How to complain to Disney about a meal after returning home?

[Eeyore]

The op simply asked where he/she could send his/her complaint. They never asked whether he/she was justified in doing so- that's their decision not anyone else's. None of us were there to make that judgement call.

 

[HouCuseChickie]

1. I'd still complain. We had a bad experience at CRT last summer and I sent them an email about all of the issues with the dinner. I got a pretty generic reply, but I at least complained.

2. I added very detailed reviews to Allears and TripAdvisor. You can add reviews other places if you'd like, but these are probably the two highest traffic places to add the info.

3. While not useful for you, I'm now very happy I went with my gut and canceled Tony's. I wanted to try the same exact thing and I started reading a lot of stories about horribly rude staff at parade time. You're also not the first story i've read about Tony's staff yelling at patrons. Pretty disgusting...so even more reason to complain. i.e. clearly there are some issues going on there for there to be multiple issues like this. I mean- I know it's a busy restaurant in the park, but that's totally unaccpetable.

 

[Monkee Girl]

The op simply asked where he/she could send his/her complaint. They never asked whether he/she was justified in doing so- that's their decision not anyone else's. None of us were there to make that judgement call.

Very true. However, this is a discussion board and he felt the need to express the entire incident, in detail, instead of merely asking where to send complaints. Then asked for 'any thoughts' on whether he should complain or let it go. People are going to have opinions on a subject like this and I believe if you don't want to hear those opinions then don't post such a topic.

I am not going to get into a fight with anyone over this. The OP asked a question and people answered it. He can take from the replies what he wants.

 

[Monkee Girl]

While not useful for you, I'm now very happy I went with my gut and canceled Tony's. I wanted to try the same exact thing and I started reading a lot of stories about horribly rude staff at parade time. You're also not the first story i've read about Tony's staff yelling at patrons. Pretty disgusting...so even more reason to complain. i.e. clearly there are some issues going on there for there to be multiple issues like this. I mean- I know it's a busy restaurant in the park, but that's totally unaccpetable.

I think the restaurant may have to start issuing a warning and/or put out a disclaimer stating that at parade time you may not be guaranteed a front row seat for the event nor should you ask for a table outside as well, especially if it is as bad a problem as you say. It's obvious that as much as everyone seems to hate Tony's, they still want to have that romantic, celebratory, special dinner sitting outside watching the parade. But the restaurant can not accommodate dozens of people wanting the same request; they are going to have to say 'no' to people and people need to respect that.

It seems to me as though the servers almost go into "Parade Crowd Control" mode: Guests get all crazy wanting to sit and watch the parade in a prime location without thinking of the people around them and the server has to make sure the guest is where they need to be and out of the other people's way. I can see that causing a lot of tension and misunderstanding with both parties.

 

[Sweet Melissa]

I think it's always worthwhile to leave feedback, be it positive or negative, even though it does mean more when you do it immediately than it does after the fact. I also think that you did have an unfortunate experience at Tony's (as many people who dine at Tony's do), but that perhaps this is a lesson in managing expectations. Yes, sometimes those celebrating birthdays get free desserts, but this is absolutely at the discretion of the restaurant staff. It's okay to request certain seating, but if you're being led to a table that is not what you requested, the restaurant staff have a reason for it.

 

[awesomeinabox]

I would complain about the rude service, but I would also point out that you may have been a little pushy as well, they will take you more seriously if you explain that you weren't magical yourself.

I love Tony's. My whole life I wanted to eat at Tony's I finally did for my DBFs Birthday a few years ago, every year since then we have gone at one point or another. For his birthday I called weeks in advance, asked for a cupcake (which I offered to pay for but they comped) with a candle and they went above and beyond. We got streamers and a card from Mickey (still exciting at 25!). I see Disney like I see Vegas, it's somewhere people go for Birthday's all the time, so if they comp everyone's ice cream sundae or cupcake they will be out $1000s of dollars at the end of each day at least.

The last time we went to Tony's with a party of 4 (Feb '12) we asked if we would be able to sit on the porch. We were told by the manager that it was probably not possible, so we asked how we could get to coveted spot and he told us that they start accepting requests at doors open and will honor those in order, but if a group refused to leave and sat there you may not get a seat. We ended up being able to sit on the porch and watched as several people would sneak out to watch the parade only to be ushered back in. Honestly, if you have young kids you are way better off standing on the side of Main Street, you can't see the characters walking from the porch and you feel very removed. If you're an adult it's great! If you are under the age of 9 you would be better off standing.

 

[Todd L]

I eat there Every single Trip and have always found them to go out of there way to make it a pleasurable experience.

We celebrated my sons Birthday there last year and ordered a Cake to make it special.

Im pretty sure that They were probably less than happy with you for asking 4 or 5 different people the same question and Hey.....Who Dosent want to sit outside and watch the Parade???


