10 Days on DDP and STUFFED! The Good, the Bad, the Ugly.... WITH PHOTOS

[Loafmastermom]

So it looks like there were 2 places that you left no tip at all correct?? Did you explain to management or even your server the reasoning?? Any time I get service which is either so poor or so outstanding that I tip outside of my normal range I will seek out a manager to explain that I left either a very large or very small tip and why. I think it is part of my "responsibility" to be a good customer.

I don't think I have a "responsibility" as a customer except to pay my bill. If service sucks: no tip. That being said, we always tip 20% unless service sucks. And if I'm in Disney, I would have to be really motivated to take time away from my vacation to deal with this. I would imagine leaving no tip would explain my feelings to the server. If they told me what to tip, I wouldn't need to speak with a manager. I would let her hear it from me. Then again, I am the type of person who would go directly to a co-worker and try to resolve an issue before bringing it to the boss' attention.

To the OP, this is a refreshing change for a review. I love TRs but sometimes you just want to know how the food is.

 

[Loafmastermom]

Couple of thoughts....

Someone once told me that it takes 24 hours for salmonella (food poisoning) to hit you. Don't know if it's true. Maybe Meg got sick from the bad meal at LTT.

Too bad you didn't say anything to management about the greedy servers. What do you want to bet that the bad ones are complaining about being stiffed all the time!? Servers need to WORK for their tips....just like the rest of us work for a living. I think my DH would have tracked that server down all through the restaurant to get our drinks refilled. Wonder if Disney is paying attention to who complains frequently about not getting tipped....or if they are reading the Dis boards to find out what's happening already.

Your daughter's symptoms are exactly what my son had last year. There was an intestinal bug that was going around and my son caught it (then passed it on to me ). After 6 hours, the symptoms subsided but he was weak for another day with little to no appetite. I can't imagine him feeling like that in a hotel room away from the familiar comforts of home. Your poor daughter. Hope it didn't put a damper on the rest of her days.

 

[imprimouse]

Thanks to the OP for all the work and detail you put into this.

Glad your DD got over her sickness and was able to enjoy the rest of the trip.

 

[Tink rules]

Wow that is horrible a server would be so bold, Funny that this was one of our top restaurants in Sept food was excellent, characters were excellent and server was good. He could of kept of refilled a bit more when we told him we were sorry but we were so thirsty coming from the hot parks.

I think you got stuck in the first couple of weeks of the new dining plan... I heard it wasn't going too well...

 

[momtoBrandon&Jacob]

not to be rude but if you do not care the way the OP describes things maybe you should skip this thread?

Ummmm, not to be rude either, but how was I to know how she would be describing things BEFORE reading her thread??

 

[disnut1149]

Hi
Thanks for your awesome reviews!! I really enjoyed reading them.

 

[incoo50]

We had the same experience at Liberty,poor service and attitude.I expected just a little better atmosphere,characters were great,but Hugh the server was not unfortunatly our tip at the time was included.

 

[SnwflkCts]

Great reviews ...

I am appalled at the tipping demands!!! Never heard that before! DH and I decided NOT to use the DDP this time (despite the good deal) because we just ate too much ! I wonder what tipping demands I will get when I tell them I am NOT on the DDP. I assume they wanted to make sure you knew tipping was no longer part of it, but a mention of it would have been enough. Anyway ... how many people are using it for the first time and never KNEW tipping was part of DDP before (except for us fanatic DISers!).

Anyway ... I hope my salad at LLT doesn't smell bad. I am not very picky and love FROZEN Turkey dinners so I will most likely just LOVE the meal. We are going at lunchtime and I hope the service turns out ok.

I was glad to hear you enjoyed the YAK and YETI CS spot -- who can SPELL the real name???? (not me obviously!) ... anyway you got exactly what I plan for DH and I -- Chicken fried rice and egg rolls. I can't wait!

Sorry your daughter got ill ... and thanks again for the reviews & I'm gonna dance because I only have three weeks to go!

 

[momofdbsdc]

Thank you for the reviews and the pictures!! The one of your daughter at Chef Mickey's with the Mouse himself is priceless! It sounds like it was a wonderful trip (beyond the stomach virus that is! )

Thanks Again!!!

