Stigma on Dining Plan has Truth

[Tybee]

The only issue I have had with DDP was at Cali Grill, our waitress was very friendly and eager to provide us with great service......then she found out we were on the dining plan. I think that was one of the last times we saw her until it was time for the bill. She was very short and acted like she didn't want to deal with us, but was completely different with her other tables around us, the paid cash for the meal. Its a shame because with it being a nicer restaurant I was considering leaving her extra on top of the tip that was included at the time. But instead, she got nothing more.........her loss.

See, this is why I'm actually glad the DDP doesn't cover tips anymore. I know that's a sore spot for a lot of people, but not having any say over the amount of the tip defeats the purpose of the practice. The tip is the direct payment from the diner to the server, a valuation of the service provided exclusive of the cost of the meal, which goes to the restaurant itself. If tips are standardized and included, why call them tips? Just raise the servers' base pay and eliminate tipping. In Matty's case I would have been half-tempted to leave a fat additional tip, just to make her feel guilty for underestimating me.

But I'm a pretty generous tipper as a rule. So long as you don't jump up on my table, drop your pants, and swing your ______ in my face, you're going to get 18 percent from me.

And if you DO do that, you get 20.

 

[me_stitch]

they get the same tip either way so why do they care? as far as being treated different for being on the ddp, who cares, free food always seems to taste better to me.

 

[mike10]

I'm going to WDW and this will be the first time I'm on the DDP (if I can get it :lol. and the way I understand it and correct me if I'm wrong but I get:

-an entrée

-a dessert

-a drink (non-alcoholic of course)


Anything outside of that comes out of my pocket. As far as it comes to tipping I go by the rule of 0-15-25. If I get horrible service I have no issues walking out with not leaving a tip, if I get the bare I leave 15% and if I get outstanding service I leave 25%. Once the service was so amazing I left a 35% tip to me it's all out the level of service I get.

But I will tell you this as a former person who worked in a restaurant as a busboy when I turned 16 if the service is bending over backwards for you and you leave no tip or are just a complainer you WILL get SPIT in your food.

This isn't a guess I have visually seen a waitress spit in a customer's food because all they wanted to do was complain. Anyone who has watched the movie "Waiting" not to that degree but that DOES happen if all you do is complain and NEVER send food back trust me on that. To this day I never do if I don't like it I just don't eat it and just pay and leave with no intent of ever coming back.

 

[stefan74]

My last 4 trips to WDW I have used Free Dining. I have NEVER had bad service or rushed out of anywhere we have chosen to eat.

I agree with you. The past 3 trips I have been on I have used Free Dining and never had bad service. I always tip the servers very well because I have worked in the hospitality industry and know how hard they work.

 

[_Scar]

18% tip = good for staff

I'm sure they're profitting on the food no matter how much TDO is paying them (them being the non-Disney restaurants)

 

[blackthidot]

My last 4 trips to WDW I have used Free Dining. I have NEVER had bad service or rushed out of anywhere we have chosen to eat.

I agree with you. The past 3 trips I have been on I have used Free Dining and never had bad service. I always tip the servers very well because I have worked in the hospitality industry and know how hard they work.

Yeah read my TR I get into the "dining plan myths"

 

[me_stitch]

I would never leave less of a tip because I considered the service to be bad, if the service was exceptional I might leave a little more than normal but never less. Maybe your server just got done with an a-hole guest, or maybe their new, who knows. but that tip goes to the whole staff. Like someone else said, leave a good tip and be extra friendly and maybe you'll make their day better or make them feel bad for not giving you their best service.

 

[chwilson88]

that sounds socialistic to me...the operating rule should be work hard and you get rewarded...do a crappy job and you don't (i.e., low tip)...it's very simple and it's what makes this country go 'round. Or, at least it used to.:shrug:

 

[Tybee]

As far as it comes to tipping I go by the rule of 0-15-25. If I get horrible service I have no issues walking out with not leaving a tip, if I get the bare I leave 15% and if I get outstanding service I leave 25%. Once the service was so amazing I left a 35% tip to me it's all out the level of service I get.

Walking out without tipping is one of the worst possible ways to register your displeasure. If the service was so abysmal that you don't feel obligated to tip(and for me, that has to be VERY, VERY bad -- as in it's never happened), that's fine. But on your way out, you also need to alert the manager, or even the server himself, as to why you did not enjoy your meal. Otherwise, it's easy for the server to just write you off as a cheapskate or absent-minded and nothing is done to address the inadequate service, ensuring that the next guest gets similarly lackluster service (if not worse, since the server is now fuming about getting stiffed by the last customer with no idea why).

