Tipping at Disney World: Info & FAQ
Tipping at Walt Disney World can be confusing. Is gratuity included on the Disney Dining Plan? Do you tip your Magical Express driver? Is it okay to give money to Cast Members who make a magical moment? In this post, we’ll answer questions about when tipping is expected, appropriate, and how much to budget for tips at Walt Disney World.
I hesitated a while before tackling this topic on the blog. Gratuities have come up in the comments with some frequency, often by international visitors who are unaccustomed to tipping culture in the United States. Nevertheless, it wasn’t a topic I’ve been particularly eager to cover, primarily because I have strong personal opinions on tipping.
Ultimately, I view this as an unnecessarily convoluted topic, with an emphasis on unnecessarily. As such, rather than my normally verbose text, I’m going to cut to the chase here with categories and bullet points and suggested best practices…
Before that, there are a couple of important pieces of background information that will provide useful context in understanding gratuities at Walt Disney World. First, Florida law allows certain positions to be categorized as tipped employees, which entitles the employer to a tip credit of ~$3 per hour. Stated differently, tipped employees can be paid $3 per hour less than normal minimum wage.
Second, Cast Members in positions that are not categorized by Walt Disney World as tipped are required to refuse a tip three times before accepting. Even if you do decide to press ahead in this uncomfortable exchange, be aware that any tips given after refusal are required to be turned in to managers, and are not received by the Cast Member. It’s very well possible some just pocket the money (we hope so!), but you should not bank on that.
Instead, if you receive exemplary service from a Cast Member in a position that is not tipped, your best option is to go to Guest Relations and ask for the Great Service Fanatic Card. This isn’t just a way to say thanks, but is an important in receiving official (internal) recognition and can even be a factor in promotions.
If you forget to do this during your trip, you can either email ([email protected]) or tweet @WDWToday using the #CastCompliment hashtag. Making a point of doing this for under-appreciated roles like custodial, parking, etc., is a great practice. Praise is often heaped upon thoughtful princesses or superlative servers, but not so much for roles that traditionally have less guest interaction.
As you can probably surmise from the above, it’s awkward and unproductive to attempt tipping Cast Members who are not in tipped positions. Unless they are in some grey area or questions are anticipated, we won’t cover every position Cast Members can fill below. If they are not listed, assume tipping is not necessary or appropriate.
Transportation
- Disney’s Magical Express Driver – Yes, regardless of whether they handle your luggage. Base tip of $3-5 per party, plus $1-2 per bag. (Note that Disney’s Magical Express drivers are not Cast Members. They’re Mears–same as the taxis around property.)
- Lyft/Uber/Taxi – Yes. In their idealistic nascent stages, ride-sharing apps sought to eliminate tipping. As more has come to light about their drivers being under-compensated, the solution has been making them dependent upon tips, rather than paying them more and increasing base fares. We recommend tipping between 15% of the fare (longer rides) and 20% of the fare (shorter ride). Our rationale for this range is the proportionate sunk-time of the shorter ride (particularly true for ride sharing).
- Minnie Vans – Yes. These are now categorized as tipped positions by Disney, and these Cast Members can accept cash or in-app tips without following the “refuse three times” rule. Same tipping practices apply as for Lyft/Uber/Taxi.
- Valet – Yes. $2-5 to anyone who touches your car keys.
- Any Other Free Disney Transportation – No. Whether it be monorail, boat, or bus drivers, the answer here is no. Unlike Disney’s Magical Express drivers, these are all Disney Cast Members, and tipping is no more appropriate here than it would be to the Cast Member who operates Tomorrowland Speedway.
Hotels
- Bell Services – Yes, $1-2 per bag. As a general rule, you should tip anyone who touches your luggage in your view. This is also probably a good reminder that you should bring cash if you normally wouldn’t carry it, since most luggage-centric tipping situations will be cash-only.
