Have you all heard about the new dining rules? Get aload of this:

[raidermatt]

There's no doubt this is a straw for some...the details of the policy only determine how heavy this particular straw is. If the policy is limited to the "low demand" locations, and therefore is not much of a practical negative for DVC/AP/etc, then that also means it isn't much of a benefit to package holders. That would beg the question, why do it in the first place?

If on the other hand it does provide some practical benefit for package buyers, it must also be a practical negative for the DVC/AP'ers.

That's the real problem with stuff like this. It isn't that they are trying to generate more package purchases. Its that they doing so at the expense of other guests.

One doesn't have to be one of those affected guests to admit that it is a questionable move.

I'm not sure why things have to be so black and white. I certainly don't like this new policy and do find it to be pretty insulting to several groups of Disney guests, but its not a straw necessarily. There's lots of things that really upset me, but there are lots of things that are wonderful too.

Melissa, nobody is claiming this is black and white, at least not in the sense you mean it. Nobody is saying that this alone is enough to turn somebody off from a Disney vacation. The point is that this is one more straw, and if one happens to be on the verge, this could push one over the edge.

For you, it IS a straw because you don't like the policy. Its just that you happen to need more than a straw to break your camel's back. For those that are closer to their breaking point than you, one straw maybe enough.

The concerns you see are centered around two points:

1. From a personal point of view, this might diminish 'my' personal vacation experience. Understandable, if one has invested in DVC/AP's and likes to use PS's, but this will vary for each individual. No right or wrong answer.

2.. That Disney is piling on too many straws for too many people, which is a poor business strategy for Disney. They seem to be taking their most "loyal" customers for granted, which is always a dangerous business proposition.

 

[MelissathePooh]

Matt,

I get your point and agree for the most, although I do believe that for some here, things are very black and white. The whole car thing just gets on my nerves as I think it completely over simplifies something that is very complex. Besides I hate labels.

It was seeming to me that somepeople were sort of reveling in the fact that this may be someone's straw regardless of what it was and I found that annoying. I apologize for personalizing it.

For the record - I believe that overall this is a truly bad decision and one that will hopefully have enough negative response to shorten its lifespan - with the one small exception of those few occasions where the 60 days gets bumped to 90 and can actually be a benefit.

Of course I'm not sure anyone on the boards has actually had that FINAL straw or they wouldn't still be here posting Unless they really just like beating a dead horse!

Melissa

 

[OnWithTheShow]

Who said anything about only being able to make priority seatings before 5?

Are all of the restaurants now closing at 5???

You can definitely make PS's for MK and MGM restaurants for after 5.

 

[Planogirl]

Originally posted by OnWithTheShow
Who said anything about only being able to make priority seatings before 5?

Are all of the restaurants now closing at 5???

You can definitely make PS's for MK and MGM restaurants for after 5.

There's been several threads on the Restaurant Board with people discussing having problems getting PS for restaurants in MK and MGM after 6. Me saying 5 was in error. These people are mostly the types that call the first morning they can too. The conjecture now is that maybe some PS are being held back "just in case" but who knows. So far it seems hit or miss.

Here is the current thread: http://disboards.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=403565

 

[KNWVIKING]

My post has nothing to do with wether this new rule is good or bad, but as I have said in the past, I like to visualize how something will affect how I vacation. So I'm sitting here as an AP holder, DVC member, three trips a year person. At first blush, it would appear I'm a perfect candidate for the Car 3 clan.

But then it occurs to me that I haven't made a PS in advance of my trips since my first trip in '95. I prefer to not be tied down to a schedule. I've never had trouble getting a PS a day or two in advance.

As for me personally, I haven't booked a "specialty" diner in years, but it sounds as if maybe nothing has changed in regards to these PS rules.

I'm just curious what they rest of Disney's "most loyal" guests do. Do you's make a lot of PS's ? Are you outraged because this new dining rule will actually affect the way you vacation, or because you feel it just isn't fair ?

