Why do some people think it's ok to waste food while on the Dining Plan?

[Tiger926]

I know this is probably going to be controversial, and that isn't my intention, but as an at-risk teacher of students who don't get much, if anything to eat on a daily basis, this is really bugging me. I am really tired of reading posts about people ordering all of the food that is available to them, regardless of whether they'll eat or not, because it's the only way to make them feel as if the meal plan is a good value, or, because they paid so much for their vacation, so they can justify the waste. I don't understand what these have to do with one's eating habits while on the Dining Plan? You should only be ordering what you can eat - if you can't eat but one bit of your entree or appetizer, then don't order it, unless you plan on boxing it up and eating it later. The thread about the food wastage while on the meal plan is so true. Sometimes we don't order any desserts or appetizers at all because we aren't that hungry - it doesn't matter if we 'paid' for it or not.

As someone who gives away a ton of stuff, gives to many charities, and buys students food, etc., it insults me to read of how many people on here seem to think it's ok to waste food. I'm sorry if I've offended anyone, but that's all I seem to be reading as of late on lots of different boards - I just read a few posts that said when they are not on the Dining PLan (paying oop for food), they make their kids always clean their plates, only orders certain foods, etc., yet when they are on the Dining Plan, they don't have a problem with taking a bite out of an appetizer just to try it, ordering dessert they aren't going to eat, etc. Do people not realize that this lack of respect and wasteful behaviour is going to cost us all one day - perhaps it already has with the changes to the regular Dining Plan?

Tiger :confused3

[suzimar57]

some people just feel that since they've paid for it (or it's free) they're entitled to waste it away, if they want....

DH and i are good eaters - nothing goes to waste! (and i'm no stranger to doggie bags, even in disney - not about to leave that dessert behind!!)

[sjaakie]

I don’t think this is only a Disney problem.
I saw it on several vacations, the so called all- in vacations. Everything is paid for ,food and drinks.
I always was very surprised that so much food was wasted. Just for the fun.

You could eat and drink the whole day ,ice-cream included. They just grabbed all they could carry to there “nest”. I can’t describe it more sophisticated.

Children taking 10 ice creams at a time and nine of them melted away in the hot sun. The adults were just as bad. Five six beers at a time and nobody drank them up.
We always told our son to take one, taste is and then get ONE more. Not only ice cream but everything.
It is such a waste.

[DizzDoll]

Blech. We don't tolerate waste. My son's developing a more mature palette, and while at LeCellier ordered the maple glazed pork chop. Not only did he not care for it at all, he ate every bit of it BECAUSE he ordered it. His decision. Every time he tries something new, he'll finish it, even if it turns him green, with the exception of the time he ordered squab (at a New Jersey shore restaurant) and all but tossed. I have to admit that no one volunteered to finish it for him so 2 dead birds bit the dust. I'm in the group that says "Take what you'll eat but eat what you take".

[itchin2go]

Politely dissenting. :)

I don't think it's ok to order food you have no intention of eating (and can't imagine the circumstances under which sane people would do this), but I also don't think that you should overeat just because "it's there." I understand the concept of "if you put it on your plate, you eat it", but that, to me, applies more to family dinners where the diner actually chooses the types and quantities of food. At restaurants, you don't really *know* what the portion size is going to be. If it's too much food for me, I don't feel as though I *should* eat it. If I really enjoyed something but just can't eat it all, I always take it home with me, but on vacation, that's not always so easy. I did read something on these boards the other day about a family who ordered meals for all their kids and no one touched their food. Assuming those facts, those people are (a) stupid and (b) wasteful. Why on earth would you use up your DDP credits (or spend your $$$) if your kids were not going to touch their food? What purpose does that serve? So, I understand being appalled at that kind of conduct, but hey, those people are shooting themselves in the foot. I have yet to figure out what can be done about all the stupid people around me (joking, but you know what I mean, I hope). By way of example, last year at xmas time I saw a little boy licking the railing at the mall while in line for Santa. His mom saw him too and did nothing. Gross, but what can you do?

Back on topic, if I eat a bit of dessert, but don't finish it, who is that hurting? If I order something and I don't end up liking it, why on earth would I finish eating it? Whether I'm on DDP or not? I don't know. Wastefulness in the extreme is gross, but is overeating better? In a perfect world, you'd know just how much and exactly what to order to get you to the optimum degree of fullness, without going over, but how on earth can you accomplish that? :confused3

Again, politeful dissent. :)

[fumipappa]

I know this is probably going to be controversial, and that isn't my intention, but as an at-risk teacher of students who don't get much, if anything to eat on a daily basis, this is really bugging me. I am really tired of reading posts about people ordering all of the food that is available to them, regardless of whether they'll eat or not, because it's the only way to make them feel as if the meal plan is a good value, or, because they paid so much for their vacation, so they can justify the waste. I don't understand what these have to do with one's eating habits while on the Dining Plan? You should only be ordering what you can eat - if you can't eat but one bit of your entree or appetizer, then don't order it, unless you plan on boxing it up and eating it later. The thread about the food wastage while on the meal plan is so true. Sometimes we don't order any desserts or appetizers at all because we aren't that hungry - it doesn't matter if we 'paid' for it or not.

As someone who gives away a ton of stuff, gives to many charities, and buys students food, etc., it insults me to read of how many people on here seem to think it's ok to waste food. I'm sorry if I've offended anyone, but that's all I seem to be reading as of late on lots of different boards - I just read a few posts that said when they are not on the Dining PLan (paying oop for food), they make their kids always clean their plates, only orders certain foods, etc., yet when they are on the Dining Plan, they don't have a problem with taking a bite out of an appetizer just to try it, ordering dessert they aren't going to eat, etc. Do people not realize that this lack of respect and wasteful behaviour is going to cost us all one day - perhaps it already has with the changes to the regular Dining Plan?

Tiger :confused3

can't agree more. I've been in this country more than 15yrs. I am still not used to see this behavior. It does not matter buffet or dining plan or course meal. If you cannot eat, do not take/order it. That's how I was taught.

It is so wrong that You order because you can't guess the portion.
You can always order extra LATER if you did not get enough.

>>if I eat a bit of dessert, but don't finish it, who is that hurting?

By wasting, you are creating VERY MINOR environment issue. To clean up the left over food, you need extra detergent, electricity, etc, etc. Yes it is very small, but if you compile the amount of food wasted at WDW, I am 100% sure it costs A LOT. Our waste is contributing the environemnt issue.

[itchin2go]

It is so wrong that You order because you can't guess the portion.
You can always order extra LATER if you did not get enough.


:confused3 If I order the vegetarian entree, how do I know how much food it is going to be? I see all kinds of reviews on these boards saying, I can't believe how small this dish was, or I can't believe how much food that was. Sure, if I order a Big Mac, I know how much food to expect. But if I go to a restaurant I've never been in before (which describes most Disney restaurants in my case), how can I be expected to know?

Purposeful waste makes no sense to me, but if something is more food than I anticipated, or if it turns out to be something that's not my cup of tea, I'm not going to eat it all on principal. That makes no sense to me either.

Is the US a wasteful country in general? Absolutely. Should I eat all of my entree on principal even though I'm stuffed to the gills? Absolutely not. Is it my fault that a dish turns out bigger than I expected it to be? Nope. Should I eat it all on principal because, hey, I ordered it? Nope. Should people order meals they KNOW their kids will not eat, because, hey, I've got the CS credits to use up and by golly, I'm gonna do it? Nope, that's stupid.

I think it's all a matter of degree. Purposely wasting food to use up credits is non-sensical. Requiring somebody to eat everything that they order regardless of the portion size or whether they're enjoying it? That's non-sensical too. Just my 2 cents! :)

[kirbydog48]

A parent doesn't necessarily know ahead of time that their child is not going to eat their meal. Sometimes they're too tired or overstimulated, but you don't necessarily know that ahead of time. Believe me. I abhor wasting food as well, but to judge others in a morally superior way isn't always helpful.

[Tiger926]

A parent doesn't necessarily know ahead of time that their child is not going to eat their meal. Sometimes they're too tired or overstimulated, but you don't necessarily know that ahead of time. Believe me. I abhor wasting food as well, but to judge others in a morally superior way isn't always helpful.

