Trouble w/dining ressies ??

[dwg]

I think the 90 + 10 is the problem. I know this year I booked at exactly 90 days out at 7:00 am to make sure I got what I wanted. I do not remember doing this before. Also when you book at 90 days out remember some one was already able to book those days as part of their trip when they called 4 or 5 days prior (considering that the average stay is probably 1 week). So that combined with the free dining results in the fact that the reasturant is booked before you even are allowed to call unless your stay extends past the person who called in the previous days.

 

[TheRustyScupper]

1) Don't pay attention to the man behind the curtain.
2) You are not going to like what you see in the new system.

 

[ntsammy5]

Another reason to avoid WDW TS dining. It's just not worth it anymore.

 

[rgf207]

1) Don't pay attention to the man behind the curtain.
2) You are not going to like what you see in the new system.

So it seems that the system caters to those that are staying at a deluxe resort. So people at Deluxe resort get a better chance of getting prime dining times. At least that's what I'm getting from your posts.

 

[Dsny4fun]

I think the real problem is that free dining usually started at the end of aug when most schools were already back...therefore less people taking advantage. This year its starting on the 16th when none of the schools have started so its going to be a lot more crowded with people taking advantage of free dining while there kids are still on vacation. I'm not going until 8/30 - 9/7 and I got Ohanas, LeCellier,Chefs de france, Mama Melrose...actually I am on the deluxe plan....made 18 ADR's and got everyone I wanted.

I think it's only the people going the first 2 weeks of free dining that are having trouble getting ADR's

 

[JVL1018]

I am checking into a BWV studio on 8/29 and then move to a 1 bedroom from 8/30-9/6.
I didn;t bother trying to call 90 days from my arrival at the studio because I knew that people were having trouble with split stay ressies and I do understand that rule.
I called 90 days from my arrival in the 1 bedroom and found out that I do have 2 reservation numbers because they took the DVC points out of 2 contracts-one for my first night, the remaining nights come out of another contract(my confirmation letter has just the 1 reservation number and I am not switching rooms, nor do I have to check in twice).
The first CM I spoke to was so nasty, as was his supervisor-I tried explaining nicely that it was one stay, I am not switching rooms, it is not a night added on as I do have a room for the night prior to that as well, I am not even getting free dining, it's a DVC contract issue. Blah blah blah, they didn't care about the way DVC works at all. Fine.
I called back, deciding to just book the night of the 30th and would just call back the next day for the rest as it's not worth arguing about ..and the CM I got says the system is down and should be back up in 1-2 hours.
Great. @@

Everything got better after that.
I called back in 15 minutes because I was about to leave and just wanted to see if maybe they were up.
Got a great CM right away(no hold times at all for any of my calls), I booked WCC for my exact time on 8/30 and then she asked what my next ADR was and I said I can book further out? and she said sure!
So I booked my whole trip.
She just took all the ADRs one after the other and then when we were all done, she read back the places and time and gave me the ADR confirmation numbers. Very quick and efficient. I was off the phone in less than 10 minutes.
Got everything I wanted, all dinners were between 6:30 and 6:45 just like I wanted. Our one breakfast on our check out day was the exact time I wanted as well. 10:30.
We are eating at WCC, Biergarten, Tutto Italia, Chef Mickey's, Sci Fi and Crystal Palace for dinner and Cape May Cafe for breakfast.
I was surprised that it was so easy.

 

[Belle102498]

1) Don't pay attention to the man behind the curtain.
2) You are not going to like what you see in the new system.

You are very cryptic! It's kinda scary

 

[RMulieri]

1) Don't pay attention to the man behind the curtain.
2) You are not going to like what you see in the new system.

Unless you are going to elaborate it is kind of useless info...Is Disney going to make this public.Otherwise how would we find out?

