Are Restaurants Easier to Reserve Now?

[kristenabelle]

And the restaurant doesn’t care if your reservation says 5 but you show up just 3?

So as folks have shared before when you check in you can actually adjust the party number (I'll book for 2, 3, worst case 4, and switch to 1 at check-in). Never had an issue. I don't know if it's a table configuration thing or a profit thing (4 likely to spend more than 1) but if I've spent the day park hopping and sprinting I'll eat enough for 4!

 

[Dug720]

And the restaurant doesn’t care if your reservation says 5 but you show up just 3?

I've only done a reservation for 2 and shown up as 1. I don't want to go for a table that's more than 1 up from my party size.

 

[nerdboyrockstar]

As someone as who used to show up just to not get charged the $10 per person penalty when the rest of your party wasn't feeling well or up to it, the restaurant can deal with it.

 

[kylenne]

FOMO has definitely settled down for places like Space 220.

The restaurant itself is easy to get, it's the lounge that's always been tough. Probably because you aren't locked into the pricey prix fixe menu in the latter.

 

[kylenne]

It's kind of weird- have they just changed the menu THAT MUCH? Why did they change it in the first place?

Like I had filet mignon in 2019 or whatever and it was terrific. Escargot in 2022 was good too, though I wasn't that impressed with lamb or whatever, but I wanted to try something different. But now I see people complaining about the food all the time. It must have had a much better menu before I started going.

The menu is virtually identical as the pre-covid prix fixe one but the quality took a hard nose dive, like they're severely cutting corners. I had pretty much the exact same meal in 2021 as I did when we first ate there in 2018 and again on a solo trip I had in 2019 but the last time my filet wasn't nearly as good--underseasoned, a bit chewy. The beef I had at CRT on the same trip was miles better. Allergy friendly dessert straight up sucked. You don't get the little audience with the Beast anymore, he just does a drive by a few times through the main dining room, and unlike the other meals with characters that have gone back to pre-closure procedures, they are inexplicably still doing it this way. In general the place just feels very phoned in now, in a way it didn't before, as if they are just banking on the theming to draw people in. It makes me so sad because our first meal there, in the West Wing, was so memorable and we really enjoyed it.

I do think a lot of the complaints about BOG are lingering ones from when they cut the quick service lunch, which was an excellent value, but even the experience that replaced it has gone considerably downhill. Meanwhile the prices keep going up and up.

 

[jillt2ph]

Yesterday was my 60 day mark for a 3 night stay. So of course I was not able to get Space 220 lounge I had a selection of times for Topolino because I was booking that breakfast on day four. The only times on day three were around noon. Le Cellier must still be popular because I couldn’t get anything between 6 and 8 PM for Monday night. Saturday morning is 60 days for the second half of that week so my fingers are crossed regarding space 220 Lounge. I used to always get the sliders and the cauliflower. I’d like to try the hamburger this time if I can get a reservation.

 

[ZerasPride]

I was able to get everything I wanted yesterday (including Topolino's and MK Seats and Sweets ) except the dreaded Space 220 Lounge. Nothing was available for 60+5. There was limited dinner availability for 60+6 and 60+7 but we will not be in Epcot those two days. For our September trip I think I will leave Epcot for our last full day and try again.

 

[ScottOKW2K]

I wonder if me being a solitary guest alters that, too. They have a handful of “corner tables” in each place but fewer than for the 3-5 groups.

It absolutely does and I've encountered this many times! If I search for one or two persons the time choices are very limited or non-existent. I simply change it three or four, book what I want and then go back into the reservation and modify the number of guests to actual amount.

 

[jillt2ph]

I was able to get everything I wanted yesterday (including Topolino's and MK Seats and Sweets ) except the dreaded Space 220 Lounge. Nothing was available for 60+5. There was limited dinner availability for 60+6 and 60+7 but we will not be in Epcot those two days. For our September trip I think I will leave Epcot for our last full day and try again.

If you will be there Labor Day week, go ahead and add me to your space 220 lounge reservation I have a strike against me because I usually have split stays so only 4 days for each ADR window.