 

[DVC-Landbaron]

It was seeming to me that somepeople were sort of reveling in the fact that this may be someone's straw regardless of what it was and I found that annoying. I apologize for personalizing it.

I don’t think you need to apologize. You were personalizing almost to the same extent that some were “personalizing” their joy of sharing their disappointment with Disney with one who finally had their back broken. It’s kind of a “I finally see the light” epiphany. Or like a club. And the initiation into the club is the utter and absolute knowledge that Disney has let us down. Philosophically. It’s an “I FEEL YOUR PAIN” club.

There is no joy whatsoever that Disney has screwed up once again!!! MY GOD – NO!!!! There is only joy that you are not alone. That others do indeed “see” and understand what the heck you’ve been talking about for all this time. There’s a bit of “I told you so” and a bit of, “This really sucks, doesn’t it? And no one gets it except us!!!”

I’m afraid I am really guilty of this!! You see, I was a lone voice here for quite some time. And then I noticed a fellow named JJ and AV posting the same thoughts as I was having. AND I WAS OVERJOYED!!!! Not that Disney had lost direction once again, but that I finally had someone to share my pain with!!!! I WAS THRILLED!!!

And you will see one heck of a happy LandBaron when that epiphany finally hits Crusader, Scoop and even you!! But it will be especially thrilling when it hits Peter Pirate and my favorite Duck (now that he’s back)!!!! And it will happen!! It is guaranteed!! I was you three years ago. Disney will keep chipping until even you succumb. It is inevitable!!

Still don’t believe me? Ask Matt. No. Better yet, ask Mr. Kidds!!! If he’s honest, he’ll verify every word!!

 

[TiggerFreak]

Originally posted by Mr. J. Cricket
I think we are going to need to change "car 3" to "bus 3".

JC

By the time Mikey leaves we may be riding in Mark8 Monorails !

 

[Walt's Frozen Head]

I'm just curious what they rest of Disney's "most loyal" guests do. Do you's make a lot of PS's ?

Back when we were multiple-trips-per-year, break the bones and suck the Magic marrow out of the carcass, AP and DC carrying, Car #3 riding regulars... planning ahead was the key to making our vacation what we wanted it to be.

For instance: because IllumiNations is one of our favorite shows, and because you often had to wait for several hours to get enough good seats in the same place for a party of our size to watch, we pretty much exclusively did the cruise. The difficulty in pinning down when, if at all, you manage to book your cruise, means you can't buy event tickets like Cirque or MVMCP until that's in place. You can't really make your PS until those things are in place.

Now, before we get the posts with the rolly-eyes and the term commando in them, my family trips have nothing commando about them. Indeed, we had to plan so well because we moved so slowly, in many cases. We often cancel or change our PS at the last minute, our whims, and the opportunities we only notice once we're in the park... but assuming that all fails, we had our PS to fall back on. The schedules we created were not there a checklist to "acheive," but our "last resort" vacation should contemporaneous muses fail us.

We want to see IllumiNations, but without being able to get a cruise booked, it's just not worth it to us to waste our vacation fighting crowds and trying to watch the show standing tip-toe in the third row... to say nothing of not having a nice drink and a snack and a place to set them; I find one expereince to be a great show, the other makes us feel lost in the herd. True, I have personally spent some excellent time with certain individuals who post here, watching IllumiNations from the AP kraal that existed at one time... but the point of that evening was rare companions of mine, not the experiencing of IllumiNations itself with reasonably ever-present family of mine.

The more difficulties we had trying to schedule a Disney vacation that met our own standards, the more it pushed us toward Car #4... until it stopped meeting our standards, entirely, and here we are.

I would not be at all surprised if this decision causes some AP holders to re-evaluate their renewals and severely limit WDW trips after their current passes expire... but I also wouldn't be too surprised if these two populations (AP/DVC holders and PS makers) turn out to overlap to such a degree that there is little noticeable effect on the ability to get most PSes.

