Empty Restaurants, yet hard to get ADRs. Here's Why

[LadyVT]

I wonder if because the restaurants are empty they have cut back on serving staff. That would explain why they won't necessarily seat you even if the tables are empty.

 

[Golf4food]

I don't think we ate in a single TS restaurant last week that was even half-full for any meal (except the Plaza on Sunday, which was a little less than full and we did have to wait 15-20 minutes past our ADR time before we were even seated - but that was the Sunday of a three-day weekend and was at least twice as crowded as any other day of our trip).

 

[edandcolleen1995]

We were in WDW the last 2 weeks. The first week crowds were moderate; last week they were light.

We made ADRS for every day based on our experience 2 years ago when all restaurants were slammed by free dining.

We expected the same thing because it was hard to get our ADRs.. which we made about 75 days prior to arrival. I had to forget about some popular restaurants but got into some but with very late times.... examples

Mama Melrose 2pm was all I could get
Artist Point 7:20pm all I could get
Boma 7:50pm earliest I could get
Luckily we got into Chefs de France and Biergarten with times between 12 and 1.

Yet, there was only one restaurant that we went to that was actually busy - Chef Mickey's.

All the others were light to moderate at most. We stopped worrying and went to restaurants without concern for ADRs and they could fit us in easily every time. Biergarten - 30% occupied. Chefs de France - 50%. Artist Point - 25%.

So I asked at Artist Point (our last night big dinner).... has it been this empty a lot, and why could I only get in at 7:20pm?

I got a knowing look. "Do you know if it was the new reservation system?" he asked. I knew. "Yes," I answered.

He then explained what it does, whether you call or use the online.

It takes your requested time, and looks for open times from one hour before to one hour after, and offers you one open time in that window - and it intentionally offers times that are spread out across those 2 hours to avoid "Selling out" the best times right away. It then offers alternate restaurants to help spread out reservations through "suggestive placement".

He said we should complain, and complain loudly.

He also said when we want a reservation at Artist Point, to call the restaurant directly during their open hours to get the time we want if it's open.

He also sad they've been running about 1/3 occupied for months, ever since the economic slowdown, and because they are "out of the way" compared to park restaurants or EPCOT resort restaurants.

It was an interesting discussion, which we repeated with the restaurant manager (who is new there and recognized us from past visits to other restaurants, amazing.)

Yes.. lets all believe everything some CM spouted off about..

For real. If some kid at Walmart tells you something, you don't just buy it..

Same for Disney...

So if some random $9.99 an hour CM says something, it does not make it the Disney standard.. lets remember that folks...

Crazy idea, but maybe the slots were filled with people double booking ADR's so they got times they wanted??

 

[Tricia1972]

That's definitely a possibility, the double booking. This though is another possibility, and to me it also has validity.

I also think that the point about Disney cutting back on their staffing, and this is why restaurants aren't filled could be true.

I don't think that Disney would have restaurants that were only half full due to double booking and not do something about double booking. They've already attached credit card guarantees to hot tickets, they could do that for everything if it was as huge of an issue as we imagine it to be.

I know that one way that they combat double booking or missed ADRs is to overbook, which is why some nights it is such a long wait to sit down after your ADR time. Everyone finally showed up for once

It's fun to speculate why we think restaurants aren't filled to the brim, but until we work for this department at Disney, we're probably all just making our best guess.

 

[tami82]

So all this being said, what is the best approach?

Do the online/ new systems show more and more open reservations as the day gets closer? (ie- is it prudent to try the system 4 days before you'll be there?)

Are there direct numbers to call these restaurants, and if so, how far in advance is it ok to call direct?

Any ideas?

Yes they do. About two weeks and mostly less than a week before our arrival date they came out with a block of times for 1900 park fare. The week prior to our arrival there was Ohana, Chef Mickey, & 1900 which had some nice early dinner times available even breakfasts so i was able to get my 5:00 arrival time dinner for CM. I also was able to get 3 Ohanas for early dinner times (2 of which i kept). I do believe they waited until the last week to put these out for some unknown reason.

 

[PSU]

Argh - I spend so much time planning...wish it were clear what to do...

 

[smacky1]

Yes they do. About two weeks and mostly less than a week before our arrival date they came out with a block of times for 1900 park fare. The week prior to our arrival there was Ohana, Chef Mickey, & 1900 which had some nice early dinner times available even breakfasts so i was able to get my 5:00 arrival time dinner for CM. I also was able to get 3 Ohanas for early dinner times (2 of which i kept). I do believe they waited until the last week to put these out for some unknown reason.

Interesting. I have been trying since our 90 mark to get the time I wanted at Chef Mickeys. NOTHTING was available, until today. TONS of Chef Mickey reservations opened up for the week of Sept 19-26 (give or take a few days on each end) and I, along with several others on the Sept/want/trade thread were able to get our reservations for that restaurant today. We all were wondering if there was some kind of glitch in the system that was allowing us to book today. Several people have speculated that our ressies would get canceled and were a mistake. Now it makes more sense as to what happened today.

 

[MaryKatesMom]

What I thought was interesting was even at the 90+10 I wasn't able to get any lunch close to noon. As a matter of habit we used to book for 11:30 but not one restaurant had anything earlier than 12:15.

We'll show up early and be hopeful but I was surprised not one in nine lunches!

 

[pansmermaidzlagoon]

thank you for passing on that information!

We just got back and I was wondering the same thing - I did not get the times I wanted, but the restaurants were not full.

this makes me mad....I took reservations at times I really didn't want - thinking that was all that was available!

 

[Sagginit]

i tried to get breakfast reservations for the last day of my trip at our resort and it was booked solid. we waited until about 70 days before our trip to finalize our transportation and make that decision and now its haunting us. the CM told me to try back, since they opened the online booking she told me people make multiple reservations and dont cancel until the last minute, if at all which is causing problems like that. i myself ended up with two ADRs for that meal since we are unsure of what we want to do and dont want to be left hungry.

 

[orangecats2]

Thanks for the info. Now I am off to try to get Crystal Palace. Nothing has been open - not even a bad time! I had to take either a 6:15 at Diamond Horseshoe or 8:55 at LTT which is during Wishes so canceled. I'm going to try every day up until I leave on the 21st.