Question about Dining Plan, desserts, and tip

[mamamarie]

Trying to decide if we should actually try the dining plan (table service) this time around and hesitant. If we do the table service are we absolutely required to purchase a dessert? I was just wondering because then that would be added in to our meal total to calculate tip right?
Anyone have any other advice about the dining plan?

[TheDuckRocks]

No, you are not required to have a dessert. Although the value of buying a dining plan would not be good. Yes, the cost of the dessert, if you ordered one, would be included on the amount you would need to tip. If you did not order a dessert that amount would not be included. You only have to base your tip amount on the actual cost of what you order.

[Strmchsr]

If you did not order a dessert that amount would not be included. You only have to base your tip amount on the actual cost of what you order.

Are you 100% sure about that? I know you obviously don't have to eat a dessert even though it's already paid for via the DDP, but I thought it was included as part of the ticket (and, hence, the tip calculations) if you're on the DDP no matter what. I'm not sure about that, but was thinking that was what I was told. We've stopped doing the DDP because we get off better without it, so I may be wrong about this.

[ibelieveindisneymagic]

What we've found is crazy pressure from the servers to order a dessert, since "it is all included" in the DDP. Even when we didn't want it, they were REALLY insistent that we had to have it.

But, the dining plan isn't a super-great value to start with, so if you're planning on not getting dessert, I'd think it would be cheaper to pay OOP.

[Pally]

This was our experience at Kona. We had ordered app. to share along with our meals and I had a couple of cocktails. We did not want dessert. We were stuffed and had enjoyed our meal very much. I was shocked at how pushy the waitress was about ordering dessert. In the end I felt extremely pressured and we ended up taking our desserts as take away.

I went on the boards asking this very question of whether we have order or take away a dessert. You do not have to order anything or take away what you don't want.

Now I know and I will not be bullied/intimated into something I don't want. After the fact, realizing it was all about the tip and not service.

I will mention though, this was the only time time we ran into a CM that was this aggressive.

[DizneyRox]

Are you 100% sure about that? I know you obviously don't have to eat a dessert even though it's already paid for via the DDP, but I thought it was included as part of the ticket (and, hence, the tip calculations) if you're on the DDP no matter what. I'm not sure about that, but was thinking that was what I was told. We've stopped doing the DDP because we get off better without it, so I may be wrong about this.

That is correct... The suggest tip that is provided at the end of the meal is based on the menu cost of what you order. So, if you order the chicken at $15 your suggested tip would be less than if you order the steak at $20. Same goes for the dessert, if you don't order a dessert, they can't add it to the bill and therefore increase the suggested tip amount.

Suggested tip isn't based on the DDP price, it's based on the cost of the food that you order.

Being able to talk up the dessert by saying it's already paid for, why not just try it, take a bite... Genius!

[mom2morgan]

One further thought to that - they really have no way to "add it on" if you don't order it, since in most places, all the desserts are different prices.