Plain noodles, only $16.79!

[DancingBear]

It is clear to me, though, that servers at Disney-owned restaurants are (and should be) working to get guests to charge-up as much stuff as they possibly can. It costs Disney a pittance, given how little food ingredients cost, and it pays back in how guests feel about the value of the Dining Plan as well as helps feed the server's family better.

I know the thread has exceeded its limit for you, Mr. Bicker, but isn't that extra money in the server's pocket coming out of the shareholders' pockets?

 

[newbie94]

First, Glory to God for your recovery and the identification of the problem.

Thank you Apostolic - it is all to His Glory.

I previously posted the importance of second opinions on most matters. My questions are not designed to puff myself up, but to defend my colleagues in the culinary field who have posted here only to have their credibility questioned after being in agreement with me. If you had gone to 4 or 5 doctors and they all told you the same thing, would you have then felt you had been given reasonable information regarding your problem??

You know, in matters of culinary arts and business, I would gladly defer to you and your many colleagues. In matters of medicine and my personal health, I have to say that even if 4 or 5 doctors told me the same thing, I wouldn't necessarily believe it. But that's because medicine, like the country club, is a different animal. The CDC says that Lyme disease is pandemic where I live and many studies have shown that the rate of infection is much higher than the rate of tests that come back positive. But, the average doctor (or 4 or 5) will say you can't have Lyme disease if your tests are negative. The average doctor will say that if your MRI is clear, you can't have MS, a brain tumor, or Transverse Mylitis. But there are a few really good doctors who know that sometimes MRIs are "like standing on the moon looking at the earth, trying to see people." Most obstetricians will require continuous fetal monitoring in labor and IVs for all their patients. Research says that neither improve outcomes.

.... get my drift?! But, alas, that is totoally off topic. Thanks for the discussion, everyone have a great day!

 

[kaytieeldr]

but everyone wants to believe because they pay $16 for the pasta it coudn't possibly be profitable at the lower price

Funny - I thought the "plain old" non-chefs here simply understand and have been trying to explain that Spoodles charged the two preteens discussed in this thread the MENU price for an unadorned menu item because that's the price.
Reason: Because they DO.
It's only the chefs who brought up profit (which was then picked up by the non-chefs).

First of all, people, realize this situation for what it is. The guest wasn't paying anyting out of pocket, the server realized that, and he/she took the opportunity to have a $16.79 entree added to the bill for the plate of pasta in question, thereby increasing his or her tip.

Because the menu price for the item IS $16.79. Refer to post number 46, where the poster's party was paying for the meals and was told up front that they would be charged the ADULT menu price for an entree from the regular (aka "adult") menu ordered by a twelve-year-old, despite that item being served with no sauce.

 

[Mom2LnE]

Funny - I thought the "plain old" non-chefs here simply understand and have been trying to explain that Spoodles charged the two preteens discussed in this thread the MENU price for an unadorned menu item because that's the price.
Reason: Because they DO.
It's only the chefs who brought up profit (which was then picked up by the non-chefs).

Because the menu price for the item IS $16.79. Refer to post number 46, where the poster's party was paying for the meals and was told up front that they would be charged the ADULT menu price for an entree from the regular (aka "adult") menu ordered by a twelve-year-old, despite that item being served with no sauce.

We dine at Spoodles every trip to WDW and my daughter always gets plain pasta and we have never been charged $16.79 for it. We have always paid the childs price.As a mother of two children that are very picky eaters we have never been charged an entree price for plain pasta ever, not at WDW or any other establishment. I think that the instances where people were charged can be attributed to DDP and possibly an overzealous wait person. Charging the entree price for plain pasta is not the norm not to say it doesn't happen though. It seems like some posters to this thread would argue with a fence. No I wouldn't, yes you would!!!

 

[kaw1218]

Hey, I just wanted to throw out there that there are more expensive meals out there.
We did a grand gathering dinner, my dd is 10, yes I knew she would be charged as an adult, which was 59.99. plus tax and gratuity (ouch!)
and yes I knew she would only eat the chicken fingers- she had 2 to be exact. So I guess I paid about $37.50 for each chicken finger!!!


BTW: this was a very entertaining thread!

