Inconsisteny with DDP

[carmie3377]

We ate at Tusker House at AK 2 last week on the DDP. The first time we were all given large drinks. My DH ordered the turkey wrap and chowder both times. The first time, he received a full wrap and cup of chowder. The second time, we were given medium drinks and he was only given a half of the wrap. They stated that when you order the wrap/chowder on the DDP, you only get half a wrap. I didn't think that the portions were supposed to be any different if on the DDP.

Also, back to drink issue. Overall at CS meals, we got large drinks half the time, medium the other half. At TS meals, most would only allow tea/soft drinks/coffee. However, other places said any non-alcoholic drink and acted like I was stupid for asking. The server at Le'Cellier said "It says ANY non-alcoholic drink" in a sarcastic tone.

Another issue. At Wolfgang Pucks, my DD wanted an app because we were all ordering them. They have no app. on the child's menu and the server says that Disney is very specific and if no app listed on child's menu, they don't get one. That was okay because we had enough food anyway, but I thought that if one wasn't listed on the kid's menu, they could get one off the adults. The rules state they must order off the child's menu if one is available.

Anyway, those are just some inconsistencies we noticed.

 

[bicker]

There are many reports of folks getting some extra pixie dust at time (getting much larger portions when the regular portion is smaller, getting larger drinks at the price of smaller drinks). This is part of the magic of visiting WDW.

 

[Mickiethepooh]

There are many reports of folks getting some extra pixie dust at time (getting much larger portions when the regular portion is smaller, getting larger drinks at the price of smaller drinks). This is part of the magic of visiting WDW.

Is it part of the magic to mislead and confuse people by serving a full wrap on one day and a half on another?
If I am served something on day one and I order the same thing on day two I expect the same thing not half of it or something different, unless one was a lunch portion and one a dinner portion.
The plan is confusing enough for some without the inconsistency.

 

[bicker]

Is it part of the magic to mislead and confuse people by serving a full wrap on one day and a half on another?

I wouldn't consider it misleading or confusing. Expect the half wrap, which is a typical "single serving" meal (the words "single serving" come from the Dining Plan brochure) and then anything you get above that is "pixie dust".

 

[DisneyKidds]

Tusker House doesn't offer the wrap and chowder ala carte. The menu item is "Turkey Wrap with Corn Chowder". Every guest, whether ordering this on the plan or paying cash, should get the same amount of food. If that is a half wrap than that's all one should expect. That's not to say that sometimes a CM might not put a larger portion on one plate as opposed to another, even thought they should be consistent.

As for drinks and other things, I've learned to always ask about what I can get, and be specific in ordering. We were on the plan and at CS locations I always ordered a large soda. With the exception of the bakery in France that is what I always got. In France they told me I could only order a medium drink on the plan.

I agree on the kids appetizer issue, and much to my wife's chagrin I'm willing to push back a little. The plans state that every person is entitled to an appetizer, entree and desert. Yes, it always says that kids must order off the kids menu, if available. So, there is plenty of room here for confusion and inconsistency if the kids menu doesn't offer an appetizer. Last we ate at Alfredo's they didn't want to offer the kids an appetizer. I made my case that the plan states everyone is entitled to an appetizer. The offered soup or salad. At a couple other place a soup or a salad was offered if I insisted. My wife hates when I insist .

Sure, it would be nice if you didn't have to ask or clarify how the plan works at a particular establishement, or have to insist on getting something you believe the plan entitles you to, but doing so can help avoid the inconsistencies and confusion you experienced. A relatively small price to play for a plan that is generally a very good value.

 

[Lewisc]

Unlike the prior meal vouchers, a CS meal with DDP does not include a "side" dish or an appetizer. You get a combo, drink and dessert. A soup and sandwich combo almost always includes half a sandwich. Although many guests share meals the meal is intended for one person and as such I'd be surprised to see a full sandwich/wrap.

Some CMs, sometimes, gives guests extra food. Some CM may even make a mistake and give a guests less food. This isn't limited to DDP guests. My guess is the CM that gave you a full wrap is the CM that made the mistake.

CS restaurants generally have the ability "de combo" meals. You can usually buy a sandwich without the fries even though a price isn't listed. I suspect a guest could order a full wrap and could probably also order soup a la carte. The fact that it's not listed on the menu doesn't matter.

 

[carmie3377]

The issue here was when they said "with the DDP you get ..." If a half wrap is all you get fine, but don't say it is just because you are on the DDP.

 

[Lewisc]

I think one of the CMs made a mistake. Disney isn't doing this but the there isn't any reason why some of the meals couldn't be sized and priced to be shared (family meals) and as such excluded from the dining plan.

My guess is the first CM made the mistake, combos rarely include a full sandwich and soup. A guest not on the DDP could pay for the soup a la carte, even if it's not listed on the menu that way.

The issue here was when they said "with the DDP you get ..." If a half wrap is all you get fine, but don't say it is just because you are on the DDP.

 

[Mickiethepooh]

perhaps the CM did make a mistake but the phasing is suspect my point was it is misleading to serve you something one day and when you order the same thing the next get half of it.

