Pushback- cut right down on ADRs this year, Bang for buck philosophy.

[DonnaD]

YorkshireT , I would say anything between 15-20 is fine. A "bad tip" would be below that. 20% is easier to work out than 18% but most would round it up or down anyway.

If most Americans didn't tip around 18% surely places wouldn't get away with adding that for parties 6 or more.

[caj]

So much useful info here. Thank you all for your inputs. I'll be back to study again later!

[scoobydooby]

Originally Posted by YorkshireT

Well, I did my first lot of ADRs today (we are having a split stay, 5 nights in a 2 bed at Boardwalk, 4 nights in a beach cottage St Augustine, finished off with 5 nights in a 1 bed at Kidani).

I was looking at the prices of the restaurants and my wife wishes to be more spontaneous this year. Kids are not overly bothered about restaurants (spoilt). Pricing up restaurants, I just thought this is ridiculous. £150 for many meals, at places that get mediocre reviews.

They even put the beers up in many to $9 a pop plus tax plus tip. Food quality is suffering. Narcoosees was worth half what we paid for it last time (£100 a head- ridiculous).

If you are on free dining, fine, but making a case for paying cash for this quality- I struggle. I was considering the new Italian at Disney Springs- but nearly $30 for a pasta dish, and its getting mediocre reviews, no thanks.

I wondered if any other regular attenders were thinking the same way?

So as we are DVC I went bare minimum and 'bang for buck' only. This isn't due to financial necessity, but choice. I am slightly nervous I have made the right choice.

I've worked out I will probably save up to £1000 on what we usually spend, it will be interesting to see if we lose any enjoyment, I don't think we will, but we will see (pretty sure kids won't).

I reckon I can get all my meals, drinks etc for 10 days for around $1500. The room is costing me dues only (about £160 a night, in dues cost- the 1 beds and 2 beds cost a lot more than studios) so for the room and all meals I am looking at around £2700 for 10 nights.

Plan is:
Day 1- arrive and maybe get a quick serve. Garden Grocer delivery will come with lots of food and beer.
Day 2- HWS- QS Lunch (struggling there, nowhere decent hopefully Woodys Lunch Box will come through), We will get something from Garden Grocer to eat back in the room for evening meal (full kitchen), pasta or something, and then head to HWS for fireworks.
Day 3- Epcot- QS lunch, back for a rest afternoon, head back in the evening, maybe to eat some Fish and Chips or Mexican QS.
Day 4- Typhoon Lagoon, they have a semi decent quick serve for lunch. Beaches and Cream ADR for dinner, at least they do a semi decent burger, turkey sandwich, Reuben etc for under $20. Over to Epcot and HWS.
Day 5- Morning around pool, sandwich in room for lunch, over to Via Napoli for a big family pizza, about $50 with a salad, as well as rides and fireworks.
Day 6 (when coming back from St Augustine)- spend day around Kidani, sandwich in room (will call in supermarket on way back from St Augustine to stock up on essentials such as beer), evening riding FP (Hopefully) for FOP at AK, Sautui canteen QS meal.
Day 7- Pool morning Kidani, sandwich in room, off to MK for afternoon and fireworks. I had scoped out the Plaza restaurant as fitting my new bang for the buck philosophy very nicely (QS prices at TS), but it's only taking reservations at 4pm- anyone know why? If I cannot get that, QS at Columbia or Peco Bills (I nearly booked Skipper Canteen, but middling reviews for the price paid triggered me to remember my philosophy).
Day 8- Morning either mopping up at Parks or to Disney Springs. May buy a QS lunch. Into Animal Kingdom for night rides and ROL. Yak and Yeti with Landrys card I have $50 on (yes it will be my birthday in August, allegedly). No ADR made.
Day 9- QS in park, then visit to Bahama Breeze in 192 as will still have car.
Day 10- EMH at Magic Kingdom. Peco Bill or Harbour House. Dinner at Saana, one of the restaurants I do find worth the money.

So do you think me 'slumming it' and not eating in Signatures and other expensive table service every day as I have done before, will make me sad on holiday? Am I being too Victor Meldrew? My wife persuaded me this was the way to go, as she says she gets sick of having to make ADR times.

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Full disclosure I have only read this OP not all the pages of reply’s. But no I don’t think you’ll regret it. We’ve had the dining plan 7 times now and I don’t hate it, indeed for four of us it makes sense when it’s free. However. My favourite Disney food holidays have been when I’ve got for a room discount when it’s just me and DD. We do book a TS daily but generally share an entree and desert or just have starters or have here courses but share. In between we share CS or snack type things and buy fruit or eat cereal or even skip a meal! I enjoy this much more personally. I shall be interested to hear how you get on. Good luck!

[LadyDebs86]

Originally Posted by dor1

With the prices you pay at disney for what is sometimes avearage fayre,surely it should be left to the individual to tip on how the whole experience is?

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The quality of the food has nothing to do with the server. I base my tips only on factors that are within the server's control. Quality of food, food taking too long etc, I don't consider these things to be their fault and therefore I don't penalise them for it.

If my food is very poor or takes ages to come I would inform a manager and hope that if it was bad enough, they would maybe take a drink/meal off the bill etc. I would still tip the server a decent amount if the level of service had been good.