Chef Mickey's & "To Go"

[Disneyadore]

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.

Why did you not just a pizza at POR when you got back to your room?

Its obviously you are not allowed to take food home from a buffet.

If they allow you to do so they got complainers and demander's in five minutes that will do the same thing and soon you'll be seeing people walking out the door with full plates for others who never paid for the food.

Disney did a wise thing to say no to you.

 

[kaytieeldr]

The food was fine,

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.

I'm confused. How could a diner know the food was fine if the diner ate nothing at all?

Your server could have been a little less snotty

Too, the 'attitude' could have been a matter of perception. It could have been in response to the way the OP asked, or it could have just been the server's surprise that anyone would ask for/expect food to go from a buffet.

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

Sorry your little one was sick on your first night of vacation, OP. Not a nice way to start off a holiday.

That said, in response to your original question, I guess my philosophy is "A crisis on my part does not necessarily denote a crisis for someone else". We were at Chef Mickeys on January 11th and it was extremely busy. I can only imagine that your server just may not have had enough moments to worry about your sick child, as she was also trying to ensure a good time for the rest of the guests she was taking care of. Does it royally stink for you and your family? You bet. But I guess I just wouldn't put the onus on the Chef Mickeys staff to "fix" my dilemma. Disney is full of magic, yes. But my problem is ultimately MY problem.

Would I have expected (or even asked for) a "to go" container? No. Like many previous posters have said, you pay the same whether you eat one bite or several platefuls. That's just the way the meals are set up. If my son was feeling under the weather AT ALL, I would have cancelled the reservation and hung out at the resort until he was feeling well again. Our son is now 13 and we've been there, done that. Again, not fun, but I think it would have worked out better in the end for all of you. After all, your experience at Chef Mickey's didn't seem to turn out well in the end, according to your post. Would have been better to skip it altogether. Particularly when your resort (POR) offered pizza that you could have eaten in your room.

As far as your kids being bothered by the characters coming around while they were eating, I guess if that were one of my concerns, I would have quietly asked the waitress if she could have the characters pass by your table if at all possible. Character meals are full of activity (as you now know) and they should be avoided if you're worried your little ones may not focus at all on their food. I guess, though, that I (personally) would rather have my son eat NOTHING at all and have tons and tons of fun meeting the Disney characters and getting boatloads of pictures than missing out on the magic the character interaction provides for kids. A quick trip to the food court on the way back to the room for a healthy snack would have solved any late-night hungry belly issues. Because honestly, those kinds of childhood moments don't last long enough....you can top up a tummy any time. Enjoy their childhood excitement!

Here's hoping for a better vacation your next time around.

 

[frank1969]

Why did you not just a pizza at POR when you got back to your room?

Its obviously you are not allowed to take food home from a buffet.

If they allow you to do so they got complainers and demander's in five minutes that will do the same thing and soon you'll be seeing people walking out the door with full plates for others who never paid for the food.

Disney did a wise thing to say no to you.

Given the situation with a sick child, and the short amount of time we spent there, I didn't think the request for a takeout box was unreasonable. Sorry.

 

[dizkids]

If they let you leave with a takeout box then the next family will want one and so on and so on and so on.

If you asked the server to get a manager I bet they would have done something..maybe a birthday cupcake in a box to go...who knows but you didnt ask.

I never saw anything in your post about tipping so no comment.

 

[LexPlayer]

Sorry Frank, you're not going to persuade many of the Disney-defenders on this Board. However, that being said, your request for a to-go box was not necessarily unreasonable, but the servers don't have the outright authority to do so. Could the waitress have done it anyway or otherwise asked a manager to come and address your concerns? Of course, but that was not her obligation. At that point you could have equally asked to speak with a manager. Also, if you wanted a couple of cookies, you could have easily thrown a few in a bag.

As an aside, I think the most troublesome aspect of your situation is the "complaining" of character interaction. It's like to a sushi restaurant when you don't like sushi.

Anyway, I am sorry about what happened and I hope the rest of the vacation was enjoyable.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Sorry Frank, you're not going to persuade many of the Disney-defenders on this Board.

For the record, the general opinion has nothing to do with being a Disney-realist.

We would have the same answers if the OP had been at CeCe's Pizza, or Golden Corral, or Bally's (Las Vegas) Sterling Champagne Brunch Buffet*.

It's just the nature of a buffet. Now, there used to be a Chinese restaurant here that had a buffet - or an a la carte menu, for diners who wanted that - which DID allow, for a price somewhat higher than the dine-in buffet price, people to fill ONE to-go styrofoam container from the buffet. But that was standard policy, and the pricing reflected the likelihood that diners would stock up on the "good" stuff.

*Yes, I know it doesn't exist any more; but it didn't close all that long ago, and it WAS the most expensive buffet in the city.

