Disney is refunding our less than satisfying California Grill meal!

[shakeitup89]

Thanks for the awesome thread! You should post this in the budget board.

I've never been to California Grill (it's always seemed too expensive), but I might try it with a similar strategy now. I'll try to order similar things (that ravioli sounds really tiny), and then complain to get a refund.

Who needs a deluxe dining plan when these restaurants will comp you anyway?

 

[valvalis]

After this comment, I am starting to wonder if your expectations weren't a bit too high. I honestly do not think that it is CG's fault that you left hungry if the food 'tasted great'. If you are a 'big eater' then maybe you should have ordered more and not just expected more.

No offense, but it sounds kind of snobby to tell someone they're unreasonable to think that $140 should fill their stomachs, even if they are a "big eater".

For that money they could have eaten at Ohana twice, all you can eat, with a salad, several appetizers, 4 "main courses", and desert. To think that you'd leave hungry after dropping $140 at a restaurant is ridiculous no matter how high "quality" the food is.

 

[DonaldDoleWhip]

No offense, but it sounds kind of snobby to tell someone they're unreasonable to think that $140 should fill their stomachs, even if they are a "big eater".

For that money they could have eaten at Ohana twice, all you can eat, with a salad, several appetizers, 4 "main courses", and desert. To think that you'd leave hungry after dropping $140 at a restaurant is ridiculous no matter how high "quality" the food is.

Tell that to Le Bernardin in NYC. At $120 per person for dinner, I wouldn't expect to be full, but I'd expect some of the best tasting food I've ever had.

California Grill isn't even near the level of Le Bernardin, but it still represents one of the upscale restaurants in WDW, and that means smaller portions but better quality, creativity, and presentation. If you'd rather go to Ohana twice, that's fine, but it seems wrong to complain about your meal at California Grill if the food actually tasted good. You don't go there to fill your belly (especially if you choose to not order 3 courses).

 

[JacksMama]

I don't see exactly what Disney needed to do to "make this right." Great service, great food and fine dining portions at a signature restaurant? It doesn't seem like they did anything wrong.

I don't get it....

 

[MSLRAC]

No offense, but it sounds kind of snobby to tell someone they're unreasonable to think that $140 should fill their stomachs, even if they are a "big eater".

For that money they could have eaten at Ohana twice, all you can eat, with a salad, several appetizers, 4 "main courses", and desert. To think that you'd leave hungry after dropping $140 at a restaurant is ridiculous no matter how high "quality" the food is.

Where is it written that for $140 you get XX amount of food? If I go to a restaurant, order what I want, eat it all, claim it tasted great but leave hungry, that is my fault, not the restaurant's. If I am still hungry, it is on me to order more food. I think it is beyond ridiculous to complain and then get comped.

We have eaten at CG many times over the years and we have never once left feeling hungry. If anything, we take dessert back to the room because we are too full to eat it at the restaurant. I have had the ravioli in question and yes it is just one but it is pretty big IMO and I would never describe their desserts as "bite size". So I'm sorry but I think the OP's expectations were unrealistic.

 

[valvalis]

Where is it written that for $140 you get XX amount of food? If I go to a restaurant, order what I want, eat it all, claim it tasted great but leave hungry, that is my fault, not the restaurant's. If I am still hungry, it is on me to order more food. I think it is beyond ridiculous to complain and then get comped.

We have eaten at CG many times over the years and we have never once left feeling hungry. If anything, we take dessert back to the room because we are too full to eat it at the restaurant. I have had the ravioli in question and yes it is just one but it is pretty big IMO and I would never describe their desserts as "bite size". So I'm sorry but I think the OP's expectations were unrealistic.

Perhaps the OP should have done an extensive study of the food portions per dollar before going there. Sadly, they expected it to be more reasonable that it is. Was it their fault for not doing their homework? Yes, but I find it unreasonable, personally, that any restaurant could charge $140 for a small portion of food.

Obviously, everyone differs in their outlook. Rich people are obviously accustomed to spending out the butt for their fancy food and look down on people who mistakenly expect to "get their money's worth."

 

[DonaldDoleWhip]

Perhaps the OP should have done an extensive study of the food portions per dollar before going there. Sadly, they expected it to be more reasonable that it is. Was it their fault for not doing their homework? Yes, but I find it unreasonable, personally, that any restaurant could charge $140 for a small portion of food.

