Taking walk ups at Skippers Canteen today?

[vacationer1954]

Never!
Off the list for me then. I will not wait in a line to eat. I want to have an ADR at MK.
We will go to LTT then or over to one of the resorts. So disappointing.

I agree. This is a big step backwards. I remember back before the ADR system, back before priority seating, etc. There were reasons why these reservations systems were introduced. There were reasons for going from priority seating to real reservations. The changes benefited guests like us. If we are no longer the guests Disney wishes to serve, then that's a big change, and one that will get us to rethink our vacation plans.

I'm not saying that with rancor. It may be that we truly are no longer the guests Disney wishes to serve. We've owned DVC for about twenty years. We've been thinking about maybe it is time to sell. I cannot put my finger on why we've started thinking about that. Maybe Disney has been doing some small things to turn their attention more fully toward younger families (who might be more willing to take their chances with meals than us older folks)?

 

[minnie mum]

The changes benefited guests like us. If we are no longer the guests Disney wishes to serve, then that's a big change, and one that will get us to rethink our vacation plans.

I'm having difficulty figuring out who you mean by "guests like us". And why you consider a test at only one restaurant such a big change that you would not only rethink your vacation plans, but sell your DVC points. Something tells me you have bigger problems brewing than waiting for a text message before having your meal at Skipper.

This is just a test. Personally I think it will fail. Not because they won't be able to fill the restaurant, but because they will get too many complaints. But even if it is made permanent, you can still make ADRs at any other TS restaurant in WDW.

You are kind of the mirror image of the people who whine because they can't just walk up to any restaurant and get a table without an ADR. Maybe it is " guests like THIS " that the test is aimed at.

 

[pixarmom]

[GALLERY=]

JSC is actually not going to be participating in ADR... ever. I haven't been to work since Tuesday but as of then, we were accepting TIW. unless something changed from then until now, we definitely accept it and i helped out 2 guests that day with it

[/GALLERY]

I'm one of those who posted earlier, mentioning that we prefer ADRs (in part because I like to plan and in part because the planning is helpful to our youngest son for reasons related to his disabilities.) In any event, we'd still like to give this a try, so I'm guessing the best strategy is to arrive around 11am opening for an early lunch?

 

[cigar95]

Never!

No such thing as "never", all that can really be claimed is "no plans at this time". If someone in the executive office decides that the experiment is not working out as hoped, reservations will start within a week. When or if that happens we can all take our best guess.

 

[kittyab]

Any reviews?

 

[vacationer1954]

I'm having difficulty figuring out who you mean by "guests like us".

Us meaning my family and other families similar to ours.

And why you consider a test at only one restaurant such a big change that you would not only rethink your vacation plans, but sell your DVC points.

I explained that in the message you replied to, my concerns about the feeling I'm getting that Disney is changing toward more focus on younger families.

Something tells me you have bigger problems brewing than waiting for a text message before having your meal at Skipper.

Perhaps that is because I said so in the message you replied to, and in some other messages in the other threads related to the opening of this restaurant.

This is just a test.

If they turn around tomorrow and scrap the whole idea of the place and redress it as a very different restaurant and put it into the ADR system then some of my concerns would be addressed. However, there still are concerns about Be Our Guest and the changeover of Tusker House. Disney is always changing and we can't be surprised when the direction of those changes happen to take it in a direction we don't like.

Personally I think it will fail.

I cannot say that I hope that's true, because I know there are a lot of families who like these kinds of changes, but I won't be disappointed if it is true. As I said earlier, though, I think this is that this is part of a larger and longer trend that doesn't serve my family well.

You are kind of the mirror image of the people who whine because they can't just walk up to any restaurant and get a table without an ADR. Maybe it is " guests like THIS " that the test is aimed at.

I believe that is the case. I believe that Disney is recognizing that more and more families are preferring the flexibility of walkups and that's becoming more important to Disney than having ADRs which folks like us like.

 

[Sparkly]

But you can't have it both ways. People complain about ADRs and being over scheduled, Disney set aside one restaurant for walk-ups, people complain :S

 

[TeresaWen]

A restaurant with such a great menu, no ADRs, and the texting system really appeals to me and my husband. But I do think Disney is missing the mark. A couple traveling without kids may want a glass of wine or beer with the entrees being offered. we enjoyed trying it but will most likely not go back.

 

[MakiraMarlena]

Some of the posters are either "I always want ADRs, I will not eat anywhere that I can't make a reservation" or "I never want ADRs, I want to decide for myself when to eat." Most folks are somewhere in the middle of this. They're seeing how it works to strike a mid point with this restaurant.