 

[Wendy]

Personally, I think this is another case of Disney shooting themselves in the foot, if this turns out to be true. We used to be AP holders and went 5-6 times per year, but haven't bought them in 2 years. When they start giviing once-a-year package guests priority over AP holders and DVC members, that's just not good business practice. They should be rewarding their repeat visitors, not alienating them.

Oh, and yes, when we were going that frequently I always made at least one PS per day.

 

[MelissathePooh]

Baron -

You'll never break me!!!

I'm writing that with a giant smile, mostly because I see things more like a weeble - I'm a weeble - I'll wobble, but I won't fall down! I'll bend, but I won't break!

 

[raidermatt]

Speaking from personal experience, yes, weebles don't fall down... but a sledgehammer can certainly take care of the "wobbleing"!

I'm just curious what they rest of Disney's "most loyal" guests do. Do you's make a lot of PS's ? Are you outraged because this new dining rule will actually affect the way you vacation, or because you feel it just isn't fair ?

I'm DVC/AP.

Yes, we make a lot of PS's (about one per day of our visit).

I'm not yet outraged at how this will affect ME, because it seems the details aren't quite clear. Further, I won't know for sure how it affects me until I try to make PS's for our next trip.

"Fairness", isn't my problem with it. Disney has no obligation to be fair (in this context anyway). I just think its a bad move that sprung from a strategy that says "This will make another buck on my spreadsheet!", as opposed to one that makes moves that are in-line with the product strategy on which Disney's success and reputation were built.

 

[All Aboard]

Just a couple of thoughts.

1) If you read the original thread, there are several posters who say things like "I don't normally complain, so those of you with experience please give me phone numbers, emails, etc. so that I can on this." It does seem like another big straw. Maybe not as big as the original demise of EE, but let' see if it has an impact and then where the chips fall.

2) Would I be crazy to think that might not have a huge impact? What is the profile of a WDWTC package buyer? My guess is there are two. a) the least informed guest who has no idea about ticket types, resort discounts, etc. who just picks up the phone and says "I wanna go to Disney World." or b) the person who has a bunch of money, doesn't want to be burdened with decisions and just says (like Mr. Creosote) "I'll have the lot!"

So, if there are a large number of "newbies" out there booking packages, maybe they have no idea which PS's are hard to get, or for that matter may just respond "uhhhhh?" when the WDWTC booker says, "OK, now let's set up your priority seatings." Or, "make sure you call back in 63 days to set up your priority seatings."

 

[KNWVIKING]

Of the three posts refering to my thread it appears PS's are still popular with the veteran crowd. We have a couple "must eat at" restaurants and have alway gotten in when making PS's while at the resort. Guess I'm just lucky.

 

[MelissathePooh]

Geez Matt,

I can't tell if you're joking or hoping

Viking,

We tend to make ps ahead of time, but have found that we seldom stick to them. I promise we do cancel them though! We usually end up changing our minds and doing something when we are there a day or two ahead if not the day of.

 

[betterlatethannever]

It looks like everybody complaining may have had an affect on the dining PS situation.

http://disboards.com/showthread.php?threadid=414051

Breaking Dining News

I am 14 and belive it or not became friends with the one of the vice presidents of WDW Operations. I called him 2 years ago to give feedback on how our family loved WDW and how we visit 20+ times. To make a long story short we were suppose to get together on my trip 2 years ago to WDW but he got sick and was unable to visit. So sent a nice gift to my hotel for me to have as apology. He told me if I ever have problems or concerns to call him... So I called hime today and acutally remembered me belive it or now and said mature and wise I sound now. LOL Here is the deal: Disney Dining doesnt know but they suspended using the policy, he said they got many mad guest calling and complaining. He also understands why us DVC members were very upset and felt like we were getting the shaft. Disney Dining will be notified soon he said but not now. I hope this helps people calm down a lot. The policy there in will stay the same....I hope this helps

Matt

We can save the backs of many camels or at least the straws

Ed

 

[Mooobooks]

Before we go to WDW, I always discuss with my wife which restaurants we'd like to eat in, and then I make PS's for all seven nights.
During the course of our visit, our plans often change--sometimes the very same day--sometimes within an hour or two of our PS! So, I simply call and cancel the existing PS and usually, 9 times out of 10, have no trouble making another one for that evening. I am usually shocked at how easy it is to make a PS for the same day in the afternoon.
Of course it's past the point of everyone waiting to get all hot and bothered about the new rule (now rumored to be suspended), however until we actually get concrete reports of how it's effecting people's plans, all of this seems a little premature.

