Evacuated from dinner at Cinderella Castle

[EdnaMarieMode]

This is the fine print for the dining plan, from Disney's website- it clearly states the credits can not be redeemed for cash, AND that WDW is not responsible for non-utilization of credits (for various reasons but including the all-encompassing "circumstance beyond their control"). Even if they had not been allowed in to finish the meal, Disney would not have been required to reimburse them anything. The fact that they reimbursed anyone at all under the circumstances means they did more than they are required to do.





If someone gives me a birthday gift I can't use and can't return, I don't get to hold my hand out to the giver and demand a cash substitute.

 

[kaytieeldr]

I’m not saying that exact thing is going to happen to me, just that things do happen. That is all.

Also, I’m not adjusting any dining plans. Just trying to decide which to pay for OOP.



How did they get tipped?

In their paychecks? I mean, unless the servers all conspired to get the fire alarm to go off resulting in the evacuation (which would take much longer than a pay period to investigate), no server will or should be expected to be penalized for a company's decision to, here, refund customers.

 

[Elle23]

We had more TS scheduled than credits, so we paid OOP for the cheapest ones... Even down to splitting some meals with credits and paying OOP if someone ordered a really cheap meal. We also paid OOP for things like a soda / fruit since they wouldn't have been a great snack credit value.

Well, we ended up cancelling 2 TS meals at the end of the trip because we just weren't in the mood for them, and DH missed a meal because he wasn't feeling well. In the end, we had 8 TS meals left, several QS and like 30-something snack credits (it was a 12 nt trip with 5 ppl on the DDP). I really wish we would have used credits for all those things we paid for. I would have saved probably $300 and not ended up taking home 2 huge carry-ons full of candy that we didn't really want. If we get the DDP in the future, I will definitely be using all my credits before paying OOP for anything.

Thank you. That’s exactly my line of thinking.

The only thing I will for sure pay OOP for early in our trip is the CP breakfast at Garden Grill. At $48 per person it is a terrible use of 2 TS credits. But the others I will probably save for the end.

 

[EdnaMarieMode]

Thank you. That’s exactly my line of thinking.

The only thing I will for sure pay OOP for early in our trip is the CP breakfast at Garden Grill. At $48 per person it is a terrible use of 2 TS credits. But the others I will probably save for the end.

I'm not saying there are any guarantees or that it wouldn't be a hassle or that I recommend it as a first option, but we have had the concierge at our resort apply dining credits to meals we paid OOP for, thus removing the charges we paid OOP from our room bill. It was a small number of credits (3 or 4) because we had paid OOP for a meal mid-week and then had to cancel breakfast at the end of our trip due to flight changes. If you pay OOP for something and then have to cancel something (leaving otherwise unused credits) it is possible to have them switched. So, if you pay for GG OOP and then have to cancel something you're using credits for later on, it's worth asking if it can be switched (again, NO guarantees).

We were told it could be done because it wasn't a lot of credits, and we weren't looking to nickel and dime about it (I think we forfeited the dessert that would have come with the meal had we used credits instead of cash, so we shorted ourselves but at least didn't waste credits). We had approached the concierge looking to find out if we could use the credits for snacks or something else and DH slipped out that we should have used the credits mid-week and the CM offered. It also helped that we weren't looking for a refund/ upgrade/ special parade in our honor. That was the last time we used a dining plan.

 

[Nancyg56]

We had more TS scheduled than credits, so we paid OOP for the cheapest ones... Even down to splitting some meals with credits and paying OOP if someone ordered a really cheap meal. We also paid OOP for things like a soda / fruit since they wouldn't have been a great snack credit value.

Well, we ended up cancelling 2 TS meals at the end of the trip because we just weren't in the mood for them, and DH missed a meal because he wasn't feeling well. In the end, we had 8 TS meals left, several QS and like 30-something snack credits (it was a 12 nt trip with 5 ppl on the DDP). I really wish we would have used credits for all those things we paid for. I would have saved probably $300 and not ended up taking home 2 huge carry-ons full of candy that we didn't really want. If we get the DDP in the future, I will definitely be using all my credits before paying OOP for anything.