 

[jdd]

I think the real problem is that free dining usually started at the end of aug when most schools were already back...therefore less people taking advantage. This year its starting on the 16th when none of the schools have started so its going to be a lot more crowded with people taking advantage of free dining while there kids are still on vacation. I'm not going until 8/30 - 9/7 and I got Ohanas, LeCellier,Chefs de france, Mama Melrose...actually I am on the deluxe plan....made 18 ADR's and got everyone I wanted.

I think it's only the people going the first 2 weeks of free dining that are having trouble getting ADR's

I hope you're right! My ADR date is Sunday (the 7th) and I'm getting very nervous. I have backup plans, but I'm afraid if I have to start using several different backups, I'm going to get confused with my park dates! I need a better system....

 

[Golf4food]

I hope you're right! My ADR date is Sunday (the 7th) and I'm getting very nervous. I have backup plans, but I'm afraid if I have to start using several different backups, I'm going to get confused with my park dates! I need a better system....

Today was our ADR date. Got everything we wanted - 9 total ADRs for our four dates at 8 different places. Zero problems. Two minutes on hold, hung up after about 15 minutes. Easy peasy. We weren't trying to get Le Cellier or Cindy's or anything, but still...


As for our stats:
We are staying in a value for this trip, upgraded from free to DxDP, have a Disney Visa, and have visited many times (this will be our third trip in the last 12 months, for example).

So if the system IS biased towards deluxe resort guests or DVC members or anything it didn't have any effect on us...

 

[blondemom]

We are staying at the Polynesian the end of August, and we were not able to get ADRs for 'Ohana until our last night. (Well, we could have eaten there at 8:50 p.m. a few nights, but we can't do dinner that late.) We were fortunate with the rest of our ADRs (anywhere from 10 minutes to 45 minutes difference in time).

 

[tlenzendorf]

We are going the first week of free dining, staying at FW and had NO problems making ADRs. Meals including bfast at CRT and Ohana, dinners at WCC, CM, 50s PT, Biergarten and CP. Everything is within 10 minutes of when we wanted, and we're a party of 5. I made them all on the 90+10. I couldn't get thru for the 1st hour calling and was then on hold 50 minutes, but that was the only issue

 

[PatriciaH]

The new dining system has tiers for availability depending on if you are TIW, DVC, concierge, cast member, etc.. Guess who gets bottom of the barrel even though they spend a ton of money on property? After all the complaints over free dining last year they figured this would give more table availability. It seems to be causing nothing but trouble though. Last week several restaurants could not find our reservations even with our dining number. One was Citrico's where we ordered a $140 cake for my good friends 3 year old (birthday.) After telling us "are you sure you are at the right restaurant?" several times my friend saw the photocopy of our cake at the podium and said- well this is for us! They finally sat us.

 

[mi*vida*loca]

The new dining system has tiers for availability depending on if you are TIW, DVC, concierge, cast member, etc.. Guess who gets bottom of the barrel even though they spend a ton of money on property? After all the complaints over free dining last year they figured this would give more table availability. It seems to be causing nothing but trouble though. Last week several restaurants could not find our reservations even with our dining number. One was Citrico's where we ordered a $140 cake for my good friends 3 year old (birthday.) After telling us "are you sure you are at the right restaurant?" several times my friend saw the photocopy of our cake at the podium and said- well this is for us! They finally sat us.

Are there tiers for deluxe, mod and value resorts??

 

[mom2rtk]

The new dining system has tiers for availability depending on if you are TIW, DVC, concierge, cast member, etc.. Guess who gets bottom of the barrel even though they spend a ton of money on property? After all the complaints over free dining last year they figured this would give more table availability. It seems to be causing nothing but trouble though.

So am I to understand that if I am on the FD promotion staying at a value resort, that even though there are tables available and I call at 7 AM 90 + 10 days out, I might not get what I want??????

That's crazy! If it's true, then the Disney IT folks apparently bit off more than they can chew and deserve every last bit of trouble this new complex system throws their way!!!!!!!!

