Does Anyone Remember this at EPCOT (regarding your dining)

[brunette8706]

Hey All!

Been going to Disney as a child since 1972. But I do remember as a teenager in the mid-late 1980's when you got off the ride "Spaceship Earth" , before you exited you were prompted by 20 various tv like monitors with people in them asking you what restaurant would you like to make reservations for at World Showcase? I thought this was the coolest thing. How could that person inside that TV monitor be able to see and talk to me, I thought, way back when! LOL!

Boy has times changed! Disney has come a long way with the dining. ADRS', what, 180 days in advance? LOL! Bring back the good ole days!

 

[pigletto]

Hey All!

Been going to Disney as a child since 1972. But I do remember as a teenager in the mid-late 1980's when you got off the ride "Spaceship Earth" , before you exited you were prompted by 20 various tv like monitors with people in them asking you what restaurant would you like to make reservations for at World Showcase? I thought this was the coolest thing. How could that person inside that TV monitor be able to see and talk to me, I thought, way back when! LOL!

Boy has times changed! Disney has come a long way with the dining. ADRS', what, 180 days in advance? LOL! Bring back the good ole days!

I sure do! I remember my dad making a reservation when we got there.. although I have zero recllection of where we ate that day.

 

[MickeyNicki]

YES! The last time I remember it like that was 1992...we loved it because we could decide where we wanted to eat that day and not 180 days in advance

 

[BigDis]

I remember being at EPCOT in 1985 and making reservations using these monitors. We made reservations for dinner for that same evening for one of the restaurants in France. I don't recall if the name of the restaurant is the same as now or not. The system was cool!

 

[Eponine1]

Yes!!!! I totally remember this. I was just mentioning this to my boyfriend (who went there for the first time last year).

Is this the same that the person would ask you where you were from and put up a map of the US and then your state?

I miss the good old days when you could just walk up and get a reservation and never had to plan.

 

[Connears]

Yup..loved the conversation via tv..I remember we made reservations for San Angel Inn that way back in 1984? I think .....fun to remember though.
Connears

 

[Tink]

I do. We were on our first trip in 1985 and I was almost 15 years old. They whole family was amazed that we talked to the screen and they talked back. I remember we ate at the Garden Grill - equally amazing as the place spun while we ate. I remember having steak.

It was the first time my family took a vacation that wasn't visiting family, and my dad's first time on a plane. That one vacation got me hooked for life!

 

[amw]

Even as late as 1998, we were able to walk up to a central reservation booth at "MGM" and book a meal for that day. They had all the menus there to look over. I remember the phone-type reservation counters at Epcot too - we just didn't use them so I can't remember if they still had the TV communication.

The Dining Plan did a lot to change how things work at Disney. As a non-plan user, it just pushed me to off-site restaurants instead. ... but that's another conversation!

 

[LittleStinkerbelle]

Yes, I totally remember that! That is one of the most vivid memories from my first trip 25 years ago. We RAN for SE as soon as we got through the turnstile so we could get a lunch reservation.

 

[BillSears]

Yep. I loved those days!!!!

 

[Pirates4me]

I remember that as far back as 1990. I thought it was so cool. Must not of worked well though or they would still have it

 

[brunette8706]

I remember that as far back as 1990. I thought it was so cool. Must not of worked well though or they would still have it

**
I think they just get 1,000's upon 1,000's more ADR's by people phoning in 180 days in advance. It definitely was a cool concept though for it's time. I also think they had those monitor's throughout various kiosk's around World Showcase.

Brunette

 

[DonaldTDuck]

I remember that as far back as 1990. I thought it was so cool. Must not of worked well though or they would still have it

At that time resort guests could make a ressie the day before and day guests the day of, so it made sense. And it worked out quite well.

 

[donac]

I remember this too. Loved to go to the tv's to talk and set up dinning

 

[DCTooTall]

At that time resort guests could make a ressie the day before and day guests the day of, so it made sense. And it worked out quite well.

AP holders also were able to make Advanced reservations, but I forget the lead time.

And if I recall correctly, Magic Kingdom Club members could make reservations 3 days in advance.

 

[bluejasmine]

I sure do! I remember my dad making a reservation when we got there.. although I have zero recllection of where we ate that day.

Yes I remember that as well I remember my dad speaking to a lady that made us ressies at Japan for that night! WOw I was 13 so that was 1987! I wish they still did this so if you wanted to change your Adrs around..

 

[winterman]

When we took our first trip to WDW in 1990, I prepped by reading 'The Unofficial Guide'. We learned about the reservation monitors there. That was where we headed first. I have no idea where we ate, though. Also at the suggestion of UG we made a reservation for a lunch show at the Diamond Horseshoe. It was a similar to Hoop-Dee-Doo Revue, on a much smaller scale, and you ordered off the menu. For that reservation we stopped at City Hall (or maybe it was the hall across the street.)

In both cases we were happy that I had done the 'research.'



I just checked with DH and he remembers where we ate. It was The Garden Grille or whatever it was called at that time. He remembers that the restaurant revolved.

 

[mnosky]

Ok, getting off topic, but you just helped solve a little family argument. My dad insists the hoop de do review used to be in MK (diamond horseshoe) and my mom clearly recalls going to fort wilderness. I was 6 so don't remember but I do remember the inside set up and they both look the same to me. So this solves it that there was a type of lunch review show at the mk too that we must have also gone to!

 

[disney777]

I sure do! I remember my dad making a reservation when we got there.. although I have zero recllection of where we ate that day.

1990, we made a reservation for the Italian place, and I had spaghetti. I remember not being impressed.

 

[Moms]

I very fondly remember standing at the monitor and making a reservation for (our usual) late lunch! I also remember running to the castle at MK to book dinner at "King Stephen's Banquet Hall"!