 

[catne]

For the record, the general opinion has nothing to do with being a Disney-realist.

We would have the same answers if the OP had been at CeCe's Pizza, or Golden Corral, or Bally's (Las Vegas) Sterling Champagne Brunch Buffet*.

It's just the nature of a buffet. Now, there used to be a Chinese restaurant here that had a buffet - or an a la carte menu, for diners who wanted that - which DID allow, for a price somewhat higher than the dine-in buffet price, people to fill ONE to-go styrofoam container from the buffet. But that was standard policy, and the pricing reflected the likelihood that diners would stock up on the "good" stuff.

*Yes, I know it doesn't exist any more; but it didn't close all that long ago, and it WAS the most expensive buffet in the city.

The Golden Corral in our area does actually sell "to go" food, but it's not the regular buffet price. They sell the food by the pound...you put whatever you want in the to-go boxes and they weigh it. I think it was $5.99 lb. last time I checked. But you have to order this way when you come in - you can't pay the buffet price & then take to-go containers of food.

 

[racefanof88]

The Golden Corral in our area does actually sell "to go" food, but it's not the regular buffet price. They sell the food by the pound...you put whatever you want in the to-go boxes and they weigh it. I think it was $5.99 lb. last time I checked. But you have to order this way when you come in - you can't pay the buffet price & then take to-go containers of food.

I was going to say the same thing..... We have a Pizza Hut buffet and a couple of Chinese buffets that do it too.

 

[aubriee]

Given the situation with a sick child, and the short amount of time we spent there, I didn't think the request for a takeout box was unreasonable. Sorry.

I still don't think Chef Mickey's owed you a to go box. The rest of the family could have stayed and enjoyed their meal.

If it makes you feel any better, I made the mistake of taking my GD to Crystal Palace several years ago, when she was exhausted. It was my mistake, not theirs. She didn't want anything to do with the characters and literally refused to even taste a bite. Instead she tried to lay down on the bench and whined. I paid for our meals and left without her even looking at the buffet and me having no more than a couple sips of water, that I managed to get while my son (her dad) was at the buffet. As soon as he came back from the buffet and we realized she wasn't able to cooperate, we immediately asked for our ticket and left, without either her or I taking a bite and my son getting only the few bites he managed, while we were waiting for our ticket. I still paid for all three of us and expected to do so, even though we did not eat and didn't get to see even one character.

 

[kaytieeldr]

The Golden Corral in our area does actually sell "to go" food, but it's not the regular buffet price.

was going to say the same thing....

Wow, thanks! I used Golden Corral as an example because they advertise on either USA Network or Bravo (the only two channels I "need" ). I've never been to one, and I'm not sure I've ever even seen one!

 

[DisCopper]

Frank-
I found this thread after reading (and posting on) your thread about Port Orleans complaints.

I wasn't on your side there, but I think I am here.

I would have asked for the manager, explained the situation, and asked if they could pick out some small dessert treats for a to-go box (for the kids who weren't sick). That would have been realistic and appropriate.

On the other hand, they have rules like "No to-go boxes!" specifically because people will take advantage of the situation. And there are plenty of people out there who would fake a situation like this in order to get the extra food (hopefully not on the DisBoards). I worked in the hotel industry for years and people demanded free rooms for every reason you can think of. We also went to court with a man who claimed to have slipped and fallen down- we clearly had him on video camera carefully laying down on the floor and then beginning to scream. He didn't get a free room and his lawsuit was thrown out.

Additionally, if the rest of Chef Mickey's saw you getting a to-go box, you can bet that others would have been screaming for the same.

So, it can be difficult for managers to make decisions when they can't easily determine who's lying. I would assume that your situation was bad enough where a reasonable manager could have seen that filling a small request might be ok... so I vote on your side with this one.

 

[delmar411]

I think a lot of ppl have huge misconceptions about buffets. My DH is a general manager for one of the ones already mentioned in this thread and they do give refunds for various reasons including many of the ones listed here.

He's excellent at spotting a scammer and if pushed will give a refund but they do track those things with your name and number(requires photo ID) so you can't do it again.

Anyway, I already posted at the beginning of the thread what they would have done for him had he asked for a manager. WDW is in the business of making money not giving it away so you need to be the advocate for your own family. Sitting idling by, complaining after the fact won't get you far in this world.

 

[smiths02]

Not only are you paying for the buffet, but also the character experience (entertainment).

I personally would not enter a buffet and then ask for "to go." I MIGHT ask for it to be comped or some sort of discount (pay for only a few in the party) if I really did not eat anything. (But you did eat something?) But I would expect it to be their discretion. I would think it would be reasonable for them to say no.

Also, there are just lots of things where you don't get refunds, sorry. Concert tickets, circus, movie, etc. Would you go to a concert and leave after 10 minutes and say you wanted your money back or a cd to go? Probably not.