They can design whatever system they want, and make the rules whatever they want, but I expect to at least KNOW the ground rules going into it! I actually prefer travelling later into the fall, but chose September for the FD promotion. If it keeps me from some of the dining choices I would have preferred (or gives me a less than fair SHOT at them!), then I would have rather come WITHOUT free dining later in the year!

Or perhaps I would have preferred a different resort than value IF I HAD HAD ALL I NEEDED TO MAKE AN INFORMED DECISION!

Maybe the promotion ought to say "Book with us for free dining and you'll eat SOMEWHERE for free **** (well, it might not be your favorite place, or the place you eat as a family tradition, but YOU WILL EAT!!!)

I guess I'll know better when I make my ADR's in a couple of weeks..........

 

[mi*vida*loca]

So am I to understand that if I am on the FD promotion staying at a value resort, that even though there are tables available and I call at 7 AM 90 + 10 days out, I might not get what I want??????

That's crazy! If it's true, then the Disney IT folks apparently bit off more than they can chew and deserve every last bit of trouble this new complex system throws their way!!!!!!!!

They can design whatever system they want, and make the rules whatever they want, but I expect to at least KNOW the ground rules going into it! I actually prefer travelling later into the fall, but chose September for the FD promotion. If it keeps me from some of the dining choices I would have preferred (or gives me a less than fair SHOT at them!), then I would have rather come WITHOUT free dining later in the year!

Or perhaps I would have preferred a different resort than value IF I HAD HAD ALL I NEEDED TO MAKE AN INFORMED DECISION!

This leaves a nasty taste in my mouth if it is true. I don't stay deluxe. We aren't DVC. We stay in a mod.

We go in February/March and I have never had a problem getting an ADR. If it starts to become a hassel because I'm "not as important" then Disney can stick it where the sun don't shine.

FYI: I'm not an ADR "freak" either. I have a few places that are must do's because of my kids. A princess meal, Chef Mickey's. We do like LeCellier and OHana's but we can do without them. But if I have to fight to have a sit down meal at my 90+10 because I'm not staying at a deluxe I would rather just vacation elsewhere.

 

[rgf207]

This leaves a nasty taste in my mouth if it is true. I don't stay deluxe. We aren't DVC. We stay in a mod.

We go in February/March and I have never had a problem getting an ADR. If it starts to become a hassel because I'm "not as important" then Disney can stick it where the sun don't shine.

FYI: I'm not an ADR "freak" either. I have a few places that are must do's because of my kids. A princess meal, Chef Mickey's. We do like LeCellier and OHana's but we can do without them. But if I have to fight to have a sit down meal at my 90+10 because I'm not staying at a deluxe I would rather just vacation elsewhere.

I think for right now this is all speculation. It's not proven so hopefully noone is jumping to conclusions thinking disney is catering to those that spend more.

 

[PatriciaH]

I think for right now this is all speculation. It's not proven so hopefully noone is jumping to conclusions thinking disney is catering to those that spend more.

I trained on the new dining system. It is true. The class was shocked. I say bring back the old DRS! I am guessing Rusty Scupper trained on it too or knows people in concierge, Central Res, etc..

 

[mi*vida*loca]

I trained on the new dining system. It is true. The class was shocked. I say bring back the old DRS! I am guessing Rusty Scupper trained on it too or knows people in concierge, Central Res, etc..

So who is #1 and who is the bottom of the pole? What are the levels? I would love to know!

 

[rgf207]

I trained on the new dining system. It is true. The class was shocked. I say bring back the old DRS! I am guessing Rusty Scupper trained on it too or knows people in concierge, Central Res, etc..

hmmm. Well that throws a different spin in it. So I'm guessing the higher level resort you are staying, the better chance you have a getting a prime table/dining time?

Same goest for dining? If you are on Free Dining, you get the "Leftovers" as opposed to those paying for the plan