A Swiss spring break with friends TRIP REPORT COMPLETED 6/27 - Page 30 - PassPorter - A Community of Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise Line, and General Travel Forums
As of January 1, 2019, we have closed our forums. This is a decision we did not come to lightly, but it is necessary. The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk. The server software itself must be updated, and it cannot be without removing the forums.
So it is with a heavy heart that we say goodbye to our long-running forums. They came online in 2000 and brought together so many wonderful Disney fans. We had friendships form, careers launch, couples marry, children born ... all because of this amazing community.
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We want to personally thank Sara Varney, who coordinated our community for many years (among so many other things she did for us), and Cheryl Pendry, our Message Board Manager who helped train our Guides, and Ginger Jabour, who helped us with the PassPorter-specific forums and Live! Guides. Thank you for your time, energy, and enthusiasm. You made it all happen.
There are other changes as well.
Why? Well, the world has changed. And change with it, we must. The lyrics to "We Go On" for IllumiNations say it best:
We go on to the joy and through the tears
We go on to discover new frontiers
Moving on with the current of the years.
We go on
Moving forward now as one
Moving on with a spirit born to run
Ever on with each rising sun.
To a new day, we go on.
It's time to move on and move forward.
PassPorter is a small business, and for many years it supported our family. But the world changed, print books took a backseat to the Internet, and for a long time now it has been unable to make ends meet. We've had to find new ways to support our family, which means new careers and less and less time available to devote to our first baby, PassPorter.
But eventually, we must move on and move forward. It is the right thing to do.
So we are retiring this newsletter, as we simply cannot keep up with it. Many thanks to Mouse Fan Travel who supported it all these years, to All Ears and MousePlanet who helped us with news, to our many article contributors, and -- most importantly -- to Sara Varney who edited our newsletter so wonderfully for years and years.
And we are no longer charging for the Live Guides. If you have a subscription, it's yours to keep for the lifetime of the Live Guides at no additional cost. The Live Guides will stay online, barring server issues and technical problems, for all of 2019.
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Thank you, thank you, thank you for your amazing support over the years. Without you, there's no way us little guys could have made something like this happen and given the "big guys" a run for their money. PassPorter was consistently the #3 guidebook after the Unofficial and Official guides, which was really unheard of for such a small company to do. We ROCKED it thanks to you and your support and love!
If you miss us, you can still find some of us online. Sara started a new blog at DisneyParkPrincess.com -- I strongly urge you to visit and get on her mailing list. She IS the Disney park princess and knows Disney backward and forward. And I am blogging as well at JenniferMaker.com, which is a little craft blog I started a couple of years ago to make ends meet. You can see and hear me in my craft show at https://www.youtube.com/c/jennifermaker . Many PassPorter readers and fans are on Facebook, in groups they formed like the PassPorter Trip Reports and PassPorter Crafting Challenge (if you join, just let them know you read about it in the newsletter). And some of our most devoted community members started a forum of their own at Pixie Dust Lane and all are invited over.
So we encourage you to stay in touch with us and your fellow community members wherever works best for you!
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Sunday 6 May – part sixteen: “we are not machines.”
Finally we got our food menus for dinner, after waiting some time to see them at the hotel, and we put our orders in. It wasn’t complicated, let’s just put it that way…
We also asked about what Swiss wines they had on the menu, as we all wanted to order a bottle, but after comparing the two white ones, we couldn’t agree, so the rest reverted to beer, while I tried a glass of rose wine, not Swiss, but supposedly a bit sweeter. It wasn’t.
It was about this time that things started to go seriously wrong. We were sitting there waiting for food, and playing the in-out, in-out, shake it all about game, as every time we found a table, someone would come and smoke nearby. I appreciate it’s not banned in law, but couldn’t they have a smoking and a non-smoking section to save these problems?
We were brought some bread, which at least kept us going, but for goodness sake, by now we were getting close to 9:00pm. Ok, so we hadn’t ordered our food straightaway, but it had been a good 40 minutes or so. Graham said he was going to say something to our waitress when he saw her, but it was difficult to find her. I need to say at this point that the bar was not busy at all.
When we did eventually get her attention, Graham asked about the food. There was an edge to his voice, as we were all starving by now, only having eaten chocolate and cheese since breakfast. However, he was not rude, and certainly did not deserve what came next.
The waitress told him the kitchen was busy – Ok, fair enough. She also admitted what we suspected anyway, that the restaurant takes priority over bar customers. Not great, given we’re both paying, but they are paying more, so I guess I can just about deal with that. Then third, she told us “we are not machines.” I am sorry – what did you just say to us? I think we were all in shock at that.
We joked about it afterwards, but honestly, it wasn’t funny. It was appalling customer service, and let’s just say Graham was not about to let it go.
Our food turned up a few minutes later and was it worth the wait? Well, my seafood sharing platter, which our lovely server had told us “wasn’t that big” was massive and I couldn’t finish it. Had I known how big it was, I wouldn’t have ordered the side of fries to go with it. Apart from that, it was very nice, but it shouldn’t have taken so long to deliver it to the table.