This is not morally superior, but being genuinely flabbergasted and disgusted when people purposefully waste food because they have 'paid' for it. If you're new to a restaurant, then you should ask about portions, or look around at the other tables to get a sense of what the portion sizes are. Re: Children - Sometimes kids change their minds, become picky or won't eat, and so I'm not suggesting that this is a controllable problem, but when parents order big portions that they know their kids aren't going to eat, or, let their kids continuously load up their plates at buffets with food they aren't going to eat, that is very wasteful, indeed. Many posts I read are people being excited that the Dining Plan has allowed them to eat at places they normally wouldn't eat at, or, couldn't afford. Many of these same people though, love to brag about taking one bite out of their food because they are too full, and then have no problems with seeing it thrown in the garbage. They also brag that they would never do this if paying out of pocket - this is the problem that I am speaking of. These people have morally justified their wastage based on finances, and this is plain wrong. More specific, I read a post the other day of someone complaining about the absence of appetizer for 2008 DP - he said, we don't really eat our appetizers that much anyway as most of it goes in garbage, but by golly, Disney should offer it to me anyway! That is so wasteful and ridiculous!

My point and hope is that people will become more conscious of how and what they are eating in terms of a wasteful sense (but I bet those people aren't reading this thread anyway) - your examples don't fit into what I originally pointed out. I am speaking of the legions of posters on here and the WDW guests I share the parks with who think it's fine to waste food for very selfish reasons. Sometimes food waste is inevitable, but in many cases, it is not, and that is what I and the other posters above are speaking about.

Tiger

[Cleokitty]

"My point and hope is that people will become more conscious of how and what they are eating in terms of a wasteful sense (but I bet those people aren't reading this thread anyway)"

If "those people" aren't bothering to read your thread, then why bother to post? :confused3

If someone pays for the dining plan so that they are able to try new restaurants and menu items, they are entitled to order what the plan covers, whether you like it or not. If the posts disgust and insult you, don't read them.

We have the meal plan so that we can try new items. It doesn't mean we will order every item available to us, just that we like the option. On the other hand, if I eat at a restaurant and I don't like the food, I'm not going to eat it no matter what.

And a half a piece of cheesecake contributing to the downfall of the environment??? Good grief!! Oh yeah, I forgot . . . The United States of America is the root of all evil and is polluting the entire world. Give me a break folks!

And by the way, it's not my intention to be controversial either. We all have our pet peeves. I respect your opinion but if you don't like the posts, don't read them.

Ok. I'm finished being non-controversial. popcorn::
(And by the way, "smiley" does eventually finish that bag of popcorn!)

[fumipappa]

:confused3 If I order the vegetarian entree, how do I know how much food it is going to be? I see all kinds of reviews on these boards saying, I can't believe how small this dish was, or I can't believe how much food that was. Sure, if I order a Big Mac, I know how much food to expect. But if I go to a restaurant I've never been in before (which describes most Disney restaurants in my case), how can I be expected to know?

Purposeful waste makes no sense to me, but if something is more food than I anticipated, or if it turns out to be something that's not my cup of tea, I'm not going to eat it all on principal. That makes no sense to me either.

Is the US a wasteful country in general? Absolutely. Should I eat all of my entree on principal even though I'm stuffed to the gills? Absolutely not. Is it my fault that a dish turns out bigger than I expected it to be? Nope. Should I eat it all on principal because, hey, I ordered it? Nope. Should people order meals they KNOW their kids will not eat, because, hey, I've got the CS credits to use up and by golly, I'm gonna do it? Nope, that's stupid.

I think it's all a matter of degree. Purposely wasting food to use up credits is non-sensical. Requiring somebody to eat everything that they order regardless of the portion size or whether they're enjoying it? That's non-sensical too. Just my 2 cents! :)

Why can't we order food less than we want to eat at the beginning and order later if you are still hungry? so that you don't have to waste. Psychologicaly, people want to eat A LOT when they are hungly, meaning when they order dishes. Actually I truly believe that it is the customer's fault if a dish turns out bigger than customer expected, because the customer could not control the appetite when he/she orders.
That's why it is better to order "less than you want to eat'. It is not good idea to order how much you want. it is not only waste of food, it is also waste of money based on my point of view.(again, I am not forcing my idea to anybody, I am just posting how I fell about the topic.)

One point.

Is the US a wasteful country in general? Absolutely.

Actually US is the worst country about this issue. Among economicaly superior countries (ex. EU, japan, Korea, etc. note: I am purposely excluding China;) ), Americans are the worst about wasting food.

[melomouse]

Originally Posted by kirbydog48 http://disboards.com/images/buttons/viewpost.gif (http://disboards.com/showthread.php?p=21424321#post21424321)
A parent doesn't necessarily know ahead of time that their child is not going to eat their meal. Sometimes they're too tired or overstimulated, but you don't necessarily know that ahead of time. Believe me. I abhor wasting food as well, but to judge others in a morally superior way isn't always helpful.


This is not morally superior, but being genuinely flabbergasted and disgusted when people purposefully waste food because they have 'paid' for it. If you're new to a restaurant, then you should ask about portions, or look around at the other tables to get a sense of what the portion sizes are. Re: Children - Sometimes kids change their minds, become picky or won't eat, and so I'm not suggesting that this is a controllable problem, but when parents order big portions that they know their kids aren't going to eat, or, let their kids continuously load up their plates at buffets with food they aren't going to eat, that is very wasteful, indeed.....
Tiger

But Tiger - if you are "flabbergasted" and "disgusted" and looking around at other tables, there IS, indeed, an implication that you are judging others, therefore - I'm guessing that "moral superiority" is but a heartbeat away.:confused3

Parents actually do not even KNOW how much their kids will eat. Kids have hungry days and not-so-hungry days. Sometimes a good lunch, a smaller dinner. Sometimes my 11 y/o eats like a bird, other nights she'll down a steak no problem. No parent can actually do what you are asking, which is, I think, what kirby was suggesting.

And while I applaud your passionate protests on waste and the state of our country vs. others, and wasteful vs. poorer communities, almost every social issue of the day is observed on some level in the microcosm know as Disney World - and I betcha there's a thread here on the DIS to talk about it!!!! ;) This just happens to be YOUR hot button.

That said - the waste of food doesn't personally bother me so much as the other pressing issues I've observed - namely folks in the parks and resorts dumping all their food/paper/container wastes for a CM to clean up or parents actively abusing kids as they traipse thru the Happiest Place on Earth:cloud9:

[Tiger926]

"My point and hope is that people will become more conscious of how and what they are eating in terms of a wasteful sense (but I bet those people aren't reading this thread anyway)"

If "those people" aren't bothering to read your thread, then why bother to post? :confused3

If someone pays for the dining plan so that they are able to try new restaurants and menu items, they are entitled to order what the plan covers, whether you like it or not. If the posts disgust and insult you, don't read them.

We have the meal plan so that we can try new items. It doesn't mean we will order every item available to us, just that we like the option. On the other hand, if I eat at a restaurant and I don't like the food, I'm not going to eat it no matter what.

And a half a piece of cheesecake contributing to the downfall of the environment??? Good grief!! Oh yeah, I forgot . . . The United States of America is the root of all evil and is polluting the entire world. Give me a break folks!

And by the way, it's not my intention to be controversial either. We all have our pet peeves. I respect your opinion but if you don't like the posts, don't read them.

Ok. I'm finished being non-controversial. popcorn::
(And by the way, "smiley" does eventually finish that bag of popcorn!)

Thanks for opinion, but you missed my point. Nowhere did I say a half eaten piece of cheesecake is contributing to environmental disasters - but 10,000 half eaten pieces of cheesecake add up to a lot of wasted food - food that could go to feeding my at-risk students, for instance.

By the way, this isn't a U.S is the root of all evil thread at all, but about people being more conscious and respectful of how and what they eat. Eat something because you are hungry for it, not because you want to screw Disney, you paid for it, etc.

Tiger

[Praying Colonel]

Why do some think it's OK?

Probably for the same reason some feel comfortable condemning those who do it. ;)

They're not going to let others' opinions keep them from doing what they feel like doing at that particular moment.

[Tiger926]

Originally Posted by kirbydog48 http://disboards.com/images/buttons/viewpost.gif (http://disboards.com/showthread.php?p=21424321#post21424321)
A parent doesn't necessarily know ahead of time that their child is not going to eat their meal. Sometimes they're too tired or overstimulated, but you don't necessarily know that ahead of time. Believe me. I abhor wasting food as well, but to judge others in a morally superior way isn't always helpful.