Obviously, everyone differs in their outlook. Rich people are obviously accustomed to spending out the butt for their fancy food and look down on people who mistakenly expect to "get their money's worth."

It has nothing to do with being rich or not. As you pointed out, that same money could've gone towards 2 Ohana dinners (or 1 Boma dinner and 1 Ohana dinner, or 1 Ohana dinner and 1 Chef Mickey's dinner, etc). It's all about how you spend your money.

I'm sorry, but Disney isn't a charity, and California Grill (or Jiko, or V&A, or Bluezoo, or any other upscale WDW restaurant) shouldn't have to give refunds because someone is used to Ohana or Sci-Fi portions. Just like Prime Time wouldn't give a refund to an eclectic foodie who's upset that the food is simple but tastes good. That's why people go there - they want basic comfort food that even the pickiest of eaters would enjoy.

 

[Rachaelt]

Perhaps the OP should have done an extensive study of the food portions per dollar before going there. Sadly, they expected it to be more reasonable that it is. Was it their fault for not doing their homework? Yes, but I find it unreasonable, personally, that any restaurant could charge $140 for a small portion of food.

Obviously, everyone differs in their outlook. Rich people are obviously accustomed to spending out the butt for their fancy food and look down on people who mistakenly expect to "get their money's worth."

"Their money's worth" is a subjective term. I could probably have 20 bottles of Ballatore for the price of 1 bottle of Dom Perignon. You have to compare the quality of ingredients and presentation.

 

[MSLRAC]

It has nothing to do with being rich or not. As you pointed out, that same money could've gone towards 2 Ohana dinners (or 1 Boma dinner and 1 Ohana dinner, or 1 Ohana dinner and 1 Chef Mickey's dinner, etc). It's all about how you spend your money.

I'm sorry, but Disney isn't a charity, and California Grill (or Jiko, or V&A, or Bluezoo, or any other upscale WDW restaurant) shouldn't have to give refunds because someone is used to Ohana or Sci-Fi portions. Just like Prime Time wouldn't give a refund to an eclectic foodie who's upset that the food is simple but tastes good. That's why people go there - they want basic comfort food that even the pickiest of eaters would enjoy.

Exactly! CG did absolutely nothing wrong in this case. Meal portions are a matter of personal perception. What leaves one person "unsatisfied" is a meal suitable for sharing to the next person.

 

[corgi_monster]

Agree - if OP was still hungry, OP should have ordered more food.

As long as OP received the same portion size as everyone else in the restaurant, I don't understand why OP gets a refund and nobody else does? Am I missing something here? Did the next table get two pieces of ravioli?

I don't think it's snobby to say that for $140, you might not leave with a full tummy. Different experiences have different price points. A single spoonful of caviar can cost $140 and that won't fill up my tummy. $140 will also buy about 23 value meals at McDonalds. As the diner, it's your responsibility to do the research and decide what's right for you. If you're not going to do adequate research, don't complain. California cuisine has Asian influences, including the small portion sizes.

 

[quirty30]

This thread really has me taken aback. I'm not a light eater by any stretch of the imagination, and I've dined at CG many times. And I've never left hungry. I order a salad of some kind for an appetizer, and usually get the filet or the pork entree, and I'm generally too full for dessert. If I ever truly felt the portion sizes were too small, I'd say something right then and there to my server. I'm inclined to think if the OP complained about the portion sizes when the food was served, management would have let them order something else. (We did just this one time at Coral Reef when DD's child's portion of mahi-mahi was just TINY. They gladly brought her another serving, and it was more substantial. And they didn't charge us any more.) But if you're still hungry AFTER you eat...order something more at your own expense (just like the OP said she would have expected to do.)

I just can't imagine filing a complaint after the fact, given there were no other issues with the quality of the food or service. How do you get "less than magical experience" from "small portion sizes?" IMO, Disney is being very generous in completely reimbursing the OP.

