I became fed up and walked out of Ohana. Was I being unreasonable?

[AmyB2006]

Free dining has nothing to do with the restaurants at all. It's a resort discount.

Free dining along with the dining plan in general have definitely brought down the overall quality and service of the restaurants at Disney.

I don't know if it was me you were referring to or not, but not until the advent of DDP did the quality start to go down.

 

[TDC Nala]

One of the previous posters said that guests on free dining should probably expect bad restaurant service.

Not by itself. The restaurants don't pay for free dining, the resorts do. The restaurant has no idea if you paid for that dining plan or not, unless you tell them.

Such complaints as the perceived decline of quality and service in the restaurants, if it can be laid at the feet of the dining plan, would apply to the whole dining plan program. Not specifically to free dining, which is nothing more than a resort discount.

 

[tinkerbellybutton]

No I don't think you overreacted. If you had been waiting patiently all that time and then see someone else just sit down and be served, you were totally in your rights to leave. I would have. The response from the manager was ridiculous! If after waiting all that time then have you wait another 20 minutes for more crappy service that is uncalled for. She needed to be kicking her staffs butt and do better customer service.

Unless I misunderstood the original post the reason for the 20 minute wait for another table is because the OP left their table, and another family was probably seated at it before OP talked to a manager. What do you want the manager to do? Kick the other family out so the OP could have his table back?

What the OP should have done is ask for a manager while the other guest in his/her party remained at the table. This way the manager could have tried to make things better and they would still have their original table. Not much can be done in a packed restaurant if you've already left your table and another party has been seated at it.

I don't know if I think OP over reacted, but I do think the outcome could have been different if OP handled the situation different. Talking to the manager on the way out didn't/couldn't do much to resolve the problem. Asking to speak to a manager before storming off will almost always result in a more satisfactory solution.

As far as the initial wait to be seated, at that time in the evening it's really come to be expected that you'll have a bit of a long wait as it gets close to fireworks time. I don't think there is much you can do about that. They always try to move the meal along as best they can, but some parties take longer than others.

Sorry you had a less than magical experience. We have had dinner at Ohana's probably over 15 times now. Other than the sometimes long wait to be seated we have never had crappy service and the food was always excellent. I hope you give it another try.

 

[tinkerbellybutton]

Did you miss where the managers solution was wait 20 more minuted. What good was asking for a manager going to do? LOL

Did YOU miss the part that the OP and his party left their table first, then asked to speak to a manager????

Once they left their table and another party was seated at it there isn't much the manager can do other than offer them the next available table. They surely can't ask another family to leave because OP reacted too quickly and basically "gave up" his table as he walked out before speaking to a manager.

 

[TDC Nala]

Unless I'm reading the OP incorrectly, the OP left the table but their brother did not, and they were waiting for drink orders to be taken. They decided to leave after seeing a party that had been seated at least 10 minutes after them, approached for their drink order, when they had not yet been approached - not even when the brother was still sitting there.

Then, they decide that they are leaving. The manager offers to move them to a different server's station and they refuse.

Their problem is not with the table being given to another party. It is with the server's neglect to make a timely approach to them and take their drink order once they were seated.

 

[tinkerbellybutton]

Unless I'm reading the OP incorrectly, the OP left the table but their brother did not, and they were waiting for drink orders to be taken. They decided to leave after seeing a party that had been seated at least 10 minutes after them, approached for their drink order, when they had not yet been approached - not even when the brother was still sitting there.

Then, they decide that they are leaving. The manager offers to move them to a different server's station and they refuse.

Their problem is not with the table being given to another party. It is with the server's neglect to make a timely approach to them and take their drink order once they were seated.

Obviously we are reading it differently.

Yes, the initial problem was that a server didn't make a timely approach, but that's not the reason for the additional 20 minute wait, as far as I can tell.

From what I read it seems that both the OP and the brother decide they are leaving. They ask for a manager after leaving their table, on their way out of the restaurant, to let them know why they are leaving. At that point their table was probably already assigned to the next party. I never read that the 20 minute wait was to "move them to a different server's section", not sure where you read that or if I just missed it. As far as I can tell the 20 minutes is for another table since they both left their table with the intention of leaving the restaurant. The thing to do would have been to get a manager involved before giving up the table to leave. If all tables are occupied there is nothing more the manager can do but offer the next available table, which was estimated to be around a 20 minute wait.

 

[TDC Nala]

Yes, but since they didn't want to return, the 20 minute wait for another table was irrelevant. That was something the manager offered to try and get them to stay. It isn't the reason they left in the first place, and it doesn't shift the responsibility to them for leaving the table. They left because they observed the serving staff taking orders from people who had been seated after they had.

 

[tinkerbellybutton]

Yes, but since they didn't want to return, the 20 minute wait for another table was irrelevant. That was something the manager offered to try and get them to stay. It isn't the reason they left in the first place, and it doesn't shift the responsibility to them for leaving the table. They left because they observed the serving staff taking orders from people who had been seated after they had.

I understand completely what the initial issue was, and I am not trying to shift fault to the OP for the lack of service they received.

My comment about the 20 minute wait was directed at several people, one whom I quoted in my initial post, who kept commenting that the OP shouldn't have had to wait another 20 minutes for another table. While the issue the OP had about non existent service was definitely at the fault of the restaurant, the 20 minute wait that was offered to OP was because they decided to leave/abandon their table. I am not shifting the blame to anyone, but many posters were acting like the additional 20 minute wait was a "ridiculous" solution, but at that point there isn't much else that could be done if the table has been reassigned. The additional 20 minute wait was the result of the OP' s actions. But I do agree with you, if their intention was to leave then the 20 minute wait is irrelevant. However, they did go back another night so apparently they really did want to dine here. A lot of time could have been saved if the OP would have asked for a manager before "abandoning ship". Lol.

