Tipping at table sit downs

[michaelnyc]

okay, here is a good one, i can never figure how much to tip at any of the sit down meals

here in nyc i just usually double the tax and leave that as the tip

on the disney receipts they give you suggested tips to leave, 15 18, and 20%
what are you expected to leave?

we are a party of 2 and are on a budget, is $25 a good enough tip at the buffets such as the Contemporary breakfast with Mickey and 1900 Park Faire dinner with the Tremaines?

thanks

 

[KnK]

okay, here is a good one, i can never figure how much to tip at any of the sit down meals

here in nyc i just usually double the tax and leave that as the tip

on the disney receipts they give you suggested tips to leave, 15 18, and 20%
what are you expected to leave?

we are a party of 2 and are on a budget, is $25 a good enough tip at the buffets such as the Contemporary breakfast with Mickey and 1900 Park Faire dinner with the Tremaines?

thanks

$25 seems like a very very generous tip at a buffet.

 

[Pumbas Nakasak]

I avoid it by sitting or standing carefully.

 

[Phonedave]

okay, here is a good one, i can never figure how much to tip at any of the sit down meals

here in nyc i just usually double the tax and leave that as the tip

on the disney receipts they give you suggested tips to leave, 15 18, and 20%
what are you expected to leave?

we are a party of 2 and are on a budget, is $25 a good enough tip at the buffets such as the Contemporary breakfast with Mickey and 1900 Park Faire dinner with the Tremaines?

thanks

$25 is more than plenty for two at a buffet. I would even go less unless there was some sort of top notch service.

-dave

 

[NeriBeri]

I usually tip 15% for a buffet if the service is good and 15-20% for table service.

If you go by that rule of thumb, then a $25.00 tip would be appropriat for a $166.00 bill (166x.15=24.90)

 

[tigsmom]

10-15% at buffets and at least 20% for regular sit down places...adjust either way to reflect the quality of service rendered.

 

[amykissangel]

I'll second (or third?) that - for good service, I tip 20% at a table service restaurant. Anyplace where I'm required to get my own drinks or food, I tip between 12-15%. I was a waitress for 6 years and people left everything from change to $100 on a Packer Game Day in Green Bay, WI...so I can't imagine the shift they see in Disney.

 

[rsoxguy]

I usually tip 15% at buffet style places because the staff is constantly running back and forth clearing old plates and re-filling the drinks. You only get so many chances in life to treat people decently, you know?

 

[slappy magoo]

I usually tip 15% at buffets and 20% at full service. If service is noticeably bad for no apparent reason, and doesn't improve, I'll leave less. If service is noticeably bad but there is an apparent reason that's not the server's fault - for example, there are problems with the kitchen staff, or another party is being so obnoxious in monopolizing the server's time he/she is practically tap dancing to get his/her job done, I show mercy and still try to be generous. I've served people, as I'm sure a lot of us have, and many of us also have our soft spots for servers in certain situations. That one is mine.

 

[sweetpee_1993]

We tip the 18% for all meals if service is good. Doesn't matter to us if it's buffet or not. Then, of course, we do more or less if some part of our service was exceptionally good or exceptionally crappy.

 

[muteki]

Buffet's definitely 15. Tables generally 15-18.

I avoid it by sitting or standing carefully.

lol

 

[fbp]

It seems we're in general agreement on tip amounts. Thumbs up!

 

[ErickainPA]

We tip like others 15-20% depending on the place and service we receive.

