Should Disney get rid of ADR'S?

[jeepsrj]

When I go to Disney and by the way that is every YEAR, it is usually 4 adults, and a big part of our amazing time spent there is enjoying the different food. Now dont' get me wrong we love the parks themselves and all the characters and attractions, but we most definatley LOVE the dining experience, so the ADR's are a must so we can make sure we get to eat at all our favorite places we only get to eat at once a year....

 

[mom2rtk]

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.

I guess that depended on when you went. We planned a trip last minute (a few weeks out) the summer of 04 (so 7 years ago) and stayed IN the Contemporary. We tried every single day to get and ADR to get in there any time during our stay.......... and no go. We walked through there every day on our way to the monorail and saw everyone eating there but we couldn't. My answer was to plann further out for the next trip.

There are lots of reasons ADR's are harder than before, not the least of which is that more moms work so families are more accustomed to eating out than ever before.

For those who want to go back to 60 or 90 days, what you're really saying is that those of us who plan ahead should just hold off and wait so more people have a shot at the ADR's we want. That just doesn't seem right to me.

 

[PIRATEGIRL007]

I'm pretty sure you can thank the Disney Dining Plan for that one. I wish I was there for those days you speak of, but I didn't take my first trip to Disney till 2004.

I blame the internet more than the DDP. Now information on all the restraunts including thier full menus is available in a few clicks. You can read reviews on here and find out that you must try the cheddar cheese soup at Le Cellier or you will not have a good trip. You can compare prices and get the best value for your monet, etc. All months before your trip back in the dinosaur ages before the internet you had to rely on info in guidebooks (which were much more limited and outdated that the ones nowadays), or from the 407-WDW-DINE number, which as many still know today can be way off from actual reality. The increased use of the internet and instant communication have increased the ability to share news with hundreds of thousands of Disney visitors daily and has increased in more ADR's being made.

Also DME is a huge contributor as others have mentioned. Disney figured out if out if you keep us on property we will spend and eat on property.

 

[WTDing]

We did walk-up twice to Le Cellier (Lunch) on our last trip.

Just wanted to say that we did this also on our last trip in June.

 

[Jabba20000]

Actually I like making the ADR's and planning my vacation out ahead of time. I do it no matter where I plan a vacation. While I don't mind waiting for a table in a restaraunt I even make my reservations for a date night several weeks in advance to make sure I get to eat where I want. I would be sad if WDW got rid of ADR's.

 

[Disneyhayes]

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?

wait a few minutes? That's a joke right? You would waste at least an hour and thats not time I am willing to take out of my vacation on top of eating. I made my ADRs 180 days in advance and have changed them multiple times and still have gotten great times.

 

[wcpamotm]

DDP and DME have been addressed, but nobody has yet mentioned the third part of Disney's devious plan to keep guests "imprisoned" on property: the admission ticket price structure.

"so you want to see Harry Potter or Shamu for a day? Why would you want to blow $80 per person on that when for $5 you can have another Disney day!"

 

[FlightlessDuck]

I think they should do a better job at policing people who book multiple ADRs around the same time. Besides that, I think it's fine.

 

[DRDISNEYMD]

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.

Two words










~ Free Dining.

 

[LuluLovesDisney]

I am not a huge fan of what the free dining has done to the restaurants and some of the changes that have resulted from cut backs/the economy, etc. However, I think Disney has some amazing restaurants and they NEED ADRs in order to avoid 3-4 hour waits and possible fights. Imagine 100 little princesses and their families running up to CRT wanting a table, with no ADRs! What I think is amazing about WDW is that there are enough restaurants that whenever I needed a walkup, I was always able to find one quickly. Maybe not Le Cellier, but always something decent - Tokyo Dining, Nine Dragons, The Plaza, Liberty Tree Tavern, 50s Prime Time, Kona Cafe, etc. When I go to the beach here in NJ for vacation, there are certain restaurants that need a reservation or you could have 3-4 hour waits and if you get there after a certain time, you won't be able to get a table at all. I don't think the powers that be in Disney would really like that as they don't gain anything from people being in one place (not a shop) that long. People also tend to lose their cherub-like demeanor waiting for anything that long, ESPECIALLY on their vacation!