 

[Liandro]

Last month DH and I decided to go to California Grill to celebrate our 10th anniversary. We knew well in advance that the bill was not going to be cheap and that was fine, as long as we got a nice meal in return. We had looked over the menu ahead of time and saw many things that we would be happy to try. I will say that everything we ate was very good! My only complaint was that the portions of every course (except for my DH's $47 steak) was SO TINY! Seriously, my vegetarian pasta dish had maybe 8 bites of food. I've had larger portions of pasta in a frozen Lein Cuisine for $3.00. We both had an appetizer... DH had a $14 ravioli appetizer that came out in this huge dish with ONE ravioli in it. We had no salads, and no desserts. We both had one drink, and probably their cheapest on the menu. Anyways, our bill came to $150! I wouldn't have minded the $150 if we hadn't left the restaurant still feeling hungry!

So anyways, after we returned home from our trip I decided to email guest services about our experience. Obviously many people continue to go to this restaurant and share the same experence we did or it wouldn't be so popular. But regardless we had decided that we were never returning and our special Anniversary dinner was quite disappointing.

Of course, Disney is going to make it right.... they called me over the weekend and apologized for our less than magical experience and is mailing us a Disney gift card to refund our meal!! Thanks Disney, we had already started planning our next year's trip and this a nice little bonus!

I only can advise you never to go and dine at Victoria &Albert's or eat in Europe.
You will not survive the tiny portions there.
I never understood the obsession for big food portions any way.

 

[Liandro]

We're from New Orleans, and we never, ever eat at the "signature" restaurants here in town. We have heard too often of people leaving with a three digit bill and having to pick up pizza on the way home because they're so hungry.

We're doing the Deluxe Dining Plan for our anniversary trip so we can enjoy signature restaurants at Disney without the sticker shock. I know we're paying dearly for our meals, but it will be less painful this way.

We'll be staying at the Contemporary and hope to eat at California Grill at least one night. Thanks for the warning that we should not expect big portions. We're going there more for the view and convenience. Maybe I'll save our reservation for a day when we've been sampling the Food and Wine all day and will focus more on the experience that day than the food.

We also will be on the DL dining plat, we did dis for years in a row. We order what we like.
Still whit the huge amount of food, also at the Cali, we order one appetizer,split it,that the main course because we like different kinds of meat and fish and again split the dessert.
Yes I know it is costing us meal points but who cares?

 

[quirty30]

I only can advise you never to go and dine at Victoria &Albert's or eat in Europe.
You will not survive the tiny portions there.
I never understood the obsession for big food portions any way.

This. I think most restaurant portion sizes in the US are just enormous. Take Cheesecake Factory. There is a chicken entree on the menu there that I can order "to go" and it will easily serve my 2 kids and I. Seriously - it's 3 large breaded chicken cutlets with a light lemon sauce with a huge mound of mashed potatoes and asparagus. I can't imagine 1 person being able to eat the whole thing. And most of the items on their menu could easily serve at least 2 people.

 

[ElizabethB]

The ravioli appetizer has always been one large ravioli. For us, the portions are fine.

The real problem, from my perspective, is how ridiculously high Disney is pushing its pricing, making dining at signature restaurants a very poor value. They seem to be doing this (i) to make the dining plan look like a good deal and (ii) to increase the tips for the waiters (sorry I know I'm not supposed to discuss tipping and this is all I will say).

This means that dining out of pocket is becoming nearly impossible at Disney signature restaurants.

But, on our trip last month we decided we really don't care. The signature restaurants now are so reflective of the dining plan (i.e., one small pre-made off-the-shelf dessert for each person) that paying $11 out of pocket for the desserts they are serving is just madness. With respect to Disney restaurants (and aside from V&A0, we only ate at Jiko and Artist Point on our trip last month -- both meals were rather disappointing -- especially the desserts.

Plus, the waiters now seem to expect everyone to be eating on the dining plan and on the cheap. Service reflects that.

Waiters are always very surprised when we order appetizers since they aren't on the DDP. The good thing about the appetizers is, since they aren't served on the regular DDP, they're actually quite tasty and creative now.

Plus, our Jiko waiter noticed dh was reviewing the reserve wine list and explained to dh that he was on the wrong page --

"Sir, that is the reserve list. You'll want to look on this other page for wines."

"Well, we know it's the reserve list -- we will be purchasing a bottle from the reserve list."

"Really -- gee, I haven't sold one of those bottles in ages."

"We can tell."

We now spend our money at non-Disney restaurants -- Shula's, Il Mulino, Blue Zoo and the Universal restaurants -- Bice, Emeril's.

