Is this all getting too much?

[estherhead]

But it isn't ten years ago. This line always gets me. When I was a kid it was geared for you to come for one day. I remember the year Epcot opened we ate at Rose & Crown for lunch with no reservation. And we only did Epcot. There wasn't even a consideration on that trip to Orlando of doing another day at MK. People like us could only dream about such things. And we considered ourselves very lucky to get our day at Epcot.

In the early 90's it started to have more of a resort feel. But it was way out of my price range. It was solid middle class & above.

With the Values being built in the 90's Disney showed that it was ready to put itself into the price range of the average American. And by making the Magic Your Way point people towards longer stays, they showed they didn't want day visitors anymore. They wanted average Americans to spend all of their vacation time at Disney.

The dining plan, and the free dining plan, solidifies this new direction.

For me, being an average American, I'm thrilled. I can afford it now. Sure, I'd love to to go around 1st class. But I'll take what I can get. For me, slightly inconvenient & cheaper is a big draw.

As for Disney being the only place where you have to have a plan to eat where you want, check out this girl's quest:

http://www.foodhuntersguide.com/2009/04/getting-reservations-at-babbo-how-i-met.html

 

[bronny]

I do think it's a lot of work, depending on when you go. The people I feel bad for are the ones who have no idea about ADRs and think that they'll choose where they want to eat when they get there and then are stunned that they can't get into the most popular places. Before I became the Disney nut I now am, I was one of those people and I remember being very frustrated.

I've been there. The only disney restaurant we managed was Garden Grill on our last trip!

 

[pennst8r]

Just saw this on another thread, and thought it was a good strategy!
Final payments are due 45 days out? Might be some cancellations that open up dining reservations!

I would try each day if you can. People cancel/change plans all the time.

Good luck!

 

[walkerford]

I really have no intention of upsetting anybody, or criticising the 6am 90 plus 10 day bookers, believe you me I've done the cinderella table reservation sychronising my watch with some global timing system that disney use! I also don't in any way blame disney. I'm a DVC member and love the place, but my point is that I think it has now gone too far. I don't expect to get in at the "best" restaurants at a moments notice but I don't think its too much to be able to have a choice of some restaurants. I am very flexible I don't mind if we do lunch or dinner, I don't mind if we eat at 5pm or 9pm, but I really do wonder what your "average" visitor would think of the situation at the polynesian ( where we will be for 4 days ) where you cannot it would seem eat at the hotel you are stopping at in its main restaurant at any time be that 6am 9am 6pm or 9pm for either breakfast or dinner? Surely part of the facilties that you are booking is the facility to eat at the hotel?
As I said having been to WDW several times I know about ADR's etc but the vast majority of people probably don't and with the system at present they are by and by denied the facilities and nobody would know that.
So honestly I have no truck with anyone I just think "its all a bit too much"
PS Bit sad really as every holiday we have had at WDW has started with breakfast at Ohanas on our first morning, alas not to be this year or for that matter on any day of our 14 day holiday!

 

[k5thbeatle]

How dare some of you go on a vacation and expect to eat where you want and to have fine dining at a resort. If you wanted that you should have gone in the old days! You're not being flexible! This is 2009 afterall and mediocrity is good enough now.

 

[Rip]

How dare some of you go on a vacation and expect to eat where you want and to have fine dining at a resort. If you wanted that you should have gone in the old days! You're not being flexible! This is 2009 afterall and mediocrity is good enough now.

 

[*Valdez*]

We are going to the world next week...we just book our rooms two weeks ago and our ADR's last week. We got EVERYTHING we wanted at the times we wanted. We are doing:
Sci-Fi
Boma
Jiko
1900 Park Fare
Ohana
Spirit of Aloha
T-Rex

Maybe we just got lucky!

 

[chipndales]

I think it's absolutely ridiculous! It's easier to get Hannah Montana tickets than all the ADR's you want 90 days in advance. It's a vacation and as such should not include such stress just to pick somewhere to eat. I would love to see ADR's disappear save a few exclusive places (maybe Albert & Victoria's and the GF tea room ect) and just let people do like they do in everycityUSA. Walk up to the podium, check the wait time, decide to stay or go.

Now, realistically, we can all realize that Disney is the absolute master at vacationing and making massive amts of money--it's brilliant from a marketing standpoint--but it really does dampen vacationers spirits and hope. People are waking up at six am to get these ressies, stressing for weeks ahead of time, and ending up very upset. I love Disney with all my heart but I do feel they take advantage of their customers sometimes. The dining is one of those times.

 

[MarkinNM]

How dare some of you go on a vacation and expect to eat where you want and to have fine dining at a resort. If you wanted that you should have gone in the old days! You're not being flexible! This is 2009 afterall and mediocrity is good enough now.

I hear you as I remember when I drove there were only 5 cars on the road and now its..... CRAZY......

People, come on now all of us here on the DIS know BOOK EARLY or miss out on your favs....

I booked on the 90 day window and got EVERYTHING I wanted including a "F" package and Le Cellier. BUT if I was not able to get them I had plans at other places, my backup list, I learned this HERE on the DIS! Its Disney the WORLD comes to Disney and its going to be busy.............

 

[Rip]

I hear you as I remember when I drove there were only 5 cars on the road and now its..... CRAZY......

People, come on now all of us here on the DIS know BOOK EARLY or miss out on your favs....

