Early park entry for dining

[MagicRat]

Question- I'm making a last minute trip to meet up with some friends and their family. We are DVC members and usually stay on property, but this time we're off. We have breakfast ressies at 8:30 at Hollywood & Vine on a EMH morning day. I don't know that the kids will want to do this. If we decide not to eat there, is there anything preventing us from getting into the park for the 8 to 9 EMH with the ressie and then just going on the ride? I know this probably isn't moral and will be frowned upon on the board, but we're driving 14 hours round-trip for one day at the parks, so I would like to get in as much as possible while we're there. Thanks, and don't yell at me too much.

 

[WDWisTheBest]

Question- I'm making a last minute trip to meet up with some friends and their family. We are DVC members and usually stay on property, but this time we're off. We have breakfast ressies at 8:30 at Hollywood & Vine on a EMH morning day. I don't know that the kids will want to do this. If we decide not to eat there, is there anything preventing us from getting into the park for the 8 to 9 EMH with the ressie and then just going on the ride? I know this probably isn't moral and will be frowned upon on the board, but we're driving 14 hours round-trip for one day at the parks, so I would like to get in as much as possible while we're there. Thanks, and don't yell at me too much.

I don't think there is anything preventing you to get into DHS with the ADR. You make the call. No yelling at you coming from this poster.

 

[McIntoshTx]

Question- I'm making a last minute trip to meet up with some friends and their family. We are DVC members and usually stay on property, but this time we're off. We have breakfast ressies at 8:30 at Hollywood & Vine on a EMH morning day. I don't know that the kids will want to do this. If we decide not to eat there, is there anything preventing us from getting into the park for the 8 to 9 EMH with the ressie and then just going on the ride? I know this probably isn't moral and will be frowned upon on the board, but we're driving 14 hours round-trip for one day at the parks, so I would like to get in as much as possible while we're there. Thanks, and don't yell at me too much.

14 hours driving for 1 day! You are dedicated

I think if you do not show up for your meal reservation you get a charged for the reservation right? That would offset the "moral" issue I think. Good luck.

 

[Missytara]

Question- I'm making a last minute trip to meet up with some friends and their family. We are DVC members and usually stay on property, but this time we're off. We have breakfast ressies at 8:30 at Hollywood & Vine on a EMH morning day. I don't know that the kids will want to do this. If we decide not to eat there, is there anything preventing us from getting into the park for the 8 to 9 EMH with the ressie and then just going on the ride? I know this probably isn't moral and will be frowned upon on the board, but we're driving 14 hours round-trip for one day at the parks, so I would like to get in as much as possible while we're there. Thanks, and don't yell at me too much.

You can shop in the shops during EMH's, but when you get on the rides, they ask to see your KTTW card, so the answer is NO.

 

[Dizneydaz]

14 hours driving for 1 day! You are dedicated

I think if you do not show up for your meal reservation you get a charged for the reservation right? That would offset the "moral" issue I think. Good luck.

No, only those places (like CRT) that take a credit cards upon reserving will charge you for a no show. As you can imagine many people make ADRS and can't make it for many reasons.

But you will need to have a KTTW card to ride the rides during EMH. You could still walked around the park if you want.

 

[MagicRat]

Thanks- I wasn't aware of the need for the KTTW card, but that does make sense.

On the ADR deposits, that's actually one area that I wish they would change things- right now, I think there are only 1 or 2 (CRT and maybe one other) that require a deposit to hold an ADR. I really would like them to make that universal.

It has become so hard to get ADRs now with free dining and the six month window. So many people (truthfully, myself included because of these policies) make numerous ADRs for the same meal in various locations and then they are not available for others. I would prefer that they require something like $5 or $10 pp ADR fee which is not charged or is refunded if canceled prior to 24 hours before. At least that way, you could call the day of the meal and see how many were really open.

 

[mcd2745]

It has become so hard to get ADRs now with free dining and the six month window. So many people (truthfully, myself included because of these policies) make numerous ADRs for the same meal in various locations and then they are not available for others. I would prefer that they require something like $5 or $10 pp ADR fee which is not charged or is refunded if canceled prior to 24 hours before. At least that way, you could call the day of the meal and see how many were really open.

 

[MagicRat]

I should have been more specific- I do make these reservations, but I DO cancel the ones that I will not be using. It is really a circular argument- you need to make numerous ADRs far out because if you wait, there will be none available. That's my point- there would be far less made, or at least everyone would cancel ahead of time, if they just instituted a refundable fee for the reservation.

 

[OhThePain]

I personally don't see way too much of an issue with that. I mean yeah, it's wrong, but I don't get all overheated over every little thing people do to try to beat the system. When I'm in Disney, I try not to worry about everyone elses business. It can ruin the magic a bit.

My moral issue comes more with the driving 14 hours to go to DHS.

 

[MagicRat]

I am 39 and live in Atlanta but grew up in NY. My best friend of over 30 years (since 3rd grade) is going down to WDW with his family. Although he has met my children, I've never met his and we have never had an opportunity to get our families together. So for me that day will be well worth the drive.

 

[mcd2745]

I should have been more specific- I do make these reservations, but I DO cancel the ones that I will not be using. It is really a circular argument- you need to make numerous ADRs far out because if you wait, there will be none available. That's my point- there would be far less made, or at least everyone would cancel ahead of time, if they just instituted a refundable fee for the reservation.

I totally understand why it happens. And you're 100% right about it being a circular thing. The ADRs are harder and harder to get, so more people do it, which makes the ADRs even harder to get, which makes more people do it, and so on, and so on, and so on. It still doesn't justify it, IMO, and I would never do it. Generally, it just means you're part of the problem and not the solution. I agree with you on the fees as well. That is just one of the changes I would like to see to the system.

 

[Dizneydaz]

But I have heard if you hold multiple ADRs for the same meal around the same time they may universally cancel them all. Of course, if they are under different names, emails, they won't know. But then it just makes it harder for everyone to get an ADR for a specific meal. Personally I have never made 2 ADRs for the same meal but I have made ADRs for times I didn't know if I would keep or not. Once I know we aren't going to use and ADR, I cancel it asap.