Could walk-ins at Chef Mickey's for dinner work a half hour before they close?

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

I know that when Cast Members say a restaurant is full for the evening they won't take any walk-ins however what if someone wanted to have try going as walk-in for dinner at Chef Mickey's for 9:00 PM, would they still be turned away even that late when the restaurant would close at 9:30 PM? I have looked into Chef Mickey's from the 12th floor at the Contemporary and around then people have started to leave, so they are less busy. So if someone wanted try going that late would it work? The only reason I can see a family being turned away that late is other guests have made ADR's that late, so there is no room for them. The other thing I can think of is the Cast and the charcters want to go home for the evening and the food might not be that good because eventually they don't replace it with fresh items. Although since they would still be open and a family could be seated, should the host still seat them?

For the record my family and I or anyone we know is not planning to do this. I am just asking a hypothetical question, so there is no need for a why making ADR's is so important.

 

[doctorhead]

i am saying this based on my experience working in a restaurant. just b/c you get to a restaurant before it closes does not make it okay to come in and sit down. if you are coming into chef mickey's wanting to eat at 9 when the place closes at 9:30, it should be your plan to be done eating in a half an hour. most sit-down restaurants take about an hour to eat. your scenario isn't as bad as some i've seen. we had people who would come into our restaurant at 9:55 when we closed at 10 wanting to eat. people don't realize that the people working there want to go home. if you come in right before we close, you everyone stay an extra hour. i just find it inconsiderate. i feel that you should be leaving the restaurant as it's closing, not getting there. my advice would be to make an ADR at chef mickey's for 9pm instead of inconveniencing everyone who works there.

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

I see what your saying about leaving there at 9:30 PM if that's when they close, however I always see people still sitting there past 10:00 PM. So the Cast Members are not forcing them out of there right at 9:30 PM.

 

[DonaldTDuck]

I've worked in restaurants most of my life and the stated hours are always seating hours. If you get in before closing time, you eat. Don't know where d'head worked, but that is not the industry norm.

 

[goofy4tink]

I would tend to doubt it. But, I guess it never hurts to ask. That's why one should make those all important ADRs before hand.

 

[Eeyore2003]

This would be WAY BACK in 1998, which was a whole different story than how things are now, but we were staying at the Contemporary, got back from the parks about 9:30 having not eaten and just asked and got seated. We didn't care about the characters since DS was 13. We just wanted a dinner.

 

[Eeyore2003]

I should add though, that even in 1998 Chef Mickey was usually booked solid and we were VERY surprised to get a seat.

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

I should add though, that even in 1998 Chef Mickey was usually booked solid and we were VERY surprised to get a seat.

The 1st time my family and I went to Chef Mickey's for dinner was in May 1998 and we got to make the ADR that very morning because we did not plan on going there. Although I think staying at the Contemporary helped with getting the ADR on such short notice.

 

[doctorhead]

i am not saying that we didn't seat people b/c it was close to closing time. if we closed at 10, we would seat people at 9:59. my point is that it is inconsiderate for someone to come in 1 minute before a place is closed and expect to sit and eat for an hour. if i'm waiting on your table, i'm not making any hourly wage, i'm just going to make whatever you decide to tip me. so that is always a crap shoot. i'm sure that all the cast members will still be nice to you and smile, but when they go back to the kitchen, i'm sure they are angry that you're making them stay at work for an extra hour. not only the waiter, but all the cooks and managers waiting to count up the money for the evening, they all have to wait til that person gets done eating. i just don't see why a restaurant should be any different than any other place of business. there are posted hours, and you should do what you need to do during those hours. i wouldn't walk into a department store 5 minutes before it was closed and ask to try on 30 outfits.

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

i am not saying that we didn't seat people b/c it was close to closing time. if we closed at 10, we would seat people at 9:59. my point is that it is inconsiderate for someone to come in 1 minute before a place is closed and expect to sit and eat for an hour. if i'm waiting on your table, i'm not making any hourly wage, i'm just going to make whatever you decide to tip me. so that is always a crap shoot. i'm sure that all the cast members will still be nice to you and smile, but when they go back to the kitchen, i'm sure they are angry that you're making them stay at work for an extra hour. not only the waiter, but all the cooks and managers waiting to count up the money for the evening, they all have to wait til that person gets done eating. i just don't see why a restaurant should be any different than any other place of business. there are posted hours, and you should do what you need to do during those hours. i wouldn't walk into a department store 5 minutes before it was closed and ask to try on 30 outfits.