We did this on our first free dining trip many years ago. We did use all our table service however we had extra CS. I decided after one that unless it was water we were using our credits. Now I do plan our TS carefully, and we have never, not once, had one we did not use. But CS? We are not paying any of those OOP until the last credit is gone. And snacks? I like to bring a few things home, so i will not worry if I pay for a water and use the credit for a big bag of candy or trail mix, but other than that. No.

 

[rg35]

Not only did they get what they "paid" for, they barely paid at all! Their DDP was an upgrade on the free dining plan, so they only paid nominally for food as it is.

 

[Nancyg56]

Not only did they get what they "paid" for, they barely paid at all! Their DDP was an upgrade on the free dining plan, so they only paid nominally for food as it is.

I need to speak to this comment. The OP paid for the dining plan. Free is not really free because the OP paid rack rate for the room, and had to comply with whatever restrictions pertained to the package. With this said, Free plans, discounted plans due to upgrades, or freebies tossed in because she smiled...it matters not. No one should feel grateful for decent food and services.

As to the getting what the OP paid for. The family did. They paid for a dining experience that they received. Yes, it had an unavoidable glitch, and the glitch is what Disney offered compensation for. The restaurant replaced all food with newly prepared dishes.

 

[avic77]

People that act like this (entitled to more and over what they should get) is why customer service at so many places has gone downhill. Dont take advantage of Disney's amazing customer service by demanding more then you should get for the issue.

She got the meal she paid for plus replacment credits, unfortunatly she did not use the curtesy but that is not Disney's fualt. They did compensate her beyond what she paid for.

 

[Jadyreen1282]

I definitely would have converted to snacks.

 

[a1tinkfans]

I definitely would have converted to snacks.

Agree, and many do it.
Or “gift” it to another guest In line behind them... kind of nice to pay it forward..
I’ve both had someone do that to me ... at POR counter service and did it to someone else
Felt great Both times!!

As far as My response to OP:
Ur friend got what she paid for. Sounds like she then made her Own mistake by not using those credits towards snacks , etc.
everyone loses the credits that they don’t use.. she got her meal... move on!

 

[Tigger in a kilt]

The only thing I will for sure pay OOP for early in our trip is the CP breakfast at Garden Grill. At $48 per person it is a terrible use of 2 TS credits. But the others I will probably save for the end.

Unless I have missed a recent announcement, Garden Grill is only 1 TS credit per person. We are going 4 times during our trip with 4 sets of kids, so I just double-checked, as 2 TS will seriously mess up my DDP calculations. Hopefully this helps, and if I’m wrong then please can someone let me know, as I have some ADRs to cancel!

 

[LongLiveRafiki]

Unless I have missed a recent announcement, Garden Grill is only 1 TS credit per person. We are going 4 times during our trip with 4 sets of kids, so I just double-checked, as 2 TS will seriously mess up my DDP calculations. Hopefully this helps, and if I’m wrong then please can someone let me know, as I have some ADRs to cancel!

All of the Candlelight Processional meals are 2 credits each. Regular meals at Garden Grill are 1 credit.

 

[Tigger in a kilt]

All of the Candlelight Processional meals are 2 credits each. Regular meals at Garden Grill are 1 credit.

Phew! Thanks, @LongLiveRafiki

 

[kaytieeldr]

I need to speak to this comment. The OP paid for the dining plan. Free is not really free because the OP paid rack rate for the room, and had to comply with whatever restrictions pertained to the package. With this said, Free plans, discounted plans due to upgrades, or freebies tossed in because she smiled...it matters not. No one should feel grateful for decent food and services.

The OP paid $23 per night per adult and $4 per night per child for the upgrade.
A TS credit is valued at $41, about 55% of the nightly cost.
CRT is two credits.
55% of $23 is $12.63; $12.63 x 2 is $25.26.
Not that the friend is entitled to any refund at all, but most assuredly NOT the full upgrade cost for the six nights she thinks she's "entitled" to!!! She got her meal.

