Should Disney get rid of ADR'S?

[pooch]

I think (just my guess here) most people who flew in rented a car and so had the ability to eat off property. I know, until 2006, that's what we did. I tell people all the time that Disney is a master at parting you from your money and making you think its for your convenience.

DME is brilliant! Its free so tons of people, including me, use it. But if you don't rent a car, you don't leave property which means you spend all your time (and money) at WDW, eating at their restaurants and shopping in their gift shops. My guess is the added revenues from that more than pay for the DME service. But its billed as a "perk" for us. It is but its also a money-maker for them. There's nothing altruistic about Disney.

I've drunk the koolaid (included in my DDP!!) and I happily fork over my money every year. But Disney is a business (gee haven't heard THAT one before) and their goal is capacity at all times. DME, DDP, ADR's all part of their evil plan!!!

 

[eliza61]

Ok so let's be fair is it truly a fair system?
Does it really benefit anyone or does it in fact cause more problems?

When I go on non- Disney vacations I don't pick my dining choices 90 days out? I go to the restaurant I just saw in the local area magazine with a great review. If i have to wait I wait. If I don't like the wait time I go somewhere else. Why is it so horrible to wait a few minutes. To take it easy and relax with the family on a bench or stroll around a gift-shop while you wait for you table to be ready?

?

I also think it's insane to have to try and figure out where to eat 6 months ahead.

but you know what. I double and triple book and I have no problem with it. Disney puts in the ridiculous system so I take advantage of it. I try to cancel when my plans get more concrete but until then I will continue to make 2 ressie a night.

I figure if disneys goal is to get maximum capacity, my goal is to ensure I eat where I want.

 

[pilferk]

Ok so let's be fair is it truly a fair system?
Does it really benefit anyone or does it in fact cause more problems?

When I go on non- Disney vacations I don't pick my dining choices 90 days out? I go to the restaurant I just saw in the local area magazine with a great review. If i have to wait I wait. If I don't like the wait time I go somewhere else. Why is it so horrible to wait a few minutes. To take it easy and relax with the family on a bench or stroll around a gift-shop while you wait for you table to be ready?

I'm not quite sure why it is so difficult to do at Disney. I mean does no one else find it insane that you can't walk up to Le Cellier?

Now granted there are some places I think ADR's are a necessity, like Character Dining or dining with shows like Hoop De Do.

What do you think? Would Disney be a better place dining wise if there were no ADRS?

Nope.

WDW isn't like other vacation destinations (typically cities). It's a closed system...ESPECIALLY since the implementation of Magical Express (which means many families are stuck on property....with no rental car...and are "slaves" to WDW transportation).

When I'm in Chicago, or LA, or NYC....if I walk up to a place and there's a 2 hour wait on a Friday night...I can walk 3 blocks, grab a cab and go 3 miles, or any other number of options in a huge place full of options. Supply FAR outstrips demand.

WDW doesn't have THAT many options. In this case, demand far outstrips supply. In that kind of setup...you have to have some sort of system to dole out supply...something other than "play the walk up lottery". Ultimately, no matter what system is in place, you're going to have people who get turned away.

And the ADR system has the added benefit of allowing Disney to plan THEIR needs...supply, staffing, etc.

Even with "no ADR's", there would be people who would take advantage of the system (and there are ways to do it). And you'd have MORE gridlock in, and around, the restaurants...which would benefit nobody.

 

[KeroKero]

I like the idea of ADR's, and while I do think they are necessary in a place the size of WDW with the amount of people passing in and out on a daily basis, I think 180 days booking in advance is wayy too much. I barely know what I want to eat tomorrow, yet alone 180 days from now.

 

[Virtucomp]

When I go to a popular city on vacation there are some restaurants that I cannot get into without a reservation. I don't have to make it 90 days in advance but I have to make it.

In Disney you have thousands of people confined to one park with restaurants that many want to go to. Without ADRs there would be waiting lists that quickly reach hours during peak times. The result would be a very negative feeling for anyone who walked up and was told there is a 2 hour wait.

