Do you ever feel bad?

[buckirj1]

Not especially, mostly because I don't need ADR's--and certainly don't need to make them 90 days before my trip. I feel bad so many people travel in groups, which makes it far more difficult for them to find a place to eat. But their travel style is their choice and not my business.

"he who travels fastest travels alone...and that goes double for she"
Florence King

 

[bomzar]

I feel bad for most of them; they just have no clue how busy the parks get. The ones that I don't feel bad for are the guests who start yelling and screaming at the CMs. It's not the CM at the podiums fault the restaurant is booked! I see this happen all the time during the holidays. Think about it! There's upwards of 50k in the MK Christmas day at dinner time and you didn't think you'd need resos??? Those are the ones I don't feel for!

 

[jamstew]

Not really. I don't think anybody's trip will be ruined by not having TS meals every day. I never had one until I think my third trip, and I didn't have any less fun on the trips without them. I don't feel bad at all for people who expect TS without doing the research, but I do feel bad for kids whose parents promise them a princess breakfast without getting their act together to actually make it happen. What I do feel bad about is people not being able to get a meal in their own resort. I personally think that some tables should be held back for hotel guests, but that's just me. I've enjoyed quite a few TS meals in the last couple of years, but quite honestly, I'd still have a ball without them.

 

[kxs401]

When we stayed at BCV in January 08, we met a woman and her daughter (maybe 9 or 10 years old) on the bus on the way back to the resort at about 9:30pm. The mom and daughter were looking for help finding Beaches and Cream, so I offered to walk them there. As I was talking to them, the mom told me that they had booked the whole vacation through a travel agent who talked them in to getting the DDP, but didn't tell them about ADRs. They were stuck eating a weird hours and out-of-the-way places, and I did feel bad for them.

 

[TillyMarigold]

Even my first WDW trip in 1999, thru TA, ressies were suggested.

My parents are not vacation planners either, at least not like I am; but at my first WDW trip in 1988 (I was almost 10, DSis was 4) my parents knew enough to make reservations for dinner at the castle (back when it was King Stefan's Banquet Hall)!! (And, now that I think about it, to take us *before* I turned 10 and was a Disney adult!)

 

[PJAY]

I don't feel bad for them because if they are anything like my wife's aunt, they don't want to have their vacation scheduled. They plan on walking up to Le Cellier during the free dining in November. DW suggested getting at least an ADR for that one but she insisted they would just wing it despite the fact they REALLY wanted to eat there. Oh well, too bad for them if they can't get in I guess. We plan on making all our ADRs 90 days out...can't wait!

 

[portocall]

Yes, I do feel some emphathy for them, no, not enough to give them my reservation.

 

[aubriee]

Last year I was talking to a CM at the front desk at the beach club when a grandfather came up holding his granddaughter who was about 3 and asked if he could get reservations for breakfast at the castle for that day I have to say I felt so bad for them needless to say there was nothing available.

I was waiting in line to check into the castle a few years ago, when I got to talking to a young couple in front of me with two little girls. It was their first ever trip to WDW. They had just arrived the night before and it was their first full day at WDW. The dad was so excited. He said that he hadn't even realized that there was a restaurant inside the castle, until he overheard someone at his resort pool talking about it the night before. He also didn't even realize Disney had character meals. He said he told his girls about it and they were so excited. They got up bright and early for rope drop and rushed first thing to the castle. The two girls were just chattering to my grandaughter, about how they were going to eat breakfast with the princesses. I was speechless for just a moment. I finally said, 'You did call for a reservation didn't you?. I'm surprised you were able to get in". Before he could answer, it was his turn to check in. The CM of course asked for his name to check for an ADR and the poor man rather confidently said they didn't have one, but would like to have a window table if they could please. The look on the CM's face was priceless as he informed him that a reservation must be made 90 days in advance as CRT was the most popular restaurant on property and was alway booked up. The poor man, still didn't get it. He said 'well, we'll just wait for a window table if we need to, not a problem". It took several tries before the poor man realized they were not eating there at all that day. His poor daughters looked so upset and he looked so embarassed.

 

[lacrosse_lady72]

I don't feel bad simply because I feel like Disney tells me all the time about making ADRs at 90 days out.

I only feel bad sitting in a cool air conditioned restaurant like Le Cellier and seeing a big family who looks hot and tired being turned away... little did they know that even most people who called at 90 days out were SOL.

 

[aubriee]

Its a shame there is such a source of MIS information out there. Our cousins are going for xmas this year (arriving on the 26th of dec) and I asked them if they had their ADRs picked, and she said her travel agent told her that reservations were switched from 90 days to 60 days prior to arrival. Sooooo unfortunately she chose to believe the travel agent, and I don't think her kids are going to be able to attend the character meals they want because nothing will be left if she waits that long to book. Those people I DO feel bad for!

