Wait till you hear this!

[Sammie]

I did not know this. Does anyone have more information? I would have thought that restaurants in WDW, staffed by WDW employees would have to be owned by Disney; simply to ensure a quality guest experience if nothing else? So, if it is not owned by Disney who owns it and what part do they own? Not the building, not the staff....maybe the signature dishes or the name? Are there other restaurants within the Parks like that? I know there are some at DTD and Swan/Dolphin but thought everything in the Parks (well, maybe except PteroFries or whatever that McDs thing is in AK) was owned by the Mouse?

Very few restaurants at Epcot especially World Showcase are managed by Disney. They are managed by the owners of the orginial restaurants. The building belongs to Disney, and it is rented by the restaurant owners. The staff does not work for Disney. The only thing that is Disney is the building.

The Pepper Market and Mayan Grill at Coronado Springs is not owned by Disney either, it is owned by the management and owners of San Angel Inn in the Mexico pavillon at Epcot.

Many people work at Disney but not for Disney. Just like the drivers for Magical Express and valet services and many housekeepers, etc. They are contracted by Disney from outside companies.

 

[keys2kingdom]

I did not know this. Does anyone have more information? I would have thought that restaurants in WDW, staffed by WDW employees would have to be owned by Disney; simply to ensure a quality guest experience if nothing else? So, if it is not owned by Disney who owns it and what part do they own? Not the building, not the staff....maybe the signature dishes or the name? Are there other restaurants within the Parks like that? I know there are some at DTD and Swan/Dolphin but thought everything in the Parks (well, maybe except PteroFries or whatever that McDs thing is in AK) was owned by the Mouse?

The restaurants in Japan are not owned by Disney either. Nor is Yak and Yeti over at AK, it is a Landry's restaurant along with Rainforest.

 

[kikiq]

Bless you, bless you, bless you...Thank you for at least trying to help the waitress. My DD has worked for 3 resturants working her way through college and it was standard for all 3 places that if someone didn't pay, she was responsible for the bill. It has nothing to do with Disney, it's resturant business.

I am a firm believer of what goes around, comes around.

 

[Maistre Gracey]

I always thought all the stores and restaurants in the France pavillion were actually owned by the French government, not privately.

MG

 

[theoarn]

It was really great of you to offer to pay the bill.
I have waited tables before and it was the policy at one of those locations for waitstaff to pay for walkaways.
I suppose it could keep the waitstaff from pocketing the bill.
Theo

 

[alldiz]

Wow....what a wonderful person you are.

Karma will pay it twofold
Kerri

 

[bookwormde]

While having staff pay for losses is common, in many states it is also against the labor laws. Garnishing wages is a very restricted issue in most states. Adjusting "tip" distribution is a little grayer area but in most cases making up losses that way would also be against the law. Anyone familiar with Florida labor laws.

By the way great job stepping in, it give us all hope for the world.

bookwormde

 

[nunzia]

Yea for you!! And I'm sure the server is so grateful and will help people the way you helped her.

The servers are responsible for walk outs..partly becasue if they are responsible, the temptation to say it was a walkout and say..keep the cash that was left on the table..is gone. It is not the restaurant being a big meany.

 

[AKLFan3]

I'm surprised that the people were able to walk out of the restaurant without paying so easily. I would think that restaurants have security cameras inside and throughout the park so thieves cannot disappear into the crowd. I hope security was able to find the thieves and arrest them.

 

[spiceycat]

but that the problem with this system.

the poor food servers would pay - reguardless.

the restuarant therefore - does NOT care.

that say yea everything is on camera somewhere for security - and to make Disney is not responsible.

way so sweet of you to offer to pay. Making the manager feel guilty.

 

[susieh]

I am so glad I am British! That kind of treatment of staff is illegal here!

 

[starbox]

She was visibly upset and I asked the manager if this was true about her having to pay it back and he said yes! We decided that we would cover her loss and I told the manager to take what she owed out of our card. He came back and said it was a nice gesture, but he couldn't do it. I talked to the waitress and told her we would cover it for her. I was determined not to let that girl have to pay! We were both crying by that time. My daughter was with us and I would never want something like that happen to her. Anyway, to make a very long story short, the manager ended up telling us and the waitress that she wouldn't have to pay or if she did, it would be a very little. He shook my hand on that promise.

