A bad review does not equal complaining.

[eliza61]

So, I wrote a less then flattering review of Ohana's recently and some one mentioned that it looked like people here are out to get free meals because they don't complain immediately to the restaurant. Not sure why that irked me but it did.

So I thought I give my take on why I wrote the review and how I like reading less then glowing comments.

Whenever I go on vacations either to the world or any where I do a bit of research. The only information most sites give you are OPINIONS of other travelers. I know this, I know to take reviews and ratings with a grain of salt and I hope others know that when I post a less then great review, it is just my experience.

Personally, I like negative reviews. I'm smart enough to be able to filter through the review and seperate the issues important to me and the ones I find not important. If some one finds their resort is dirty and looking a little worn I appreciate the information.

I like the good reviews also, I tried Via Napoli based on all the great reviews here and it did not disappoint. I also love the fact that some folks thought it was pricey, it allowed me to not have sticker shock when the bill came.


So for anyone who may have had a not so magical experience at a restaurant, please keep writing about it. I won't think you're complaining. I recognize that it was your experience but imo information is power.

 

[disneyholic family]

agreed!
a review is a review.

we all base our choices on what others have experienced.

we had a terrible terrible terrible meal at CP 2 weeks ago.

I don't hesitate to write about it so that others will be forewarned.

i'm not complaining, just sharing what happened to us....

it might have been a one off experience, but buyer beware is always a good thing...

 

[PrincessTaylorsMom]

I agree with you completely.

For those of us that use information on DIS to help us with our vacation planning, the reviews and experiences of others are extremely helpful in putting our choices into perspective.

That being said, everyone should remember that a review is completely subjective and based on one party's experience in the restaurant. It doesn't mean that your experience will be the same.

But it is good to know so that you can be forewarned.

Thanks to all who post about their very magical and their less than magical experiences

 

[c3363]

I agree 100%. I saw your review and enjoyed reading it. I have always had good experiences at Ohana but I do appreciate negative and positive reviews as things change over time. I think that a lot of people are afraid to post anything that's at all negative on here for fear of being attacked by certain posters.

I'm not one of the people that thinks that everything is always perfect in Disney and there is never a situation worth complaining about. Disney, (like every other restaurant, hotel etc.) makes mistakes. Sometimes these mistakes result in an inedible meal, a dirty room etc. They should remedy the situation like any other establishment.

 

[auntfrannie]

I like reading the good & the bad as well. I don't see what the problem is with people offering their own opinions on the service & food they received. Personally I don't like Narcoossee's but many people really like it.

 

[Belle5]

I weigh the bad with the good in helping me to make that all important ADR decision. Period. Thank you for sharing your experience. I had already written 'Ohana off my list because of my own experiences there and other reviews helping me to realize that it "wasn't just me."

 

[MSLRAC]

I wholeheartedly agree...we had a horrible meal at CM's and when I first mentioned it on the here, I was pretty much told that my expectations were too high, it couldn't have been that bad, we should have complain to the manager, etc. But the thing was, I was not complaining, I was just expressing the fact that the holy grail of character meals is not always all it's cracked up to be.

I personally like reading the good, the bad and the ugly and making my own choice so I appreciate a factual review and wish people would post more. We had a great meal at Ohana but that does not negate the fact that the OP had a horrible meal there. I honestly saw the original post as a bad review more than a complaint.

 

[JerseyJanice]

It's ridiculous for anyone to suggest that someone complains about a meal just to get it for free, especially at WDW where they track your dining habits on their computer system.

You plan and budget for a trip all year, then make your ADRs 6 months in advance. All you want when you go on vacation is enjoyable dining experiences.

It's very aggravating to have a bad one. I don't like having to argue with staff or having to talk to a manager. I just want the meal I came for, ready, willing and able to pay.

 

[canoe86]

If there is one thing about DIS board forum you must remember, a general rule, not everyone, but in general...........................

This forum is very sensitive, non-controversial, nice, anti-conflict type group.

I've noticed.....for whatever reason..... ANY negative comment, shoot or even just an opposite opinion, on here is seen as an ATTACK!!!!!

Two big reasons............I think people are emotionally attached to Disney. (as am I) AND, you also,can't read tone into words on here.

 

[canoe86]

If there is one thing about DIS board forum you must remember, a general rule, not everyone, but in general...........................

