Question about awful food?

[Pokeypoke]

I have not been to DLRP (or France for that matter) but I am in the beginning stage of doing my homework to see if a possible trip can be made in 2009 or 2010. For now, I want to obtain as much information so that I may educate myself on France and its culture. When visiting a foreign country, I want to show respect and not be taken in by culture shock.

I have read many DLRP restaurant reviews (table service, counter service and snacks) and have come across many people who have enjoyed what they ordered and many people who have not enjoyed what they ordered. When speaking of people who did not particularly enjoy their food, the reasons varied from “the bun was hard as a rock”, “the chicken was too dry” or “the meal was horrid”. But while reading these reviews, the majority of the people who did not enjoy their food ate it anyway or tossed it in the garbage.

My question is, have any of you ever order something (table service, counter service or snacks) at DLRP, was not satisfied and asked if you could exchange it for something else? Is this acceptable at the park or in France? Would it be considered rude to do this?

The food at DLRP is expensive when you convert the £ or € into the U.S.$. and I do not care if I am in a fast-food joint or a fine restaurant, if the food is bad, I will say something and ask if I can have something else. Mind you, I am very polite, diplomatic and will point out what the problem is. I do not ever recall having a problem doing this here in the states and almost all restaurants want to keep their customers happy and coming back for repeat visits—some places, I asked for something else that was a dollar or two more and they charged me for the original meal I ordered.

Thanks,
Pokey

[tetley02]

I think I am to nice to complain, Yes I wrote about a bun being hard as a rock and the chicken being to dry and yes I threw it in the bin *** chances are if I did ask for another one that would be the same too.

I guess you just learn from your mistakes and I have learnt not to order from the bad places again.

[Ware Bears]

My question is, have any of you ever order something (table service, counter service or snacks) at DLRP, was not satisfied and asked if you could exchange it for something else? Is this acceptable at the park or in France? Would it be considered rude to do this?



I'm probably not the best person to answer this as I've never been dissatisfied with anything I've ordered at DLRP.

However, if there was nothing wrong with the food I ordered but it just wasn't to my taste then I wouldn't complain but just accept it as part and parcel of eating out, but if there was something wrong with the way it was cooked/served then I wouldn't have any hesitation in asking to speak to someone about it.

[binglybongly]

I complained at Blue Lagoon about the long wait for service and between courses, and the poor quality main course. Eventually, we got 10% off. If the meal hadn't already eaten (bad pun, sorry) into our day so much, I would have pushed the point, but we wanted to get on another ride before the parade.

[hildasmuriel]

I once watched a hidden-camera documentary which put you off eating out and would certainly make sure you never complained about a meal! :scared1: Spitting in people's food was actually the mildest thing they did - the worst things couldn't be posted on a family website. :sad2:
I'm sure that never goes on in a Disney restaurant, but these people are human - I know people who worked in restaurants and they admit they get annoyed at people who send food back and they certainly don't give their best service to them afterwards.

For these reasons I would never send a meal back but would just leave the food if I didn't like it.

[A Small World]

I'm probably not the best person to answer this as I've never been dissatisfied with anything I've ordered at DLRP.



We have also always been very happy with the food.

The only problem we have found is the service in counter service places- its often very slow. The French just dont do fast food but thats all part of their culture where they like to linger over a meal. So be prepared for this

We did send DDs meal back once in Auberge de cendrillon before it was a Princess meal. She had ordered a burger and it was red inside- again the way they are often served in France but we knew DD wouldnt eat it like that so we asked for it to be cooked more and they were happy to cook it more.

Again as already mentioned I dont think they would be happy about it being sent back if it wasnt to your taste but if there was something wrong with it - undercooked etc it would be a different matter

[sjaakie]

I don’t know how to put this in a soft and polite way but the standard of the food in Paris is much higher than in WDW.:thumbsup2 :thumbsup2

I don’t think there will be to many things to complain about.

I often saw people eating there meal and by the last bite starting to complain about it. :rotfl:

[tennisfan]

I haven't had any problems with my meals, the only time was my burger was still a bit red inside when we ate at the Hotel New York so they cooked a whole fresh meal, no problem.

McDonalds stuffed my brother in laws meal up we mentioned this & they were very apologetic etc.

I think as long as you are polite then there shouldn't be a problem.

[jillrobinson]

Can't say we've ever had a problem either

DS's had a rare burger in Auberge DC too, they left them, it was only afterwards that I read that you need to specify when ordering, how you'd like it cooked.

