bill. If you want to give 20% just double your bill and take off a zero (so a $45 bill you'd tip $9.00).

I've never tipped the mousekeepers before only because it never occured to me before. But this next trip I have $3 per night budgeted.

 

[tigsmom]

...
If you're like my husband and can't ever figure out how much to tip, here's how I do it...If you want to give 15% you just give $3 for every $20 of your bill. If you want to give 20% just double your bill and take off a zero (so a $45 bill you'd tip $9.00)....

Great formula! I don't usually have a problem, but this will be a great help for those who do. Thanks! :wave:

 

[daveemtdave]

Tip what you can afford. Who are you trying to impress. A tip is a reward. I have been to resturants where I was asked do you want change, example at the buffet at the GF. Our server did not ask us if we wanted a refill on our soft drinks, or refills on our coffees. He catered to the table behind us. YES, WE DID ASK FOR REFILLS, IN FACT TWICE. When we got our bill, which was well over $150.00 and he asked if I wanted change, I told him yes and don't expect a tip.

 

[AngryEyes]

$5 a day for mousekeeping?????? Wow! That's alot!!! Just think, if every room they cleaned (what?...about 100?) left $5/day, that is $500/day JUST IN TIPS!!!! And they do get a salary, you know! I am so not trying to be mean or rude but that adds up to a really good salary. For 5 days work that is $2500 in tips alone! That is WAY more than I make with a college degree! Even if less than half of the people left a tip, that is still about $1000 a week in tips.....STILL more than I make!

Now, I am not one of those people who just leave stuff laying around. Basically, all they have to do in my room is vacuum and leave clean towels (they don't change the sheets everyday, anyway....only about once per each party's stay or once a week). I clean up after myself and my family. I think $2/day is more than enough considering it takes them about 10 minutes in our room at the most!

Maybe I should quit teaching and get a job at mousekeeping!

100 rooms per day? That would be more than a dozen rooms per hour. Best case scenario there is if all of their rooms for the day were as clean and conscientious as you are and none were checking out. Then, that "ten minutes at the most" per room would mean their work day would only be 16+ hours long.

More likely, they have about 12-14 rooms per day for which they are responsible. Keep in mind that most or all of those may be checkouts, which take considerably longer than stayovers.

You don't need to worry that a lowly housekeeper might make more than you, even though they work their tails off. You shouldn't come to Las Vegas, however, because 90% of the people in beverage (cocktail servers and bartenders) don't have college degrees and they ALL make more than you do...much, much more. So do the valets, the dealers, the slot floor people, the cage cashiers, the booth cashiers, etc.

 

[bhg469]

i have a question, how much do the waiters get for gartuity when your dining is included with your trip? im jsut curious because i would hate to know if a waiter or waitress didnt get a fair tip if they did a good job. but then again there was a waiter at jiko that i felt bad about giving him a good tipe just cause he seemed not repect me cause i was young and all the other customers were older.

 

[Scooter]

I think it's rude (and ignorant) to leave less than 15% for decent service. If we don't have enough money to leave at least 15% for the server then we don't eat.

I get this alot from friends who are bartenders and waitresses.

First of all...I am NOT required to leave a tip...it is what it is...a gratuity.
If I CHOOSE to leave a tip, I leave what I feel like leaving, maybe 10%, maybe 15%, maybe even 50% if I feel so inclined.

I can even choose NOT to leave a tip if I so desire...it's MY option and I've done it.

So I should just stay home if I don't have enough money to leave a 15% tip?
Who made up THAT rule?

While I realize that these peoples earnings are less than adequate, and they depend on tips for survival, I don't enjoy being a passenger on this Guilt Trip.

They chose this vocation.
It's not MY fault if their boss dosn't pay them a fair wage.
I've quit many jobs because the pay was poor, and they have that same option.

I realize that jobs are scarce and some people are forced to work low paying jobs to help support their familys, I'm not a totally non-caring person.

I just get tired of people telling me how big of a tip I HAVE to leave.
I will leave WHAT I want, WHERE I want, WHEN I want.


Whew! Now I feel better..I had to get that off my chest. :lookaroun

 

[Kadee]

More likely, they have about 12-14 rooms per day for which they are responsible. Keep in mind that most or all of those may be checkouts, which take considerably longer than stayovers.