This forum is very sensitive, non-controversial, nice, anti-conflict type group.

I've noticed.....for whatever reason..... ANY negative comment, shoot or even just an opposite opinion, on here is seen as an ATTACK!!!!!

Two big reasons............I think people are emotionally attached to Disney. (as am I) AND, you also,can't read tone into words on here.

Not being critical BTW. Just my observation compared to some other non-disney topic forums I belong to. DIS is what it is, and if I didn't like it, I wouldn't be here.......JUST AN OBSERVATION!

 

[jdb in AZ]

If there is one thing about DIS board forum you must remember, a general rule, not everyone, but in general...........................

This forum is very sensitive, non-controversial, nice, anti-conflict type group.

I've noticed.....for whatever reason..... ANY negative comment, shoot or even just an opposite opinion, on here is seen as an ATTACK!!!!! Two big reasons............I think people are emotionally attached to Disney. (as am I) AND, you also,can't read tone into words on here.

Too true. It's like someone is insulting one of your children and the basic instinct is to protect that child.

It would be a boring world if we all had the same tastes and all preferred vanilla ice cream, and if you even suggested another flavor, people would wonder what's wrong with you.

 

[Sweet Melissa]

If there is one thing about DIS board forum you must remember, a general rule, not everyone, but in general...........................

This forum is very sensitive, non-controversial, nice, anti-conflict type group.

I've noticed.....for whatever reason..... ANY negative comment, shoot or even just an opposite opinion, on here is seen as an ATTACK!!!!!

Two big reasons............I think people are emotionally attached to Disney. (as am I) AND, you also,can't read tone into words on here.

Yeah, that's definitely true. This forum is made up of many ardent Disney fans. Many feel instinctively defensive of Disney whenever anything about the company is criticized. I know I've felt that way before.

 

[HersheyKisses]

Ive had a horrible meal at WPE on my last visit as well as Boma! Ill be posting the reviews in my trip report soon! Boma is so overrated and GROSS.

 

[softballmom3]

I appreciate the time people like you all take to write reviews. It helps me plan accordingly. It also helps me make my descions and........sometimes even the oops I tried it anyway and you were right. Keep em coming

 

[crostorfer]

I agree 100% and think this needs to be the case with the Resorts forum as well. I disagree with people who say you can't "complain" after the fact. A review is not a complaint, it's a synopsys of your own experience from your own perspective, positive or negative.

 

[Mom of 2 Wife of 1]

There's nothing wrong with expressing your opinion about an experience you've had be it good or bad. However, unless you bring those feelings to the attention of the people in a position of changing that experience for the future, yourself and for others, then you're just whining, and seeing the glass half-empty, and generally a negative person who takes a masochistic joy out of hoping others receive the same poor experience as you.

If you check into a hotel and the valet is rude, your room toilet doesn't flush, there are construction noises day and night, and housekeeping fails to service your room, notify the manager immediately so that they can make it right or else forfeit any right you have to compensation and resolution. To wait until checkout, or even worse, once you've returned home, to notify the business or hem and haw about it online, at which point nothing can be done about making your stay better, then you deserved what happened to you and you deserve to eat the cost of a failed vacation. Nothing in this world is perfect, no, not even WDW. To expect it to be the case is immaturity on your part, not the business.

The one thing I love about the Disboards is that whenever somebody has a bad experience at WDW, and comes on these boards to complain, a dozen others will quickly come to the rescue and say: "I'm so sorry you had such a bad time." I've never understood why complete strangers feel the need to apologize on behalf of a billion-dollar multimedia conglomerate. But most people are passive by nature, and so it goes on...

 

[crostorfer]

There's nothing wrong with expressing your opinion about an experience you've had be it good or bad. However, unless you bring those feelings to the attention of the people in a position of changing that experience for the future, yourself and for others, then you're just whining, and seeing the glass half-empty, and generally a negative person who takes a masochistic joy out of hoping others receive the same poor experience as you.

If you check into a hotel and the valet is rude, your room toilet doesn't flush, there are construction noises day and night, and housekeeping fails to service your room, notify the manager immediately so that they can make it right or else forfeit any right you have to compensation and resolution. To wait until checkout, or even worse, once you've returned home, to notify the business or hem and haw about it online, at which point nothing can be done about making your stay better, then you deserved what happened to you and you deserve to eat the cost of a failed vacation. Nothing in this world is perfect, no, not even WDW. To expect it to be the case is immaturity on your part, not the business.