- Concierge – No. While they may cheerfully provide great service and assistance in helping plan your day or make reservations for you, these are not tipped positions. (This is most definitely not the custom at off-site hotels, where you should tip the concierge.)
- Mousekeeping – It depends. This is probably the most controversial one on this list. While Mousekeeping is not classified as a tipped position, their workload and the personal service-oriented nature of their position leads many guests to leave them tips. At a minimum, we would recommend tipping if you leave a mess. In this case, $5 per day per room seems like a fair amount. (Even more if your kid pees the bed or other “labor intensive” accidents necessitate a deep clean.) If they are just changing the trash, making beds, and bringing fresh towels, consider tipping more of a polite gesture. Put a ‘thank you’ post it note over the money, or place it into an envelope addressed to Mousekeeping. Don’t want to hassle with a tip here? Leave the “Room Occupied” sign up.
- Personal Services – Yes. This covers things like spa services, golf caddies, rental boat operators, carriage guides, fishing guides, etc. This is also the one area that also extends into the theme parks, with locations like Harmony Barber Shop, Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique, and the Pirates League, all of which call for around the same tip as you’d leave in a table service restaurant. (You do not tip in-park tour guides.)
Dining
- Table Service Servers – Obviously. It does not matter whether you’re on the Disney Dining Plan or paying out of pocket, you need to add a tip. (Gratuity used to be included on the Disney Dining Plan, but were eliminated a decade ago.) Custom in U.S. cities is 18-20%. This might surprise those of you from smaller towns who are used to 15%, which may very well be the norm there, but in Orlando, it’s 18-20%. Be mindful that in some cases, an 18% gratuity is automatically added to your bill–review that to ensure you don’t double-tip.
- Buffet Servers – Yes. There is prevailing sentiment that you can tip buffet servers less than traditional table service servers, which is likely predicated upon you doing part of the “work” by getting your own food. Just keep in mind these servers generally bring you drinks and clear more plates than a normal server would. Our rule here is no different than table service.
- Bars & Lounges – Yes. Either $2-3 per drink in cash to the bartender or, more likely, the standard 18-20% on a tab.
- Fast Casual Servers – I think so? Few things are more uncomfortable for me than venturing into a new fast-casual (read: fancy counter service) restaurant, ordering and paying, and then having an iPad flipped over to me to enter a tip. It’s always unclear whether this is a default feature of their software, or if they do provide some sort of ‘extra service’ that might cause their employees to be categorized as tipped. Usually, I’ll err on the side of caution and tip 10-12%, but this varies by location and is not a hard and fast rule.
- Counter Service Servers – No. There’s not even an option to leave gratuity at the register or on receipts.
- Outdoor Vending Carts – No. Even though this, in some cases, is basically just a mobile bartender, you don’t tip here.
All told, there are a lot of situations that necessitate tipping at Walt Disney World. How often and how much you need to tip depends on several variables, including how many people handle your luggage, how often you use paid transportation, personal services, etc. When it comes to how much you should budget for tips, it’s really impossible for us to say. It could be as little as $40 if you don’t do any table service meals, or in the hundreds of dollars if you do a lot of sit-down dining.
What we will say is that we’d recommend bringing at least $8-12 in cash for every night of your trip (so around $60-80 for a weeklong trip, give or take) in a variety of denominations. We say this as people who rarely carry cash at home, and have been in the awkward position of scrambling to try to find money for tips while at Walt Disney World. It’s better to err on the side of caution and have too much cash than not enough.
Finally, regardless of your personal feelings on tipping, don’t take that out on service industry workers in tipped positions. It is a myth that gratuity is a reward or incentive for exceptional service. Under Florida law, employees in tipped positions have a lower minimum wage, meaning that their tips are literally an assumption built into their salary. It’s simply a burden that has been shifted from their employer directly to the consumer for some reason.