I am just saying how I have seen quite a number of tables eating at Chef Mickey's after 10:00 PM. I have no idea what time they got there, all I am saying is what I saw. I am sure some Cast Members would wish they could just finish and leave so they can also leave, but it's not like they can kick them out.

 

[doctorhead]

i have no doubt that people are still eating at 10. my point was never if you could do it, my point was about whether you should. you might be on vacation, but these people are still at work. using your rationale, you could eat there, and not tip as well. there's nothing they can do to stop you from not tipping. my point is that just b/c you can do it, it doesn't make it right. have some consideration for the people who work hard everyday to make your trip enjoyable.

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

my point is that just b/c you can do it, it doesn't make it right. have some consideration for the people who work hard everyday to make your trip enjoyable.

If you read my 1st post in this thread I said that my family and I, or anyone else we know is not planning to do this. I am sorry this topic upset you since you work in a restaurant and I can understand that. So maybe at 9:00 PM Chef Mickey's and all the other buffet restaurants should start taking food away and not let guests in as walk-ins, even if they had tables available. The same can be said about all the table service restaurants, however it's still the Cast Members that choose to let some late guests come in and eat. Maybe they did not want to, but they did not turn them away. So my suggestion is for all WDW restaurants to change their policy of allowing guests in at a late time.

 

[doctorhead]

i'm not trying to start arguments. i'm sure you don't have any ill intentions when doing anything while on vacation. i was just bringing up a point that not many people know b/c a lot of people have not worked in a restaurant. of course, customer service is number 1. no one is going to turn anyone away. everyone will smile and you'll have a great time. it's not the customer's fault for coming in while the restaurant is still open and requesting a seat. that's the way it works. i was just pointing out to you that from a waiter's point of view, it's no fun having to work later than normal. of course, it happens. i was just expressing an opinion. i'm sure there are other waiters that like when someone comes in late so they can make extra cash.

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

i'm not trying to start arguments. i'm sure you don't have any ill intentions when doing anything while on vacation. i was just bringing up a point that not many people know b/c a lot of people have not worked in a restaurant. of course, customer service is number 1. no one is going to turn anyone away. everyone will smile and you'll have a great time. it's not the customer's fault for coming in while the restaurant is still open and requesting a seat. that's the way it works. i was just pointing out to you that from a waiter's point of view, it's no fun having to work later than normal. of course, it happens. i was just expressing an opinion. i'm sure there are other waiters that like when someone comes in late so they can make extra cash.

I totally see where your coming from. In my 1st year of College one of my classes was working in the restaurant at our residence as a waiter and then in the kitchen. There was one day when our teacher who you could call the manager of the restaurant, was letting in more customers then he should have and it caused a back log of orders in the kitchen, because that day I was the expeditor and had to keep track of all the orders for all the tables.

 

[bradk]

so, personal ethos aside...

your chances are 50/50 - that is, either you can or you can't. honestly, i think your best chances for walkups are when the restaurant first starts serving and i have seen CM's turn walkups away even at that time and directed the guest downstairs to the lobby concierge to get an ADR (if they could). this is a practice not unheard of at WDW, although i wouldn't call it the norm either. most restaurants will seat a gladly seat a guest if they can, but a few, probably the more popular ones may not opt to deal with anyone without an ADR (i read a post here about how someone was turned away at check-in and told to get an ADR and they did, for later that night).

so i can't say it's not possible, but i wouldn't hold my breath for it and if it's that important to you, you should be calling disney dining multiple times a day and hoping for an opening. when someone inevitably asks the question 'do I really need ADRs?' my answer is 'only for those places you wish to be guaranteed to dine at.'

 

[nbodyhome]

I should add though, that even in 1998 Chef Mickey was usually booked solid and we were VERY surprised to get a seat.

Back in that time period, we usually just called before we left home (I lived in Pinellas County at the time), sometimes only a couple of hours before dinner. We usually had our choice of seats, even on a Saturday!