Hi Jennie,
Welcome to the Disney Parks Moms Panel, and thank you for your question. I see that you have only a few more sleeps until you arrive at Walt Disney World Resort and I'm so excited for you. You'll be a Disney pro very soon!
I really appreciate that you're thinking about tipping and making sure you’re tipping generously. Disney Cast Members make magic for Guests every day, sprinkling pixie dust on us in so many ways, and I love seeing Guests reciprocate, whether it's by sharing a #CastCompliment on Twitter, being warm and polite in their interactions, or showing appreciation through tipping when possible.
When you're on the
Disney Dining Plan, you'll receive a receipt for your Table Service meals that looks a lot like the regular receipt, except that it will outline your Dining Plan usage and, at the bottom, show you how many meal entitlements you have remaining for your stay. You'll see the prices for each item, and you'll be able to use those numbers to calculate your tip. Your receipt may even provide suggested tip calculations, usually at 18% or 20%. My family usually tips 20% for most meals, sometimes more if we experience exceptional service. You may pay for the tip using all the usual forms of payment, including charging it to your room using your MagicBand.
I have a "tip" for you, Jennie! Since you mention
Character Dining, I'd like to encourage you to remember to bring autograph books and pens to your meal. The gift shops sell some really nice ones, and it's fun to print pictures when back at home and match them up to the signatures to create a lovely scrapbook of magical memories. Remember to have fun with the characters – ask them questions, strike a sweet or silly pose, and just soak up every special moment.
Wishing you a magical vacation,
Robyn