People tend to feel very passionate about their beliefs about tipping. Even my hubby and I have frequent arguments about acceptable tips. So to keep things impartial, I'm going to quote an article that ran in the Wall Street Journal on October 23, 2008 by Neal Templin called, "Tipping Point: What it Takes to Make Your Waiter Like You." Templin writes:
I usually tip 20% for excellent restaurant service, 15% for solid service and 10% for bad service. I thought I was being generous. Turns out that makes me, at best, an average tipper. Tips have been on the rise for some time. During the 1950s, people commonly tipped 10% of the bill, says Michael Lynn of the Cornell University School of Hotel Administration. By the 1970s and 1980s, the standard tip had risen to 15% of the tab. Nowadays, people commonly tip 15% to 20%, with the average tip about 18%.
So as it turns out, 18% is now the standard tip everywhere, not just Disney World. There are a few situations where an 18% tip is automatically added onto your bill at WDW these include:
- When you're using the Tables in Wonderland Card
- When you're dining with a party of 6 or more
- Certain meals such as Cinderella's Royal Table
If you're not in one of these special circumstances, then you are free to tip at whatever level you like. If you think your server deserves 15%, then tip 15%. I will say that I VERY rarely have had poor service dining at WDW. If for some reason you feel that your service has not been up to par, then I encourage you to speak with a manager and get the situation worked out rather than lowballing the tip.