Sharing soda at TS?

[piccolopat]

I can't imagine not just forking over the $3 for the soda as others have mentioned. Whenever DH and I eat out, I usually drink water by choice but will occasionally steal a sip of his soda. I feel like that is one thing, but to blatantly share is cheap. Not to mention, a hassle considering you'll need to pace yourselves and wait for refills.

FWIW - DH and I ate at Liberty Tree Tavern on DDP back in August. DH opted for the all you can eat platter and I got the fish and chips. Our server brought out extra rolls for me and flat out told me that I could feel free to eat whatever I wanted off DH's plate and she'd bring more. I'm sure that's not policy and she was just trying to be a cool server, but it showed me that they likely don't really care about things like that.

I think the difference is that you bought and paid for your meal. I don't think your server would have said the same if you just asked for a (free) water and didn't order anything.

 

[gypsy_at_heart]

That's so interesting! The chain I worked for here in Canada actually no longer offers refills on large popcorns, which I've always assumed was because of people taking advantage of them. Even worse than the individual bags was when customers would fold up a previous bag, keep it at home and bring it back the next time they were at the theatre.

I hadn't thought of the multiple flavour aspect though! I'm not sure if we have flavour shakers here? But DH and I would definitely need separate bags if we did!

Lol I’m Canadian and when I read about the refills the first thing I thought of was the big movie theatre chain that I think you worked for! I remember seeing someone bring in an empty bag ages ago when they did refill, it was crazy.

 

[mom2rtk]

Exactly!

My husband is the big soda drinker while I'm not. I'd rather have water with lemon. However, there may be times, I may want a few of sips of his drink during dinner. Even if two people are sharing a soda, it's not a big deal. People share milk shakes all the time. I would only say it's tacky and in poor taste to sit there sharing drinks and asking for refills every five minutes. That's not cool.

I don't have an issue with someone taking a couple sips from someone else's drink. But milkshakes are completely different because they don't have free refills.

 

[Disnsyncey]

Six Flags prices are easily on par with Disney for counter service. Except Six Flags (Great Adventures anyways) is extremely strict about no outside food. I've seen them confiscate small children's Teddy Grahams. Disney will let you bring in your own bottle of soda and will even give you a full sized cup of ice if you ask.

I was at Six Flags on Saturday. It's nice if you like zombies.

The last time I went to Six Flags, I was surprised at the counter service prices, they were seemingly more expensive than Disney prices and less interesting options!

And yes, there are ways you can save money if you don't have the money to pay for everybody to get a soda.....but then don't order a soda! I would say know your limits....

 

[Mazz519]

Thats a first never heard of sharing sodas... we usually get the meal plans so drinks are included never gave it a thought

 

[nkereina]

But then, again, she doesn't own the Liberty Tree Tavern. It's not really hers to give away.

Right. But my point was that if its supposed to be servers enforcing no sharing when someone is trying to skirt the system, they don't really seem to be enforcing it. And in my own experience, she was actually encouraging it. I still don't think it's acceptable to share under either circumstance, but until it's enforced, people will always find a workaround to save a few bucks.

 

[TwinkleKS]

I'd never "share" the soda like that. We usually go on the DDP so I don't worry about how much an individual soda cost ... I like just paying one set cost for the trip (I know this isn't the budget way to do it, but it works for us). All of that being said, I admit we don't always get soda when we go out to eat on a normal basis. $3 isn't much money ... but if you have a family of five that is $15, if you ate out twice a day $30, if you were there for ten days $300 ... so it can add up to be money you'd rather spend on something else.

 

[KrazeeK120]

My daughter and I often share a soda at a fast food restaurant - order a large and share it but don’t get refills. I would never ever ever consider sharing a soda at a TS restaurant. That is just way to tacky for us.

I think that’s fine. You’re consuming what you paid for in this instance.

 

[desertbloom]

I don't have an issue with someone taking a couple sips from someone else's drink. But milkshakes are completely different because they don't have free refills.

Unless you're at Whispering Canyon Cafe ..... mmmmmmmm bottomless milkshake *cue drooling*

 

[HeidiGW]

you should drink water so as not to get dehydrated. if we are doing a budget meal, the kids can have water or milk.
if they really want soda afterwards, I can buy a huge CS drink for $3ish that they can share.
Or use their mugs, if we have purchased it.