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

Personally my family and I are not the type that knows where we will want to be eating 180 days before we arrive at Walt Disney World. In fact sometimes at the last minute we might change our minds and eat somewhere else, so we don't like to be tied down to a schedule. That's basically why we have never purchased the Disney Dining Plan or Free Dining if it was available for our dates. Now because we stay Club Level we can get by with the food offerings available in the lounge, plus since we always have a car we can go to any restaurant in Orlando without making reservations 180 days in advance or Quick Service locations like Earl of Sandwich. So we never go hungry and that has always worked for us.

As for the question should WDW get rid of ADR's I say no because it's obvious that a lot of people on Disboards like to make them and just because we don't what others do doesn't effect us.

 

[MrsLS]

I do. I make reservations for other vacations such as Vegas and London as soon as I can, sometimes that does mean 6 months in advance if I want to specifically eat at a certain restaurant. I do that at home too for my favorite/popular restaurants that are hard to get into.
So no, I don't think they should do away with the ADR system.

 

[mcd2745]

I don't think they should eliminate ADRs entirely - everyone's right, it will be pure choas. However, the 180-day thing is ridiculous. Park hours/schedules are not always out by that timeframe. Keep ADRs, but change the window from 180 days to 45 days for on-site guests and 30 days for off-site guests.

 

[disneychic]

No. As others have mentioned --without ADR's there would be chaos. Can you imagine thousands of people walking up to restaurants all over property at the height of breakfast, lunch and especially dinner? Think how angry people would be if they had to waste 2-3 hours of precious park time sitting around waiting to get a table.

 

[sydneysmom]

DDP and DME have been addressed, but nobody has yet mentioned the third part of Disney's devious plan to keep guests "imprisoned" on property: the admission ticket price structure.

"so you want to see Harry Potter or Shamu for a day? Why would you want to blow $80 per person on that when for $5 you can have another Disney day!"

Disney's a business... of course they're not going to encourage you to go to see Ol' Harry or Shamu. But the whole "imprisoned" thing, I don't agree with. It's implying that no one has a choice. Mickey's not holding a gun to anyone's head or wallet.

If you want to go off site, rent a car at the airport. Disney's not MAKING anyone take advantage of DME. It's there should you CHOOSE to participate.

If you want variety in restaurants, don't get the dining plan. Again, they do not MAKE anyone pick the dining plan. They make it easier to CHOOSE to add the dining plan, but again, they don't make you. You can always take the rental car to an offsite restaurant. ADR's keep everything organized and keeps waiting times to a relative minimum. Without ADR's, you'd be waiting 2-3 hours for a table. I'm sorry, not even Space Mountain is worth that wait.

The ticket structure.... it's not just Disney. I did actually price out going to Universal for one day so we could go to Harry Potter. WELL...... the cost for 2 adults and 1 child for 1 day / 2 park tickets plus the food option came out to $ 449.47 !!! for one freaking DAY!! It's not exclusive for Disney. Universal Orlando priced themselves into "gee that's totally stupid" zone....I'm not paying $ 450.00 for one day. So yes, I'll keep my multi day park hopper for Disney. Because it's a value compared to Harry Potter ! (don't get me wrong, I love Harry....just not that much )

Disney hotel prices.... no one's complained about that yet..... but to address that....there's plenty of places to stay off site. With said rental car. Going to offsite restaurants. What it comes down to is this. There are a bazillion options for EVERY budget. It just depends on what your budget is and how involved in the Disney experience you choose to be. If you don't like DP, DME , the tickets, the hotels......then you can CHOOSE not to get any of them. Just saying.

 

[mcd2745]

For those who want to go back to 60 or 90 days, what you're really saying is that those of us who plan ahead should just hold off and wait so more people have a shot at the ADR's we want. That just doesn't seem right to me.

Why not? The person who books their vacation 10 months in advance... is their money any greener than the money of the person who booked their vacation 4 months in advance and therefore they should be entitled to more? And it doesn't limit anyone's ability to plan...actually it gives you more time to plan!