You were probably the 1000th person to ask for outside seating and sometimes you just gotta take No for an answer. I really believe that MOST cast members are happy to go out of their way for MOST Park guest.

 

[jaklgreen]

Disney won't know about these things unless you tell them, I called after my vacation in january for a variety of reasons, but I noted that I wish they had fried rice at the hibachi place in japan (the name escapes me) and they said, "we have been getting so many requests for that, it's probably gonna happen"

They can't take a guess what's on our (the guests) minds, we have to speak up! And I think it is a perfect reason to call, hopefully you have the cm's names remembered

Just a side note about your request for fried rice. Fried rice is Chinese not Japanese, that is why they do not serve it there. It is like going to eat at Morocco and asking for a taco.

 

[DisneyDebNJ]

Ok Im on the fence with this. Never in the 20 plus times of visiting Disney, have I made a special request, asked for priority seating/viewing. (When at Disney, I have always thought... someone else deserves this more than I do, just putting things in perspective and happy my life is the way it is, I guess) However, the OP felt she had a bad experience by rude wait staff (which happens, Im sure) but to basically berate her/him just for venting their feelings is wrong, IMHO. At the very least, I would say *sorry your experience wasn't up to your standards* or something to that nature. To answer, the original question, I would have asked to speak to the Manager right then and there, followed up with an email to Guest Services, regarding rudeness, NOT the inability to be seated where 1,000 other people would like to have been seated. Another poster was 150% correct... perhaps someone else with an earlier ADR asked for the same table. IF you're able to have special requests honored, @Trotsky is spot on, show your appreciation in a very nice tip, or at the very least, write an email, mentioning the CM that made your experience, magical.

 

[Dad 2 M & M]

You are a wise man . A good Maitre'D, given the opportunity to succeed, will do so - you gave him the proper courtesy of an advance request . Now - you gave him a nice tip, right? That would be a correct courtesy for a courtesy .

Only a tip? Yes we tipped him, and followed with a nice letter to corporate! When we arrived for our ressie, he called me by my first name!!

 

[Dad 2 M & M]

Did I say wise? Let's go for REALLY wise . You should be congratulated... I think you now have a the most important thing one can have at a resturant: a great long term relationship .

Exactly...true with any business. Plus, it is really nice to get positive feedback from your customers, and the praise we gave was well deserved. Can't imagine how stressful it must be for those cast-members during those busy (if there were any really slow) times.

 

[DisneyDebNJ]

Exactly...true with any business. Plus, it is really nice to get positive feedback from your customers, and the praise we gave was well deserved. Can't imagine how stressful it must be for those cast-members during those busy (if there were any really slow) times.

VERY well said and highly commended!!!

 

[MickeyPeace]

Disney won't know about these things unless you tell them, I called after my vacation in january for a variety of reasons, but I noted that I wish they had fried rice at the hibachi place in japan (the name escapes me) and they said, "we have been getting so many requests for that, it's probably gonna happen"

They can't take a guess what's on our (the guests) minds, we have to speak up! And I think it is a perfect reason to call, hopefully you have the cm's names remembered

Why would you request fried rice in a Japanese restaurant? It's a Chinese dish.

 

[MickeyPeace]

Maybe NextGen could add fastpass plus to the porch. Problem solved.

 

[unkadug]

Why would you request fried rice in a Japanese restaurant? It's a Chinese dish.

They both end in -ese.

Actually there are several recipes for Japanese fried rice!

 

[Disneydreamer23]

When i wad there for my honey moon for 16 days only 3 sit down meals gave me some thing Holly wood and vine coral reef and narcooses. Some servers just don't care

 

[MickeyPeace]

They both end in -ese.

Actually there are several recipes for Japanese fried rice!

I've never seen it on a menu so I googled it. Benihana has it as a signature dish. I guess it's a Japanese steakhouse kind of thing more than what you'd find in traditional sushi restaurant.

 

[tracyandalex]

I've never seen it on a menu so I googled it. Benihana has it as a signature dish. I guess it's a Japanese steakhouse kind of thing more than what you'd find in traditional sushi restaurant.

I think you might be correct. I have only seen it at the Hibachi type places.

 

[mom2of2]

You really should have complained then to the Manager on duty if you felt that strongly about it. If you do decide to persue this then write the email and describe the incident excatly as you have described it here.

 

[Weather_Lady]

When it comes to poor service in a restaurant, you're free to lodge a complaint after-the-fact, but please understand that it's going to be difficult for anyone to "investigate" the incident so long after it occurred. You've pretty much tied the hands of anyone who could correct the issue, since it's now in the past and the servers and staff involved likely won't remember much of anything about it. Not only that, but at the end of the night, you got what you wanted -- prime seating, at a prime time, at the expense of other patrons who might have been waiting longer for it. I think it will be a "tough sell" to convince someone in corporate that you were mistreated, and complaining about the service on travel review websites -- before giving them a chance to make it right -- is a poor way to gain their sympathy.