The Wave: How would you react to this experience?

[DLgal]

It's a freaking caterpillar. I would have just pulled it off the salad and kept eating. Expecting an entire tables meals to be comped is really entitled and not in any way proportional to the issue.

 

[Carol_]

It’s WDW. I’m surprised you weren’t charged extra for the creative topping.
(only a problem if there were a declared allergy.)
Just kidding.

 

[hertamaniac]

I think the effected diner should have had the entire meal comped. Needless to say, I suspect everyone else at the table had "microscope eyes" from that point forward.

 

[RamblingMad]

They’re only venomous. One tries to kill James Bond in the book Doctor No.

 

[Novatrix]

My vote is you're overreacting if you're expecting the entire table's meals to be comped. I think the waitstaff's response was perfectly appropriate.

It's a catepillar, not a scorpion. Trust me, your ancestors ate a lot worse and survived, otherwise you wouldn't exist. And just think, you didn't need to pay for the protein upgrade to the salad!

 

[Jennasis]

This is why I don't eat vegetables.

 

[BK2014]

I am torn between being impressed that the salad was that fresh, and thinking how hard is it to find a caterpillar when you are rinsing the vegetables when prepping the salad? Or maybe that isn't done, and does not need to be done - I don't work in a Disney kitchen. But I agree that I would have thought that maybe the entire meal for the affected individual should have been comped. But I wouldn't be upset by what was done.

 

[Bjkandma]

An apology, A new salad and a free sundae! If you made it through the entire meal, it is more than sufficient. I am assuming the person accepted a fresh salad and sundae and continued eating their meal. If they no longer "felt hungry" or someone else couldn't eat, more would have been done. You all enjoyed your meals and wanted to be comped after finishing eating. You can't completely eat dinner and expect it for free.

 

[gharter]

As others said, its only a caterpillar. We find those on our lettuce from our garden all the time. You know the salad was fresh.
I think comping the salad and a dessert fair.

 

[DLgal]

I am torn between being impressed that the salad was that fresh, and thinking how hard is it to find a caterpillar when you are rinsing the vegetables when prepping the salad? Or maybe that isn't done, and does not need to be done - I don't work in a Disney kitchen. But I agree that I would have thought that maybe the entire meal for the affected individual should have been comped. But I wouldn't be upset by what was done.

Little green or white caterpillars often end up in between lettuce leaves like romaine. I've found them several times in pre washed lettuce. Sometimes they don't fall out when you wash them. It's not a huge deal. I'm sure many people have unknowingly eaten them when having salad. You'd have to literally rinse every leaf individually to ensure there are never any critters. No restaurant does that.

 

[LYSE]

My wife once found a pincher bug in her salad, the management let her re order and her entire meal was comped.

 

[nerdboyrockstar]

If you guys are cool with caterpillars in your salad, maybe I don't like my salads as fresh as the rest of y'all. I would want an apology, meal comped, free dessert, and the caterpillar + staff to join in a rousing performance of "The Ugly Bug Ball" from Summer Magic for my table & nearby diners.

 

[figmentfinesse]

Did the caterpillar survive the ordeal? Sorry I’m just curious!

 

[MamaMermaid]

Why would the whole table get their meal comped? Only one person was truly impacted if we are being literal.

 

[GXIncognto]

If I've learned anything at all from message boards, it's that if Disney makes any mistake you should immediately demand an upgrade to a Poly bungalow.

 

[cgattis]

I found a dead bug in my salad at the cafeteria at work and all I got was the stink eye when I mentioned it to the cafeteria lady. And I wasn’t even asking for a comp, just laughing about it. ( I mean it was at the very bottom, so a little late to matter. LOL) I think a replacement salad was enough, the free dessert would’ve been much appreciated and left me with a good taste in my mouth.....(see what did there)

 

[philharmagic fan]

Happened to me once at a major chain restaurant with a ladybug (alive and crawling around). Management apologized profusely, comped my whole meal and offered me anything else on the menu for free, but I'd already eaten about 3/4 of the salad including the entire chicken breast that was on it and declined. I thought their response was perfectly reasonable.

 

[North of Mouse]

The one meal comped and a sincere apology would have been sufficient - everyone else was fine and evidently enjoyed their meals incident free. If I would have been the recipient of a 'free' caterpillar, that would have been the end of my appetite - no additional food wanted/needed at that time.

 

[mom to minnie&mickey]

I would love to hear the op's justified reasoning as to why 5 people should get free meals when only one person was affected by the incident. That is beyond milking the situation and trying to get something for nothing imho. That being said it is gross to find any kind of live creature in your food. The affected person should have been comped their entire meal and maybe ( but certainly not necessary), if the manager was willing, a couple free deserts for the table. An about $200 bill (estimated) comped is very unreasonable and entitled. I wonder if the op actually did request free meals for everyone to the manager who probably said heck no!

 

[karen4546]

Apology - new salad or whatever item the diner wanted- comped the one diner's meal including drink and dessert. another apology. DONE.