The customer should not be expected to know if a single serving is a half or whole wrap unless it states it on the menu, if you are served a whole wrap when you order the item then you have an expectation of the same the next time you order. Nothing to do with generous CM's or Pixie dust.
I will grant you a mistake could have been made but that is something different again.

 

[bicker]

I wouldn't be sure it is a mistake so much as deliberate generosity (in the case of the double-portion provided the first time).

 

[unbroken chain]

I had the turkey wrap last week. It is only half a wrap. So the OP did get extra the first time. Maybe the first time, it was slow and they figured no one would order the second half quickly enough and they'd have to throw it out?

But I had another problem at Tusker House: 4 "adults" on the plan and no children, but my 10 year old wanted the child's meal at Tusker House. I was told that she MUST order an adult meal. Very different from the TS locations where they cooked her plain pasta or whatever. If the child's meal is cheaper, why not give her the child's meal for the adult credit? The clerk insisted they were "cracking down" and you could only order adult meals for an adult credit. She was disappointed b/c she really wanted the child's meal (I think it was mac & cheese).

 

[bicker]

As I indicated in a couple of the other threads you've posted this message in, I suspect they may now be evaluating CM performance by comparing how many adult vs. child meals they serve against how many adult vs. child meals they charge. They may eventually stop worrying about when there are more child meals served and fewer adult meals served (since what they're concerned about, really, is the opposite), but perhaps not.

 

[DisneyGirl4188]

All but one CS gave me a large drink (I did ask for it). At Pecos Bills, the CM said that I could only have a medium. That was fine, but nowhere on the brochure does it say what size drink you get.

I never heard of getting a different portion size when on the DDP. I think the CM that said you only get a half wrap on the DDP was wrong.

Overall we had no issues and loved the DDP. I hope Disney keeps it for a long time.

 

[TheLorax2000]

I was at Tusker House twice last week, on Saturday we were not on the DDP and paid OOP. We had lunch but then went back and order a carrot cake and a chocolate cake at the counter, not the bakery. We got 2 large slices of it.

On Wednesday (yesterday), we ordered using the DDP. I was shocked to see that dessert were the same cake but much smaller. They were baked in small round containers, nothing like the double layer cakes I had 4 days ago.

So either Tusker House changed the cakes in those 4 days or they give you different desserts on the DDP.

Just thought I'd mention it....

 

[Simba's Mom]

Oh, boy-inconsistency and rigid rules! Last time at Sci-Fi, they told me that milk shakes were allowed as a beverage, ordinarily $4.99. However, I wanted a flavored soft drink, about $2.75. NO-either milk shake or plain soft drink. Then at Coral Reef, the woman at the next table wanted to substitute a second appetizer for the entree-"I won't eat that much, and besides I see a second appetizer I'd rather have than any entree". Sorry-no substitutions! So she got something she really didn't want and left half of it.

 

[MaeDaisy]

Lorax, we went to Tusker House in December, and we got large slices on a plate with the DDP. It was not the small round pre-packaged ones -- they had those at Flat Bread Grill in MGM.

 

[Muushka]

I found inconsistencies for the CS at WL and AKL. At WL I ordered a large salad and was able to get a drink and a dessert. Fine, I understood that. But at AKL I ordered the same thing and they insisted that I had a side coming, so I got one of those yogurt parfaits (which at ASMu would not even allow me to get as a dessert, never mind as an additional side!).

 

[OntFamily]

All but one CS gave me a large drink (I did ask for it). At Pecos Bills, the CM said that I could only have a medium. That was fine, but nowhere on the brochure does it say what size drink you get.
.

Pecos Bills was the ONE spot I found where they'd only serve medium drinks on the dining plan. It seemed weird, as everywhere else, there was no problem with large drinks.

I agree there is inconsistency. There more Disney does to try and make things simple, the more complex they make their resort.....

 

[bicker]

Inconsistency is actually much more common than folks may think, everywhere, not just at WDW. Generally, consumers don't focus enough to realize such inconsistency from restaurant visit to restaurant visit, and surely don't gather online to compare notes about the inconsistencies they do notice.

I suspect that, for a lot of the examples folks are coming up with, there is a standard, and then sometimes you're lucky and someone gives you much more than the standard: They bend or break the rules for you, cut the cake a bit bigger than normal, etc.

 

[kaytieeldr]

We ate at Tusker House at AK 2 last week on the DDP. The first time we were all given large drinks. My DH ordered the turkey wrap and chowder both times. The first time, he received a full wrap and cup of chowder. The second time, we were given medium drinks and he was only given a half of the wrap. They stated that when you order the wrap/chowder on the DDP, you only get half a wrap. I didn't think that the portions were supposed to be any different if on the DDP.

NOT being critical at all - but (especially given that a couple of posts in this thread indicate that the half-wrap IS the standard inclusion in the combo meal), would the OP have even posted about the inconsistencies at Tusker House if their experience had been reversed? If the first time they ate there they got medium drinks and a half-wrap-and-chowder combo, and then the next time they got large drinks and a whole wrap with the chowder, would this have been an issue?