It’s no secret that Cast Members are the heart and soul of Disney World, and it takes a lot of Cast Members to keep Disney World running.
Bartenders at Trader Sam’s Grog Grotto
We’ve seen The Walt Disney Company and unions representing Cast Members have heated negotiations before, although all parties involved generally do come to agreements at some point. This is why many Cast Member groups end up voting to unionize to get unions to make demands for better pay and working conditions. Now, a union representing tipped workers at Disney World is making new demands on those workers’ behalf.
The Tipped Committee at Unite Here 737 union is demanding changes for servers, bartenders, and other tipped workers employed at Disney World. A demand letter was issued that stated that tipped workers are “dedicated professionals with decades of experience” and that they spend more time with guests than any other Cast Members in Disney World. The letter also mentioned how the career has taken a toll on their bodies and how “tipped jobs should provide a stable career that can support a family.”
50s Prime Time Cafe Servers
The letter, which was signed by servers for Disney World restaurants like Be Our Guest, Nomad Lounge, Tony’s Town Square, Whispering Canyon Cafe, and many more, states that the future of tipped careers for both full-time and part-time Cats Members “is threatened by the Company’s decision to move in the direction of an over-staffed, Part-Time workforce.” The letter also states that they won’t wait until 2027 contract negotiations to make these demands.
Tony’s Town Square Restaurant
The letter consists of many demands, including a guaranteed 20% gratuity on every guest check for all tipped workers, regardless of party size, with an additional tip line for customers who want to tip more. The letter also points out that Disney’s allergy process puts too much time, work, and risk on tipped workers and demands a clear and fair allergy process across all locations and zero reprimands for Cast Members when it’s out of their control. Specifically, the demand letter addressed the problem by calling Disney’s allergy process “Out of control. It puts too much time, work, and risk on tipped workers.”
Be Our Guest
The union also demands that part-time Cast members receive health insurance. There are also demands involving scheduling, suspensions and reinstatements, server assistants, and outsourcing food and beverage locations to third parties. There’s also a specific demand for bartenders to “negotiate a well-defined ratio of bartenders to available bar stools, ” as well as raising bartenders’ hourly pay to $19 per hour for all hours.
La Cava Bartenders hard at work
Other demands involve cocktail servers, while there’s a lengthy section about how Disney has shifted to having a majority of a part-time tipped workforce. According to the letter, 45% of tipped jobs were full-time in 2011, with 55% being part-time. In 2024, there are 34% full-time tipped workers vs. 63% part-time. The demands include keeping positions full-time when a full-time employee leaves that position, creating 300 more full-time tipped positions, guaranteeing at least three shifts per week for part-time workers, and implementing the “Schedule by Seniority” pilot in all locations.
Dawa Bar bartender
We’ll keep an eye on the situation and keep you updated, so stay tuned to DFB for more.
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Things will improve for them when taxes on tips will come to an end.
Wow! Tipping is for service, otherwise just jack up the price and I’ll decide if I want to eat there!
If you make it mandatory – it is no longer a “tip”, it is a service fee. Tips were originally intended to be reflective of the service received. The better the service the higher the tip – or the appreciation shown by the customer. This current demand is simply adding a 20% service fee to all table service meals regardless of the service received. And I am sure that the servers will still expect tips beyond that 20% shortly after this is implemented.
Part of their demand is to demand more money directly from guests? They don’t have a contract with me they cannot demand anything of me. Demand a fair rate of pay FROM YOUR EMPLOYER
I don’t think tips should ever be mandated with the possible exception of large parties. If you put a mandatory tip on my bill that is exactly what you will get and no extra where I would probably tip more if it wasn’t added to my bill. Just raise the base wages instead of mandating tips.
Once a service charge is put on the bill it is no longer a tip for good service but a charge to pay a portion of the restaurant owner’s wage to the employee. Service would have no incentive to be outstanding.
As a server I can say that I never once had a good server at Disney. I never left a tip blank but I would’ve at Disney before.
There is only one real issue here, the mandatory 20% tip on all guests. I will fight this everytime as a ‘patron, guest, customer, whatever I’m considered.” That’s not a demand they are making to Walt Disney, they are making demands on “us.” This cannot be demanded!! Do your jobs above and beyond and you will be tipped properly. If this passes, servers will be even less professional since they no longer have an incentive to do their best. Some here suggested just making it a service fee….Just Stop, NO! Guest are already priced out, that is just stupid to suggest. A pay increase of 20% is better for them.
What part of the country are you all from? I’m from New York City. 20% tip is the usual amount at least. In all of my years going to WDW, I don’t think I’ve ever had horrible service that deserved a lesser tip. The servers are usually so pleasant and try to know your party. You can see the Disney training that they must receive.
There is a anti-tip sentiment growing in this country and you can see why!!
Good luck to them. Add mandatory a 20% service fee, and people will just stop going.
