Can we discuss how frustrating the new ADR system can be?

[ccfmioa]

One major advantage to having 180 days out for Disney is it allows them to plan staffing for those days. If they can know 180-90 days out of a full booking, they know they must schedule at 100+% staffing. Allowing for call-offs or illness.

A short staffed resturant will always be poor service, and noone is happy then.

180 + 10 also allows for reservation agents to not be bombarded with call volume. Many people are not planned at 180 days so they fall at a disadvantage to those who have.

I have been on the loosing end of a full Disney TS resturant. I went to enjoy 50's prime time, on a whim trip, woke up that morning and headed for the parks. Only to find out you can't just walk up to a resturant in Disney with much luck. After sitting and waiting for over an hour, I packed it up and headed over to the commisary and ran to fantasmic.

Lets just wait and see what the official policy is going to be once they get the systems running. And announce the changes for 09.

 

[Bobump]

Bring back THE KISOKS in the parks !!!!

Who remembers getting reservations where the Glass Stand is outside of Germany. Remember you used to get a reservationist on the TV screen ???

Or you went to customer relations to book a reservation ???

 

[MJ6987]

I e mailed Disney yesterday (via the website) to ask when I could make my ADR's for Feb 09, and they e mailed back saying 180 days, so has the change to 90 days been delayed or cancelled?

 

[Hugpug]

IMHO they need to stop this free dining. All these problems started when they introduced the free dining packages not the 180 day window. I love the 180 window. If I know I can't make an ADR I call and cancel.

 

[MollyMoo]

Bring back THE KISOKS in the parks !!!!

Who remembers getting reservations where the Glass Stand is outside of Germany. Remember you used to get a reservationist on the TV screen ???

Or you went to customer relations to book a reservation ???

Bobump you are showing your age! I do remember making dining reservations at the TV screen first thing when you came to the park in the mornings! It always worked for us!

Frankly, I still am a bit baffled by this whole "hoopla" about ADR's. We were there in October and we "wing it" every day and with the exception of Ohana we got into every restaurant we wanted within an hour of the time we wanted by simply making an ADR at the guest services desk the night before. For our trip in June we did make some ADR's about a month before our trip date ... got every restaurant at the desired time and made reservations from our hotel phone for the last two ... again the night before.

Now I will qualify this by mentioning the fact that we are grown-ups and didn't need any particular character/princess meals and we knew and and were just fine with the need to be flexible in our choices ... but "winging it" can still work!

 

[Camping Griswalds]

I agree that "winging it" may work, but not if you want to see a Princess or a character! So maybe they need more character meals?

I too remember booking on the t.v. screens in Epcot. I don't remember when they got rid of them, but I remember thinking they were "so cool" when I was younger. I'm 39 now.

 

[bass-notes]

I've made all my ADRs except one for our Aug/Sept trip. My son wanted Tappan Edo on his birthday and we made our plans to go to MK inside of the 180 day window. We've been making the "daily Disney call" now for the better part of two months.
Changes I wish that would be made include:
1) A waiting list.
2) The ability to make reservations / confirm restaurant availability online instead of having to call in.
3) A waiting list.

Free dining definitely influenced our decision to make the trip.

 

[Veritaserum]

IMHO they need to stop this free dining. All these problems started when they introduced the free dining packages not the 180 day window. I love the 180 window. If I know I can't make an ADR I call and cancel.

you are exactly right!!! i couldnt agree with ya more. it is so frustrating, we never used to make ADR till the day we arrived in disney. then they started this whole free dining thing and you need to make them long before you even get down there. sometimes even during free dining they do add restaurants. i saw one the first year of free dinning in the MK where the plaza pavilion is, they just stuck a buffet in there, because so many places were booked and ppl were complaining that they had no where to eat. im frustrated right now because we could not get ADR at coral reef, which is my fav

 

[melcan]

I also remember the screens at Epcot. Those were fun to use and I wish they still had them. I don't get all the hoopla about ADRs. I always make them, just because I am paranoid, and always end up changing them the day of and have no trouble at all. I don't need character meals either, so maybe that's the key.

I have never been during free dining though

 

[TheRustyScupper]

Changes I wish that would be made include:
1) A waiting list.
2) The ability to make reservations / confirm restaurant availability online instead of having to call in.
3) A waiting list.

Unfortunately, these are fraught with problems.
1) Waiting list
. . . how do you notify people that their ressie has come up
. . . how long do you wait for them to confirm before you go to next in line
. . . how do you stop complaints that so-and-so got through the waitlist faster
. . . how long (people quantity or time length) is the waitlist
. . . do you have a waitlist to get on the waitlist for popular eateries
2) Online ressies
. . . just ready for abuse
. . . people could easily make toms of fake ressies

 

[englishrose47]

I like the 180 day system! I am as likely to know what I want to eat on a certain day wheteher it is 180 or 90 days. I have checked menus so know what is available and make my ressies accordingly. I don't plan my restaurant first rather I know which park I will be going to that day based on the Crowd Blog etc and then knowing my families habits pick the restaurant for the day whether it in that park or not!! I agreee that 90 days will jam the system !!

 

[disneymyway]

I think this is a bigger issue for people going for the character meals and the really popular places. I just never have trouble getting a ADR - but our favorite places are not the "hot spots". We change our minds and get places last minute every single trip.

I can imagine that if I had little kids and wanted that kind of stuff it would be a pain.

 

[Camping Griswalds]

I too would love an online registration, but understand how that could be more of a nightmare as well.

The policy used to be 90 days right? I didn't think ADR's were as hard to get then?

