I'm going to get flamed....

[jezebella]

Seriously for this post...but as many of you know I am the writer of the 2 year disney review-a-thon. I'm sure you may be wondering why this thread has been abandoned. The reason being.....I can't get into anywhere to eat!!! The dining plan, while I agree is an amazing bargain (especially when free) for guests visiting the WDW resort has completely alienated the local residents.

I have tried now for several weeks to get ADR's over a month in advance and have found it extremely difficult. Typically it is only at 9:30 (impossible with a 6 year old) or for restaurants which I have reviewed. I know I know...poor me, whining because I live in Orlando and can't get a ressie....but you see...for years Disney has relied upon it's locals to keep the place running in the off season. Apparently now...there is no "off season" with the dining plan. People that may have gone to an off site ressie are now booking, sometime overbooking their vacations and leaving us with nothing.

I only hope that Disney realizes it goes through peaks and valleys with the amount of tourists it has depending on the economy, promotions, etc...and that at some point, they will call upon the locals again to boost their sales. They could at least reserve a certain number of ressies for locals, last minute bookings, cast memebers, or annual pass holders. As for me...you can find me at Maggiano's Little Italy and the Capitol Grille at Pointe Orlando. I'm extremely frustrated and disheartened. Cheers! Jess

 

[mirthmaiden]

I take this as a complaint that you're being slighted because you're local. If you're complaining about not being able to get an ADR because the restuarants are busy, well... I don't know what anybody can do about that.

Ok, I don't know for sure, but I would think this is an easy enough problem to get around. Either make up a fictitious out-of-town phone number that you always use when making your ADR's, or get a tracfone with an out-of-town number so you don't look like a local. Except for the restaurants that need your address for the cc# information, that should be sufficient, right? Or is there something else I'm not seeing here?

 

[Mcbruns]

I won't flame you. I guess it depends on the time of year you are referencing. We always make our ADR's well in advance and generally don't have problems (unless it's around a holiday).

 

[wdwdancerwannabe]

OK - so I'm a little confused.

Do the "ADR PEOPLE" give priority to one over the other?

 

[Lisa Hale]

I guess I can see why you would be frustrated. We learned our lesson in past years as far as setting up ADR's prior to arriving at WDW. Long gone are the days when you could really be spontaneous and call up last minute or even try to get something at your resort if it rains and you don't want to go to the parks. With WDW extending their tourist season (so to speak), it would make it more difficult to schedule things. I don't really see where holding over their heads that they depend on locals in the lean years (or season) will really do anything to change that. I think they are pulling from outside the US when need be now and I don't really think they will have as many lean seasons. Yes, we have made our ADR's at 180 days out. We will also stick to those and they won't be just wasted or holding an empty table or anything. Disney already overbooks as it is. If they started holding a block of tables for employees or residents or annual passholders (hmmm, I am an annual passholder), I think they will just overbook more, and stop booking later so that the overflow will eventually get seated. I guess all I mean is that they are going to book the tables. The rest of us may be experiencing cutbacks and inflation, but I don't think Disney is really hurting. They've found so many ways to squeeze a buck (sometimes to the detriment of the park, guests and especially employees), that they'll find ways of filling tables when they need to. I wish there was an easy solution for those who live close by. Yes, you have been there in the past. Used to be that on weekends, we couldn't get an ADR while on vacation because they were booked...often by locals (and yep, we got frustrated because we only had a limited time there to try to fit in all we wanted to try). So, nope, It's not fair to anyone who is being left out, but it's all about business nowadays. They will lose some people, but they will replace them with others. I guess that even if I lived close by, I'd just try to book ahead of time - if it's 6 weeks early, so be it. If you really need or want to get in to a certain restaurant, you'll have to work with the system, fair or not. Good luck and when WDW is booked, enjoy those restaurants outside of WDW that those of us without transport can't get to.

