Skipper Canteen ADR watch

[AngiTN]

confused....has it actually been confirmed that it will be walk-ups only on a permanent basis? Would be very surprised by this.

It's permanent as long as the test goes well. As with most all things at Disney, if it doesn't work, they'll change it. If it works, they won't.

I will mention we got in on 12/20, 2 hours before Wishes, no waiting at all. Well, maybe 5 min wait. Less of a wait to be seated there than at the locations where we had an ADR

 

[hygienejean]

I am surprised there is not much of a wait, especially during the busy Christmas season. Hoping to try it in Feb!

 

[cigar95]

confused....has it actually been confirmed that it will be walk-ups only on a permanent basis? Would be very surprised by this.

No plans in place to change the current approach, but almost nothing in life can be said to be permanent.

 

[wn01aa]

Weird that they don't allow the Dining Plan for Skippers. Maybe their goal is to attract those not on a dining plan to a sit down restaurant as they know those with a dining plan will probably make ADR's elsewhere leaving those without the dining plan and people offsite to come to the restaurant. Hard for people with ADR to change day of if they get in because of the cancellation no show policy ($10 per person which would be expensive for a larger group)

 

[AngiTN]

Weird that they don't allow the Dining Plan for Skippers. Maybe their goal is to attract those not on a dining plan to a sit down restaurant as they know those with a dining plan will probably make ADR's elsewhere leaving those without the dining plan and people offsite to come to the restaurant. Hard for people with ADR to change day of if they get in because of the cancellation no show policy ($10 per person which would be expensive for a larger group)

They do allow the dining plan at Skippers. They asked us if we were on it. They don't take TIW though.

 

[MakiraMarlena]

Nothing has been confirmed with permanence. All we know now is that for the foreseeable future, Skippers Cantina will not be taking ADRs.

The dining plans ARE accepted at Skippers Cantina.

 

[wn01aa]

They do allow the dining plan at Skippers. They asked us if we were on it. They don't take TIW though.

Thanks for that info. On the dining website it says "Dining Plans not accepted"

 

[MakiraMarlena]

Thanks for that info. On the dining website it says "Dining Plans not accepted"

The website is incorrect. Like it often is.

 

[wn01aa]

The website is incorrect. Like it often is.

Just checked and they have changed it again this morning to Some Dining Plans Accepted. Seems to be switching often right now

 

[Disneymucks]

No worries. We ate here two days ago and was not good at all, and we are adventurous eaters. Wouldnt waste an adr and wouldnt worry about the dinning plan.

 

[freshmanjs]

Not much of an update, but I just got off the phone with Disney Dining and the CM stated this restaurant will be strictly walk in for the foreseeable future.

Having said that, I think this is a terrible idea. Before the time of ADRs, the whole place was walk-in (or day-of reservations). The nice thing about those days, was that you didn't have to plan out your restaurants 6 months in advance and the restaurants weren't 2 hour walk-up waits. If this is the intention here, to make this restaurant 'more accessible' you either have to make *all* of the restaurants walk up, or none of them.

By making this restaurant walk up only - there will never be anything less than a 2 hour wait for dinner, throughout the park. Because Every. Single. Person. that was turned away at BOG, Liberty, CRT, even Tony's -- will flock here and jam up the line.

I like the idea of walk up reservations -- but only if the rest of WDW is similarly accessible. Without across the board accessibility to all restaurants -- this will be an unmitigated disaster.

We had lunch there on one of the busiest days of the year and had about a 10 min wait at 12:30. So, your 2 hour thing is a strawman.

 

[PirateFrank]

We had lunch there on one of the busiest days of the year and had about a 10 min wait at 12:30. So, your 2 hour thing is a strawman.

i would wait until things level out before you try to use one issolated experience to bust my theory. Your experience could very well be an outlier. Regardless, the main concern is dinner, not lunch. Like most people, I generally do quick service lunches - and *always* ADR a table service dinner.

something else that might be impacting this is the adr window combined with the cancelation policy. People generally have their plans solidified by now and are probably very hesitant to cancel an adr at say, bog or liberty tree - on the off chances that they might (or might not) get into The canteen. If the only way you can ensure a seating here, is to walk up, those with ADRs elsewhere are forced to eat the cancellation fee. Nice disney! Truth be told, this policy is a big fat middle finger to the planner guests they are trying to cultivate with 180-day dining windows and 60-day fastpass windows.

Like Ive said already - either all restaurants have to do it or none should do it. It's not good to have different classes of table service restaurants.

 

[freshmanjs]

i would wait until things level out before you try to use one issolated experience to bust my theory. Your experience could very well be an outlier. Regardless, the main concern is dinner, not lunch. Like most people, I generally do quick service lunches - and *always* ADR a table service dinner.

something else that might be impacting this is the adr window combined with the cancelation policy. People generally have their plans solidified by now and are probably very hesitant to cancel an adr at say, bog or liberty tree - on the off chances that they might (or might not) get into The canteen. If the only way you can ensure a seating here, is to walk up, those with ADRs elsewhere are forced to eat the cancellation fee. Nice disney! Truth be told, this policy is a big fat middle finger to the planner guests they are trying to cultivate with 180-day dining windows and 60-day fastpass windows.

Like Ive said already - either all restaurants have to do it or none should do it. It's not good to have different classes of table service restaurants.

