If the food was that bad or inedible...

[Tiger926]

It depends upon the situation...inedible food, it is important to speak about it at that time, as it could have just been an isolated kitchen problem. Bad service though, is a bit more tricky. Depends upon what happened, IMHO.

We have had some truly horrible experiences at Disney, mostly with service, and food a few times, and only 1x, at California Grill, did they comp my daughter`s meal (burned her steak 3x - for a 4 year old who had been waiting 2 hours to eat, that was too much). Most of the time, we are told, sorry the pagers are broken today, or the system is down. Surprisingly, the next time we ate at those restaurants, it was the same thing. A few times, it truly was a kitchen or check-in glitch, but most times, it`s just Disney`s way of doing business now, so there isn`t much that can be done for guests anymore.

Places like `Ohana for instance, have a horrid manager, who has been spoken to many times by guests, and it does no good. He just comps gratuities or gives food away to appease guests, as really Disney does not see fit to fix the problems over there. You will read many reports on these boards of guests who have spoken to them (we have) or written Disney straight away, and nothing was done, since the next time they dined there (like us), the exact same problems happened again.

Again, expectations need to be reasonable, and many times they are not. But, as someone who has eaten pretty much everywhere, as many of you have, and has noticed a downhill shift in both service and food quality across most all WDW restaurants, there is no point in saying anything as this is Disney`s new business model. How are we dealing with it - eating more in our villa, and perhaps off-site.

I come from a restaurant family, and smaller restaurants are run much differently than big ones like at Disney. My family welcomes concerns and complaints, and handles them accordingly, and I can assure you that after 40 years in business, they hardly have any food quality complaints, ever, and that is because quality is not something that has been compromised, like at Disney. Every once in awhile there is a service issue, and that is handled promptly right away if they know about it.

So, in a discussion forum such as this, exchanging opinions or concerns about restaurants is very helpful, and it allows one to track certain restaurants and notice similar and consistent patterns.

It is interesting to read the responses on this thread, Tiger

 

[Agri]

I'll complain right away - but it depends on the situation for me, as well.

If I order something and I don't like the way it tastes, but it is prepared correctly, I won't complain. For instance, maybe I won't like the dressing I picked for my salad or the rub I picked for my steak, but that's my tastebuds - not the cooks or waitstaff's fault. For instance, on my past trip, I ordered an alcoholic beverage and it didn't taste good to me. The waitress offered to refund the cost, but I told her not to - it wasn't the drink, it was my personal taste.

If I order a steak medium rare and it comes out well-done or cold, then I will complain and ask for it to be fixed - no matter how many times it takes - until it is right. Same thing goes for a dish that I know is missing a component - cheesy mashed potatoes with no cheese? Send it back!

If I waited to complain, it totally defeats the purpose - by the time I've complained and hour or more later, no doubt other people in the restaurant have also ordered the same thing I have and received it missing a component or cooked incorrectly. It'd be like letting a friend go around with toilet paper stuck to their shoe for an hour before telling them.

 

[eliza61]

That's why you don't go round talking about how bad an experience is; if there is a problem, you address it then and there so by the time you leave, you are not seething and looking for people to relate your bad experience to.

So basically if some one ask you your opinion on a restaurant, you only give them the shiney, happy version?

If the service is bad at a particular restaurant and some one asked you, you mean you would gloss over and say it was great? not understanding that at all?

If some one here ask a question "is CRT worth it" why would you not tell the truth if you thought there were problems or if it was way overpriced?

I so don't get the "we should all bow down and only write nice, shiney, happy reviews because it's disney" mentality.

Why do you feel writing bad experiences is not worth relating?


I like real restaurant reviews, even if it is only some ones opinion. I want to know the good and the bad. Lying about poor service or poor food quality IMO does not help me.

Generally I've never had a inedible meal, in fact I wish it was inedible then you can send it back. I hate the mediocre food that is being served at disney. I hate leaving a restaurant and feeling like the food was some thing that came out of a jar. Disney is great at fixing problems but if you have had a problem that needed fixing in the first place, I say, put it in a review.


So keep the truthful reviews coming. If you had bad service, I want to know so I can possible avoid a place. If you've had outstanding meals at a certain place I want to know that also.

 

[bookbabe626]

So keep the truthful reviews coming. If you had bad service, I want to know so I can possible avoid a place. If you've had outstanding meals at a certain place I want to know that also.

The problem is, that for every "service was horrible" review about a particular restaurant you'll also get a "service was wonderful" review from someone else...often for the same week or even the same night...