But Tiger - if you are "flabbergasted" and "disgusted" and looking around at other tables, there IS, indeed, an implication that you are judging others, therefore - I'm guessing that "moral superiority" is but a heartbeat away.:confused3

Parents actually do not even KNOW how much their kids will eat. Kids have hungry days and not-so-hungry days. Sometimes a good lunch, a smaller dinner. Sometimes my 11 y/o eats like a bird, other nights she'll down a steak no problem. No parent can actually do what you are asking, which is, I think, what kirby was suggesting.

And while I applaud your passionate protests on waste and the state of our country vs. others, and wasteful vs. poorer communities, almost every social issue of the day is observed on some level in the microcosm know as Disney World - and I betcha there's a thread here on the DIS to take about it!!!! ;) This just happens to be YOUR hot button.

That said - the waste of food doesn't personally bother me so much as the other pressing issues I've observed - namely folks in the parks and resorts dumping all their food/paper/container wastes for a CM to clean up or parents actively abusing kids as they traipse thru the Happiest Place on Earth:cloud9:

I never compared the U.S. to other countries (that was someone else), nor do I actively look around to judge others - it's all around us at the parks, especially at the buffets.

I am also a parent, so I know that kids are finicky eaters, but we have a pretty good sense of how our daughter is eating as we enter restaurants, so we are pretty good at judging how and what she is going to eat. Have we made mistakes, sure, but this isn't what I am speaking of. As I stated, I am more concerned with people who blatantly and consistenly waste food from a sense of entitlement perspective.

Good discussion, Tiger

[lunabkat]

Not a "moral judgement" just a little news from a person who serves the banquets.

People just take some of everything,then don't finish everything because its too much food. Lots of times they come back for seconds even tho they have a semi full plate on the table they aren't going to finish. We go thru so much food at the buffets, and throw about half of it out because people don't realize how much food they will actually eat.

Lots of food gets wasted in this business and gets thrown out because we are not allowed to send the food to food banks because of the threat of food poisoning from the transport times. Sad but true, teach your kids to get a little and go back for more if they are hungry, throwing out extra food is the norm in this country. Just the way it is.:sad2:

[Slapster]

We were on the dining plan a couple of trips ago and didn't eat every bit of what we ordered. We got an appetizer a piece, enjoyed most of it, then had our entrees. Ate most of that, saved some room for desert. Ate some of the desert, but not all of it. Guess I'm one of the people that disgusts and insults the OP. Yes, I am OK with that.

I give quite a bit to charity. I have money taken directly out of my paycheck that goes to the United Way. I've volunteered at the local Children's Hospital. I've done some work for Second Harverster's food bank. I'm a decent guy.

Tiger, if you could forward the organization for these at risk kids you work with, I'd gladly make a donation. No one should go hungry.

[itchin2go]

Why can't we order food less than we want to eat at the beginning and order later if you are still hungry? so that you don't have to waste. Psychologicaly, people want to eat A LOT when they are hungly, meaning when they order dishes. Actually I truly believe that it is the customer's fault if a dish turns out bigger than customer expected, because the customer could not control the appetite when he/she orders.
That's why it is better to order "less than you want to eat'. It is not good idea to order how much you want. it is not only waste of food, it is also waste of money based on my point of view.(again, I am not forcing my idea to anybody, I am just posting how I fell about the topic.)

One point.

Is the US a wasteful country in general? Absolutely.

Actually US is the worst country about this issue. Among economicaly superior countries (ex. EU, japan, Korea, etc. note: I am purposely excluding China;) ), Americans are the worst about wasting food.

Have you ever eaten in a unfamiliar restaurant? (fighting the urg to use caps lock) How can you POSSIBLY know what the portion size is before it comes? YOU CAN'T! Sure you can quiz the waiter for 15 minutes (is it about the size of my fist or the size of a soccer ball? does it fit comfortably on a 5 inch plate or a 9 inch plate), but I'm guessing most people ARE SANE and they realize the waiter has other things to do so they DON'T DO THIS.

I KNOW the kind of people that the OP was talking about. I READ all the time on these boards about people using up their DDP credits and ordering entrees for their kids when their kids only ate 2 bites of their appetizers. YES - there is a certain DDP related insanity that some people succumb to - whereby they lose all of their ever-lovin sense in the quest to USE THOSE CREDITS and GET THE MOST FOR THEIR MONEY. I, personally, think this is crazy, but that's just my humble opinion. I think it's equally crazy, though, to suggest that if someone orders some food and becomes full prior to cleaning their plate AND stops eating, then there's something wrong with that. Sane people don't purposely try to order WAY more than they could ever eat. But perfectly sane, normal, kind and law-abiding people order food and then see it come out of the kitchen and go, whoa, I didn't expect it to be that big. I'll never finish that. And if they're smart, they don't finish it.

And about the America being wasteful thing: I SAID America was wasteful. I said it before YOU did. What's your point? That America is wasteful? I KNOW. I said that already. I wish it weren't the truth but it is. I DON'T think the answer to THAT problem is to require that if people cannot be clairvoyant and magically anticipate the portion size of their order and correctly gauge whether that portion size will mesh with their particular appetite at that time OR magically know whether a particular dish will float their boat or make them gag, then they should be required to finish eating food when they realize that they've become full OR they discover that they HATE what they've ordered. I just don't.

Wait. I was politely dissenting. What happpened?

*going to find a glass of wine*

[itchin2go]

By the way, this isn't a U.S is the root of all evil thread at all, but about people being more conscious and respectful of how and what they eat. Eat something because you are hungry for it, not because you want to screw Disney, you paid for it, etc.

Tiger

Despite my dissent, such as it was, I am 100%, wholeheartedly in agreement with the above. You hit the nail on the head. And it's not just about eating. I've been thinking (and reading) about what a throw-away society we are. If you have a radio that breaks, it's cheaper to throw it out and get a new one than to have it repaired. And where does that broken radio go? Just food for thought. It is something that we all should think about.

[Tiger926]

We were on the dining plan a couple of trips ago and didn't eat every bit of what we ordered. We got an appetizer a piece, enjoyed most of it, then had our entrees. Ate most of that, saved some room for desert. Ate some of the desert, but not all of it. Guess I'm one of the people that disgusts and insults the OP. Yes, I am OK with that.

I give quite a bit to charity. I have money taken directly out of my paycheck that goes to the United Way. I've volunteered at the local Children's Hospital. I've done some work for Second Harverster's food bank. I'm a decent guy.

Tiger, if you could forward the organization for these at risk kids you work with, I'd gladly make a donation. No one should go hungry.

Thanks for your offer of a donation - how generous of you! I teach at a Canadian, at-risk high school though, so that's not possible. I am not talking about you at all, as you said you ate most of your food (just like we try and eat most of ours, but at times, it's not possible), but the people who have no intention of eating most or hardly any of their food (kids or adults) and then brag about it. These wasteful eaters do this all of the time - I forgot to mention that I have grown up in a restaurant family my entire 36 years of life, so I've seen a lot of waste on the part of patrons who specifically and consistently waste because the owners are probably rich so they can afford it anyway! This is the kind of mentality I see here on the boards as many people feel they have to get all of the food that is available or else they feel as if Disney has taken advantage of them.

I am sorry to have implied (I don't think I did though:confused3 ) that people who don't clean their plates are 'bad' or 'immoral' as I am not a member of the you must clean your plate or else club. Just a contributing member of society who is very conscious of others around her who don't have hardly any food, and wouldn't dare think of wasting any of it for frivolous reasons.

Thanks, Tiger

[fumipappa]

A parent doesn't necessarily know ahead of time that their child is not going to eat their meal. Sometimes they're too tired or overstimulated, but you don't necessarily know that ahead of time. Believe me. I abhor wasting food as well, but to judge others in a morally superior way isn't always helpful.