What a kind gesture!! Years ago, when we were a young couple, DH was waiting tables to help make ends meet while he finished seminary. Our DS had just been born, and had lots of medical issues (intensive care for weeks). Of course, DH never shared any of his personal stuff with customers - but one man ate with his family and handed DH 500$ cash as a tip as he left. We've never forgotten that kindness - and have always thought of him as an angel in disguise.

I am sure the young woman you helped will remember you in the same way.

 

[3DisneyKids]

What an amazing gesture!

 

[Boardwalker]

I always thought all the stores and restaurants in the France pavillion were actually owned by the French government, not privately.

MG

I remember seeing somewhere that only Morraco has an actual tie to the government of their country, and that is because it was important to the ruling family (I want to say King but I don't even remember if Morraco is a monarchy right now). And I think that, actually, the tie was to the family not the government. It had to be on a Travel Channel show. Anyone out there remember something like that?

That being said, I think the OP is a remarkable person! God bless you! And whereas I hope I never see something like that happen, if I do I promise to follow suit.

(So from now on I will not bring a LG Mickey to dinner... or half the restaurant will think dinner is on me.)

 

[Mtnman44]

I'm still having a hard time believing that a restaurant would/could charge a waitress, simply because their table walked out.

What if they also took the silverware or simply robbed the place at gunpoint? Would the waiter also have to cover that?

At least the waiter won't have to pay 40% taxes like their counterparts in Great Britain. Yea for "free" healthcare!

 

[susieh]

At least the waiter won't have to pay 40% taxes like their counterparts in Great Britain. Yea for "free" healthcare!

Show's how much you know about GB. 40% tax is nothing to do with healthcare - it's what you pay on earnings above about £40,000 per annum (and you only pay it on the salary above that). National Insurance pays for the health service - which incidentally covers bills like a previous poster encountered when their child was born.

 

[DIZBOUND]

I'm surprised that the people were able to walk out of the restaurant without paying so easily. I would think that restaurants have security cameras inside and throughout the park so thieves cannot disappear into the crowd. I hope security was able to find the thieves and arrest them.

Well it is very easy to walk out. We actually found this out on accident on our last trip. My husband brought our son to the bathroom at the same time he handed me the DDE card and another card simultaneously the waiter brought out the bill. I put the DDE card and what I thought was my DH room card in the folder and handed it back to the waiter. When the waiter returned, I was at the bathroom with our other son and my husband picked up the cards and the receipt. He assumed that I had put the room key there and we all walked out. Well the waiter came running after my DH looking for payment (we ate at Crystal Palace and he caught up with us at the bridge just before Swiss Family). NOW I know why. We felt absolutely horrible about it and profusly appoligized to him and of course my DH tipped EXTRA WELL.

 

[Grandbuddy]

no msg

 

[Starr W.]

I remember seeing somewhere that only Morraco has an actual tie to the government of their country, and that is because it was important to the ruling family (I want to say King but I don't even remember if Morraco is a monarchy right now). And I think that, actually, the tie was to the family not the government. It had to be on a Travel Channel show. Anyone out there remember something like that?

That being said, I think the OP is a remarkable person! God bless you! And whereas I hope I never see something like that happen, if I do I promise to follow suit.

(So from now on I will not bring a LG Mickey to dinner... or half the restaurant will think dinner is on me.)

Yes, Morraco is a monarchy.

To the OP, .

We just came back from VB and Wednesday night we saw our waitress at Shutters have to deal with a local couple who obviously could not be pleased. The chef came out twice to talk to them, they were very polite to him, but "took it out on the waitress". DH gave her a 35% tip because of the abuse she took from them and she was an excellent server.

Some people are funny, I was in the bathroom at the pool and caught a little girl before she got her fingers caught in the door and another one who was going to walk out without her bottom half of her swimsuit on(dad was waiting outside). One woman asked me "Why are you worried about these kids?" I answered because I hope someone would be watching out for mine and it's the right thing to do. I'm going to watch a little girl get her fingers squished in a door?

Though I hope my 11 & 6 yr old boys are past the time they needed to be reminded to pull up their swim suits.

 

[DebbieB]

I wonder if they were staying at a WDW hotel. When you make a reservation, they ask you your hotel name and date of arrival. There was a thread awhile back where a mother took her young son to the restroom and was gone quite awhile. When she got back to the table, they assumed she walked out, they already seated someone else, and they had charged the meal to her room.