 

[bradk]

funny. i'm less than 6 weeks away and have been able to book 6 meals for a 4 day stay no problem. with exception to a 9:20 CRT, the latest is is 7:20 pm.

i've also gotten walkups in march (okay, the only one i tried was scifi, but they took me right away).

could i do this with le cellier? probably not. but you know, there are restaurants in nyc that i can't just walk up to either. they don't seem to care that i live here. i guess they get their money with or without me.

i understand the jules verne in paris requires about a 1 year reservation.

le sigh.

 

[mirthmaiden]

I guess I'm not really understanding what the complaint is here. At first I thought you were saying that you were not being allowed to book an ADR because you are a local. Now, going back and re-reading your post, and the other posts, it seems you are just making a general complaint about ADR's being hard to come by. If so, you have just as much opportunity to get them as anybody else, right? Why would it be any easier/harder for you just because you are a local?

 

[jezebella]

Please...this isn't NYC or Paris...so spare me your comments acting like I'm a "poor me..the don't know who I am"....I'm simply venting in that since the DDP the entire Disney restaurant biz is somewhat cut off to locals unless you book 4-5 months in advance. It has totally taken out the fun of OUR dining..not yours...MINE...so yes..I will have a good time dining on our local restaurants off site.

 

[Sammie]

The highs and lows of living in a tourist destination. The same could apply to the theater at Downtown Disney or Circque de Solei.

I have not gone during Free Dining and never intend to, but we have gone at many other times and booked in advance and then made last minute changes after we arrived, even getting Le Cellier at regular hours.

 

[labst60]

Correct me if I am wrong, but I think the OP's point was his/her frustration with the over-crowded/over-booked restaurants and while in the past there was room for much more flexibility, he/she is diappointed to have to plan more than a month in advance for reservations.

Many people (ie locals, annual passholder, conference go-ers, etc) don't plan their vacations/trips to WDW 180 days out and would still like the opportunity to sample a variety of WDW's top restaurants.

 

[jezebella]

Exactly..I guess my main frustration is that...when you all are at home and want to go somewhere other than the staple, Olive Garden, Ale House, Red Lobster, etc....do you make reservations 4 months in advance? Suprisingly...in Orlando, being a Disney person is not the best thing.

I'm not from here...I vacationed here my whole life until about 5 years ago when I moved. It's just now that I'm getting that going on vacation, with regards to dining, is easier being an outsider. You know when you're going to be here and you can book it half a year in advance. That's it....this is my world, living in Orlando...and the DDP has taken away our ability to dine at their restaurants UNLESS you leave it to the last minute and just take what you can get.

 

[hannah03]

That would be very frustrating. You would think they might be able to accommodate the locals somehow. I'm not sure the DDP has everything to do with it though. I'm sure there are people who book reservations w/out being on it at certain places too. Maybe if enough people complain to them, they will do something about it.

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

OP no flames from me either. My family and I are not avid trip planners so when our 180 day mark would come up, we do not call WDW-Dinning right at 7:00 AM to make ADR's for our vacation 6 months later, because that is not who we are. If we ever do make ADR's while in WDW we have had no problems making them on the fly once we arrive and have never been told sorry this restaurant is not available. I happen to think it's because we always stay Concierge and they have better luck making last minute ADR's despite others saying they don't have any more power then non Concierge Cast Members. One reason my family and I are like this is because we don't know 6 months in advance which parks we will be at one what days, in fact we don't decide until we are in WDW. Plus sometimes while there in December we change our minds at the last minute if the weather was going to be very bad, so we go shopping instead. Anyway the times we have made last minute ADR's we have got into places such as Chef Mickey's, Boma, Ohana, Concourse Steakhouse, 50's Prime Time Cafe and the Plaza. In fact last December we did not make any ADR's and believe it or not my family and I did not go hungry. Most of the time we went to restaurants outside WDW and other times we did counter service locations and the Rainforest Cafe in Downtown Disney. As you should have guessed by now my family and I do not purchase the Disney Dinning Plan because based on what I have said, it is not good for us when travelling to WDW.

 

[jojoandhb]

If you are having trouble calling a month in advance, try two or three...

