That moment that nearly ruined the magic

[Cosmic Commando]

There's great resources available online that detail how the DDP works.

Like the Disney dining plan brochure... it says,
"It's as easy as 1-2-3 to redeem a meal or snack!
1. Present your valid Disney Resort ID (either a MagicBand or card) to the server or cashier
2. Specify the number of meals or snacks being redeemed
3. That's it! Enjoy!"

It doesn't say, "Scan, then scan again, then sign".

Everyone runs into glitches at some point on a vacation. It's how you handle them.

Everyone runs into glitches at some point at work. It's how you handle them.

 

[mousehockey37]

Like the Disney dining plan brochure... it says,
"It's as easy as 1-2-3 to redeem a meal or snack!
1. Present your valid Disney Resort ID (either a MagicBand or card) to the server or cashier
2. Specify the number of meals or snacks being redeemed
3. That's it! Enjoy!"

It doesn't say, "Scan, then scan again, then sign".


Everyone runs into glitches at some point at work. It's how you handle them.

Also, if at any point you have questions, especially if you're done your meal and you HAVEN'T gotten any notice you're done and it is your FIRST meal, the least you could do is ask. It's not looking like a fool when you can walk out and not be brought back in looking like a criminal.

 

[Cosmic Commando]

Also, if at any point you have questions, especially if you're done your meal and you HAVEN'T gotten any notice you're done and it is your FIRST meal, the least you could do is ask. It's not looking like a fool when you can walk out and not be brought back in looking like a criminal.

Based on the brochure, I could see how somebody would be confused. I think Disney should either redesign the brochure, or instruct the servers to feel out how comfortable guests are with the dining plan. Maybe when they scan the band at the beginning of the meal, it could also show how many credits used in addition to how many remaining; if the guest hasn't used any of their credits yet or maybe one meal's worth, the server would know to be more instructive. If the server sees that the guest has already used 55 table service credits, then they've probably got it down.

I don't think the OP is completely blameless, but I don't really fault them for taking Disney at face value.

 

[RustySpork]

Many of you probably have had that moment that nearly killed the magic.

Yep, many.

I have been to DLR tons of times, but our first WDW trip was in 2016. We are not wise in the ways of the WDW force.
When we checked in we really could have used a how to seminar. We had used our DP at the ASMo food court, but the late in shift cashier really didn't care if we use it to the fullest advantage or is we were using it right. Our very first full day we had O'Hanas ADR. The breakfast was good, the Characters awesome. the dancing, parade, and the maracas. All fun, the waitress even told to accidentally drop the maracas in our bag, because our 10yr old loved it way too much.

It's really not that difficult, there is an abundance of resources on their site and even these forums that help.

Here is were the magic almost was broken for the entire trip. Noobs, should almost be blazed on our MB scans the first day to help CM help us navigate the system. We get scanned at the begging of the meal, and the CM even says "hey you have the Cadillac plan" 3 sit down DP. We noticed there was a cycle, so when everyone around us had gotten up we were like ok, they scanned us, we should be ok and left.

You had to know what you bought when you purchased the DDP, it tells you when you purchase it.

DDP Details Link to the same information that's in the link above when purchasing DDP.

I did leave an extra bit of $ on the table wanting to tip the CM for great start. I had to use the restroom before we got on the monorail to the MK. I come out of the restroom to find the CM and my wife in heated discussion. The CM sees me and goes "you didn't pay" I not knowing any better told you scanned us, are we not done. "she goes you didn't pay, yet I still come out with a bill for you" I was still confused, responded that we had the Cadillac DP, all be covered. Even left an extra for tip. She goes you need to come back into the restaurant to pay. So, ok, let get this figured out. She leads us back into the dining area, and put us by the dinner buffet area, not being used for b-fast.

If you didn't know that it didn't include things that you purchased, that's your fault. It's not a CM's job to inform you of what you've purchased, it's your responsibility to know.

