On layoffs, very bad attendance, and Iger's legacy being one of disgrace

L

Lilofan

Well-Known Member
Sirwalterraleigh said:
...anywhere.

I spoke little to no Francais...and rudimentary Deutsch...and never have had issues.

Damn near all Europeans in travel areas speak English...but why should that be the standard?
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The waiters understand the word No. They start giving you plates of hor'derves and by golly unsuspecting tourists start munching on them. You then get charged for the food on the plates. Just say No. A favorite way to scam Americans. Just order from the menu.
 
DCLcruiser

DCLcruiser

Well-Known Member
Heppenheimer said:
Germans have a mode of interaction known as "business polite" (I forget what the actual term is in German) that some American travelers mistake for coldness. For example, if you're accustomed to wait staff pretending to be your life-long friend and stopping by every 10 minutes to ask if everything is OK, don't expect that in Germany (or most of Europe, actually). There's no pretense that the interaction between two parties who don't know each other is anything other than a business transaction. Respectful courtesy is maintained, but don't expect to meet your new besty (looking at you, Rick Steves fans...).

As someone who naturally is a bit more introverted, I vastly prefer the honesty of a business polite interaction to the shallow friendliness we do here.
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I worked for a bank for 10 years in the US with a lot of German clients/employees, as well as traveling to Austria and Germany. I only speak English and completely agree with your "business polite" comments. I can always tell if someone is a native German, even when they only use English. Always nice and polite, but there's a difference from Americans (like most other cultures).

Most European countries take forever when it comes to table service. It's not because they are rude or don't care (well tips are less important, so they don't need to fawn over you), but it is usually due to less staffing. Since everyone is salary they hire fewer waiters and they need to cover more tables per person, so it takes longer. Good idea is to always get the check (and please make it clear if you are using credit card when you ask for it..show them the card as you do the "check wave"), as you are finishing your food...don't wait for the end, bc you could wait 20 minutes for it. Also, for Lunch, if you are sitting down with a waiter, you need about 2 hours before your next tour, etc.

We always do well when traveling to non-english speaking countries. We try to learn a decent amount of basic language, like to order food, pleasantries, directions, etc. Luckily we know some French and Italian, and basic German isn't hard. They almost always switch into English for us, but you can tell they appreciate the attempt. The service is always great. Avoid tourist traps, go off the beaten path for better food! We also try to blend in and not look like tourists as much as possible. No big cameras, no backpacks (use a plain black draw string bag w/o english words that blends into you), no baseball hats, etc. A little cultural research goes a long way as each country has a different dress code (unless you go to DLP, then wear anything you want).
 
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_caleb

_caleb

Well-Known Member
_caleb said:
I've read all your back-and-forth in the COVID thread, and haven't found it to be healthy at all. Can we please keep it in any of those existing threads that have already been, um, infected?
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I guess that's a "no," then?
John park hopper said:
Overall the level of civility and respect for other people has declined dramatically over the years. The attitude -- I paid my money it's all about me.
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This thread is evidence of that.
MissingDisney said:
Previously, several pages of off-topic conversation were moved to a chitchat thread.....wonder if that'll happen again...we've strayed far, far away from layoffs, attendance and Iger. :facepalm:
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Don't worry, @pheneix is gone after accomplishing what they set out to do with this thread.
 
Heppenheimer

Heppenheimer

Well-Known Member
DCLcruiser said:
Most European countries take forever when it comes to table service. It's not because they are rude or don't care (well tips are less important, so they don't need to fawn over you), but it is usually due to less staffing. Since everyone is salary they hire fewer waiters and they need to cover more tables per person, so it takes longer. Good idea is to always get the check (and please make it clear if you are using credit card when you ask for it..show them the card as you do the "check wave"), as you are finishing your food...don't wait for the end, bc you could wait 20 minutes for it. Also, for Lunch, if you are sitting down with a waiter, you need about 2 hours before your next tour, etc.
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That actually isn't the reason service is slower. The reason is because dining is usually more of a social event in Europe, and the idea is that the table is yours for as long as you want to keep it. It's not just a brief interval to stuff your gullet between fast passes, but rather an opportunity to relax, enjoy the scenery and ambience, and carry on a conversation with friends and family. The restaurant isn't trying to turn over tables as fast as possible, so you signal the wait staff when you're ready, instead of the waiter constantly checking to see if you're finished.
 
marni1971

marni1971

Park History nut
Premium Member
DCLcruiser said:
Most European countries take forever when it comes to table service. It's not because they are rude or don't care (well tips are less important, so they don't need to fawn over you), but it is usually due to less staffing. Since everyone is salary they hire fewer waiters and they need to cover more tables per person, so it takes longer.
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Not really.
MissingDisney said:
Previously, several pages of off-topic conversation were moved to a chitchat thread.....wonder if that'll happen again...we've strayed far, far away from layoffs, attendance and Iger. :facepalm:
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There might be more news soon on the topic. Though I’d hope there won’t be.
 

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