Prime Time Cafe, bad experience, s l o w service

[missdaisy]

Just back from a one week trip. Spent 12/27 at DHS and had 5:30 ADR at PTC. Arrived at 5:31. Our family of 5 (DH, DD11, DS13, my mother & myself) Waited 20 minutes and were finally seated. We were on the dining plan and our server explained the details (as every server does, and it is scripted, after hearing it 7 times!). We waited 10 minutes or more to get our drinks. Table of 8 was seated after us in our area with a different server, and got drinks and ordered their food before our drinks arrived and our order was taken. Our entire meal continued in this vein. That table turned over twice (i.e. 2 tips for that server) before we even got dessert. We are not generally complainers and ALWAYS take a good look around to see if there are problems all around or in an isolated station before saying anything. There was no denying that tables were moving in and out in every station but this gentleman's. Not including the time we waited to be seated, our experience was over 2 hours, fully 45 minutes longer than any other TS meal we had during our week. My husband left a 10% tip and the server passed a comment. My husband did speak with the manager who sympathized and said all the right things but in the end made no ammends. Our server has been with the restaurant 11 years, he proudly told us, and judging from our conversation with the server who had the table next to us, he's a "known quantity." A disappointing experience and one which showed me that Disney's servers are not trained to cater to their customers' needs, but simply to parrot their script, peddle their particular restaurant's "specialty," and continuouslyl refill glasses without asking if a refill is even wanted.

 

[OhioDisneyDad]

So you go during the busiest time of the year, arrive late for your ADR (5:31 IS late), pay the bill, leave a tip and THEN speak to the manager?

 

[DisneyFamily123]

I'm sure you were frustrated. 2 hours is really long. Once seated, we spent up to 90 minutes at most restaurants and I'm talking appetizers, entrees, and desserts, sometimes characters. But I don't think 20 minutes isn't too bad of a wait to be seated. I go during non-busy times of the year and don't expect to be seated right away, usually it's 5-15 minutes. Did you talk with the server during your meal? What was the response?

But the big question is... Did you get a milkshake? Their milkshakes are so good, it would make me forget about anything I was upset about....

Now, here's what I might have tried....

Still waiting to be seated and getting impatient...

"Can you ask Mom when dinner is going to be ready? We're starving! I hope our cousin isn't in trouble again... Can you ask Mom if we can have a snack before dinner or help set the table?"

Service is slow...., tell the waiter...

"Can you ask Mom why dinner/lunch is taking so long? We are starving! I'll help cook!"
or...
"How come we ain't eatin' yet? Did the dog eat dinner again?"

or something like that... you see what I'm saying....

 

[missdaisy]

But the big question is... Did you get a milkshake? Their milkshakes are so good, it would make me forget about anything I was upset about.... Yes, got chocolate malt and I agree, yummish!

Now, here's what I might have tried....

Still waiting to be seated and getting impatient...

"Can you ask Mom when dinner is going to be ready? We're starving! I hope our cousin isn't in trouble again... Can you ask Mom if we can have a snack before dinner or help set the table?"
Never thought of using their own schtick. Good advice

Service is slow...., tell the waiter...
Would have but he was no here to be found. He joked that he was looking for his beer and by the end of the meal, we thought he was serious!

Just one person's perspective. And to the poster above, yes, we did go at the busiest time of the year and never waited to be seated at any TS ADR we had (Kona Cafe, Tutto Italia, Biergarten, Whispering Canyon or Captain's Grille). We checked in and were seated within 5 minutes, if not immediately.

 

[DisneyFamily123]

Just one person's perspective. And to the poster above, yes, we did go at the busiest time of the year and never waited to be seated at any TS ADR we had (Kona Cafe, Tutto Italia, Biergarten, Whispering Canyon or Captain's Grille). We checked in and were seated within 5 minutes, if not immediately.[/QUOTE]

I'm always surprised how fast we are seated at Disney World restaurants, sometimes too fast. Only 1 exception out of 50+ reservations -- Ohana Dinner. It's not that smooth at home...

We sat next to someone at the Candlelight Processional... Their son works for Disney World - a statistician who basically works out how many cast members are needed at different places, different times of year, etc... Interesting.

 

[Fantasmiss]

I'm not a fan of Prime Time either, have always been disappointed.