 

[GillianP1301]

I have no clue about any policy on sharing sodas, but that aside it's tacky as all get out, beyond cheap and really obnoxious to think it's okay to take advantage of a free refill in that way. I'm sure this happens very rarely (thankfully) or free refills would be a thing of the past. And honestly, if you can't afford soda for everyone in your family at a meal then how are you affording WDW in the first place?

 

[monorailsilver]

My DH will drink my drink or the kids at times but this is at the end of the meal when we are waiting to pay and I still have fluid left in my drink.

I generally order water to avoid paying for soda anyways. Plus DH and I don’t like the same soda.

 

[Tara1988]

I have been caught by a waitress stealing some of DH's soda (after I ordered a fancy, expensive drink with no refills) She brought me out a soda with his next refill at no charge.

 

[Simba's Mom]

I hear new ones so infrequently these days. But this is a new one for me!

Yup, never heard of this. I thought you meant what Mom and I did at WDW, because neither one of us is much of a soda drinker. We ordered one soda and an extra glass. Then we split the soda, but itm was a finite amont, not bottomless. I noticed on my last solo trip that I took about 3 sips out of the soda I'd ordered, then threw the cup away, about 3/4 full. No wonder I agreed that food is VERY expensive these days!

 

[AngiTN]

Heck, I'm going to say they don't eat out much period.
DH and I aren't ever shocked at the price of Disney meals. Because we eat out weekly and honestly, our bill at Disney is not much more than our bill on an avg Friday night here at home.

But honestly, sharing a soda, isn't going to break the restaurant. If 2 people want to share a drink, I guess I'm not seeing the massive issue with it.

 

[HelloTheDrakes]

My husband have shared a drink/chips when going out to Subway many times. Honestly, we would be wasting food if we didn't share the chips and drink. I think we typically drink one whole cup and refill a half a cup and we're good. We've never felt bad because we don't waste food. We also make sure not to get multiple refills and abuse the situation either. I don't see anything wrong with it. Seeing as most people get a drink and 1 refill at places anyways, meaning they had/wasted 4 drinks over our 1 1/2. Why not save a few bucks and not be wasteful at the same time?

Over the course of a few meals at Disney....that could mean being able to get a snack or put that money towards a better souvenir. Sure, it's more penny pinching, but we're not at the income level to splurge all the time. However, we still DESERVE to go to Disney and spend our money how we like.

Ready for the flames in 3, 2, 1.....

 

[AngiTN]

I'm not sure how buying 1 soda and sharing it is a lot of difference than buying 1 meal and sharing it.
I do wish someone would explain.
Is it because you can get a refill on the soda?
If you want to know the truth, the restaurant is out way more money on a 2nd meal then they are a refill of soda
And your server too
I realize folks share to both save money and because portions are so large.
Just saying, money wise, sharing meals is more harmful to the bottom line at a restaurant than sharing soda. And folks don't think twice about sharing meals

 

[HelloTheDrakes]

https://www.quora.com/How-much-woul...restaurant-to-lose-money-on-a-2-fountain-soda

Per the article:

So, realistically restaurant loses money after 5 to 6 refills. Given the tight margins in this business, a $2 for unlimited refills is still perhaps a higher margin product and a way to attract customers!

They're really not losing that much money when you share or get multiple refills. This is probably why the waitress in OP's story doesn't mind encouraging people to share.

 

[foodiddiedoo]

Maybe the difference is that there's a limited and set amount of food in a single entree. If a server brings one meal and you split it, they are definitely getting a lesser tip than if a couple both ordered a meal, but there's also less work involved. It's not like the server is going back and forth and bringing you more pieces of food. With a drink, there's an "unlimited" amount of refills at a TS restaurant, and it's not like the customer can go to the soda machine and fill it up themselves. They are implicitly making the server do more work (going back and forth to fill up the same cup for 2 people multiple times) and giving the server a lesser tip to not have to spend 3 dollars.
Personally if you're doing the drink refilling yourself, go ahead and share, but if you're making someone else do more work for you, at least give them a bigger tip.

Also, a lot of restaurants even state on their menu that sharing meals isn't allowed or will charge a split plate fee (not that I agree with it, but it at least gives the server a bit more tip in the end).

 

[AngiTN]

Also wonder if people who won't share a drink at the restaurant will share at a movie? Seems I see folks sharing drinks at a movie all the time. I don't know about all of them but all the chains we have here offer free refills on them too. Not that I've ever finished an entire one to need a refill, but they do offer them (I think the fact they are so large are the reason why they offer them, no one ever gets them)