2008 DDP discussion, questions, rants and vents

[disneyworldmomma]

I was just wondering has anyone felt that a tip was not deserved or at least not as much as what was suggested and either did not tip or tip less ?? what was the reaction to this??? Do you think if this happens on the 1st or 2nd meal that they have a way of telling your other adrs and you get even worse service their ??? I'm a bit of a perfectionist when it comes to service even more when i've already spent so much money

 

[eeyoresnr]

I was just wondering has anyone felt that a tip was not deserved or at least not as much as what was suggested and either did not tip or tip less ?? what was the reaction to this??? Do you think if this happens on the 1st or 2nd meal that they have a way of telling your other adrs and you get even worse service their ??? I'm a bit of a perfectionist when it comes to service even more when i've already spent so much money

I'm kinda curious as to what you expect from your server exactly that would make you feel they were perfect? at what point do you decide to tip less or not at all

 

[disneyworldmomma]

This will be our 10th visit and we often go in the off season but have also gone in very busy times there have been quite a few times when we have been at resturants and our waiter has just dissappeared and i've had to ask other waitiers for something or we've needed something and had ask 2 times or more and still haven't gotten it only to hear "oh yeah you did ask for more butter" at the end of the meal. i understand that there are times when they are just very busy and i could never really see NOT leaving a tip but if our bill comes to $100 and our waitier was just gone or we've had to go our entire meal with out getting something we've ask for 2 times then i can't see giving a $36 tip.

 

[TDC Nala]

If there is only five of you, the tip is discretionary. You can leave whatever you feel is appropriate for the level of service you received. Parties of six or more pay an automatic 18% but can get that amount reduced for service concerns through the restaurant manager.

I can't see being afraid that all the restaurants will know what you tipped at your first restaurant and act toward you accordingly. Each restaurant is managed separately.

 

[soxnation]

Yes...and I don't think I took advantage of it in 2006 but I did last year. You DO get a beverage AND a juice at breakfast with the DDP.

THANKS!
Juice, Beverage ,and our resort mugs.....i will be well hydrated!

 

[dgagnon519]

I agree I am very picky as well on service. I start off at 15% usually and work my way up or down from there. If they are attentive, refill glasses, ask if everything is ok (basically there job) then I give 15%. If they do something extra like be friendly with the kids, play into character, if things are busy notify me in the beginning of the meal with an apology for it being so busy but will try their best then I will go for 18 or 20%. If I have to look for him or if I receive attitude or if I can tell he has been having a bad day it goes down to 12%. I would never just not leave a tip and every situation is different.
I hate sounding greedy but the idea of tipping someone more than i make an hour drives me nuts but thats the way it is. The amount i will be spending on tips for 12 days in disney is more than my car payment. Just venting or ranting as the title of the board says.

 

[JLKennedy]

This whole tipping issue is driving me nuts. It is no one else's business what you do or don't tip.

Tip what you feel the service warrants and you'll be happy. Your on vacation, you're not trying to make a Disney employee happy with their wages, you're there to make yourself and your family happy.

 

[gr8tdame]

"In some jurisdictions, tipped workers qualify for a lower statutory minimum wage from the employer, and therefore may supplement deficient pay with tips. For example, the United States Internal Revenue Service (IRS) requires restaurant employers to ensure that the total tip income reported to them during any pay period is at least eight percent of their total receipts for that period. If the reported total is below eight percent, employers must allocate as income the difference between the actual tip income reported and eight percent of gross receipts.[11] Therefore the IRS is implicitly assuming the average tip to be eight percent."

 

[Pumbaa_]

There is a new policy on tipping. All tipping discussion is being confined to one thread. Please see this Tipping thread for details.

Thanks!!

 

[DW0rBust]

My husband and I are planning our first on site DW experience with our children 7 and 4. We have been to DW several times but have always stayed off site or with family. We have chosen the Deluxe Dining plan because we want to make this a trip to remember. I know without the plan we could never afford all the character dinners we are going to have. My question is this though... With the DDP does everyone get an appetizer, entree and dessert? I just dont see my kids ordering artichoke dip,ha! Do you think it would be better to carry cash for tips so I could decide what they deserve? When I go to Chef Mickey's Breakfast buffet for example, is that self service or am I going to have a waiter that is actually going to be serving me plates, drinks, etc. If I am doing these things myself I dont see the need to give someone a big tip. I would really appreciate the feedback! IM a newbie!

