Tips and help on DDP (first timers)

[Peanutt]

This is our first time staying on site (normally in a villa) at OKW with DDP - wonder if anyone can help with the following questions as trying hard to get our heads around this and want to make the most of DDP:

We know that each day per guest we get :

1 waiter service meal
1 self-service meal
1 non-alcoholic/alcoholic drink per meal
2 selected snacks
Refillable mug

Can I ask the following:

Waiter service meal - how many courses? If it is 2 and not 3 can you choose which 2?

Tipping - as a party of 6 it sais we get an automatic 18% service charge - is this depending on the food we order ie although covered by the bill if the meal was say $270 for the 6 starters, mains and drinks would we be expected to pay a $48.60 service charge?

If you wanted the enhancements on a meal would you just pay extra for these? (assuming they are not included on the DDP?)

If you want additional drinks do you pay for these on top and how does it work ie say you have a cocktail and then a soft drink there is obviously a big price difference so how do you ensure the cocktail is the one included on the DDP?

Thanks for any help :-)

[loldis]

You get 2 courses at TS restaurants - main and dessert. Some restaurants will allow you to swap the dessert for a soup or salad but normally there's no substitutions. The exceptions to this are special venues that have a set menu such as CRT which is 3 courses and probably the dinner shows. You also only get two courses at Signatures, unless again it's a special menu. And buffet/family style meals are "all you care to enjoy" so aren't limited to courses.

Yes, you'll be expected to pay the 18% service charge for any TS, including buffets.

All extras are paid for. You can choose how to do this, whether you pay using cash/card at the restaurant or charge them back to your room and pay that off separately.

I'm not sure how extra drinks are going to work now that alcohol is included on DDP, I would just check the receipts and ask them to change it (assuming your alcoholic drink is one of the included ones) if they put through the soft drink on the plan.

[redredshopper]

Just to add to previous poster if you order additional items you will also have to pay 18% on these as well. We charged everything to our band and paid it off every few days at reception. I found that character buffet meal I cut he biggest service charges and the servers barely do anything for you, when we go again we will limit these. In fact our favourite meals where at Springs - Homecomin and Paradiso 37 especially.

[JessBlu]

Tips worked out on what the total bill would have been.

My husband pops to the bar for extra alcoholic drinks and tips $1 per drink to save paying the wait staff 18%.

[slaleyhall]

Sorry to jump on your thread. 1st timer on ddp this year too. I didn't realise I needed to pay full tips for buffet food. Would this be more around 10% ish as they don't really do anything for you. Ts I totally get and qs I don't need to tip at all. Is that about right thanks

[loves2plan]

Originally Posted by slaleyhall

Sorry to jump on your thread. 1st timer on ddp this year too. I didn't realise I needed to pay full tips for buffet food. Would this be more around 10% ish as they don't really do anything for you. Ts I totally get and qs I don't need to tip at all. Is that about right thanks

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Some of our best and hardest working servers have been at buffets clearing multiple plates after trips to the buffet and refilling drinks. Thomas at Chef Mickey's on our second trip was a stand out for us - the only servers name I remember. Some of our poorest servers have been at standard TS meals, especially at yak and yeti and rainforest cafe last year. I try to do it on the service and how well we've been looked after rather than the style of meal

[Gill H]

This question comes up a lot. Threads get heated and so it will probably get closed. Not your fault, OP.

The service culture in the US is very different from the UK. Please read the excellent tipping thread here on the Dibb which should tell you all you need to know.

Disney will charge 18% automatically for a party of 6, so if you want to pay less you would have to ask for the tip to be reduced or removed. I personally would only do this if I had serious reason to complain about the service (not the food) and frankly that has never happened.

Not sure about the idea of buying drinks from the bar, but frankly, tipping a barman $1 anywhere in the US would be seen as very unusual, I would have thought.

[sha9]

There’s a thread I created at the top of the dining forum for first timers on DDP that may answer some of your questions.

[Peanutt]

Thanks Gill I do remember this is a heated subject - I have no issue with the tips system in the US (have been quite a few times just never on site) I just wanted to make sure I understand it correctly in that it is 18% on what the food total would have been had I been paying for it in cash not DDP

Originally Posted by Gill H

This question comes up a lot. Threads get heated and so it will probably get closed. Not your fault, OP.

The service culture in the US is very different from the UK. Please read the excellent tipping thread here on the Dibb which should tell you all you need to know.

Disney will charge 18% automatically for a party of 6, so if you want to pay less you would have to ask for the tip to be reduced or removed. I personally would only do this if I had serious reason to complain about the service (not the food) and frankly that has never happened.

Not sure about the idea of buying drinks from the bar, but frankly, tipping a barman $1 anywhere in the US would be seen as very unusual, I would have thought.

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[Guest]

Originally Posted by loves2plan

Some of our best and hardest working servers have been at buffets clearing multiple plates after trips to the buffet and refilling drinks. Thomas at Chef Mickey's on our second trip was a stand out for us - the only servers name I remember. Some of our poorest servers have been at standard TS meals, especially at yak and yeti and rainforest cafe last year. I try to do it on the service and how well we've been looked after rather than the style of meal

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We don’t all make multiple trips to the buffet. I make one, my DH might make two and he would consider himself greedy to do that.