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

[JuneCleaver]

I wish that Disney would use a system similar to the cruise lines....you may make reservations once you are paid in full for a package. Make it 45 days in advance to book ADRS...for both package and room reservations.

45 days...if you are paid in full, you are committed to going and you still have plenty of time to plan. If you are booked with a room that is paid at check in, you too are probably committed as well as you have arranged for vacation time with your employer or booked airfare. One huge problem IMHO is people who book dining without reservations in anticipation of a discount and if they do not get the price they want, they do not cancel their ADRS or people who cancel the reservation they have on hold because they don't get the discount they want and again, don't cancel ADRS. 45 days out...you will not be cancelling for the most part.

Think about all the people who booked dining back in Feb or March in anticipation of free dining and then decided not to go...what percentage do you think actually called back and cancelled their dining?

People can still plan in advance...read menus, decide where they are eating, just do the reservations once they know they are truly going!

Just my 2.5 cents!
June

 

[Tricia1972]

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.

That is not a bad idea, though I wonder if Disney would lose more than they gain by doing that. If you alienate those staying off site too much, Disney may lose more money in alienating customers than they may lose by having an occasional empty table.

As stated before in this thread, and many other threads, Disney overbooks their ADR's knowing that they'll have no shows. It really is our speculation as to whether they are or are not losing money with the current system and the potential for double booking.

 

[ekatiel]

This is from a Q and A on the Disney Mom's Panel. Someone else already posted this on another thread here, but I thought you guys might be interested in seeing it, too:

Q:Brett! We are planning a vacation to arrive @ WDW on 4/16/09 (for 10 days) & I have 10/18/08 as the 180 day mark to start making dining res. There are 8 of us. My ? is..I read your answer @ the res changes & wonder if I need to wait till 10/24?

- Asked by Jackie from WA on 7/12/2008Answered by
Bret C., IL Category
Reservations

A:For those interested, Jackie is referring to this prior Q&A. It includes news of some significant changes relating to dining reservations this year. The good news is that when all is settled, we'll be able to make dining (and other) reservations online as soon as December of this year, if we desire.

The short answer to your specific question is that I think you are correct. It appears that you will need to wait until the launch of the new system, which is currently anticipated to be completed on October 24. My understanding is that starting July 31 you will only be able to make reservations through January 25. This will remain the same (no reservations beyond Jan. 25) until October 24, when guests will suddenly be able to make reservations from January 26, 2009 through April 21, 2009 (that would be an "interesting" day to be at Disney's central reservations!). Then, from that day forward, you will be able to make reservations 180 days in advance.

Please keep in mind that this is "new territory" for me (and everyone else), so it is hard to perfectly predict what will really happen. Please keep in mind...
1) Although the information I posted is "official" and is very likely to become fact, news like this is always subject to change
2) Disney typically is conservative in their estimates for timelines. OK, I know that didn't work so well with Test Track (!), but you know what I mean. ;-)

I think it is safest to assume for now that these dates are correct. I strongly encourage you to check back here, the WDW site, and your favorite unofficial Disney site for further updates as we get closer to your 180-day-window date (October 18).



So, that's at least what the Disney Mom's Panel has to say about the 90 vs. 180 days thing. Also, on a different post at the Mom's Panel, he mentions that Cinderella's Royal Table, Chef Mickey's and Victoria and Albert's will continue to be on a 180 schedule even when all the other restaurants go to 90 days while they are switching systems. Anyhow, I hope this info helps!

Here's the link if anyone wants to check it out:

http://disneyworldforum.disney.go.com/questions.aspx?sort=&page=&qid=16768&pid=46&cid=153

 

[jerseygal]

I was able to book my ADR's with much success!!!! Did the 180 day thing and was quite successful but alot of detailed planning involved of course...

I found so much more frustration with most CM's who IMHO are basically clueless!!! OMG!!! So bad!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ask the same question, get a multitude of answers! Sad, they say Disney is having a hard time attracting CM's these days!

 

[englishrose47]

I am confused! We are planning on going Sept 2009!o will I be able to make ADRs in March or will I have to wait till June??

 

[Tricia1972]

I am confused! We are planning on going Sept 2009!o will I be able to make ADRs in March or will I have to wait till June??

I don't know if anyone knows the answer to that. You may just need to wait until closer to March 2009 to find out.

 

[LoraJ]

I really wish they would go back to 90 days for ADR's.
It's a pain trying to get DH to figure out where he wants to eat 180 days in advance.

 

[Flametamr]

I'm no expert but I can come up with a better plan than what is in place and also what is planned ahead. First to book at the 180 mark you must have your confirmation number for a Disney package with the DDP. You are only allowed to book one meal per time frame. Second at the 90 day mark open it up for the general public to reserve but require a CC. Then charge a nominal 10 dollar fee if theres a no show.

This will do two things. First it will give a great perk to us who stay onsite and buy dining packages. And second it will all but eliminate multipal ADRs. I too hate planning every detail of my trip over 6 months away from my trip but it is required if you want to eat at certain places. But it is just wrong to tie up ADRs at each park during peak hours just so someone doesn't have to plan ahead.

 

[ms_missy66]

That's a pretty darn brillian plan, flame!

I also wish Disney would send out some sort of confirmation email or place a confirmation call two weeks prior to the trip with a list of ADRs and the option to keep or cancel them. I wonder if someone cancelled their trip entirely and were given the opportunity to press a button, would they be better about opening up those ADRs for others.

