Thanksgiving Dinner at Garden Grill...well, almost...

[Belle&RellasMom]

We had a PS at the Garden Grill for 15 people (7 adults & 8 kids) at 5:40 pm on Thanksgiving...we arrived 10 minutes early and upon checking in were told that we would have a 45-50 minute wait! DH told the manager that basically our whole night would be ruined if we had to wait...not only would 8 kids all be having melt downs, but we would miss TOD and Illuminations! Apparently the manager felt bad for us because she offered to buy dinner for us in the downstairs food court area of the Land Pavillion! We talked it over with the group and decided that we would rather see the parade & fireworks so we gave up dinner with Mickey.
Our gang went downstairs, moved several tables together, then decided what to have for dinner...we were waited on just like we would have been upstairs...we all ordered whatever we wanted, beer & dessert included, and the manager brought everything out to us...infact, both the manager and another gentleman went way above and beyond to make sure that we had a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner...there was definitely some Disney magic going on there!!!
And, when we were all fed & full, they gave us a huge bag of cookies to take with us to enjoy during the parade! It was definitely a Thanksgiving dinner that we'll never forget!!!

 

[TrvlLin]

How cool is that! Just when you think Disney is all about the dollars these days, you hear a great story like this and it kind of restores your faith! Lin

 

[A1A1]

This is a great story. Thanks for sharing it. Sometimes, they do something really great when you least expect it, and most need it.

 

[Muffy]

So glad to see a happy ending here! Sounds like you had a great T.day w/ family at WDW!

 

[inky dinky doo]

What a neat story and what a magical Thanksgiving! I'm sure it is one you will never forget!

Thanks for sharing!

Pat

 

[SeaSpray]

Wow! Now that was really nice of the GG manager! You're right, she did go above and beyond. It's always great to hear stories like yours, thanks for sharing it!

 

[Grumpy92]

You definitely need to convey this story to Gst Services. If you have names even better. Too many times CMs only hear complaints so a word of gratitude and pat on the back is especially appreciated.

 

[2disneywego]

Disney magic in action!!
And, yes, please write to guest services about this. I write every time a cast member goes out of their way and I always get a nice response from Disney.

 

[Belle5]

Wow, there have been a few times that we have had a PS and waited upwards of an hour for our party of 7. No apologies. (Whispering Canyon and Le Cellier come to mind.) I'm happy to see that your Thanksgiving wasn't ruined. We usually vacation off season. Since the long waits have happened to us off season, I would really think it would be likely to happen to a large party during one of the busiest holidays of the year. Looks like I should be more vocal when we're not seated any time close to our PS.

 

[erikthewise]

A great story, yes!
But it sounds to me like somebody accepted too many walkup guests and so was unable to honor PS's. Or am I missing something?

 

[A1A1]

ERikthewise----have a great trip!!!!!!!

 

[erikthewise]

Thanks, we will! Including a visit to Garden Grill for the CP package!!

 

[JulesMom]

That was so nice of them!

Glad you didn't let it spoil your evening!

 

[Kallison]

That is a great story. I'm sure she went out of her way because of your large party, it was a holiday and they had somewhere else for you to sit (the food court).

To the poster who replied that she should be more vocal, everyone should remember what is posted on Deb's website about PS - it is not a reservation -

Priority Seating or, PS for short, is a system Walt Disney World uses to manage their restaurant seating flow. In essence, unlike a true reservation where a table is saved for your party at a particular time, PS guarantees your party the next available table. It's recommended that you check in about 15 minutes before your PS time. Wait times vary depending on the time of day and restaurant but usually averages between 15 and 30 minutes.

I certainly wouldn't expect to be accomodated every time there is a long wait for my PS. I'm glad it worked out so well for your family though, probably made it a more memorable holiday.