I think it would be great if some of the TS places were walk up only. I hope they do more of this. If you want a guaranteed spot somewhere, make an ADR. How is the existence of another option stopping you in any way (let alone giving you the finger)?

 

[PirateFrank]

I think it would be great if some of the TS places were walk up only. I hope they do more of this. If you want a guaranteed spot somewhere, make an ADR. How is the existence of another option stopping you in any way (let alone giving you the finger)?

Because, as a general rule, you need to make an ADR to ensure a dinner inside the MK at a reasonable time. Therefore, The only way I can consider the canteen as 'another option' is if I cancel the safety net of my ADR outside of the cancelation window (48 hours, I believe) - or eat the cancelation fee.

It creates two separate classes of TS restaurants....and forces people who need to plan their ADRs, for one reason or another, into a particular category - and also excludes them from the other.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

It creates two separate classes of TS restaurants....and forces people who need to plan their ADRs, for one reason or another, into a particular category - and also excludes them from the other.

Right now, people planning ADRs are already separated into two separate classes. People planning trips with under 6 months lead time are already in a separate group. Not everyone plans trips a year ahead!

 

[freshmanjs]

Because, as a general rule, you need to make an ADR to ensure a dinner inside the MK at a reasonable time. Therefore, The only way I can consider the canteen as 'another option' is if I cancel the safety net of my ADR outside of the cancelation window (48 hours, I believe) - or eat the cancelation fee.

It creates two separate classes of TS restaurants....and forces people who need to plan their ADRs, for one reason or another, into a particular category - and also excludes them from the other.

Or consider it an alternative to other walk up spots (QSR). Yes, it forces you to choose walk up or ADR. So what?

 

[PirateFrank]

Right now, people planning ADRs are already separated into two separate classes. People planning trips with under 6 months lead time are already in a separate group. Not everyone plans trips a year ahead!

Not at all. The rules are the same for all guests. That's not two different classes of guest. You're confusing limitations brought on from personal choice (of when you book your vacation and ADRs). If you book within 6 months, you have to accept some limitations. Can you honestly say that Billy Joel is at fault, because you didn't buy your concert tickets before his concert sold out?

In the case of the skipper canteen, its different. The cancelation rules require people to either abandon an ADR 2 days out or pay a fine. All because the rules are applied differently. I don't know what their objective is here, but it does in fact penalize those that are already holding reservations elsewhere. You're actively creating a separate class of guest - and forcing anyone in the other class, to pay a penality (either by losing an adr, paying a cancelation fine or both) for entry.

Listen, I'm no proponent of the current ADR rules and I loath having to book a vacation meal 6 months out. But I accept the rules as they are and realize I have to play the game by them. This restructuring of this after the fact isn't cool, unless the playing field is leveled in some equitable way.

If disney wants to provide for people who do not plan ADRs at the 180 day mark, there are better ways to do it. For example - blocking off a certain percentage of the restaurants seats for day-of walkup reservations. That's certainly far more preferable than penalizing those that need to make ADR reservations for one reason or another.

 

[freshmanjs]

Not at all. The rules are the same for all guests. That's not two different classes of guest. You're confusing limitations brought on from personal choice (of when you book your vacation and ADRs). If you book within 6 months, you have to accept some limitations. Can you honestly say that Billy Joel is at fault, because you didn't buy your concert tickets before his concert sold out?

In the case of the skipper canteen, its different. The cancelation rules require people to either abandon an ADR 2 days out or pay a fine. All because the rules are applied differently. I don't know what their objective is here, but it does in fact penalize those that are already holding reservations elsewhere. You're actively creating a separate class of guest - and forcing anyone in the other class, to pay a penality (either by losing an adr, paying a cancelation fine or both) for entry.

Listen, I'm no proponent of the current ADR rules and I loath having to book a vacation meal 6 months out. But I accept the rules as they are and realize I have to play the game by them. This restructuring of this after the fact isn't cool, unless the playing field is leveled in some equitable way.

If disney wants to provide for people who do not plan ADRs at the 180 day mark, there are better ways to do it. For example - blocking off a certain percentage of the restaurants seats for day-of walkup reservations. That's certainly far more preferable than penalizing those that need to make ADR reservations for one reason or another.

How does it penalize you anymore than the fact that Columbia Harbour House doesn't take reservations? If you decide you want to eat there, you have the same exact problem. It's not a separate class of guests. All guests are treated exactly the same with regard to Skippers.

 

[PirateFrank]

Or consider it an alternative to other walk up spots (QSR). Yes, it forces you to choose walk up or ADR. So what?

No it doesn't.

It forces you to chose walk up or nothing. Youve already abandoned your ADR 2 days prior in the hopes that you might get in - and as a result, ADR is no longer an option. So its not that simple as one or the other.

 

[freshmanjs]

No it doesn't.

It forces you to chose walk up or nothing. Youve already abandoned your ADR 2 days prior in the hopes that you might get in - and as a result, ADR is no longer an option. So its not that simple as one or the other.

Huh???? It forces you to do walk up or nothing? You are no longer allowed to make ADRs???

The main point is it ***** IN NO WAY WHATSOEVER ***** reduces the options you have now. All it does is add a new option that you can freely choose not to use and just leaves you where you were before it opened. There is zero downside to you whatsover other than your choosing not to go there.