Mission:Disney 6/18-7/2/04 - Part #35 – WDW Food: Concourse Steakhouse

[ehagerty]

Who: All of us
When: June 23, 1:40 pm
Server: Mohammed

As always, I start each voucher meal with a request to the server to explain the parameters for ordering. We used 2 Adult and 2 Child vouchers (for 2 adults and 3 teens) to order the following food:

• Appetizers: 2 Bacon & Shrimp, 2 Shrimp cocktails
  
• Entrees: 2 Filet and Shrimp (skewer), 2 child sirloin steaks
  
• Dessert: 4 sampler palettes, 3 mini-dessert samples per platter
  
  
  
  
  *** Dessert Samplers ***
  
• Beverages: Bay Lake Smoothie, Frozen Frappacino, Strawberry Smoothie, Virgin Colada, Water
  

Food: I didn’t even break out the comments, since each and every item was perfectly prepared and tasted terrific. This remains our vote for “best value for the VKL dollar” – where “value” = quality / quantity of food. We consistently choose to eat here, often multiple times per vacation.

Ambience: Well, it’s a little noisy (no sound-absorbing material nearby), and we’re not crazy about the sound track. But where else you watch the monorail go by while you are eating lunch?

Server: Mohammed appeared to be new. I was surprised. We have been patronizing this restaurant for years (voucher-years, that is) and were under the impression from friendly discussion with prior servers that this restaurant was considered one of the restaurants that you had to have a proven track record at other Disney restaurants or other, comparable, external restaurants (like Ruth Chris), plus seniority before you were likely to get accepted for a post here. Both DH47 and I did time in the service industry, in restaurants comparable to the California Grill – and we both thought Mohammed clueless. But he managed to get our meals out with a little coaching from us and great preparation from the kitchen. If this had been our first time, we probably would not have been impressed with the ambience-for-the-dollar, but the food keeps us coming back.

 

[Minniespal]

Great report ~ Thanx for sharing.

 

[disneyyes]

Terrific trip reports! Can anyone tell me about using the child vouchers for VKL and Breakfast vouchers . . . I would like for my young teenagers to use them and was wondering if they would be questioned if we presented child vouchers at the restaurants.

 

[ehagerty]

I have never been challenged on the age of the USER of a meal voucher in any restaurant. The "child" vs "adult" designation indicates what your ordering options are - adults order from the adult menu and child vouchers have rules about ordering from child menus, where available. Each restaurant has the latitude to determine the modifications to this rule.

Summary thoughts:

1. Any age person can use the child voucher. When planning my meals, I deliberately order some child vouchers for myself - depending on how the restaurants let me use them during the previous trip - because I don't always want a full (adult portion) meal. Some restaurants are more generous than others in interpretation and adaptation.

2. I always start each meal by having a pleasant conversation with the server - I show him/her the voucher and say "What can I order with these?" I never say "Can I use these?" - because that might invite an element of doubt in an inexperienced server's mind about whether you can use them. Trust me - you CAN use a child voucher at any listed restaurant, regardless of your age (at least as of this June, 2004). I don't specify who will be using which voucher - I just hold them up and say "I am planning to use 2 adult and 2 child vouchers for the the 5 of us and I would like you help using them well without incurring any additional charges. We'll be doing some sharing." I have NEVER had a problem of any kind with this up-front approach.

Good luck. More than happy to answer additional questions.

Keep in mind - each restaurant is allowed to set its own guidelines on voucher rule interpretation and it does vary. Do not expect that same process at each restaurant. It changed at the Concourse Steakhouse last year between our first and last visit on the same vacation. My expectations for each meal are based on the minimum of what the rules allow - anything they give me more than that I consider a bonus.

 

[disneyyes]

Thank you so much for the wealth of information, ehagarty! I'm thinking of possibly using the VKL's at LeCellier, San Angel, Brown Derby and ESPN . I'll be in WDW in November, but I also visit for an educational trip with a group of middle school kids each January, so it might be fun to use the VKL kids' vouchers then. We've used the Q & C and also a special voucher just for youth groups in the past, but those Youth Group vouchers are only good at select counter service restaurants (actually only 1 or 2 in EPCOT).

 

[ehagerty]

Good luck with your meal voucher plan. If you have any more questions, please don't hesitate to ask. I have learned so much from these boards, I am more than happy to "give back."

 

[ehagerty]

I am stronger on the "best place to use them" than I am on the "best place to buy them."

I joined Connections when it was $80/yr (now $160/yr) and stayed in the program because I haven't heard of another one cheaper than offered as many things that I use. I probably get my money's worth on Disney meal vouchers alone, but I also use them for 20% off gift certificates for Olive Garden (Red Lobster, etc), Barnes & Noble, Toy R Us and movie tickets at Regal ($4.75 show). I did look into Lillian Vernon when I read about it on these boards, but it wasn't the right program for me (voucher rates were higher even though the participatiion fee was lower). Simple Escapes seems to be the same as Connections - just a different "broker" - both seem to have the "dealpass.com" front end.

Many people seem comfortable joining Connections for 30days and then canceling. They do deliver within 2-4 days, so that should be do-able if you want to try it for one time. It was very difficult to join Connections in NY State (telemarketing laws / restrictions).

You might want to also consider whether there is economy in numbers - do you have relative / friends who might want to contribute to the cost of membership in order to share in the benefits of what you can buy? There are some limits to prevent abuse, but I almost never reach my limits, so it could be a reasonable alternative.

Connections is not the most professional customer service company - that might be another consideration. I never had incorrect credit card charges, but, in the beginning I felt like I was managing them instead of being serviced. Still, I did it because I wanted what they had and was willing to pay that price....

For current thinking on meal voucher providers, your best bet is probably to float the question again on the restaurant and / or budget board and hear from multiple experiences.

I thought your question a good one - so I will post the answer on the board as well, if you don't mind.