 

[eliza61]

The problem is, that for every "service was horrible" review about a particular restaurant you'll also get a "service was wonderful" review from someone else...often for the same week or even the same night...

True but that's where you get a little "grain of salt". For example if over a period of time you see more and more people saying "X" restaurant has gone down hill or the service is getting slow, you may have just cause to rethink your plans.
Or if you see some one's review about how disney handled a complaint, it will give you some indication of how a restaurants management is running the place. It could be some thing simple like reading that a particular CS place serves watery drinks because they let the ice sit in it. Is that enough to ruin your trip? No, not by anymeans but it could give you a heads up to say, "no ice please?"

I appreciate when some one tells me to go to CRT for the experience. at least I know what to expect, so when I'm about to consider taking my niece there, I can at least know that it's not that great of a meal or I can decide to go to Akersaurs (sp?) instead.

IMO, knowledge is power. If I get the good and the bad, I have a greater chance to get a good fit for my family.

 

[OurDogCisco]

True but that's where you get a little "grain of salt". For example if over a period of time you see more and more people saying "X" restaurant has gone down hill or the service is getting slow, you may have just cause to rethink your plans.
Or if you see some one's review about how disney handled a complaint, it will give you some indication of how a restaurants management is running the place. It could be some thing simple like reading that a particular CS place serves watery drinks because they let the ice sit in it. Is that enough to ruin your trip? No, not by anymeans but it could give you a heads up to say, "no ice please?"

I appreciate when some one tells me to go to CRT for the experience. at least I know what to expect, so when I'm about to consider taking my niece there, I can at least know that it's not that great of a meal or I can decide to go to Akersaurs (sp?) instead.

IMO, knowledge is power. If I get the good and the bad, I have a greater chance to get a good fit for my family.

I even take it one step further and figure out if the reviewer has the same tastes as me. For example, when people say they love the cupcakes on Main Street (and no offense if you do) I know that person has different taste buds than me. Same with if someone says they like the burgers at Cosmic Rays or Beaches & Cream I wonder because I don't like those things. I also, noticed that some people are happy with counter service while others are happier with sit down and so, that play a big role in how they will rate the food. Somebody who like counter service only isn't going to the sitdown is worth it. So, I really read around the reviews alot. But it does take a long time to do that. But I've been to WDW enough times to know what I like and what I don't.

 

[bicker]

I think it is because expectations are so high.

I agree. There are two main causes: (1) Folks talk-up WDW too much, I think, and give other folks the impression that their best experiences are the only experiences that they had; and (2) Restaurant patrons fail to factor in how much of the prices they pay are attributable to the location - a good estimate imho is about 35%. So instead of comparing a $50 meal at WDW with a $50 meal at a restaurant in Orlando itself, the comparison to be to a $32.50 meal at a restaurant in Orlando.

 

[OurDogCisco]

I agree. There are two main causes: (1) Folks talk-up WDW too much, I think, and give other folks the impression that their best experiences are the only experiences that they had; and (2) Restaurant patrons fail to factor in how much of the prices they pay are attributable to the location - a good estimate imho is about 35%. So instead of comparing a $50 meal at WDW with a $50 meal at a restaurant in Orlando itself, the comparison to be to a $32.50 meal at a restaurant in Orlando.

I agree that there is a correlation between what a person paid for the meal and how much they will like it. They even might be comparing that same $100 meal to a meal from their home town. The last trip I went on with my friend from high school and her family. The family is fairly well to do so, they can afford a lot but they were more happy at a buffet than a sitdown because it was all they could eat. They were more interested in how much food they could get and not the quality. I'm not a buffet person so, that doesn't suit me. Everyone has different opinions and tastes buds and a Price they are will to pay.

 

[Eeyore's Pal]

True but that's where you get a little "grain of salt". For example if over a period of time you see more and more people saying "X" restaurant has gone down hill or the service is getting slow, you may have just cause to rethink your plans.

But in the end you have to be aware that people complain on message boards far more than they applaud. If you took the percentages of negative comments on the DIS versus the positive you would think that 95% of WDW restaurants are serving horrible food with awful service. I think we all know that is not reality.

And don't forget the guests who had one bad experience at a restaurant ten years ago and still bring it up here, again and again. Even if that review had been accurate, ten years later everything there has changed -- chef, serving staff, menu, manager, etc.

I see people post here that they are going to change their ADR because of all the negative posts about "X" and I feel so bad for them because they are going to miss what was likely to be a great experience.