 

[Lesley]

Just writing as a DVC member and AP holder......and a person who may be in need of those coveted CRT reservations again someday (as the mom of a little princess, with another possible princess on the way...or a prince...won't know until March)....

I am not happy. I will be letting the powers that be know I'm not happy (unless of course, the rumored reversal is true).

But I just had a thought that made me very happy....I'm a DVC member. Screw them...I have a kitchen! And maybe I can use the money we save on food to go to Universal or Discovery Cove.

Really, really smart business move there.....

 

[d-r]

FWIW. I spoke to someone from WDW today and they said that there had been changes today from the word that went out yesterday, and that it was still in the air. I am not sure if anyone has figured it out yet, and I am quite sure that the front line CMs aren't clear yet. I was specifically asking about DVC and there was nothing in yesterday or today's information that mentioned DVC at all.

Also, just FWIW, and because I thought it was interesting, this person told me that since 9/11 they have learned not to guess about anything in the future, that you could not base the timing on things by the way they occured before 9/11, that they were basing timing of things on current projections rather than past schedules, so this cm had learned not to assume anything or guess anything. Take that for what its worth and make of it what you will but I thought it was interesting to hear (basically, that was in my response to my asking the person when they thought something would come about, just what's your best guess).

As for PS, KNWVIKING, sometimes we make them, sometimes we don't. Sometimes we decide we'd like something and call that afternoon and get one for supper. Sometimes we call from the room and decide where to go based on what the PS available are. Sometimes we make them months in advance because we know we want to go to a certain place. Sometimes are days are arranged around where we eat, other times we just grab food wherever we ended up. Now I would say that every time we ever go to Disney we eat a lot of good food, and we have our favorites. We made a real several years ago that we would only eat at a place once a year to force us to go to other places and not stick with the same favorites. But sometimes we break it and cancel it. So for PS, it all depends really. I've even found myself on our last trip doing the weirdest, hey you get out of my vacation you jerk, seems like a commando but really it is the opposite thing I've done at disney - pulling out my cell phone as we were walking through epcot, calling cro, and getting a ps for coral reef on the way there. But we rarely arrive at the restaurant without one, even if we just made it. Sometimes we do tough. Hows that for an answer?

We've never been to a character meal, but I reckon that may change before long and I may become one of those frantic PS people.

 

[emmagata]

Maybe most the "once-in-5-year" package buyers doesn't really care about dining experiences. They'd just rather do the parks since they only get there every so often. But it does give them a chance to get some.

Maybe it won't be as bad as it appears.

But it does seem funny to me for one group that's gotten perks for being AP/DVC/XYZ/etc is now upset that another group is getting perks.

 

[Lesley]

The issue is not that others are getting perks (as I believe others have pointed out) but that they are getting perks at our expense. This is Disney telling loyal guests that they'd rather have more of our money one time than our continued satisfaction (and vacation dollars) over the long run.

I have no problem with Disney offering perks in packages that don't infringe on my ability to get dining reservations or enroll my children in programs that they have grown to love....I have no criticism at all of programs that were once in place that gave package guests a special meet and greet with Mickey, or certain limited edition lithographs or pins or whatever. Those don't hurt those who don't receive them. This policy change has the potential to lock out all but package buyers from character meals, children's programs, and getting tables for larger groups of people at more popular dining times (just try making ps's for a party of 6 or more.....) Its not so much an issue of how it actually turns out though....it could very well not change things much....its a matter of principle.

But like I said before....if they really want us DVC folks using our kitchens with our food that we purchased at Publix, instead of forking out $60 for breakfast with Cinderella...I'll be happy to oblige.