 

[MyTwoPrincesses]

I won't go back to 'Ohana. It was fun, the food was fine, but I had an ADR back in 2011 at around 6:30 and was not seated for a full 50 minutes after ADR time, even though I checked in a bit early. We waited - it was free dining over Mardi Gras, so I didn't want to mess around trying to find somewhere else to eat with 3 kids ages 6 and under. Plus, I'm generally not the type to just leave. However, I would be very hesitant to go back.

I think you were completely reasonable to leave. I do get that ADRs aren't reservations. but there is no reason for them to seat people with no ADR first or to completely ignore you.

 

[AmyB2006]

I understand completely what the initial issue was, and I am not trying to shift fault to the OP for the lack of service they received. My comment about the 20 minute wait was directed at several people, one whom I quoted in my initial post, who kept commenting that the OP shouldn't have had to wait another 20 minutes for another table. While the issue the OP had about non existent service was definitely at the fault of the restaurant, the 20 minute wait that was offered to OP was because they decided to leave/abandon their table. I am not shifting the blame to anyone, but many posters were acting like the additional 20 minute wait was a "ridiculous" solution, but at that point there isn't much else that could be done if the table has been reassigned. The additional 20 minute wait was the result of the OP' s actions. But I do agree with you, if their intention was to leave then the 20 minute wait is irrelevant. However, they did go back another night so apparently they really did want to dine here. A lot of time could have been saved if the OP would have asked for a manager before "abandoning ship". Lol.

I tend to agree, ask for a manager before you get up from your table. But the OP was angry and probably wasn't thinking 100% clearly maybe. Either way, a 20 minute additional wait is still ridiculous IMO. That's when the restaurant should have sat them at whatever table was empty. There are always empty tables. They could have bumped the next reservation waiting to the next table available. You don't make someone in this instance wait another 20 minutes to fix your screw up.

 

[tinkerbellybutton]

I tend to agree, ask for a manager before you get up from your table. But the OP was angry and probably wasn't thinking 100% clearly maybe. Either way, a 20 minute additional wait is still ridiculous IMO. That's when the restaurant should have sat them at whatever table was empty. There are always empty tables. They could have bumped the next reservation waiting to the next table available. You don't make someone in this instance wait another 20 minutes to fix your screw up.

That's only if there were any empty tables. We have eaten at Ohanas probably over 15 times now and there is seldom an empty table. Especially as you get closer to Wishes. Of course asking a guest to wait an additional 20 minutes when there are tables available would be ridiculous. However, I'd be willing to bet there were no available tables at that moment. In that case there is nothing more you can do than give them an estimate on when the next table will be available. Who knows, a table may have opened up in 5 minutes, but if the manager told them that and a table wasn't available in the 5 minutes then the guest would be mad about that too. I still believe that once the OP left their table not much could realistically be done to correct the situation if all tables were full, which I have no trouble believing since that place is ALWAYS packed.

 

[Judique]

You overreacted. It is never acceptable to walk out without speaking to management. How do you expect them to correct a problem they aren't aware of?

He spoke to a manager, got her card and was invited back.

 

[Judique]

I guess we may be the exception to the rule here.. I had received a 6:45 PM reservation time. When we checked in at the podium every seat in the waiting area was full so expected a horrible wait time.

The hostess gave us the little pager.. We walked to the bar area near the entrance... sat for no more than 10 minutes and the pager lit up. Now perhaps since we were a party of 2 it might have been easier to seat us. We did see lots of groups of 10 to 20+ people and I can see how that would create some seating problems.

Service was not exceptional but was acceptable.. We went with rather low expectations and were pleasantly surprised. Our waiter covered a pretty fair area and was also one of those circulating with the meat skewers. He handled it pretty well. Our total time for the entire meal was about 1 to 1 1/2hours.. Not bad.. We have waited longer than that to be seated and have a meal at a Cracker Barrel at a busy time.

As a previous poster mentioned we were on an aisle table right where the childrens games started. We had NO problem with any parents or kids at all. In fact being on the aisle enabled me to stop any waitperson going by when we needed anything.

Our biggest problem was not skipping lunch that day.. We simply could not do justice to all of the food. I did manage at least a sample of every item and pretty much enjoyed it all. Whatever you do leave room for the dessert.. It was by far the highlight of the whole experience... YUM...

This sounds like our experience right down to the table for two. I'm going back in February so I hope I didn't just jinx it.

We usually sign in and get a drink from the bar - either alcohol or non alcohol - I've never been able to finish my beverage before being seated.

OP - I don't fault you for leaving. I certainly hope they didn't charge you. I bailed on a BOG reservation in November. We checked in and waited and waited. We went to the restroom and peeked at all the diners. We waited some more and there was no where to sit...very few seats for people waiting. I got hungry to the point of searching the bottom of my purse for mints from previous restaurants. My companion got weak feeling from lack of food and standing. We finally couldn't take it anymore and just got counter service. (Okay we had waited maybe 30 minutes!)

But - I don't like to wait and I really have to be in the mood to put up with excessive waits - for me excessive is anything past 15- 20 minutes.

That said, I'm doing both 'Ohana and BOG in February. We'll see how it goes.