At least the TA informed them they needed ADRs. Last summer, I had a coworker call me one night at work. Someone had told her I went to WDW alot and she just wanted some pointers. In the course of our conversation, I asked her which ADRs she had made. She had no idea what I was talking about. This was about three weeks before her trip. After I explained them to her, she said, "Oh, I don't need those, "My TA got me a dining plan. I can walk into any restaurant I want without a reservation and eat whatever I want. I get front of the line access over all the other folks." After I explained how the DDP worked (1 CS, 1 TS, 1 snack, and appetizers not included) and how ADRs were still needed, she insisted I was wrong and that the TA had told her she could eat anything she wanted, anywhere she wanted all day and that it was totally unlimited food. I told her she better recheck with her TA. The next night at work she called me in a panic. It seems that when she went into the TA office that day, he insisted I was wrong and that the DDP was all you could eat and no reservations were necessary. She insisted he call WDW to find out for sure. Come to find out, I was right and the TA had no idea how to plan a Disney vacation. He himself has never been to WDW and didn't even know what restaurants were even down there. He simply sold her airfare, a room, and the DDP without knowing a thing about Disney. I then asked her about DME and she said that the TA did mention that Disney had a service that picked you up at the airport, but he didn't really know how it worked and she would probably just need to call Disney for a car when she arrived at the airport. We spent a couple of days getting her trip planned out and she had to amost force the TA to call to get her added to DME. Thankfully we were able to get her some pretty decent ADRs. She was so angry with her TA though. Other than selling her a pkg with room, airfare, and DDP he did nothing for her. After she fussed at him about the DDP and DME, he did say he guess he needed to do some research. Duh! you think?

 

[The Eighth Dwarf]

We went in 2007 - our first time! I didn't have a clue about ADRs, to be honest I didn't realise what that you need to plan anything for a trip to Orlando!
I have learnt this time and am now fanatically planning more than 12 months ahead. We had a great time but missed more than I realised - until I found the DIS.

That sounds just like us, we went last year in August. We didn`t know we had to make any ADRs in fact I didn`t know what an ADR was.
We were lucky enough to eat at Jiko, Boma, Mama Melrose, Tonys and a few others just by walking up .

I didn`t feel I was missing anything for not making ADRs what I now realise I actually missed out on was all the fun I`m having now planning my next trip.
Who knew making dinner reservations could be so much fun.

 

[jrc-elpaso]

I was lucky - between co-workers who are Disney experts and the folks here I knew I'd better make those reservations during free dining. But I really enjoy the planning of a vacation - and the internet makes it soooo easy. When we went to Alaska last year there was a couple in our tour group that had used a TA to make all their plans and they didn't even know where we were going each day - so they didn't know anything about the history of the towns, etc. Which is the kind of thing I find interesting.

 

[MickeyNicki]

DH does...when he sees people turned away at the host desk and they are bummed they cannot get in he whispers to me "Thank goodness my wonderful wife knows to book us 10 years in advance!" Or at least thats what I think he says .......

 

[AlohaPolynesian]

I feel sorry for people who don't know better, and the fact that they miss out on some of Disney's best dining experiences. Like a PP said, the grandfather who wanted to eat at the castle probably didn't know better, and he was probably sad that there were no openings and that he didn't know better! It's the arrogant people I DON'T feel sorry for because they try to take out their lack of research on CM's or Disney World altogether.

I am pretty sure that when you make reservations at a Disney resort that they tell you you should make your dining plans at 90 days.

 

[Princess Disney Mom]

I don't feel bad. There is alway a good side to everything and they will save $$$ not having ADRs. Or they will discover less popular resturants and that can be a plus.

 

[duckybelle]

Without the DIS I wouldn't have known...SO glad I joined before my first "adult" trip...LOL!

 

[Px4]

I do! But that is because you never know the situation. Our DDs first visit was during Christmas/New Years. Our trip was planned with a two week notice. We only got a room because SoG had rooms reserved for RnR soldiers. There was no way we could plan since we had no idea when DH would get his RnR. My DDs were heartbroken to not be able to eat at the Castle. I felt horrible for them. But there really was nothing we could do to change it. I knew that ADRs needed to be made, but it wasn't possible in our case. So when I see little girls crying outside of the castle, I do feel their parents pain!

 

[Dictator]

Truthfully, I sometimes feel people put to much emphasis on ADRs. I think it leads to people making reservations "just in case" for places they may not want to eat at that particular day.

 

[scard192]

I had heard some vague references to "dinner reservations" when most of my extended family went to Disney in December 2007. As soon as we decided to go this year I Googled "Disney message boards" and found this board where I learned everything I needed to know about ADR's

I'm the grandparent on this trip and I am thrilled that my grand daughter will be enjoying daily ADR's with her favorite characters.

I would sure never spend as much $$ as we are on this vacation without research.

I do feel bad for kids whose parents/grandparents didn't bother to research Disney before going.

 

[disneymurtagh]

yeah I always feel bad for those who don't get as much out of a trip as I do. I constantly give people advice on planning theirs trips. It has gotten to the point that most people in my area actually get in touch with me when they start planning their trips.