 

[arcticdisneylovers]

DH thinks I'm a complainer but honest I'm not We've always had great service at WDW, some servers have been terrific some just ok. We've never complained about a meal. Sure there were meals we enjoyed more than others or dishes we didn't like. If the food was very cold or really burnt I'd probably ask for a new dish but it's never happened. We love Disney food, then again we don't really have restaurants where I live We live in the arctic so we just have hotel restaurants and greasy spoons, so our standards aren't that high

 

[bicker]

But in the end you have to be aware that people complain on message boards far more than they applaud. If you took the percentages of negative comments on the DIS versus the positive you would think that 95% of WDW restaurants are serving horrible food with awful service. I think we all know that is not reality.

And don't forget the guests who had one bad experience at a restaurant ten years ago and still bring it up here, again and again. Even if that review had been accurate, ten years later everything there has changed -- chef, serving staff, menu, manager, etc.

I see people post here that they are going to change their ADR because of all the negative posts about "X" and I feel so bad for them because they are going to miss what was likely to be a great experience.

Good points all-around.

Especially regarding how old some of the experiences being related are. I remember folks extolling the virtues of Le Cellier long after it had returned from its short but significant trip to the top-of-the-heap.

 

[eliza61]

But in the end you have to be aware that people complain on message boards far more than they applaud. If you took the percentages of negative comments on the DIS versus the positive you would think that 95% of WDW restaurants are serving horrible food with awful service. I think we all know that is not reality.

I see people post here that they are going to change their ADR because of all the negative posts about "X" and I feel so bad for them because they are going to miss what was likely to be a great experience.

Really I see it the other way. I find most of the time if you dare post some thing negative, watch out. You will be flamed at worse or at best, you will get back post on why your negative experience was your fault or how you should be oh so grateful just to be at Disney and should gratefully except any quality of goods or service they deem to give you. My favorite is when you give a review of a restaurant that was so-so and you say you paid oop, I love how people will respond that if you had gotten the ddp, the meal would not have been as expensive. So it's ok to have bad food as long as it doesn't cost you some thing? LOL. I never understand how that is acceptable?

1) these boards can build up expectations like no other place. I have 2 examples that sucked me in. Le Cellier and rope drop. After years of reading the over the top, "it was the best steak in mylife" reviews of Le Cellier, I finally tried it. Low and behold it was simply ok. in fact after the first time, I convinced myself that it had to have been an off night. people here praise Le Cellier like it's an out of body experience. so off I go to try it 2 other times before I figured out, that IMO it is waaay overrated. So naturally when I posted a review that it was lukewarm at best, I was surprised at how many other poster also felt it was overrated.

Now maybe if I hadn't read 5000 reviews extolling the restaurant as the best ever, I wouldn't have felt as let down. Who knows?

I just know I would have rather have heard one or two reviews of Le Cellier that were lukewarm as opposed to always hearing about how fabu it is, expecting a great steak and then realizing the best thing about the place is it's cheddar soup.

 

[bicker]

I think the biggest transgression along those lines that I've seen online is the massive list of special experiences offered at Whispering Canyon, the publication of which led invariably (and depressingly) to some guests expressing outrage that the staff didn't perform each and every one for their family during their visit.

 

[eliza61]

I think the biggest transgression along those lines that I've seen online is the massive list of special experiences offered at Whispering Canyon, the publication of which led invariably (and depressingly) to some guests expressing outrage that the staff didn't perform each and every one for their family during their visit.

Oh God, I have two words for you. room upgrades!! I can't tell you how many times I've had people come back upset because they read all the reviews of guest being upgraded to MK views and it didn't happen to them.

 

[kinghorse]

I love Disney and we go often and there are some restaurants we go to repeatedly and others one time was enough. I also work with rental homes, if someone gets to a home and they find something wrong we will take care of immediately and then there are the people we don't hear from all week and complain when they get home after their trip without given us the chance to fix. As for the comment about the bad soda, not everyone is detailed or can think on their own, this has happened to me and I tell the server that it tastes bad and they should taste it, then they can correct the issue or say it is bad and offer a refund or a different drink. As far as problems with servers, don't sit and wait, ask for a manager or go up to hostess stand and ask them to get one. You may just have to realize that sometimes people call in sick or the kitchen is overwhelmed, etc. Also everyone has different tastes, so while I may loves the lobster benedict at Park Fare someone else may not. I get sick everytime I eat at Beach Club buffet but most others don't so obviously it is not the food but something that personally I cannot eat. if you expect perfection you will always be disppointed.