 

[Tricia1972]

It's a brilliant plan for those using the DDP, but a HORRIBLE plan for Disney in general.

DISNEY DOES NOT HAVE A PROBLEM WITH DOUBLE BOOKING - WE DO

Disney has answered the double booking by overbooking.

Disney's restaurants aren't empty.

Why would Disney upset their AP holders, the locals, those staying off site and others who create revenue for Disney?

Being DVC I'd probably book the DDP and then cancel it at the last minute, we don't have to pay until check in, and I would bet that others would be changing their packages at the 46 day mark.

 

[gelebean]

As Florida residents who only live an hour and an half from the World I find the whole thing a little frustrating.

Since we live so close and purchased PAP we kinda just go whenever. I don't think I have booked or planned anything more than 2 months out. And I only did that once. We usually take day trips. I would love to make a ADR but really have no way of telling when we will just get up and go. That's is partly why I love having the passes. I like to be spontaneous.

And I don't want to make ressies and just hold them then decide that morning that we aren't going to go that day.

We have had our passes for 6 months now and have not had a TS meal yet. To tell you the truth I have gotten so discouraged about it that I don't even attempt to call anymore.

Hopefully before our passes are up we will eat one TS meal

 

[Flametamr]

I can understand why you think its a bad plan. But the 45 day window gives those people a fair shot. There are more things to address obviously like AP holders and such. But I believe if people would not try to out smart the system and Disney actually cared and took a serious intrest in fixing it we could all be better off. There would be more ADRs open for everyone.

You are right the resturants are not empty. But Disney really needs to increase the number or size of popular eating places. I think there are too many places that could use an overhaul. How many resturants hardly have anyone eating in them at all ?

Regarding locals, what good does it do to change it from 180 days to 90 ? There will almost never be walkups at good resturants during peak seasons no matter what is done. Disney is just too crowded right now.

I would dearly love to have total freedom to wake up and pick a place I wanted to eat at each day. But that will probably never be again.

 

[ASDFG]

I know what you mean.

We did luck out one time Epcot on one trip in May though (I think it was the trip in '07). After we got back from one of the parks we decided to go out to Epcot for a couple of hours. We got there around 7 and the restaurant at France didn't seem to busy so we walked up asked for a table for two and got right in.

I wouldn't recommend doing this as a general rule though - it was just a spur of the moment thing. But when you're expecting only to get a pretzel and few beers at the German beer cart it was a nice surprise!

 

[TDC Nala]

I'm no expert but I can come up with a better plan than what is in place and also what is planned ahead. First to book at the 180 mark you must have your confirmation number for a Disney package with the DDP.

I completely disagree with allowing dining plan customers to book first. One shouldn't have a better shot at a popular restaurant because one has elected to prepay their meals. Your proposed policy gives the prepayers TWICE as long to book anything as those who elect not to use the dining plan.

And limiting it to package bookings would also eliminate DVC members with or without the dining plan.

 

[kaytieeldr]

You are right the resturants are not empty. But Disney really needs to increase the number or size of popular eating places

How? Seriously - physically, how can they increase the size of existing restaurants?

 

[SurfinTX]

Last year in March I went basically not knowing I needed ADRs for most of my TS meals. My mom had done most of the planning through an agent but had reserved the Poly Spirit of Aloha Dinner Show and her and my niece to attend Cinderella's Royal Table. Everythning else we were winging it on 5 days of the DDP. Hooo Boy!

I got lucky mostly with my dad but we were flexable. Most places at off peak times we could sit within minutes including Tony's, Coral Reef and Teppan Edo. My mom, brother and niece, however, had plain old bad luck wherever they went. surprising considering she was the one supposedly doing all of the research.

Winging it can be done but you need to avoid the "hottest" restaraunts at peak times. Just walk by and look in. You usualy can tell if you have a shot to be seated within 30 minutes. If packed, move on and snack or something to tide you over.

The current situation with the ADRs are getting rediculous for character dining and signature. I hear within 20 minutes most prime spots are reserved at 180 days.

 

[Flametamr]

How? Seriously - physically, how can they increase the size of existing restaurants?

If Disney wanted to do it they can. There may be some resturants that can not be enlarged but I bet there are some that can. But seriously-physically its called construction. You put up a wall at one end and add on. When you're done you remove the wall and have a bigger place without interupting the business at all. If expansion is not possible then add new returants that people will like. And avoid stupid stuff like El Pirate Eria or what ever is called. Use the valuable space for something good.

 

[Tricia1972]

If Disney wanted to do it they can. There may be some resturants that can not be enlarged but I bet there are some that can. But seriously-physically its called construction. You put up a wall at one end and add on. When you're done you remove the wall and have a bigger place without interupting the business at all. If expansion is not possible then add new returants that people will like. And avoid stupid stuff like El Pirate Eria or what ever is called. Use the valuable space for something good.

I would like to see new restaurants.

The problem with the restaurants, and adding on, is that most are 'land locked' with attractions or shops that butt up against the existing restaurant. Certainly everything in the theme park is land locked and places like Chef Mickey would likely have to add a third buffet line, expand the kitchen and take over the lobby and gift shop area to expand enough to begin making a difference.

I just had a thought about adding on at CRT, jetting it out so it's above Fantasyland. Maybe we could but a glass floor in and watch the carousel and Dumbo underneath us!

Oh and El Pirata y El Perico (also occasionally called The Pirate and the Parrot) Restaurant has been around for a long time. It's a seasonal CS restaurant with a Mexican theme that's just as you are leaving Adventureland and entering Frontiereland.