Other than that we've never had a real problem, the fast food is comparable to fast food in other theme parks, but to be honest if we're having a fast food meal, it's usually from the hotdog stall, as it saves time.

[bavaria]

The food at DLRP is vastly better than at the American parks. There are a few locations in the village which don't serve very good food, but if you are American I would suspect that you will avoid Planet Hollywood, Rainforest Cafe and McDonalds while in France anyways.

I do recall a few months ago I saw an American family a few times in DLRP one day. They did stand out because they were quite 'vocal' about their opinions of the park and the people. The last I saw of them was outside Blue Lagoon - the father loudly said in a disgusted voice 'there is no decent food anywhere in this stupid place. Come on, we're going to McDonalds. At least we can get decent food there' :headache:

Honestly, I think that if one approaches it with that kind of attitude, and expects to find the same type of food as at home, one will be disappointed.

If you go with the attitude to enjoy the differences of a new country, you may be pleasantly surprised.

if the food is bad, I will say something and ask if I can have something else I expect that you mean if the food is 'poorly prepared' rather than if the food is 'not to your taste'. If the food is not correctly prepared, then by all means you should say something. But if it is not to your taste, or you ordered the 'wrong' item, then it is like anywhere else in the world when you dine in a restaurant or order at a counter service location.

[Raci]

My question is, have any of you ever order something (table service, counter service or snacks) at DLRP, was not satisfied and asked if you could exchange it for something else? Is this acceptable at the park or in France? Would it be considered rude to do this?
Hi!
The only time I ever returned food was in the Rainforest cafe and as others have said that was just because the inside of my DD's burger was red. It was no problem to cook it further in fact I'm fairly sure it was a fresh meal as the tomato ketchup was then missing. This year we went back to the rainforest cafe and my DD wanted the same meal so I just asked for it well done and there was no prob.

I often try new foods on holiday that I wouldn't have the option to try at home. So I work on the basis I'm taking a chance I wont like it and if I dont like what I've ordered its tough because I ordered it.

I would never ask to change something because I don't like it but I would have no hesitation returning it if there was something wrong with the meal itself. Its just never been an issue at DLP.

Personally I think its worth the extra money for table service meals at DLP over counter service, as you definatly get what you pay for. But I happily have table, counter or snack bar meals depending what fits best with our plans for that day.

[Leanne1977]

We did complain in Planet Hollywood at DLRP as my DH's ribs were stone cold. They apologised and cooked some more. But we didn't particularly enjoy that meal anyway so we wouldn't go again.

I think the problem is, the service at WDW, with regards to the restaurants, is very high quality. If for any reason you are dissatisfied with your meal(not cooked properly, or you just don't like it), then it is no problem at all to change it to something you would prefer. That may even go for outside of WDW in the US i'm not sure with regards to service there as we usually eat mainly on-site.

I, personally, couldn't send a meal back just because it wasn't to my taste but i would complain if there was something wrong with it.:thumbsup2

[Pokeypoke]

I thank you all for your input. It is greatly appreciated!

I do recall a few months ago I saw an American family a few times in DLRP one day. They did stand out because they were quite 'vocal' about their opinions of the park and the people. The last I saw of them was outside Blue Lagoon - the father loudly said in a disgusted voice 'there is no decent food anywhere in this stupid place. Come on, we're going to McDonalds. At least we can get decent food there' :headache:

Honestly, I think that if one approaches it with that kind of attitude, and expects to find the same type of food as at home, one will be disappointed.

If you go with the attitude to enjoy the differences of a new country, you may be pleasantly surprised.
I expect that you mean if the food is 'poorly prepared' rather than if the food is 'not to your taste'. If the food is not correctly prepared, then by all means you should say something. But if it is not to your taste, or you ordered the 'wrong' item, then it is like anywhere else in the world when you dine in a restaurant or order at a counter service location.

As I stated before, I want to be well prepared before I visit a foreign country. Regardless of what country I am visiting, I do realize I am a GUEST in that country and therefor, I should have the respect to behave properly.

It is sad that there are some Americans (and true with other countries) who visit DLRP and expect the food, customs, attractions and langue to be exactly the same as in America. To begin with, you are in France NOT America and therefor people are going to speak French and the food is going to be catered more towards the French and other European communities. I find it very rude and embarrassing to here about the American family who were loud and obnoxious!:rolleyes1 :mad:

As for sending food back, I have never sent food back just because I didn't care for the taste. I have sent food back because it was cold, under cooked, over cooked, meat was tough, rubbery or too dry or the food was way too salty. As well, I would never clean my plate and then complain. I do realize food in America and food in France is completely a different experience but I just want to make sure how to properly handle a food situation if I have good reason to point out my dissatisfaction.