So did the others order complex dishes? Hardly. Sarah had a chicken burger and Mark and Graham both had ordinary burgers. Mark asked for his to be well done and it turned up practically rare. Graham took a photo, so he could complain to the hotel, but I didn’t. I’m sure you can understand why. Let’s just say it reminded a little bit too much of Heidi and Gertrude and all their friends…
Anyway, Graham asked Mark if he wanted to send the burger back, but Mark (quite sensibly in my view) said it wasn’t worth it. I mean how much longer would it take to get it back? We all agreed that we weren’t going to let this go.
I had asked (twice now!) for a jug of water, but nothing and by now, I was parched. I ended up excusing myself to go up to our room and had five glasses of water there. That’s how thirsty I was.
I wasn’t there to see it, but I know the others went to complain about our meal. They were told by the duty manager that the charges for our dinner wouldn’t appear on our bill in the morning. Ok, fair enough. All sorted… well, you’ll find out.
The weather today was hot and sunny with temperatures in the mid 70s. The best thing today was the Olympic museum. The worst thing today was our dinner. The funniest thing today was Sarah and the Japanese toilet seat! Today we tried going to the Olympic Museum in Lausanne. And the result was I absolutely loved it! The most magical moment today was seeing the cows with their cow bells!
What a horrible experience! I hope someone in management is paying attention and things change in the future but if I were you, I would never eat there again.
That is terrible. Oh my. Multiple things that happened there that shouldn't be happening at a customer service restaurant. You couldn't even get water?! I think I'd be more upset with that! That's basic rule number one, for crying out loud. Did Graham leave a bad review on Trip Advisor too, or Yelp? I know I read those a lot when researching places!
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That is just plain awful service and food, I don’t know how Mark was able to eat that burger.
I am with you on the smoking in Manitoba it is banned on patio’s, but in Portugal it is not and I wish they had a non smoking section so we could sit outside and enjoy the warm weather.
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Ugh, for non-smokers, having people smoking around you any time is the worst (imho) but when you’re eating?! Completely unacceptable in my book. Then your waitress... SO rude! Don’t they have customer service training? If patrons are feeling put out over anything, it’s the waitress’s job to smooth that over, not make it worse!
I really can’t abide by kitchens who can’t get meat temps right. That’s cooking 101 folks....
I am thinking these charges will show up in the morning - hoping they’re gone before you leave the hotel!
What a horrible experience! I hope someone in management is paying attention and things change in the future but if I were you, I would never eat there again.
That is terrible. Oh my. Multiple things that happened there that shouldn't be happening at a customer service restaurant. You couldn't even get water?! I think I'd be more upset with that! That's basic rule number one, for crying out loud.
No, we couldn't get water...
Quote:
Did Graham leave a bad review on Trip Advisor too, or Yelp? I know I read those a lot when researching places!
I believe he was going to. I haven't checked out whether he has done or not...
That is just plain awful service and food, I don’t know how Mark was able to eat that burger.
I think it's called hunger.
Quote:
I am with you on the smoking in Manitoba it is banned on patio’s, but in Portugal it is not and I wish they had a non smoking section so we could sit outside and enjoy the warm weather.
That sounds like a really sensible way to do things in Manitoba.
Ugh, for non-smokers, having people smoking around you any time is the worst (imho) but when you’re eating?! Completely unacceptable in my book. Then your waitress... SO rude! Don’t they have customer service training?
I don't think it was their strength... let's put it that way.
Quote:
If patrons are feeling put out over anything, it’s the waitress’s job to smooth that over, not make it worse!
I really can’t abide by kitchens who can’t get meat temps right. That’s cooking 101 folks....
I am thinking these charges will show up in the morning - hoping they’re gone before you leave the hotel!
That was just horrible customer service and never seen anything that bad! I've had my experiences, but nothing ever that bad. From the waiting game, your server who was MIA for much of the meal and then her deplorable attitude and treatment of the guests like you! JUst hope the charges don't show up.
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October 6, 2017-Enjoying an amazing dinner at Victoria & Albert's with PP's Dot and Drew
My TR from my most recent trip is now underway. Includes: Universal Studios Florida, Disney World and Sea World Orlando Trifecta TR -Updated December 10th! TR is now COMPLETED!
That was just horrible customer service and never seen anything that bad! I've had my experiences, but nothing ever that bad. From the waiting game, your server who was MIA for much of the meal and then her deplorable attitude and treatment of the guests like you! JUst hope the charges don't show up.
Yes, I have to be honest, I think it's the worst customer service I've ever experienced as well. It will certainly stay with me for a long time to come.
That was just horrible customer service. I work in retail and none of us would ever treat a paying customer that way. We're told that the customers pay our salaries.
I hope management did something.
Liz
Deplorable! What server thinks sass is appropriate with guests. I can't imagine not complaining. Hope the charges are truly taken off your bill. I eat meat, but I do NOT like it nearly rare. I only like mine well done, which seems to be harder for restaurants to do lately.
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I think we were all in shock at that. 
All sorted… well, you’ll find out. 
I hope someone in management is paying attention and things change in the future but if I were you, I would never eat there again.
I can't imagine not complaining. Hope the charges are truly taken off your bill. I eat meat, but I do NOT like it nearly rare. I only like mine well done, which seems to be harder for restaurants to do lately. 
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