Chef Mickey's & "To Go"

[frank1969]

We sat down for dinner at Chef Mickey's which is considered a table service restaurant even though it is 100% a buffet. A joke if you ask me. It seems every 2 minutes another character is approaching your table distracting your kids from Chef Mickey's over-priced buffet.

Our dinner went like this... we had an 8:30pm reservation and didn't get seated until 9pm. We are seated at a nice comfortable round table for 5 and the waitress takes our drink orders and we are told to "help ourselves" to the buffet.

The food was fine, and there was plenty of it as usual. The key is to find a chance to eat it, while the never ending flow of characters stops for pictures at your table. I know, I know, I know... This is exactly what character dining is all about but at this point of our first day. My wife and I just want the kids to eat and for us to be able to relax a bit.

Here now is where things get unusual. One of my kids is running a 101 degree temperature at dinner and we are forced to leave before feeding ourselves. We asked the waitress if we could take a desert plate as one of the kids is sick, and she said "NO" in a rather annoyed fashion.

We were seated at 9PM and our check was issued at 9:17PM. 17 minutes to feed three kids and ourselves while Mickey, Donald and company parade passed the table. Gimme a break!!!

Do you think the waitress should have handled this differently?

-frank

 

[catne]

I don't have any problem with the suggested amounts printed on the receipts (there's a lot of people out there that can't or won't "do the math") It is a suggested amount, not a demand. And part of the reason they print it on there is because some foreign visitors are not accustomed to tipping practices in the U.S., so it's a heads-up for them.

Not allowing any "to go" containers is standard at virtually every buffet we've ever been to, whether or not it is Disney. The big difference is, had you talked to a manager, they might have done something different for you at Disney, given the circumstances.

Sorry your child got sick, though, that's no fun on vacation!

 

[delmar411]

well not all vistors to WDW are US based so yes putting the suggested tip amounts on there is vital to the servers actually getting tipped.

And if you had spoken to a manager they would have done one of 3 things for you.

a) given you to go containers so you could get your meal

b) comp'd the whole thing

c) done both a & b

BTDT at Chef Mickeys and as we all got to eat except one kiddo they did A for us. Extremely accommodating and understanding. The server however had her hands tied and all it took was the manager to deal with it.

 

[TDC Nala]

Buffets don't do to go. I don't think buffets ever do anything to go for any reason. Had this been a restaurant that wasn't a buffet, you would not have had a problem at the server level with food to go, most likely.

Due to the special circumstances I also would have suggested speaking to a manager. They alone would have the power to override the policy.

 

[kathie859]

Calculating a suggested tip is a real kindness for math impaired people (like my DH!!!!!) I even bought him a little card to put in his wallet that gives the appropriate tip based on the amount of the check--he still screws it up

 

[TDC Nala]

Tipping issues should be discussed on the Tipping Information Thread at
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2056032

It is useful information for parents that booking a character buffet may not be the best thing to do if your intent is to have the children concentrate on the food, or to have a relaxing meal. Eating is a by-product at a character meal, and relaxation is nonexistent whether you have children with you or not.

 

[Pumbaa_]

thats a tough one., i think i would have takent he sick one back to the room and let the rest of the family finish dinner. not sure if that was an option or not

i think at a buffet, once you get a plate, you have committed to dinner, whether you have 1 bite or 5 plates, it is one price. sorry it worked out that way for you and hope your little one got better quickly

 

[Luv2Roam]

I think you will read replies you will not like because of various reasons.
Buffets are sit down/table service meals.
This is the first post I ever recall where a parent is complaining of too much character interaction at a character meal. If it really was bad timing, I would just nicely ask them to cut the visit short.
"My wife and I just want the kids to eat and for us to be able to relax a bit."
Umm.... Chef Mickey's is NOT the place for that. That would be like going to WCC and expecting everyone to be extremely quiet.
It would have been better to cancel the res, even if it just means walking up to the podium and telling them that, and go to the food court counter service instead.
I too would have asked for the manager and explained the situation. I imagine they hear that a lot and work around it.
Evidently there was a tip issue too originally.
However I guess you will know more what to expect at future restaurants.

 

[GoofyMomInOhio]

During our Aug 08 trip, my DD5 cut her eye with her magic wand (not so magical after all) on the way to our breakfast reservations at Chef Mickey's. She ended up under the table screaming the whole time and not eating a bite - Sorry to those of you sitting next to us and thanks for your patience! I tried distraction and walking her around the hotel but nothing helped. The server kindly allowed us to take a couple bananas with us when we left that she could eat later (I think she just secretly was glad we were leaving but was really nice to us). We asked nicely but understood if they would have said no. Sorry your child got sick. There is nothing worse then when your child is sick, especially at Disney World.

 

[aubriee]

I'm afraid you are not going to like my answer at all, but I have to wonder why you even took a child that was running 101 temp out to dinner in the first place, and especially that late. If the child was that sick you would have known before you even got to Chef Mickey's. Why would you expose other diners to her?

Since you did choose to take a sick child into Chef Mickeys, when you saw the child was too sick to stay, why not let one parent leave with the child and let the others stay and enjoy their meal? Since you chose for all of you to leave, then yes you should have been charged for the meal. Sorry, but I don't see what you are upset about. You knew the price of the meal when you chose to go there and also knew you little one was sick and may not be able to stay. As far as I know, no buffet allows to go boxes.