You may disagree with this approach, particularly if you’re an international visitor used to employees being paid a living wage and not dealing with these shenanigans (or if you’ve read up on systemic discrimination reinforced by tipping culture). That’s fine, but you cannot “opt out” of tipping just because you disagree with it as a matter of policy. You are not going to effect social change by stiffing a server who has zero hand in writing Florida laws or in dictating societal norms and mores in the United States.
Unfortunately, since these are mostly unwritten rules and norms, there is a lot of room for interpretation; tipping practices do evolve, and also vary by region and even city within the United States. This is in part due to differences in employment law, standards of living, and local custom. All of this makes tipping a particularly tricky topic to tackle, and in no way should our advice here be viewed as definitive. The above is our understanding of tipping at Walt Disney World and our personal practices, but your mileage may vary.
Planning a Walt Disney World trip? Learn about hotels on our Walt Disney World Hotels Reviews page. For where to eat, read our Walt Disney World Restaurant Reviews. To save money on tickets or determine which type to buy, read our Tips for Saving Money on Walt Disney World Tickets post. Our What to Pack for Disney Trips post takes a unique look at clever items to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney World Ride Guides will help. For comprehensive advice, the best place to start is our Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide for everything you need to know!
Your Thoughts
Do you agree or disagree with any of our suggestions on tipping? Any supplemental information to add, or things we missed? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing feedback about your experiences is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
No matter what you think about tipping, until the US requires employers to pay the full minimum wage to all employees, you really have to do it here. If the US got rid of tipping culture, you wouldn’t save any money, it’s just the employer would pass the added costs onto you and you would have no choice in the matter. You shouldn’t be able to contribute to paying someone less than minimum wage, just because you can (and while employers are required to make up the difference, and they probably do at a big company like Disney, that is not often the case).
Furthermore, Tom is correct that the standard tip should be around 18-20% going higher for very good service. On the other hand, you shouldn’t tip less unless the service is dramatically terrible, like to the point where even a non-confrontational person would speak to the manager and you should be getting parts of your meal comped. Also remember that good service is not always within the server’s control. If things are taking forever or you feel like your server isn’t paying enough attention to you, take a look around the restaurant. If it looks extremely crowded and you don’t see many servers on the floor, its probably understaffed, which likely extends to the kitchen as well. Don’t stiff your server because their colleagues didn’t show up or their employers (who are already saving money paying them less than minimum wage) didn’t hire enough people.
Finally, just because a restaurant is more expensive, doesn’t mean that you get to tip less proportionally. Typically, at more expensive restaurants the service is also more labor-intensive, in that they are spending more time on each table and each table has less turnover (aka how many times per night the table can be used) than at cheaper restaurants. Your tip should reflect the extra work (and often skill and experience) that goes into working at a nicer restaurant. To be fair, that’s not always true at Disney where some of the more expensive restaurants are still pretty casual (think ‘Ohana), but nicer typically means better and more attentive service. Some may argue on something like buying an expensive bottle of wine, why should you tip the same as a cheaper bottle, but I would say if you can’t tip the same on a more expensive bottle of wine as you would on the cheaper one, than you couldn’t afford the more expensive bottle in the first place. It’s a good rule of thumb to add 20% to an expected bill at all the table service restaurants you plan on eating at when budgeting in advance. If that exceeds what you want to budget for food, then you might want to rethink your dining choices for your trip.
This is a great refresher for me, Tom. Thank you.
I do, however, tip on VIP tours. I haven’t heard that people don’t! We left $200 for the day with 10 people in our group. $20 a piece.