Actually, I have different point of view. maybe cultural thing but when I was kid, I could not leave the dinner table until I eat EVERYTHING on my plate. Otherwise I did not have dinner next day. My mom did not ask what I wanted to eat because she knew her food was good enough as taste and nutrition.
I am not that strict. At least I ask my kids(8,5,2) what they want to eat.
But it does not mean they can eat what they want. I also make sure they can eat or not BEFORE dinner. In my family, if kids are overwhelmed or tired, they should tell me or my wife before dinner how much they can eat because i feel like to monitor my kids' condition is the part of role of parents. I am not going to waste food. If we cannot guess how they behave, we, as a parents, do not order whatever we want to eat so that we can kids' meal not to waste any food. I am just saying the food waste is not excusable no matter what in my realm.(of course if you have emergency medical condition, different story)


morally superior? I am not sure what exactly define "superior" because there are always different point of view so something bad for someone maybe something good to others, but I am sure that everybody agree with the opinion that WE are wasting while somebody else are starving in this world ;)

[kirbydog48]

A parent doesn't necessarily know ahead of time that their child is not going to eat their meal. Sometimes they're too tired or overstimulated, but you don't necessarily know that ahead of time. Believe me. I abhor wasting food as well, but to judge others in a morally superior way isn't always helpful.

[Pumbaa_]

I have to tell you I have not noticed what others are doing at their tables with their meals :confused3 too busy enjoying my dinner with friends or family.

Oh, I might notice when it is brought out if it looks better than mine though!:rotfl2:

[fumipappa]

Have you ever eaten in a unfamiliar restaurant? (fighting the urg to use caps lock) How can you POSSIBLY know what the portion size is before it comes? YOU CAN'T! Sure you can quiz the waiter for 15 minutes (is it about the size of my fist or the size of a soccer ball? does it fit comfortably on a 5 inch plate or a 9 inch plate), but I'm guessing most people ARE SANE and they realize the waiter has other things to do so they DON'T DO THIS.

I KNOW the kind of people that the OP was talking about. I READ all the time on these boards about people using up their DDP credits and ordering entrees for their kids when their kids only ate 2 bites of their appetizers. YES - there is a certain DDP related insanity that some people succumb to - whereby they lose all of their ever-lovin sense in the quest to USE THOSE CREDITS and GET THE MOST FOR THEIR MONEY. I, personally, think this is crazy, but that's just my humble opinion. I think it's equally crazy, though, to suggest that if someone orders some food and becomes full prior to cleaning their plate AND stops eating, then there's something wrong with that. Sane people don't purposely try to order WAY more than they could ever eat. But perfectly sane, normal, kind and law-abiding people order food and then see it come out of the kitchen and go, whoa, I didn't expect it to be that big. I'll never finish that. And if they're smart, they don't finish it.

And about the America being wasteful thing: I SAID America was wasteful. I said it before YOU did. What's your point? That America is wasteful? I KNOW. I said that already. I wish it weren't the truth but it is. I DON'T think the answer to THAT problem is to require that if people cannot be clairvoyant and magically anticipate the portion size of their order and correctly gauge whether that portion size will mesh with their particular appetite at that time OR magically know whether a particular dish will float their boat or make them gag, then they should be required to finish eating food when they realize that they've become full OR they discover that they HATE what they've ordered. I just don't.

Wait. I was politely dissenting. What happpened?

*going to find a glass of wine*

Actaually, I am always trying to go to unfamilier restaurant. My stance is, no matter where I go, I always order less than I want at the beginning, By doing this, I don't have to end up to leave food as waste. Easiest way is this.
If I go to restaurant with my family, 2 adults and 3 small kids, I don't order any appetizer or just one appetizer to share and 2 meal for adults+ 2meal for kids to share OR 1 adult meal +3 kids meal+ salad or some soup. Unless the restaurant is buffet or course meal almost all the time, restaurant is OK with this order. By doing that, we can, at least, eat everything we order. Do I end up not to order what I want? maybe, but my kids can eat what they want. I just priotirize my kids' wish that point. sometimes they want to eat some portion from adult meal, in that case, they don't order anything and share with me or my wife. You don't have to be clairvoyant to find out the amount of the food. Key is "order less than head count"

The point of American thing? well, not mean much. But at that time, I probably felt like this kind of topic was not hot in other country because opinion about food wasting is much more one sided.

[mdoc]

I agree with you that one should not purposefully waste food. To me this means you don't order something if you know you're not going to eat it. However, I'm not an advocate of overeating or cleaning one's plate for the sake of cleaning it. If I order something and I don't like it, I'm not going to finish it. If my eyes are bigger than my stomach and I order a dessert and can only finish a bite of it, I'm not going to eat it. I'll ask the others I'm dining with if they'd like to try it, and if it's reasonably convenient and I think there's a chance I'll finish it later, I'll take it home with me. I've never done the DDP because I KNOW I won't eat as much food as I'd need to to "get my money's worth."

[RACHELSMOM1]

"My point and hope is that people will become more conscious of how and what they are eating in terms of a wasteful sense (but I bet those people aren't reading this thread anyway)"

If "those people" aren't bothering to read your thread, then why bother to post? :confused3

If someone pays for the dining plan so that they are able to try new restaurants and menu items, they are entitled to order what the plan covers, whether you like it or not. If the posts disgust and insult you, don't read them.

We have the meal plan so that we can try new items. It doesn't mean we will order every item available to us, just that we like the option. On the other hand, if I eat at a restaurant and I don't like the food, I'm not going to eat it no matter what.

And a half a piece of cheesecake contributing to the downfall of the environment??? Good grief!! Oh yeah, I forgot . . . The United States of America is the root of all evil and is polluting the entire world. Give me a break folks!

And by the way, it's not my intention to be controversial either. We all have our pet peeves. I respect your opinion but if you don't like the posts, don't read them.

Ok. I'm finished being non-controversial. popcorn::
(And by the way, "smiley" does eventually finish that bag of popcorn!)

:thumbsup2 popcorn:: popcorn:: :thumbsup2
I am so with you on this!!! It is really nobody's business, is it? Of all the things to get upset about, this is the most ridiculous to me. On DP we try all sorts of new items, but if we don't finish each and every item down to the last crumb, the world will not come to an end. I am also tired of the high and mighty attitude of some people, Americans and non-Americans, talking about our "wastefulness" and if they don't like our way of life, why do they stay here? I am directing this conversation your way, but I am sure others will take offense thinking I am writing it for their benefit. I agree with your whole post - America seems to be "the big evil" to all the world, but why then do so many folks want to come here to live? Such a sad thing to hear my beloved country berated all the time. The USA is still the best!!!!:dance3:

[Colleen27]

I don't think people really purposefully order food they don't intend to eat. I think it is more a matter of wanting to try the appetizer and the entree and dessert, but not being able to finish the portions that are served. Restaurants don't generally offer the option of ordering half-portions, and on the dining plan, even the ability to share depends upon the restaurant and the server. So the choice is to skip the extras entirely or to deal with the portions served. Personally, I'm not and never will be a member of the clean plate club, because I think obesity/overeating is a far bigger issue than half-finished meals, so we choose to deal with the portions by taking our leftovers to go when possible, and leaving them behind when it isn't.

[septbaby]

Not too worry, Disney has "fixed" this tendency. In 2008, no automatic appetizers so there is less to eat, less to waste on the plan. If you really want an appetizer, you'll pay extra for it and I bet most will come close to finishing them. :thumbsup2

My prediction is those on the Deluxe plan will waste more food. They will find that trying to eat 3TS meals a day (many won't think having a CS is good value on the plan, when in fact it is) is TOO MUCH food and literally won't be able to eat it all.

Eating habits at buffets are different and there will always be more waste as our eyes truly are bigger than our stomaches there. Personally I try to take a bit of the things I want to try and go back as many times as I like once I've discovered the things to my liking. At times I take things that I just don't like and at other times I take too much.

[smidgy]

I have to tell you I have not noticed what others are doing at their tables with their meals :confused3 too busy enjoying my dinner with friends or family.

Oh, I might notice when it is brought out if it looks better than mine though!:rotfl2:

wow! couldn't have said it better! and I enjoy trying things I would not normally pay OOP for, if I am not sure i like it IE, crab cakes. now, I know.

but I do know that now, I will be keeping an eye on "big brother", my fellow diners spying on what I eat and don't eat... sheesh!:confused3

[Dis Ohana]

I personally would feel very uncomfortable if we ordered a dish and didn't eat it. I KNOW an app / main dish / dessert per person will be way too much for our family. We do want to try a signature restaurant, so what I plan to do is share a few meals with my daughter (12) to have enough credits to do so. We rarely order dessert at home, so we'll probably just order a couple of them and share, or just pass. Even without ordering every single thing we can, I still feel we'll get good value from the DDP.