The ADRs make it so you know you will be able to get a table without hours of waiting. I want to have a nice diner but I don't want to waste hours of my vacation in the park waiting for a table. I can't leave my name and wander off to Soarin while I wait for a table. That would be a madhouse.

So leave the ADRs alone. Maybe they could expand the seating on popular restaurants or cut down on the ADRs given so there are a few walkup tables available.

 

[pilferk]

What I don't understand is, 8-9 years ago you could get into most theme park dining by simply calling the morning you were headed to the park or going by the restaurant fairly early in the morning. Were there less people? I doubt it. Less hype is what I think. We stayed at the Contemporary for two weeks and ate at CM nearly every day without ADRs. Now, there's no way that would happen. Kinda sad I think. I don't mind planning my vacation but I think 90 days out for ADRs is enough.

Looking at attendance figures...there ARE more people than there were 8 - 9 years ago.

There's also been the introduction, and promotion, of the DDP.

There's also been the introduction, and promotion, of ME (which means you have more people without their own vehicle, staying on site).

There's also been the widespread promotion of ADR's, themselves, AND the introduction and promotion of on-line booking of those ADR's.

I also think (though I don't know) there are more "educated" WDW travelers today than there were 10+ years ago. I think people do more research (I know I have LOTS of conversations with co-workers, parents from within our school district and circle of friends, etc) on their trips, especially considering the expenditure, now.

Basically, there have been a BUNCH of factors to drive up demand. And supply has NOT increased at nearly the same rate. I mean...how many new TS restaurants have opened at MK? At DHS? At Epcot. NEW, not replacements/refurbs/reskins?

 

[MWGreene]

No way! The part I enjoy most is being able to plan ADR's and relax knowing when and where I will be eating.

 

[VeroBeach]

I think (just my guess here) most people who flew in rented a car and so had the ability to eat off property. I know, until 2006, that's what we did.

Before 2005 we either paid for Mears or a town car service - the Mears buses/shuttles were very full, so not everyone rented a car. The main issue with Mears is that they could make many non-WDW resort stops before reaching your destination.

 

[pilferk]

I guess I am in the minority but I absolutely despise the current ADR system. But I think it is brilliant marketing on the part of WDW. They have filled their restaurants and have people competing to pay for overpriced food. The people I feel sorry for are those who pay for the dining plan and them come to WDW only to realize that they can't eat at a table service restaurant anywhere. Not everybody is a Disney geek like those of us that frequent these boards and most people just don't realize how competitive eating on WDW property is.

To some extent...I feel bad for them.

But on the other hand....when we've booked our DDP, the CM always reminds us to make ADRs.

Heck, we called to modify an existing reservation and the CM asked if we had made our ADR's yet.

Disney seems to do a pretty good job of pushing that.

AND...if you're spending thousands of dollars on a vacation and don't do at least some cursory research...I start to feel a little less bad.

 

[pilferk]

Before 2005 we either paid for Mears or a town car service - the Mears buses/shuttles were very full, so not everyone rented a car. The main issue with Mears is that they could make many non-WDW resort stops before reaching your destination.

For sure, many folks did just that.

BUT...when you compare the cost of round trip Mears service for a family of 5 vs a rental car....suddenly there is some pause and consideration of value.

When you compare FREE transport to WDW for your family of 5 with the cost of a rental car....you pretty much remove the "pause".

Certainly not everyone, prior to DME, chose to rent a car when staying on site.

But I think we can agree that it's likely MORE people rented cars, then, than do now, since the advent of DME.

 

[diskids2]

NO way! I can't even imagine what it would be like in the summer when we go without ADRs. We just went to Montreal for 10 days and I booked reservations there as well...not 180 days out , but the week before and every time it was well worth it except for one night when we could have walked in.

 

[mill4023]

Nope. ADR's are a good thing. Depending on how far out you can plan, you might get what you want and you might not. But at least you know ahead of time so you can plan accordingly. I can't imagine showing up at the park and trying to get into a popular restaurant without a reservation.