I booked on the 90 day window and got EVERYTHING I wanted including a "F" package and Le Cellier. BUT if I was not able to get them I had plans at other places, my backup list, I learned this HERE on the DIS! Its Disney the WORLD comes to Disney and its going to be busy.............

So, what you're saying is that you had to book every sit-down meal you wanted to have 3 months in advance of your vacation, and had to plan your actual vacation around said meals?

That's kinda what the OP is talking about.....

(BTW, it's not because the world comes to Disney as much as it's because the world now gets on the $40/day dining plan)

 

[MarkinNM]

So, what you're saying is that you had to book every sit-down meal you wanted to have 3 months in advance of your vacation, and had to plan your actual vacation around said meals?

That's kinda what the OP is talking about.....

(BTW, it's not because the world comes to Disney as much as it's because the world now gets on the $40/day dining plan)

Nope, none of the above, I was NOT going to chase ADR's, I made park plans based on the park hours, THEN made a list of places to eat with 2 other backups close the the park we will be at. Our vacation was not based on places to eat but park hours....

 

[Rip]

Nope, none of the above, I was NOT going to chase ADR's, I made park plans based on the park hours, THEN made a list of places to eat with 2 other backups close the the park we will be at. Our vacation was not based on places to eat but park hours....

Cool beans.

Are you going to stick with them 3 months from now? I ask because in many cases we do just what you describe, but by the time the day gets here we may end up somewhere totally unexpected.

Luckily for me, my family is easy. We'll eat most anything (our 3 and 8 year olds even like the local sushi restaurant), so if we decide on a whim to ditch our previous plans and wing it, we're still fine. You can generally find a place to cool your heels and have a sit-down meal if you're flexible. Still, I think the DDP is the devil.

ETA - as with the crowds, I've found that if you just take 'er easy, you'll enjoy the hell out of your vacation.

 

[mmmears]

How dare some of you go on a vacation and expect to eat where you want and to have fine dining at a resort. If you wanted that you should have gone in the old days! You're not being flexible! This is 2009 afterall and mediocrity is good enough now.

Love your response! For anyone who thinks this is "normal", having to book a mediocre meal 3-6 months in advance really isn't common, 10 years ago or today.

 

[MarkinNM]

Cool beans.

Are you going to stick with them 3 months from now? I ask because in many cases we do just what you describe, but by the time the day gets here we may end up somewhere totally unexpected.

Luckily for me, my family is easy. We'll eat most anything (our 3 and 8 year olds even like the local sushi restaurant), so if we decide on a whim to ditch our previous plans and wing it, we're still fine. You can generally find a place to cool your heels and have a sit-down meal if you're flexible. Still, I think the DDP is the devil.

ETA - as with the crowds, I've found that if you just take 'er easy, you'll enjoy the hell out of your vacation.

Yuppers as this trip we did not get park hoppers as the family choose to use the PH $$ to purchase the MNSSHP tix. So with that known the park plans are set..... I understand the 90 day booking thing can be a pain, so I can not even begin to understand the ones who want the 180 day back..... Now thats out of hand............

When we go to Disney we go EXPECTING crowds, its DISNEY.....

 

[Rip]

Yuppers as this trip we did not get park hoppers as the family choose to use the PH $$ to purchase the MNSSHP tix. So with that known the park plans are set..... I understand the 90 day booking thing can be a pain, so I can not even begin to understand the ones who want the 180 day back..... Now thats out of hand............

When we go to Disney we go EXPECTING crowds, its DISNEY.....

Dude, before we got APs we did hoppers thrice.....and realized that in a sum total of 18 days we actually hopped once!

I still think the DDP is Satan.

Yes, my next trip in Nov includes Satan.

 

[mickey2000]

How dare some of you go on a vacation and expect to eat where you want and to have fine dining at a resort. If you wanted that you should have gone in the old days! You're not being flexible! This is 2009 afterall and mediocrity is good enough now.

 

[MarkinNM]

Dude, before we got APs we did hoppers thrice.....and realized that in a sum total of 18 days we actually hopped once!

I still think the DDP is Satan.

Yes, my next trip in Nov includes Satan.

I hear ya as the last trip, we hopped a grand total of 2 times, 2 out of 7!!!!
Never going to pay for that again............

Satan is actually a cool thing as the last time we went to Knotts Berry Farm we "walked up" to a place to eat and ,waited and waited and waited....ZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzz and finally got seated.......With the ADR's hopefully the wait wont be that long.....

 

[Rip]

I hear ya as the last trip, we hopped a grand total of 2 times, 2 out of 7!!!!
Never going to pay for that again............

Satan is actually a cool thing as the last time we went to Knotts Berry Farm we "walked up" to a place to eat and ,waited and waited and waited....ZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzz and finally got seated.......With the ADR's hopefully the wait wont be that long.....

For all my gripes with it, we made a quick 4 day trip in May and walked up to Rainforest at AK, Flying Fish for supper one night, and got same day ADRs for Chefs de France and Rose and Crown, but I know we were lucky.

I've also waited for 45 minutes with an ADR, though.

 

[MarkinNM]

For all my gripes with it, we made a quick 4 day trip in May and walked up to Rainforest at AK, Flying Fish for supper one night, and got same day ADRs for Chefs de France and Rose and Crown, but I know we were lucky.

I've also waited for 45 minutes with an ADR, though.

Nice! So how was Chefs??

Where was that 45 min ADR at??

 

[mmmears]

I still think the DDP is Satan.

I totally agree!