?? Regarding sharing at TS

[Meandnevaeh]

I just saw someone commenting in a Facebook page that Disney has started a new policy, quietly, "not on the books" slowly rolling out a seat fee charge for guests at TS restaurants for guests that are not eating or sharing with someone else? I have never experienced this, nor do I find this to be true, just wondering if anyone else has heard? I did tell him that Aycte, buffets, and character meals will not allow sharing and everyone sitting pays, comment was that Captains Grill, BOG, Jiko, and the Akershus and Ohana and 1900 PF charge a seat fee, which we all know the last 3 fall into the no sharing seat fee category, but as far as I know u can order or not order whatever you want at BOG and captains Grill(excluding the special events)

 

[baler31]

Not my experience a few weeks ago at BOG and Jiko.

 

[DisBuckMan]

With the way that some restaurants are being abused by patrons, BoG breakfast comes to mind specifically, it wouldn't surprise me at all. If not now...it's just a matter of time.

If it makes ADR's easier to get, I'm all for it.

 

[sharonabe]

If it's not in writing somewhere and I walk into a Disney a la carte restaurant intending to share, I'll walk right back out if they tell me there is a "seating fee." You can't quietly roll out something like this. It needs to be all or nothing. Not to mention, what would such a policy even look like? Would that mean you can't make an ADR and then just order dessert and coffee without a seating fee? What if you just wanted an app, but not a full meal?

As for BoG breakfast, Disney created that mess with their prix fix that isn't a prix fix. They can fix that mistake without this hullabaloo just by making it a TS and up the quality.

 

[Meandnevaeh]

That was my thought, with a picky 7 year old, and only the two of us, if I want to eat at a particular TS to have something I want I'll share a part of my meal with her because she won't eat much, but if I have to pay a seating fee, I'm walking out.

 

[Disney_traveler]

If this turns out to be true all I can help but wonder is "how much worse is it going to get?"

I realize these are extreme first world problems, but it just seems to be getting worse every 2 weeks.

 

[Meandnevaeh]

I don't think that there is any truth to this, This was the first time I have ever heard anything like this, but since he said that it's being quietly rolled out at hard to get TS restaurants and included Akershus, Ohana,1900 in with captains grill and BOG that maybe he doesn't understand the first 3 are not just TS-they are buffets or AyCTE, maybe he thought he was charged a seating fee? I was just wondering if anyone else out there in the Dis community ever heard of this happening at a standard TS restaurant.

 

[Nancyg56]

With the way that some restaurants are being abused by patrons, BoG breakfast comes to mind specifically, it wouldn't surprise me at all. If not now...it's just a matter of time.

If it makes ADR's easier to get, I'm all for it.

The restauants that come to mind for me are the ones that get booked up for fireworks viewing or "specialty" dining. I bet Califonia Grill and BOG dinner would be among the first to charge a minimum per person if this in fact is a change in the pipeline. I am not sure that it is, but I admit that this is one change I would not mind. I will often split an entree with my DDIL if we travel together, but we easily make a minimum I thin, because we order aso and dessert as well. If we had a plate charge we would pay it, but if made to each order an entree, we would probably skip the ap and dessert, and that would mean no after dinner pressed pot of coffee for DDIL and glass of wine for me.

 

[sharonabe]

I will often split an entree with my DDIL if we travel together, but we easily make a minimum I thin, because we order aso and dessert as well. If we had a plate charge we would pay it, but if made to each order an entree, we would probably skip the ap and dessert, and that would mean no after dinner pressed pot of coffee for DDIL and glass of wine for me.

And this is another reason why something like a seating charge would be a nightmare to regulate. Based on your scenario, Disney would actually be losing money on you with a mandatory "order entree or get a seating charge." They definitely don't want to do that. So how could/would they come up with some kind of minimum amount? It just doesn't make good sense at all.

 

[Uncleromulus]

Well--the restaurants are in business to sell meals--not to provide a "park bench" for folks to come and camp out most of the evening..w/o buying a meal.

As Disbuckman suggests patrons often "abuse" WDW restaurants and perhaps this is a first effort at controlling things...

 

[disnut8]

If this is happening, you should be told about it when you make the reservation. I'd like to be able to see the original Facebook post to determine if there were any other circumstances involved with that particular guest's visit. And it's quite funny because 50's Prime Time has the Mom's Favorite Recipes ($23) which is perfect for my husband and I to share because he likes half the stuff, I like the other half. It's not like we are a party of ten and only one person is not eating but just sitting there. So, I think this Facebook post would be interesting to see as it was posted.

