Originally posted by Ratcat
Hmmmm, maybe we won't bother using our priority seating after all.
Is it really that bad?
Yes, it really is. Here's how it goes:
First, if you have to get into AK before it opens, there is utter chaos outside the front gate. At all the other parks, they have a podium with a sign that says "Character Breakfast" set up off to the side before you get up to the crowds waiting to get in, where they check your name and party number and PS for any character breakfast. Then the CM directs you to a special line where you can get in in advance of everyone and make your way to the restaurant. Not so at AK. There, it's just a huge mob of people with no direction. Once you find a CM (who may or may not know what is going on), they will direct you to the little shop to the left and tell you to wait there for a waitress from the restaurant to show up. Maybe 5, maybe 20 minutes later, a waitress (you'll know her because of her pink costume, but she makes no announcement or anything, so be alert!) will show up with a list. Everyone will mob her, as there is no "line" and get her to confirm their PSing. Others, who do not have a PSing will mob her as well, as most people don't know exactly what is going on anyway. Then she'll tell the little group she accumulated to follow her, as they will not get in to AK without her. She proceeds (very quickly) thru the crowd (better keep up!) and on to security and the turnstiles. You better not have a big bag or walk with a cane or anything, or you might get left behind. Then after you get out of the entrance area, the waitress continues to walk (run) thru the park, with her little group trailing behind her. The crowds go away, and it's just your nice little group of 15 or so people with PSings for breakfast, and you think "Phew! I'm in the clear!". But, guess what???? NOT!!! As you turn the corner into Dinoland, you will get a glimpse of the rest of the chaos you are to overcome before you get to have your meal. Again, hordes of people mobbing the one CM at the check in podium. When you finally fight your way there, the CM will tell you to pose for a pic (yeah, right!) and wait in the (hot) waiting area for your party's name to be called. When we went, our PS was at 8:30. we got to the podium at the restaurant at 8:40 due to the waitress not coming to get us right away at the front gate. Then we had to wait an additional 45 min. to be seated. So now, again, like an idiot I breathe a sigh of relief. Whew! I'm in the clear! Oh how wrong I was. Now, you get to wait for a server. He runs by your table and says "I'll be right there" like 15 times before he actually shows up and says" I'll bring the juice, you go get the food, and hurry cuz Donald will be here in just a few seconds". So we decided to wait for the food so we wouldn't miss Donald. 10 he shows up, waves at my son, grabs the autograph book out of my sister's hand, and signs quickly. Then he turns and goes to the next table. Total time with us........15 seconds. So we go get the food. This part wasn't so bad. Basically good breakast food, although the eggs were a little runny and we had to wait for bacon for about 5 min. They were also out of the good syrup on one side and we had to walk around to the other side to get some. When we sat down, still no drinks, and then Goofy flew by our table. Same with the rest of the guys. In fact, we had to have the manager bring Pluto back to us specifically because when he was there the first time, he didn't seem to hear us say "Can we get a pic" 25 times, and just left. We complained to the manager, who told us this is a common complaint at Restaurantosaurus. She said it is always like that there and that our day wasn't especially bad due to any thing going wrong. She said they were not designed to be a sit down restaurant and this character meal was an afterthought. She knew they were very disorganized and crazy, and she knew the other character meals in the parks were run better. She was sorry. Did she offer to do anything to compensate us? Nope. Did she offer us a break on the tab? NO. Did she offer us anything? Nope. Did she even say "Is there anything I can do to make your meal better today"? Nope. Even after I said I will never return to this restaurant again, she said nothing. All she said was "I understand". Then it took us another 20 min. of waiting for check.
VERY DISAPPOINTING!
