Be Our Guest: CS & Snack - needs to be two transactions

[The Hitchhiking Ghost]

We just got back from a 10 day trip to the World. We decided since that it was new that we'd wait the 40 minutes to get into BOG for a CS lunch.

First, I didn't find the self ordering to be all that intuitive. I consider myself to be at list competent if not somewhat smart, but we had a CM come over to help us more than once. So I think a lot of that 40 minute wait might have to do with the ordering process.

The issue I mention in my header has to do with us being on the dining plan. So we finally figured out how to order our CS meals using the dining plan, but I also wanted a a bowl of French Onion soup, but I wanted it charged as a snack item. In order to do that, I was told that it had to be done as two separate transactions, that the system couldn't handle it in one.

You can't pay for your food in cash, plus the not being able to do snacks and CS on one transaction, its going to lead to confusion and delays. It looks nicer I guess, but I don't know if the self serve kiosk is a plus yet, eventually mabye, but not now.

[Kplaster]

You can't pay for your food in cash? We are going in 9 days on the dining plan and I know it would be frustrating not being able to do the snack in with the meal.

[SBETigg]

But you can't do snacks and CS as one transaction anywhere else either, can you? I've always been told it has to be two separate transactions no matter where I have been using the DP. Maybe I've always had messed up CMs? It does seem odd to me that you can't pay with cash if you want to do so. I seldom use cash at WDW, but I think you should have the option. I am used to the kiosk ordering at other venues, like Captain Cook's, so I don't think I would have a problem with it, but I can understand that it might cause some delay with a lot of people being new to the system.

[The Hitchhiking Ghost]

You can't pay for your food in cash? We are going in 9 days on the dining plan and I know it would be frustrating not being able to do the snack in with the meal.

There is no cash register attendant and I overheard a guest asking a CM about it. From what I can tell you can use your keys to the kingdom card (either as a dining plan option or if you have it set up as being able to charge to your room) or you have to use a major credit card. I don't know if they accept all major cards or not. Pretty certain cash will not be an option. I would assume if you have a Disney Rewards card that you could use that as well, but I didn't try it.

[The Hitchhiking Ghost]

But you can't do snacks and CS as one transaction anywhere else either, can you? I've always been told it has to be two separate transactions no matter where I have been using the DP. Maybe I've always had messed up CMs? It does seem odd to me that you can't pay with cash if you want to do so. I seldom use cash at WDW, but I think you should have the option. I am used to the kiosk ordering at other venues, like Captain Cook's, so I don't think I would have a problem with it, but I can understand that it might cause some delay with a lot of people being new to the system.

Every morning at the Riverside Food Court I'd walk up and tell the CM that I want the bounty platter charged as a CS meal, the bagels as a snack item and the rest out of pocket. They are pretty fast, maybe they quick whipped them out as three separate transactions and I didn't even notice. But at BOG, the CM that was helping had to get me another GPS rose just for the soup, so that had to be set in addition to the one we received when we entered. All of which adds to the delays.

What I found difficult is that the kids meals were at the bottom of the screen, and not in view, you had to touch and motion the screen down. For some - simple, for others may take a minute or two to find, for others "excuse me, can I get some help here". If you accidently hit add item more than once, ordering too much, again, "excuse me, can I get some help here".

In time I think it could be pretty slick, but right now, it seems to be more of a bottleneck than an efficient means to process the food requests.

On the flip side, the food to table delivery was pretty slick and it was nice for a change not to be a pack mule and haul all the food around.

On the down side, I don't think I'd want to eat in the rose room, constantly having people standing over my table to get a picture of the rose. I'd be tempted to stand up and get in everyone' photo.

[Kplaster]

We order our snacks with CS and have never had an issue but like was said maybe they are just really efficient and did the transactions seperate although they have only ever swipped our KTTW card once so IDK. We don't pay with cash so thats not an issue I just think it's weird that if you want to you can't. You would think they would gladly accept cash.

[Pirate Granny]

They don't serve hot tea at lunch...the order system was not working, we had to tell the CM what we wanted and you could not scroll the screen.

[etibbetts]

I ordered items as snacks w/ my CS meals at three locations on my trip 11/23-12/2 and two of those they had to do it as a separate transaction (Peco Bills & Be Our Guest), only Flame Tree was able to do it in one transaction. Not sure why...

We were lucky at BOG and got put in a line with an actual CM to take our order. Loved BOG, the food was delicious!

[KathyMO]

You can't pay for your food in cash? We are going in 9 days on the dining plan and I know it would be frustrating not being able to do the snack in with the meal.

You can pay with cash. We ate at BOG for lunch 4 time last week. You have to let them know you are paying with cash so they send you to one of the two CM at a cash register on the left of the room. If not they will send you to one of five self order stations which is dining plan or credit card only.

[Sam&Alex&Josh'sMOM]

we ate there for lunch last week and we had someone taking our order. We looked at the menu where the knights are. And then we were told which kiosk to go to, and we were put on one side, and another family on the other side, and they had a CM in the middle putting in the order and taking the cards. Maybe it was to move things along. (THis was on 11/29/12) I did have to do a separate order for an extra juice for my son who is 2 and not on the dining plan. I thought it was normal to give the CM the order... I didnt know we were doing something out of the ordinary there. I did think the kids meal was too small. The Mickey Meatloaf was tiny and my kids barely eat sometimes. And the kids not getting dessert with their lunches I thought was kind of a gyp. My ham and cheese grilled was really good. and hubby liked the steak sandwich.
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