getting a dining reservation

[jm-mom]

I've been trying and trying to get a couple of dining reservations for our trip in a couple of weeks. I've been calling for weeks and Chef Mickey's in particular is just not possible. I was talking to the cast member on the phone the other day and she shed some light as to why. She said that many people call and make more than one reservation and then don't end up using all of them. For example, just that day she'd talked to a woman who made 3 reservations for everyone one of her table service meals. She wasn't sure where they'd be and wanted to have all of her bases covered. The cast member said she doubts that woman will call and cancel the 2 of the 3 per meal she doesn't use. Most people don't she said. She also suggested to me to contact my concierge the day we want to eat somewhere and they may be able to get us in. It's worth a try. Chef Mickey's is such a tradition for us! This cast member also told me that in 2009 you'll be able to book your dining reservations online and they will have to be held with a credit card in hopes that that will cut down on the multiple reservations. I hope it helps. I've never had as much trouble getting table service places as I have this trip and I've been calling since the end of October for a mid December trip. You know it's bad when the less popular, off the beaten path places are already filled up. There is free dining the week we are there and that may account for some of the increase and difficulty but the cast member said don't count on the parks being super busy because reservations are hard to get. It's a lot of the duplicity in reservations giving a false sense of crowds.

Just thought I'd share. I'll keep trying for Chef Mickey's!!

 

[staceylynnga]

Wow, I am surprised (though why I should be, I don't know LOL) that someone would make multiple reservations for each date and then pull a no show for whichever they choose to skip. That is just awful and it would be nice if Disney cancelled all of their meals for doing so.

I realize you can always call in and make a res using a different person's name and contact number, but if a Disney rep knows that a guest is pulling this, they should not take the res.

 

[rosiep]

I always cancel my TS ressies when I know I won't be using them..but quite honestly the CM's usually react to me like I'm strange for doing so...they never say "thank you" and more importantly they sound as if I'm bothering them for something unnecessary. Disney themselves don't make it easy because of all the automated questions you need to wade through to even get to a CM. I can understand why people don't bother to call.

 

[TDC Nala]

Chef Mickey's is so popular it would probably be booked if you are looking for reservations in a couple of weeks (and probably much further ahead than that) whether guests made multiple reservations or not.

 

[Nissan_Rogue_Squad]

This just makes me long for the new ressie system. I hope that the new system also includes a waiting list though, for those that couldn't get the ADR they wanted and incase someone does cancel their ADR.

pipe dream I know, but I look forward to a day when people on vacation in the most magical place on earth actually treat other guest with their due respect regarding ADR's.

nuff said I hope.

 

[disneypolybride2008]

i always cancel mine. but they should be able to see what ADR's you have and then NOT let you double or triple book. It's not fair to everyone else, or to the restaurants whol think it's going to be full but then lots of people dont show. They should all atleast take walk ups then, so that after your 15 min reservation hold is up it can go to someone who is actually at the restaurant.

 

[KIRSTIN'S MOMMY]

I actually spoke to a great CM the other day while making some dining reservations. She had another guest call her to cancel one of his dining reservations. When she pulled him up by his phone number, she saw that he had multiple reservations for every day of his trip. He said the same thing, he wanted to cover all his bases. She is now my new hero! She told him that he would cancel two of his ressies per day or she would! She said it drove her nuts that people do this, and that the new ADR system would actually link to your home address, because a lot of people use multiple phone numbers to get around the system.

 

[jenna77]

In September we tried repeatedly to get a last minute ressie for Chef Mickey's on a Sunday morning. We were told it was completely booked. DF insisted we should just go to the restaurant that Sunday, and we did. We had no problem getting a table without a ressie, we probably waited 5 minutes. It's worth a try if you really want Chef Mickey's. I wonder if they always allow room for walk-ins or if a number of people with ressies just didn't show.

 

[lovndisney12]

I called way in advance (actually a couple of days late because the CM gave me the wrong date!) I got everything I wanted but had to take La Celliur for lunch rather than dinner and do Tepan Edo for dinner which is what I had planned for lunch.

Then today (1 week and 4 days before we leave) my DH gets notice that he has a mandatory on-line orientation during the exact time of our Tepan Edo dinner reservation. ARGH! I immediately called WDW to see about getting a time on two of our "open" days. I was sure there wouldn't be anything this close and during free dining. There was nothing for dinner but I was able to get a lunch there. So relieved. I still kept my other reservation in case he is able to get out of it. (Which we think he will) I also have another back-up for Whispering Canyon since it is the place we eat the day we arrive. We are flying from the Midwest and could be delayed because of weather. While I have two back-up reservations now, I do NOT have any reservations for the same meal / same day. I will also cancel the back-ups if all goes as planned as they are at the end of our trip.

I realize it is hard to know exactly where you will be so far in advance but it also isn't right to hog reservations in the system...And then cancel those that you know you aren't going to use!

I sure hope the new system only allows one reservation per person per meal per day. I also hope it will give you a confirmation!!! I have heard horrible stories about people's reservations being "lost".

 

[chemysterygal]

Wow, I never even thought to do something like that! Multiple reservations for every TS meal.

I have to admit that we currently have two more reservations than I think we need, but as the time draws closer we will cancel them - right now, I have the extras at the end of our trip just in case we run into weather delays. The reason I made them is this: I'd hate to miss the early ADRs and have nothing for the later days (and disappointed kiddos to boot, as these are character meals - CM's and CP). If we make the first CM and CP reservations, I'll immediately cancel the others (3-4 days later).

Perhaps this makes me a bad person, but it may make someones day too!

Edit to add: I should have just said "Yeah, that" to the PP. LOL! This will teach me to read the entire thread before posting.