[kimsuenew]

First of all, if we are the ones paying for food, it is no ones business what or how we eat! Having said that, I would never (and have never) made my child "clean his plate" when he is full, nor will I finish a meal if I am full, or if I have gotten a meal for the very first time and find some part of it to be disgusting. This is the same at any place, not just at WDW on the DDP. I go out to eat, enjoy my family/friends, the decor, and (hopefully) the food. What I do not do when out is look around at how others do, or do not, eat!

[fakereadhed]

Why do some think it's OK?

Probably for the same reason some feel comfortable condemning those who do it. ;)

They're not going to let others' opinions keep them from doing what they feel like doing at that particular moment.

Thank goodness for some common sense around here.:cheer2:

I can't for the life of me figure out why so many people spend their vacations 1)monitoring what other people are doing 2)letting it bother them. :confused3

BTW, OP I won't hold it against you when you don't maximize your dining plan. In fact, I won't even notice. ;)

[Tiger926]

Thank goodness for some common sense around here.:cheer2:

I can't for the life of me figure out why so many people spend their vacations 1)monitoring what other people are doing 2)letting it bother them. :confused3

BTW, OP I won't hold it against you when you don't maximize your dining plan. In fact, I won't even notice. ;)

I guess I'm confused as to how me not maximizing my Dining Plan is something to be held against me? By us only ordering what we can eat, it allows us not to waste food - this in fact will save you as a restaurant patron money one day.:thumbsup2 Remember, I have grown up in a restaurant family, so I absolutely know about food costs - when food is continuously wasted by guests, several things happen: 1) Prices are raised or 2) Portions are made smaller (Disney absolutely should have half portions as my family has always had this at their restaurants). Inevitably at big corporations like Disney, the guests are always the losers.

I guess I'm not surprised by some of the comments on this thread, especially the "people should mind their own business comments." These comments just answered my original question, but it's still amazing to me that people think it's ok to have this attitude, until something tragic or costly happens (like Disney making major changes to the DP) happens, and then those same people are blaming others for the issue at hand. A little foresight and altruism goes a long way - if you aren't hungry, don't order.

My family and I are proud of the fact that we don't waste food while on the Dining Plan and we are glad that there are other families out there who have the foresight to realize that this in fact positively afects others. I just hope that we far outnumber those of you who think it's not a big deal to waste food, or our Dining Plans may be seriously impacted one day.

Tiger :confused3

[fakereadhed]

I guess I'm confused as to how me not maximizing my Dining Plan is something to be held against me?

Tiger :confused3

I guess you didn't notice the ;) ? That means I was kidding. I really don't care what others choose to do with their own plate. :goodvibes

[kimsuenew]

I guess I'm confused as to how me not maximizing my Dining Plan is something to be held against me? By us only ordering what we can eat, it allows us not to waste food - this in fact will save you as a restaurant patron money one day.:thumbsup2 Remember, I have grown up in a restaurant family, so I absolutely know about food costs - when food is continuously wasted by guests, several things happen: 1) Prices are raised or 2) Portions are made smaller (Disney absolutely should have half portions as my family has always had this at their restaurants). Inevitably at big corporations like Disney, the guests are always the losers.

I guess I'm not surprised by some of the comments on this thread, especially the "people should mind their own business comments." These comments just answered my original question, but it's still amazing to me that people think it's ok to have this attitude, until something tragic or costly happens (like Disney making major changes to the DP) happens, and then those same people are blaming others for the issue at hand. A little foresight and altruism goes a long way - if you aren't hungry, don't order.
My family and I are proud of the fact that we don't waste food while on the Dining Plan and we are glad that there are other families out there who have the foresight to realize that this in fact positively afects others. I just hope that we far outnumber those of you who think it's not a big deal to waste food, or our Dining Plans may be seriously impacted one day.

Tiger :confused3

And I find it amazing that anyone thinks they have a right to judge anyone else, period! I guess what needs to be considered is that here we are blessed to be Americans and being such we have rights and freedoms. :thumbsup2 One of my freedoms is the right to choose when, where, and how I eat. If a portion is to big, or a dish unappetizing, I can leave it on my plate. As far as your being raised in a family restaurant... your family was paid for the meals, even if part of those meals were left on the plate. My sister and brother-in-law own a popular sit down pizza place in a busy college town. There is plenty of waste, but it does not hurt their bottom line. They were paid for the food! They pay the garbage service the same, it does not matter if the weekly dumpster pick up is full or empty!

[Colleen27]

I KNOW the kind of people that the OP was talking about. I READ all the time on these boards about people using up their DDP credits and ordering entrees for their kids when their kids only ate 2 bites of their appetizers. YES - there is a certain DDP related insanity that some people succumb to - whereby they lose all of their ever-lovin sense in the quest to USE THOSE CREDITS and GET THE MOST FOR THEIR MONEY. I, personally, think this is crazy, but that's just my humble opinion.

I couldn't agree more! I'll admit, I don't get the fervor over *maximizing* the dining plan. I don't understand why people compile or seek out lists of the most expensive places to use credits, because I think the beauty of the plan is in never having to look at the prices. I don't understand the compulsion to order every course to get the most out of the plan, even if you just aren't that hungry or know you won't eat it (we usually refuse dessert with our CS, for example, because the choices very rarely appeal to us). The dining plan, as it exists now and has existed for the last few years, is such a good deal that unless you leave TS credits unused, you come out ahead.

[Tiger926]

And I find it amazing that anyone thinks they have a right to judge anyone else, period! I guess what needs to be considered is that here we are blessed to be Americans and being such we have rights and freedoms. :thumbsup2 One of my freedoms is the right to choose when, where, and how I eat. If a portion is to big, or a dish unappetizing, I can leave it on my plate. As far as your being raised in a family restaurant... your family was paid for the meals, even if part of those meals were left on the plate. My sister and brother-in-law own a popular sit down pizza place in a busy college town. There is plenty of waste, but it does not hurt their bottom line. They were paid for the food! They pay the garbage service the same, it does not matter if the weekly dumpster pick up is full or empty!

Thanks, but you are missing the point, because as I've learned from this thread, the only issues that are important are: personal freedoms and finances. It doesn't matter that patrons have already paid for my family's food, we don't like food to go to waste, period. If they see a lot of food wastage, steps are taken (we do have very strict rules though about donating food due to board of health restrictions, but whenever possible, they do that) in order to stop it - samples, explaining portion sizes, having half sizes, etc. What is important here to my family and I is the food wastage itself, and not the financial part of it. This is the point that some of the above posters got - sure my family gets paid, but in the process, there is much food wastage, something they care highly about (especially since I teach at-risk kids, many of whom they donate food to).

As per usual on the DIS, these topics are lost to "It's my right, so I'll do whatever I want," instead of being thoroughly understood for what they are.

Tiger who has a headache most times she reads the DIS anymore as some people just don't seem to get it :confused3

[Lzylitnin]

While, I try not to be wasteful in any area of my life, it is no one else's business what I eat or spend on MY food. Are you buying? Well, then that would be different.

When I order food, I always say "I'd like to try this salad, entree, dessert, drink, etc." and I mean it. I am trying it. If I don't like it, I'm not going to eat it! and you can't make me, nor will you make me feel guilty for it!

Part of the joy of travelling is enjoying and trying new things. I would be hesitant to try new things if I was FORCED to continue doing something I didn't enjoy, eating something not to my liking included.

[mom2aredhead]

I guess I'm not surprised by some of the comments on this thread, especially the "people should mind their own business comments." These comments just answered my original question, but it's still amazing to me that people think it's ok to have this attitude, until something tragic or costly happens (like Disney making major changes to the DP) happens, and then those same people are blaming others for the issue at hand. A little foresight and altruism goes a long way - if you aren't hungry, don't order.

Tiger :confused3


I think it is wrong to make judgements about people being wasteful, or selfish, by seeing what they have done with their food in that particular restaurant during that particular snapshot of their day. Were they just on Mission Space and not feeling well at the sight of their food? Is it a larger than expected portion that will spoil in the hundred degree Florida heat before they can get it back to the room? Did they just arrive from volunteering 12 hours at the food bank? I don't think that most people go to restaurants and order food they do not intend to eat. Sweeping generalizations are wrong.

And FWIW, in the grand scheme of thinks, I think it is silly to refer things like menu or DDP changes as "tragic".

