BE PREPARED MAKE YOU P.S's ...DON'T count ON WALK-UPS

[ceecee]

My inlaws refuse to make any PSs for Sept. They live down there and meet us for three or four days. They always mess up my PSs. This year they won't even decide what park on what day until they get there. I told them we need to decide. Of course, last year they made a PS for CRT breakfast the day before!!!!!!!!! Like it was no big deal.

 

[lisatradingspaces]

 

[lillygator]

My family used to make fun of me as well....until we did a wing it whisk away weekend with no PS....equaled no dinners!

 

[Atotty]

Those of us who are deaf and hard of hearing don't get the schedule for interpreting until the week before we leave for the parks. No way to do PS for us way in advance. So do we set up PS and then hope we can see the shows we want or not set up PS and have to eat CS all teh time and not get to enjoy a sit down meal.

That's tough. Without the interpreting show schedule you really don't know when to make your PS. What about arranging PS for dinners for later sittings? Does that work?

 

[Atotty]

My family used to make fun of me as well....until we did a wing it whisk away weekend with no PS....equaled no dinners!

I have a friend who is like that. She is the nicest woman and would do anything for you. But she thinks I'm a little ridiculous planning our trip ahead of time. She hates Disney because she doesn't plan and ends up waiting in lines, misunderstanding the rides (she thought BTMR was a little train ride...not a roller coaster), etc.

She's currently at WDW at a spur of the moment basketball tournament. I offered to help her, but she got real defensive. Then started telling me to be careful about going to MNSSHP when I told her we had tickets because she knows someone who tried to go and couldn't get in....because they closed the park. (Of course they closed the park...it's a private party )

The other people on the team are first timers. I feel sorry for them; I bet they didn't get any character meals.

 

[Talking Hands]

Yes as long as the parks are open late. I am thinking of Crystal Palace after the interpreting and before SpectroMAgic which I haven't seen in ages.

 

[mking624]

If you really have your heart set on eating somewhere in specific, definitely make a PS ahead of time!!! This is especially true for the more popular places, such as Chef Mickey's. Last year was the first time my DH & I maded a PS for ANY place, but then, we're the type of people where if we don't get in, we don't really care because we're not expecting it anyway. But we did really want to go to a couple of places last year and we made sure we booked it. Found out when we got there that they weren't busy enough for it to really matter (we went in June), BUT we also know not to depend on the "winging it." I would have rather had my PS to guarantee we'd be eating there rather than just winging it. It's one thing if we were still in the "we'll just try to see if we can get in, and if not, no biggie" mode, but last year we did really want to eat at these places. Same with this year. We booked Boma & Chef Mickey's...we really want to eat there. As I said, if you have your heart set on a place (especially a more popular place or character dining), book ahead of time!

 

[bjakmom]

We had a lunch PS at SciFi on Sat June 10 - not only were they turning away all lunchtime walk-ups - they were saying that they would take reservations only until closing that night because they were booked solid with PSs. Now I know that it was a SWW, but I have never had a trip where I couldn't wait for a table at SciFi ! I can start calling tomorrow for Oct and the fam thinks I'm crazy for asking them now where they want to eat !

 

[buzzmom3]

My husband thinks I"m crazy, too. We go in September and haven't had trouble getting a table anywhere but with the free dining I'm not taking any chances. So I've planned all our TS and made AR's and I'm glad I did. Alot of the CM's I've talked to have said the tables are filling up!

 

[BibbidyBobbidyBoo]

Even without the free dining we noticed at several restaurants that people were being turned away (some after waiting in a long long line- like at Chef Mickey's) if they didn't already have PS's. Now with free dining- I imagine it's even more booked solid at more restaurants!

