Loved that you talked about the ADR system

[dpuck1998]

What always cracks me up is you can just about bet the people that appear to have the highest "morality" in their posts are probably some of the worst offenders. I have always felt there are a large percentage of people that use these discussion boards to create the person they would truly like to be, but in the real world they just can't live up to the standards they're trying to set.

Listen to her...shes a smurt woman!

 

[BeamsofLight]

I was on the soda cheaters thread last night and laughed my tookus off. It was pure comedy, people. I'm glad that we all can amuse ourselves at the ridiculousness of it here.

I stumbled upon that the other day and couldn't stop reading, and giggling. It was a page turner (er.. page clicker?). So strange what people will get riled up about. Who knew there were so many people spending their vacation conducting surveillance on the drink stations? It's a hilarious thread.

 

[simonkodousek]

The drink cheaters thread was a complete joke... I was laughing my head off at the last post before it was closed.

 

[Cool-Beans]

I have to disagree about it not being a lie. It is a lie. When they ask me how many people will be in my party and I say "four" knowing darn well there will only be two, I'm lying.

I'm not slamming it. I do it all the time. I don't think it is immoral.

Disney lied to me when they said they had nothing available, so I called back and lied to them. Big whup.

 

[wishspirit]

What always cracks me up is you can just about bet the people that appear to have the highest "morality" in their posts are probably some of the worst offenders. I have always felt there are a large percentage of people that use these discussion boards to create the person they would truly like to be, but in the real world they just can't live up to the standards they're trying to set.

SO true!

 

[drakethib]

Okay someone help me out here.

What you are telling me that if I tell Disney I have 4 or more people on a ADR, that I have a better chance of getting a table somewhere ?

I.E. Disney is going to penalize me for only having one child?

 

[robind]

I wish I had known this secret before our honeymoon. We wandered around not able to get reservations anywhere (even though we could see open tables), and we ended up eating hotdogs more nights than we wanted to Had I known I could have just said table for three! Or we could have done like in Lars and the Real Girl...we could have brought a doll with us! Haha.

Just have to say I love that movie

I have to agree also, I don't usually have to do that because I'm either going as a solo and so far haven't had an issue requesting a table for one or I'm going w/ a party of 8 or 9 - so it doesn't help much to ask for anything larger. We've been told they will split us up all the time and we have never had that happen.

 

[Regina]

Okay someone help me out here.

What you are telling me that if I tell Disney I have 4 or more people on a ADR, that I have a better chance of getting a table somewhere ?

I.E. Disney is going to penalize me for only having one child?

There have been times when you try to make an ADR for 2 people and are told nothing's available because all of the "2 tops" are booked. (You're not told this, just that there's nothing for that date/time.)

If you call back for the same date/time and say that you're a party of 3, that means you need a "4 top" and guess what, it's there since there are many more tables for that party size.

It's silly that Disney's system is so narrow that it doesn't automatically "see" that there is availability if you're simply given the next table size.

 

[robind]

Okay someone help me out here.

What you are telling me that if I tell Disney I have 4 or more people on a ADR, that I have a better chance of getting a table somewhere ?

I.E. Disney is going to penalize me for only having one child?

Not exactly, but from what I understand it's something like this. Picture a restaurant - there are maybe

25 tables that will seat a maximum of 2
35 tables that will seat a maximum of 4
10 tables that will seat a maximum of 6
5 tables that will seat a maximum of 8

If you are a party of 2 that calls for an ADR and all of those 25 tables that seat 2 are taken they will tell you nothing is available. They will tell you that even if 30 of the tables that will seat 4 are empty.
So, if you call back and say you are a party of 3 (or 4) they will happily give you an ADR blocking off a 4 top.

So, yes sometimes you have a better chance if you are a 'bigger' party; however, I think as the guys mentioned - there really aren't tables for 3 (or at least it's very, very rare) so there really isn't any difference in requesting a table for 3 or 4.

 

[Corinne]

The drink cheaters thread was a complete joke... I was laughing my head off at the last post before it was closed.

LOL, they closed it??!! I posted on it. I am amazed at how incensed some people become over other people re-using their mugs from 1998!

 

[tmli]

Just to throw a wrench in your explanation.....I just called to book a table for 3 for clients....no availability. Call back for a table for 4, got them in 4 of the 6 required restaurants. Different family, call for 5....nothing...they are travelling on December 6!!.....call back for a table for 6, get them in 5 of the 6 wanted.

I feel bad for getting frustrated with the poor CM on the phone but it is simply insane!

 

[calypso*a*go-go]

I called yesterday to try and get a table for two @ Chefs de France and was fully prepared to call back and ask for a larger table if nothing was available...well, as luck would have it, there was a table for us and it was at 6pm which I thought would be impossible. So now I have what I want and a clear conscious.

