An observation on reservations

[photobob]

While at WDW June 24-29 I noticed how much harder it is to walk in at restaurants. I don't do ADR's. My MO is to go to any given restaurant right at the time they open for lunch or shortly before, always worked. I got in but noticed many more not getting in. I arrived at 10:55 am to 50's PTC and asked for a table for six, the CM said the first opening is 9:20 pm. I asked if they were taking walk ins, she said she didn't know. She took my name down and I was seated about 5 minutes later. The restaurant honestly was half empty when we left and I heard a family get the same 9:20 pm talk I had gotten and they walked out. The restaurant was half empty with no one in the waiting area and they sent the family away. I understand if your are booked solid why you can't get into a restaurant, but when there are many, many tables empty why were they sending people away? Having it on your reservation book how many people are coming and how many actually come are two different things. Seems a little common sense was in order.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Probably Disney has done more studying of Guest dining patterns and reservations than any of us ever will.

Keep in mind, a large in any restaurant's capacity includes what the kitchen can handle during a given period.

 

[a1tinkfans]

I'm a bit confused here. Did I read this right?
You walked in at 11am and was told no opening till 9:20pm..... and then they told you to wait and took your name??.... and then sat your party of 6 in 5 minutes??
I have heard it is much harder to get in without an ADR and experienced it first hand @ last years visit. While I also don't really understand the tight ADR's and retaurants not taking walking ins, it seems that Disney must have this figured out SOMEHOW!!
All I know is, we go ADR's all the way thru the vacations now........

 

[photobob]

You read correctly, they told me that they were booked until after 9 pm and took down my name and we were seated with in 5 minutes.

 

[simonkodousek]

Well, no matter what, I'll always be making ADR's just in case!

 

[digman6]

I thnk I have a reason why this may of happened.... there may of been either ADRs that did not show up , like a large group OR they have things coming in soon and can not use the table unitl they know if it is open for a walk in.

I often got this from people when we owned a restuarant that was packed all the time . they see tables open but customers don't realize that its open BUT someone may be sitting there soon and they can not turn the table fast enough to sit you and the person with the ADR .

large groups take longer to turn then small ones. Those people who came in probably could not get in until that late 9:20 pm time they took there name and if another table would of not shown up they would of more then likely sat them.

 

[Colleen27]

I thnk I have a reason why this may of happened.... there may of been either ADRs that did not show up , like a large group OR they have things coming in soon and can not use the table unitl they know if it is open for a walk in.

I often got this from people when we owned a restuarant that was packed all the time . they see tables open but customers don't realize that its open BUT someone may be sitting there soon and they can not turn the table fast enough to sit you and the person with the ADR .

large groups take longer to turn then small ones. Those people who came in probably could not get in until that late 9:20 pm time they took there name and if another table would of not shown up they would of more then likely sat them.

That makes sense, if we were talking about any other place in the world. But that doesn't fit with the way Disney defines an ADR - it isn't a reservation that guarantees a table at a given time, like you'd get anywhere else. It is just a "front of the line" pass that gives you the first table for your party size that becomes available after your ADR check in.

The only explanation I could see for a half empty restaurant turning away walk-ins is lack of staffing to operate at capacity. Especially someplace like 50s PTC, where interaction with the staff is an essential part of the package, because it would be difficult for waitstaff to cover extra tables without detracting from the guests' experience. Seating those walk-ins could mean having too many tables for the available staff when the ADR guests start coming in.

But then again, it is possible that the family might have been seated, if they'd had the persistance of the original poster.

 

[septbaby]

Next time that could be you they turn away. I could see if it was just me and a buddy/spouse, but with a party size of 6 seems a risky strategy. Hopefully it worked well enough for you.

I have a party of 3 including a 5yo and we have one ADR per day. Our meals are just as interesting as the attractions and we will get the things we want (Narcoossee's night time views, aquarium at Coral Reef, CM character meal, BOMA experience and Fantasmic package dinner). With the DDP it would really be an unnecessary risk not to book ADRs. It would be ashame to have TS credits go unused or used at places you really did not want to eat, but would be the only thing left.

 

[photobob]

I've never made an ADR and I've not been sent away yet. The get there when they open strategy has worked for me for the past five years with a group of six being the smallest we usually have. I even got into Le Cellier last week with this plan. That being said I walked in at Le Cellier at 11:10 and they opened at 11:30 and I was one of only a handful of walkins that got a table. By 11:25 they were telling other walkins "no."

 

[digman6]

I can tell you that you got lucky more then likely with getting sat.

Some friends of mine took there 3 kids to Disney and DID NOT make any ADRs! I thought they knew better silly me to not ask them!

Any how, they did not eat 1 TS meal when at WDW! They were always full where ever they went. they spent the entire trip on Counter meals and , made 2 trips to Walmart to get food to eat and take with them in the park- PBJ and things like that!

She said trip that was the only terrible part, no charceter meals, no nothing . Burgers and fries for 10 days!

This was just last year! So while you got lucky that time I would not suggest you do that all the time to ensure a good meal.

 

[a1tinkfans]

You read correctly, they told me that they were booked until after 9 pm and took down my name and we were seated with in 5 minutes.

WOW, Will you buy me a lottery ticket??? LOL

 

[Snow_White]

I've never made an ADR and I've not been sent away yet. The get there when they open strategy has worked for me for the past five years with a group of six being the smallest we usually have. I even got into Le Cellier last week with this plan. That being said I walked in at Le Cellier at 11:10 and they opened at 11:30 and I was one of only a handful of walkins that got a table. By 11:25 they were telling other walkins "no."

Yeah but who wants to eat at 11:30 or 11? Not many people. Sounds like you made your trip unnecessarily stressful. Odd. ADRs all the way for me. I prefer eating my meals at convenient times.

Edited to add: Just because there are empty tables does not mean there are servers working them. Also, in most restaurants the kitchen staff contains different amounts of workers depending on the time of day. Empty tables does not = available tables.