 

[Nancyg56]

My husband and I are planning our first on site DW experience with our children 7 and 4. We have been to DW several times but have always stayed off site or with family. We have chosen the Deluxe Dining plan because we want to make this a trip to remember. I know without the plan we could never afford all the character dinners we are going to have. My question is this though... With the DDP does everyone get an appetizer, entree and dessert? I just dont see my kids ordering artichoke dip,ha! Do you think it would be better to carry cash for tips so I could decide what they deserve? When I go to Chef Mickey's Breakfast buffet for example, is that self service or am I going to have a waiter that is actually going to be serving me plates, drinks, etc. If I am doing these things myself I dont see the need to give someone a big tip. I would really appreciate the feedback! IM a newbie!

Chef Mickey's and the other character buffets have wait staff who will bring beverages, clear plates and keep your table neat. While you pick out your own food, the server will do the rest for you, including removing soiled dishes. In my experience the servers at the character meals work very hard to make that experience a memory maker for your family.

 

[dgagnon519]

My husband and I are planning our first on site DW experience with our children 7 and 4. We have been to DW several times but have always stayed off site or with family. We have chosen the Deluxe Dining plan because we want to make this a trip to remember. I know without the plan we could never afford all the character dinners we are going to have. My question is this though... With the DDP does everyone get an appetizer, entree and dessert? I just dont see my kids ordering artichoke dip,ha! Do you think it would be better to carry cash for tips so I could decide what they deserve? When I go to Chef Mickey's Breakfast buffet for example, is that self service or am I going to have a waiter that is actually going to be serving me plates, drinks, etc. If I am doing these things myself I dont see the need to give someone a big tip. I would really appreciate the feedback! IM a newbie!

I did the basic dining plan last yr with my kids when they were 3 and 6. This year we are doing the deluxe. We loved the dining plan. We are also doing alot of character meals and the shows. The kids have a seperate menu. You can check out allears.net to see them. Some restaurants have appetizers for kids like a soup, salad, or fruit plate. Some places give a combo meal and it comes with a few different things. I would carry cash for tips so you can decide.

 

[lazidazi07]

Booking for a September trip has been a nightmare. We cant get reservations for any time before 8pm anywhere. We were very upset, but one of the agents said to call back in August. Apparently so many people put down deposits but dont pay in full, and then Disney has to go and cancel their reservations....

I am having this same problem for october! i am curious to see if you can get better times. i am sooo frustrated!

 

[Jschlich]

I am having this same problem for october! i am curious to see if you can get better times. i am sooo frustrated!

Having just returned from AKL over the July 4th holiday. The problem with ADR's seems to be people being not much more than pigs about their reservations. From comments made on this site before our trip plus the experience on the property there is no other reason for the reservations problems.

Imagine my surprise to find multiple table service opportunities available on the day before and the day of wanting to reserve. This after being told a month or more out that the same places were booked solid and ADR's were not available.

It is obvious that WDW needs to do something about ADR's. I'd strongly suggest that it starts with the purchase of the basic meal at the time of reservation. Specifics about what exact dish and such can be adjusted at the time of service but the important point is getting the commitment to a meal at the site fixed in space and time. If you have "buyer's remorse", second thoughts or a kid tantrum to tame....eat the consequences.

The entire idea that I know 6 months out where and what I want to eat is a bit beyond me but, for those who want character meals and such, I can understand being able to commit to such arrangements. Just pay for them in full when the reservation is made.

I paid my DDP in advance. I could not get the selection of restaurants in advance that I could the day before or on the day of dining. There is something very wrong with that picture. Very wrong because of the folks who gobbled-up reservations and spit them out.

Sorry if this isn't all smilie face stuff but someone's got to kick-in a dose of reality at some point.

