Anyone Else Think 180 Days is too Far for Dining Reservations?

[majortom]

3. Discontinue or raise the price of the dining plan. The DP made table service restuarants much better deals thus increasing the demand.

From what I can tell, Disney has made their restaurants individually less profitable (and cost their servers much better tips) while possibly increasing overall profitability. People on the Dining Plan tend not to order expensive bottles of wine or other items not covered by the plan. This hurts servers, and restaurant profitability, but since there are some number of people that pay more than they would (either by not using all their options or by not spending their maximum at each restaurant) that I think it makes them more profitable over all.

I think that Disney changed the ADR date to try to relieve some of the jammed up phone lines. They figured that some people would plan and call at the new six month date but some wouldn't. Theorectically moving the ADR date out will spread out the people making ADRs over three additional months. I'm not sure whether is worked or not.

Shelly

Actually, it is too soon to tell if it was a good idea. There are three measures of how valuable it was.

1. Did the restauants become more profitable?
2. Did it enable them to make more reservations with fewer cast members?
3. Did they increase their occupancy?
4. Did it cut the number of cancellations and changes?

It will take a bit for people to be aware of 180 day reservations and then a bit longer for people to totally adjust their behavior to them. In six months, we will probably know (as long as there are no other changes).

/carmi
P.S. Sorry about all the posts in a row. I am sitting in Glasgow, waiting for my hotel to be ready.

 

[LuluLovesDisney]

I love it!
I've made all my ADR's except for Bistro de Paris (30 days out!!) for August and I am thrilled.
When I told a Disney-loving co-worker about the new 180 days, he replied "Still not long enough!"

 

[DisneyMim]

I too think 180 days is way too much. We've been going to WDW forever and never had to make any dinner ressies before, just made them when we arrived. Most times we would call the day ahead or even that morning. That being said, I think that the dining plan (which we don't use) and the way people plan now has made doing what we always did much harder. We're leaving for WDW this week-end and felt, for the first time, that we had to call in advance. We just called yesterday and got all our requests, including dinner in the castle. I really don't like this. We're the kind that likes to go-with-the-flow, we park hop when we feel like it, etc. I can understand that some people would like to make ressies way in advance, but I think that Disney should hold tables for people like us who don't want to think about where we're going to eat six months ahead. I also believe that there should be some walk up space. I think, with time, this situation will work itself out.

 

[maddhatir]

No chance of us deciding at 180 days where we want to eat - we can barely decide what we want for dinner in real time!



cheers
jasyue

YOU SAID IT!

DH and I are on vacation to relax and not want to plan every meal. as i said before we never know when and where we are going to be- we can all of a sudden decide we want to go to another park---we wake up and that morning we can change our minds a few times about what park we are going to visit!

we dont like the feeling that we HAVE to stay somewhere because its almost time to eat!

but i understand many people have children and when you have kids most of the time you need a plan and have a schedule---

but that messes everything up for us "seat of your pants" people!

 

[mjkaferle5]

I think they should compromise and make it 120. But I have all of my ADR's made so I am happy about the 180 right now.

 

[Octoberbeauty]

You don't have to book room to make ADRs at 180 days. You need to book a room if you want to use the 180 plus 10, but not for 180 days

Shelly

What is the 180 plus 10? I have a room booked. I must knoooow. lol

 

[shellybaxter]

What is the 180 plus 10? I have a room booked. I must knoooow. lol

If you are staying onsite you can make your ADRs for the first day of your trip at the 180 day mark. You can also make your ADRs for the next 10 days as well. You will need to have your room reservation number handy. With 180 plus 10 you don't have to wait and call every day to get what you want, you can just call once

Shelly

 

[princessesrule4]

I am a planner but sometimes we don't even plan our trips 180 days out!!!

 

[huey578]

I am a planner but sometimes we don't even plan our trips 180 days out!!!

I don't think so. But it's just myself and DS so we can plan that far in advance.

 

[MickeyHereWeCome!]

I have mixed feelings about the 180 deal. I am a huge planner, and love to have everything planned well before our trip. I'm going crazy just waiting for our 180 day window, so we can have park hours, make the ressies, and get an agenda.

On the other hand, I do feel very badly for those people who don't do as much research as I, and go to Disney thinking the restaurants are just restaurants...and can be treated like any other place to eat. One would think you could go to one, get on the "wait list" and enjoy your meal at some point. I think it would be very heartbreaking for these folks to find out they can only enjoy a CS meal because all the ressies were taken 180 days ago.