[Pirate's Princess]

Thanks for opinion, but you missed my point. Nowhere did I say a half eaten piece of cheesecake is contributing to environmental disasters - but 10,000 half eaten pieces of cheesecake add up to a lot of wasted food - food that could go to feeding my at-risk students, for instance.

Tiger

While it is tragic those "atrisk" students do not get enough to eat, they are not going to get the cheesecake regardless. It's not like Disney is going to send you 10,000 pieces of uneaten cheesecake if their patrons don't eat them? How does us trying cheesecake affect those students??? This reminds me of a story my mother told me about when she was growing up.. My Oma (German grandma) firmly believed you finished your dinner (which she determined the amounts of food on your plate) or you go right to bed. My mom being a small eater always went to bed early. Her mother always said She should clean her plate because children in Africa were starving....Well one day my mom addressed a large envelope to Africa, hid it as she got to the table, ready to whip it out when her mother started her rant about starving children. So when her mom was finished, she pulled it out and proudly said If they are so hungry, why don't you send the food to them. :rotfl2: Yea well she got a good beating, haha. BUt it's true.


I guess I'm not surprised by some of the comments on this thread, especially the "people should mind their own business comments." These comments just answered my original question, but it's still amazing to me that people think it's ok to have this attitude, until something tragic or costly happens (like Disney making major changes to the DP) happens, and then those same people are blaming others for the issue at hand. A little foresight and altruism goes a long way - if you aren't hungry, don't order.

My family and I are proud of the fact that we don't waste food while on the Dining Plan and we are glad that there are other families out there who have the foresight to realize that this in fact positively afects others. I just hope that we far outnumber those of you who think it's not a big deal to waste food, or our Dining Plans may be seriously impacted one day.

Tiger :confused3
Why is it wrong to have a MYOB attitude? I'm not blaming anyone over the changes to the DDP, which I feel they did became we did say there was a decline in service and too much food, so they changed it. What most people are upset about is that they didn't compensate the difference in price. I'm fine with the new DDP but lowering the price $1 is ridiculous considering they removed about $15 of value.

I still don't understand that me trying a bite of cheesecake because I want to, but I'm too full to eat a whole piece (dont' even get me started on the lack of ability to determine one's own satiety due to years of "cleaning their plate") is selfish and lacks forsight or that it negatively affects others.

Of course there are tons of things we can do to stop having such a negative impact on the world. We could all ride bicycles--get rid of those smog producing cars (or at least promote alternative sources--super awesome Air car! [anybody watch that future car special on Discovery???]). We could all become vegans since raising animals (and all the resources for them) uses much more land and resources than growing produce. We also should start limiting reproduction rates because the world population is growing, so by having more than 2 kids, we are perpetuating that growth since we're not simply replacing our numbers, or maybe only limit it to one child in order to decrease the population size. And while we're at it we should live in tiny apartments decreasing our personal usage of land, and you know Disney world itself is a large land area. I bet we could knock it down and instead use it for something more altruistic. :hippie:

(We have these things called Freedoms in America, we're allowed to make choices, some positve and some negative, but once you start mandating and acting all morally superior about waste, it's easy to become a slippery slope about how we can change to be better.--Dont get me wrong it's important to make changes and not just write them off because it can become extreme, but I still don't see how my cheesecake affects those kids?? :confused3 )

And I find it amazing that anyone thinks they have a right to judge anyone else, period! I guess what needs to be considered is that here we are blessed to be Americans and being such we have rights and freedoms. :thumbsup2 One of my freedoms is the right to choose when, where, and how I eat. If a portion is to big, or a dish unappetizing, I can leave it on my plate. As far as your being raised in a family restaurant... your family was paid for the meals, even if part of those meals were left on the plate.
Amen, sister!

Getting off my soap box now
I couldn't agree more! I'll admit, I don't get the fervor over *maximizing* the dining plan. I don't understand why people compile or seek out lists of the most expensive places to use credits, because I think the beauty of the plan is in never having to look at the prices.

I personally go to the expensive restaurants because they are the ones that have food I want to try! I am a foodie and I want to try interesting things, and it seems these places have them. I don't feel it's maximizing, I think it is the benefit of not looking at prices. (I totally have expensive tastes!)

[Tiger926]

I think it is wrong to make judgements about people being wasteful, or selfish, by seeing what they have done with their food in that particular restaurant during that particular snapshot of their day. Were they just on Mission Space and not feeling well at the sight of their food? Is it a larger than expected portion that will spoil in the hundred degree Florida heat before they can get it back to the room? Did they just arrive from volunteering 12 hours at the food bank? I don't think that most people go to restaurants and order food they do not intend to eat. Sweeping generalizations are wrong.

And FWIW, in the grand scheme of thinks, I think it is silly to refer things like menu or DDP changes as "tragic".

I absolutely agree with you! I did so because of the amount of fervor and anger people have regarding the new changes to the DP. They are acting like it's tragic, but in the grand scheme of things, it absolutely is not! I totally agree with you there.

Basically my point in this whole thread is that I wish people would think more of how their actions affect others - so, although my students aren't going to benefit from the extra cheesecake, some other children might. My point is more of a what is best for the greater good - North Americans are the most wasteful people on the planet, and so it woud be nice if more people were cognizant of this fact and acted accordingly. The world can only get better if we all work together, and being people who respect food by not intentionally wasting it, is one small step to improving the situation, IMHO.

Tiger

[Pirate's Princess]

Basically my point in this whole thread is that I wish people would think more of how their actions affect others - so, although my students aren't going to benefit from the extra cheesecake, some other children might. My point is more of a what is best for the greater good - North Americans are the most wasteful people on the planet, and so it woud be nice if more people were cognizant of this fact and acted accordingly. The world can only get better if we all work together, and being people who respect food by not intentionally wasting it, is one small step to improving the situation, IMHO.

Tiger

I still don't see how children will benefit from my half eaten cheesecake :confused3

I also do not understand how wasting food equates to not respecting food? I'd rather respect myself and my body by stopping instead of eating my whole plate. I respect food, but sometimes they do give too much. It's not like I can order a sample of my appetizer, entree or dessert. You get a preportioned amount. If after my entree they offer dessert and I'm not hungry, I usually take it home. I'm not going to see I don't want it, even though I paid for it. I'm sure I'll eat it later, and if I don't, I'm sorry but I don't feel there's anything wrong with that.

[Tiger926]

I still don't see how children will benefit from my half eaten cheesecake :confused3

I also do not understand how wasting food equates to not respecting food? I'd rather respect myself and my body by stopping instead of eating my whole plate. I respect food, but sometimes they do give too much. It's not like I can order a sample of my appetizer, entree or dessert. You get a preportioned amount. If after my entree they offer dessert and I'm not hungry, I usually take it home. I'm not going to see I don't want it, even though I paid for it. I'm sure I'll eat it later, and if I don't, I'm sorry but I don't feel there's anything wrong with that.

As I've stated from the beginning, I'm speaking of intentional waste. Ichin2go explained it best in regards to the Dining Plan and people feeling like they can't let one piece of food go to waste in regards to ordering (because it affects their pockets), but they have no problems in letting it go to waste in the garbage, when it affects Disney's pockets.

Thanks for the discussion, Tiger

[Pirate's Princess]

As I've stated from the beginning, I'm speaking of intentional waste. Ichin2go explained it best in regards to the Dining Plan and people feeling like they can't let one piece of food go to waste in regards to ordering (because it affects their pockets), but they have no problems in letting it go to waste in the garbage, when it affects Disney's pockets.

Thanks for the discussion, Tiger


Thank you for the discussion, but what does intentional waste have to do with anything. Waste is waste. I get how some people want to F disney, but that doesn't related to your kids. Please explain. All I want to know is how my cheesecake waste affects your kids. (Or someone elses cake waste). I just don't understand how this conversation keeps just around but no one answers the questions. It's ok to waste if you don't want to screw Disney? It's not good to waste just to screw Disney? I don't think screwing Disney has anything to do with it. You paid for it, it's yours to do what you want with. Disney gets their money regardless. So if you don't eat the cake, they save money, but you ordering it since you paid for it, but you don't eat all of it? :scared1: You're a bad person!!!!!!!!!

:confused3

[Tiger926]

Let me try and explain one more time as I don't want anyone's head hurting.