Just for the record, I had just as much trouble trying to change ADR times in January when it is VERY slow and not Free Dining, as I am in September with Free Dining. I don't think it's all because of Free Dining. I think it's mostly because the Dining Plan appeals to so many travelers.

 

[TDC Nala]

I love the Dining Plan, and Free Dining is fun, but I miss the days of being able to "wing it" for meals. ?

Unfortunately you can't have both.

They happen to be closing my favorite place in the World to put in more restaurants. I would wonder if those restaurants will take the dining plan, though. The possibility is that they are going to be run by third parties, and third party non-park restaurants generally don't take the dining plan.

My in-laws and aunt will be there at the end of September. They say they don't want any dining reservations

That is during the end of the free dining promotion. If they want to eat table service ANYWHERE on WDW property they should have reservations.

IMHO they need to stop this free dining. All these problems started when they introduced the free dining packages not the 180 day window.

Free dining is only a four-week period in August/September. It is the current overwhelming popularity of Disney dining in general (to which the dining plan contributes) that has diminished any chances of a spontaneous vacation that includes table service dining. And by "overwhelming popularity" I think that is pretty much the case with the very popular restaurants and those inside the theme parks. You can get seating at restaurants at far-flung resorts quite often with same-day or same-week reservations if you're not in holiday peak time or free dining.

So maybe they need more character meals?

In that case, it's interesting that they are in fact eliminating two character meals (Liberty Tree and Garden Grill lunch) from the system.

 

[mickeysgirl17]

I've made all my ADRs except one for our Aug/Sept trip. My son wanted Tappan Edo on his birthday and we made our plans to go to MK inside of the 180 day window. We've been making the "daily Disney call" now for the better part of two months.
Changes I wish that would be made include:
1) A waiting list.
2) The ability to make reservations / confirm restaurant availability online instead of having to call in.
3) A waiting list.

Free dining definitely influenced our decision to make the trip.

I don't really think a waiting list would work as they would need to figure out lots of stuff like how to get people on the list and how they would let them know its available, etc. like the the other poster mentioned.

I do like the idea of the online system though. I think this would actually work out great if there was a way to make sure people couldn't overbook. They would need to require a confirmation number or something to identify the user and then have a way to make sure that they are only booking 1 meal per bfst, lunch and or dinner per day. As long as people can't cheat the system, I think it would work out much better for the CM's since they wouldn't have as many calls and we would be on hold a lot less for ADR's.

 

[Bella O]

Though it would have to be a very good system, an on-line reservation system could work well. The wait list would be computer generated and calculated, they could call the next person on the wait list or email, or via text message, whichever the customer wants. Then there could be a specified amount of time to call back ( a very short period of time - say 4 hrs. daytime hours). There could be a cc hold for ALL adr's - not a large amount, but something that would act as an incentive to not cancel the adr - even if it's that day. Via computer, they could also cut way back on multiple adrs on the same day/time - the program would not allow mutlipe ressies for same time/day with the same reservation/resort confirm #). The main issue would be when the system encountered problems, and nobody could get on, but w/a good system and long test/trial period....I think it would be a more efficient streamlined system, and save Disney money, even with all the added costs associated w/the technology, security, and safety of the site.

 

[Tricia1972]

I understand everyone's frustration with the dining system as it stands, truly I do. I am not a fan of it myself. All of the things you mention, double bookings, etc. bother me as well.

I do think you guys have had some great ideas to try to cut down on double bookings, but unfortunately the debater in my head has tried to find a 'way around' your suggestions, and I pretty much have. I think that the problem is that people who want to do it will find a way to make any system work for them and what they want. I believe the best solution is to remove the necessity for double booking and to do that Disney needs to find out why there is such a problem with it. (Also, is it such a problem or is it just a perception that we have on the boards here that it's a huge issue)


Some ways around the system I've thought of are...

******************************************************
Idea
CC Hold - The name on the account is the same, so the reservations are tied to names.

Way Around
Reservations are already tied to names and people just use another name. With a CC hold you can still use another name - you can use the credit card of another member of your party, your parent, your sibling, your spouse, your good friend to double book.
******************************************************
Idea
CC Hold with a fee if you don't cancel your reservation

Way Around
Double book and cancel on time
******************************************************
Idea
Reservations tied to resort number

Way Around
Disney allows people staying off site to reserve dining as well. Use a fake name and say you're staying at the Days Inn.
******************************************************
Idea
Disney goes through the computer and cancels all double bookings tied to a name

Way Around
How many John Smith's are there? If you don't tell Disney dining that you're staying on site, they have NO way to cancel all reservations for John Smith at 4:30 on July 29th - How can they possibly know that there aren't two John Smith's. (John Smith is of course an example - even more unique names can't be proven)
******************************************************
Idea
Disney has caller id and locks in your phone number as you call - this way you are uniquely you.

Way Around
Unless you call from work, your cell, your husband's cell, your home phone, your friends house, a pay phone with a calling card.
******************************************************
Idea
Unique log in on the Disney Computer System

Way Around
Create multiple accounts. Again, those staying on site are not Disney's only guests. Locals and those staying off site still come to Disney and Disney has to allow a way for them to log onto their reservation system as well.

 

[justplaingoofy]

Are they going to 90 days because of complaints, or because it's easier for them? Interresting!

I also wonder if there is any part in doing this so they don't have to get the park hours out so early.

 

[yooperfan]

will hoop dee doo and Ohanas still be 180 days?

 

[ttstroker]

you can have it so people staying onsite would have the 180 day ADR window while people staying offsite would have say a window of 90 days. this would be another perk to entice people to stay onsite. this way you can at least tie an ADR to a reservation to prevent double bookings 180-91 days out.