Thanks,
Pokey

[bavaria]

I do realize food in America and food in France is completely a different experience but I just want to make sure how to properly handle a food situation if I have good reason to point out my dissatisfaction.

Having travelled much of the world, there are different customs and responses, but anywhere that a meal is improperly prepared it would be replaced, albeit not always with the same response.

I do appreciate that you are trying to learn local customs and culture before travelling. You may want to read 'Culture Shock France!' or 'Behave Yourself' or another book about avoiding faux pas in other countries, if you are concerned about the subject.

I do cringe quite often when in Europe and see North Americans behaving in a manner which is perfectly accepted in their home country, just as I have read North Americans here posting about 'foreigners' and their behaviour. What is acceptable in one location may be considered rude or even boorish in another.

Learning to greet people correctly in Paris will take you a long way, even if you don't speak French. In many parts of Europe it is also customary to call out a greeting when entering a shop, etc - something which I do not see done in North America.

[Pokeypoke]

Having travelled much of the world, there are different customs and responses, but anywhere that a meal is improperly prepared it would be replaced, albeit not always with the same response.

I do appreciate that you are trying to learn local customs and culture before travelling. You may want to read 'Culture Shock France!' or 'Behave Yourself' or another book about avoiding faux pas in other countries, if you are concerned about the subject.

I do cringe quite often when in Europe and see North Americans behaving in a manner which is perfectly accepted in their home country, just as I have read North Americans here posting about 'foreigners' and their behaviour. What is acceptable in one location may be considered rude or even boorish in another.

Learning to greet people correctly in Paris will take you a long way, even if you don't speak French. In many parts of Europe it is also customary to call out a greeting when entering a shop, etc - something which I do not see done in North America.

Thank you for the advise and for the book suggestions :goodvibes . It is greatly appreciated and the books are worth looking into.

Pokey

[Kristina]

As an American I didn't need to read any books to learn how to behave in a manner acceptable to the French or other Europeans visiting DLRP. I did just fine on pure common sense and I am sure Pokeypoke that you have plenty yourself after reading your sensitive and thoughtful post.
I am also recovering from quite a migraine I had this morning, so it may be that but I find all this "rude and boorish Americans" stuff a bit much. One thing that actually made me want to cancel my DLRP trip (which I am so glad I didn't!) was the amount of negative comments I read on the Dis and elsewhere about how the Europeans behave when at DLRP. Thankfully, I never encountered any of it when we were there and I expect the amount of rude and boorish Americans to be equally scarce in comparison. One bad apple and all that.

Also, IMO some of the food was of much higher quality at WDW. You just have to judge for yourself really.

[thelittlemermaid83]

I would only ever send back a meal if it wasnt cooked properly etc, not because i didnt like it.
If you dont like the sound of it, dont order it, IMO.

[timben]

I don’t know how to put this in a soft and polite way but the standard of the food in Paris is much higher than in WDW.:thumbsup2 :thumbsup2

I don’t think there will be to many things to complain about.

I often saw people eating there meal and by the last bite starting to complain about it. :rotfl:

I think it's nice you want to be polite but fact is it is a theme park dedicated to serve a huge amount of guests each day. Being situated outside the city of Paris makes it hard for the Disney restaurants to compete with the french cuisine outside the resort.

Having visited Disneyland 6 times by now I can assure that most of the food is of average good quality. (Breakfast might be an issue for guests from the US as only continental breakfast is served and even I still dream of Mickey shaped Waffels we had in Orlando in December.:thumbsup2 )

Anyways you will of course find much better and tasty food in the city of Paris but as I said, a comparison is not fair.

[SandraVB79]

I think it's nice you want to be polite but fact is it is a theme park dedicated to serve a huge amount of guests each day. Being situated outside the city of Paris makes it hard for the Disney restaurants to compete with the french cuisine outside the resort.

Having visited Disneyland 6 times by now I can assure that most of the food is of average good quality. (Breakfast might be an issue for guests from the US as only continental breakfast is served and even I still dream of Mickey shaped Waffels we had in Orlando in December.:thumbsup2 )

Anyways you will of course find much better and tasty food in the city of Paris but as I said, a comparison is not fair.

