Ridiculous wait at Mama Melrose...

[Funfire240]

This was the only place we had trouble for our party of 9 in the first week of November. I understand you can end up with additional waits for a large party but we didn't have any problems any other places all week. Here we checked in at 2:20 for a 2:35 ADR (purposely booked an off time due to our group size). We weren't sat until about 3:15/3:20 range. Then service was super slow. We had Star Tours fastpass from 4-5 which I figured would be no problems. by 4:30 we were searching for our server for out bills and explained why we wanted the checks and to pay. Her response was oh well you have a grace period or just show them your restaurant receipt and they will let you in. We finally made it out of MM at 4:50 and raced over as 2 of the fastpasses expired at 4:55! That was our biggest disappointment. By the time we finished eating about 4:15 the kids were already restless and then another 40 minutes to get the checks and then get her to take the payments was torture! (although everyone did enjoy the food - just took a big chunk out of our day)

 

[3DisneyFanz]

Yes...

If its raining and they don't want to go back out in the rain they will camp out hoping the rain lets up (just like they do in the doorways of stores)

If its really hot out they will camp out to have AC and drinks

If its really cold out they will camp out for heat

They will camp out for a less crowded place to sit

They will camp out waiting for X event (especially if the restaurant has a view of it... think certain epcot restaurants right before illuminations.)

I guess I've just never had much desire to sit while we're at Disney. I can sit at home but if the elevator at work simulates ToT I'd be pretty freaked out. Of course since the ever dangerous benches are being phased out people may just be excited about finding a seat anywhere on property.

Come to think of it though I'm sure the folks at Spice Road in EPCOT would be ecstatic if people camped out there.

 

[supersnoop]

I guess I've just never had much desire to sit while we're at Disney. I can sit at home but if the elevator at work simulates ToT I'd be pretty freaked out. Of course since the ever dangerous benches are being phased out people may just be excited about finding a seat anywhere on property.

Come to think of it though I'm sure the folks at Spice Road in EPCOT would be ecstatic if people camped out there.

On days like Easter, Christmas, Independence Day, and New Years Eve, you really need to be inside your chosen park for the entire day. Any other day, we'd take an afternoon break back at the resort. But on these days, we'll schedule two or three table service restaurants where can get off our feet and rest for a while. If you're going to be in the park from 7AM until midnight, you're going to need some sort of a break.

 

[VandVsmama]

I've read all 10 pages of this thread. Some of you guys are really kind of attacking the OP. I think that the OP is justified in being upset. I would have been pretty upset, too, in that situation. My family tends to go to DL because it's closer to us than WDW. I've never had the OP's experience happen to us with our ADR's at any of the DL resort restaurants. Come on over to the west coast and give it a try on your next trip! It might be a nice change of pace.

 

[pullen]

We just had a Fantasmic lunch package dinner there today. 11:30 reservation for a party of 3. Checked in no more than 10 minutes early and were called by 11:30. We all very much enjoyed the whole experience. We were in and out within an hour. It's a ridiculous amount of food for $45 a person. We took close to half of it back to our room.

 

[Baklava]

Didn't ask them for anything, that was the point to the thread. Didn't know the guy at the front desk was the manager (there we r about 4-5 people there at any time). He is the one that gave me the fast pass, which just seemed like a slap in the face, HEY YOUR TIME ISN'T WORTH ANYTHING.

BTW MM defenders, why do you think they give out FastPasses???

Ahh, maybe because they are FREE????

So you're mad because you didn't ask for anything and they gave you something anyway and you wanted them to anticipate that a customer who had not asked for anything would want more.

A fastpass isn't a sign that your time isn't worth anything. A fastpass in a busy season can easily save you the hour you waited. He was offering you a way to regain the time you lost. He was attempting to compensate you in a manner that would give you back the one thing he could give back. If you wanted more you really needed to speak up. I am sorry, but you genuinely seem to have chosen the path you did because you wanted to continue to be angry. It's hard to have sympathy for that choice.

