I think I've come to grips with how about booking discounted hotels now when you're out there... but after getting brochures for my family to look through it would seem it was normal in the US for hotels not to include breakfast? Can anyone confirm this... that the hotels are on a room only basis? Or can you possibly add breakfast inclusion to your booking? (also discounted... fingers crossed). And if so.. my next question is... anyone know the rough prices of the breakfast in the hotels and what kind of stuff you get? Or maybe people can offer breakfast alternatives. My parents would actually die if they didn't have breakfast haha. I'm a breakfast skipper so it doesn't run in the family... Any food tips appreciated Ben
Hey, I stayed at Disney's Port Orleans over the summer and we had to pay for breakfast everyday - it wasn't included. You just get what you want from the counter and then go to the till to pay for it. There was an ok selection of food (cereal, toast, eggs and bacon, fruit etc) and it was cheap enough from what I can remember!
Oh and an alternative to eating at the hotel would be Sizzler - $4.99 all you can eat buffet and it was DELICIOUS! Ate there most mornings and nights hehe!
Hi, Sizzler is off site so you wont be able to get there without a car, or an expensive taxi! No food is included in the hotel price, and this tends to be the same throughout the US. There will be a large food court (in the value and moderate resorts, at least) and you'll be able to get breakfast there but no discount. It is pretty pricey so it will probably be between $6-$10 each. Alternatively is the Disney Dining Plan which you can purchase (again no discount). I think it costs about £20 for each night and includes one table service meal, one counter service meal and once snack per night you are there. I know there was an offer during the summer for CM where if you stayed at saratoga springs (expensive) you could get the dining plan for about £12 a night. Remeber the CM food discount isn't that great. You can only use it at a couple of quick service outlets around property and you get 20% off most table service restaurants. But if you do use your discount they add 18% tip on automatically so really you are saving 2% and means you dont need to leave a tip!
When I was there we got 20% discount off food in resorts too...I don't know if that's changed, but I don't think so.
We stock up at Walmart usually... or skip breakfast in favour of a toll house mid morning in a park haha
That's disappointing - I thought you got the discount everywhere. Take 20% off then add 18% on for a tip? That's ridiculous! I have no idea when you're even supposed to tip - do you tip everywhere you get table service? :-X Bryce
Whenever I've gone to the US we've tipped 10% coz we were told that was the standard most people tip? When you say they add 18% charge... is that marked as a 'voluntary service fee' though? As for the discount it does say 'on selective merchandise and food'... I don't know what all the limits of it are but I believe you only get 10% discount off DVDs?
10% used to be the norm i think, but nowadays it seems to be about 15% tip. I dunno what it says on the tip but its not volunatry if you use your cast discount. Essentailly you're getting 2% off.
Oh and there is a book full of all the discounts you can pick up at the disney uni, in backstage areas and at company d locations which contains all details of all the discounts you get on and off property. The info is also on the hub too!
That's true, except at Christmas where your 40% discount stretches to DVD's as well It's always best to try Company D, Cast Connection or Property Control though if you can't wait that long!
I was in America at Camp this summer, 15% tip was normal, 20% for outstanding service. The Americans even tip in bars! That seems quite odd to me, but I guess they get rubbish pay as well as waitresses.
I must say I'm a bit scared of tipping coz I don't know if and when you are meant to. Is it true americans find it really offensive if you don't tip and they'll sneeze on your food? I'll be asking everyone I purchase from I reckon... 'am I meant to tip you?' haha.
You'll soon catch on! Just ask some of the UK F&B guys when you get there...they'll be able to help you out! Disney is a good place to learn about tipping, you do it everywhere! I always say base your tip on how good you think the service was...so say, 10% if 'next time I'll serve myself', 15% if 'meh, it was what I expected' and 20% if 'wow! they can serve me anytime' Of course, you can always make it more if the service totally rocked your world.
okay, so i looked at my Incredible Discount book today and you do get 20% off Everything Pop at Pop Century. I'm not sure why but maybe its considered a merch location because it has merch and food all in one big room.
Suddenly i am panicking about tipping....i will be flinging money at people in a nervous state all over the place! ha ha xx
Well if you go to a full service F&B location in Disney and use your cast member discount, they'll add 18% service charge onto the bill anyway so at least then you don't have to think about it. We just went with a rule of 15-20% anywhere else, although sometimes it was a case of scrimping around for what we could actually afford!
