Grumpy arrived at Coral reef, ugh....

[Minniespal]

I would have asked for a Manager

 

[7onbuzz]

It's unfortunate that you had this experience since so many of the cast members do such an outstanding job. The DW and I love the coral reef because the food has always been excellent and we've always had great service. Two years in a row we got the same server. He remembered us and the service was excellent, even though we were on the DDP on one of our visits. We also like the CR because we enjoy doing dive quest and looking into the restaurant from the aquarium is even more fun than looking out from the dining room.
The DW and I like to acknowledge cast members who do a good job, but I agree with some of the other posters that you should let the manager know about extremely sub par service. It doesn't sound like your waiter was just having an off day.
One last thing. The DW told me that the CR is now down to just one wish on the DDP instead of two. Anyone know why that is?

 

[pirateofthecarolinas]

That was his name too funny, wish I had perused the manager issue. I did attempt to locate a manager and expalin what was happening . THe lobby was packed and all she did wsa redirect him to where our table was as maybe he was lost! Great help! Thank you for your story, vacation dining should not be a place for me to do battle. Thats my job when I am not on vacation. I wanted to keep the tone upbeat as getting my DH to Disney was an adventure in itself. Thankfully he loved our resort and most of the dining picks. He has said he did love the cheesecake! Thank GOd for the cheesecake!

Glad your husband enjoyed his dessert. After having been there for 2 hours for lunch and still didn't have the dessert menu, we decided to leave. We were his first table of the day! The manager also said that maybe he was LOST. She said our service was inexplicable. She just couldn't explain it.

I do want to tell everyone reading this thread that the other tables around us were receiving outstanding service. Our food was delicious. I don't want to deter anyone from going to CR. We unfortunately had a forgetful, absent waiter.

Lori

 

[Tinker*Shell*Bell]

So If I get there and the name tag on the waiter says Luis and he doesn't write down the order should I just get a manager immediately? With a group of 8 I don't want a 2 hour meal with all the wrong foods....WWYD?

 

[stitch63]

Maybe the servers are characters from Nemo and your waiter was Dory... (sorry no blue fish to pick from) Seriously, I would have found a manager and wrote a letter when I returned home. I'm glad we're not going during free dining, just during Memorial Day Weekend!!!

 

[MaryPA]

Sorry your experience wasn't magical. We have not eaten there yet.

Have to tell you, loved the way you wrote your 'review'!

 

[jarrdisney]

Yet another casuality of the DDP. I would have asked for a manager. It's great that you were such a good sport about it. Hope you had better meals the rest of your trip!

 

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

On the one hand, I'd ask for a manager.
But on the other, it's Epcot, you just want to get out of there and get on with things and simply scratch it off the list rather than waste ANOTHER miserable hour getting justice.

 

[joyeric]

Oh I hope we don't get that waiter in June. My DD20 is excited about eating here, she remembers it from the "Full House" episode. My DH will not be as calm as yours was, he will be speaking to the manager and the second mistake. I would change our reservations except it was DD only request for our whole 8 day trip. Guess I'll get my fingers crossed.

 

[jiminyC_fan]

OMG, I pray that doesn't happen to us in Sept. Dear ol'hubby will turn into GRUMPY as well. Yikes. That was bad!

 

[Firebug]

I did the same thing at another restaurant that I had bad service at. I figured I'd save the situation (or at least try to ) rather than get all upset and talk to someone about it. I definitely grabbed someone at the end though.

I would have left a "tip" on the receipt: "start writing down your orders buddy, maybe next time you'll get a monetary tip!"


I'd also like his name- we're going in September!!!

The server already got his 18% tip. It is included with the dining plan.

FB

 

[dbk1029]

I can't stand incompetant servers. I would have called for a manager at the second mistake myself. If you are paying your hard earned money for something (food, clothes, whatever) you deserve to get what you want and have every right to send it back/complain if it isn't what you ordered.

 

[buzzmom3]

Please don't let me get Luis in October! My DH is a little grumpy to begin with but if he doesn't get to eat You had the right attitude, though.

 

[my4kids]

I had a similar experience there in Oct. I hated the place. It would be nice if it had food and service to live up to the price....I thought the restaurant had a peculiar odor too, (like dirty fish tank water in a basement with no windows).

Heres the thing...just having waiters that don't write down your order does not make your restaurant fancy...they need to be able to back it up with actually REMEMBERING the order.....very few waiters are professional enough to handle this..and if they are that good they aren't going to be serving DDP people with no tips at CR in Epcot. Just give them a pad and pen...we don't think your smelly restaurant is fancy anyway...it is still a theme park.

 

[LuvTony0508]

I have eaten at Coral Reef before and I have to say, service and food were awesome and we sat across from the tank. There were 8 or 9 of us and everything was above par. Now, if hubby's coffee isn't refilled quickly enough he starts to have a fit! I feel sorry for Luis if we get him this year!!!! We're not so tolerant. I give the Disney Peace Prize to that family, KUDOS.

 

[Firebug]

I had a similar experience there in Oct. I hated the place. It would be nice if it had food and service to live up to the price....I thought the restaurant had a peculiar odor too, (like dirty fish tank water in a basement with no windows).

Heres the thing...just having waiters that don't write down your order does not make your restaurant fancy...they need to be able to back it up with actually REMEMBERING the order.....very few waiters are professional enough to handle this..and if they are that good they aren't going to be serving DDP people with no tips at CR in Epcot. Just give them a pad and pen...we don't think your smelly restaurant is fancy anyway...it is still a theme park.

Again, waiters that are serving guests on the DDP are GETTING an 18% tip no matter what. It is not true that they are not getting tipped.

FB

 

[DisOrBust]

I do remember a Diser who had really BAD service at LeCi. talk to the manager and ask that the tip be removed from the DDP.

 

[BlindTyldak]

Ack, I hope the service hasn't gone down by the next time we go back in November . . . I can't count the number of times we've been there - several times per trip - and I've always gotten some of the best service there and the food was excellent. But I'm the type of person who has no qualms about "strike three, I'm going to your manager and taking you down now".

 

[Ava]

So my soup arrives, waiter forgot his salad, as they do not write down what you order (this should only be done by those who can remember your order - just my opinion!)

I SO agree with you there! My DP & I were at Olive Garden last night and our waiter brought her the wrong entree because he did not write down our order! She ordered portobello ravioli, he brought out seafood portofino! I guess when he got to the computer to enter our order he figured "portofino" sounded like what she said. Oy. I was almost finished eating (she insisted I eat so mine wouldn't get cold) by the time she got her food.

He was good other than that, so we weren't going to withold tip... not that we'd have been able to anyway, in NYC a lot of places add in 15% tip automatically. I guess if we'd had really horrible service we could have asked the manager to remove the tip from our bill.

 

[my4kids]

Again, waiters that are serving guests on the DDP are GETTING an 18% tip no matter what. It is not true that they are not getting tipped.

FB

Yeah I know....but what I mean is the tip is the same no matter how bad the service is...there is just no incentive for them to wow you. 18% or not, a truly professional waiter that nails the order with out writing it down still ain't gonna be workin at CR.