We stand there for over 15 minutes waiting for her to return. We can see she is waiting her section. we are getting stares from the various tables that are seated near us wondering what this lost family is doing just standing there.

She probably asked a manager for help and then continued to do her job, you're not the only guest she's responsible for.

The CM finally comes back to us with the bill. and the cash I left on the table. I can see the alcohol drinks and the tip are already on the bill. couple of mermosas and 28 bucks in tip. At this point we are not too happy having her take off and not help us, but we also were not sure what we had done wrong.

Yet you just admitted that she helped you.

She tells us we have to add the cash on to the charge for the additional tip. ????, I tried to tell her first day we don't know the process, but instead of taking the time to explain to us, she tells it our fault she is running behind on her tables and takes off again. I cross out the tip mark it to 2 bucks cash. write in the balance for just the drinks. She doesn't come back for another 10 minutes before processing the charge with another MB mickey kiss to the scanner. she gives me the receipt, after I ask for it. Half hour just waiting to cash out, damn nearly ruined the Magic for us. The whole WDW system was new to me, and having a CM make us feel like we were dirt bags for not knowing, made it hard to come back.

This reflects entirely on your own ignorance, leaving a $2 is an incredibly sh..crappy thing to do when you were the one who was in the wrong. She didn't make you feel like a dirt bag, she could have simply contacted security.

The funny part is that day it rained. like a white squall just as we got into the Castle court yard drench finding cover at laugh floor. paying 32 bucks for socks each, didn't even kill it. That CM interaction really, even to this day, leaves me burned. We finally got the explanation eating at Kona that night, best food, CM, even hooked us up with extra water to take to our room. Added$50 on top of her tip she made the Magic happen. The fact it was the first morning the first day, and the whole trip could have been left less magical, that is what this post and thread is about.

You were burnt by your own ignorance, the CM did nothing but help you pay what you owed.

What was the most unmagical moment that did or nearly ruined the magic for the trip, and did you get the magic back.

Please don't go back.

 

[SteamboatJoe]

1. Waiting for the buses at the end of each night.

2. On my last trip, a middle-aged or maybe retired female CM, who was more blunt than necessary about the fact that I had stopped to take pictures of the Jedi Training Academy show in the Star Tours line. I would've completely understood if there had been absolutely anyone in line waiting behind me or if I was blocking the entire queue but there wasn't and I wasn't. Anyone who wanted to could've and would've easily walked right past me. Heck, all she had to do was ask me politely. Small potatoes and not something I would say came close to ruining the trip by any stretch of the imagination but it was just sort of a buzzkill that put me in a funk for a very short time. I typically try to be very conscientious and courteous when in public, especially at WDW, so it really bothered me.

 

[ninjaprincesst]

There's little to no excuse for a $2 tip. You can defend all you want, I'll contest that a lower tip is fine, but $2?

So lemme get this straight again. For YOUR inability to read the terms and conditions of the dining plan, you left a crappy tip because you got caught leaving without paying the bill for things that weren't covered? If you would've been a good patron and known how the dining plan worked, there'd have been no awkward situation.

You put yourself and this server in this mess. The least you could've done was swallowed your pride that you screwed up and left the full tip.

I don't blame the OP at least their mistake was innocent, she humiliated them and left them standing forever taking away valuable park time.

 

[RustySpork]

I don't blame the OP at least their mistake was innocent, she humiliated them and left them standing forever taking away valuable park time.

No she didn't.

 

[mousehockey37]

I don't blame the OP at least their mistake was innocent, she humiliated them and left them standing forever taking away valuable park time.

As was mentioned, she was still prioritizing her other guests. Which she should have done. Instead of inconveniencing many guests, she inadvertently inconvenienced someone who inconvenienced her.

 

[RustySpork]

As was mentioned, she was still prioritizing her other guests. Which she should have done. Instead of inconveniencing many guests, she inadvertently inconvenienced someone who inconvenienced her.

