While dining in Disney do you complain or send food back when it's unacceptable?

[PelletierBears]

After reading the "Best and Worst Dining Experience" thread and reading 2 of the posters refer to food as "gross" it got me wondering if people complain to management when they receive a bad meal at Disney?

I'll admit to not speaking up like I do in the real world but considering how expensive dining is in Disney and how we all value our time in the parks, I'm surprised at how many people seem to just accept the bad food and 2 1/2 hour dining experiences. One person said they got up from their table and "bought" a coke from the bar of a restaurant after not being able to find their server! Why on earth would someone do that? They didn't say if they complained and got reimbursed so I assume not.

If a server put "gross" food in front of me, or anyone in my family I was paying for, they would be taking it back...even if that meant I had to go find them. And find them I would

Don't get me wrong, I'm not an aggressive person and avoid conflict whenever possible but find as I get older that I have no patience for bad service... or for being ripped off!

While dining at Disney do you complain or send food back when it's unacceptable to you?

 

[canopynut66]

After reading the "Best and Worst Dining Experience" thread and reading 2 of the posters refer to food as "gross" it got me wondering if people complain to management when they receive a bad meal at Disney?

I'll admit to not speaking up like I do in the real world but considering how expensive dining is in Disney and how we all value our time in the parks, I'm surprised at how many people seem to just accept the bad food and 2 1/2 hour dining experiences. One person said they got up from their table and "bought" a coke from the bar of a restaurant after not being able to find their server! Why on earth would someone do that? They didn't say if they complained and got reimbursed so I assume not.

If a server put "gross" food in front of me, or anyone in my family I was paying for, they would be taking it back...even if that meant I had to go find them. And find them I would

Don't get me wrong, I'm not an aggressive person and avoid conflict whenever possible but find as I get older that I have no patience for bad service... or for being ripped off!

While dining at Disney do you complain or send food back when it's unacceptable to you?

We handle it just like we would in any restaurant regardless if we have free dining or are paying out of pocket. we go in expecting a good meal and if not we ask for a manager and clear it up then. No use to leave and complain. Have to say we have had very few problems in WDW.

 

[goofyintoronto]

if there's nothing wrong with the food, if i just dont like how it taste, then i wont send it back. At Tony's, my food was incredibly disgusting. It was their marinara sauce. My son hated his too. But there was nothing wrong with it, we just didnt think it was good or edible. Some ppl like their food thou. So for me to send it back wouldnt be fair. If i found a hair in it or if i saw the chicken wasnt cooked properly for example, HECK YES i'd send it back!!! Without a doubt. I dont care if im on the dining plan or paying OOP.

 

[zmanandshan]

I agree with the PP. I wouldnt send back the food just because I disliked the taste. If I took a risk and ordered something I am not used to trying, I have to chalk that up to an experience.

But sometimes a waitperson would see that someone doesnt like the food if they hadnt touched it, and offer up something else to keep the customer happy and returning.

If I was served food that was incorrectly cold, raw, etc., then I would send it back just as I would any restaurant.

 

[cw21726]

I did send something back once and it was definitely my own fault. I was feeling adventurous (drunk) one night at California Grill when I ordered braised veal cheeks.

The flavor was amazing but the texture was all kinds of wrong and I started to gag. I told our awesome server that I just didn't care for it. She told me no big deal and brought me a steak.

 

[TheRustyScupper]

While dining at Disney do you complain or send food back when it's unacceptable to you?

1) Absolutely.
2) Positively.
3) Without doubt or repudiation.
4) We would do this
. . . at moderate eateries (eg. Applebee's)
. . . at cheapies (eg. McDonald's)
. . . at fine dining
5) I worked had for my money.
6) And will not waste it on goods or food that are unacceptable.

 

[AshleeH]

If there's something wrong, I would complain right then and there, just like any other restaurant (no use leaving and complaining about it later or writing a letter to Disney when a manager could accomplish something quickly without involving a third party).

I've never had to complain - the only time it came close was when we were in Hollywood Studios in 2010 at a QS place and I ordered the chicken club (I think). The sandwich came and there was no meat on it. I took it back up to the counter and explained what happened and they called a manager over - he stood and stared at it for a good 20 seconds and then shook himself and said he was sorry for staring, but he'd never seen that happen in all of his years working at Disney and we both got a laugh out of it . I wasn't upset or angry - mistakes like that happen (although apparently not often lol!) and they got me a completely new sandwich and all was fine. Of course my family had already finished eating by the time we got it sorted out, but they usually finish before me anyway, so that's not unusual .

 

[Sweet Melissa]

If the food was prepared inadequately, yes, I would send it back. If I just ordered wrong and disliked the taste, I would keep it.

 

[LilyWDW]

Now, I did send something back that I didn't like and ordered something else. The curry at Jiko was just TOO spicy... and I eat a lot of spicy food and enjoy it. I took one bite and just knew there was no way I could eat it.

When I did, I made sure to stress that it was MY decision and that I would pay for both entrees. Nothing was really wrong with it but I simply could not eat it personally. That said, it was not on our bill at the end of the meal and so the server got a really nice tip in exchange.

Also, the steak is awesome there (prepared as the menu described)!