 

[PrincessTiff]

Excellent, thank you for sharing!

 

[swankybeth]

Thanks for taking the time to post your reviews.
Sorry to hear DD got sick but glad to hear she got better pretty quickly.
Those servers at LTT & CP sounded appalling.

 

[BlissP]

Thanks for a great report! We leave in a week!

 

[lovesdumbo]

To the OP-thanks for your reviews!

Thanks for the reviews - it sounds, to me, like the changes that have been made to the DDP have had an adverse effect ont he way people have been tipping and, while not excusing the treatment you got at LTTR and CP, I can understnad that the servers may be concerned they will miss out. All in all, though, it sounds like you had some good dining experiences. Sorry that LTT wasn't a hit for you - we have never eaten there so can't comment but you are perfectly entitled to your opinion and I, for one, appreciate your honest reviews

I was at WDW for some of the time the OP was (1/6 to 1/11) but I was using DDE discount card instead of DDP. As of 1/1/08 they now add an automatic 18% tip to the bill when you use DDE. I was thinking some of the poor service I had was due to that but maybe the servers are just cranky. I had very poor service at Tusker House-the server didn't mention the juice the OP's DD loved but I knew enough (thanks to the Dis) to ask for it. And she never cleared any plates. It wasn't so bad that I wanted to dispute the mandatory tip but is wasn't great. The breakfast at Tusker House was good and I will try it again.

 

[my3disneygirls]

Thanks for taking the time. I always tip 20% or more for good service. There is no way I would want to tip anyone who instructed me the amount, on top of being a crabby server.

When I was a kid (AKA 18) I was out to lunch with friends. The waitress was such a jerk. This was the first and only time I stiffed a wait person and just paid the bill. I don't think a dinner has any responsibility besides paying for the food. If the manager sees a particular server is not getting tipped it's their responsibility to observe as to why.

 

[ilovepooh]

WE ate at the LTT last July, and found the whole experience to be enjoyable. We planned on eating there again, but I am concerned over the bad reviews lately...????

Thanks for sharing your experience.

 

[DisneyJo]

Thanks for the reviews, I think you should definitely write to WDW about the bad servers and the fact that it is rude for them to talk anout their tip before they've even served you!!!!

 

[ssmerdel]

After Reading your review of Sci Fi : I have a bit to add. I just happens that My Family and I ate dinner at Sci Fi in June 2006 and our DS woke up in the middle of the night with the same symptoms. It was terrible. We thought it might have been the heat or the food. It took him a day to recover and we missed Animal Kingdom .

Still not sure what made him sick, could be a coincidence. I wonder if anyone else has gotten ill after eating at this restaurant.

BTW - He was fine the rest of the trip.

 

[WASPIE500]

Great reviews we have never been on the DDP as we stop in the Dolphin, but have eaten in lots of the restaraunts you review, our faves are Crystal Palace Cosmic Rays for a snack, would love to try Le celler on our next visit.
Bad news about the rude server, we in England dont have the same tip culture as you but I always like to tip when in USA 20% for good survice I certanly would not have left any if a server expects or demands it, it is at my descretion what I leave. Bad service small or no tip. Hope it did not spoil it to much for you.

 

[mikeandsunshine]

I noticed you really enjoyed Tusker House and 1900 Park Fare in your reviews. If you had to pick only one which one would you pick?
Thanks for your reviews, I enjoyed them!

 

[scojos]

as a food technologist can i add that it can take up to 72 hours for food poisoning to occur?
we had a very poor meal at H&V, where we were served raw chicken!
the chef told us it was cooked anf meant to be pink...yeah right!
i got v upset (well thats the polite version!) went straight to customer services, where the meal was reimbursed and we spoke to the manager. disney will not accept poor service and we received many nice things inc. priority seating into fantasmic.
this did not however make up for 2 days vomiting after this, i have never ran around AK so fast!!
your reviews are fab, we are going to LTT in aug, partly to see the characters in their costumes, on the free DDP if its bad, then at least we will have tried as it is costing nothing, but thanks for the "heads up" we will be careful.
Tracy