I don't really agree on that. If you know where to go and willing to spend a lot of money, yes, good food can be found in Paris. But many restaurants in Paris cater to tourists, it is mass cuisine, and certainly not as good as Disney-food. I have spent lots of time in Paris city, and didn't find too many places having excellent food.

Regarding breakfast: we just don't do that, hot breakfasts with pancakes and waffles and the like. Pancakes and waffles are to be eaten in the afternoon! :) Btw, Disney offers about the most decent breakfast one can get in France. Chambres d'hotes' breakfasts are usually good as well, hotel breakfasts are usually horrible!

Regarding sending food back: if something you ordered is prepared well and you just don't like it, to bad for you. If it's undercooked/ overcooked, you can send it back, if things are too salty or not salty enough... I wouldn't send it back. Sometimes dishes are intended to be salty, or their ingredients just make it salty, nothing to be done about. Meats still being red in teh center: well, that's how it's served in France, order it well done if you don't like it :)
Items being cold/ etc... usually, they are not sent back.

When we were on our Bahamas cruise, the complaints of our "table partners" annoyed us terribly. Too cold, too warm, too salty, not salty enough, too dry, too strong, not strong enough, .... ARGH!!!!!
Once we were having dinner at the Steakhouse at the Village, and an entire table (6 people or so) sent EVERYTHING back! Appetizers, main courses, ... You could tell they were just in the mood of being annoying. I felt sorry for the staff.

OP, just go there with the mindset that the food is good. I can't remember having a bad meal there.

[bavaria]

As an American I didn't need to read any books to learn how to behave in a manner acceptable to the French or other Europeans visiting DLRP. I did just fine on pure common sense and I am sure Pokeypoke that you have plenty yourself after reading your sensitive and thoughtful post.
I am also recovering from quite a migraine I had this morning, so it may be that but I find all this "rude and boorish Americans" stuff a bit much. One thing that actually made me want to cancel my DLRP trip (which I am so glad I didn't!) was the amount of negative comments I read on the Dis and elsewhere about how the Europeans behave when at DLRP. Thankfully, I never encountered any of it when we were there and I expect the amount of rude and boorish Americans to be equally scarce in comparison. One bad
Fine, I will respond, perhaps against my better judgment, but I do think that this is directed towards me. May I first point out that the OP came here stating For now, I want to obtain as much information so that I may educate myself on France and its culture. When visiting a foreign country, I want to show respect and not be taken in by culture shock.

I made the suggestion to read two excellent sources which have aided many travellers in better understanding different cultures. I am not American, but travel the world, and use these resources regularly to ensure that I am not unintentionally causing offense to another culture. (In fact, I have actually mailed my own personal copies of Culture Shock! to readers here, and have a whole range in the series to cover my travels around the world) I also have an entire website to my disposal through my work. I consider it a positive thing that the OP asked for advice, and offered some suggestions.

Several of us were however confused by the OP's question and required clarification if the question pertained to poorly prepared food, or food not to ones taste. A number of responses indicated this.

Yes, I did give an example of one family who did run across my path several times, and their response about 'bad' food, as an example of how one can be displeased with food to which they are not accustomed, even if perfectly prepared and tasty.

I did not bash Americans, nor did any other poster mention 'rude and boorish Americans'. Frankly, I was the one who approached the moderators quite some time ago because I was tired of the bashing of Europeans (and other cultures) here on this board.

I'm sorry if you are not feeling well, but I do encourage you to go back and read the responses. The OP is attempting to be culturally sensitive, and many of the responses are addressing their request. The OP thanked us and acknowledged that. I compliment the OP for being sensitive and perceptive.

[bavaria]

I don't really agree on that. If you know where to go and willing to spend a lot of money, yes, good food can be found in Paris. But many restaurants in Paris cater to tourists, it is mass cuisine, and certainly not as good as Disney-food. I have spent lots of time in Paris city, and didn't find too many places having excellent food.

Regarding breakfast: we just don't do that, hot breakfasts with pancakes and waffles and the like. Pancakes and waffles are to be eaten in the afternoon! :) Btw, Disney offers about the most decent breakfast one can get in France. Chambres d'hotes' breakfasts are usually good as well, hotel breakfasts are usually horrible!

Regarding sending food back: if something you ordered is prepared well and you just don't like it, to bad for you. If it's undercooked/ overcooked, you can send it back, if things are too salty or not salty enough... I wouldn't send it back. Sometimes dishes are intended to be salty, or their ingredients just make it salty, nothing to be done about. Meats still being red in teh center: well, that's how it's served in France, order it well done if you don't like it :)
Items being cold/ etc... usually, they are not sent back.

