Everything you need to know about tipping on the Disney Dining Plan to budget properly for your magical vacation.
Is Tipping Required on the Disney Dining Plan?
TIPPING IS NOT REQUIRED
Yes, tipping is nice, but when you’re on the Disney Dining Plan, you’ve already paid for the food with your initial purchase. It’s not like you’re getting anything for free, so don’t feel that you are required to tip.
When you’re on the Quick Service Dining Plan, there isn’t a requirement to tip at Quick Service locations.
That said, 18-20% is the usual tip that we budget throughout our stay on property. Sometimes it’s less and sometimes it’s more depending on the situations, and we can all tell our experiences on both ends of that spectrum. For this topic, it’s more of a generalization and common courtesy vs individual times…because we all have those stories that we can put on TripAdvisor 😉
Important Exceptions: When Tips ARE Included
There are two notable exceptions where gratuities ARE included in your Disney Dining Plan:
- Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue: Gratuity is already included in the dining plan credit
- Cinderella’s Royal Table: Gratuity is already included in the dining plan credit
Large Party Gratuity Policy
PARTIES OF 6 OR MORE
An 18% gratuity is automatically added to your bill for parties of six or more. Just be aware of this going in and you’ll be fine. The last thing you want to have is sticker-shock when the bill comes.
When to Expect Additional Charges
When using the Disney Dining Plan, remember that:
- An automatic gratuity charge may be added to your bill for certain items you order that are not included in the Disney Dining Plan
- You’ll need an additional form of payment if you add gratuity and haven’t provided a credit card at check-in for incidentals
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The Tips on Tipping
Now that we’ve gone over the general terms, let’s get into the nitty-gritty of the tipping procedure while you’re on the Disney Dining Plan (Table Service Dining). Your goal while on the DDP is to have great dining experiences, and it’s important to set yourself up to truly enjoy your full vacation. This means that when you’re booking your ADR’s 60 days out, that you’re thinking about the entire price-point of your vacation.
THIS IS WHERE DUSTIN GETS TO PLAN-GEEK OUT
The cost for the Regular Disney Dining Plan is budgeted on a per night basis:
- 1 Quick Service meal
- 1 Table Service Meal
- 1 Snack
- 1 Refillable Mug
How to Budget Your Tips
It’s all about planning in advance to know what 18-20% of your Table Service bills will look like. Take into account the meal as a whole, with either an average of $40-45 for adults who get Steak/Chicken and $30-35 for vegetarians. Buffets will usually be a higher price point (aka a better value for your credits at $45-$50 per reservation).
Pro Tip: Character Dining experiences typically cost more, so if you’re on the Disney Dining Plan, these are great values for your credits—but remember to budget for the higher tip amount!
How Do I Do The Math?
Disney does it for you! Take an example from a lunch @ Tusker House: Total for the meal was $74.53 (including tax). Now because we were on the DDP, we only looked at the suggested tip and decided what the meal was worth. We ended up tipping $15 between the two of us, because the experience was memorable and the chef came out and helped us with options for Jill (as she’s a vegetarian).
Your receipt will show the cost of your meal even when using dining credits, so you can easily calculate what an appropriate tip would be.
How to Plan for Tips
We do three things during our vacations, and this is for Two guests:
- We bring a $10 bill for each meal to start with
- We bring enough smaller bills to make up the difference in the tips (a variety of $1 and $5 bills)
- Always tip to fit the experience. Buffets vs individual sit-down meals, time of day and other factors that could impact the overall meal.
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Tipping for Specialty Dining Experiences
When using the Disney Dining Plan for specialty dining experiences, remember:
Two Table-Service Meals Required:
- Fine/Signature Dining restaurants
- Character Dining at select locations (like Cinderella’s Royal Table)
- Dinner Shows
- Private In-Room Dining at Disney’s Grand Floridian
- Dinner at Be Our Guest Restaurant
For these experiences, your tip should be based on the actual cost of the meal, not the number of credits used.
Tracking Your Tips Budget
Just like you’ll track your remaining meals and snacks through My Disney Experience, you should also track your tipping budget. Some ways to do this:
- Keep a small notebook with your projected tips for each reservation
- Add a “Tips” category to your Disney vacation budget spreadsheet
- Set aside a specific amount of cash designated just for tips
Cast Member Insight
As a former Cast Member, I’ve seen firsthand how hardworking the Disney dining staff is. While tipping is always at your discretion, remember that these Cast Members are often making magical moments happen under incredible pressure. A kind word and appropriate gratuity can mean the world to them!
Final Thoughts
Remember that tipping is personal and should reflect the quality of service you receive. Don’t feel obligated to tip for poor service, but be generous when Cast Members go above and beyond.
If you have any comments or questions, please feel free to let me know via social media @StepstoMagic!