And this isn't coming from someone who booked late and is bitter that they didn't get what they wanted. I booked approx 8 months out and did all my ADRs at 180 days (+10), getting everything I wanted. I just think there is no logical reason for 180 days - for guests or Disney. First, there is just the conceptual idea that it's ridiculous to book a meal that far in advance. And secondly, there is the practical aspect that it is just not optimal to book meals before park schedules are finalized.

 

[pepe of ohio]

We've done 44 trips to WDW and have never, nor will use a dining plan, paid for or free......do not like scheduled meals made 3 months before we go....about the only ADR's we do make are for the HDDR and Yachtmans......back in the day.....walk in's were easy, and calling day of was simple.....to me it's the dining plan they ought to get ride of.....alot of people state they would only vacation to Disney when it's offered....

Even whe you made ADR we've seen tons of guests waiting outside of a restaurant....waiting to be let in and seated...any they all had ADR's...no thanks...we find enough places to eat at WDW without ADR's and don't let our vacation we ruled by food.....even if it's CS.....it's what we like and want....we've found over the years...most TS, so called signature restuarants meals to be not worth the effort....

 

[Dan Murphy]

It's probably been mentioned, but, if not...the 'free' dining offers have really exasperated the dining experience at Disney. So as to hopefully get full rapidly escalating rack rates at the resorts and equally so park tickets prices, they couple them for most months of the year with 'free' dining offers. They raise the prices on the meals to also stratospheric levels. Guests see the meal prices, figure the 'free' dining is a good deal and sign on. Disney, to further profit (nothing wrong for a business to makes profits), lowers the dining quality and meal choices for a now somewhat captive and guaranteed customer, the 'free' dining people. The 'free' dining people, trying to maximize their 'deal', spend much of the vacation eating and traveling to or from restaurants. It becomes self fulfilling.

 

[jenrose66]

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?

I think so. I'm tired of ADR's. It's hard to know what you want to eat...and lately I haven't been planning my trips very far out. We just booked our trip for this September about a month ago...I booked my trip in 2010 only 2 months before going mostly due to getting the best airfare. The trip before that I booked 11 weeks before. It would be nice to be able to go to a restaurant and get a table.

For this trip I'm taking DS for the first time. I really wanted to take him to a character meal. Chef Mickey's was my first choice, followed by Crystal Palace. For our entire 6 days there is not a breakfast, lunch, or dinner with availability. I was able to get a ressie for Hollywood and Vine but it's only for 2 people. When I tried to make an ADR for 3 people (the actual size of our party) it said we may be seated at different tables which is ridiculous.

Sit down meals are expensive. If I knew I could go to a restaurant, have a reasonable wait to be seated (30 min or less) and have a nice, non rushed dining experience, I would spend the extra money and do sit down. Because that is not the case we just stick to QS and snacks.

 

[trainingupmy4princes]

Does anyone remember back in the early 80's (I was there for the first time in 1983), when they had a line at Epcot that you got into and you waited for a spot at a bank of television screens. Each screen was a reservations agent with a "skype" type set up - they could see and hear you, you could see and hear them - and they would set up your dining reservations for the day as soon as you came into the park! It was a cool concept at the time (pre-computer days), but it took a long time as I recall to get through that line.....

I also think the always full restaurants also has more to do with changes in people's lifestyles. When we were kids, no one ate out except for some big occasion. Then as we got older, it was typical to go out maybe once a week. Now people eat out all the time and it's a normal way of life. Hardly anyone even cooks! So perhaps "back in the day", people brought in their own food more, went back to their rooms and ate, ate at counter service more and just did maybe one or two TS meals as their big treat. I don't think people see it the same way anymore. We have a TS meal planned for every day, and sometimes two in a day.

Restaurant dining has changed too - there's a ton more choice and higher quality food than say 20 years ago. With all that choice, it's all the more fun to go out. So much to try that we don't want to miss out. Moroccan food, Indian food, amazing seafood prepared all kinds of new ways, fancy desserts, etc. All that was much more limited say 20 years ago.

I remember my dad standing in line at the big ball when I was a kid. The problem is he missed the first hour with us my mom would take us to go see things. Do I want to miss the first hour which is the best time to see things and when my kids are at their most excited? So w hile ADR's are a pain I would rather them than the alternative.