When we were on our Bahamas cruise, the complaints of our "table partners" annoyed us terribly. Too cold, too warm, too salty, not salty enough, too dry, too strong, not strong enough, .... ARGH!!!!!
Once we were having dinner at the Steakhouse at the Village, and an entire table (6 people or so) sent EVERYTHING back! Appetizers, main courses, ... You could tell they were just in the mood of being annoying. I felt sorry for the staff.

OP, just go there with the mindset that the food is good. I can't remember having a bad meal there.

Sandra makes some excellent points about the 'cultural' difference of food in Western Europe. Some additional comments:


I agree with the breakfast comment. Remember the poster last summer who called the breakfast at the SL cold croissants and cold tea? I listed all the items on the buffet - the only time I have seen more in Westerin Europe is at the Europa Park hotels in Germany. And DLRP offer an 'add on' for those looking for a more American style breakfast (and I did not chose the term 'American breakfast' - that is what it is called around the world, just as the term 'English breakfast' leads me to expect tomatoes, etc with my meal
interesting points about the 'usual' way to serve meats. I agree that generally they are served more rare in France and Germany, especially as in America in recent years there are fears about undercooked meats, and most states have public disclosure messages in restaurants

[miffy7]

i am a major huge food snob, and i have eaten in many places in pars, but i think that for the price, for my family, the food in cafe agrabah, cape cod, inventions, plaza gardens and the blue lagoon has been great. you definitely get what you pay for, of course! you don't get snails or veal in Plaza Gardens but the food they do serve is cooked well.
as far as fast food goes, i like the barbeque in country cookout and love the live bands.
in lots of the buffet restaurants you are in close contact with chefs and those i have met have all been friendly and helpful.
if i didn't like the food in dlp i'd just eat at the sushi restaurant in val d'europe or something.
but for me it's a major positive feature of the holiday.
i have seen people in the restaurants who weren't enjoying their meals but that seemed to be an issue of personal taste.
if you research the kind of food on offer beforehand you'll likely be fine.
oh - and once my fries were cold in pizza planet and i asked for a fresh lot and there was no problem.

is there maybe an issue with francophones/non-francophones having different experiences?

[Pokeypoke]

I do have to agree with Timben on his point of views. Personally, I would think the restaurants of DLRP, being located outside the city of Paris, WOULD make it a bit difficult to compete with French cuisine. That is not to say that the food of DLRP is bad or of poor quality. Please correct me if I am wrong but when someone mentions Paris, the first 3 things that come to mind (at least from the perspective of North Americans) are romance, food and fashion. This may or may not hold true from the European point of view, so please excuse my ignorance. Yes, there bad, average, good and excellent restaurants in Paris and at DLRP but isn’t that true of any city or country you go to? It is all according to what you are willing to pay, the level of quality you desire, and standards you expect.

I don't really agree on that. If you know where to go and willing to spend a lot of money, yes, good food can be found in Paris. But many restaurants in Paris cater to tourists, it is mass cuisine, and certainly not as good as Disney-food. I have spent lots of time in Paris city, and didn't find too many places having excellent food.

Regarding breakfast: we just don't do that, hot breakfasts with pancakes and waffles and the like. Pancakes and waffles are to be eaten in the afternoon! :) Btw, Disney offers about the most decent breakfast one can get in France. Chambres d'hotes' breakfasts are usually good as well, hotel breakfasts are usually horrible!

Regarding sending food back: if something you ordered is prepared well and you just don't like it, to bad for you. If it's undercooked/ overcooked, you can send it back, if things are too salty or not salty enough... I wouldn't send it back. Sometimes dishes are intended to be salty, or their ingredients just make it salty, nothing to be done about. Meats still being red in teh center: well, that's how it's served in France, order it well done if you don't like it :)
Items being cold/ etc... usually, they are not sent back.

When we were on our Bahamas cruise, the complaints of our "table partners" annoyed us terribly. Too cold, too warm, too salty, not salty enough, too dry, too strong, not strong enough, .... ARGH!!!!!
Once we were having dinner at the Steakhouse at the Village, and an entire table (6 people or so) sent EVERYTHING back! Appetizers, main courses, ... You could tell they were just in the mood of being annoying. I felt sorry for the staff.

OP, just go there with the mindset that the food is good. I can't remember having a bad meal there.