 

[trivial]

Add me to the list of people who are sick of those preaching that this sort of thing is wrong/immoral/evil. If you have a problem with it, tell Disney to get their act together. Disney's system is obviously flawed, so why should we suffer for it? It's unfortunate if servers end up getting a lower tip, but they should be going after Disney and its flawed system, not their customers.

Personally, I'm shocked not only that Disney's system was designed like this in the first place, but also that they're apparently completely satisfied with it. What the heck, Disney?

 

[WaltD4Me]

Just to throw a wrench in your explanation.....I just called to book a table for 3 for clients....no availability. Call back for a table for 4, got them in 4 of the 6 required restaurants. Different family, call for 5....nothing...they are travelling on December 6!!.....call back for a table for 6, get them in 5 of the 6 wanted.

I feel bad for getting frustrated with the poor CM on the phone but it is simply insane!

That seems weird...I mean, there really aren't 5 top tables, wonder why calling back and saying there are 6 instead of 5 would matter...wouldn't they put 5 people at a 6 top anyway?

 

[Cool-Beans]

That seems weird...I mean, there really aren't 5 top tables, wonder why calling back and saying there are 6 instead of 5 would matter...wouldn't they put 5 people at a 6 top anyway?

Not if they can put 6 people at a table for 6.

I've called and said, "two" or "three" and been told there was nothing available. Call back immediately and said "four" and Bingo! Table available.

They want to fill every seat so that they get paid for each chair. It makes good business sense to lie to people and say that nothing is available...someone else who actually has four people will call and take that. They'll make more money. It's good business sense to lie and say you're a party of four. You get the table.

The problem for Disney (at least as I see it) is that while this makes sense at Chef Mickey's, where the dinner will always fill up, it does not make sense at places like Boma. Half the restaurant can be empty and they won't give you a table on the phone. If you walk up, no problem.

I've had the opposite issue, too. Walk up to Liberty Tree or Cape May and you're told they're booked solid for the day. Call on the phone, you get a table.

Sometimes walking up will work, sometimes it won't. Sometimes calling will work, sometimes it won't. You need a ton of experience with Disney to figure it out and even then you're unsure sometimes. It's crazy!

 

[WaltD4Me]

Interesting...ridiculous, but still interesting.

So basically if you are an odd number you might be stuck at eating at CS so that heaven forbid there isn't an empty chair at your table? And people actually get upset at YOU for having to call and add an imaginary person to the ADR in order to eat something besides burgers and chicken nuggets your entire trip?

I'm going in October and there are 5 of us. I got every ADR I wanted at the times I wanted, but I was up at 7am dialing away at the 180 mark.

 

[drakethib]

Not exactly, but from what I understand it's something like this. Picture a restaurant - there are maybe

25 tables that will seat a maximum of 2
35 tables that will seat a maximum of 4
10 tables that will seat a maximum of 6
5 tables that will seat a maximum of 8

If you are a party of 2 that calls for an ADR and all of those 25 tables that seat 2 are taken they will tell you nothing is available. They will tell you that even if 30 of the tables that will seat 4 are empty.
So, if you call back and say you are a party of 3 (or 4) they will happily give you an ADR blocking off a 4 top.

So, yes sometimes you have a better chance if you are a 'bigger' party; however, I think as the guys mentioned - there really aren't tables for 3 (or at least it's very, very rare) so there really isn't any difference in requesting a table for 3 or 4.

Wow that is pretty dumd on Disneys behalf.

Guess I will be a "liar" on future ADR's.

 

[robind]

It's unfortunate if servers end up getting a lower tip, but they should be going after Disney and its flawed system, not their customers.

You know I've heard this argument before and it's not even a valid argument. Maybe more so for people on the dining plan or at a buffet but, I waited tables for years and can tell you there were many, many times when a table of 2 will spend way more than a party of 2 adults and 2 kids eating off the childrens menu. If your tip is based on a % of the bill, I'd much rather have the couple who is having app's, drinks and wine that a family who is coming in having an entree and rushing to get out. Just my opinion.

 

[aGoofyMom]

Beware meals that are pre-paid!!!!

This past May I was booking for a group of 7. We got CRT for dinner but she told me I could only book for a group of 6 or a group of 8. I booked it for 8 thinking I would call back and reduce it to 7 later. When I reduced it to 7 they cancelled the entire ADR. I didn't notice this fact on the credit card bills clearly (missed the decimal point, thought they had credited one person not the whole thing!) so when we had the itinerary printed, I noticed it was missing. While we had the princesses of the party "boutiqued" DH went to guest services to find out what had happened to our ADR and managed to get us seated anyways. We had been reduced to a group of 6 by illness anyways.

It disturbed me that she refused to seat a group of 7 at all.

We are usually a group of 3 and haven't had many problems getting what we want for ADR's

 

[trivial]

It disturbed me that she refused to seat a group of 7 at all.

Wow, that's unbelievable. So if you have a group of 7 people going for a pre-paid meal, your only choice is to book and pay for 8?!?