Bringing Mom to WDW for MY bday, Sept '09! Day 4 Part 1..AK and Tusker House 12/30!

[hlrababy]

Hey girl!!! I am caught up now!!! Sorry about Kona!

We have never ate at Tony's and its one of the places I really want to try!

 

[jordanyosh]

That food at Tony's look so good. I love Eggplant and it looks very good from the picture you took.

Sorry about Kona. Sometimes your whole experience can be ruined by bad service. Add a special occasion and bad service makes the meal worse. Add high expectations and bad service makes a meal worse. Sometimes bad service deserves a call to the manager. Having worked in restaurants for 17 years, I definitely would want to know if a server was treating guests in that manner!

The b word comes to mind, but I'm a gentleman...

 

[scoot241]

I know you were concerned about getting back to the room and everything, but had that happened to us, there might have been a scene. I can let many things go, but the repeated slow service, stopping to talk at another table, etc. and I probably would have finally said something or gotten a manager involved because I wouldn't pay the tip. My dad, who has a bit less patience with such things, probably would have had a manager at the table in the middle of the meal. Either way, it wouldn't have been pretty.

Between you mentioning Friday's and this incident, it reminds me of a time that a big group of my friends and I went to Friday's and had absolutely deplorable service and they tried to bill us the gratuity automatically. The manager ended up coming over, gave us all coupons free stuff, and we paid very little of the gratuity. That location closed a couple of years later; I have no idea why...

 

[Lynn5700]

I have a Canon Rebel XS.... I think the nifty fifty lens can take the pics inside the dark rides right? You are awesome, you have a great eye. I would go to classes if I were you.

I'm sorry about Kona.

 

[dawnbu40]

So sorry to hear about your bad service at Kona! The service can certainly make or break a meal!

 

[scoot241]

I have a Canon Rebel XS.... I think the nifty fifty lens can take the pics inside the dark rides right? You are awesome, you have a great eye. I would go to classes if I were you.

I'm sorry about Kona.

The nifty fifty should do pretty well in dark rides. You'll also need to bump up the ISO to 800 or 1600 depending on the ride.

 

[disneygirlinnj]

Hey girl!!! I am caught up now!!! Sorry about Kona!

We have never ate at Tony's and its one of the places I really want to try!

I would definitely give Tony's a shot! And I will be trying Kona again...I think I just need a cooling off period!

That food at Tony's look so good. I love Eggplant and it looks very good from the picture you took.

Sorry about Kona. Sometimes your whole experience can be ruined by bad service. Add a special occasion and bad service makes the meal worse. Add high expectations and bad service makes a meal worse. Sometimes bad service deserves a call to the manager. Having worked in restaurants for 17 years, I definitely would want to know if a server was treating guests in that manner!

The b word comes to mind, but I'm a gentleman...

haha..yes...the b word definitely came to mind a few times when we were ther I really did want to call a manager and if I was just with mom I probably would have. I just felt awkward with Sarah and the gang. I didn't know one of their friends, etc. The true Jersey girl attitude wanted to break free though!

I know you were concerned about getting back to the room and everything, but had that happened to us, there might have been a scene. I can let many things go, but the repeated slow service, stopping to talk at another table, etc. and I probably would have finally said something or gotten a manager involved because I wouldn't pay the tip. My dad, who has a bit less patience with such things, probably would have had a manager at the table in the middle of the meal. Either way, it wouldn't have been pretty.

Between you mentioning Friday's and this incident, it reminds me of a time that a big group of my friends and I went to Friday's and had absolutely deplorable service and they tried to bill us the gratuity automatically. The manager ended up coming over, gave us all coupons free stuff, and we paid very little of the gratuity. That location closed a couple of years later; I have no idea why...

Ohhh.. I know if I was with my dad, all hell would have broken loose too. And like I told Jordan above, if I wasn't with Sarah and the gang, I would have definitely said something. But you know...kinda wanted to keep the Jersey girl stereotype kinda bottled up for a bit. I didn't want to make them feel uncomfortable. I'm going to have my little cooling off period from Kona and will return again on a future trip. Sadly it doesn't fit into my plans for the next two though. Guess that's a good thing!

I have a Canon Rebel XS.... I think the nifty fifty lens can take the pics inside the dark rides right? You are awesome, you have a great eye. I would go to classes if I were you.

I'm sorry about Kona.

Yup! The nifty fifty is EXACTLY what I used! if you click on any of the photos of dark rides on this trip report, it will bring you to the flickr page. Then at the bottom right where it says 'Taken with a Canon Rebel Xti' or whatever it says, just click on 'more properties' and you'll get ALL the information about what settings I used. I took Scott's advice...set the camera on Shutter Priority, set the shutter at 1/50, ISO at 800 or 1600, and started shooting. HM, Peter Pan, Snow White i think I used 1600. Pirates, Pooh, adn a few others I got away with 800.

So sorry to hear about your bad service at Kona! The service can certainly make or break a meal!

It definitely can But I'm not sworn off Kona yet... I need a few more bad meals before I never go again. I will be eating there eventually!

The nifty fifty should do pretty well in dark rides. You'll also need to bump up the ISO to 800 or 1600 depending on the ride.

yup...what he said

 

[jenny105]

OMG NO...I didn't see the towels!! I'll have to look next time! Definitely try some TS in MK... some people LOVE them! I just ehhh...don't LOVE them.