By inconvenienced you mean almost ripped off. Op is lucky she didn't just hand it over to security for theft.

 

[mousehockey37]

By inconvenienced you mean almost ripped off. Op is lucky she didn't just hand it over to security for theft.

Talk about having a the magic ruined...

Excuse me sir, we have a magical trip for your family. We need you to come with us to the exit...

 

[RustySpork]

Talk about having a the magic ruined...

Excuse me sir, we have a magical trip for your family. We need you to come with us to the exit...

That's the alternate ending that could really have ruined the magic for sure, and it still would have been OP's fault.

Ignorantia juris non excusat

 

[ninjaprincesst]

As was mentioned, she was still prioritizing her other guests. Which she should have done. Instead of inconveniencing many guests, she inadvertently inconvenienced someone who inconvenienced her.

Sorry but no she did not have to be rude and treat them like criminals , she should have better explained when they sat down, I can't thin of a trip where our server did not ask if this was our first time to on the dining plan, and when it was our first time with the magic bands he explained how it worked, not to mention if she had not left them sitting for so long at the end of their meal with no check the whole thing would not have happened.

 

[mousehockey37]

Sorry but no she did not have to be rude and treat them like criminals , she should have better explained when they sat down, I can't thin of a trip where our server did not ask if this was our first time to on the dining plan, and when it was our first time with the magic bands he explained how it worked, not to mention if she had not left them sitting for so long at the end of their meal with no check the whole thing would not have happened.

She had the obligation to continue serving her other customers. That comes first.

As @RustySpork said, maybe she should've just called security and had them deal with this guy. Seems like it would've been a better solution.

 

[ninjaprincesst]

She had the obligation to continue serving her other customers. That comes first.

As @RustySpork said, maybe she should've just called security and had them deal with this guy. Seems like it would've been a better solution.

You act like they did it on purpose, and had she been taking care of tem properly she would have brought out their ticket in a timely mannor.

 

[RustySpork]

Sorry but no she did not have to be rude and treat them like criminals , she should have better explained when they sat down, I can't thin of a trip where our server did not ask if this was our first time to on the dining plan, and when it was our first time with the magic bands he explained how it worked, not to mention if she had not left them sitting for so long at the end of their meal with no check the whole thing would not have happened.

How exactly were they treated like criminals? Let's analyze.

1. Did she call the local authorities or security?

No.

2. Did she move them to an area where they could wait while the issue was worked out?

Yes.

3. Was it a jail cell?

No.

4. Was it their table?

No, at this point the table had probably been released to the host/hostess.

5. Was the issue resolved without handcuffs?

Yes.

It's not a busy server's responsibility to make someone less ignorant. It's their responsibility to take care of a large number of guests. Any time spent with a guest after a table is cleared is time taken away from other guests. One person's ignorance is not everyone else's problem and they should not be penalized because OP didn't take the time before arriving to read.

Stop blaming the server, she did absolutely nothing wrong here.

 

[RustySpork]

You act like they did it on purpose, and had she been taking care of tem properly she would have brought out their ticket in a timely mannor.

You've obviously never been to a Disney restaurant and seen how busy they are.

 

[mousehockey37]

You act like they did it on purpose, and had she been taking care of them properly she would have brought out their ticket in a timely manner.

Fixed a couple spelling errors for ya there...

Perhaps she was doing things in a timely manner. The family just got up and left in accordance with the other families around them. Maybe those other families didn't have alcohol with breakfast and didn't have a bill to pay, so there was nothing for the OP to see. By the time the server came back with the bill in a timely manner, this family was out the door and gone....

Ever think that there's only 1 side of the story here?