You don't need to worry that a lowly housekeeper might make more than you, even though they work their tails off. You shouldn't come to Las Vegas, however, because 90% of the people in beverage (cocktail servers and bartenders) don't have college degrees and they ALL make more than you do...much, much more. So do the valets, the dealers, the slot floor people, the cage cashiers, the booth cashiers, etc.

First of all, I NEVER called them "lowly housekeepers;" those are your words, not mine. My sister used to do the same thing at the beach and she cleaned WAY more than 12-14 rooms/day. And some of them were condos....not just hotel rooms. She got paid minimum wage. She and her fellow housekeepers NEVER expected a tip. It is just not done there. Keep in mind that it is a farely large resort beach town. (Gulf Shores/Orange Beach). And as far as bartenders making more than me, I know they do. My brother is one and he does very well. I also have a sister who is a waitress at the beach and makes more than me also. Does it bother me that I spent 4 years in college getting my education and still make less? No....it is what I chose to do. But I do not think that I get paid enough considering what I do.

As for Las Vegas....been there.....won't go back. It is one of the most disgusting places I've ever seen. Nothing but hookers and players all over. Not exactly what I like to do on vacation.

 

[daveemtdave]

I still look at the math. If they clean 10 rooms a day and get $5.00 per room tip, that equals out to $50.00 a day. Do they pay taxes on this? More than likely NO. That times five is $250.00 CLEAR CASH. That is almost three quarters of what my wife makes and she pays taxes on hers. Plus they get their check. Even $2.00 per soom gives them at least an extra $100.00.

I also hate when I recieve my bill and the tip is automatically put on the tab. I feel a tip is my choice to give and should not be automatically expected.

 

[Laura]

I can even choose NOT to leave a tip if I so desire...it's MY option and I've done it.

So I should just stay home if I don't have enough money to leave a 15% tip?
Who made up THAT rule?

It's not a rule or a law and no one is forcing you to do anything. But there is such a thing as etiquitte and common courtesy. No I don't believe you should be going out to eat if you can't afford to tip. Your server could turn out to be phenomenal and then end up with nothing for all the effort because you just didn't "desire" to tip that day. It's just rude not to tip for good service. Even if the service is terrible I still feel you should tip something because someone has to clean up after you.

I worked at Red Lobster for a while and there were nights that people wouldn't leave me a tip just because I was white and they wanted a black server, even though I provided excellent service. Now that's pathetic.

 

[rainfully]

We received a bill (not at WDW) for about $35. All my DH had was a $100, the waiter opened the folder and then asked if we wanted change?!

I agree with the whole asking if they need change sounding rude. I'm a server myself... and usually as I'm picking up their money I say "I'll be right back with your change" or something to that effect, even if I can tell it's exact.

There's a couple of things that bug me though... when the customer says "I need change" before I get the chance to say anything... it makes me feel like I'm the rude one or something. Also, when I say "I'll be right back with your change" and they either don't say anything or say something kinda vague. It's even worse when I come back with their change and they say "oh, I didn't need any!" Like I can read your mind...

I LOVE LOVE LOVE the customers who say "I just need $5 back" or whatever... that way I can just whip it out and hand it directely to them... It saves me a trip and saves a lot of time!

Now, as for the reason I quoted you, sometimes, when the bill is small (and: IMPORTANT... I can tell the customers are cool [read: have a sense of humor]) and they leave a $100 bill sitting on the table, I'll wink and say "you didn't need change, did you?" in an obviously joking way. It usually gets a good laugh and some humorous responses... :lol:

 

[Pumbas Nakasak]

It's just rude not to tip for good service. Even if the service is terrible I still feel you should tip something because someone has to clean up after you.

my wife’s a specialist nurse, working in burns and plastic surgery reconstruction for kids, she has to do everything from dealing with amputated limbs, wiping up all sorts of bodily excretions and bunging cotton wool up the orifices of dead kids, no tips, no thank you’s, no holiday bonuses and a 365 day a year callout. More than minimum wage sure , but cleaning up a few tables and dealing with bolshie customers is not the worst of jobs, and Im sure if you DH has done an operational tour or two hell confirm there’s worse things to deal with.

Lets not get too carried away here. It is the right of the individual to tip, even if that right is removed in your in a party of 6 or more. just as it is the employees right to quit the job.

As my old DI used to say " if you cant take a joke you shouldnt have joined" :drevil:

 

[Kingdom Konsultant]

Let's all step back and look at what is happening here. You are debating about tipping.

