FD and the need for ADR's

[Debbie Jean]

We just returned from 5 glorious days of deluxe dining and some mighty fine food was consumed

I did want to post a couple of quick observations...

The restaurants were VERY busy, as anyone who has been during FD would expect, and we did see people being turned away.

When we were checking into Citricos, a woman was loudly complaining to the CM that she couldn't believe that a resort as nice as the GF did not have one single open reservation for the entire evening she kept saying "how do people eat here???" CM told her most people make ressie's in advance

While we at WL waiting to check in at Artist Point, we heard another group complaining that the concierge tried to make ressies for them for the following day at the Studios and there was not a single open slot for any restaurant at any time

We ourselves actually say walk ups turned away, not only at Citricos but Le Cellier and Cape May..

So.... get your ADR's lined up before you go... or you might be eating CS whether you want to or not!

 

[beroh2253]

I have been there the past 3 free DDP's and going this year again and I keep saying the same thing that you just said, so get those ADR's. But you will have some people respond here that you don't need them. But all my ADR's are made for the upcoming trip.

 

[mom2taylorandemily]

Oh I saw the same thing over and over again. We had the reg. DDP but we saw people turned away at Crystal Palace, Teppan Edo and Sci Fi. But I felt so bad for the lady at the Concierge Desk at CBR one night as a man sat and be-rated her for not being able to get him into anything for his family. How can you go to Disney for Free Dining and not realize that getting a TS is next to impossible without ADRs. I felt so bad for the Concierge at CBR.

 

[aubriee]

Oh I saw the same thing over and over again. We had the reg. DDP but we saw people turned away at Crystal Palace, Teppan Edo and Sci Fi. But I felt so bad for the lady at the Concierge Desk at CBR one night as a man sat and be-rated her for not being able to get him into anything for his family. How can you go to Disney for Free Dining and not realize that getting a TS is next to impossible without ADRs. I felt so bad for the Concierge at CBR.

I've been during free dining every year since it started and have seen this every year. People don't make reservations and then become irate with resort Concierge CMs and hostesses at restaurants, when they can't find anywhere to use their TS credits. I don't know why they think that yelling and threatening a CM will get them what they want. If a restaurant is booked it is booked (especially during free dining) and most restuarants are even overbooked.

 

[lacrosse_lady72]

The people who complain or yell at the CMs behind concierge are just silly. It's like yelling at the cashier at the CS location for the prices... as if these people take up all the dining spots, or decide the prices

BUT, I do understand how someone could not know they need to get ADRs. It's only quite recent (within the last 5 years) that ADRs were a necessity and to be honest, without FD... one wouldn't expect to need to make ADRs for places that aren't Le Cellier, CRT, California Grill... etc for LATE AUGUST and SEPTEMBER. Restaurants that normally wouldn't be packed... are. Even if one knew about ADRs, the common Disney tourist probably wouldn't expect for restaurants to be like they are during FD just perhaps in the more peak times.

Heck, if not for the DIS I probably wouldn't know about a lot stuff that I do know about Disney. I certainly wouldn't have known about the free dining offer until this year when it was in commercials and I wouldn't have known how crazy the restaurant ADRs REALLY would get... especially since going for 3 trips from 2004-2006, we were able to walk right in to Scf-Fi, Akershus and Hollywood & Vine during spring breaks and the 2006 free dining period.

 

[Colleen27]

BUT, I do understand how someone could not know they need to get ADRs. It's only quite recent (within the last 5 years) that ADRs were a necessity and to be honest, without FD... one wouldn't expect to need to make ADRs for places that aren't Le Cellier, CRT, California Grill... etc for LATE AUGUST and SEPTEMBER. Restaurants that normally wouldn't be packed... are. Even if one knew about ADRs, the common Disney tourist probably wouldn't expect for restaurants to be like they are during FD just perhaps in the more peak times.

I think Disney does a pretty good job of letting people know. I just got an e-mail from them, promoting the fall/winter free dining offer, and it said in the small print but set apart as its own, very noticeable paragraph "Advance dining reservations are strongly recommended. Restaurant availability may be limited at time of booking". And every package confirmation I've received this year (way too many, since we have two rooms and have rescheduled the trip twice!) has mentioned making ADRs and given the WDW DINE phone number.

I think even a couple years ago, Disney wasn't doing a very good job with getting the word out about ADRs. I know I'd never have thought of it for our first family trip in 2005 had I not discovered the DIS, because on my last trip to Disney before that (in 1997), we simply walked up to Coral Reef, Sci-fi, and a couple other in-park restaurants. But for 2008-2009, Disney has been much clearer on the need for dining reservations in their routine communications with guests as well as on the dining and package sections of their web site.