 

[Baklava]

Do people really camp out in restaurants at the park? You pay $100 to get in and then sit in a boring dumpy building for 2 hours? I know HS doesn't have much going for it now but it's still beyond my comprehension people would want to just sit at MM.

It's no sillier than going back to your hotel room for a break, really. It's a chance to get off your feet, out of the crowds and relax. Two hours seems excessive to me, but I definitely understand taking your time over a meal.

 

[larryz]

I think they should call it a "PWL".

Permission to wait in line.

Or, in keeping with the ride trend, call it a "FP+"...

 

[larryz]

For all of those saying that you would want the restaurant to only take 80% reservations and then if they don't get backed up that day take walk ups:

Would you really want that? Would you really want to be shut out of getting an ADR to be able to eat at your favorite place to have walkups manage to get it because they happened to show up at the right time? Personally I would rather have the ADR and if there is a bit of a wait have the decision be mine if I eat there or not instead of being shut out.

Again the above assumes a place that runs on time 9 out of 10 nights but occasionally gets back logged. Not somewhere like Ohana that from reports here seems to run backlogged by 6 PM more often then it doesn't.



I didn't read all the other posts only a few after this but what would really happen if disney started doing this is on really busy nights it would become an "insider trick" to wait at the table an extra 15-20 min. Why because on a slammed night the lines outside are long. That ride you really want to go on has a longer line then that and doesn't come with a seat and drinks. So wait 15-20 extra minutes and you have a good shot of getting a fast pass just for leaving! This would probably make the system worse. It sounds like a good idea. Just like the GAC system did, until there was such abuse that it no longer worked as designed. The same would happen here, only faster.

Chess players have a system to keep games as short as possible within reasonable limits...

Give the servers 15 minutes and the diners one hour. The server hits the diner button every time they visit the table, and the diners hit their server button whenever they want or need something. When everyone's out of time, the meal's over.

Times can be adjusted slightly for very busy seasons. If the server runs out of time, the table gets free desserts.

 

[Baklava]

Chess players have a system to keep games as short as possible within reasonable limits...

Give the servers 15 minutes and the diners one hour. The server hits the diner button every time they visit the table, and the diners hit their server button whenever they want or need something. When everyone's out of time, the meal's over.

Times can be adjusted slightly for very busy seasons. If the server runs out of time, the table gets free desserts.

Who is responsible for kitchen time?

 

[kaytieeldr]

Yes the people staying in the restaurant longer makes sense. But, Disney with all their IT/tracking info should know this from YEARS of experience

That might work if WDW were visited by the same guests on the same days eating at the same restaurants at the same times year after year. The economy changes, WDW changes events...

Didn't ask them for anything, that was the point to the thread. Didn't know the guy at the front desk was the manager (there we r about 4-5 people there at any time). He is the one that gave me the fast pass, which just seemed like a slap in the face, HEY YOUR TIME ISN'T WORTH ANYTHING.

BTW MM defenders, why do you think they give out FastPasses???

Ahh, maybe because they are FREE????

How about to compensate for situation they can't - until time machines are perfected - go back and change, especially when faced with a guest whose expectations they're expected to mind-read?

Of course they could have offered the next nights Fansasmic

Didn't you attend the late Fantasmic! that same night? With guests designing their own visits, as opposed to a cruise with a fixed length of stay, how can management be expected to know whether a guest will even be in the state the next night?

Were your plans to attend the early show part of the Fantasmic! Dining Package? Or was it self-designed? If the former, it's extremely surprising you were allowed to book such a late dinner as part of that package.

 

[larryz]

Who is responsible for kitchen time?

Considering it's Italian food, and Disney, just about everything is parcooked or comes out of a pot.

Let's just say for simplicity's sake that the kitchen has to serve within 20 minutes of the start of the diner's clock, which starts when the server takes the order.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Chess players have a system to keep games as short as possible within reasonable limits...

Give the servers 15 minutes and the diners one hour. The server hits the diner button every time they visit the table, and the diners hit their server button whenever they want or need something. When everyone's out of time, the meal's over.

