Stupid Dining Tricks?

[February]

Okay, I just wondered, any food related CM's here have Food service/DDP stories?

We just used the DDP for the first time last trip, got it for free so why not- and I couldn't believe the stuff people were trying to pull. Maybe it's just me but it seems like there's a whole network of folks out there looking for ways to, um, go around the system. (that's a nice way to put it. Yeah! :)

Now this is my first topic I'm startin' here so I don't know if I'm stepping into any hornets' nests LOL I'm not trying to stir anything up. I was just curious if there were any stories out there.

I'll start one about guests showing up without ADR's during free dining.

We ate at LeCellier for the first time on this trip- and that's saying something considering how many times we've been to WDW. I planned ahead and got the ressie 6 months in advance.

I could not believe how many people were getting angry at the podium when they couldn't get an immediate dinner reservation for their huge groups. It was so bad that after one group stormed off, I went to the podium and teased the CM and said "I have a group of 15 and we're starving how soon can we eat and what is this about getting the food for free, where do I sign up?" He could tell from the look on my face I was joking and he laughed.

Let's hear those dining/food service stories, people! :D I know you've got em.

MCP

[Big Wallaby]

I could not believe how many people were getting angry at the podium when they couldn't get an immediate dinner reservation for their huge groups. It was so bad that after one group stormed off, I went to the podium and teased the CM and said "I have a group of 15 and we're starving how soon can we eat and what is this about getting the food for free, where do I sign up?" He could tell from the look on my face I was joking and he laughed.

I can only speak from the outside on this one, but I can tell you that Le Cellier scene is all too common. I mean, come on. You pack thousands of people into a park like that, have nice restaurants, and... <SHOCK> People are going to use those restaurants. As nice as it would be to have the park to yourself (which you can do for the right price, although I haven't bothered to ask :rolleyes :) , you don't.

[ktulu]

My only complaint is for those of us who don't book 6 months in advance (and the locals), trying to get an ADR with the free dining was damn near impossible, but then we would be shocked when we could get ADR for some places (Garden Grill, 12:10 on a SATURDAY, we were shocked!). We are more counter service than we cared to. The other issue is the SG's lack of ability to read what they get with the dining plan and almost every one of them asking their server/cashier what they can get. They need two lines, one for dining plan and one for non-dining plan.

[Big Wallaby]

They need two lines, one for dining plan and one for non-dining plan.

Nah, they need a line for those who know what they're doing, and one for those who don't.

[Theme Park Where]

Dad's a concierge at one of the resorts. He had nearly daily stories about SGs coming up to the desk to book a seating for that night for their group on the free DD plan, usually someplace like Cindy's Royal Table in the castle or Le Cellier.

The other SGT he talked about a lot were the SGs (or maybe not SGs but dishonest guests) who would get the DD plan for themselves and their kids, then pay outright for the kid's meals. Then they had extra vouchers to use for additional adult full service dining or dinner shows. Not only were they dishonest about it, but they didn't care. They'd often come down to the desk and ask him to take the kid's meals off the dining plan and add them to the room charges so they regained dining plan uses. Disney actually changed the way the DD worked to stop guests from doing that. It basically meant they were stealing from the company since they were getting more expensive adult meals that were budgeted as kid's meals.

My pet peeve is the SGs that don't bother to plan ahead. They book something in every park in multiple restaurants for each day of their stay so they don't have to decide which park to do what day. That's terrific for them, but it takes up a reservation so someone else now can't book it.

[February]

Dad's a concierge at one of the resorts. He had nearly daily stories about SGs coming up to the desk to book a seating for that night for their group on the free DD plan, usually someplace like Cindy's Royal Table in the castle or Le Cellier.

The other SGT he talked about a lot were the SGs (or maybe not SGs but dishonest guests) who would get the DD plan for themselves and their kids, then pay outright for the kid's meals. Then they had extra vouchers to use for additional adult full service dining or dinner shows. Not only were they dishonest about it, but they didn't care. They'd often come down to the desk and ask him to take the kid's meals off the dining plan and add them to the room charges so they regained dining plan uses. Disney actually changed the way the DD worked to stop guests from doing that. It basically meant they were stealing from the company since they were getting more expensive adult meals that were budgeted as kid's meals.

My pet peeve is the SGs that don't bother to plan ahead. They book something in every park in multiple restaurants for each day of their stay so they don't have to decide which park to do what day. That's terrific for them, but it takes up a reservation so someone else now can't book it.

Stealing and multiple ADR's for the same day. . .big pet peeves of mine! Even if I was paying for the DDP I wouldn't try to a) cheat and b) take up a table another family could have had if I could just have made up my freaking mind LOL.

If people want to be foot loose and fancy free about their meals these days. . .there is always counter service. For the rest, you have to plan, dudes! Cha!

[BRWombat]

Nah, they need a line for those who know what they're doing, and one for those who don't.

They do. The second line is called the "Exit." Except those that don't know what they're doing don't know they should go there. :mad:

[ktulu]

Or just tell them "Oh, so you're NOT ready to order, back of the line until you figure it out."

[ectomstr]

ah the DDP...how much problems they caused for us at RFC.

We've (or more precisely THEY'VE) had everything form the "you're lying you are on the DDP! it says so in ym book!" to the "we used it here two days ago! you're lying!!"

I remember one lady actually HAD her book that listed EVERY restaurant in Disney and proclaimed that it only listed those who accepted the DDP. I opened it, flipped through for a bit then said "ah, ehre's your problem." I explained about the listings of all restaurants and that those who tookt he DDP had the letters D-D-P next to the restaurant.

Even better was the British family that SWORE we took the DDP cause they used it there 3 days ago. I asked what he meant. Turns out he bought the RFC's card deal thing and thought he used it WITH the DDP to get his DDP discounts...or something to that nature. Our manager ended up getting him situated at Captain Jack's since the man and family were obviously very, very confused and really wouldn't listen to anything we said.

[StephM]

My cousin is concierge, too, and had a big issue with a woman trying to make ADR #3 for the same time, same party size, same name as #1 and #2 she already had. She actually said "well we dont know where we will feel like going that day!"

If people keep this up, I foresee credit card guarantees for all ADR's, like they do now for Akershus and I think Le Cellier? Or prepay like the castle meals. I am a planner, but I know a lot of other people are not, and the locals should be able to say "lets go over to MK for the day and have lunch at Crystal Palace." It is sad that they cannot, and then the people who snatched up the ADR's 6 months in advance don't even bother to show or cancel. :(

The DDP is pretty easy to figure out, at least I thought so....of course, now they are changing it for '08, so there will be a whole new crop of SG's who understood the old plan and now have to figure out the new one. It ought to make for some interesting scenes when people find out appetizers are not included, especially if they don't figure it out BEFORE the meal. Anyone in food service......you have my sympathies.