Our dinner was awful

[disneygirl1024]

We had LTT on Monday evening. The food has gone was downhill. Our server was not attentive to us either. Literally waited 10 minutes for refills while other tables he had were well taken care of. Not sure why....we didn't do anything to deserve poor service. Anyway, we left a very low tip and the server complained to his manager. Then the manager came to us and asked why he received such a low tip, and my husband told him that the service and the food sucked. He was like Oh, I'm sorry. We have a good night. Hmmmm, sounds like we won't be back. Just a FYI for anyone else out there that has a ressie.

 

[princssdisnygina]

We had LTT on Monday evening. The food has gone was downhill. Our server was not attentive to us either. Literally waited 10 minutes for refills while other tables he had were well taken care of. Not sure why....we didn't do anything to deserve poor service. Anyway, we left a very low tip and the server complained to his manager. Then the manager came to us and asked why he received such a low tip, and my husband told him that the service and the food sucked. He was like Oh, I'm sorry. We have a good night. Hmmmm, sounds like we won't be back. Just a FYI for anyone else out there that has a ressie.

I must agree. When we went 2 years ago it was our first and last time. The only thing good was the bread and salad. The meat was dry and the service was horrible. We go to WDW every year and this is one place we avoid. We would prefer counter service instead of this.

 

[blissventure]

I'm just really curious about the tip. I don't think I've ever heard of a server complaining to their manager, and then the manager checking with the customer. Did the manager actually specifically say he/she was questioning about why the low tip?
What was the cost of the meal? What was the tip (bills? coins?) and how was it left?

 

[SnowandMittens]

Just checking, but did you communicate to your server whenever they did happen to stop by that you felt the service was lacking? I served tables for 9 years and thought that a table was well taken care of, and would be shocked at a low tip.

Just curious if you said anything... they can't fix a problem if they don't know about it.

 

[pilferk]

We've been a number of times...and unless we're pinched for dinner locations because everything else is booked when we make our ADR's, I don't think we'll be back.

The food was NEVER stupendous, for us. It was good, decent stuff (we're talking dinner...lunch has always been better, IMHO), but nothing spectacular. The service was, the last two times we were there for dinner, pretty slow (which isn't too bad, when you've got characters visiting)

We always went for the character interaction. With that now gone...I just don't see any reason to go back. They'd have to radically redo their menu and food quality for us to consider dinner there, as a first option, again.

 

[JoePa4Ever]

Sorry you had a bad experience disneygirl1024. We used to always do LTT dinner because we liked the convenience of it being in MK, liked the colonial atmosphere, enjoyed the characters, and thought the food was good (not great, but good enough). We never had a problem with the service there, however we are not going to LTT this year since they took the characters away - the food without the characters just doesn't justify the cost, IMO.

 

[snoopywoodstockus]

i agree about the characters. That was a big reason to go. The interaction was great with the characters. We usually had good service. The only complaint I have was the noise level the last time we went. I will probably go back sometime, but without the characters it may be awhile.

 

[LadyZolt]

Our server was not attentive to us either. Literally waited 10 minutes for refills while other tables he had were well taken care of.

Just checking, but did you communicate to your server whenever they did happen to stop by that you felt the service was lacking? I served tables for 9 years and thought that a table was well taken care of, and would be shocked at a low tip.

Just curious if you said anything... they can't fix a problem if they don't know about it.

If a server doesn't realize that he/she failed to refill drinks in a timely manner, then that server is probably not in the right job for him/her. Generally if a place is really busy, the server will say "I am so sorry to have you waiting, let me refill that for you right now" or something along those lines. I would not tell the server that the service was lacking. I would simply not tip him/her well, as the OP did. I'm sure if the OP didn't get service at all, a complaint would have been lodged to the manager, like, "We were seated 15 minutes ago and no wait staff has been by yet." But poor service does not equal "no service" and so a poor tip is perfectly reasonable.

-Dorothy (LadyZolt)

 

[*KeepMovingForward*]

We used to make a point of always going there on our MNSSHP night, but it really started to decline for us and we stopped a few years ago. I'm surprised at the nonchalant attitude you got after complaining. Without the characters there now, there is totally no allure for me at all.

