Table Service - turned away!

[kentear]

I was at WDW 5/2-4 on a business trip. A few people from the conference went to Epcot one day after the session at about 4:30. They tried to get into the Marrakesh Restaurant in Morocco.

However, the cast member who greeted them at the door said that unless they had Advanced Dining Reservations, they could not seat them. The restaurant was open for business and there were guests milling about. However, it wasn't that busy to suggest they were full all night with guests. Anyone know what was going on last week?

I hope that you don't need to make ADR for September during the free dining plan promotion. I read the FAQ and it said you didn't but this was REALLY weird to me.

Thoughts?

 

[rie'smom]

If you plan to eat Table service and are going during free dining,you'd be wise to make ADRs. Disney might say that you don't need to but people are turned away all the time because of no ADRs. It will be wild at the restaurants during free dining.

 

[crdshrk007]

yes, I would make them now

here is how my talk went the other day with the wdw person when I called to make mine.


I said hoop dee doo revue.......... she said SOLD OUT
I said crystal palace .................. she said SOLD OUT
I said ohanas........................... she said SOLD OUT
I said cap n jacks...................... she said SOLD OUT

I am going sept 15th - 23rd. She checked all week for me.
Yes there was some times she could get me in, but eating dinner
at 8 or 9 at night wasnt for me.

 

[bicker]

It is really important to have advance reservations if you want to have your choice of where and when to eat... no question!

 

[larkles]

When we made our reservations for June 3-9 thru AAA last week they said we HAVE to make ADR's. There was no choice- HAVE to!

When I called to get reservations they are sold out at WCC and Ohana every night we requested
I'm still trying and hoping for cancellations although if folks cancel the same way people RSVP for kids b-days, I may be out of luck

 

[bookgirl2632]

I hope that you don't need to make ADR for September during the free dining plan promotion. I read the FAQ and it said you didn't but this was REALLY weird to me.

Thoughts?

Trust me, you need to make them...now!

 

[AJKMOM]

I hope that you don't need to make ADR for September during the free dining plan promotion. I read the FAQ and it said you didn't but this was REALLY weird to me.

Thoughts?[/QUOTE]

I didn't read the FAQ's, but wonder why it would say you don't need reservations during the Free Dining Promo? Some Web Master somewhere should change that, it's bad advice, IMO.

We are going to purchase the dining plan in January, and I am already working on the schedule so I can call in July for reservations.

 

[Carrieannew]

yes, I would make them now

here is how my talk went the other day with the wdw person when I called to make mine.


I said hoop dee doo revue.......... she said SOLD OUT
I said crystal palace .................. she said SOLD OUT
I said ohanas........................... she said SOLD OUT
I said cap n jacks...................... she said SOLD OUT

I am going sept 15th - 23rd. She checked all week for me.
Yes there was some times she could get me in, but eating dinner
at 8 or 9 at night wasnt for me.

Ditto I was very frustrated yesterday

 

[Allison]

The parks don't have to be as busy as they used to for the restaurants to be full. Many, many people use the dining plan and that fills up the restaurants.

We were at DW in February. On a Saturday in Epcot, we were waiting for our ADR at LeCellier. Lots and lots of groups came up to be seated and of course, they weren't taking any walk ups. However, there was no other TS place for them to suggest either as they had gotten word that every Epcot restaurant was full for the evening. They were suggesting the counter service in Mexico.

It was the same thing in Magic Kingdom on another day. They had a sign posted saying there were no spots available for the evening for dining at the TS restaurants.

What FAQ are you referring to? I didn't see that on the DIS and the Disney brochure says they are strongly recommended.

Good luck.

 

[bicker]

I didn't read the FAQ's, but wonder why it would say you don't need reservations during the Free Dining Promo? Some Web Master somewhere should change that, it's bad advice, IMO.

Indeed; that would be pretty bad advice.

Our Dining Plan FAQ here on the DISboards has the following general (i.e., not free-dining-specific) advice about dining reservations:

Reservations are strongly suggested.

... and ...

Do I have to make prior advanced dining reservations for all my Table Service meals?
No you do not have to, but for many of the restaurants it is a good idea, to ensure you won't be turned away.

 

[Pumbaa_]

Dining during free DDP is not that different than dining during Christmas or February Vacation.

Because of the popularity of the plan, it is strongly suggested you make your ADR's. As some of the OP have indicated, the most popular places are booked during key periods.

We are going (not free DDP, DVC) Sept 7-14. I booked our key meals as soon as I could, esp since some of our meals are for 9 people.

