Anyone Use Dining Plan Recently?

Anyone use the plan with the changes? How is no appetizer and no tip
working out? Are servers getting good tips?
Janice

On Apr 17, 12:50 pm, JBG <jani...@> wrote:
> Anyone use the plan with the changes? How is no appetizer and no tip
> working out? Are servers getting good tips?
> Janice

I too would be interested in that, I'm going in 2009, and expect
Disney to roll back (just a tidbit heard from the CM when I called and
complained about the new plan) to the original plan they had in 2007.
We can only hope, eh?

On Apr 17, 12:50�pm, JBG <jani...@> wrote:
> Anyone use the plan with the changes? �How is no appetizer and no tip
> working out? �Are servers getting good tips?
> Janice

I would too how things are going for the Servers and the tip
situation. The plan itself is selling pretty well. I only wish they
would allow an appetizer or a dessert but then again I rarely ever get
either one when I am at a local resturant back home.

And in some restaurants (Tutto Italia) the appetizer is your salad. A
pasta dinner with no salad just doesn't work. There is a very good
Ceasar salad there and I think it is $10 or $12!! I assume they will
give a bill with all the prices so you can figure the tip. Most of
the time we got a bill with only the amount of credits charged. We
only saw prices when we ordered items not on th plan.

Janice


On Apr 18, 7:33 am, Rudeney <rude...@mickeypics.com> wrote:
> aksco33 wrote:
>
> > I only wish they
> > would allow an appetizer or a dessert but then again I rarely ever get
> > either one when I am at a local resturant back home.
>
> Me, too!  I would much rather have an appetizer than a dessert.  We do
> usually order an appetizer when we eat out.  I think it's just habit
> from when we have taken our daughter and now granddaughter out to eat.
> They are always "starving" and unable to wait on the entree, so we'd
> order an appetizer to keep them "busy".
>
> --
>
> - RODNEY
>
> Next WDW Vacation?
> Who knows...

On Apr 18, 10:33 am, Rudeney <rude...@mickeypics.com> wrote:
> aksco33 wrote:
>
> > I only wish they
> > would allow an appetizer or a dessert but then again I rarely ever get
> > either one when I am at a local resturant back home.
>
> Me, too!  I would much rather have an appetizer than a dessert.  

Me, too! As long as the appetizer is made from chocolate...

On Apr 17, 11:50 am, JBG <jani...@> wrote:
> Anyone use the plan with the changes? How is no appetizer and no tip
> working out? Are servers getting good tips?
> Janice

Unfortunately, I'm one of the people that Disney likes for this sort
of thing. I was on the Dining Plan last month and everyone in the
group always ordered an appetizer and a few ordered desserts. We also
tipped as we would normally tip (generally 18% - 20%, depending on
service... I'd tip lower if the service was poor).

I'd love to have the appetizer and tip returned to the plan. If not,
I'll fold and continue to pay for appetizers (because I want them) and
tip the servers (because they deserve it).

Because we do utilize the Dining Plan to it's fullest (and choose the
more expensive restaurants), I'm still ultimately saving a little
money.

> But they aren't taking your order, offering suggestions and making
> accommodations, substitutions, etc. They do deliver your drinks but
> not your appetizers, entrees, etc. They aren't concerned about the
> timing of your meal - making sure the entrees arrive at a suitable
> interval after appetizers have been cleared. In many restaurants, your
> waiter/waitress prepares your salad, fills and delivers the basket of
> bread/rolls, butter, etc


I'm with Steve on this one. It really depends on how attentive the
server is. If I come back from the buffet and have a clean plate and
I don't have to chase anyone down for a water or drink refill and that
kind of thing I will tip generously but not 18%.

"Steve Russo" <srusso@nycap.> wrote in message
news:0dfe6e12-d640-4ca4-84cc-bbee69a2e3ea@y22g2000prd..com...
>
>I agree that they work hard... very hard in some cases. And you make
>some valid points about the "helpers" that I see more and more of in
>restaurants today. I guess I might need to take a closer look and re-
>evaluate.

There's also the issue on what "type" of buffet/all-you-can-eat restaurant
it is.
While I'm all for tipping the servers (and I like to think that I tip fairly
generously), some servers do more work than others based on their
restaurant. For example: A server at 'Ohana is doing a lot more running
around per table than a server at Boma. (And for sake of argument, we'll
assume that it's strictly non-alcoholic drinks for the party)
At 'Ohana, they're bringing skewers of meat and serving it, they're bringing
more side dishes, they're refilling drinks, they're bringing more plates,
they're bringing back more steak skewers because you just love them and want
more, etc.
At Boma, the server essentially refills drinks and clears empty plates. I
think they also walk people through the buffet line when they first arrive.
(I've only eaten there once)

Another comparison could be Tusker House vs. Liberty Tree Tavern.

I also asked my sister this very question a while back, as she's been either
a waitress or bartender at least part-time since college. She said 10-15%
buffet where the server mostly just clears dishes, and 15-20% for an "all
you can eat" server that serves you at the table.

-Rob

> I'm not trying to be cheap, but to me, 18% is not a customary tip for
> "good" service; it's a customary tip for "very good" to "excellent"
> service.  


DH is a very generous tipper but if a server is especially friendly
and chatty with him, he goes over and above. Which is fine especially
if you plan to return to the same dining spot any time soon. Buffets,
not so much. Like I said, it all depends on what services are
performed by the servers.

On Apr 24, 2:37 pm, Rudeney <rude...@mickeypics.com> wrote:

>
> > Funny, I've never noticed a tip jar next to the dance pole.
>
> Oh boy, I could make some really funny cracks about that...;-)
>
Oh boy, I could make some... never mind. Too easy.