I still laugh at how naive we were (and lucky for once!) to get the princess breakfast at Akershus on our very first trip (before I even knew about this board). It was a spur of the moment CHRISTMAS trip- yes, I said during Christmas.. and we just read about the princess breakfast in the dining literature we were given and we just walked over there early in the morning. Honestly I looked at her like she was talking a different language (I was confused) when she asked when our PS was and our name. We got seated after about 30min waiting! I had no idea at the time how lucky we were... LOL

 

[aubriee]

It makes you wonder how the people who don't do their research handle it down there. In January while we were waiting to check in at CRT there was a young couple with two small girls just in front of us. The young father seemed to be really proud of himself that he had found out just the night before that you could eat inside the castle with the Princesses. He was really loud and boistrous. Anyway, before I could ask him how he had gotten PS on such quick notice, it was his turn at the podium. I (and everyone close to us) heard him loudly say that he wanted a table by the window looking out over the park please. The CM asked his name and then told him he wasn't on the list and asked for his PS#. The poor guy gave him a blank look and said he didn't have one, but would wait for a table by the window, or even a booth if he had to. The CM of course, told him that wasn't possible and that reservations are made 90 days in advance. The poor guy was like 'you're kidding, I just found out about it last night'. He then said it didn't matter they would just wait for any table, even though they really wanted one by the window. He just couldn't seem to grasp the concept that there was no way they were going to be eating in the castle at all that day. If he hadn't been so loud, cocky, and arrogant about it, it probably wouldn't have seemed so funny. It was really sad though: the look of joy in his face for providing this special treat for his daughters, then the look on all their faces when they finally realized it wasn't going to happen. The only thing that was funny was the idea of how many of us had gotten up by 7:00am Floridian time 90 days earlier to make those phone calls and then to have him just stroll up to the podium and expect to be able to request not only to eat in with the Princesses, but to request a certain table location. He looked so embarrassed and the little girls so upset as they walked off. But at least he wasn't rude. I felt so sorry for them and their lack of knowledge.

In May I was waiting in line at the podium at Mama Melrose and a few people ahead of me was a couple who were demanding to be allowed to wait for a table. They had already been told that Mama Melrose was not taking walkups that night. I guess they thought the louder they got, the better the chance would be for the CM to give in to them. He didn't however and continued to explain they were not taking walkups. The couple (both the man and the woman) continued to harrass the poor CM refusing to move away from the podium. Finally a man behind me asked, 'What part of no aren't you getting buddy? You should have made PS 90 days ago like the rest of us. Now move, you're holding up the line.' The poor CM finally told them to please leave or he would call security. They demanded to speak to his manager, at which point somebody had apparently already called the manager, because he came out and again explained that the restaraunt was booked solid with PS and there was no way to serve them. The man finally yelled 'Are you telling me all these people made a reservation three months ago?' at which point almost everyone in line yelled 'YES!'. They finally walked out, but were saying 'this is ridiculous' and 'I've never heard of this '.

I'm taking my son and D-I-L in Sept and she just can't seem to understand why PS are important and really just wants to 'wing it'. She went to WDW with her family 17 years ago when she was 6 y/o and says they had no trouble then finding a place to eat .

 

[Acklander]

we make the AR for the restaurants that are important to us, and wing it for the rest. If everything is full up, we go to the Trails end buffet. For some reason, no matter how busy Disney is, we're able to get in there. Has anyone else noticed a restaurant that you're usually able to get into at the last minute? If so, list them here!!!!!

 

[Laugh O. Grams]

IMO, this is one of the joys of visiting Walt Disney World during the value season, along with thin crowds, short attraction wait times, and great resort discounts. You rarely need a PS, and if you think you might, you can call a day or two before and get one. We never, ever go to WDW during the busy seasons.

 

[n2mm]

It makes you wonder how the people who don't do their research handle it down there. In January while we were waiting to check in at CRT there was a young couple with two small girls just in front of us. The young father seemed to be really proud of himself that he had found out just the night before that you could eat inside the castle with the Princesses. He was really loud and boistrous. Anyway, before I could ask him how he had gotten PS on such quick notice, it was his turn at the podium. I (and everyone close to us) heard him loudly say that he wanted a table by the window looking out over the park please. The CM asked his name and then told him he wasn't on the list and asked for his PS#. The poor guy gave him a blank look and said he didn't have one, but would wait for a table by the window, or even a booth if he had to. The CM of course, told him that wasn't possible and that reservations are made 90 days in advance. The poor guy was like 'you're kidding, I just found out about it last night'. He then said it didn't matter they would just wait for any table, even though they really wanted one by the window. He just couldn't seem to grasp the concept that there was no way they were going to be eating in the castle at all that day. If he hadn't been so loud, cocky, and arrogant about it, it probably wouldn't have seemed so funny. It was really sad though: the look of joy in his face for providing this special treat for his daughters, then the look on all their faces when they finally realized it wasn't going to happen. The only thing that was funny was the idea of how many of us had gotten up by 7:00am Floridian time 90 days earlier to make those phone calls and then to have him just stroll up to the podium and expect to be able to request not only to eat in with the Princesses, but to request a certain table location. He looked so embarrassed and the little girls so upset as they walked off. But at least he wasn't rude. I felt so sorry for them and their lack of knowledge.