Technically, any food waste is not good, but as mentioned, it happens: someone didn't realize the portion was so big, kids changed their mind and don't want to eat it, or, food doesn't agree with you. This would be where your cheesecake, or my cheesecake waste would fit in. In these instances, you haven't intentionally set out to waste food - a series of events mostly beyond your control, have led you to leaving food on your plate.

Fast forward to those people (and I've read of lots of these on these boards), & seen them at restaurants (especially buffets) who intentionally order every bite of food that is available to them while on the Dining Plan, even though they know they aren't going to eat all of it, because they paid for it. I read of many posts where people feel they must order all of this food in order to get value out of their meal plan. Just like you all have said you have the freedom to do what you want with your food since you paid for it, people also have the freedom not to order food they have no intention of eating. It seems though in this respect, many people don't want to do this as they will feel like Disney is winning, so they order all the food they can to 'maximize' the value of their plan. For example, sitting at Kona for dinner one night and table right next to us a family of 5 tells waiter they are stuffed and can't eat dessert. Father said Disney makes lots of money off of the meal plan, and won't miss the food, so they ordered the 5 desserts anyway since they 'paid' for them, yet not one of them was eaten as they had no intention of eating them. They weren't going back to resort either, so all this food went into the garbage. This is very wrong, IMHO.

I hope this better explains things - I am not saying that anyone is bad or good, just wish people would be a little more careful with what and how they order their food so as to cut down on wastage that I see as 'intentional' as mentioned above, which all goes back to the fact that people have paid for the meal plan, so they feel as if they must get every bite of food that is coming to them, regardless of whether they are going to eat it or not.

Tiger

[mom2aredhead]

Let me try and explain one more time as I don't want anyone's head hurting.


While I agree with a lot of what you wrote in the thread, this is a little snarky.

[Tiger926]

While I agree with a lot of what you wrote in the thread, this is a little snarky.

You have totally misunderstood me - that is not my intention at all. This is a big saying from where I'm from. It's not meant to be snarky or rude at all, far from it.

Tina :)

[Lewisc]

I don't think it's right to order a dessert if the guest isn't going to eat any of it.

I don't have a problem if a guest orders a dessert knowing they'll only be able to eat half (or even less). I see a far bigger problem with guests who see the need to finish everything on their plate, no matter what the portion size.

Disney isn't always conducitve to getting a "doggie bag". Not everyone has a frig in their room and some guests may not be going back to their room after their meal.




Fast forward to those people (and I've read of lots of these on these boards), & seen them at restaurants (especially buffets) who intentionally order every bite of food that is available to them while on the Dining Plan, even though they know they aren't going to eat all of it, because they paid for it. I read of many posts where people feel they must order all of this food in order to get value out of their meal plan. Just like you all have said you have the freedom to do what you want with your food since you paid for it, people also have the freedom not to order food they have no intention of eating.

[Mickiethepooh]

So Tiger,
You think that we should all stuff ourselves with every scrap of food that comes out of the kitchen to our tables, so that YOU feel better. I could see your point about wasted food and Disney making changes if all eating at Disney was all you can eat buffets and people were wasting food from them. But most meals are not and it was and IS up to Disney how MUCH food they put on those plates to begin with. what happens to it when it leaves the kitchen is not their problem as long as patrons pay whatever they have set as the going price for the food. Same with the dining plan, THEY decide what is included, and they have made an adjustment, no more appetizer, but they are NOT losing money from the plan even though consumers save over what they WOULD have to pay without the plan. Again Disney sets the rules and the food amounts etc.
What the patron does with the food is the Patron's business and no one elses.
Lots of us hate to see waste of money as well, so you should all stay home because Disney is not a necessity and many people in the world are poor and could use your money better than you can.
Honestly Why does this subject have to keep coming up here, People are taking what they have paid for and are entitled to and nothing more, we are not raiding Disney's larders when they are asleep of something.
Find something else to do with your time besides judge guests at Disney when they are not breaking any rules etc.

[whogirl'smom]

*going to find a glass of wine*

I hope you finished all your wine...;) (I couldn't resist, this has just gotten too heated. I'll join you in your 2nd glass!)

[Praying Colonel]

Let me try and explain one more time as I don't want anyone's head hurting.

Technically, any food waste is not good, but as mentioned, it happens: someone didn't realize the portion was so big, kids changed their mind and don't want to eat it, or, food doesn't agree with you. This would be where your cheesecake, or my cheesecake waste would fit in. In these instances, you haven't intentionally set out to waste food - a series of events mostly beyond your control, have led you to leaving food on your plate.

Fast forward to those people (and I've read of lots of these on these boards), & seen them at restaurants (especially buffets) who intentionally order every bite of food that is available to them while on the Dining Plan, even though they know they aren't going to eat all of it, because they paid for it. I read of many posts where people feel they must order all of this food in order to get value out of their meal plan. Just like you all have said you have the freedom to do what you want with your food since you paid for it, people also have the freedom not to order food they have no intention of eating. It seems though in this respect, many people don't want to do this as they will feel like Disney is winning, so they order all the food they can to 'maximize' the value of their plan. For example, sitting at Kona for dinner one night and table right next to us a family of 5 tells waiter they are stuffed and can't eat dessert. Father said Disney makes lots of money off of the meal plan, and won't miss the food, so they ordered the 5 desserts anyway since they 'paid' for them, yet not one of them was eaten as they had no intention of eating them. They weren't going back to resort either, so all this food went into the garbage. This is very wrong, IMHO.

I hope this better explains things - I am not saying that anyone is bad or good, just wish people would be a little more careful with what and how they order their food so as to cut down on wastage that I see as 'intentional' as mentioned above, which all goes back to the fact that people have paid for the meal plan, so they feel as if they must get every bite of food that is coming to them, regardless of whether they are going to eat it or not.

Tiger

My guess is this is an extremely small % of guests--so small that it doesn't warrant the calling out in the post that started this topic.

Let's see--clean my plate and be condemned as a glutton, or eat only half my dessert and be condemned as wasteful. Maybe I'll just eat what I want and let others fight it out among themselves about what a bad guy I am.

[lustergirl]

Thanks, but you are missing the point, because as I've learned from this thread, the only issues that are important are: personal freedoms and finances. It doesn't matter that patrons have already paid for my family's food, we don't like food to go to waste, period. If they see a lot of food wastage, steps are taken (we do have very strict rules though about donating food due to board of health restrictions, but whenever possible, they do that) in order to stop it - samples, explaining portion sizes, having half sizes, etc. What is important here to my family and I is the food wastage itself, and not the financial part of it. This is the point that some of the above posters got - sure my family gets paid, but in the process, there is much food wastage, something they care highly about (especially since I teach at-risk kids, many of whom they donate food to).

As per usual on the DIS, these topics are lost to "It's my right, so I'll do whatever I want," instead of being thoroughly understood for what they are.

Tiger who has a headache most times she reads the DIS anymore as some people just don't seem to get it :confused3

If you have such headaches reading the DIS boards then why are you on here and not out saving the world?? I go to disney to enjoy myself along with my family. And yes there has been times where we have wasted time- shame on me!! Really- who has time to watch other people and what they are or aren't eating..

[pkf4bucs]

It seems that this is a debate about wasting food and some focus, whether intentional or not, on "needy people" that could make better use of the food. If someone wants that to be so much of a focus why not send your $1500 plus to a "needy people" organization so that you can feel better about it. This discussion has gotten to a petty point and will only result in opinions bouncing off one another. It should be of no one elses matter as to how anyone else chooses to use/spend their money.

[Colleen27]

Of course there are tons of things we can do to stop having such a negative impact on the world. We could all ride bicycles--get rid of those smog producing cars (or at least promote alternative sources--super awesome Air car! [anybody watch that future car special on Discovery???]). We could all become vegans since raising animals (and all the resources for them) uses much more land and resources than growing produce. We also should start limiting reproduction rates because the world population is growing, so by having more than 2 kids, we are perpetuating that growth since we're not simply replacing our numbers, or maybe only limit it to one child in order to decrease the population size. And while we're at it we should live in tiny apartments decreasing our personal usage of land, and you know Disney world itself is a large land area. I bet we could knock it down and instead use it for something more altruistic. :hippie:


And of course, there is the obvious - there are a lot of charities in this world that could do a lot of good with th 2 or 5 or 10 thousand dollars each of us is willing to spend to have a good time at Disney World with our families. Just think what could be done if all of the millions of people who visit Disney parks each year donated that money to worthy causes instead!