Thanks for the guide, Tom. I wasn’t sure who were non-tipped employees. I tip the people you mention in the article, some more than your advice. It depends on the level of service in most cases. I am a professional and adjunct an engineering faculty for member for over 20 years, yet, I have never done the math or work out how much some service worker makes over the year. It doesn’t matter to me if they make more than I do. I’ve been fortunate in my lifetime; but, in the beginning I was a bellman, who also cleaned hotel rooms (Sometimes disgusting after a few hours rental), waited tables, chairlift operator (never been tipped), delivered room service, and several other low paying labor intensive jobs. So when I tip, I remember. Should a waiter/waitress (Not up on titles to use these days) at expensive dinner make more than an inexpensive dinner. Who cares. I tip 15 to 20% depending on service. Sometimes 25% for going the extra mile, tips on Disney rides, etc. Mousekeeping, I tip more than you’ve indicated per day of actual service, and depending are they changing towels or doing more, like cleaning. I compliment every custodial worker I meet at Disney. Disney is the cleanest place I’ve visited in the states, other than Fairmont resorts. Talking to these people, I’ve learned which line to use, what times of day, where are the hidden mickeys, better fast food, etc. I know there are apps for this; but talk with the cast members, you’ll learn a lot more and maybe they were having a bad day until you took time to talk with them. I even tipped custodial people on occasion. Smile at everyone, it will make you feel good; even if they are Grumpy, it will make them feel good. Remember the Golden Rule.
Bringing me my food in a restaurant is not worthy of a tip. It was a simple unskilled job.
I know this article is a little on the older side, but hopefully someone see this and give some input!
What category does Baseline Tap House fall into?
Do they count as a fancy casual service or bar/restaurant? If so, then yes tip?
Or, do they count as regular counter service, so not to tip?
Well written Tom!
Ahh – the great tipping debate 🙂
I do like these guides however, which I looked into before my last trip, because I never know how much I am supposed to tip for luggage!
I used to be on the side of not tipping as much at buffets – but this past trip changed my mind. I think because I had done some reading about it so I paid attention. There is no doubt in my mind that the servers at the buffets worked as hard or harder than waitstaff we had at table service restaurants so now I tip 20% there also.
I know that there are people that don’t agree & there that people from other countries don’t understand – but to your point. Stiffing someone in a tipped position at Disney is doing nothing but hurting that person.
There was some comment on here that federal law makes employers make up the difference to minimum wage, but that also assumes that a server job should only be a minimum wage job.
I know this is an old thread and this post was written before Disney just did a major price hike on food and especially character meals.
My 180 day window is approaching and I am pricing out meals. We always leave at least an 18% to 20% when we go out to eat at a sit down restaurant locally. For my family of 4 (2 adults & 2 Disney adults) it will cost $221.52 for a buffet dinner at crystal palace (@$55.38 each) before tip. At this price, Disney should be including the tip like they do at hoop Dee Doo and the Royal table. I’m sorry but there is no way I am leaving a $45 tip when I am getting my own food. I couldn’t stiff the waiter/waitress completely but I think $20 if more than enough at a buffet. It is not my fault Disney keeps raising the cost to eat in the parks without compensating the staff.
Poor service because of where you are from is mentioned in a couple of posts. Not what I want to see in an industry that relies on tourists.
Thank you for covering this Tom. As a visitor from the UK it’s good to have solid advice. There’s always a lot of debate and argument on the forums here about it to the point where threads become closed. I always tip but so many Brits don’t that it I know it sometimes affects the experience we all have. I’ve had poor service because the server doesn’t expect a decent tip from a Brit and had many embarrassing explanations about how tipping works in the US!
There are two of us and we leave $4-$5/day for Mousekeeping. We thought we were tipping too much until one day, a maid came running out of our room (which we had just left) to thank us for our generosity. She was crying and asked if it was okay to give us a hug. It was then that we knew we were doing the right thing. Of course, on some trips, we have had bad Mousekeeping, and adjust our tip accordingly. However, we never tip lower than $3/day.
Last year, we opted out of maid service and were given a Disney gift card, which we applied to the room bill. We had two rooms, so between the credit and not having to tip, we saved more than $300. But that was before they instituted the daily room check. I don’t know if opting out is still available.
Didn’t know we should tip Magical Express. Didn’t know the buffet rule either. But we always tip 20% or more for table service. Thanks for the list Tom.