Times can be adjusted slightly for very busy seasons. If the server runs out of time, the table gets free desserts.

You should open a restaurant with concept and let us know how it works.

Timed chess is a version of chess, usually used in tournaments, and the players or tournament leader select/s the interval. Speed chess is another version.

 

[Baklava]

You should open a restaurant with concept and let us know how it works.

Timed chess is a version of chess, usually used in tournaments, and the players or tournament leader select/s the interval. Speed chess is another version.

It should be on the Chesapeake Bay.

 

[steves100]

I've read all 10 pages of this thread. Some of you guys are really kind of attacking the OP. I think that the OP is justified in being upset. I would have been pretty upset, too, in that situation. My family tends to go to DL because it's closer to us than WDW. I've never had the OP's experience happen to us with our ADR's at any of the DL resort restaurants. Come on over to the west coast and give it a try on your next trip! It might be a nice change of pace.

Thanks for the support : )

 

[disneyseniors]

I say this as gently as possible... You asked what people would have done. You deliberately solicited opinions and now you're upset that people are giving them. Is it possible that maybe you're over reacting a little?

I think that they should have offered a profound apology, a voucher for the later Fantasmic and yes, the fast pass was a nice touch.

I would be annoyed at the wait. I would probably be a pest about "when will we be seated?" I would expect the manager to fix the Fantasmic problem. If it was an isolated incident I would chalk it up to a bad night and let it go.

What fantasmic problem? I' m confused. A lot of posters think the OP had a fantasmic package with MM. Did she every specify that? It sounded to me like she had planned on getting to the earlier showing and made their reservation at a too late time to actually make it?! I have made fantasmic MM reservations before and always set them up for at least 2 hours before the showing. Something can always come up, esp. with the thousands of people at WDW, and at the popular fantasmic shows. I can't understand making a ADR for an hour before the showing? So, IF that is the case then it is on her for making the ADR too close to show time. It was never made clear whether she had a package with MM or she only wanted to get to the early show? Just my thoughts!

 

[disneyseniors]

I was starting to think it was just me. Or that things had gotten better since our last visit. Because we never ate there without a really long wait.

We've only eaten there twice as a package for fantasmic. We got the latest fantasmic reservation of 3:30pm and had plenty of time to get to the first showing. We got lucky, apparently, that we never had to wait over 15 min at the most to be seated with our adr's. I don't know if that is because people only post to complain or we just got lucky???? ya never know

 

[steves100]

What fantasmic problem? I' m confused. A lot of posters think the OP had a fantasmic package with MM. Did she every specify that? It sounded to me like she had planned on getting to the earlier showing and made their reservation at a too late time to actually make it?! I have made fantasmic MM reservations before and always set them up for at least 2 hours before the showing. Something can always come up, esp. with the thousands of people at WDW, and at the popular fantasmic shows. I can't understand making a ADR for an hour before the showing? So, IF that is the case then it is on her for making the ADR too close to show time. It was never made clear whether she had a package with MM or she only wanted to get to the early show? Just my thoughts!

What are you talking about only 1 hour before????
ADR was for 5:10 Fantasmic was 7:30!

Plenty of time

 

[Catvondita]

I've read all 10 pages of this thread. Some of you guys are really kind of attacking the OP. I think that the OP is justified in being upset. I would have been pretty upset, too, in that situation. My family tends to go to DL because it's closer to us than WDW. I've never had the OP's experience happen to us with our ADR's at any of the DL resort restaurants. Come on over to the west coast and give it a try on your next trip! It might be a nice change of pace.

I see a lot of people agreeing with OP but I think the people who seem like they are attacking him/her is because OP seems to be throwing a tantrum bit like a child.

 

[steves100]

I see a lot of people agreeing with OP but I think the people who seem like they are attacking him/her is because OP seems to be throwing a tantrum bit like a child.

How exactly am I having a tantrum????

I DID NOTHING at MM. I did NOT go to Guest Relations!

Please!!!