They definitely have them in the POTC store and even the store in the airport has them. I definitely am going to buy one next trip.

Sorry to hear about Kona!

 

[MyMuse]

So sorry about Kona!

I probably would have made my annoyance known just tapered down a bit - an eye glare mayhaps. lol A prior FL time at my timeshare I got "oh, you Jersey girls, I don't know what to do with you"...I thought my head would implode!

If you didn't want to deal with it then, I would write a letter now explaining the good and the bad during your trip. Just copy parts of your TR.

I usually give places about 3 tries before I don't go back. I hope breakfast is better! I'm still deciding whether to keep the ADR.

I hope your mom had a good night's sleep?

I loved your dark ride pics. I'm going to try taking pics with my schmucky point & shoot and see how it comes out.

 

[tarak]

That really stinks about Kona. I think both Ohana's and Kona get insanely busy - we ended up getting seated 45 minutes late for our Ohana breakfast. I guess they overbook thinking people will cancel and they don't.

We had the Deluxe Dining Plan last December. And I was sick of food by the time we left. I would have been all over that cheesecake, though. I'll eat just about anything with pumpkin in it.

And I agree, your pictures are amazing.

 

[stacikristine]

I'm so sorry about Kona! It was by far our favorite meal of the trip--and we just went a week before you! That really stinks. And your waitress sounds just horrible...

 

[disneygirlinnj]

I'll write back to you guys in a bit but I had to come report... it made me giggle.

I just read Mocharilla's Kona dinner review and she complained that their waitress took forever with the bill and sat and talked to tables for LONG periods of time. I went and checked my receipt? Same waitress!

 

[scoot241]

I'll write back to you guys in a bit but I had to come report... it made me giggle.

I just read Mocharilla's Kona dinner review and she complained that their waitress took forever with the bill and sat and talked to tables for LONG periods of time. I went and checked my receipt? Same waitress!

Did she tell anyone?

 

[disneygirlinnj]

Did she tell anyone?

haha nope lol the rest of her meal was fine except the bill. and the waitress was actually nice other than that! hahahah

 

[OhMari]

I'm going to move t his to our regular boar.
OhMari

 

[disneygirlinnj]

They definitely have them in the POTC store and even the store in the airport has them. I definitely am going to buy one next trip.

Sorry to hear about Kona!

definitely going to look for the towels!

So sorry about Kona!

I probably would have made my annoyance known just tapered down a bit - an eye glare mayhaps. lol A prior FL time at my timeshare I got "oh, you Jersey girls, I don't know what to do with you"...I thought my head would implode!

If you didn't want to deal with it then, I would write a letter now explaining the good and the bad during your trip. Just copy parts of your TR.

I usually give places about 3 tries before I don't go back. I hope breakfast is better! I'm still deciding whether to keep the ADR.

I hope your mom had a good night's sleep?

I loved your dark ride pics. I'm going to try taking pics with my schmucky point & shoot and see how it comes out.

ohhhh....do NOT talk about Jersey girls! hahahaha, I probably would have exploded too I think I will send an email. I know it won't have the same effect and it's always best to say something at the time but just to let them know.

I really enjoyed breakfast there...we even ate breakfast there after our crappy dinner and enjoyed it.

And yup! I think mom had a good nights sleep

That really stinks about Kona. I think both Ohana's and Kona get insanely busy - we ended up getting seated 45 minutes late for our Ohana breakfast. I guess they overbook thinking people will cancel and they don't.

We had the Deluxe Dining Plan last December. And I was sick of food by the time we left. I would have been all over that cheesecake, though. I'll eat just about anything with pumpkin in it.

And I agree, your pictures are amazing.

Thank you! Omg and I'm addicted to anything pumpkin...mmmm!!!

I'm so sorry about Kona! It was by far our favorite meal of the trip--and we just went a week before you! That really stinks. And your waitress sounds just horrible...

I know, I hate how it's so hit and miss with people! And next time BETTER be better!

 

[disneygirlinnj]

Hey guys!! I'm still alive, I promise! It's been seriously crazy lately at work and I don't even want to look at a computer when I get home. This TR is NOT dead, it will get completed eventually. I'm hoping to add another day to it tonight or tomorrow.

And next Sat I'm heading back down for the shuttle launch! EEEK! Still so much to do!

 

[Dizneydawn]

Hi! Thanks for all the good info and great pics! WE are doing Ohanna's this trip - Did Kona's last time and might do breakfast there - but not dinner anytime soon!

 

[Kurby]

wow - what a horrible experience at Kona - i can't believe you still tipped her. i know it was your birthday but i would have asked to speak to the manager - i'm totally understanding when a restaurant is busy but that was totally uncalled for and down right rude.

i would not have tipped for such poor service.

what a shame it was on your birthday too

 

[jordanyosh]

Hey guys!! I'm still alive, I promise! It's been seriously crazy lately at work and I don't even want to look at a computer when I get home. This TR is NOT dead, it will get completed eventually. I'm hoping to add another day to it tonight or tomorrow.

And next Sat I'm heading back down for the shuttle launch! EEEK! Still so much to do!

No worries take your time