In May I was waiting in line at the podium at Mama Melrose and a few people ahead of me was a couple who were demanding to be allowed to wait for a table. They had already been told that Mama Melrose was not taking walkups that night. I guess they thought the louder they got, the better the chance would be for the CM to give in to them. He didn't however and continued to explain they were not taking walkups. The couple (both the man and the woman) continued to harrass the poor CM refusing to move away from the podium. Finally a man behind me asked, 'What part of no aren't you getting buddy? You should have made PS 90 days ago like the rest of us. Now move, you're holding up the line.' The poor CM finally told them to please leave or he would call security. They demanded to speak to his manager, at which point somebody had apparently already called the manager, because he came out and again explained that the restaraunt was booked solid with PS and there was no way to serve them. The man finally yelled 'Are you telling me all these people made a reservation three months ago?' at which point almost everyone in line yelled 'YES!'. They finally walked out, but were saying 'this is ridiculous' and 'I've never heard of this '.

I'm taking my son and D-I-L in Sept and she just can't seem to understand why PS are important and really just wants to 'wing it'. She went to WDW with her family 17 years ago when she was 6 y/o and says they had no trouble then finding a place to eat .

Thanks! I have seen this played out MANY times. Times ARE changing and people need to throw those planning books away! I watched a woman scream at the CMs at the Plaza one night because they were getting ready to close and she had NO place to eat....everything was filled. She pointed at us as we had just been seated at the last seating of the evening. Her tantrum got her nowhere except the Plaza pavilion. We go to WDW 5-6 times a year. More and more peope know about PS/ADR and are using them, which is filling up the restraurants. But I am amazed at the folks who don't have them prior to getting to the parks, or don't go to GS and make them when entering the parks. Yes, we even make them first thing in the AM before leaving our resort, which is sometimes possible too. The planning books are so outdated and misleading. I had a lady standing next to me at the openning of MK in May and she demanded to know why they would not let her in at 8:45AM, because the "book" says that's what time they let you in on mainstreet. I told her she had to wait for the character train to arrive at 8:55AM and the park will open at 9:00AM. She was amazed that the book was wrong. We talked and I told her, by the time the books are sent to press, they are usually outdated. I have all of my July PS done and all of my September PS done. Now I have to start thinking about my October and December trips...!

 

[Cinders Mum]

we also always PS our "must do" restaurants, but it is going to take some major rethinking of our vacation planning to do all our PS's before we arrive in resort..... I cannot get my head around having no flexibility in my plans for 23 days!!!! I don't know if I'll really want to eat at Sci-Fi on X day maybe that day I'd rather be in Epcot..... too structured for me right now, a big part of our holiday is not working to a timescale and schedule!!! (that's what the other 48 weeks of the year are for)

Val
xx

 

[nluvwithmickey]

I have to admit that although we didn't eat at many TS restaurants prior to the dining plan and mostly traveling in JUly, we usually made our PS'S on the morning of .....With the exception of FDP. We never had any problems walking up on the very morning to the podium to make our PS for later on in the day.


But this has all changed and I adapted to change, I expected this to happen and all my ADR'S are set for my July trip. I will keep an eye out for people being turned away.....I bet there's going to be many of them.

I just think that all TA'a should HIGHLY reccommend their clients to get these done. Especially for the first timers on the dining plan going during the busy months. I expect that there will be many dissapointed people that return from their 1st WDW trip because of this.

 

[mommykds]

I remember the last time we were at LTT. It was early Dec technically not a crowded time but LTT was packed with people waiting. We had a ps for around 5 & there was a few minutes wait even with the ps. Anyway, this older gentleman walks up with a group & asks to be seated. The CM tells him they were not taking walk ups. He became so mad, yelling & carrying on. He waved his hands around (pointin at us waiting with ps) & said "you have to know where you want to eat 90 days ago? Do you think people really do that"..He was so mad no one of us waiting spoke up but we were like "yes!".

