We're back! 10 YOAMD won!

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Merry Rose

New Member
Original Poster
We got back home tonight after spending 4 days at WDW and 4 days in the keys. Boy is it hot down there!
Anyways - first YOAMD win - my daughter in law was in line to buy an ice cream bar - mouse ears of course and she got it for free! I barely had told her about the YOAMD - I had to inform everyone in my party of the possible excitement awaiting them. That was the second day we were there - 9/30 at Epcot. #2 - my 8 year old grandson had just gotten off Pirates and a CM asked him a secret question. He got the answer correct- he then received an eye patch and earring! #3 EMH at MK, my husband and i received ice cream and a chocolate shake! #4 and last. All 6 guys in our Grand Gathering went on the Dino ride at AK. I can't remember the name, but it was turbulent and I had already gotten physically sick on space mountain, so I didn't go on it. The 6 guys got questioned - how many in your party, etc. etc. Then they got escorted into a private elevator and put into a special car and got to the front of the line. They all got certificates and special Tinkerbell pins. My husband who now understands the whole YOAMD thing told the CM that his wife was gonna be excited! the CM gave him an extra pin for me and an extra pin for another wife in the party. There were 11 of us in our Grand Gathering - 10 wins! whoohoo!!!!!!!:sohappy::sohappy:

One complaint - I don't like the automatic 18% tip charge on buffets with parties of 8 or more. That seems like a lot for getting 2 glasses of pop each and nothing else was done for us.
 
Figment25

Figment25

New Member
All that money wdw makes and they give free ice cream.....what nerve...I
understand that they dont have to give anything..BUT FREE ICE CREAM what a slap in the face to the guests that spend thousands on there trip..

P.S. Doesnt matter the ice cream is just a write off anyway. LOL
 
Captain Hank

Captain Hank

Well-Known Member
Figment25 said:
All that money wdw makes and they give free ice cream.....what nerve...I
understand that they dont have to give anything..BUT FREE ICE CREAM what a slap in the face to the guests that spend thousands on there trip..

P.S. Doesnt matter the ice cream is just a write off anyway. LOL
Click to expand...
Sarcasm? I hope?

It's called providing good guest service. I don't know what the situation was, but oftentimes CM's can provide free items of moderate value as a method of service recovery when something has gone wrong.

In the OP's case, it was probably a "Magical Moment," done once an hour for a randomly selected guest as a special little something "extra."
 
M

Merry Rose

New Member
Original Poster
clarifying - not really a complaint

I am very very willing to tip and tip well. All CM's work hard and don't make much $. It's very expensive to live there also. Yes, we spent thousands on our trip. Getting a free ice cream is not a money thing, it's a person to person thing. I felt honestly on this trip, tourists interacted more readily to CM's. Was it because they could get something free maybe? Or was it that we were on vacation and happy and much more responsive to CM's? Every YOAMD's was very special, it didn't cost Disney much $ and it provided us with great conversation and we really did feel special. It's a very good idea. It's good PR.

The trails end lounge is where we had our 18% tip added. I think that felt like a real world thing, not a disney magic thing. I would have probably tipped her well anyways. But my point is, how do you justify giving a buffet CM 18% when a sit down dinner may only get 20%? the sit down dinner CM definitely earns more than the buffet CM, right? So are we going to end up tipping 30% for sit downs? That's my point.
 
S

scubaguy

New Member
I used to feel the same way about tipping at buffets, but then I realized the servers at buffets often work even harder than if we order off the menu because they are constantly clearing away the mountain of dirty plates we generate!
 
E

ectomstr

New Member
Merry Rose said:
I am very very willing to tip and tip well. All CM's work hard and don't make much $. It's very expensive to live there also. Yes, we spent thousands on our trip. Getting a free ice cream is not a money thing, it's a person to person thing. I felt honestly on this trip, tourists interacted more readily to CM's. Was it because they could get something free maybe? Or was it that we were on vacation and happy and much more responsive to CM's? Every YOAMD's was very special, it didn't cost Disney much $ and it provided us with great conversation and we really did feel special. It's a very good idea. It's good PR.

The trails end lounge is where we had our 18% tip added. I think that felt like a real world thing, not a disney magic thing. I would have probably tipped her well anyways. But my point is, how do you justify giving a buffet CM 18% when a sit down dinner may only get 20%? the sit down dinner CM definitely earns more than the buffet CM, right? So are we going to end up tipping 30% for sit downs? That's my point.
Click to expand...

All of WDW restaurants has an automatic 18% Gratuity on parties of 6 or more. It says so on all menus. (At least I KNOW it does on Rainforest Cafe's)
 
whizGoofy

whizGoofy

New Member
Congrats!!!

I leave on Tuesday and am hoping we get the same kind of thing. I agree with you about the money thing. The "Free" gift doesn't matter what it is, it is more of the thought of getting it for going and doing what you would already, enjoying yourself with friends and family. Sure I would love to win a cruise or a night in the castle, but that is not that important.
 
wilary

wilary

New Member
Unfortunately, that's a standard thing when you have a big group. The restaurant is trying to protect thier servers because it takes a lot to serve a big group, even if it is only a buffet. Same goes when they automatically add the 18% tip when you're on DDE or cast member discounts. The policy is there because of the cheapskates that previously stiffed them. There are people out there that ruined it for everybody.

That said, it could be that they are hurting themselves. If they were to trust me, I'd take care of them a lot more than 18% worth. With auto tip, I'll give more only when the server goes way above and beyond...quite frequently, btw, at WDW.
 
JessicaB

JessicaB

Member
Congrats! We just got back of Sunday. We won a free McFlurry at Epcot and 3 lanyards with pins from the dream squad. I still can't belive it we never win anything. We were getting in line for Journey into Narnia when the YOAMD guys stop us and said we'd won. :sohappy:
 
BRER STITCH

BRER STITCH

Well-Known Member
WOOHOO!

I hope the "dreams" are still flowing freely in December when we are there!!!

Congrats to you and your group! The smiles are what it's really all about - no thte value of the physical prize.

:sohappy:
 
Glasgow

Glasgow

Well-Known Member
Congrats on all of the prizes. Last month we got to be "first family" at American Adventure. They escort you up to the second level and provide seats by the bannister which gives you a birds-eye view of the singers -- very cool. The downside? Our daughter started crying and I had to go off and walk around so I missed the whole show .. lol
 
M

Merry Rose

New Member
Original Poster
true and thanks!

Goods point about the previous people who stiffed servers. We're paying the 18% because of it. Yes and I agree they do deserve it, it's their time also. So I'm wondering if it's harder to get into a full serve restaurant as a CM. Maybe that's how Disney can keep help - guaranteeing them 18% if there's a party of 6 or more. I do want the good help to stay. I want them happy. Lord knows it's hard enough being wait staff anywhere.
Thanks everyone!:wave:
 
A

ask!

Active Member
Dear Merry Rose,

May I ask, how did you like the Keys part of the vacation?

I am trying to plan our next trip and am thinking I need to include some ocean/beach time into our next vacation if we go again in the summer (that's when I like to spend our vacation $$$) but it is SO HOT!

I was thinking a possible cruise (sounds expensive), Miami or the Keys.....would you recommend it?

That was awesome that your family won so many YOAMD....even little things are magical!

Thanks, Andrea
 

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