Gratuities have been excluded from the Disney dining plans for a long time. Fun fact, back in the day gratuities were actually included in the Disney dining plan! Tipping is a bit of heated conversation topic for Brits at the best of times, and as much as we (generally) don't enjoy tipping I personally have the belief you should respect the culture of the country you're visiting. If it's the norm where you're going, you should adhere to those customs. I certainly expect the same to happen in reverse when citizens of other countries come to the UK, who should adhere to our cultures and don't do ridiculous things, for example, enjoying a scone and putting the jam on first and then the clotted cream.
It's unclear why Disney are making it more clear than ever than that gratuities are excluded. Perhaps they've been in trouble with calling their early booker offer "free dining & drinks" when there is the extra cost of tips associated with it, or perhaps they're having a lot of Brits not leaving tips at the parks.
In the free dining & drinks terms and conditions, Disney state:
Free Dining and Drinks offer excludes gratuities. An 18% gratuity will automatically be added to the bill equivalent to the Dining Plan value, for parties of six or more across dining locations and will be charged at the meal in the Resort. In all other circumstances gratuities are not mandatory but are customary and the amount is at the discretion of the guests. An additional form of payment is required if gratuities are added and if a credit card has not been provided at check-in for charging incidentals and other expenses.
Keep in mind that gratuities are only expected on table-service meals (like Garden Grill, Homecomin', Sci-Fi Dine-in, Chef Mickey's etc) and not quick-service meals. The main difference is that table-service has a waiter that servers you, and quick service is where you go to a counter, order and pick-up yourself. So if you are visiting Walt Disney World and have the quick-service dining plan, gratuities are not expected on those meals, even though on the Disney booking page it will still say that gratuities are excluded.
For our full guide on tipping at Walt Disney World for brits, see our The Ultimate Walt Disney World Tipping Guide For Brits article.
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