 

[Luv2Roam]

That's what I wondered about the fever too. That was a fast acting fever.

One of my kids is running a 101 degree temperature at dinner

And they were only there 17 minutes. Figured too the kid just did not all of a sudden get a fever in less than an hour. Now being out may have pushed it up further.
Fever = stay in the room and get well. Order room service. Have someone get some food to go and bring back to the room.
Not fun on a vacation. But what the OP did was no fun either. They would have been better off grabbing something to go and rest in their room.

 

[duffy]

Really high expectations here. I've never eaten at a buffet that let me take things to go.

If your child was running a fever, you should not have taken her. I've had kids suddenly start to run a fever, if she got hers after you were seated, one of the adults could BE the adult and could have taken her back to your room.

Now you know what a character meal is like. There are characters, and they walk around greeting people. Surely you realized that when you got there. If not, you could have left before you were seated. It's not a place to "relax a bit."

 

[got2luvtink]

Hi frank1969,

In the poll I chose, speak to a manager, because they ultimately have the authority to decide something like that. I actually had a similar situation at Boma in which one of my children got sick, and I had to leave with one of them to go to the hospital. It was a situation that just happened right there at the restaurant, no way around it. The manager came over and took care of us personally. He told my husband he could take a "to go" box for me, and I left with my little one.


I saw the ages of your kids in another post, and if my kids were that age, that late at night, I would have packed up the entire gang and left too.

Sorry your trip to Chef Mickey's didn't go as planned. Saying that a lot of our trip didn't go the way we planned either, would be an understatement. But the good times far out weighed the bad, and overall, we had a really great trip. I'm sure you feel that way too.

 

[Winue]

like others have said, I would not have expected to take any food "to go" at a buffet. Although I may have asked a manager just to see what they would say, given the situation.

Re the tipping, I agree that it should be listed as some people have no clue what to tip, and it gives you an idea.

 

[Allison]

Buffets are not designed to be "to go".

You experienced getting seated, a parade of characters, experiencing at least some food because you said it was fine, decided your child was too sick to be there, asked for a to go box, were refused and had your check in 17 minutes.

Wow. I thought I moved fast.

 

[patsal]

I didn't vote since nothing I would have done was mentioned. I would not have planed a character meal on arrival day for that late an ADR, and I would have had tylenol or advil with me for when my child spiked a fever--based on your reading her temp at 101 you had a thermometer with you? Yes I did carry it around in my bag at all times, you just never know. If I did decide to dine that night I would have taken the sick child with me to the room while DH took the others to dinner.

 

[frank1969]

I'm afraid you are not going to like my answer at all, but I have to wonder why you even took a child that was running 101 temp out to dinner in the first place, and especially that late. If the child was that sick you would have known before you even got to Chef Mickey's. Why would you expose other diners to her?

Since you did choose to take a sick child into Chef Mickeys, when you saw the child was too sick to stay, why not let one parent leave with the child and let the others stay and enjoy their meal? Since you chose for all of you to leave, then yes you should have been charged for the meal. Sorry, but I don't see what you are upset about. You knew the price of the meal when you chose to go there and also knew you little one was sick and may not be able to stay. As far as I know, no buffet allows to go boxes.

First of all, we didn't know our 6 year old was sick until he began complaining that he was cold. We felt his head and it was pretty hot. Took his temp right away. As far as the cost of the meal, I was only noting my displeasure with the "suggested tipping" amounts on the check. My question to you is, would it have killed Chef Mickey's to give us a single takeout plate? We obviously ate nothing at all. Even a desert cookie would have been appreciated.

 

[TDC Nala]

It probably would not have killed Chef Mickeys - but since you did not speak to a manager, you won't know if they were willing to do it or not. Buffets have a rule that says no food to go. Servers are probably not going to break that rule without input from a manager.

Your server could have been a little less snotty or volunteered to get a manager, but that doesn't change the fact that you can't get to go from a buffet.

 

[duffy]

I dunno, Frank, it still sounds bizarre to me, maybe I'm just not getting it.

I know from your post on being "dissapointed" (sic) in Port Orleans that you have the 6-year old and twins that are 2 years old. Why couldn't you or your wife have taken the 6-year old back to the room and left the other to enjoy their meal and the characters? Nobody got to eat anything? I bet the twins were disappointed.

I know fevers can come on fast, but quite honestly, I would have just held my child and tried to eat something, not make all 5 of us leave. If my child felt a little warm, I would not have spoiled dinner for everyone else by making them ALL leave. And in case you're wondering, I also have 3 kids. They are 25, 23 and 13, but I've had to do the tough thing and miss an event because someone was sick. I didn't make everybody miss out, though.

What's the big deal on tipping suggestions? A lot of restaurants do this nowadays.

I still think expecting a "to go" plate was quite unreasonable. Have you ever tried that at another buffet?

Did the 6-year old get to enjoy the parks the next day?

 

[TDC Nala]

This is not a thread about tipping. All tipping questions and discussion should be addressed to the tipping information thread. Further discussion of tipping in this thread will close it.

Please also stick to the topic discussion about food to go from a buffet and refrain from discussing how you feel the OP should have dealt with a sick child.