We're much happier doing that.

 

[Skatetigger]

I have never left CG hungry but we usually start off with a flatbread (ooh so yummy) and honestly I am happy the portions are not huge. I have always found my filet to be just the right size.

I didn't get to go this year for my birthday as both DH and myself were battling food poision so I can't say anything for service there. We did go to Yachtsman for our anniversary and had great service and I thought the food costs were just right.

I think the price is comparable to other restaurants around the country with similar menus and portion sizes.

 

[chris4disney]

After this comment, I am starting to wonder if your expectations weren't a bit too high. I honestly do not think that it is CG's fault that you left hungry if the food 'tasted great'. If you are a 'big eater' then maybe you should have ordered more and not just expected more.

So apparently my "sarcasim font" wasn't working when I typed that comment. I hate it when that happens.

But seriously, yes, my expections were higher for our meal at California Grill. California Grill is supposed to be one of the nicest and most expensive restaurants on Disney Property (beside V & A). So why shouldn't my expectations be higher for all aspects of the dinner. Would I have the same level of expectations for Cosmic Rays? Of course not. And we did look at the menu ahead of time online, but the menu doesn't give pictures of every entree. I'm not sure how much more additional research was neccessary before choosing to eat there.

I didn't ask for a refund on the meal and I didn't expect it. I work in sales/customer service so with my own customers I want to know if they weren't completely satisfied with our product. Sometimes I get legitimate complaints, sometimes I don't. Sometimes we don't even realize one of our products has an issue until several people call us out on it. That was my reason for the email. Should I have said something that night while at dinner if I wasn't completely happy? Probably, but I didn't for what ever reason and choose to email after my trip. Maybe a lot of other people have felt the same about their dining experience at CG and because of it, CG is losing repeat customers (like they have with us). And maybe they aren't. Maybe we are the only people who felt this way about their meal experience and the peeps at CG will say, "this is just one persons complaint, we're not worried about it." And that's fine too.

 

[Ron from Michigan]

I'm sorry to read that you were disapointed in CG. We have been dining here sat least twice a year since it opened and have always enjoyed our meals and service. We dined there again in October and had another wonderful meal. We started with one of there fantastic flatbreads and next I had California Roll of there sushi menu. For my entree I had my favorite dish Pork tenderloin w/ creamy polenta ( I'm getting hungry just thinking about it now) I had a glass of wine with dinner and coffee after dinner. Dinner was spaced just perfect a little over 2 hours. Can't wait till our next meal at our favorite restuarant California Grill.

 

[chris4disney]

I have never left CG hungry but we usually start off with a flatbread (ooh so yummy) and honestly I am happy the portions are not huge. I have always found my filet to be just the right size.

I didn't get to go this year for my birthday as both DH and myself were battling food poision so I can't say anything for service there. We did go to Yachtsman for our anniversary and had great service and I thought the food costs were just right.

I think the price is comparable to other restaurants around the country with similar menus and portion sizes.

We have also eaten at Yachtsman and were very happy with our meal!

 

[NOLA_Tink]

No, we were not on the dining plan. And I suppose I could have complained to the server, but at the time, I guess I didn't want to make a big fuss about it. If the food tasted bad or the service was horrible, of course I would have said something right away. But what would I say to the waitress... "hey, the food tasted great, but I'm a big eater and still hungry. Can you send out another round and not charge me for it?" We did not have dessert because we were watching the other desserts come out from the kitchen and they two were just bite size for big $$. It really wasn't until after we got the bill, paid and left, that I had more time to look back on what we actually ate and it bothered me enough to send the email.

I'm not sure what I expected them to do with my emailed complaint. I was happy with anything they were willing to offer. Even if it was just a couple pins.

Sounds like you had buyers remorse and/or sticker shock after spending $140 on dinner. If your true complaint was portion size, it was very unreasonable and dishonest to write a portion-size complaint letter for a meal that included your husband's steak (which you claimed in your first post was $47 and large) and your adult beverages (which I'm sure you were aware of the price when you ordered them). Although you claim that you didn't expect a refund, why else would you really go through the effort of sending an e-mail without actually expecting a refund? You should have been honest with yourself before hand and come to the realization that you weren't okay with spending that much money on dinner. I know you don't think you were scamming them, but it's not their fault that they gave you great food & great service!