The CM was polite but insisted..manager was called & he told the guy the same thing. He left LTT in a rage for everyone outside to hear. My kids were younger at the time & couldn't figure out what was going on..I was just glad when we got to our seat...

This Oct I have planned (& planned) our ps/adr's out very carefully. I do them based on what park we will be at for the day & it has worked out fine. I would not go without a ps since we have 3 kids & do not want to hassle with trying to find somewhere to eat when they are tired & hungry.

 

[Luv2Roam]

Whenever we have eaten at Kona Cafe there has always been a huge crowd waiting for OHana's. I know 1.5 hour waits are not uncommon. I have overherd guests who are stay at the Poly to go to Ohana's, get their name on the list, get the beeper and return to their room until nearer the time for seating.
Being turned away as a walk up is not uncommon either.
Even getting to the podium looks to take several minutes.

I don't think I have read this here yet -- but my understanding is Nine Dragons has a different seating arrangement now. They seat by the table, not by how many in the party.
I am only guessing that they are filling in the long tables in the center, rather than leaving a lot of wasted (empty) table space between diners.
More of the European style seating and dining I would guess.

 

[mking624]

It makes you wonder how the people who don't do their research handle it down there. In January while we were waiting to check in at CRT there was a young couple with two small girls just in front of us. The young father seemed to be really proud of himself that he had found out just the night before that you could eat inside the castle with the Princesses. He was really loud and boistrous. Anyway, before I could ask him how he had gotten PS on such quick notice, it was his turn at the podium. I (and everyone close to us) heard him loudly say that he wanted a table by the window looking out over the park please. The CM asked his name and then told him he wasn't on the list and asked for his PS#. The poor guy gave him a blank look and said he didn't have one, but would wait for a table by the window, or even a booth if he had to. The CM of course, told him that wasn't possible and that reservations are made 90 days in advance. The poor guy was like 'you're kidding, I just found out about it last night'. He then said it didn't matter they would just wait for any table, even though they really wanted one by the window. He just couldn't seem to grasp the concept that there was no way they were going to be eating in the castle at all that day. If he hadn't been so loud, cocky, and arrogant about it, it probably wouldn't have seemed so funny. It was really sad though: the look of joy in his face for providing this special treat for his daughters, then the look on all their faces when they finally realized it wasn't going to happen. The only thing that was funny was the idea of how many of us had gotten up by 7:00am Floridian time 90 days earlier to make those phone calls and then to have him just stroll up to the podium and expect to be able to request not only to eat in with the Princesses, but to request a certain table location. He looked so embarrassed and the little girls so upset as they walked off. But at least he wasn't rude. I felt so sorry for them and their lack of knowledge.

In May I was waiting in line at the podium at Mama Melrose and a few people ahead of me was a couple who were demanding to be allowed to wait for a table. They had already been told that Mama Melrose was not taking walkups that night. I guess they thought the louder they got, the better the chance would be for the CM to give in to them. He didn't however and continued to explain they were not taking walkups. The couple (both the man and the woman) continued to harrass the poor CM refusing to move away from the podium. Finally a man behind me asked, 'What part of no aren't you getting buddy? You should have made PS 90 days ago like the rest of us. Now move, you're holding up the line.' The poor CM finally told them to please leave or he would call security. They demanded to speak to his manager, at which point somebody had apparently already called the manager, because he came out and again explained that the restaraunt was booked solid with PS and there was no way to serve them. The man finally yelled 'Are you telling me all these people made a reservation three months ago?' at which point almost everyone in line yelled 'YES!'. They finally walked out, but were saying 'this is ridiculous' and 'I've never heard of this '.

I'm taking my son and D-I-L in Sept and she just can't seem to understand why PS are important and really just wants to 'wing it'. She went to WDW with her family 17 years ago when she was 6 y/o and says they had no trouble then finding a place to eat .