 

[dizneydiva2005]

LTT used to be a must for us over the years.... but it's gone way down. Last Sept. we ate there for the fact it would be the last time for the characters. Thank God the characters were there, otherwise it would have been a total FLOP. The food was right down NASTY, nasty, nasty. No characters= no dining there for us.

 

[TheRustyScupper]

1) Unfortunately, people do slip up.
2) When this happens, one cannot be shy or timid.
3) You need to tell the server and/or manager immediately.
4) Tough to correct it after the fact.
5) This is not to take away their blame.
6) Just an FYI for the next time this happens somewhere.

NOTE: I have left low or no tips for bad service. Sometimes the manager will ask why. My reply is usually, "If I tell you, will you do something or just say you are sorry?". If they won't do something, then I refuse to answer. If I am getting a free drink or something, then I tell. I suffered through the ordeal, and if they want coaching advice, they need to pay for it.

 

[Joshua_me]

Wow

I've been to a lot of restaurants in my day and I have never, EVER heard of a manager asking why a server's tip was so low !

That is *outrageous*. First off, it's bad form. Secondly, it's really none of his business in the first place. I would have pitched a royal fit for the ages.

That this happened at Disney is all the more disturbing. I'd never step foot in there again. I don't care if it is LTT.

I'd also fire off an email to The Orlando Sentinal, something perfect for the editorial page. But, that's just me.

I'm sorry you had such a rotten experience.

 

[cab0ad]

Sorry you had a bad experience. We ate there for dinner a few weeks back and it was our favorite meal of our 8 day trip. Our waiter ran his butt off. We were in a chain of 4 tables our waiter was serving and none of the tables ever seemed to be lacking for anything. He went out of the way to bring out cupcakes to 2 of the tables too when he noticed the kids didn't really touch the apple cobbler dessert. Nice surprise for us. It was also the best food of our trip. Everything we ate was absolutely superb and cooked well. The turkey was juicy. The potatoes were fresh and real. Green beans right at the crunchy/tender phase. Rolls were to die for. Can't say I liked the mac and cheese much but I'm not a fan in the first place.

We almost didn't come here due to the lack of characters but we had enjoyed it in the past so came back for memories. We're really glad we did. By far the best meal we had at any park or resort. I think it can vary from person to person. After the meal/service we received we won't go another trip to Disny without eating here!

 

[Cheshire Figment]

I'm sorry but I do not believe that a server would contact the manager to complain about a low tip. One reason for this is that, assuming you paid with a card, the tip would have been left on the charge slip and picked up by the server after you had left the table and were on your way out. Similarly, if you had left cash it would have been picked up after you had left the table and were on your way out.

And even if the server had contacted the manager, I cannot visualize a situation where the manager would have come to seek you out, especially if you had already left the restaurant.

Personally, if I am receiving terrible service I will ask a different server to get me a manager while I am still at the table and explain to the manager why the server is going to get a lousy tip.

 

[kaytieeldr]

I would not tell the server that the service was lacking.

I would tell the manager, and I would do it while the service was lacking.

 

[SnowandMittens]

If a server doesn't realize that he/she failed to refill drinks in a timely manner, then that server is probably not in the right job for him/her. Generally if a place is really busy, the server will say "I am so sorry to have you waiting, let me refill that for you right now" or something along those lines. I would not tell the server that the service was lacking. I would simply not tip him/her well, as the OP did. I'm sure if the OP didn't get service at all, a complaint would have been lodged to the manager, like, "We were seated 15 minutes ago and no wait staff has been by yet." But poor service does not equal "no service" and so a poor tip is perfectly reasonable.

-Dorothy (LadyZolt)

The only reason I ask is because people have different expectations for service. I am sure that sometimes 3 minutes for a refill will seem too long, and other times 5 minutes is acceptable.

I am not saying that the OP did not receive bad service, I am merely pointing out that they cannot correct the table service if she complained AFTER the fact.

People who merely tip poorly are often thought of as cheap... servers do not assume it is a personal commentary on their level of service... those things need to be vocalized.

 

[ROEDISNEY]

Wow sry u had a bad experience . I ate here for the first time last august and we all really liked it.

 

[Tricia1972]

Since this has become a discussion of tipping as much as a commentary on the food at Liberty Tree Tavern, we're closing this thread. Please limit tipping conversations to the Disney Tipping Info thread stickied at the top of the page.

Thanks!