Hi Ann Marie,
Welcome to the Disney Parks Moms Panel! I am excited to hear that you are planning to use one of the
Disney Dining Plans!
When using a dining plan, each person in your party will receive a number of meal entitlements. That number is based on the number of nights of your stay. On the Disney Dining Plan, for example, each member of your party 3-years and older would receive two meals per night of stay (one quick-service and one table-service). When you use a meal entitlement, your server will determine the "value" of that entitlement based on the menu prices. For example, take a look at the
lunch menu for Be Our Guest Restaurant. If your group orders four entrées, your total would be determined by the cost of those specific entrées. Although your dining plan would be "charged" for those entrées, you could calculate your possible tip based on that total. We typically tip 18% - 20% of the total bill. Parties of six or more are automatically charged an 18% gratuity.
Since gratuities can add up, I like to estimate how much we will need to pay. Prior to our trip, we map out all of our plans for dining. I create a chart listing each restaurant. We all sit down and select the entrées we plan to order at each restaurant and then I estimate a total for each restaurant. Once I have the totals for each location, I can estimate the gratuity. With buffet or family style restaurants, prices are not always posted on the website menu, so I call Disney Dining at 407-939-1947 to get prices for the dates of our visit. On one six-night trip, we used the Disney Deluxe Dining Plan and our gratuities were about $300.
Ann Marie, I trust you will have fantastic dining experiences!
Magic, memories and Minnie Mouse hugs,
Donyell