 

[elaine amj]

I send it back if I don't like it. If it's OK, I eat it.

We were at Rose n Crown and I had their stew. Waitress recommended it. i didn't like it at all. It was edible..but I didn't care for the flavour. I told her and she took it away and brought me a shepherd's pie...which was incredible and made the meal a joy. On the other hand, DH had a steak and it was fine. he liked it well enough so there was no question of sending it back even though he wasn't wowed by it.

We were at Sci Fi and my DD ordered something (can't remember what) and it was terrible. There were apple slices on the side and even those were not good. We sent it back and got a burger and fries, which were yummy.

I was at a local upscale restaurant recently and had a very expensive steak. It didn't wow me like i had hoped but it was decent enough. the manager stopped by to ask if i liked it and I told him quite honestly that it wasn't as good as I expected - that it was slightly tough and chewy. He asked me if I wanted it redone and I said no...it was fine and I liked it well enough.

So that's my line in the sand.

 

[kerstfan1]

i did this once on my first stay in 20o8 at rainforrest cafe at ak i like my steak bloody but this was gray so i send it back and got it off my bill

 

[pumba]

one visit to le Cellier...I ordered prime rib ...really rare...well it was really raw when I got it and the lady sitting at the next table looked over and said..OH YOU HAD THE SALMON...I had to send it back to get a little more brown to it...I love rare ..but raw was a different story
I love prime rib

 

[mickeysbestfriend]

sent food back numerous times but mostly because it was cold or simply not what we ordered. I'm an adventerous person so I tend to order things that are new (getting harder to find at Disney) and if I don't like it...my bad.

A side note to that is that a good waiter or waitress will notice you haven't touched your food and ask what if wrong and offer to get you somehting else. They want the partons to be satisfied and come back. A good manager spends his or her time on the floor checking out the same.

My two cents!

 

[rentayenta]

I treat dining at WDW no differently than dining at home with regard to expectations. Yes, I would send it back.

 

[DEA]

I have learned to assert myself about food at WDW only in the last couple of years. I was a little intimidated on my first couple of trips, and just accepted meals that I didn't like. However, a couple of years ago when I got a meal at Brown Derby that looked good on paper, but tasted bad to me, I sent it back and got something else.

I do not see anything wrong with doing this; you came in for a good meal, and if it doesn't taste good to you, after ordering in good faith, then I think the restaurant would prefer you to leave praising them for good customer service and a meal that you did like rather than leaving with a negative feeling about the restaurant because you didn't like the food you ordered. HBR seemed to feel the same way. I let them know that the food seemed to be prepared correctly, and there was nothing objectively wrong with it. It just didn't taste good to me. They were happy to replace it without charging me for the food I didn't enjoy.

 

[Hopefully]

Intereseting replies. I feel the way the majority of folks have replied. If there is something expressly wrong with the food, I would send it back.
If I ordered something that was prepared correctly, but I didn't like the taste of it, that's not the restaurants fault and I wouldn't send it back.
At least 3 folks have stated that the order was fine, they just didn't like it when it came, so they sent it back. I think that is just wrong!!! Not the restaurants issue that you didn't like what you ordered. And no, I don't think they "owe" you anything more.

 

[luvmarypoppins]

I have only sent two things back lately during all of our visits.

One was the crab cake appetizer at Captains Grille at the Yacht Club. I even had dh taste it. It was absolutely terrible. The server was really nice and allowed me to get another app. which I did.

Also I ordered some sorbet at Le Cellier for lunch. It was so sour I could hardly stand it. Even had dh and our friend take a taste and we all agreed. We did ask the server if it was suppose to be so sour tasting etc. He also offered to bring me another flavor which I did and it was so much better.

Also I know at Kona dh and I both ordered the rib eye medium. His was fine and part of mine seemed to be a little overdone. So I guess it depends on the cook too etc.

 

[Annadesu]

I would send my food back if there was something wrong with it... to a point.

For example, if I got something with no pickles, and they left the pickles on it, I would just peel them off and put them to the side. But if they bring me something that is undercooked, old, etc. then I would probably say something. But even then, there's no need to be rude to the server. Just kindly ask for a replacement.

 

[LilyWDW]

Intereseting replies. I feel the way the majority of folks have replied. If there is something expressly wrong with the food, I would send it back.
If I ordered something that was prepared correctly, but I didn't like the taste of it, that's not the restaurants fault and I wouldn't send it back.
At least 3 folks have stated that the order was fine, they just didn't like it when it came, so they sent it back. I think that is just wrong!!! Not the restaurants issue that you didn't like what you ordered. And no, I don't think they "owe" you anything more.

Just to be clear because I was one that said I sent something back because I did not like it... I offered to PAY for the other entree because I was doing it due to MY decision. I never once asked for the entree I didn't like to be taken off the bill. The server made that decision themselves.

However, I wasn't about to waste money and eat NOTHING at Jiko because I made a bad decision.

 

[Uncleromulus]

We've only sent food back once in all the years we have been dining at WDW. And that was for raw chicken at Liberty Tree Tavern.

Now there were a few times we've gotten food we really didn't "like", but since we ordered it and there was nothing wrong with the preparation, we absorbed the loss. That was our fault and not the restaurants...