But I did call last week and get Wolfgang Pucks downstairs for 2 on Sept. 10th, and Cape May for 9 for Sept. 9 at 6o pm. (I actually had my choice of times).

If the popular places are booked, try some of the less traveled places. You may find a new favorite, you never know~

But I would not wing it during the free DDP esp if you HAVE the DDP during that time.

 

[TravelinGal]

I'm sure glad I made my ADR's at the 180 day mark! I got everything I wanted on the exact dates and times I wanted.

 

[Tiffany]

I was at WDW 5/2-4 on a business trip. A few people from the conference went to Epcot one day after the session at about 4:30. They tried to get into the Marrakesh Restaurant in Morocco.

However, the cast member who greeted them at the door said that unless they had Advanced Dining Reservations, they could not seat them. The restaurant was open for business and there were guests milling about. However, it wasn't that busy to suggest they were full all night with guests. Anyone know what was going on last week?

I hope that you don't need to make ADR for September during the free dining plan promotion. I read the FAQ and it said you didn't but this was REALLY weird to me.

Thoughts?

If you are going during free dining make your ADRs now. In years past we always made ADRs but felt like they were not needed. I can tell you that last year when we went during free dinning ADRs were very needed.

 

[Sammy]

We returned a week ago and every single TS restaurant we went to (had our ADR's, thank goodness!!), walk-ups were being turned away left and right. Witnessed some pretty ugly scenes from guests who couldn't seem to find anywhere (TS) to eat.

 

[janets]

I have to agree. At each of our trips in the last year (we went 4 times last year and once already this year) no restaurant was taking walkups. I booked our August dining (we booked through the bounceback promotion) is February to ensure the places we wanted. That said, I have made a change or two to one night and was able to book Chefs de France and then change that for Spoodles (we're going Aug 18-25).

I have friends hoping to travel in mid June. They are hoping to book the platinum plan (3 sitdown meals/day). I told them that unless the dedicated itinerary person could guarantee them ressies at the popular places at this late date, I wouldn't bother. I have to believe that most, if not all, of the popular places have been booked for months for June (they have 2 girls and wanted either PSB or CRT, wanted LeCellier, WCC, 'Ohana, etc.). Their thinking...if we're paying $3000 more for platinum, we had better get what we want. My thinking...maybe you should have booked this 6 months ago and not assumed that money will buy you a reservation.

So the moral...make them as soon as you know you're going to make sure your vacation is as pleasant as possible.

 

[pierresgirl]

I made all of mine at the 180 mark too and now I'm SO glad!!! I called back 2 weeks ago to change 2 meals (for Sept.) and the restaurants I wanted to switch to were full but I managed to get into my 2nd choice. I did cancel 2 meals though, so it's always worth checking into again!

 

[DiRTyBuNNy]

Their thinking...if we're paying $3000 more for platinum, we had better get what we want. My thinking...maybe you should have booked this 6 months ago and not assumed that money will buy you a reservation.

I only wish that were true but these days I think people would rather just scream at CM's because of their own laziness and mismanagement of their vacation. That's why my wife loves me for my OCDness when it comes to planning our trips to the world.

--Mr. DB

 

[FinallyBoughtDVC]

I was in WDW during this time period and all restaurants were full. We dined at:

Flying Fish
Mexico (name escapes me)
California Grill
Wolfgang Puck
and somewhere else -

All booked solid - not even taking names for waitlist - Oh - Sci-Fi was full as well.

Only Wolfgang was taking names for a wait and the wait was 1 - 1 1/2 hours.

It's always safest to make ADRs for each day that way you know you have a table somewhere, and then, if you change your mind, you can cancel.

 

[ihearttink]

I agree with everyone, book now. When you get to Disney and think you might want to switch then, you can do so from your resort, and cancel the reservations you made now. This way you will have someplace to eat a TS.

Caveat - If you make reservations that required your credit card, i.e. California Grill, you have to give 48 hours notice to cancel or you will be charged $20.00 for each person.

 

[blondinkaya]

I booked both my vacation and the ADRs for my family's first trip to Disney in Sep . We just decided that the free dining plan was too great a deal to pass up (and I honestly don't know when we'd ever go otherwise--we've been meaning to since our oldest was around 5, and he's 12 now ). I managed to get all the restaurants I wanted (except for Whispering Canyon--they were completely booked), but our eating times are pretty funky. I figure we can just work around them, though.

I can't fathom how crowded it's going to be, but I sure am glad I made those ressies!