 

[Sammie]

Exactly..I guess my main frustration is that...when you all are at home and want to go somewhere other than the staple, Olive Garden, Ale House, Red Lobster, etc....do you make reservations 4 months in advance? Suprisingly...in Orlando, being a Disney person is not the best thing.

I'm not from here...I vacationed here my whole life until about 5 years ago when I moved. It's just now that I'm getting that going on vacation, with regards to dining, is easier being an outsider. You know when you're going to be here and you can book it half a year in advance. That's it....this is my world, living in Orlando...and the DDP has taken away our ability to dine at their restaurants UNLESS you leave it to the last minute and just take what you can get.

I am sure everyone understands the frustration, but on the other hand it just the nature of the beast of where you live. Kinda like the traffic situation too, it's just something that comes with the territory. I am sure that on the other hand all the people that work for Disney are glad, that everything is staying packed and business is good.

Basically what has happened is Disney has eliminated the off season.

 

[Tinkermom3]

I think the main reason for why it is so difficult to get an ADR within a month or so is because of the people who are booking multiple ADR's at once. They do not know which restaurant will suit them on any particular night so they make 2 or 3 different ressies. I know that Disney tries to catch this but I am told that will only happen if someone is trying to make a ressie at the same time (or close to it) at multiple locations. You could still make a say 5PM ADR at Coral Reef and then also book a 6:30PM at Crystal Palace. There needs to be a better system in place to stop this from happening.

 

[La2kw]

I won't be flaming you. I agree that Disney should set aside some ressies for diners who don't know about planning far ahead of time and for those who choose not to plan 180 days out. DDP has changed Disney Dining in many ways, and one of them is that some people like yourself and anyone else not "in the know" are being left out. Of course, there's also the fact that dining has become a lot less enjoyable IMO, with the standardized menus and the crowded restaurants that have also come with the DDP, not to mention the lower food quality these days. I hate having to decide 6 months ahead of time where I want to eat while at WDW.

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

I think the main reason for why it is so difficult to get an ADR within a month or so is because of the people who are booking multiple ADR's at once. They do not know which restaurant will suit them on any particular night so they make 2 or 3 different ressies. I know that Disney tries to catch this but I am told that will only happen if someone is trying to make a ressie at the same time (or close to it) at multiple locations. You could still make a say 5PM ADR at Coral Reef and then also book a 6:30PM at Crystal Palace. There needs to be a better system in place to stop this from happening.

I agree 100% and WDW does need to do a better job of catching guests who make multiple ADR's if they are within an hour of each other. My only suggestion is not letting them make ADR's at 180 days out, because they would have 6 months to cancell an ADR at the last minute if they were able to cheat the system and not have WDW catch it.

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

I won't be flaming you. I agree that Disney should set aside some ressies for diners who don't know about planning far ahead of time and for those who choose not to plan 180 days out. DDP has changed Disney Dining in many ways, and one of them is that some people like yourself and anyone else not "in the know" are being left out. Of course, there's also the fact that dining has become a lot less enjoyable IMO, with the standardized menus and the crowded restaurants that have also come with the DDP, not to mention the lower food quality these days. I hate having to decide 6 months ahead of time where I want to eat while at WDW.

Just to add on to your comments the last ADR's my family and I made were for lunch at Prime Time Cafe and the Plaza and I could not believe how fast the food came out. I did not feel like the servers were rushing us to eat so they can turn the table over, however it seems with the DDP the kitchen wants to get the food out a lot faster.

 

[jezebella]

Very true....it's hard to decide where you want to eat so far in advance. In regards to the "people who work for Disney" being happy about this..I can only gather that it would be anyone in a corporate capacity. The DDP has certainly not raised the wages of the hourly Disney CM. It has only given the "average" servers a right to give less than standard service with people on the DDP because of the guaranteed tip.

Once again...I am not giving this information based on heresay (sp?) but the fact that a family member works at the Emporium, a family member works as the Manager of MGM studios, a friend is a head chef at Disney, and other friends are servers at various Disney restaurants. I wish all of you nothing but the best! cheers.