 

[mousehockey37]

2. On my last trip, a middle-aged or maybe retired female CM, who was more blunt than necessary about the fact that I had stopped to take pictures of the Jedi Training Academy show in the Star Tours line. I would've completely understood if there had been absolutely anyone in line waiting behind me or if I was blocking the entire queue but there wasn't and I wasn't. Anyone who wanted to could've and would've easily walked right past me. Heck, all she had to do was ask me politely. Small potatoes and not something I would say came close to ruining the trip by any stretch of the imagination but it was just sort of a buzzkill that put me in a funk for a very short time. I typically try to be very conscientious and courteous when in public, especially at WDW, so it really bothered me.

Queue etiquette is something that is evolving at WDW. With all of the interactive queues that now exist, there's a 50/50 split on the etiquette of those lines and you almost have to know or ask the CM at the entrance to the queue what the expectation or rules are for people in the line. Obviously rides like BTMRR and 7DMT, you're going to stay in a single line up to getting in the ride vehicle, but most with interactive queues have the "keep moving even if others stop" ideal.

For instance, the Haunted Mansion stand-by has the interactive queue. CM's at the entrance to the queue will be rather adamant that the line keep moving. If someone stops to "play" with the interactive parts, you are allowed to pass them per what the CM's tell you. They want everyone pushed up to the front door of the mansion with no space left to fill in.

 

[SteamboatJoe]

Queue etiquette is something that is evolving at WDW. With all of the interactive queues that now exist, there's a 50/50 split on the etiquette of those lines and you almost have to know or ask the CM at the entrance to the queue what the expectation or rules are for people in the line. Obviously rides like BTMRR and 7DMT, you're going to stay in a single line up to getting in the ride vehicle, but most with interactive queues have the "keep moving even if others stop" ideal.

For instance, the Haunted Mansion stand-by has the interactive queue. CM's at the entrance to the queue will be rather adamant that the line keep moving. If someone stops to "play" with the interactive parts, you are allowed to pass them per what the CM's tell you. They want everyone pushed up to the front door of the mansion with no space left to fill in.

Good point. When I stop I typically expect to get passed. Some people do and some don't. Going forward, I'll continue to make sure there is enough room to get by me before I stop and then do a better job of telling me wife I am stopping so she can stand next to me and tell anyone who comes up to feel free to pass us. For whatever reason, I tend to act differently once I am inside a building. I'll take a picture if the line is stopped but if the line starts moving I will abandon my attempt and get moving. As long as you are quick, courteous, and around of your surroundings most don't tend to mind waiting if you take one or two seconds. Sometimes they even think its a good idea and will stop and take a shot themselves. Its the people who are completely oblivious that anyone else exists and hold everything up for what seems like an eternity that are the ones that tend to get on people's (or at least my) nerves.

 

[Disney Stine]

Oh this hurts. For both sides of the story. I'm sure your server never meant to make you feel like a criminal. At any given point in time, a server may be thinking "table 10 needs ranch, table 12 needs refills, check on table 14 to see if their food is okay. oh! table 12's food is ready, let me get their food out. Table 14 wants dessert. Table 10 is finished with their meal. Wait, they want to split the check three different ways.Table 14 needs to be cleared and a check ready for them....yadda yadda." And this can all happen in a matter of 15 minutes. Yes, those 15 minutes that kept you waiting while she more than likely went to a manager to get help but the manager probably was busy helping another server.

But on the other hand, you didn't know the process. How could you know if it was your first time? As a server, I'll even tell you that I agree that it is upsetting to be immediately confused because you thought you paid and then felt like you were being stared at by other guests. But also as a server, I can tell you how frustrating it is to make sure your keeping track of your tables while trying to help solve a problem (when it should be the manager doing it). I don't know the server's side so I won't say much more. But! That $20 something tip you left her meant your total was around $100. Your $2 tip you ended up giving her is most likely split between the bussers and the bartenders. At my restaurant, 1% goes to bar and 2% goes to bussers. On a $100 check... you need at least $3 to not "owe" anything. You simply didn't leave her a tip at all. With the "tip" you gave, you made her pay money from another table's tip to cover the percent you gave.

Just some insight.