Be careful what you wish for. If they mandate a 20% fee on every meal people are going to go to the restaurants a lot less than they do now. These restaurants are very expensive now adding 20% automatically to the cost will deter many people from going to restaurant.
I remember when expected tipping was 15% for good service and server would get less if the service was bad. Then it went to 18%, then 20% and now many receipts show what a 22% tip is. In addition, it was also customary to only tip on the food and maybe the drinks now many restaurants calculate the tip after the tax is added. Things are really getting out of hand for the consumer and if this happens it might be the breaking point.
Beautiful gorgeous is right if you don’t want to be taxed on tips vote [redacted]. I am a CPA who prepares taxes, and I would not be sad to see the income tax go completely.
The demands are unreasonable. Take the job or don’t. Our whole tipping culture is ridiculous, because it no longer is a nice way to show appreciation and instead has become a mandatory fee regardless of the quality of service. Eliminate the entire system, pay employees fairly for their work, and price menu items at what they need to be to do that.
My next tip is I will no longer eat at sit down restaurants at Disney. We have already quit eating at all restaurants that charge a “service fee” instead of letting us decide if we will leave a tip for service rendered.
Mandatory 20%? Wow, average tip use to be 16%, 20 % or more was for examplery service, what happens when you do not receive that? I would have no problem eating more quick service meals.
Having worked many years in food services, as table waitress and banquet waitress, I can understand the frustration of Disney cutting hours from full time workers to have more part time. If you don’t get the hours, you can’t make a living wage. Personally, the US seriously underpays food services staff.
I would prefer to see us use the model more common in Europe, where people are paid a living wage and provide good service. Tips are truly seen as a reflection of outstanding service, and are not a quarter of the cost of the meal. I’d rather know up front what I’m really paying for something (food services, hotels with ridiculous extra fees, etc.) instead of having to guesstimate by adding 10-25 on to the total.
Wow, here we go! This is what happens when unions take over. I usually tip depending on how good the service rendered is. If the server is rude or otherwise preoccupied, I’m not going to tip. Now I am going to be charged for a tip no matter how bad the service. For Disney, the service is going to go down and the prices will continue to rise at an unconscionable rate. If they want to do this, they should just add 20% into the food prices. At least it would piss off fewer people who always felt a tip is a reward for a job well done. Not all servers are good. I don’t want to reward them for bad service. How is this going to work for the dining plan?
Companies like Disney are why unions are needed. Disney does not give a crap about their employees and refuses to pay a living wage unless you are one of the folks at the top of the org chart that does not need to do actual work. Those at the top want gazillions for themselves and keep as many of those doing work and makeing the magic happen as part time to avoid any benefits, and a decent wage? Forget about it! The servers should not need to demand a service charge or tip be added to every bill so they can get paid better, Disney needs to pay them because they are raking in plenty. The demands for tips is getting out of control everywhere. My wife and I worked as servers for a number of years and WE TIP WELL FOR GOOD SERVICE. We do not like being forced to tip.
They’re going to demand themselves right out of a job.
Please keep the comments free of politics. I enjoy reading the DFB articles and comments but found the cheap plug for Trump in poor taste. Vote your conscience, not for gimmicks. Disney is a big business and big business doesn’t put workers first. I hope the Union and Disney will come to a mutual agreement.
Disney is a well established Woke ideology Company and that’s fine , a mandatory 20% service fee ( Tip ) is just another example of these ideologies , there demanding a service fee ( TIP ) for unknown service and sense its a requirement they will still expect you to give a tip , it’s a cycle . In the end it will only result in loss revenue and loss of work force . Service industry is Merit based the better you perform the better the reward , if the service is no more then what you agreed to and hired for no tip should be expected . When you make it a magic moment the tip fairy will sprinkle you with fairy dust ( Tip )
A Waiter / Waitress can make or break an establishment .
I wish the US would stop this tipping nonsense and pay servers a decent wage like they do in Europe. Here, customers either have to subsidize worker’s wages or skip the tip & leave them short for their rent & groceries. Not something a person with a conscious can do.
I’m sorry, but somehow I don’t understand this American “tipping” system.
Tipping should be a choice and not an obligation. Well, things are different here in Germany, but how can you add any tips to your salary?
Pay reasonable salaries and see tips as a sign of service again.
Please send any errors to Google Translate. 😉
It would be a huge undertaking to change the tipping system in the US. Restaurants would have to charge even higher prices for food. You think these workers will demand themselves out of a job? Who will serve your food then? Follow the advice of the DFB. Don’t do so many sit down meals. Avoid tipping if you have to by buying food at snack counters. There are many places you can “take away” food.
My only thought is we had gone with a party of six recently and the mandatory tip was 18%.
As most are saying the tip percentage should be based on the service received. Personally I had planned on leaving 18% as that is what Disney would add to my bill with six people. If extremely good service I would increase percentage.
Keep in mind, they don’t have to work there. They can always go somewhere else to work if they don’t like the conditions.
Who will serve my food, Lucretia? Nobody. Because all of these demands put businesses out of business.