 

[Jabroniville]

It absolutely does and I've encountered this many times! If I search for one or two persons the time choices are very limited or non-existent. I simply change it three or four, book what I want and then go back into the reservation and modify the number of guests to actual amount.

haha I snuck in a BOG reservation doing that. Sadly it doesn't work at CRT but I can make do. Typically afternoons are busier in the parks so I'm okay with some dining stuff being mid-day instead of suppertime (when I typically go get the tacos in the Tavern anyhow).

 

[patclairesmom]

I made mine yesterday 60 days in advance and even though it was after 6, I still got everything I wanted. Maybe there has been an increase in the # of CMs at the restaurants than before making for better capacity.

 

[Jabroniville]

Yeah I forgot to make another Be Our Guest reservation until a half a day later (11 days into my vacation so I had to book with the rest of the vacationers) and a 4:25pm reservation was still sitting right there, unclaimed. Heck, they were open ALL DAY just about!

This kind of goes with what they were saying before about the restaurant not being in high demand anymore- people seem to be dissing it a lot.

 

[gottalovepluto]

Okay, I had success! Except the only times available were like "morning to early lunch" and "very VERY late" at the popular places again. It's quite weird- as a 1-person party I figured it'd be easier to find a seat for dinner times, but I guess not! How many other people book 10+ day vacations and can book dinner that far out ahead? Though I changed my #s to be 4 people and suddenly EVERYTHING popped up- I could easily have booked tables for 4 at any time!

Glad it worked out and sorry you didn’t know about the solo thing earlier. It’s been like that for years. Solo ADRs are very hard to find at decent times. I almost always have to book as 2-4 and then modify it to 1.

 

[gottalovepluto]

haha I was kind of annoyed- I was STARVING when I got there but had never even read the menu. So I had sticker-shock at the prices but wouldn't get just an appetizer to "just be there". So I ended up paying some ridiculous amount of money for regular restaurant food (like the salmon was GOOD, but $120 or whatever?) and a pop-rock slushy drink. If I'd have not wanted to be surprised, I should have read the menu first and made sure to eat something smaller beforehand.

Since Space 220 gave you sticker shock I advise looking at that Tiffins menu prior to your trip.

 

[VolvoManiac850]

I had good luck on the last trip with two deluxe restaurants.

First was Yachtsman. We didn't technically book it until the day of our meal because so many times weren't showing. However, cancellations tend to happen last minute. We also had originally planned to go to fireworks at the Magic Kingdom but didn't want hustle and bustle, so we got the reservation made a few hours prior to going.

Second was Flying Fish, which we didn't even book. We arrived at 5 and did a walk-up. They seated us at the bar but still were able to accommodate our food intolerances.

The trip in February--got in for the most part but did have to take a few odd times on the ones we booked later.

Last July--only made one at it was at CRT. I did it 60 days out and got right in, but I went solo so it was easy.

 

[keishashadow]

No question. I don't know if anyone has quantified it, but it seems to have been the case for about 10 months or so. Pricing fatigue for WDW experience? Overall attendance drop? Or maybe this is the place guests have chosen to save, as opposed to hotels, Genie, or shopping?

IMO it’s fatigue…

Not so much the pricing, I expect to be gouged as it’s a theme park lol, it’s the marked decline in quality that has us eating many meals offsite.

 

[gmi3804]

When a basic TS breakfast is $50 for two, a lunch CS is $40 for two, and a moderate TS dinner (nothing fancy) for two is more than $100, sticker shock has a numbing effect. We paid $126 for two (we each had a cocktail too, no soft drinks) at Sebastian’s, the “good deal” place! No wonder people aren’t flocking to these places to be fleeced. Thanks, Dining Plan.

 

[Jabroniville]

Glad it worked out and sorry you didn’t know about the solo thing earlier. It’s been like that for years. Solo ADRs are very hard to find at decent times. I almost always have to book as 2-4 and then modify it to 1.

Yeah it's kinda funny. Though usually I had decent luck with dinner reservations on previous trips- it was only in 2022 that I was kinda left with noon meal times.

 

[Jabroniville]

Since Space 220 gave you sticker shock I advise looking at that Tiffins menu prior to your trip.

I have and didn't see anything too eye-opening, haha. $40-70 is pretty normal for a high-end place, and equivalent to Paddlefish, where I normally go. Space 220 is $79 TO START just for food!