 

[Jadyreen1282]

Well--the restaurants are in business to sell meals--not to provide a "park bench" for folks to come and camp out most of the evening..w/o buying a meal.

As Disbuckman suggests patrons often "abuse" WDW restaurants and perhaps this is a first effort at controlling things...

I'm all for it. Better chance for paying vacationers to get a seat.

 

[alex9179]

Capts. Grill has a breakfast buffet option. I can imagine that if all but one person in the party opted for it, over a la carte, then the one person not ordering anything would be asked to pay the charge. It would look like that one person would end up sharing buffet items without paying.

I'm curious about what happened at BOG and Jiko.

 

[loves to dive]

I guess it would depend upon the amount of the charge and what the actual rules were. My son and I sometimes share an app and an entre then get separate desserts if we don't want a huge meal but it's not about money and more about just don't want a big deal right then. More often than not I have a salad and an app for me meal and maybe share a desert with him while he gets a full app and entre himself. We both normally have a refreshing adult beverage or two so we spend as much, if not more, than we would were we to get two entres and no apps and desert. When I'm solo I rarely order an entre, it's the salad and an app or two apps just because I don't eat big meals. Would I not go to a restaurant if they charged a seating min. for sharing? I guess it would depend upon how much I wanted to eat at the place. I might skip somewhere if they charged an extra charge for not ordering an entre.

 

[3Gsandme]

As long as they're up front with their policies, I don't care. I've often wondered about the etiquette of taking up a seat at a hard to get restaurant or time slot and NOT intending for everyone to eat. BOG breakfast comes to mind.

 

[maxiesmom]

As long as they're up front with their policies, I don't care. I've often wondered about the etiquette of taking up a seat at a hard to get restaurant or time slot and NOT intending for everyone to eat. BOG breakfast comes to mind.

And if this becomes reality, those are exactly the people to blame. The ones who are booking ADRs and only ordering a coffee. Because they don't really want the ADR, they want the perk of getting into the parks early. People need to realize that if they find a loophole and work it into the ground, Disney will do something about it. And it usually ends up being something we don't like.

 

[MaryLovesPoohBear]

It may end up being similar to a cover charge.

If you don't order, you are charged. If you do, you are only charge if you don't order enough to cover the charge.

Either way. BOG breakfast might be easier to come by if they charge people that don't order.

 

[MaryLovesPoohBear]

And if this becomes reality, those are exactly the people to blame. The ones who are booking ADRs and only ordering a coffee. Because they don't really want the ADR, they want the perk of getting into the parks early. People need to realize that if they find a loophole and work it into the ground, Disney will do something about it. And it usually ends up being something we don't like.

I cannot agree more.

Yes, it is a loophole. No, Disney cast members won't stop you from doing it. But eventually, Disney will close the loophole.

Look out those that use separate magic bands for same day fast passes or book a campsite for 10 people for free dining/onsite fast passes/free magic bands.

 

[sharonabe]

And if this becomes reality, those are exactly the people to blame. The ones who are booking ADRs and only ordering a coffee. Because they don't really want the ADR, they want the perk of getting into the parks early. People need to realize that if they find a loophole and work it into the ground, Disney will do something about it. And it usually ends up being something we don't like.

But Disney created this one. They made BoG a QS that required an ADR, went with a set price for everything, but then they didn't make everyone order. On top of that, 6 mos or so later, they decided to offer a couple of a la carte items!! That's not a loophole, that's just dining. I don't blame those who get the ADR and just order coffee. Trust me, if this still exists on our next visit, I'll be doing it. Disney is the one to blame for this one, and they can clean it up easily.

 

[MaryLovesPoohBear]

But Disney created this one. They made BoG a QS that required an ADR, went with a set price for everything, but then they didn't make everyone order. On top of that, 6 mos or so later, they decided to offer a couple of a la carte items!! That's not a loophole, that's just dining. I don't blame those who get the ADR and just order coffee. Trust me, if this still exists on our next visit, I'll be doing it. Disney is the one to blame for this one, and they can clean it up easily.

And they may be doing just that. Cleaning it up by charging those guests that aren't ordering.

I don't see the problem. I'll be glad if they do something like this.