Thanks for pointing all this out. We've done the "winging it" several times and had been lucky enough to grab a spot, but even if they weren't taking walkups, we had no problem with getting counter service instead. We know that if we don't make a PS, then we shouldn't *expect* to get a seat. We will make a PS if we have our hearts set on eating somewhere in specific so that way we're guaranteed a spot. If we don't get a PS and we don't get a seat, it's counter service for us...and that doesn't bother us (since we mostly eat counter service anyway...one more counter service meal won't kill us). I wish more people were like that. I can understand that many first-timers really aren't aware of how important a PS is (or evenknow about a PS at all). I know when my DH & I went on our honeymoon, we had no clue about PS until we got to the resort and we asked about the Princess breakfast. We were then informed about what a PS is all about, etc...we said ok and moved on. It was great information for the next time we traveled. If people don't know about the PS thing, that's fine....but instead of getting angry about it, I wish they'd just take it in stride and say "well now we know for next time!" It's just not worth getting all upset about.

 

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

It makes you wonder how the people who don't do their research handle it down there. In January while we were waiting to check in at CRT there was a young couple with two small girls just in front of us. The young father seemed to be really proud of himself that he had found out just the night before that you could eat inside the castle with the Princesses. He was really loud and boistrous. Anyway, before I could ask him how he had gotten PS on such quick notice, it was his turn at the podium. I (and everyone close to us) heard him loudly say that he wanted a table by the window looking out over the park please. The CM asked his name and then told him he wasn't on the list and asked for his PS#. The poor guy gave him a blank look and said he didn't have one, but would wait for a table by the window, or even a booth if he had to. The CM of course, told him that wasn't possible and that reservations are made 90 days in advance. The poor guy was like 'you're kidding, I just found out about it last night'. He then said it didn't matter they would just wait for any table, even though they really wanted one by the window. He just couldn't seem to grasp the concept that there was no way they were going to be eating in the castle at all that day. If he hadn't been so loud, cocky, and arrogant about it, it probably wouldn't have seemed so funny. It was really sad though: the look of joy in his face for providing this special treat for his daughters, then the look on all their faces when they finally realized it wasn't going to happen. The only thing that was funny was the idea of how many of us had gotten up by 7:00am Floridian time 90 days earlier to make those phone calls and then to have him just stroll up to the podium and expect to be able to request not only to eat in with the Princesses, but to request a certain table location. He looked so embarrassed and the little girls so upset as they walked off. But at least he wasn't rude. I felt so sorry for them and their lack of knowledge.

In May I was waiting in line at the podium at Mama Melrose and a few people ahead of me was a couple who were demanding to be allowed to wait for a table. They had already been told that Mama Melrose was not taking walkups that night. I guess they thought the louder they got, the better the chance would be for the CM to give in to them. He didn't however and continued to explain they were not taking walkups. The couple (both the man and the woman) continued to harrass the poor CM refusing to move away from the podium. Finally a man behind me asked, 'What part of no aren't you getting buddy? You should have made PS 90 days ago like the rest of us. Now move, you're holding up the line.' The poor CM finally told them to please leave or he would call security. They demanded to speak to his manager, at which point somebody had apparently already called the manager, because he came out and again explained that the restaraunt was booked solid with PS and there was no way to serve them. The man finally yelled 'Are you telling me all these people made a reservation three months ago?' at which point almost everyone in line yelled 'YES!'. They finally walked out, but were saying 'this is ridiculous' and 'I've never heard of this '.

I'm taking my son and D-I-L in Sept and she just can't seem to understand why PS are important and really just wants to 'wing it'. She went to WDW with her family 17 years ago when she was 6 y/o and says they had no trouble then finding a place to eat .

The DIL just doesn't get that times have changed.
1. They didn't have anything in the way of popular character meals like they do now, at least at DL they didn't.
2. Americans eat out and eat out at sit downs in far greater numbers and far greater frequency than they used to.

My eyes were opened today when I got in right away, waited 45 minutes past the thingy that says CRT is now booked untill I finally was able to make a Chef Mickey's ressie (it's what I was after today) but my chosen time was already gone.

I got 10 minutes earlier instead.

the nice guy on the top, I sort of feel sorry forst discovered it, that you can actually eat in the castle. It sounds like his boasting was born out of the overjoy he felt in discovering you can eat in the castle. The beligerant couple at the bottom, I'm LMAO @. Good for everyone in line. Until these types get called on it, they'll try to bully their way past everything. Of course the they didn't know the rules. Why bother to look. The rules don't apply to them.... Or so they thought.