 

[kaytieeldr]

No, I wouldn't. Yes, I would. No, I wo...
Oh, sorry, I got carried away. It's not arguing, it's presenting alternative concepts or explanations. Where IS that dictionary, again...?

You don't say how old your daughter is, and it doesn't matter. Two people in this thread have posted personal experience with the $16.79 charge for plain pasta for a preteen.
Post number 1: The poster was on the DDP and noticed on their check that their eleven-year-old daughter's plain pasta was 'billed' at the menu price for an adult entree of pasta.
Post number 46 http://disboards.com/showpost.php?p=14467931&postcount=46 Another poster whose party was NOT on the dining plan was informed at the time their preteen ordered plain pasta :

The server informed us that they had a pasta option on the menu and we would be charged the same amount for this dish as we would be basically served the same pasta but without the sauce! They said this to us upfront and asked us if we were ok with that. As she was a "Disney Adult" as was the OP's daughter we said that was fine.

It appears the issue or discrepancy or whatever one wishes to call it is based on the age of the diner. Disney considers anyone age ten and over to be an adult for both dining and park admission purposes.

Think about it. A twelve year old "Disney Adult" orders plain pasta, and a thirty-two year old member of the same party orders the same dish. So, what, either they both get charged the same price for the same entree, or despite being a "Disney-defined adult", the younger person's same identical entree is billed at a lower price? How is THAT reasonable or fair?

Again, it needs to be noted that NOWHERE has EITHER person with first-hand experience (not the executive chefs in this thread, but the two Guests whose parties were affected) indicated that EITHER preteen got anything less than the standard serving of pasta. (statement emphasized due to unsubstantiated claims by some posters that one or both Guests got "small" servings of pasta)

As of June 2006 (the most recent date from which I could find the menu, both here and allearsnet, Spoodles did not SERVE a child's entree of pasta (except macaroni & cheese which, as we all know, comes out of a can - no, wait... which is prepared with the two main ingredients combined DURING cooking, not separately and then sauced):
Grilled Beef Burgers with french fries $5.49
Mac and Cheese $5.49
Grilled Chicken Breast with Mashed Potatoes and seasonal vegetables $8.99
Grilled Strip Steak with Mashed Potatoes and seasonal vegetables $10.99
PB&J with cheddar goldfish crackers $5.49
Grilled Cheese Sandwich with Goldfish Crackers $5.49

So, while it's great that Spoodles hasn't charged your party for an adult entree, since pasta is available ONLY as an adult entree, charging Guests (whether legal adults or Disney adults) the adult entree price is NOT unreasonable.

 

[Mom2LnE]

Twelve,and Spoodles has angel hair w/ marinara. First hand experience unlike yours! By the way, call them they still have it on the menu today as of 9/24/06 at 7:15 am.

 

[splashmtnman]

We ate at Boma last year and our 12 year old is a very picky eater also. Chicken fingers and plain noodles.(I think they charged me 16.79) There are posters with first hand experience and with two different outcomes. Some charged some not charged. It is pretty clear there is no policy which is not surprising in the least. It is usually left up to the discretion of management or chef on this. No she didn't say a small plate of pasta, but coming from experience the waitperson will usually let the kitchen know that it is for a small person regardless of how the person ordered.When ordering for my daughter or son we just order plain pasta w/ a liitle butter or olive oil and they bring the appropriate amount. Always happens and never had to order it that way unless we were dealing with a young inexperienced waitperson.Afor an Adult ordering plain pasta I don't know that I have ever had one order that as an entree,just a side.I think it is like the Disney adult policy. It is also left up to the discretion of management in the case of dining. Some will charge a small child that is close to the child age a childs price and some will charge them as an adult. Depends on the manager and also sometimes the kindness of the diner.I mentioned in a previous post a phone conversation that I had a few weeks back regarding this issue and was told that Spoodles also uses their discretion in these matters and would allow a "Disney Adult" to order off the childs menu if they were not big eaters. Verified by a manager at Disney also.So it is pretty clear there is no set policy so you may get charged $16.79 and you may not. If a manager is involved and you are nice your chances of being overcharged are slim at best but if you have an attitude or maybe the waitperson is not experienced you may get the latter.