Here’s the thing I don’t get about tipping. On average, my bill for a family of four at a table service restaurant is $200. My tip is 20%, so $40. Add that to the server’s hourly wage and assuming ours is not the only table they have in that hour, the server could be making $80+ per hour in tips plus wages. That is far beyond what I make as a professional with a university degree and a professional designation. Does that seem right? Not trying to be petty, but I’m a math person. Just trying to figure out the logic in this. And I do leave that kind of tip, which costs me upwards of $400 per Disney vacay (not including currency exchange rates) as I feel the social pressure to do so.
Well, you have to remember that servers have to share their tips with others. They give some to the bartender and some to the bus boys. At the nicer table service restaurants, you’re there about 2 hours. So, $40 is really $20 an hour. Expect the server is sharing that with at least two others, so maybe it’s about $10/hr from you.
Now also remember that servers work even when it’s slow, and then they aren’t making much at all. They also work before restaurants open and after they close. During that time, they’re making next to nothing. So even though they might make bank during a few hours of the day, they’re making very little the remaining hours of the day.
Laurie, I agree 100%. What makes the server at an expensive restaurant worth that much more than a server at a lower tier restaurant. Your server is not worth that money. They may say they have to tip out other employees. Why? The whole system needs to be scraped.
What actually happens if you only tip say 10%? Tipping comes at the end of the meal and you then leave. Do they approach you about this?
Andrew, the only thing that happens if you tip 10% or nothing at all is the server suffers. Not Disney, not the guest. If a guest received good service, it would be cruel to not leave at least the normal percentage (18% – 20%). It’s true, the system stinks, but like the rest of us, servers have monthly bills to pay.
If service was not up to par, speak with the manager. Most likely they will comp your dinner. They may even throw in a couple of Fast Passes. I find most servers go out of their way to make the meal enjoyable. They calm down overtired, cranky children (and sometimes entire cranky families). They even make magical moments happen.
All that being said, with parties of six or more, an automatic 18% tip is added to the bill. If a guest doesn’t tip at all, there’s not much the server can do. It’s a bad system, but it’s the only system.
Servers spend many hours cleaning without tables. I work in a different resort in mass and sometimes would have two or more hours of cleaning
dont like it- get another job
George, don’t like tipping-eat at home. In America, tipping is the norm. It’s not the server’s fault the system works that way. Why punish them.
George, the point of what was said about hours cleaning tables, etc, is explaining that the tips get spread out over several hours, many of which are spent cleaning so that you and others have a clean seat, table, floor, lighting, etc. They also make tea, switch out sodas, prep in the kitchen… list goes on and on. Nobody is complaining about these things, it’s just part of the job. Customers do need to understand that much more goes into being a server than just taking orders and delivering food to ungrateful people… seemingly like you… with a who cares attitude of “don’t like it, hit the road”.
Many servers are people who truly do enjoy the work. Bottom line is you can be a bright spot in someone’s day and leave a decent tip or you can be the skid mark on the toilet of life by not leaving a tip and expect them to just get another job if they don’t like it. (Insert God-grant-me-patience eyeroll emoji here)
By federal law, if you spend more than 20% of your weekly hours worked doing side jobs other than serving, your employer must pay you the full minimum wage during that time. If less than 20% of the hours worked is in side jobs, you can be paid the server minimum wage, but still if the overall amount made in base pay and tips do not equal full minimum wage, the employer must pay you the difference. Servers are guaranteed to make full minimum wage. They almost always do make more, but it obviously can fluctuate, which is why they can only count on making min wage. Anything extra is a bonus. If someone becomes a server expecting to make x amount of money far beyond minimum wage, then they should get another job, because anything beyond minimum wage is not guaranteed and tipping, while customary, is not mandatory.
