Automatic gratuity

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DisneyMomx7

DIS Veteran
Joined
Mar 26, 2004
I know that parties of 6 have an automatic gratuity added. Now we are a party of 5 adults traveling with our 17 month old grandson. Since he will not be charged for buffets and most times will eat off our plate at sit down restaurants; will we be considered a party of 5 or 6?
 
I know that parties of 6 have an automatic gratuity added. Now we are a party of 5 adults traveling with our 17 month old grandson. Since he will not be charged for buffets and most times will eat off our plate at sit down restaurants; will we be considered a party of 5 or 6?

I'm going to say 6 since you have to make the reservation for 6.
 
Disney counts every person, no matter how old, for purposes of assigning table size and for reservations. Technically you will be a party of six and most places will charge you the automatic gratuity. In my experience, occasionally a server won't put the automatic gratuity on the check when there are five people and a baby, or four people and two kids under 3. You should expect everyone to be counted, but occasionally a server is more relaxed about it. The tip is on your total spent anyway, and it's only 18% so, to me at least, it doesn't matter. I would tip that much or more regardless. What does bug me, is when they don't mention that the tip is included and then I tip again and realize later that I double tipped. That makes me mad. I know I should check the receipt of charges but sometimes I'm enjoying my family and friends too much to take the time out to scrutinize a bill and I forget about automatic gratuity.
 




I believe you are 6 souls

I hope.
(My son and I have been watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel, which is where my silly comment is coming from)


OP it’ll be an automatic gratuity. If by chance you’re receiving terrible service, speak up. Find a manager if you have to. Get it fixed. And if it isn’t fixed, the manager will help.
 
Sadly probably yes. It’s sad that any gratuity is automatically added. I have seen large groups like say ten. Split that into two of 5. To prevent that. Kinda hard when it’s one family though.
 
I'm always confused when people are concerned about the auto grat for larger parties. Were you not planning to tip 18%? As someone above said, if you, by chance, do have a terrible experience, just ask for the manager and discuss the auto grat at that point.
 
I'm always confused when people are concerned about the auto grat for larger parties. Were you not planning to tip 18%? As someone above said, if you, by chance, do have a terrible experience, just ask for the manager and discuss the auto grat at that point.
I don't get it either. An 18% tip is not all that much, especially where large groups are concerned because they are more difficult for servers to manage than a table of 2 or 4. Would people actually split their group up in order to avoid paying a decent tip?
 
I'm always confused when people are concerned about the auto grat for larger parties. Were you not planning to tip 18%? As someone above said, if you, by chance, do have a terrible experience, just ask for the manager and discuss the auto grat at that point.
It's sad that automatic gratuities need to be added. When it comes to larger parties 6+, it can be a major burden not to be tipped. The server still needs to tip the bar, busser, runner, etc from sales amounts. Worse, some places now do a decent job of tracking sales for tax purposes, can you imagine paying taxes on the tip you were supposed to receive?

The policy stays because larger parties omitting the tip sucks much worse compared to just a couple who 'forgot' to tip.
 
DH and I are only a party of 2 and even we have had automatic gratuities added. It seems to be becoming a way of life with restaurants.
 
I'm always confused when people are concerned about the auto grat for larger parties. Were you not planning to tip 18%? As someone above said, if you, by chance, do have a terrible experience, just ask for the manager and discuss the auto grat at that point.
I agree. What do people who ask this question usually tip? Less than 18%?
Why do people even ask this? Do they not go out to eat elsewhere? Do they usually stiff the waitstaff? It paints them in a very bad light.
It is only 18%, not 25% or 33%. And tax there is only 6.5%. It is 11% here.
 
TIW automatically adds the 18% gratuity for all size parties. But if only five are dining (the sixth is the small child who will eat off the parents' plates), the gratuity is based on the amount purchased. It doesn't go up to account for one person not eating anything off the menu. If you feel the service wasn't worth the 18% gratuity, you can always ask the manager to reduce the gratuity. You can always add to it as well if you feel they did a better than 18% service.
 
DH and I are only a party of 2 and even we have had automatic gratuities added. It seems to be becoming a way of life with restaurants.
Were you using TiW?
When its only 2 of us dining at WDW, I have never had a gratuity added except when we were using TiW (which is most of the time).
 
Sadly probably yes. It’s sad that any gratuity is automatically added. I have seen large groups like say ten. Split that into two of 5. To prevent that. Kinda hard when it’s one family though.
If you are seated at one table, a party of 10 can have the bill split, the automatic tip is still added, you pay 18% (one family of 5,pays the automatic 18% on their total; other family automatic tip of 18% on their portion). If separate tables, two reservations, no automatic tip.
 
Sadly probably yes. It’s sad that any gratuity is automatically added. I have seen large groups like say ten. Split that into two of 5. To prevent that. Kinda hard when it’s one family though.
the splitting of the group only works if group eats apart at different tables. spitting into groups at same table does not change auto gratuity. been there and done that
 
I agree. What do people who ask this question usually tip? Less than 18%?
Why do people even ask this? Do they not go out to eat elsewhere? Do they usually stiff the waitstaff? It paints them in a very bad light.
It is only 18%, not 25% or 33%. And tax there is only 6.5%. It is 11% here.

I think it is a matter of being told what you have to tip. I want to be able to tip what I feel is warranted on the service. I have never had bad enough service at Disney to go lower that 18 but if I did I would feel more awkward having to ask for a manager and then having them adjust it in front of everyone. I am the kind of person who grabs the check away from my family and I don't even share what I tip to begin with. I understand that some people don't want to tip and if it is not on there bill they won't and that has caused this problem. I just don't want to embarrass a wait staff by calling the manager over also. If I tip them badly that is punishment enough without their manager needing to know about it.
 
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