SandraVB79, I can not comment on the comparison of Parisian mass cuisine and the food of DLRP because I haven’t had either.

I guess breakfast is a bigger affair in North America than in Europe – yes…no…?? I personally will seldom eat a big breakfast however; my partner loves to go out for breakfast on the weekends. He enjoys items such as buttermilk biscuits and country gravy, omelets, pancakes, hashbrowns, huevos rancheros, bacon and country sausage – I doubt we are going to get the same type of brealfast at DLRP as here in America. This will not surprise me and therefore there will be no problem because we will be prepared.

As I stated before, I do not send food back just because I do not care for the taste. If I am not sure of what is in a dish, I will ask the server what ingredients are included. If it doesn’t sound good, I do not order it. I will have to disagree with you in regards to sending food back if it is cold, too salty, too dry or too tough. Things may be different where you are from and that is perfectly okay. If I am in France or where ever, I certainly will not go against what is or what is not acceptable in that country. I do not wish to call attention to myself or come across as having no respect. I do however, want to know the proper way to handle things if I come across a problem. Here in the U.S., people do not like to go out for a nice dinner and pay good money just to have their evening spoilt because their fillet mignon was so tough you could not cut it, their prime-rib was cold or the fish was over cooked and dried out. I ordered baked cod one time and I thought it was too salty. Come to find out, other people in the restaurant stated the fish was too salty as well. The manager came to our table and apologized and said he tasted the fish and indeed it was way too salty and asked if I wanted it removed from the bill or would I like something different. I ordered something else and when we received the bill, my meal was free. Just because I expect that here, doesn’t mean it is acceptable elsewhere—so, I need to know these things.

Pokey

[bavaria]

Yes, there bad, average, good and excellent restaurants in Paris and at DLRP but isn’t that true of any city or country you go to? It is all according to what you are willing to pay, the level of quality you desire, and standards you expect.



Definitely! I have had some poor meals in France - the New York Sandwich place in the Disney Village tops my list for poor meals.

But I have also had some excellent not expensive meals in little restaurants.

Honestly, I think that you have a very sensible outlook and will be just fine - you seem to be level headed and rational and even if you do get something ill prepared I suspect that you will approach it reasonably.

Happy travels! :)

[bavaria]

I guess breakfast is a bigger affair in North America than in Europe – yes…no…?? I personally will seldom eat a big breakfast however; my partner loves to go out for breakfast on the weekends. He enjoys items such as buttermilk biscuits and country gravy, omelets, pancakes, hashbrowns, huevos rancheros, bacon and country sausage – I doubt we are going to get the same type of brealfast at DLRP as here in America. This will not surprise me and therefore there will be no problem because we will be prepared.

Very true! but I think that you will find the buffet at the DLRP hotels quite satisfactory. Even at the Santa Fe I was pleased with the variety of options. The breakfast there ranges far beyond a croissant and coffee. And they have a wide variety of items to appeal to the varied customer base.

I too am not a big 'breakfast' eater but do enjoy every now and again having an American style breakfast out in a restaurant, so I definitely understand your partner enjoying that kind of breakfast!

[Pokeypoke]

Again, I do appreciate everyone's advice and imput. You all have been very helpful. It is an adventure experiencing a new culture, one of which I am looking forward to.

Thanks Bavaria! I really enjoy reading your point of view on this matter:goodvibes

Pokey

[Kristina]

Yes, I did give an example of one family who did run across my path several times, and their response about 'bad' food, as an example of how one can be displeased with food to which they are not accustomed, even if perfectly prepared and tasty.

I did not bash Americans, nor did any other poster mention 'rude and boorish Americans'. Frankly, I was the one who approached the moderators quite some time ago because I was tired of the bashing of Europeans (and other cultures) here on this board.

I'm sorry if you are not feeling well, but I do encourage you to go back and read the responses. The OP is attempting to be culturally sensitive, and many of the responses are addressing their request. The OP thanked us and acknowledged that. I compliment the OP for being sensitive and perceptive.

Bavaria, I've gone back over the thread and you are right, It seems I did misunderstand! I'm sorry that I jumped right into it, I don't usually..can I blame it on the pain medication ...? The bit that got me all :mad: was the following..

"I do cringe quite often when in Europe and see North Americans behaving in a manner which is perfectly accepted in their home country, just as I have read North Americans here posting about 'foreigners' and their behaviour. What is acceptable in one location may be considered rude or even boorish in another."

