Ridiculous wait at Mama Melrose...

[TeachTink]

We had reservations for a party of 2 and they were running about 30 minutes behind. That was December 4th. Also, the food was mediocre and mine had a hair in it. We won't be going back.

 

[eeyoreandtink]

But I thought ADRs were for the "next available seating." Forcing a party of 3 to wait longer than a party of 6 with a later ADR seems to run counter to good customer service...

Nope, it's smart economics. You don't sit a party of 3 at a 6 top leaving 3 empty seats. I don't know of any restaurant that does. If they operated that way, they wouldn't stay in business long. It isn't an efficient use of resources.

 

[GaryDis]

FWIW, we had Thanksgiving dinner reservations at a restaurant in Provincetown, and were seated promptly at a 4-seater, even though there were just two of us, and they did have 2-seat tables (all occupied). So it does happen. But they knew what their obligation was to us, and had tight control on the number of reservations they made.

Some more points:

A number of people have pointed out that reservations at Disney aren't real reservations. That's good to know, but not helpful to the OP, nor a justification of Disney's approach. They made a conscious name change from "priority seating" to "advanced dining reservations." I see nothing on their dining FAQ saying that reservations aren't really reservations. If they didn't mean it, they shouldn't have changed the name. Conversely, if they do mean, it's their job to implement a system that works. Saying "this is the system we have" isn't an excuse.

Some people have asked "what would you have liked them to do (or how could they have compensated you)." This is an understandable question, but it puts the customer into an unfair position. Most people don't have enough experience with screwed up dining reservations to know what's fair, let alone come up with it while they're stressed out just trying to eat in time to get to their next planned event. The best answer I can come up with is "Publish a policy on their reservation page, before people actually select a restaurant, explaining what the reservation guarantees, and what to expect if you're not seated within a reasonable time." It's what the airlines do. Granted, the airlines had to be regulated into doing that, but a customer-focused company like Disney ought to set the lead, not be a follower.

Some people said a FP+ for the party was reasonable compensation. Who decides what's reasonable? Gong back to the airlines, if they bump you can't get you there within an hour of your scheduled arrival time, you get double your money back. With a meal, the timing may be different, but I'd think that if you're not seated within 30 minutes, you should get half off your meal. Sixty minutes, then the entire meal is gratis plus an additional free meal at a comparable restaurant. Why isn't this more reasonable than a FP+?

Finally, many people have said they can't stop people from hanging out. Sure they can! It's their restaurant. They can do it in the same way people have suggested is adequate compensation: If they see they're getting backlogged, and tables aren't paying their check or are still sitting after having paid their check, a manager can come over and tell people "Normally, we'd love to have you stay. But we're really busy tonight. We'd like to offer you a special FP+, good at any ride at any of the parks, if you could kindly free up the table in the next few minutes." How can offering the FP+ to people who've already eaten be any worse than offering it to the people who've been made to wait an hour?

 

[supersnoop]

But I thought ADRs were for the "next available seating." Forcing a party of 3 to wait longer than a party of 6 with a later ADR seems to run counter to good customer service...

You know that a party of six checked in after the OP, but that doesn't necessarily mean they had a later ADR.

 

[TeresaWen]

Does that mean get in the 20-minute-long line 15 minutes early, or try to be at the podium 20 minutes early?

Excellent question. My thoughts were the suggestion to arrive 15 minutes before the ADR time was to account for a long checkin line.

 

[MakiraMarlena]

Walt Disney World is not the real world. Restaurants don't operate the same way they do in your hometown. That said, an hour wait with an ADR is egregious, even at WDW. If the OP didn't like what compensation he was offered by the restaurant manager, his recourse at WDW was to go to Guest Services. Of course, that does not mean that he would get any more in the way of compensation from Guest Services.

Maybe he would have gotten the meal comped, we will never know because he didn't go to Guest Services. But with Disney they would most likely not comp the meal AND pay for an additional meal.

And Disney does not ask guests to leave. They just do not do that. If someone thinks they should, they should tell Guest Services that the policy needs changing.

 

[Disneylover99]

Walt Disney World is not the real world. Restaurants don't operate the same way they do in your hometown. That said, an hour wait with an ADR is egregious, even at WDW. If the OP didn't like what compensation he was offered by the restaurant manager, his recourse at WDW was to go to Guest Services. Of course, that does not mean that he would get any more in the way of compensation from Guest Services.

The OP would probably get even more fp's at Guest Relations.

 

[nco91590]

An hour is a ridiculous wait time. I would have been pretty ticked too if I had waited that long for an already scheduled dinner. But I would never have waited that long either. I would have spoken to a manager to cancel the reservation package and grabbed a QS before Fantasmic or walked over to the Boardwalk for dinner.

