Sharing entrees..

[Mackey Mouse]

Just thinking out loud and wondered what you all think. I notice that there are lots of posts talking about sharing entrees and where I live, it is a resort area, they charge you if you try to share an entree... something nominal, but they charge for that extra plate to share.. They truly try to discourage it.

Does Disney do this and if not, and they initiate the policy, what do you all think??

 

[Hopefully]

I too have seen where restaurants charge a sharing or plate fee. I do not think this is unreasonable.
I have also seen some press releases recently where Disney is talking about continuing their healthly food inititative. Among other things (no more trans fats for example,) they are talking about reducing portion sizes. This may make sharing less possible in the future.

 

[Mackey Mouse]

Maybe it is just a Boston/MA thing and they do not do it in other parts of the US..

 

[engle]

I know they do this some places but I don't agree that it is reasonable. You don't get any more food if you are sharing...so why would they charge you more? It would be just like if you sat there and didn't order anything but a drink. They are still going to need to change the silverware out and clear the table the same...so what is the diffference??

 

[Mackey Mouse]

I think that the thought process is that you will think twice before ordering only one meal to share when they charge you a fee for an extra plate thus making you think well if I have to pay $5 for a plate, I might as well order an entree or an appetizer. I only asked the question, and I hear your response, I just wondered what we would think if Disney put this in place.

Another thought, what if there was a minimum charge to sit at a table in a restaurant and think you can only order drinks....I have seen that one too.

 

[Kae]

Ok I have a sharing question. When you share an entree do you tip extra as if you ordered 2? do you think that is part of the plate fee.

Kae

 

[Uncleromulus]

I've seen a "plating" charge for shared entrees at a few higher end spots around here, but it really isn't common.
As for Disney--I have no stats to back it up but I don't think entree sharing is common enough for them to consider adding such a charge.

 

[Dis Ohana]

I often share an appetizer and entree with my daughter (12) since she is a light eater. I'd have no problem paying a plate fee since we aren't doing it to cut dining cost, I also tip a little extra to compensate for the split.

 

[engle]

And what about if I ordered an app as an entree and my DH ordered a regular entree...could we still share or would this be an extra plate fee....or if I ordered just a soup or salad as the same?? How does this work where you have been that they charge this fee? Cause this is what I would do if they instituted this charge.

 

[PatsMom]

I live in a tourist town and some restaurants charge to split an entree and some do not. DH is a big eater so he would never share with me but DD and I have been known to share an entree because we both love appetizer's and don't have enough room for a whole entree. Unless we are ordering something that makes good leftovers! If Disney charged a split plate fee we would pay it if we really wanted to make sure we had enough room. It depends on the restaurant and what we feel like eating. If we do split, we increase the tip whether there is a fee to split or not.

 

[CamColt]

Great question!

I believe Shulas does charge a plate splitting fee. I seem to remember seeing a sign near the menu out in the lobby.

Being married to a former waiter, I can see the point to discourage sharing. If you are given so many tables for 2 and so many for 4, etc... but only half those people order entress, that is seriously cutting into your tips, going on the assumption they are only tipping on what is ordered, of course.

Personally, while we might share a salad or appetizer, I don't think we have ever sharend an entree so charging a fee wouldnt affect me.

 

[Mackey Mouse]

I was only asking this as a question as I have not seen it at WDW probably because we do not do the sharing thing, we are two adults. I have seen it where I live as I also live in a resort town, I also have a friend who owns a tea room and she tells me stories.. I would definitely compensate the server if she was serving two people and not base my tip on the price of the shared meal.

We have shared a dessert, but I do not think it comes any to play when you have already ordered two entrees...

 

[lunapnp]

We usually share entrees...especially at Disney. Heck...we even share CS meals, too. One reason being that the portions are so big. I never know with my two DD what type of "mood" they will be in...sometimes big eaters other times not. Also, my other reasoning for sharing is that I can't/won't take the leftovers back to the room with me. So, it's just easier to share and know we won't be wasting food. Now, if Disney were to charge $5 (or whatever) for sharing, I would still share. However, if they decreased the portion sizes I might not share.

 

[jlynne01]

It is not uncommon for us to share our meals with our dd12. She eats like a bird and though we wouldnt mind paying a dining fee to share with her we have never even had anyone comment on our asking for an additional plate for her. We always end up getting her a drink and even though she is a light eater when it comes to dinner she always seems to find room for desert so we usually ger her that also. Again I would be open to paying a dining fee for her but I cant see paying full price for an entire dinner that she will take two or three bites out of max.

 

[Lewisc]

A lot of the Disney restaurants are buffet, serve "all you care to eat" or are dinner packages such as the CP or FDP. All guests dining pay.

I don't have a problem if Disney has a sharing charge. A lot of the costs of a restaurant are fixed.

 

[pta-mom]

I have no problem with paying a $5 fee (but no more than that!) to share an entree. It is extra work for people involved...assuming of course that the meal comes from the kitchen already split.

 

[SamSam]

Dh and I often share meals. We aren't big eaters, but like to have an appetizer, main course and dessert and if we don't share we have way too much food. We always tip as if we had both ordered entrees. I would pay an extra plate charge, however I wouldn't be happy about it.

 

[Hollymom1229]

DH and I share, but that's because we could not eat an appetizer, entree, and dessert a piece. If we ordered 2 entrees, that's all we would order because we'd have no room for anything else. By sharing we do 3 courses, and our bill is roughly the same as it would have been if we'd gotten 2 entrees. So in our case a split plate fee would be ludicrous, because we'd just order 2 entrees, and avoid the fee.

 

[BabyPiglet]

I share food with my mother because neither of us are huge eaters after we've shared an appetizer. I don't do it to cut down on cost, I do it because I don't want to waste food. I won't take leftovers home with me, so if I don't eat it, it goes to waste. We also share dessert.

I see nothing wrong with it, and probably wouldn't mind paying a plate charge at Disney.

 

[Briar_Rose]

DH and I aren't big eaters and there are times when we've shared if we aren't that hungry. We share with our 2 year-old alot since she doesn't eat much and likes a wide range of foods. We always tip quite a bit extra to compensate the server if DH and I share. I would not be happy about the extra plate fee and probably skip the appetizer and dessert and just order 2 entrees.

I prefer reasonable portion sizes at restaurants (not extra large) provided they are priced according to the size and quality of the food provided. If WDW reduces portion sizes and increases the cost, I would not be pleased, although I would not be surprised at this point.