For our first trip, in '02, we didn't make any ressies ahead of time. I did scheduel Chef Mickey once we got down to WDW, and was able to get it with no problem. In '04, we did make the princess meal ressie early, but didn't make any others. I called about 3 weeks early for Chef Mickey, and the best I could do any day was 8 o'clock. Luckily, we were able to get some others as walk-ups. From what I've heard, that isn't always an option.

I do feel that Disney should leave some openings for those people who would like to wait until they get there.

 

[LoraJ]

I think 90 days is too much, so yes, 180 is even worse.


We usually go when it isn't hard to get an ADR for that night or the next.

 

[disgram]

I am neither for or against the 180. This trip, however, it seemed like a good thing. We are going with "newbies" and have talked alot about the food that we have devoured!! So the first thing that they wanted to do was pick the resturants to eat at. Almost before we picked the resort!! I have let them have quite a bit of input in planning this trip. I had them give me a "wish list" of the parks and I just realized that their choices are based on the resturants in the parks!!!! We just made our ADRs and used the 180 days plus 10. For them (and me too) it has made the trip more of a reality and is keeping the excitement going!

 

[cinmell]

The 180 days didn't work for us for this trip with CRT (surprise surprise). We usually book our vacations 12-13 months in advance so 180 days wouldn't have been too much of a problem, at least we would have been able to try for CRT. But, we only planned this trip a couple of weeks ago for May so of course CRT breakfast is all sold out for all of our days. If it was still 60, I at least would have had a shot. The CM's keep suggesting the lunch but we don't like the food choices on the menu for lunch.

 

[ennisb]

I don't see it as a big problem and to be honest no matter what Disney makes it somebody will have an issue. In 1983 it was same day and it was a rush to get to Epcot to book a dinner, 120 day's some will say is to long. At both 180 and less than 90 I have gotten what we needed for a trip.

 

[majortom]

I don't think so. But it's just myself and DS so we can plan that far in advance.

Do you plan all your vacations to that level of detail six months out?

I am in Glasgow this week I realized that I was going to be here in the middle of last week.

My place in FL is 11 minutes from the Cast Entrance to the Magic Kingdom. Know that there are rarely reservations to be had same day or one day out means that either I go in and see what happens or go to one of the restaurants in town where I am enough of a regular that I do not need reservations.

/carmi

 

[Stitchfans]

IMO I like the 180 days. Wouldn't mind and would use it if they had it even farther out. Having to wait is killing me. I love all the planning and hate the waiting.

 

[Octoberbeauty]

If you are staying onsite you can make your ADRs for the first day of your trip at the 180 day mark. You can also make your ADRs for the next 10 days as well. You will need to have your room reservation number handy. With 180 plus 10 you don't have to wait and call every day to get what you want, you can just call once

Shelly

ahhh, Thank you! Makes sense now.

 

[cinmell]

The 180 days didn't work for us for this trip with CRT (surprise surprise). We usually book our vacations 12-13 months in advance so 180 days wouldn't have been too much of a problem, at least we would have been able to try for CRT. But, we only planned this trip a couple of weeks ago for May so of course CRT breakfast is all sold out for all of our days. If it was still 60, I at least would have had a shot. The CM's keep suggesting the lunch but we don't like the food choices on the menu for lunch.

Well, after calling several times a day for the past couple of weeks, I was able to book a table for 2 at CRT for breakfast for our second morning at WDW!! My daughter and I will be going at 8:05 and my husband will get to sleep in since they only had a table for 2. She is very excited.

I called yesterday morning and afternoon and there was nothing. But I called last night and I was shocked when the CM said yes I have one table at 8:05 for 2. I said at the castle? She said yes. I asked the date again and she said yes. I said, ok, I'd love to book it please and she said I already snagged if for you, I just need your name, etc. Boy, did we luck out!

 

[iankh]

Ilearned yesterday when I wrapped up making our booking for this coming December that reservations could now be made 180 days in advance. That mean planning in June where we will be eating in December.

Seems a bit odd to me.

The people I'm travelling with will think I'm crazy if in June I start asking them where they want to eat on what day in 6 months time. I think that 90 days was quite reasonable (although the reaction had always been, "How should I know where I want to eat 3 months from now? I don't know where I'm eating today!")

 

[majortom]

"How should I know where I want to eat 3 months from now? I don't know where I'm eating today!")

This is what I am trying to understand. How many of you that make your reservations 180 days out do that for any other vacation or set of meal? What makes you like doing that for Disney but no where else?

/carmi