I just called Spoodles

[Twende]

We just returned from our trip and I wanted to warn others that you may have trouble with the dining plan and sharing of meals at Spoodles.

Spoodles is DH's favorite place to eat and we had two ADR's there. We had four in our party both nights there and we had planned on using three credits to feed four of us. When we were there in December it was not a problem at all.

The first night we told the waiter that we wanted three meals and we ordered three complete meals. The waiter explained the we could add the extras like shrimp and scallops and we did. We ordered one beverage extra. The meal was great as usual and the service was outstanding. Our bill came and it was for the three meals we ordered and about $2 for my coffee. We left a tip that including the serving of the extra person, based on 20% of what another meal, dessert and beverage would have cost, plus we added the money for the extra beverage, even though the bill was showing a zero amount due. What we did not look at was how many credits were used! Our mistake. When we got back to our resort we noticed that we had been charged with 4 TS credits. I took the receipt to the front desk and they corrected it and we forgot about it.

Two nights later we went back again and explained that the four of us would share three TS meals and the waiter siad that we could not do that. The said he had to charge us for the number of people at the table! That if one of us chose not to eat that was fine but it would still cost us 4 TS credits. He said that that was the new policy. We said that we had eaten there often and never had a problem charing meals and that we really wanted to eat there but if we were going to be charged 4 TS that we were leaving. He hesitated for a second and said he would just this one time let us share a meal but that he was not suppose to do it!

So we got our meals that were great as normal and great service but left there with a bad feeling that if this was the new policy that we would most likely find a new favorite place to eat.

We asked at the resort desk and they said they were unaware of this policy and that as far as they knew that meal sharing was fine and even encouraged.

Anyone else have this experiece?


See my last post. I just got off the phone with Spoodles management.

 

[4mcbjCtr]

This is a bummer to hear. We are scheduled for Spoodles in about 10 days and were going to share TS and pay OOP for some of the food. I guess we will have to be careful. It is unfortunate that there are so many inconsistencies. I can understand others concerns about abuse of the plan, but I don't think sharing meals constitutes abuse at all. I can hardly eat that much food in a whole day, let alone in one meal.

 

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

I'd call Spoodles directly and ask to speak to the manager. Ask him if that is policy. If it isn't then report to him what happened. If it is then ask him why there is no minimum plate charge or minimum dining credit charge displayed prominantly on either the entry signage or the menu. And also ask him who determined this policy.

 

[jonimce]

We will be using the DDP in August. On the old plans we always shared and never had a problem. We plan to go to Spoodles for diner and were planning to pay OOP for our DS. The only thing he will eat is a flatbread and we don't want to use a TS for just that. I may change this ADR.

 

[gokenin]

I know that this will upset people but in defense of Disney resturants no where does the dining plan say that you can use one meal to feed two people. I know that many people share meals to save money or to cut down on what they eat but nowhere that I see does it say that Disney has to allow this practice using the dining plan. I know this well get me in hot water but that is my two cents about this. Wishing everyone a happy day

 

[Ava]

I don't want to assume that your second waiter was doing anything not on the up & up, but if Spoodles is not owned directly by Disney (I'm not sure on that part) then the waiter's tip is based on the amount that the restaurant is paid by Disney for DDP meals, and therefore on the amount of credits used. Spoodles may have instituted the policy for this reason as well.

 

[Twende]

The way we figure it we paid for the meal and it is up to us to decide who we would like to share it with.

Many times at places here at home, we order one meal and share it or get two meals and split it among three of us. Some places clearly mark on the menu that there is a small charge to share meals. It is usually $1 for a plate charge and that is fine.

As long as you tip your server for server the extra person, then I do not see how Disney can limit who you share your meals with.

We did ask at our resort and we were told that sharing meals is perfectly acceptable on the Disney Dining Plan!

 

[Ava]

As long as you tip your server for server the extra person, then I do not see how Disney can limit who you share your meals with.

The problem is that not everyone will tip for the extra person served. The server has no way of knowing up front if your family will tip appropriately or not. I know that's the nature of being a server, you never know how much you will take home in tips on any given day, but also with the DDP they probably get much less in cash tips and much more in taxable income.

I'm not saying that any server or restaurant has the right to institute policies at random, but the more I read about peoples' experiences with the DDP the more it seems that some restaurants (and therefore their servers) are suffering from it, not benefiting.

 

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

The types of places and items one cannot share are specifically listed. Spoodles is not one of them. Hence if there is nothing printed on the menu or any signage about a minimum plate charge or that a credit must be used for every person seated, I see nothing wrong with people taking the bill to their hotel, showing them that 3 meals were purchased, 4 were billed and getting their credit back.

