Help me help my friends with DDP..

[goofy4tink]

Okay, here's the situation.....a set of grandparents (will not have the energy needed for this trip!!), their son and daughter in law and their 7 y/o twin boys (one just diagnosed with diabetes) and the d-i-l's brother who is paying for this trip. They have three rooms booked GF, concierge. Also added DDP. I thought that was overkill to pay for concierge but that's just me. I mean, really....$13,000 for a trip to WDW!!!!!! They are going in August (the 9th I believe). We will be there for their first two days and then we leave for a cruise.
My problem is this....how do I get them to understand the neccesity of booking ADR's early, especially for those character meals?? I think the grandmother (who feels that she is pretty informed about WDW, but is very UN-informed!!!) feels that they can just walk up and take their chances, and if they can't eat at say, CP, they can head back to GF and eat the concierge offerings. But I think they would be better off having one TS meal booked for each day...those boys are going to want to see characters, and the parents/uncle are going to need sustanence after 4 hrs with those boys in MK!!!

I'm just afraid that with the popularity of DDP, they may not be able to eat where they might like to if they don't plan ahead. So.....any advice as to how to 'gently' sway them towards making those ADRs early? I can't imagine a group of 7 being able to walk up and get seated at the more popular spots in August! Thanks for any advice...maybe some horror stories from those who didn't make ADRs!!!

 

[mdhkitten]

Come have her read the restaurants/dining plan boards on the DIS!

 

[duckie0517]

Just my husband and I went in October and we booked our dining 5 months in advance. It use to be where the two of us could just walk-in but since the DDP started there is no way. We would walk into the parks and see the sign that says all table service restaurants are full, please use counter service. Even the hotel restaurants we difficult to book for the times we wanted.

If a party of 2 can't be squeezed in there is no way a larger party would be able to.

good luck

 

[goofy4tink]

Come have her read the restaurants/dining plan boards on the DIS!

If I had a dollar for every time I've suggested that!!!!! But, I will be telling her yet again...hopefully the daughter-in-law will be more open minded and not feel they are being unfaithful to their TA if she listens to my advice!!! The TA was the one who pushed for the concierge level...told them how nice it would be to augment the dining plan with those 'free' snacks during the day. Have to say...I never felt the need for any kind of snack on the dining plan last month...in fact, we used the snack credits for breakfast stuff at the bakery at Boardwalk, and still left some behind!!!

 

[mdhkitten]

Can you talk to the daughter-in-law and see where she thinks that they would like to eat, and then either talk her into going ahead and making the ADR's, or you suprise them and make them yourself!

 

[daisyduck123]

I would go ahead & just make the ADRs for them. You know the boys will want to see the characters, so I'd book a dinner at Chef Mickey's, another meal at Ohana's, etc. After you make them, you can just type them up nice, neat, & pretty & hand her a copy of them.

 

[goofy4tink]

Now, that's an idea. I'll have to give that some thought.

 

[JimMIA]

I would go ahead & just make the ADRs for them. You know the boys will want to see the characters, so I'd book a dinner at Chef Mickey's, another meal at Ohana's, etc. After you make them, you can just type them up nice, neat, & pretty & hand her a copy of them.

This idea is probably the only sensible way to deal with non-sensible people -- it protects them from themselves. Of course, they'll complain about your restaurant selection, the ADR times, and everything else...but at least they'll have a place to eat.

About the only other option I would offer is to tell them to cancel DDP because they won't be able to use it without ADRs.

One thing people who don't visit at least once a year don't realize is the dining landscape has changed dramatically at WDW over the last 2-3 years...and not all of it is for the better.

Grandmother may be somewhat knowledgeable about WDW if she's been a few times. But there are levels of knowledge, and the world doesn't stand still. We were Le Cellier fans long before LC was cool, and I fondly remember the days when we could just walk up and sit down for a great meal -- but I no longer base my dining plans on that outdated information.

 

[kaytieeldr]

If I had a dollar for every time I've suggested that!!!!! But, I will be telling her yet again...hopefully the daughter-in-law will be more open minded and not feel they are being unfaithful to their TA if she listens to my advice!!! The TA was the one who pushed for the concierge level...told them how nice it would be to augment the dining plan with those 'free' snacks during the day.

Can you also 'gently point out' that, unless they plan to spend a GREAT deal of time in the hotel, instead of touring the parks, they really won't benefit from those (ahem) free snacks? On a side note, while I generally don't bad-mouth professionals second- or third-hand, that Travel Agent irks me. She'll get ten percent of that $13,000. I feel she pushed Concierge to increase her commission - as if 10% of three 'regular' rooms at the Grand Floridian isn't enough

 

[goofy4tink]

Ah yes, those levels of knowledge. Only problem is that this grandmother's knowledge is in her 'head' if you follow me. She thinks the GF is the only true deluxe, the rest are just barely above Holiday Inns. She tried telling me that only those staying at the GF could ride in the front car of the monorail, or that she 'knew' you could get to Epcot from the GF without transferring, she had done it many times.

You guys are so right about not being able to use the DDP without those ADR's. And that TA making a 'bit' more commission. Way too much food for this group, any group for that matter!

I think I will talk to the d-i-l privately and see if they have any 'must-do's' as far as eating. Then I will call and make the ADRs myself and they can cancel them when they get there if they wish. Sure would hate for them to not be able to use those TS credits, and that's what will happen if they don't have ADR's!!

 

[JimMIA]

She tried telling me that only those staying at the GF could ride in the front car of the monorail, or that she 'knew' you could get to Epcot from the GF without transferring, she had done it many times.

She's probably talking about the exclusive ability of GF Concierge guest (not the common folk) to ride in the front car of the GF-EPCOT Express!

And she's right there, nobody but GF Concierge guests can ride in the front car on that particular Monorail train. I've done it every time I've ridden that train! The really cool thing about it is you don't even have to go to the monorail station. You just go to any Transporter Station on a concierge floor and they beam you right into one of the front cars!

 

[goofy4tink]

She's probably talking about the exclusive ability of GF Concierge guest (not the common folk) to ride in the front car of the GF-EPCOT Express!

And she's right there, nobody but GF Concierge guests can ride in the front car on that particular Monorail train. I've done it every time I've ridden that train! The really cool thing about it is you don't even have to go to the monorail station. You just go to any Transporter Station on a concierge floor and they beam you right into one of the front cars!

Okay, so my mouth did just drop, but only for about 3 seconds!!!!! 'Scotty, beam us up to, ah....Chef Mickey's!'