Ahoy, Tiffany!
It's wonderful "sea"-ing another excellent question from you! You're going to experience phenomenal customer service while sailing the high seas with Captain Mickey. In my opinion, the above and beyond customer service by the Cast Members and Crew is one of the top reasons my family loves sailing aboard Disney Cruise Line!
This is a great question! Please allow me to preface my answer by saying the amount of gratuities you pay are always at your discretion.
Disney Cruise Line's recommended gratuity amounts are figured by multiplying the suggested dollar amount by the number of days you're sailing for each Guest in your party. They don't take into account the ages or daily activities of each Guest. The Cast Members who typically receive gratuities are your Server, Assistant Server, Head Server and Stateroom Host/Hostess.
Thinking ahead about the amount of gratuities you're going to give for the excellent customer service you'll receive all voyage long is a great idea! Prepaying the tips by calling the agents at Disney Cruise Line at least three days prior to setting sail is definitely a wonderful option; however, I typically like to wait until we're onboard to figure out each person's gratuity because they always exceed my expectations, resulting in me needing to increase the recommended gratuity amounts.
I know each family's Disney Cruise is different, but when we travel with buccaneers who are loving their time in the Youth Clubs every day, we typically hear all about their adventures during dinners served by our dining team in the Main Dining Restaurants, and always tuck them into their freshly turned-down beds in our stateroom!
Tiffany, I hope I was able to help you with your plans for your upcoming cruise! If you have any other questions, please visit us again!
Beth