 

[Jschlich]

Yes...and I don't think I took advantage of it in 2006 but I did last year. You DO get a beverage AND a juice at breakfast with the DDP.

Well tell CM Maria who was cashier at the Rix Cafe on 7/6/08, 10:00AM [check #1-116] about the facts. I believe that iced tea is a beverage and orange juice is a juice.

The iced tea was left behind because I was not willing to pay extra since it was DDP Counter Service. Of course if tea is considered the juice derived from tea leaves......I'll admit I'm wrong.

WDW didn't make the extra $$$$$'s on me in this instance...but I'm sure they got me someplace else.

 

[hansel1]

Well tell CM Maria who was cashier at the Rix Cafe on 7/6/08, 10:00AM [check #1-116] about the facts. I believe that iced tea is a beverage and orange juice is a juice.

The iced tea was left behind because I was not willing to pay extra since it was DDP Counter Service. Of course if tea is considered the juice derived from tea leaves......I'll admit I'm wrong.

WDW didn't make the extra $$$$$'s on me in this instance...but I'm sure they got me someplace else.

I believe the Dining Plan changed this from 2007. In 2007 you could have a juice and beverage, now it's either or. Just one of the many changes from last years dining plan.

 

[englishrose47]

I believe the Dining Plan changed this from 2007. In 2007 you could have a juice and beverage, now it's either or. Just one of the many changes from last years dining plan.

I believe breakfast cs does include a juice and a beverage and seeing as it is breakfast tea of any sort should be a beverage . The changes in the ddp were No appies and no tip and single serve snax !!If you look at the cost of breakfasts compared tolunch where you do get dessert , juice and a beverage is only fair !!

 

[hematite153]

It is obvious that WDW needs to do something about ADR's. I'd strongly suggest that it starts with the purchase of the basic meal at the time of reservation. Specifics about what exact dish and such can be adjusted at the time of service but the important point is getting the commitment to a meal at the site fixed in space and time. If you have "buyer's remorse", second thoughts or a kid tantrum to tame....eat the consequences.

I'm sorry, but, I don't agree with this. I don't think there's anything wrong with adjusting the ADR system--in fact I was excited to hear that it was changing to 90 days and saddened to learn that it would be a short term 90 window. I think it would be completely reasonable to release 25% of reservations at 190 days (for 180 +10 day booking), 25% of reservations at 180 days, 25% of reservations at 90 days and hold the remaining 25% until the final month. However, I doubt that any of this would change anything. Wdw guests are some of the most informed travelers anywhere and the people who called at 88 days out would still be unable to get an ADR.

Charging for the meal at the time of booking might work for some of the fixed price meals. However, charging for an averagely priced meal at another TS would disadvantage thousands (millions?) of international visitors every year. It's one thing to say to an American that you will charge their credit card $50 now and then reimburse $14 dollars if they only eat $36 worth of food. However, for someone with a credit card in a foreign currency they are going to lose AT LEAST 1.5% on each currency exchange. It would be really irritating to spend $36 on food and $5 on excess currency exchange.

Well tell CM Maria who was cashier at the Rix Cafe on 7/6/08, 10:00AM [check #1-116] about the facts. I believe that iced tea is a beverage and orange juice is a juice.

Yes, I had problems with this at Artist Palette in Jan as well. In one instance I was willing to substitute a different drink (did you know that diet coke and powerade count as juice?) and in another I just didn't purchase the meal. I can't even remember what I'd originally chosen, but, I'm pretty sure it had "juice" somewhere on the label and the substitution of diet coke as "juice" seemed really odd.

Yet, there are many people who report successfully getting ANY two beverages.

 

[hematite153]

I believe the Dining Plan changed this from 2007. In 2007 you could have a juice and beverage, now it's either or. Just one of the many changes from last years dining plan.

The 2008 FAQ says:

Breakfast: Juice, Entrée, Non-alcoholic beverage

Therefore you should be able to get OJ and Iced Tea

 

[englishrose47]

The Time for calling for ADRs is now 90 days ?????