 

[piccolopat]

Maybe Disney should consider having ADRs available for only a portion of each restaurant and leaving the rest for walk ups, perhaps a 75/25 split. People that have a need to know they have a place to eat can get the ADRs while the rest can be spontaneous and take their chances. This would also help people that buy a day ticket on arrival and those who aren't in the know about needed reservations at these places.

 

[minnie mum]

Maybe Disney should consider having ADRs available for only a portion of each restaurant and leaving the rest for walk ups, perhaps a 75/25 split. People that have a need to know they have a place to eat can get the ADRs while the rest can be spontaneous and take their chances. This would also help people that buy a day ticket on arrival and those who aren't in the know about needed reservations at these places.

This sounds great for the people who hate making ADRs. But it doesn't make sense from a business standpoint. Having all tables available for advance booking means management can have a much better idea of their staffing and supply needs, avoiding waste.

 

[vacationer1954]

Maybe Disney should consider having ADRs available for only a portion of each restaurant and leaving the rest for walk ups, perhaps a 75/25 split. People that have a need to know they have a place to eat can get the ADRs while the rest can be spontaneous and take their chances. This would also help people that buy a day ticket on arrival and those who aren't in the know about needed reservations at these places.

That would make much more sense as a test if the concern was that some guests want ADRs and others don't. They could even test that idea across all park restaurants or at least at one restaurant at each park. If they want to limit the test to one park then it would make more sense to start at Epcot where there are so many restaurants that a test at one restaurant doesn't have such a big impact. And it would make more sense to run a test like this at an already established restaurant so that have something to compare the test results to.

That's why I don't believe that this is a test but instead is just Disney not being ready to put this hotel into the ADR system yet and not willing to admit that they had a limitation they didn't foresee.

 

[cigar95]

Maybe Disney should consider having ADRs available for only a portion of each restaurant and leaving the rest for walk ups, perhaps a 75/25 split.

The big challenge for such an approach, which sounds great in principle, is that for a popular location or on a busy day, those 25% will go to the folks who are willing to wait in line the longest. Potentially that could end up being the locals with APs whose time is less precious.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

There were reasons for going from priority seating to real reservations. The changes benefited guests like us.

I think what you really mean by "guests like us" is "people who are intimately familiar with Disney and how it works, who go regularly." A significant portion of Disney's visitors are first-time visitors. Some may be one-time visitors. Others may repeat, depending on their experience. Many of these people, even with research, don't truly grok that the 180-day ADR window is what it is, or that Disney doesn't work like many restaurants, even nice ones, in the "real world" that have reservations but also take walk-ups. Others may not be planning on a 6-month timeline, and having more options inside of 180 days is only to the benefit of filling rooms on shorter planning horizons.

This isn't necessarily an issue of "younger families" versus you, but more "new visitors vs. repeat visitors."

Disney has to figure out a way to balance out the needs of the planners, new visitors, old-timers, last-minute getaway-ers, and the broad range of visitors who will keep their resorts filled and their gate revenues strong. Finding a way to have TS options that aren't 6-month reserve-in-advance is almost undoubtedly going to be a part of that.

 

[MakiraMarlena]

How do they have a limitation? It's a restaurant like any other restaurant. they could have reservations starting today if they wanted to. They have reasons for doing this. And WDW still doesn't have real reservations. They just changed the name.

 

[vacationer1954]

I think what you really mean by "guests like us" is "people who are intimately familiar with Disney and how it works, who go regularly."

I think there may be more to it than that. I think as the younger generation in our family starts bringing their children with them to Disney, I don't see them touring the parks the way we did when we bought them with us. They value flexibility much more than we ever did. I think it will be interesting to see if there is a generational shift in the way things like this are offered, cruise Also I think getting older itself makes people more inclined to have firm plans.

they could have reservations starting today if they wanted to. They have reasons for doing this.

We don't know. Maybe not. We've been going to Disney long enough to not make assumptions like that.

 

[MakiraMarlena]

Actually the older I get the more I want to not have things planned out too much. But Disney has figured that nobody likes waiting in line and they want other options. ADR is one option. I still think they are trying out the text notification system with this restaurant. They do have a big issue in that it won't work for international guests.

 

[kittyab]

This may change too. I noticed on MDE, this restaurant is not on the dining plan. I wonder if they will take TIW?

 

[manning]

Maybe Disney should consider having ADRs available for only a portion of each restaurant and leaving the rest for walk ups, perhaps a 75/25 split. People that have a need to know they have a place to eat can get the ADRs while the rest can be spontaneous and take their chances. This would also help people that buy a day ticket on arrival and those who aren't in the know about needed reservations at these places.

Never will happen. Makes too much sense.

 

[mmmears]

This "no ADR" thing seems really weird to me when I think about how Disney is pushing the scheduling of both meals (ADRs) and even the rides themselves (FP+).