I am so MAD!!!!

[anonymousegirl]

I booked my eight ADRs for 2 people and had no problem. Got Le Cellier, Victoria and Albert, Yachtsman, Chefs de France, Artist's Point, Wolfgang Puck, Narcossee's, and Hollywood Brown Derby, all at good times, for the specific days I asked for. I will admit two things, one, I called at exactly 180 days out (no longer an issue) and two, they're for the end of January, a traditionally slow time.

Oh, and I got Prime Time for 1 person for lunch, three weeks before the trip.

This last December (3-7), I did 1 person walks ups at Brown Derby and Chefs de France for lunch, no problem. I did have to wait about 30 minutes for Chefs, but I was seated (and not next to the kitchen, )

 

[maxiesmom]

Yep, this is acceptable if you want to eat. We have learned through the years to do the same thing.

Unfortunately, most the restaurants when we arrive are 1/2 full at best.
You would think disney would fix this problem, as a full restaurant with a well trained kitchen/front of the house staff should make more money. You would think they would want to be full every day/night if possible.

I would bet that many of those empty tables are from people making ADRs and then not showing up or cancelling.

The only way to fix both problems would be for disney to charge a non refundable deposit for every sit down restaurant. I agree it is frustrating to see empty tables where you want to eat, so I would be all for it!

 

[mollygirl13]

I learned of the Party of 3 but really have a party of 2 by a CM.

We were in the same boat. We wanted Le Cellier and were a party of 2. I called and they had nothing available. I must have sounded a bit disappointed and the CM on the other line said, "Oh, I'm so sorry. I misunderstood you. You said a party of 3, right? Yes, I have a seating for you at 6 pm!"

 

[Redwitch]

I just read through this thread... Guess who has an old friend joining us for lunch the day we want Le Cellier? I'm calling tomorrow and trying. We haven't been able to get Le Cellier in at least four years; not since it got real popular. And I'm don't visit during real busy times or free dining. I've been in January, February, May, October and December.
BTW - We got the CP package at Le Cellier in December 2007 for four - no problem.

 

[Tink51]

Samr thing just happened to us when booking Boma for dinner. no tables at all for 2, but my pick of times for 3. Guess my "old friend" from Orlando may not be able to make it to dinner.

 

[Tiffany]

I have been calling for weeks for a reservation at Le Cellier for 2 adults for anytime (lunch or dinner) for Jan. 15, 16, or 17. No availability!!! I decided to ask the CM on the phone just now about a reservation on those same days for either 3 or 4 people. He said "which day would you prefer and do you want lunch or dinner"???? WHAT!!!! They will seat either 3 or 4 people but 2 is not good enough. I can't believe that they would rather have an empty table sitting there that to have 2 adults sitting at it!!!

They will not seat a party of two at a table for four unless they are sure that the four top is going to go empty. We are a party of two as well and sometimes you luck out on walk ups because they can "squeeze" you in but other times it works against you. This is not just at WDw but at any resturant anywhere that fills on a regular basis.

 

[kaytieeldr]

So is it 'acceptable' to make an ADR for 3 when you really know that there will only be 2 of you? :confused2:

As a last-ditch effort, to be able to enjoy the same restaurants/foods/services readily available to parties of three or more, in response to a reservations system that pretty blatantly discriminates against parties of one or two? Yes, absolutely.

I was verrry lucky to be able to get three reservations for Le Cellier last fall for my solo trip - one for Sunday dinner for four people; one for Wednesday dinner for one person (as I said, very fortunate); and one for Thursday lunch for two people. Early in the trip, I canceled lunch. I was lucky enough to find - coincidentally* - three other DISers late Sunday afternoon so we kept that reservation, and I kept the solo one as well.

For the record, having spent two evenings in Le Cellier - the problem IS the reservations system, not the tables. There are PLENTY of tables for two.

*Fine, it wasn't entirely a coincidence. They all decided to come the same weekend I had the reservation, and if we'd had a different number I would have cancelled that reservation as well.

 

[DWFan4Life]

We don't get any problem with this because we are 5 in the family. Here's the weird thing, there are many tables for 2 that are available, why they are just having a reservation for 3 or more. I don't have any idea why they do this.

 

[Little_Sister]

I had the same problem when I tried to book the castle. It became like the episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm while I kept saying "you have a table for 4, but not a table for 2? But wouldn't 2 people fit at the table for 4?"

 

[DisBride2007]

Well, I didn't want it to come to this but I finally called back and asked for a table for 3 instead of 2. And they were fully booked still! Oh well. Maybe we'll make it there some other trip.

 

[inkkognito]

I would have no problem saying I had three to get a table when booking for just DH and I. The reason I say that is one year we were struggling to get a ressie for CRT (this was before cc guarantees). Then, on one call, the CM said, "Well, if you had a party of three I could book you, and then maybe one member of your party wouldn't show up." At first I didn't get it, so she repeated it and it clicked in my naive brain. I booked us for three, and wouldn't you know it, that third person got lost when it was time to show up for our ressie.

 

[kaytieeldr]

I had a similar experience with Le Cellier one year, inkkognito. Every time I called, the CMs would say they had a table for three but nothing for one. Finally I caught on and said I would like to change my reservation to a party of three - but that CM wouldn't let me

So I hung up, called back, and got the table for three that had been available every time I called for two weeks!

Another time - and this didn't occur to me until much later - I called to make a reservation for either one or three at California Grill. I had friends who were going to try to come up from Tampa, but at the time we weren't sure if they'd make it.

They had a single reservation available for a solo diner all evening, at 9:15 or 9:30. For three people? We could eat ANY time we wanted!

 

[Golden Rose]

When we were booking CRT at one point, we were told that they had no availability for 3, but they had a table at our time for 4. The Concierge said he wasn't permitted to put only 3 people at the table, so he was adding an infant to our reservation and we wouldn't be charged, but we could get the table. He told us to let them know when we checked in that we'd decided to leave the baby back at the room because he was just too cranky that day.

I confess that we went ahead and let the Concierge book us that "table for 4," then I forgot all about it until we checked in and the CM asked about the baby. I suddenly remembered the issue and promptly said that we'd left the baby was back at the room. Then I realized what I said, and I added that my mother was back at the room with him.

Anyway, I thought it was rather silly that the system wouldn't let them put a party of three at a table for four... I guess they are really trying to maximize those dollars!