Garden Grill I have heard raved about, on the boards, my friends and now your family. Have never made it there, and won't be able to again on this trip. It is not mentioned often, but when it is it is overwhelmingly positive. Maybe when we go next time we can stop by. Right now, we are just trying to figure out how to book FP+. Our 60 days is this Tuesday, and we have four days at Spring Break - crazy!
A day off every now and then is a great idea, especially when you have as much time as you do. However, needless to say, I don't think we will go to Planet Hollywood anytime soon! If I am badly treated by a waiter, I will generally lower the tip to 15% (and once no tip at all for downright rudeness which reduced me to tears). We tend to be ridiculous over-tippers otherwise, because I think the wages they pay them are criminal.
I think we might still drop by Rose & Crown on occasion. Both DH and I like the food, although we have heard mixed reviews. They have always treated us well, with great service and the great view we had of Illuminations for our anniversary (they put us on the patio overlooking the lake!! So it is kind of sentimental. But since you have very good English food where you live, no need to eat the Americanized version here!
So except for a annoying waiter, sounds like you had a great time!
You should definitely consider trying Garden Grill sometime in the future if you have time! Exciting that you are going so soon but the Spring Break crowds sound pretty overwhelming! Good luck with making FP+ decisions- I know I kept changing them!
I agree- the days we had off were super for spontaneously deciding what we wanted to do! Don't try Planet Hollywood if you aren't interested in movie merchandise... we'd go back for my dad but if we got the same waiter... oh dear!
A 15% tip is really high in the UK, so it is hard to stomach giving that to a rude waiter. That said, I am so sorry to hear how rude that waiter was. I don't understand how they can be so rude to people (we've had a few, but none appallingly rude).
I think we are biased regarding the Rose and Crown because we are British and it isn't authentic. I know a lot of people really enjoy it. That said the patio view of the fireworks is fabulous! Lucky that you got seated there- it was closed to guests due to excessive rain when we went and the waitress kindly invited us to watch the fireworks there. It was really empty.
Rest days are very important on long trips. I try to plan them too.
Candid pictures are the best! My nephew will do that with the camera too.
That waiters behavior at Planet Hollywood is definitely unacceptable. It would have encouraged me to tip him virtually nothing. We're not fans of Planet Hollywood, but mainly because it's a chain restaurant of sorts and we used to have one in the area that we live in.
Yes they are! And glad to hear that others benefit from candid pictures!
Thanks for the advice about the waiter's behaviour. I agree- we have a Planet Hollywood in London- the fact that it is a chain can make it quite generic.
That is horrible service
I like the idea of having relaxing non-park days though
It's a great idea- we couldn't do without them!
Oh wow the waiters behaviour was absolutely shocking, I know they think us Brit's don't tip well as we're used to tipping 10% but he deserved to get less than that!!!!
Exactly- although I am sure many Brits do tip well in the US. I guess it is stereotypical!
I'm so sorry this server was such a jerk! Frankly the % keeps creeping up and it frustrates us too. I had never heard it had reached as high as 20% until we went to WDW - I had always tipped 10% for acceptable service and 15% for above and beyond. When you consider the prices of meals in WDW to begin with, the amount of tip is often insane! Some waiters earn it, others certainly don't. NEVER let them strong arm you or your sweet mother! If you get bad service, they get a bad tip and that is OK. If you reward that sort of behavior, they are just going to do it to the next poor family that comes in the door also.
I don't know if this helps, but we also had the tipping sheet in our bill as well.
I guess us PacNWers don't either!
I don't understand why the percentage keeps creeping up- it has been here too! 20% is a ridiculous amount though- ridiculous! A $200 meal would need a $40 tip- which is almost a whole extra meal in a 'normal' restaurant.
Thanks for the advice- next time I won't let my mum be pressured into a big tip. I feel bad thinking of other foreigners having this guy as a server and being pressured.
Really?!
That is odd, considering you are not an international guest! The tipping cards just seem rude to me anyway.
I am HUGE on customer service and I would've just given a $1 or nothing. I am sorry about your experience.
Thanks for the advice. We'll do that next time (hopefully, though, there won't be a next time!)
Boo to the boys not wanting to watch Illuminations. We thought it was pretty cool, although sometimes it's hard to resist the low ride waits when everyone else is watching the fireworks.
We enjoyed Garden Grill, we weren't crazy about the food but loved the restaurant. The rolls and salad were gorgeous though.
I feel so bad for your mum having to deal with that in Planet Hollywood. I never felt that servers in WDW owned restaurants were pushy but generally find those that work in chain restaurants (Bubba Gump, Hard Rock, Planet Hollywood etc) to be desperate to get you to spend as much as possible to bump up their tip. It drives me round the bend when they give you the tipping card with your bill, it is very insulting. I'd like to think I'd have had the nerve to tell him he was being pushy but I'd probably have chickened out and done the same as your mum.
The low ride waits are fabulous... although Illuminations always takes my breath away! The preferred fireworks viewing makes it all wonderful.
Glad you enjoyed Garden Grill! We went with lower expectations because it was a character meal, but the experience is what makes it worthwhile!
I am in total agreement with you there. I doubt Disney would tolerate pushy waiters! It is nice being able to relate to a fellow Brit (or Scot
) about the tipping cards! I think if my dad was there he would've done what you said and tell him he was being pushy, but sadly my mum and I weren't so daring!