Who knows? There may be a situation you are not aware of that is completely out of the server's control, such as a backed-up kitchen, a huge party elsewhere in the restaurant, etc. If you walk out on a tip and don't make some effort to communicate with the staff, you're just contributing to the problem, and possibly exacerbating it.

 

[Tybee]

Bit of inside info for those that get really BAD service - warning: do not do this to a CM that is just tired, stressed, or overworked. Use this in EXTREME cases.

Do tip. Tip exacly one cent. This is the most vile insult that one can deliver to a professional... treat the process like a loaded gun, because it's just plain nasty (also very traditional).

I had a friend who did this and the server caught up to him in the parking lot and winged the penny at the back of his head. Worse than not leaving a tip, IMO, but if you can live with yourself, go for it...

 

[Goofycanuck]

Who knows? There may be a situation you are not aware of that is completely out of the server's control, such as a backed-up kitchen, a huge party elsewhere in the restaurant, etc. If you walk out on a tip and don't make some effort to communicate with the staff, you're just contributing to the problem, and possibly exacerbating it.

If there is that sort of situation the onus should be on the staff to communicate it to the customer, not the other way around.

 

[chwilson88]

If there is that sort of situation the onus should be on the staff to communicate it to the customer, not the other way around.

Agree 100%

 

[91Coupe]

What I noticed last year when we at ate Tusker House. We were on the dining plan and some friends of ours were not, They were sitted in a different section of the room from us. We were the only families in the room. There must be a certain amount of seating for with vs without maybe. This is the only thing that makes sense to me.

 

[Master Yoda]

What I noticed last year when we at ate Tusker House. We were on the dining plan and some friends of ours were not, They were sitted in a different section of the room from us. We were the only families in the room. There must be a certain amount of seating for with vs without maybe. This is the only thing that makes sense to me.

This is not the case. You seating location has noting to do with you being on or not on the DDP. The restaurant will decide where you sit base on table availability, party size, server availability, etc. Had you asked to be seated together they more than likely would have done just that. Otherwise they would seat you in separate sections to avoid double seating a server.

 

[91Coupe]

That's serves us right for thinking they would seat us together as we arrived together and had to seperate the kids. Now I know to ask when we are there next month.

 

[Master Yoda]

That's serves us right for thinking they would seat us together as we arrived together and had to seperate the kids. Now I know to ask when we are there next month.

Yeah, sometimes people are not all that bright. They see 2 separate reservations and kind of ignore that you are obviously together unless you tell them otherwise.

 

[Tybee]

If there is that sort of situation the onus should be on the staff to communicate it to the customer, not the other way around.

I don't disagree, and in a perfect world they would. But it doesn't always work out that way, since the staff is usually focused on the crisis, rather than on the customers who AREN'T on fire. But when you bring your displeasure to their attention, in my experience they'll bend over backward to accommodate you.

The point is, walking out of a restaurant without saying a word is not exactly the best way to let the staff know you had a bad experience, and it certainly won't get you any recompense. If you went to see a movie and it was being projected out of focus with no sound, would just just walk out and go home, expecting management to just KNOW you were a dissatisfied customer (and a fat lot of good it would do even if they did)? No. You'd either go ask that they fix the picture and the sound or possibly ask for a refund. So why would it be any different at a restaurant, when a lot more money is at stake?

 

[91Coupe]

We did not have a reservation. We just walked up and were sitted immediately.

 

[mrtoad]

We have used the dining plan on the past 3 trips and we did not have a problem once with bad service. Yes, the wait staff has to explain to you what is and is not included but it is not hard to follow and see no issue with it.

Weather you get the value of the plan (if you are paying for it) depends on you. Some places the cost would only have you break even while others really do have great value.

My only issue we have had was that we booked Bistro De Paris last year and were told it would use 2 full service dining credits which we were fine with but then got there and found out it was not in the plan. We had to scramble and only thing we could get that was another 2 credits place (it was our last night so were going to use it or lose it) was Artists Point which was fantastic but caused major stress on our final night. We had planned on being in EPCOT for the night but instead had to take bus to the WL then later had to take monorail to the MK to then get on a bus back to our resort POR. It was not a fun experience.

I personally think all the restaurants on property should be required to be part of the plan if they are going to have the plan in the first place.

 

[tink65]

We have been fortunate enough to be able to take advantage of Free Dining since 2005. In all those years, in all the different restaurants we've tried, I can honestly report that we have never been treated any differently than we have been when we did not have the dining plan! I think part of the secret is everyone needs to take time to read about the dining plan and how it works/what it includes prior to using it! I think this would cut down on confusion and possible frustration on the part of the guest and the server........