Here’s the thing you really don’t get about tipping. Your server isn’t keeping your $40. Your server is likely keeping 1/3 to 1/2 of that. Servers share their tips (usually based on an employer-imposed formula) with dishwashers, bussers, host/hostesses, cooks, bartenders, etc. They are also having tax withheld from their paycheck by their employer for an amount that presumes tips of 10-20% of their sales, in addition to their hourly wage. As a “professional with a university degree” I would hope that makes sense. The “logic” is that these servers are people who are trying to survive on very low hourly wages, likely with no sick time, vacation, retirement plan or health benefits, in a country that hasn’t caught up with the rest of the developed world. The comments on this post are shameful.
Pardon me for expressing my viewpoint, JD. I’m sure you’re judgement on it’s “shameful” quality must be founded on a level of analysis and insight far superior to my own. If the sharing of tips works as you describe, then the server could make approximately $45/hour, as a conservative estimate based on serving only two tables per hour. Still a very good wage in my “shameful” opinion. I have known servers throughout the years, some who have said education is a waste of time and money because they already earn a very good income without that personal investment. My comment however was never meant to dissuade someone from tipping, on the contrary. I believe I am a very good tipper myself and would not feel right being anything but. However I do not view the servers I meet as poverty-stricken and barely able to make ends meet. I do believe that is a fallacy perpetuated to encourage higher tips. I’m sure you will find this comment even more shameful than my last!
Very good Laurie, this is exactly the same mentality as myself. We are staying 14 nights on the Disney Dining Deluxe Plan so all our meals will be table serviced, with a family of 2 adults and 2 Disney adults with 3 table meals. Each meal is costing roughly $180 (20% – $36 per meal) x 3 meals = $54 per day on tips multiplied by our 14 day trip averages out at $750 in tips alone!! As yourself, I have been to university and I am also a professional working senior management for JD Weatherspoon between Ireland and head office in Watford, UK and I know the staff in both countries (especially Ireland where the country is already expensive) do not make as much as they should and its nowhere near the 18%,not even close to 15%. Even myself, including my bonus, doesn’t equate to what these tipped servers get (especially bar staff in Disney at $2 per tip per drink! (I won’t go into the maths properly but it works out at over $50k per year in tips!)). I think $20 – $25 per meal is what I’ll pay and if the servers doesn’t like it, then it’s customarily and not a obligatory and they don’t have to
Douglas James, so what you’re saying is those that work hard to see that you have a great meal and experience are to be punished because you don’t want to tip according to normal US guidelines. People usually tip 20% for decent service here. You get the benefit of all Disney has to offer but it sounds like you begrudge these wonderful cast members because they’re tipped at a percentage you don’t like. Yet you are willing to pay Disney’s exhorbitant hotel, admission and souvenir prices for your comfort and enjoyment. You may say that the servers could work non-tipping jobs, but most like what they do and are good at it. They also have mortgages to pay along with other bills. What a shame that you make them suffer for something that is out of their control, while they continue to treat you like royalty. Pretty selfish.
I agree. And often the time actually spent in ‘minutes’ looking after each table is not high. Also 2$ to 3$ per drink at a bar is excessive in my view. If in a popular bar and they serve even just 40 people who have 3 drinks each that is between $240 $360 on tips, if only 20, it is still a lot! People can save all year to go to Disney who earn less than that within their main salary never mine as tips alone. In the UK many people only earn between $85 to £130 a day for 8 hrs work etc so . .