We once went to a restaurant (non-disney) and we saw the server 2 times the whole time. When she came to get our drink and food order and then when she brought our drinks. When the food was ready she didn't even bring it out someone else did, we needed drinks and had to ask another server. We were ready to leave and our server was missing still, not even on the floor to take care of us or the other table. After waiting 20 mins (almost ready to leave without even bothering to get a check since our server didn't care apparently) I got a manager and said we didn't have our server come back, he said he was sorry and I said we were ready to leave now could we get the check, he went looking for the server, she was gone. Another server brought our check and then the manager came to get it 10 mins later. We were ready to just leave without the check or leaving a tip. Come to find out the server's shift was over so she left. We left a small tip on the table for the other servers to split (2 of them)

 

[HouCuseChickie]

Not that everyone follows etiquette and standard tipping rules, but etiquette for a buffet is a flat 10% on the pre-tax total if the server kept your drinks filled and/or brought any kind of food to the table when needed. If the service is sub par...you tip less...if the service was exceptional...you tip more. Either way, it's better than the $1 pp in your party buffet tip some people do.

As for table service 15-20% on the pre-tax total is appropriate. If service is poor, you should still tip- but 10% is proper amount if service was bad. Of course, your server won't mind (or will love you for it) if you over tip.

 

[staceycrouton]

I always tip 20%. My husband has a part time job as a server (not in Disney) and one thing to remember is that the server generally has to tip out other people at the restaurant, usually the bartender, busser, and possibly the hosts and hostesses. This doesn't mean that you have to over tip but the server is generally only taking home a percentage of the tip that you leave.

 

[mickey2008.1]

we tip 20% of total bill if good service, sometimes more. But if im ignored or get bad service( not food, which is not controlled by server) then i will do zero to 15% depending on how i am treated. Im a chef and my DW is a server, so we have empathy, but expect higher from our peers. We have high standards, because our customers expect it, as should i. Tip according to your server and how they respond

 

[tizzo]

I don't eat on property very much at all, so I'm speaking generally here.

For any kind of table service restaurant anywhere, tipping etiquette is pretty well established. 15% for acceptable service, adjust up or down for service that is better or worse than acceptable.

I've never found anything as definitive and accepted for buffet service, buy my personal rule of thumb is 10%. Not all buffets are the same though. If you walk in, are handed a plate and a glass, and are pretty much on your own, then I stick with 10%. If drinks aren't self-server, and your server is refilling drinks in addition to clearing plates, then I tend to go a little higher. I'd just say be observant and use your judgment. You know what you're going to expect out of a sit-down server to earn the base 15% tip, so compare how hard your buffet server is working compared to that.

One thing that I will say, because I understand it is frequently not observed, is that if you have some kind of discount on your meal, whether it be a coupon, or a % off discount like you get at some places with an AP or a TiW card, the tip should be calculated based on the pre-discount subtotal on the check, not the final balance. EG if you're 2 at a $10 lunch buffet with a BOGOF coupon, and your final bill with drinks is $15, a 10% tip would be $2.50, not $1.50.

 

[durangojim]

We use Tables in Wonderland which automatically leaves 18% tip, this irks me a little at the buffets, but overall well worth it. We'll leave a little extra if service is extraordinary (usually at California Grill or Victoria and Alberts).

 

[snowpony]

We tipped $15 on a $44 meal for Donald's Safari Breakfast at Tusker House. Although it was a buffet, our waitress was friendly, top-notch when it came to clearing plates and refilling drinks. She was very busy, and she also graciously took the time to snap pictures of us with the characters as they each came to our table. (There's only 2 of us so we always need a stranger to do this.) Her service went above and beyond. She looked at our bill and looked at the cash we left and was somewhat surprised at the tip....we told her that we very pleased with her service. I'm not sure what others tip, but the look she gave indicated others may not tip so generously?

On the other hand, at Biergarten which is also a buffet, our waitress was just the opposite. DBF and I were sitting there for 20 minutes with empty glasses needing a refill, and she only came to our table three times (once to take our order, once for a checkup, and once to give us our bill) in the hour we were there. Dirty plates from us and the 4 other guests were sitting on the table almost the entire time. I left 10% because of the service.

 

[forevermickey]

10-15% at buffets and at least 20% for regular sit down places...adjust either way to reflect the quality of service rendered.

I agree with you TiggsMom- we do exactly this - adjusting with the quality of service