Except, that is a perfectly fine statement! So embarrassing, sorry again :flower3:.

[bavaria]

Bavaria, I've gone back over the thread and you are right, It seems I did misunderstand! I'm sorry that I jumped right into it, I don't usually..can I blame it on the pain medication ...? The bit that got me all :mad: was the following..

Except, that is a perfectly fine statement! So embarrassing, sorry again :flower3:.

:flower3: back to you! I know all about migraines and pain and pain medication and the impact on posting!!!

Hope that you are feeling better soon :) (psst there is a poll asking if I am a cranky old German on the Community Board if you want to vote :laughing: )

[Kristina]

:flower3: back to you! I know all about migraines and pain and pain medication and the impact on posting!!!

Hope that you are feeling better soon :) (psst there is a poll asking if I am a cranky old German on the Community Board if you want to vote :laughing: )

Phew, you are a sweetie so thanks for that! You should start a poll asking if I'm a cranky old American...eeek :scared1: , there's that popping up again :goodvibes !

[timben]

Hello there,

I did not really want to start such big food discussions. Sorry for that and maybe my english is not the best :confused3

I think Disney does a very good job for a theme park and the food you can get is very good, however I just think you can't compare it to restaurants in Paris (not in the tourist areas).

For the breaksfast. We once stayed at Santa Fe - Breakfast was great and a very good variety. Second stay in SL was disappointing as we had to eat breakfast in the park at the Cookout and this was really horrible. And having just returned from Orlando - it's just a different breakfast culture there. :goodvibes

(I know I mentioned it but having a smiling mickey waffle on my plate in the morning made my day:banana: )

Having read also your comments on different cultures I would be interested what you think of the following story which made our stay at WDW less magic. We booked the backstage magic tour at WDW to get a look behind the scenes. Despite the fact that the tour was quite boring our tour guide obviously was not prepared to have guests from Europe in her group. Really, we did not want to be offensive but as I notices so many people with a quite large "body size" (more than we are used to in Europe) we just asked if some people can't go on certain rides or if there are bigger sized seats. She immediately turned against us answering that Disney of course serves healthy food. Which was not the point of the question.

For my second question I just asked if the large amount of waste from the food courts is separated into plastic, paper and food when thrown away. The answer I got was that these Canadians complain all the time about the Disney not using real Christmas trees and smiling to her US guests she ended with "talk to someone like Al Gore". Did not help to get a better mood in our tour group as finally we were branded as the stupid europeans who have no other worries than keep the planet clean and were told that only small countries with one large city could do such things??????

Believe me I am not even a member of greenpeace, I was just curious. After all here in Austria even Mc Donalds Restaurants seperate the remains of the meals into plastic, paper and food.

I sent an e-mail to Disney and just expressed that I just felt sorry that some of their employees are not aware of guests with a different background and rather get rude than try to understand a question. And by now I really do have the opinion that they really did not know what we were talking about.

[Pokeypoke]

Timben, I am sorry if I go off topic but I would like to address your comment.

Hello there,

I did not really want to start such big food discussions. Sorry for that and maybe my english is not the best :confused3

I think Disney does a very good job for a theme park and the food you can get is very good, however I just think you can't compare it to restaurants in Paris (not in the tourist areas).

For the breaksfast. We once stayed at Santa Fe - Breakfast was great and a very good variety. Second stay in SL was disappointing as we had to eat breakfast in the park at the Cookout and this was really horrible. And having just returned from Orlando - it's just a different breakfast culture there. :goodvibes

(I know I mentioned it but having a smiling mickey waffle on my plate in the morning made my day:banana: )

Having read also your comments on different cultures I would be interested what you think of the following story which made our stay at WDW less magic. We booked the backstage magic tour at WDW to get a look behind the scenes. Despite the fact that the tour was quite boring our tour guide obviously was not prepared to have guests from Europe in her group. Really, we did not want to be offensive but as I notices so many people with a quite large "body size" (more than we are used to in Europe) we just asked if some people can't go on certain rides or if there are bigger sized seats. She immediately turned against us answering that Disney of course serves healthy food. Which was not the point of the question.

For my second question I just asked if the large amount of waste from the food courts is separated into plastic, paper and food when thrown away. The answer I got was that these Canadians complain all the time about the Disney not using real Christmas trees and smiling to her US guests she ended with "talk to someone like Al Gore". Did not help to get a better mood in our tour group as finally we were branded as the stupid europeans who have no other worries than keep the planet clean and were told that only small countries with one large city could do such things??????