You are correct that tipped positions can have a lower minimum wage in Florida and some other states. FEDERAL LAW however mandates that if the employee’s base pay (lower min wage) + tips do not equal the regular (non-tipped employee) minimum wage, then the employer is REQUIRED to make up the difference. Giving tips simply makes it less likely that the employer will need to make up that difference, and allows the employee to potentially make far more than minimum wage because of their tips. That’s not to say that people shouldn’t tip or that employees don’t earn the tips they make, but tipping is not a “burden” that has fallen on consumers to compensate for a lower minimum wage paid by employers. The lower tipped minimum wage was initiated in 1966 BECAUSE customers CHOSE to tip employees in certain positions so regularly that it was decided a certain portion of tips could be counted towards their wage. This lower minimum wage was not created to, and still does not, obligate customers to tip in order for employees to make regular min wage. To reiterate, if an employee does not make enough tips to reach REGULAR min wage with their base pay, the employer will pay the difference. Whether you tip or not, the employee is GUARANTEED to make at least regular minimum wage, which is $8.25/ hr in Florida and higher than the federal minimum. Tipping is customary, but it is by no means a requirement. Even the automatic gratuity for larger parties at restaurants can be removed upon request as long as it’s listed as a “gratuity” and not a “service charge.” A gratuity is NOT mandatory and absolutely CAN be opted out of, if someone so desires. It’s disingenuous to indicate that tipped employees make less money than a non-tipped minimum wage worker. Because of the ability to receive tips, tipped workers frequently average a few dollars an hour (or more) higher than regular minimum wage.
That may be true about tips and salaries equaling minimum wage, but those people in service fields get taxed on what their tip should be as figured by the IRS. So even if they don’t receive a tip, they are still having to pay tax on it.
Not completely true. They are taxed on their base pay plus the amount of tips that they claim to have made. The IRS knows that many people underclaim the amount of tips they receive, so they’ve required that employers check that their employees report 8% of sales as tips. If an employee doesn’t make 8% in tips, then that could leave them paying taxes on money they didn’t make. HOWEVER, employees should be keeping a daily record of their tips which would then be provided as proof to the IRS that they didn’t make the 8% in tips, and they would then only be taxed on what they actually earned.
I agree with Douhlas James. The lady, Barbara who says it is selfish to deny a waiter a 20% tip of $200 meal ($40) is in my opinion seeming greedy. That would be 1 table multiply even only by 3 = $120. When the guests may have saved all year for their once in a lifetime stay earning less that for an 8 hr shift. Waiters still earn money all be it some minus $3 per.hr because of tip capability so $5.54 instead of $8.54 as a minimum wage. So 1 table with a $40 tip would make their wages up to a normal days paid work. Any extra is bonus. In Disney parks packed high value places/fast turn around eg in EPCOT this eye watering!
Great article, very helpful, and thank you for the link to the Post article and its excellent analysis of tipping.
On our last trip we ate at Tusker House and from the moment we were seated all our server did was talk about how much we were expected to tip. He provided terrible service in general and was so focused on making sure we tipped him it ruined the entire experience. Every time he came to our table he would mention the tip, and then when he brought the check he circled the recommended gratuity and wrote some note about how it is not considered optional. All I remember about the meal is how much I really did not like him and will probably never go back there, I honestly don’t even remember the food. Yes I did leave a reasonable tip but I really didn’t want to.
I would have had to speak to the manager and see if this was normal behavior, which I think would not be and maybe not tip at all because of it.
You should have complained to the manager. That is unprofessional.
Should have left that guy $0!!! Unprofessional not to mention just simply rude!
Wow – I have never heard of something like this! I am not sure how I would have handled it – but probably would have talked to a manager.
I ate at Tusker House in Jan, had a great server, made sure we had what we needed, explained where everything was on the buffet even told us to wait a few minutes until the syrup had warmed up a little more since we had an 8:05 reservation! Tipping was never mentioned at all and I don’t recall there being anything on the check about it either, certainly nothing that the server circled or pointed out.
So I’m paying over$600 a night to stay at the Polynesian for 21 nights and house keeping is not even “included”?! Do I really have to pay an additional $5+ a day given that we are are a family of 6? …..Absurd!
Thanks. Very imformative. Coming from Australia where topping is not done at all. Even in cabs and to the pizza delivery guy it is a hard concept to get your head around. I was told by a Vegas bartender once that as Aussies we would normally get poor service as we don’t tip. I’ve always tipped, but how much and to who I always get wrong. It’s something that makes me feel awkward and uneasy. I. Don’t want to give my hard earned to someone I’m not supposed to. I want to have an awkward moment where peoe are standing waiting for a til and I don’t realise I’m suppose to tip. I know I have over ripped some people and under ripped others. In tipping karma, I think it’s all worked out in the wash
Poor service because of where you are from is mentioned in a couple of posts. Not what I want to see in an industry that relies on tourists.