If you like the service and think the person deserves a tip as a token of gratitude for something well done, then by all means tip them. If you do not have the money or feel that the service was inadequate then don't. You should not feel like you HAVE TO TIP.

I have worked as a waitress and I was very appreciative when I received a tip. Mostly because the pay is so low ( as low as $2 an hour) that you count on the tips to make up for it. That is how it generally works with busboys, bartenders,etc.

Perhaps these people enjoy working with the public, perhaps that is the only job available to them. Please do not assume that they are cleaning a specific amount of rooms or working a specific amount of hours. That is really not the topic here. It started with a question on how much to tip and turned into a why or why not tip debate.

Please take a deep breath and think about what is going on.

For those of you who don't know, Disney employees do not get paid well at all.

I do tip well because I work in the service sector and appreciate good service.

Some of the charts are very good that I have seen on here. Please keep in mind that some meals at disney already include the gratuity for large parties.

Pam

 

[Cheryl]

Has this ever happened to you? It just sounded quite strange. :hammer:

I was at our local Chili's with a girlfriend and my son yesterday for lunch. The waiter was "just ok" -- didn't go out of his way to refill our iced teas and seemed to gasp when I asked for butter for my son's mashed potatoes. That surprised me b/c it wasn't crowded at all (we were there at lunchtime). There were maybe 3 other tables with customers in our section and that was all. Anyway, after listening to all the posts here, I felt that he didn't deem a 20% tip but I needed change to leave him a tip. The bill was $19.09 and I gave him two $20s, asking him for change for the tip. He then proceeded to ask if I needed change (duh) (ok, that is rude to say) and I said yes and then he came back with the change, counted it out and said, "Oh, did you want the silver back too?" I had never heard that and said "Excuse me?" He repeated it and said that he kept it as part of his tip. Well, needless to say, he only got $1 left on the table since I felt that he was so rude. Who does that? :fork:

 

[Kingdom Konsultant]

Wow, that was rude.

I don't think he will be at that job long. When you work in a field that services the public, you really can't be like that. I am sorry that you had to have that happen to you.
He should not have assumed that the coins were his. It is up to you to decide on the tip unless it is stated somewhere on the menu or on a sign in the restaurant that the gratuity is included in the bill.

Pam

 

[rainfully]

Has this ever happened to you? It just sounded quite strange. :hammer:

I was at our local Chili's with a girlfriend and my son yesterday for lunch. The waiter was "just ok" -- didn't go out of his way to refill our iced teas and seemed to gasp when I asked for butter for my son's mashed potatoes. That surprised me b/c it wasn't crowded at all (we were there at lunchtime). There were maybe 3 other tables with customers in our section and that was all. Anyway, after listening to all the posts here, I felt that he didn't deem a 20% tip but I needed change to leave him a tip. The bill was $19.09 and I gave him two $20s, asking him for change for the tip. He then proceeded to ask if I needed change (duh) (ok, that is rude to say) and I said yes and then he came back with the change, counted it out and said, "Oh, did you want the silver back too?" I had never heard that and said "Excuse me?" He repeated it and said that he kept it as part of his tip. Well, needless to say, he only got $1 left on the table since I felt that he was so rude. Who does that? :fork:

Yikes... that's pretty bad. I hate dealing with silver and when all possible I just round up... If that'd been me you would have gotten back a ten, a five and six ones... no questions asked.

 

[tigsmom]

Has this ever happened to you? It just sounded quite strange. :hammer:

I was at our local Chili's with a girlfriend and my son yesterday for lunch. The waiter was "just ok" -- didn't go out of his way to refill our iced teas and seemed to gasp when I asked for butter for my son's mashed potatoes. That surprised me b/c it wasn't crowded at all (we were there at lunchtime). There were maybe 3 other tables with customers in our section and that was all. Anyway, after listening to all the posts here, I felt that he didn't deem a 20% tip but I needed change to leave him a tip. The bill was $19.09 and I gave him two $20s, asking him for change for the tip. He then proceeded to ask if I needed change (duh) (ok, that is rude to say) and I said yes and then he came back with the change, counted it out and said, "Oh, did you want the silver back too?" I had never heard that and said "Excuse me?" He repeated it and said that he kept it as part of his tip. Well, needless to say, he only got $1 left on the table since I felt that he was so rude. Who does that? :fork:

That was quite rude and I would have spoken to the manager before I left.

 

[daveemtdave]

Heck - just hand him the $20 and say you want 50 cents back. Maybe you gave him too hard of a math problem.