Believe me I am not even a member of greenpeace, I was just curious. After all here in Austria even Mc Donalds Restaurants seperate the remains of the meals into plastic, paper and food.

I sent an e-mail to Disney and just expressed that I just felt sorry that some of their employees are not aware of guests with a different background and rather get rude than try to understand a question. And by now I really do have the opinion that they really did not know what we were talking about.

I know excactly what you are saying and I feel bad that your stay at WDW was less magical because of your experience. I assure you, not all WDW cast members are like that--just as all DLRP cast members are not the same. Anywhere you go, you are going to meet great people and some people who are not great at all. I have a few annoying and rude people who live in my neighborhood but that does not mean all my neighbors are rude and annoying.

Just remember, NEVER let anyone make you feel like you are stupid just because you ask questions or are not fimiliar with a certain topic or situation. How else are you to learn unless you ask? I personally believe that some people just don't know any better. These people have not stepped out of their "backyard" to explore the possibilities that there are other people who live entirely different than themselves. On the same hand, these people should not think that their way of living is the way ALL people should live or think.

Please correct me if I am wrong but Europeans are more advanced when it come to being "green" or the greenpeace? Most Americans (not all) are behind when it comes to recycling, global warming and "going green" but we are quickly learning. Perhaps the tour guide did not know enough about the suject and therefor she just brushed it off and did not understand. However, if she could not have answered any of your concerns, she should have guided you in the direction of someone who could have answered your questions. Disney (WDW and DL), are taking steps in becoming more "green" friendly and there are plenty of people on WDW property who could have given you a satisfactory answer.

I hope I have been of some help but I do not want to keep chitter-chat all day because I would start to bore people!

Pokey

[Cyrano]

Another who has had more enjoyable food experiences than bad. But even then I know the restaurant we had our bad experience most others declare it a favourite :)

Well done to the OP and others for helping with trip planning to DLP :)

[Lovin' Lorne]

We were there in 2002 and had a great time. Nothing about the food sticks out in my mind, (except for the hot dog stuffed into the end of a baguette and squirted with mayo - :scared1: at first, but actually quite yummy when you squirted some mustard in there to go with it!) so I'm going to have to say that it tasted a-okay to us. :thumbsup2

I do recall however that they did not open up an extra register at one of the CS establishments, even though the line was huge, where here they probably would have done so ASAP. I remember some people complained, but it was no big deal to us.

As long as you remember the golden oldie "When in Rome..." or in this case France, you'll be fine. Oh! And do yourself a favor and learn a few words or phrases in french if you haven't already. It's only polite, and while everyone was VERY nice to us, there was always an extra smile if we at least attempted a jaunty "Bonjour, madame/monsieur!" as we entered a gift shop or approached a counter. The rest might have come out garbled, but by then they were usually more than happy to address us in english after that! :yay:

[SandraVB79]

Regarding breakfast:
I think many countries in Europe are big breakfast eaters. I do eat a big breakfast. It just doesn't include waffles, pancakes, biscuits & gravy, ...
Whenever in Germany, you usually get different kinds of breads, cheeses, meats, .... The breakfast buffet we had in Austria was huge, so many selections, but it didn't include American style breakfast foods. It's just different.

[tfortracey]

Regarding breakfast:
I think many countries in Europe are big breakfast eaters. I do eat a big breakfast. It just doesn't include waffles, pancakes, biscuits & gravy, ...
Whenever in Germany, you usually get different kinds of breads, cheeses, meats, .... The breakfast buffet we had in Austria was huge, so many selections, but it didn't include American style breakfast foods. It's just different.

im a full english girl myself ( sausage, real bacon, the belly not the streaky bit blergh! mushroom , fried eggs where the wite is cooked but the yellow runny, toast, not fried, and proper fresh tomatoes grilled till they are soggy, not canned tomatoes, never canned tomatoes :lmao: ) yes im a bit specific.
when we went to DLP i was worried what the "continenantal " brekkie would be and it was fine. we had rolls, smoked salmon :love: ham, cereal, scrambled eggs, fruit, and pain au chocolat :cloud9: we made a meal of it every morning. i really really wanted a fry up by tthe time i got home tho

as for cast members knowledge base, we found all of them to be fabulous, even one who didnt know the ansewr to a question apologised and took us to a cast member who did know the answer :lovestruc

52 days and counting...

[Cyrano]

Moved the non DLP posts to Mousecellaneous :thumbsup2