I fail to understand how my eating at 5PM instead of 6PM hurts their profit margin. I'm not taking anyone's spot at 5PM because the restaurant is empty.
1) Theoretically, yes.
2) But, let's try a scenario, which if oft repeated.
. . . you make a 6:00pom ADR
. . . guest #2 would like a 6:00 ADR, but goes elsewhere since the 6:00 ADR's are gone.
. . . you slide into an open slot at 5:00pm
. . . the 6:00pm time slot goes empty
. . . sure, someone else might be seated, but unless the guest is a walk-in they already have an ADR
. . . so, the volume of ADR guests does not increase, but actually decreases
3) Remember, WDW is about filling tables and about profits.
4) Sure, people may not like it, but they have alternatives.
NOTE: Not trying to argue, just trying to explain the process and the reasoning behind it.
I need to point out that this is completely false information. Disney Dining "the ressie people" has the final say, not the manager.
1) Alas, the ressie people are just that, ressie people.
. . . many guests do not understand how the Disney Dining (aka, 'Ala Carte") ressie system works
. . . many guests do not know lots of the inner workings of WDW
2) Ressie people (at DRC's) are off-site in one of four locations (or working from their home as an independent contractor or work-at-home-MoM).
3) They have no influence over the restaurant managers.
. . . they can "promise" a guest almost anything they wish to get them off the phone
. . . the longer a guest stays on the phone, the less money the ressie CM's make
. . . in fact, they could loss a sizeable bonus if their sales-dollars-per-minute is below their quota (there are three different quota limits)
. . . they can note their comment on the computer ressie for the SEATER to view at the podium
. . . but, the CANNOT guarantee anything related to a ressie or ADR
. . .
you can read many posts on this website where "guaranteed" items were not granted
4) In fact, they do not even have an Override Code to slide someone into a sold out eatery. *
5) Another example of who controls the penalty:
. . . Sometimes the resort Concierge can reverse a penalty fee.
. . . When this happens, the Concierge has to note (explain) on the computer file why the reversal.
. . . The resort takes the "hit" for the fee, not the restaurant
. . . And, the resort only has a certain budget for comp's and allowances
. . . If we reverse too many penalties, we are called into the office and "counseled"
* Some of us do have an override code.
We can slide any group, of any size, into any restaurant, at any time, on any day.
The only exceptions are eateries that are truly capacity limited, such as HDDR, Luau, V&A.
Sure, when we do this, it pushes back other people with later ADR's, but this is business.
At CRT, sometimes there are 50-100 people beyond ADR capacity due to Overrides at a meal.
We do this mainly for ABC/DIS execs, Marketing Department guests, WDW managers, or Level-1 & Level-2 VIP's (but not Level-3)
This is sometimes one of the reasons for people not being admitted at their ADR at the ressie time.