I can totally understand being annoyed and mad....but waiting 55 minutes is on you dude. Most people would have been proactive about the situation not just stew over it. And typing IN CAPS ON THE INTERNET MEANS YOU ARE YELLING.

 

[kaytieeldr]

#3. THE STAFF IS UNDER PRESSURE!!!! YOU GOT TO BE KIDDING ME!!. This is their job!!!! I AM ON VACATION!!!

You and 99% or so of the other people in line are on vacation. Only your universe revolves around you. Any restaurant or business needs to consider all its customers.

We had NO issue ANYWHERE!!!! Except MM. I have let it go a

No. You havent.

I get why you were upset, anyone would have been. It sucks that you had to wait so long and miss Fantasmic.

They didn't miss Fantasmic! They missed the show they expected to attend. Getting in line the recommended 15 minutes before the ADR time may or may not have gotten them in and out of the restaurant in time.

If you guys defend waiting 1 hour for a table you really don't get it. THIS IS THE REASON THEY HAVE ADRs!
I don't want to hear this BS check in 15 minutes early! NO WHERE IN THE WORLD DO YOU GET TO A RESERVATION 15 MIN EARLY! IT'S A RESRRVATION!!!!

No, it's an ADR. Yes, that includes the word reservation, but if it were an actual, specifically timed reservation it would be called that.

Disney will have no problem charging you if you don't make a reservation, the least they can do is seat someone within 1 hour of it!

Again, you did not have your interpretation of a reservation.

FWIW, we had Thanksgiving dinner reservations

Great. What the OP had was effectively Extreme Call Ahead seating.

 

[Gracie09]

f you guys defend waiting 1 hour for a table you really don't get it. THIS IS THE REASON THEY HAVE ADRs!
I don't want to hear this BS check in 15 minutes early! NO WHERE IN THE WORLD DO YOU GET TO A RESERVATION 15 MIN EARLY! IT'S A RESRRVATION!!!!

Well, technically, it IS NOT A RESERVATION. Sorry, but you really have nothing to complain about.
Apparently OP is now angry that not many people agreed with him. He has not been back.

I've waited an hour (or more) past my reservation for some restaurants in nyc and Nola. It happens

 

[maxiesmom]

I've waited an hour (or more) past my reservation for some restaurants in nyc and Nola. It happens

And what did you get for compensation????

 

[Gracie09]

And what did you get for compensation????

The ability to eat dinner and pay for it. Maybe they comped me a glass of wine but nothing worth noting.

 

[AddictedtoDoleWhip]

Wow. I think its time to let this go.
It sucks when things don't go as quickly as you want them but they did compensate you. Things happen.

 

[mummabear]

We had this at literally every single ADR over 14 days last trip (this Nov) 30minute + wait past our ADR time. I was furious. We were on the dining plan so couldn't really walk away from the booking. I don't understand they have our phone number why would they not contact to advise they are running late, if we showed up that late we would have lost our reservation and been charged.

 

[mummabear]

And if they HAD started throwing people out to clear tables, one of them would have come here to complain about "being rushed."

IMO the issue is that Disney is overbooking their restaurants.

 

[TeresaWen]

Disney has a vast amount of data on our habits at their disposal. Hopefully they are doing something with it to make improvements.

but it will never bean exact science. Two couples who have not seen each other in a while will linger longer over dinner then a couple with children anxious to get to their next attraction. And an hour wait seated in a lounge with a drink and an appetizer is vastly different than an hour standing outside with a pager and a few hungry children.

Merry Christmas!

 

[maxiesmom]

We had this at literally every single ADR over 14 days last trip (this Nov) 30minute + wait past our ADR time. I was furious. We were on the dining plan so couldn't really walk away from the booking. I don't understand they have our phone number why would they not contact to advise they are running late, if we showed up that late we would have lost our reservation and been charged.

As another poster has mentioned, it is not an exact science. What would you do if they did call, and you decided to get on another ride, and 2 minutes in they were trying to call that a table had opened up and you needed to get there asap? They don't want to be in the position of holding tables for someone who is at Spaceship Earth and on their way to Le Ceiller. None of us need those tables sitting empty for guests who are on their way.

 

[Dug720]

You know that a party of six checked in after the OP, but that doesn't necessarily mean they had a later ADR.

Exactly. That party of 6 could have checked in at the requested 15 minutes ahead of the ADR time, not gotten in line 5 minutes before,.

 

[RhodyChief]

I posted my thoughts about it earlier, but this is all I can think of as the debate goes on.

 

[maxiesmom]

I posted my thoughts about it earlier, but this is all I can think of as the debate goes on.

I've had the same thing happen at Disney resorts. Twice. It is annoying, but no reservation system is perfect.