I would say if you can afford to stay in a hotel for 21 nights at 600 per night, then yes pay the house keeping 5-10 bucks per night. If you can’t afford the extra 5 bucks, then consider a moderate resort. Also you can sometimes opt out of house keeping a s receive a $10 voucher for every night you are there.
I am also a fellow Aussie and I have to say the tipping culture in the US did my head in.
Hands out everywhere I went. Money money money. Taxi drivers where by far the worst offenders. First, they insist on taking the scenic route and then point out that a 20% tip is customary… Bugger off.
The US is a great country and many of the people I met were fantastic. But the US custom of tipping has turned into an expectation and the service industry is worse for it. Great service requires a decent tip but some of what I encountered (and quite a lot of it) was nothing less than a hussle or shakedown.
I have never bothered going back and unless an employer requires me to I doubt I ever will.
Thanks for this helpful reminder and thoughtful approach to a sensitive topic. As someone who spent many years waiting tables to get through college, I appreciate the information and reminder that people who are servers typically are underpaid. They depend on the generosity of their patrons To help supplement their income.
We always tip the maid, you’d be surprised how much of a difference it can be on a longer stay. One nite? Ok, maybe leave a buck or nothing if you didnt make a mess.
But on the first nite of a 6 nite stay, we leave $5.
As to our foreign visitors, remember “When in Rome….” What is interesting is that your Aussies, generally well liked by Americans, are roundly disliked by tipped employees, as many Down-unders refuse to tip.
I don’t think it is that we refuse to tip.. We just don’t get it. I know that I have over tipped on occasion and under tipped on other occasions just because I don’t know what I am doing. On tours in the states I awkwardly stand and try and see what any American on the tour does, at bars I try to look over the shoulder of other guests to see how much they tip, in vegas I paid full price for comped drinks. The whole thing is really uncomfortable for us. It’s weird the norm is a set percentage. 20 percent at say Vic and Alberts is going to be a hell of a lot more than at California Grill. And what if we really think the service was poor or mediocre.
You should never feel obligated to tip. If service does not warrant a tip then a tip is not deserved. I have worked in the “tipping industry” and for that reason we love tipping for great service and will often tip over 20% if it was warranted. In fact Frankie at Yachtsman Steakhouse from 10 years ago has been our benchmark for excellent service. No one has ever come close to his service. We all work hard for our money and as such servers should also be expected to do the same especially when the potential for a great tip exists 🙂
As someone who has worked in the service industry, I applaud your article. Working hard for less than minimum wage and having exceptional attitude, sometimes in difficult situations, is not always easy. It makes the work more rewarding when you are recognized for your efforts. I think that anyone of the Disney employees should be allowed to except gratuity if the customer thought the job was deserving. I am a generous tipper due to time in the service industry, and I think others would be to if you spent time in those roles depending on tips to make ends meet.
Coming from the U.K. it is appalling that you don’t have paid annual leave in the USA (I think?) or a minimum wage not to mention no proper national health service. Our weather may be rubbish but we have a few things to be thankful for. I will be tipping as per your guide but it is very sad that in a country like the USA your hard working people are effectively forced to rely on the kindness of strangers to supplement their incomes.
This American agrees with you completely.
I say this all the time! I’m paying for the food/ride/etc, arent I? Why do I also have to pay your employees? It’s always frustrated me.
We treated our teenage son to Lunch with an Imagineer at Hollywood Studios for his birthday on our last trip. He understands tipping at restaurants but we forgot to mention the automatic 18% tip added to that bill and he tipped another 20%! That was certainly an expensive birthday lunch but a life skills lesson learned lol!