Of all the waste and frivolity in the world, food left on a plate at the restaurant seems pretty minor.


I personally go to the expensive restaurants because they are the ones that have food I want to try! I am a foodie and I want to try interesting things, and it seems these places have them. I don't feel it's maximizing, I think it is the benefit of not looking at prices. (I totally have expensive tastes!)

Same here, and that's only natural. What I don't get are the lists and spreadsheets of restaurants ranked by "value per credit" and the general vibe I get from those conversations of not wanting to "waste" TS credits on less expensive meals. I'll eat at Le Cellier because I like steak and Tutto Italia because we all love Italian food, but I'm not automatically ruling out breakfasts or cheaper options like Beaches & Cream in favor of more expensive, "better value" options either.

[SnackyStacky]

so, although my students aren't going to benefit from the extra cheesecake, some other children might. My point is more of a what is best for the greater good - North Americans are the most wasteful people on the planet, and so it woud be nice if more people were cognizant of this fact and acted accordingly. The world can only get better if we all work together, and being people who respect food by not intentionally wasting it, is one small step to improving the situation, IMHO.

Tiger

I see your point, but I have to disagree with it. If that cheesecake wasn't eaten - it would have ended up in the trash. From Disney's fridge - right to the trash. You yourself said that you can't donate food as such because of the risk of spoilage in transit. I can guarantee you that if intentional over-orderers didn't get that cheesecake? A hungry child would not have been fed.

Further - while I agree with your sentiment that nobody should intentionally over-order, I definitely think you're giving a holier-than-thou attitude. And whether or not that was your intent, that's the way it comes across. Which explains a lot of the fervor to which your post was responded with. If a person feels insulted, they're obviously going to say something.

I'm with the camp that says I'm too busy enjoying myself to care what others are doing.

[asmit4]

So Tiger,
You think that we should all stuff ourselves with every scrap of food that comes out of the kitchen to our tables, so that YOU feel better. I could see your point about wasted food and Disney making changes if all eating at Disney was all you can eat buffets and people were wasting food from them. But most meals are not and it was and IS up to Disney how MUCH food they put on those plates to begin with. what happens to it when it leaves the kitchen is not their problem as long as patrons pay whatever they have set as the going price for the food. Same with the dining plan, THEY decide what is included, and they have made an adjustment, no more appetizer, but they are NOT losing money from the plan even though consumers save over what they WOULD have to pay without the plan. Again Disney sets the rules and the food amounts etc.
What the patron does with the food is the Patron's business and no one elses.
Lots of us hate to see waste of money as well, so you should all stay home because Disney is not a necessity and many people in the world are poor and could use your money better than you can.Honestly Why does this subject have to keep coming up here, People are taking what they have paid for and are entitled to and nothing more, we are not raiding Disney's larders when they are asleep of something.
Find something else to do with your time besides judge guests at Disney when they are not breaking any rules etc.

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU! I find it HILARIOUS :lmao: that people can spend 3K, 5K, 8K on a week vacation to DW and come back to only complain about WASTE of cheesecake! :rotfl2:

[Ashley Kees]

I don't understand why you bothered posting this if your point was not to make a moral judgement against a LARGE group of people. Was your intention to have us all waste our money by purchasing the dining plan and then not getting our money's worth, to pack up all of our extras and send them to those less fortunate, or to boycott the dining plan, in general. If your intention was to change some minds of excessive Americans by pointing out our excesses, then you came to the wrong place. Disney IS excessive. That is the point. The entire Disney Empire is producing things that we don't need. Everyone on this board is a fan, sometimes fanatical (as I am) about it, and love those excesses. It feels good to get away from the "real world". There can be not other point to your post than to make people feel bad.

That said, I understand that being in the situation you are in, you feel great empathy for your students. You want to help them. That is admirable. If you have a constructive way for us to help in a proactive way, by all means, tell us. I am sure I can speak for everyone when I say that NO ONE here wants anyone, especially children, to suffer. Attacking us for wasting food on vacation is not the way to do that. I myself will try to reduce my waste at DW by paying for non-DP CS diners and snacks when I feel I do not need them.

[melomouse]

I don't understand why you bothered posting this if your point was not to make a moral judgement against a LARGE group of people. Was your intention to have us all waste our money by purchasing the dining plan and then not getting our money's worth, to pack up all of our extras and send them to those less fortunate, or to boycott the dining plan, in general. If your intention was to change some minds of excessive Americans by pointing out our excesses, then you came to the wrong place. Disney IS excessive. That is the point. The entire Disney Empire is producing things that we don't need. Everyone on this board is a fan, sometimes fanatical (as I am) about it, and love those excesses. It feels good to get away from the "real world". There can be not other point to your post than to make people feel bad.

That said, I understand that being in the situation you are in, you feel great empathy for your students. You want to help them. That is admirable. If you have a constructive way for us to help in a proactive way, by all means, tell us. I am sure I can speak for everyone when I say that NO ONE here wants anyone, especially children, to suffer. Attacking us for wasting food on vacation is not the way to do that. I myself will try to reduce my waste at DW by paying for non-DP CS diners and snacks when I feel I do not need them.


(Italics mine)...well said, ashley:thumbsup2 .. I think I was groping for some of these words back on page one or two of this thread...;)

I would only add that I think that most here are also very grateful for our good fortune to be able to enjoy WDW trips, and we try never to take that for granted.

In my work, also, Tiger, I see lots of tragedy, but,:wizard: I am blessed enough to be able to go to WDW once in awhile to give my heart, mind and soul a much-needed BREAK!!!

I can only wish you some "time off", too...:cloud9:

[Tiger926]

Never mind, no response from me needed as most of you are off-topic anyway.

Thanks, Tiger

[lawlesslovewdw]

op -yes there is the occasional family that is extremly wasteful, but what reaction did you expect. There are so many disadvantaged kids out there and so many excessive people - looking at your signature you appear to have visited disney an excessive amount of times! Would that money not been better spent else where? :rolleyes1

All the environmental impacts of your flights probably far out way the environmental cost of food wastage. :rolleyes1

99% of us try and raise our children with manners and to avoid waste, we do in our house, we recycle everything we can, we compost etc etc however we have 2 cars a 2.0 diesel and an 1.4 petrol car (if you had to pay uk gas prices you would too) yet we fly to america twice a year.:confused3 Why Because we can! And if my children order something they dont finish then "hey we are on holiday" (on free ddp) "hey at least we didnt pay for it!" became our mantra (not to be taken seriously) it was a family joke.

maybe disney should triple the price of the entrance and reduce portion sizes by a quarter then the obnoxious food wasting idiots wouldnt go!

[kimsuenew]

Thanks, but you are missing the point, because as I've learned from this thread, the only issues that are important are: personal freedoms and finances. It doesn't matter that patrons have already paid for my family's food, we don't like food to go to waste, period. If they see a lot of food wastage, steps are taken (we do have very strict rules though about donating food due to board of health restrictions, but whenever possible, they do that) in order to stop it - samples, explaining portion sizes, having half sizes, etc. What is important here to my family and I is the food wastage itself, and not the financial part of it. This is the point that some of the above posters got - sure my family gets paid, but in the process, there is much food wastage, something they care highly about (especially since I teach at-risk kids, many of whom they donate food to).

As per usual on the DIS, these topics are lost to "It's my right, so I'll do whatever I want," instead of being thoroughly understood for what they are.


Tiger who has a headache most times she reads the DIS anymore as some people just don't seem to get it :confused3

Yes personal freedoms are very important, as are finances. But they are not the only thing. You seemed to have come in with a very big chip on your shoulder. That is wonderful that you work with at risk youth, I work with special needs and believe me I have horror stories myself. There are children neglected in my field as well, but I would NEVER dream of coming here and blaming people that don't eat all of their food, nor make their children clean their plates. Perhaps, as there is such an issue in your area, the money you spend on your frequent WDW excursions could be dontated to the cause you are so passionate about. Sometimes grassroots endeavors make a big impact.

[fakereadhed]

Never mind, no response from me needed as most of you are off-topic anyway.

Thanks, Tiger

:rotfl2: :rotfl2: :rotfl2:

You are welcome!

[Pumbaa_]

I think this topic has more than exhausted itself.