 

[EdnaMarieMode]

I need to speak to this comment. The OP paid for the dining plan. Free is not really free because the OP paid rack rate for the room, and had to comply with whatever restrictions pertained to the package. With this said, Free plans, discounted plans due to upgrades, or freebies tossed in because she smiled...it matters not. No one should feel grateful for decent food and services.

As to the getting what the OP paid for. The family did. They paid for a dining experience that they received. Yes, it had an unavoidable glitch, and the glitch is what Disney offered compensation for. The restaurant replaced all food with newly prepared dishes.

While I can agree that the “free” dining is probably better called “included” dining, it is not up to Disney whether or not a person upgrades or how they use their credits (beyond the restrictions in the plan). OP’s friend did not have to upgrade in order to book a meal at CRT (as you’re not required to have a dining plan to do so), and also did not need to upgrade to Deluxe to do so. That much is simply not on Disney here. In fact, had she stayed with the “free” dining and payed OOP for this meal it seems she may have been better off here.

 

[kaytieeldr]

While I can agree that the “free” dining is probably better called “included” dining,

Yup. Included. It's The Dining Plan Free, not Free Dining

 

[bryanb]

There's a quirk of human psychology called "loss aversion." When we lose something, it causes us more unhappiness than the happiness we gained by getting it in the first place.

If you got an unexpected $100, you might say, "oooh neat!" and be happy for a little bit before returning to your normal state. If then, that $100 fell out of your pocket and disappeared forever, you'll feel all sorts of regret for a deeper and longer time... even though you are no worse off.

So it is with dining credits. The fact that other people got to use their credits only makes it feel worse, even though that has absolutely nothing to do with whether you're better or worse off. (No, it's not about fairness!) And then to be told that you could've used it for snacks and left it on the table. Well, that's a whole lot more reinforcing of that regret and loss.

Honestly, the best thing to do is ignore the fact that other people received a benefit that she could not use. This is not the worst injustice in the world, and to the extent that she didn't actually lose anything other than a minor inconvenience (which Disney acknowledged with fresh meals), moving on will make her happier than stressing for a small reimbursement, and feeling yet another sense of new loss if it doesn't come through.

 

[Nancyg56]

The OP paid $23 per night per adult and $4 per night per child for the upgrade.
A TS credit is valued at $41, about 55% of the nightly cost.
CRT is two credits.
55% of $23 is $12.63; $12.63 x 2 is $25.26.
Not that the friend is entitled to any refund at all, but most assuredly NOT the full upgrade cost for the six nights she thinks she's "entitled" to!!! She got her meal.

While I can agree that the “free” dining is probably better called “included” dining, it is not up to Disney whether or not a person upgrades or how they use their credits (beyond the restrictions in the plan). OP’s friend did not have to upgrade in order to book a meal at CRT (as you’re not required to have a dining plan to do so), and also did not need to upgrade to Deluxe to do so. That much is simply not on Disney here. In fact, had she stayed with the “free” dining and payed OOP for this meal it seems she may have been better off here.

My point, which was not well articulated, was that the friend did indeed pay for her meal, in one way or another. I agree that she got what she paid for, and was not entitled to additional money back.

 

[kaytieeldr]

My point, which was not well articulated, was that the friend did indeed pay for her meal, in one way or another. I agree that she got what she paid for, and was not entitled to additional money back.

Right, she paid. No dispute. But she expected to be refunded her entire upgrade charge for the whole trip - not merely the cost/charge/price of that one, completed meal.

 

[skyblue17]

I'm curious how long they were inconvenienced. To strike down and re-set all of the tables once it was deemed safe to go back in the building, and prepare a full meal for every guest at the same time (I have not been to CRT, so I am not sure if that's how they usually prepare the food) might have been time-consuming and it's possible guests missed other plans because of the inconvenience.

Either way, expecting to be refunded for a meal you started, and then had replaced, seems like a lot. If you're gifted something to make nice for an inconvenience, it's not really up to the goodwill gesture to make sure you can use it. You certainly aren't owed it in a different format just because everyone else got something. You DID get something. You can't use it. You also got what you paid for to begin with.