The one thing I love about the Disboards is that whenever somebody has a bad experience at WDW, and comes on these boards to complain, a dozen others will quickly come to the rescue and say: "I'm so sorry you had such a bad time." I've never understood why complete strangers feel the need to apologize on behalf of a billion-dollar multimedia conglomerate. But most people are passive by nature, and so it goes on...

Wow, that's pretty harsh. I understand your point, but in the case of the OP, who wrote and 'Ohana review that I also read, she did, at the time of her experience, complain to the proper channels, or at least attempted to and her situation was rectified as she didn't have to pay for her meal or experience. She just came on here to the Dis to relay her bad experience. I don't think that she deserved bad service, and I don't think that she expected her experience to be perfect.

No one "deserves" to have a bad experience at WDW, and many people do complain to the proper channels if they do. This board is for everything, the good and the bad, and it is absolutely anyone's right to come on here and discuss what happened to them at any resort or dining establishment on Disney property. If we all had on these boards were glowing reviews and reports of magical trips, it wouldn't be an accurate representation of what all WDW experiences can be.

 

[bdcp]

My issue with some reviews is the "I had the absolute worst meal in the world at x and we will NEVER eat there again and no one else should either" or the "all the fill in the blanks at such and such resort are terrible and no one should ever stay there". You know, the drama filled type that aren't necessarily based on facts, but one one person's opinion one day at one restaurant usually about one incident. I've had great, good, mediocre, but never a bad experience at any WDW restaurant, but that doesn't mean I won't ever. It also doesn't mean that someone else's experience should influence mine to the point that I never go.

Reviews are just people's opinions and if I based my vacation, restaurant choices, grocery store preferences, etc on what one or two people said, then there's pretty much nowhere I could vacation, shop, eat out,etc.

I read the OP's review and their experience was bad, but that doesn't mean that's how everyone's will be. It also doesn't mean their issues aren't valid.

 

[patsal]

I agree with the OP and I read the OP's 'Ohana review. I think it is importatnt to hear about the real expereinces that people are having. Most people are not complaining to get something for nothing, but rather because there is an issue and they want it resolved. Disney is a business and everything cannot be sugar covered with the "well at least you got to eat at Disney" really if the food is inedible it is inedible. Everyone has the right to expect friendly, efficeint service and appropriately served food at the appropriate temperature at any restaurant, Disney should not be excluded from that expectation.

 

[karrit2000]

I totally agree. All of us who have visited WDW many times definitely have our preferences, likes & dislikes. When people write reviews it is definitely their opinion and we have to try to read between the lines to determine if a review will affect our expectations. I personally can not tolerate Asian food, the smell of it cooking actually makes me nauseous. So while many people rave about the Japanese restaurants and how Teppan Edo is a must do, for me it definitely isn't a place I would even consider eating. For many of the character meals it is definitely a case of you are paying to see the characters not for quality food so if the character interaction is bad that affects the experience. If the food is enjoyable then that's a bonus. I don't go to any of them expecting a gourmet meal. I like to do breakfast at O'hana because I am a huge Stitch fan. Once I was greatly disappointed in the poor interaction with the Stitch character but the Pluto that day was terrific. I don't do CP because while in the past the food has been good I don't care for the Pooh characters. As for CM it is highly over-rated in my opinion. There are several other character meals where you can interact with Mickey that I would much rather do. I miss many of the old character experiences that they used to have many years ago such as the Villians dinner at 1900 Park Faire, the Warehouse in the Studios, Pocahantas characters @ Artist Point. I wish they would bring back some sort of Generic spot like the Warehouse where you could see characters from more recent Disney films. And I feel for all those who have been waiting many years for a Pixar character meal. I enjoy Le Chefs de France, Le Cellier, & Rose & Crown. I don't get to eat in them every time I visit but the few times I have eaten in them I've enjoyed my meals. I certainly don't go to Disney expecting top notch dining experiences but then again I'm perfectly happy with a $10-20 steak where ever I eat out. I'm not a Ruth's Cris or Peter Luger Steak person because I can't justify paying that kind of money for a meal anywhere. I'm an average eater who enjoys a good meal in a different setting.