 

[Twende]

I was always told that the servers tip was based on 18% of the meal tab. The more food you get extra like shrimp as an add on side to a steak or whatever, raises the total of your bill and therefore the raises the total tip the server gets.

 

[CoolDisneyCat]

Seems like to me that sharing the dining plan is a bit like trying to beat the system. Disney makes everyone in the room be on the plan for a reason.

 

[keishashadow]

I've seen plate-sharing charges range from $5 to $15, depending on the restaurant/area.

Long ago I toiled in the service industry & appreciated tips. I'd never dream of not tipping a min. of 15 percent, even for lackluster service. However, a tip is a gratuity (unless it is automatically added to the bill ala DP or indicated on menu) & as such is merely SUGGESTED.

It certainly behooves servers to raise the bill to get a larger tip, probably one of the reasons the DP has been interpreted so generously/loosely.

The way we figure it we paid for the meal and it is up to us to decide who we would like to share it with.

Many times at places here at home, we order one meal and share it or get two meals and split it among three of us. Some places clearly mark on the menu that there is a small charge to share meals. It is usually $1 for a plate charge and that is fine.

As long as you tip your server for server the extra person, then I do not see how Disney can limit who you share your meals with.

We did ask at our resort and we were told that sharing meals is perfectly acceptable on the Disney Dining Plan!

 

[MomtoEmIs&Ow]

Ok I may get flamed for this but why should you tip for the extra person?
Just a question... Should you not tip on the total amount spent? Not the number of people being served.... Oh and a server really should not be 'upping' their tip by charging an extra meal! If the customer thought they did a GREAT job then they can tip extra.

 

[Ava]

I was always told that the servers tip was based on 18% of the meal tab. The more food you get extra like shrimp as an add on side to a steak or whatever, raises the total of your bill and therefore the raises the total tip the server gets.

I've read (from various sources) that that only applies to Disney-owned restaurants. At non-Disney-owned restaurants, the tip is 18% of the amount that Disney pays to the restaurant for the DDP meal (a flat-rate of $25 or so for an adult). In that case, the server's tip is essentially based on the number of credits used.

 

[Mickey1122]

Don't worry. I'm pretty sure this was a mistake, as we have NEVER had a problem. Our servers hav never had trouble with the meal plan.

 

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

Ok I may get flamed for this but why should you tip for the extra person?
Just a question... Should you not tip on the total amount spent? Not the number of people being served.... Oh and a server really should not be 'upping' their tip by charging an extra meal! If the customer thought they did a GREAT job then they can tip extra.

I believe one should tip because even though you're paying for 3, they are serving 4. But because all they are bringing is extra plates and the like, I dont think one should have to tip based upon a full meal's price for the 4th person. Imo, just a little bit extra would be sufficient.
.

 

[Twende]

Like the above poster said we tipped for the fourth person served because the server did serve that person. We did not add a tip for eaters one through three because that tip is already paid for by the Disney Dining Plan.

We did not include an appetizer monetary amount in the estimated meal amount for the tip. We only included the beverage, meal and the dessert because we felt that there was no extra serving needed in the sharing of the appetizer.

We were told by the server at Spoodles that this is the new way to handle TS credits at Spoodles. As I said above our resort concierge knew nothing about this change and said that sharing of TS or any credits for that matter is fine.

 

[Cass]

Why are you sharing meals, is it too much food?

LOL I think I am too selfish (or hungry) to share!

 

[4mcbjCtr]

I think it is way too much food. We always share meals when we go out to eat, just because our appetites are smaller. I have a junior in my group as well, that we have to pay for adult but she definately won't eat anywhere near that amount of food.

 

[Twende]

We share meals for several reasons. We normally do one 2 TS meal while we are there. It is usually Hoop Dee Doo as we love the silly humor and music of the show. So in order to have that extra credit to use for that meal we share meals on the other nights so that we have enough.

For example on this trip we had four of us on the meal plan and we did HDD. That meant that on four other meals we had to gain 1 TS by sharing 3 meals with 4 people. It is normally very easy to do and actually fun to share appetizers and desserts with everyone at the table. Normally each person gets something different and we all try it. DD and I normally share a main course as we are not big eaters and that way we do not over eat. The guys usually eat a main course on their own and share the starters and desserts.

We have done this for years and did this even before the present meal plan by sharing meals with the VKL and QS meal vouchers. It has never been a problem at menu resturants. Obviously you can not do this at places that serve family style or that are buffets. For those you need 1 full TS per person.

You can also save TS credits by going to places like Pepper Market or Puck's where you get a very dinner meal for a CS/QS credit.