 

[bicker]

Oh God, I have two words for you. room upgrades!! I can't tell you how many times I've had people come back upset because they read all the reviews of guest being upgraded to MK views and it didn't happen to them.

This-all reminds me of the thread that has a whole list of things Disney has changed over the years, some of which are things that changed because of situations like these that we're talking about in this thread: Guests posting online, about the special touches they experienced - with those postings interpreted by too many readers such that these special touches, which were only intended to be provided on an occasional basis, had turned into unjustifiably costly expectations.

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=961228

 

[psac]

We only send a meal back if it is completely inedible. Sending a meal back often hurts the meal for everyone else you're dining with. Either they will be courteous and wait for your new meal before they eat, which would let their food get cold, or they will have to wait for you to finish your meal well after they are done. To us it's not worth the extra half-hour turnaround that might be involved with getting the new dish. That half hour is better spent enjoying the vacation elsewhere. But again, if something is completely inedible (like my wife's meal somewhere in Universal tasting like soap), we will certainly send back.

 

[goofy4prez]

Really I see it the other way. I find most of the time if you dare post some thing negative, watch out. You will be flamed at worse or at best, you will get back post on why your negative experience was your fault or how you should be oh so grateful just to be at Disney and should gratefully except any quality of goods or service they deem to give you. My favorite is when you give a review of a restaurant that was so-so and you say you paid oop, I love how people will respond that if you had gotten the ddp, the meal would not have been as expensive. So it's ok to have bad food as long as it doesn't cost you some thing? LOL. I never understand how that is acceptable?

1) these boards can build up expectations like no other place. I have 2 examples that sucked me in. Le Cellier and rope drop. After years of reading the over the top, "it was the best steak in mylife" reviews of Le Cellier, I finally tried it. Low and behold it was simply ok. in fact after the first time, I convinced myself that it had to have been an off night. people here praise Le Cellier like it's an out of body experience. so off I go to try it 2 other times before I figured out, that IMO it is waaay overrated. So naturally when I posted a review that it was lukewarm at best, I was surprised at how many other poster also felt it was overrated.

Now maybe if I hadn't read 5000 reviews extolling the restaurant as the best ever, I wouldn't have felt as let down. Who knows?

I just know I would have rather have heard one or two reviews of Le Cellier that were lukewarm as opposed to always hearing about how fabu it is, expecting a great steak and then realizing the best thing about the place is it's cheddar soup.

AMEN!!!!!

Well said, and I couldn't agree with you more.

P.S. You are not the only one who has the same sentiments about Le'Cellier. I cannot tell you how many pm's (and a few on the boards) I have received telling me that I must have some kind of a problem with "me" to not be wowed by this place. I even had one tell me I should perhaps find somewhere else to go other than WDW for my vacation.

 

[TheTravelingCarters]

I don't complain about food unless it is undercooked because really food is all about personal preference. Plus complaining about food rarely helps unless you want your money back...which I would not want...because after a bad meal I could never readjust my tastes to try something else from there at that same seating.

And for me service is rewarded with tip. Bad service = bad tip. That is my form of complaining.

But I think when giving my opinion on a dining experience. I just tell what I liked and disliked then it is up to the reader to decide how they take that information. And that is how I take someone elses review. If they hated the sushi but it was their first time trying sushi then their review holds no credit because they know nothing about sushi...and so on.

 

[sophie832]

I agree that expectations can be built up either way by the applause or complaints on these boards. DH and I found that a couple of the restaurants we went to this month had quite a few bad reviews on the DIS, but we went in with open minds, and found them to be wonderful! However, it was hard to clear our minds of what we'd read. The same with Le Cellier...we did have a great dinner, but we couldn't understand the fascination with the soup. To us, it was so-so.

Now, for us to actually complain to a manager at any restaurant (not just those at WDW), there would have to be exceptionally bad service and/or food. For bad food or food issues, I usually try to let the server know first, so that they can try to fix it. Bad service, for us, would be not getting our drink order for 30 minutes, or never seeing our server between getting our food and getting the check...or an openly rude server.

Yes, we had some not-so-great experiences at WDW restaurants, but also some good and some fantastic ones. We never commented much on any of it, except one or two times we told the manager what a great time we had. My only regret? I should've said something to the manager or our server at Cape May when Donald practically ignored our table. It was our last morning, I was feeling ill, and we were exhausted. In retrospect, it's really my fault for not letting the restaurant know, but I also can't give the restaurant a great review because Donald should've visited with us without us making any comments.