Mom and daughter on Expedition Everest; Animal Kingdom
  • On Jul 14, 2009
    Cindy from PA Asked Note: This answer was provided prior to the change to planDisney and may still contain references to Disney Parks Moms Panel.

    Experiences, policies, pricing and other offerings are subject to change and may have changed since the date of this answer.

    i read that tips are not included and if you have a party of six an 18% tip is automatically put on your bill even if you have the dining plan. do i have to pay what they suggest? or can i give any tip? lets just say for $10.00 even if they suggest $20.

    For a party of six or more you are required to pay the 18% gratuity that is added to the bill.

    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 including, when you're dining with a party of 6 or more and 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. 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.

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Meet the Panelist: Erin, New York

I have three teenage daughters. We're DVC members obsessed with Disney travel. We've been to Walt Disney World countless times and have visited Disneyland & Disneyland Paris. We've taken several Adventures by Disney and Disney Cruise trips. Learn More About Erin

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