But I do wish they would shorten the time frame. I think 90 days would be a good number.

 

[KevGuy]

I think ADR's are definately needed and a good thing. I'm thinking the OP didn't get an ADR they wanted and is letting off some steam lol.

 

[ModernArtist]

I think (just my guess here) most people who flew in rented a car and so had the ability to eat off property. I know, until 2006, that's what we did. I tell people all the time that Disney is a master at parting you from your money and making you think its for your convenience.

DME is brilliant! Its free so tons of people, including me, use it. But if you don't rent a car, you don't leave property which means you spend all your time (and money) at WDW, eating at their restaurants and shopping in their gift shops. My guess is the added revenues from that more than pay for the DME service. But its billed as a "perk" for us. It is but its also a money-maker for them. There's nothing altruistic about Disney.

I've drunk the koolaid (included in my DDP!!) and I happily fork over my money every year. But Disney is a business (gee haven't heard THAT one before) and their goal is capacity at all times. DME, DDP, ADR's all part of their evil plan!!!

Yup!

 

[Jenngoofys]

No Disney should not get rid of ADRs that would be insane!! The stampedes and how would Disney plan for guest? They need to plan staff and product.

For all the people who say "I dont know what I want to eat in 180 days" I have a simple solution for you.

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2773847

And to the people who book more than one ADR for a given day so they have a choice Shame on you!!! Why do you need to hog the ADRs Are you more important than everyone else? You prevent others from getting that reservation, and that is extremely RUDE!! Not to mention Selfish!! Learn some manners.

 

[palhockeymomof2]

Nope we enjoy planning out trip and one part of that planning is deciding what dining reservations we'd like to make

 

[disneyshakeygirl]

No way! There are so many reasons not to get rid of them, many of which have already been stated. One of the reasons I wouldn't want to get rid of them is because we have food allergies in the family. With the ADRs, they give us enough time to plan, make the reservations and coordinate with the restaurants. So, no, don't get rid of them.

 

[AmberHeartsDisney]

I like ADRS sometimes it is annoying tho.

 

[cluvsdisney]

It's sort of a necessary evil. With a lot of different issues in play.

Without ADRs there will be long lines at the restaurants with hard to get ADRs now. At some point, guests will have to be turned away and they are left to find alternatives. In a place like EPCOT, it's not that big a deal since there are so many restaurants in the park and the EPCOT resorts only a short walk away. But at MK, there are 3 sit down places 2 of which are pretty popular so it's likely a guest will have to leave the park to use up their pre-paid TS dining credit at the risk of losing park time or any type of time. Who wants to waste time going from restaurant to restaurant trying to score a table?

This could be a bigger deal to people with strong taste and time preferences. It will also be a little more difficult for kitchens to be prepared to handle food allergies since they won't know about it in advance.

They could go to making ADRs the day of only but then you are basically waiting on some type of line every single day on vacation.

Then there's the captive audience issue...so many guests use ME so they don't have the means to go off property to get a bite to eat unless they use a cab.

In other cities, there are tons of choices. Visitors are not limited to restaurants within a certain area and these places may have more transportaion options so it's easier to get around.

I live in NYC and while there are a lot of hard to get reservations, I can get a 6pm table for 2 at Daniel for this Saturday. One of the best restaurants in the city owned by a world renowned/award winning chef. Since I don't want to go there, there are dozens (100s) of restaurants I can get a table to have a really delicious meal at a restaurant with more menu options, better food at a better price/value then any of the 1TS restaurants in Disney.

 

[PIRATEGIRL007]

No

It would be a horrible business decision. Knowing how many tables are going to be full on any given night helps keep staffing costs and food costs (and waste) down. Having no ADR's would increase costs. Although some headliner restraunts would continue to be busy the cost would mostly be coming from those less popular restraunts (espically some at the resorts) and to make that bottom line $ to stay the same the incresases would come across the board and probably hit the more popular restraunts in a higher % as that would result in more profit to offset the losses.