ADR question/complaint...

[diserwannabe]

I hate to even post this b/c I know I will be eaten alive, lol.

I have read a few times on here how some people have ADR's but then if they are too tired, they just cancel them. I have 2 lo's so I know how the day doesn't always go as "planned". I just feel like it is such a waste tho. I mean, some people try to get ADR's and are denied...who can actually take advantage of those "last minute" cancelled ones??

I am wondering if this is part of the reason for the many empty tables in POPULAR restaurants?

I too have had to cancel an ADR here and there. I am just wondering if this new EXCHANGE a TS for a CS is going to free up a lot of tables in some of the restaurants I have TRIED to get into? Do you think "walk ups" will have better luck now?

Sorry so many questions...we leave tomorrow and if I can get a walk up for a TS at the time I want, I will be ecstatic. I just have a funny feeling that people are going to say "forget the TS ressie we have, let's just grab a burger" and more of the restaurants will have open tables for me

 

[Microcell]

I see your logic.. and wishing the best luck for you!

Stupid Hanna might get you what you want too...

 

[RMulieri]

Always possible...But people taking advantage of free dining do not like to relinquish their free dining credits so most people try and get to their adrs.

 

[teachvicts]

Good luck to you! It seems that last minute walk ups would be able to get a seat due to cancellations - some people just don't want to stop their fun long enough to eat so they cancel or don't show up. I hope it works for you

 

[septbaby]

Many will call when they realize they're ready to eat, if you've opened a table then they may get slotted for the seat. We canceled an ADR last yr and had CS instead. We had overbooked by 2 TS meals, so it didn't impact our DP credits; we still had plenty of CS credits available as we shared just about every CS meal, including the substituted meal.

We made no attepmts to book TS meals on site. Thanks to my new friends on DIS we kept trying for those we wanted before arriving and got them. The character meal we canceled was a bonus, it didn't kill our trip to give it up. I think if you try and get an ADR on site, it could make your trip and why not be on the other end of spreading that magic?

 

[leanan]

I have a feeling for this exact reason Disney overbooks ADRs.

 

[paulh]

last week tried and tried to get an adr for captins grill.at 8.30pm they take walk ups,table for ten waited 10min
alays ask when they start taking walk ups you might get luckey
Paulh

 

[Zombierella]

I'm one of those that did not use their ADR's last week. We were unable to call to cancel the first one due to not realizing what time it was when we missed it...(5:05 at Park Fare on the 24th) but were able to walk in at 7-ish. We canceled the rest but the next 2 nights we were able to get into Boma and Ohana at 6 and 5-ish respectively with about a 20 minute wait. After that we decided no more TS's when it took too much time out of our schedule and it was getting stressful going with our youngest at 22 months. Our other 2 kids are 4 1/2 and 6 and did not mind.

I personally think we did better doing the walk ups. Also I think Disney should do away with the reservations as well.

 

[sandycarroll]

I haven't been to Disney as the adult, only as the kid, so now the planning is up to me.

Can anyone tell me what the typical wait time is for ADR? In other words, if we had a 10:30 ADR, what time do we have to be there? Also, how long do we usually wait for a table? Are they good at estimating wait time at that point? If it is long, can one adult take the kids for a quick walk while another adult waits?

It would be hard for me with kids to feel like we hanging out for a long time to wait, and then having a TS meal. The kids might go stir crazy!


Thanks for any help!

 

[KPLC]

We were in Disney last week and we NEVER waited for any of our tables for our ADR'S for more that 5 minutes. We were early for most of them and were seated within 5 minutes.

 

[chasinglibras]

Its good to hear that people are getting in doing walk-ups. We're still trying to get a few ADRs for our trip in December and can't get in at all for Park Fare or Ohana's (which is too bad since we're staying at the Poly!) But now that gives me hope that we might still be able to get in.

 

[pistachio]

Stopped in here hoping to find that info. We are also going in December and at the request of a relative meeting us there, we tried to get a time for dinner at Ohana's but no luck and wondered if there was any chance of just walking up.

 

[kaytieeldr]

The instructions for Disney dining reservations are: Arrive five to ten minutes prior to your reservation time; you will be seated at the next available table for your party size at or after your reservation time, and after others with similar reservation times who checked in prior to you.

 

[jcemom]

Also I think Disney should do away with the reservations as well.

Ack! LOL.

If Disney didn't take ADRs they'd lose plenty of money from me. If I can't be assured of getting into a restaurant then I'm certainly not taking time out of my day to go there. Inside the parks it's different, only takes a few minutes to walk up and ask if there's availability, but there's no way I'd travel to different resorts just to find out if they could seat me. We'd just do CS.

 

[mrsltg]

I have a feeling for this exact reason Disney overbooks ADRs.

They do. I actually had a CM tell me a restaurant I was looking for was overbooked for a particular day.

 

[Ggatorgirl]

We were there 8/26 thru 8/31.
Crystal Palace 8/27. 12:55 ADR, arrived about 12:40 had a 30 minute wait, we weren't seated til almost 1:15
Le Cellier 8/29. 2:20 ADR, arrived about 2:10, weren't seated until 2:50...40 minute wait!!!
Tusker House 8/30 12:10 ADR, arrived at 12, seated immediately
Chef Mickey 8/31 10:35 ADR arrived about 10:15, seated by 10:30.

So very mixed responses on days that we pretty light on crowds, the earlier the ADR the closer we were to getting seated on time.

 

[CRZY4DIS]

The instructions for Disney dining reservations are: Arrive five to ten minutes prior to your reservation time; you will be seated at the next available table for your party size at or after your reservation time, and after others with similar reservation times who checked in prior to you.

Even if you do show up 20 minutes early, and mention you can break up the party to be seated faster -- it still doesn't work when there is free dining everywhere. And if a party has a reservation time after you that has less people -- they are seated first -- it happened to our family.