Trouble w/dining ressies ??

[tammyandtommy]

I am actually surprised I havent had one issue making any dining ressies for my August trip

 

[avahoneybee]

Interesting thread. Slowly, but surely, everything we've liked at WDW, including great and sometimes rather adventurous dining, is being whittled away in favor of some tiered mass market product that I want no part of.

Oh well. Fine dining at Disney was great while it lasted. Off to other places and better meals, without all the fight and insanity to get in and the disappointing food once we do.

I never thought I'd say, "Bring back Eiser". But, as for the current management, Rusty Scupper said it best.

I really liked Eisner and it's obvious with all this junk that he did a far superior job than the current cast of characters.

 

[dalt01]

I think it is very nice of the CMs to read and post on this board. They don't have to share their knowledge and tips with us, they do this because they are kind folks who are trying to help the rest of us get the most out of our Disney experience. CM's: I appreciate you. Thanks for being there and answering all the questions.

ya think so? have them come back on here and tell us when they get canned for some "OTHER" obscure reason.

 

[PatriciaH]

I think this thread is getting into an area where there are some slams being made against a few of the posters.

Please try to discuss this issue without coming down on other posters.

If this thread gets any further out of hand we'll need to close it.

Thanks Nala. I gave up though.

ya think so? have them come back on here and tell us when they get canned for some "OTHER" obscure reason.

Nice.

 

[blissventure]

FWIW,

I am staying club level GF and was unable to get LeCellier for any meal at any time during my trip. Before anyone leaps on me, I have never stayed club before, I got a code that made it less expensive than the same stay at CS.

I also think that people are ignoring the numerous posts that have been made in this thread by people stating that they called at 90 days with their value resort on a code reservation and got everything they wanted within 30 minutes. There may be some advantages provided to Club/DVC in booking ADRs but it does not appear to be adversely affecting anyone here. I really do believe the ADR issues people have seen are a combination of bugs/lack of training with the new system AND the ADR+10 opening for free dining. Free dining does, and always has, cram up the TS restaurants at Disney. Many, many more people are now competing for the same number of seats.

I think the Travel Agent posts are very valid and do have bearing here... you will be able to use THAT system to book your OWN ressies when they open it up to the public, hopefully soon. At 90 days you will be able to search for yourself with nothing in there about where you are staying. I do believe 90+10 will work well for people again once free dining is done and the kinks are worked out of this new system. There will always be ressies you will not get, though.

I am a little surprised by some of the reactions here, that you would never go to Disney again if this is true. I am so excited about my upcoming trip. If I could get ZERO ADRs I would still be so excited. I'm not going to Disney to eat, although I will enjoy the table meals I was able to secure! I surely wouldn't vow to never visit the mouse again just because they had a slight advantage to club level and DVC. Those are their most loyal customers.

Looking forward to my upcoming stay, without LeCellier (which I've never been able to get into on ANY trip, BTW).

I'm just wondering whether you gave the GF IPO your ADR requests a few weeks before your 90 day mark? Did they have plenty of latitude to book you into LeCellier, or did you have one day/time in mind?

 

[blissventure]

We are going Sept 4-12 and on the free dining program.
We are staying at a moderate resort.
We made our dining reservations on Saturday, and got every restaurant we wanted. We just had to be a little flexible with the days and hours.
Here's our itinerary.
Friday Primetime 5PM
Saturady Le Chefs de France 5:30
Sunday 1900 Park Fair 9:30am
Monday Keys to the Kingdom tour 8:30 LTT 5:30
Tuesday Backstage Safari 8:30 Tutt Italia 5:00
Wednesday LeCellier 4:50
Thursday Boatwrights 5:00
Friday LeCellier 5:00

What a great trip you have planned! It does help to be flexible with days/hours.

 

[notaclue]

Wow. Someone got Le Cellier 2 times and Chefs de France! I am green with envy.

 

[JimMIA]

Wow. Someone got Le Cellier 2 times and Chefs de France! I am green with envy.

I think the actual results are the key...and from what I've seen so far, the supposedly favored folks aren't getting any preference and people planning their Free DDP trips are doing about like they always do. Now that could just mean the system is not fully operational yet, but so far I haven't seen much actual effect.

 

[JimMIA]

I'd also like to thank PatriciaH and Rusty Scupper for sharing the info they have.

I don't "know" Patricia, but I've been involved in a lot of threads with Rusty over the years and have always found him/her to be a person who posts with a positive intent of helping WDW guests. I've come to "know" Rusty as a person who doesn't mince words, and who has a limited tolerance for morons. Those are not bad qualities, IMHO. I often find myself nodding and laughing at Rusty's posts because they often say exactly what I'm thinking!

We may not like what we hear, but we shouldn't shoot the messengers.

 

[deej696]

I'd also like to thank PatriciaH and Rusty Scupper for sharing the info they have.

I don't "know" Patricia, but I've been involved in a lot of threads with Rusty over the years and have always found him/her to be a person who posts with a positive intent of helping WDW guests. I've come to "know" Rusty as a person who doesn't mince words, and who has a limited tolerance for morons. Those are not bad qualities, IMHO. I often find myself nodding and laughing at Rusty's posts because they often say exactly what I'm thinking!

We may not like what we hear, but we shouldn't shoot the messengers.

I could not have said it better

I have always loved Rusty's "itemized" style of posting, and it was not until this very thread that I learned he was a CM. There have been some out of line posts in this thread, and I hope mine have not been construed that way as that was not the intention. My goal was simply to get people to settle down and not jump to conclusions until we have concrete evidence on the topic, which as Jim also points out, the jury is still out...

 

[Tricia1972]

We may not like what we hear, but we shouldn't shoot the messengers.

I thought this was worthy of a highlight and a bold.

Thank you to the CM's who have come here to share what you know. Being that you didn't design the program, we can't expect you to know more than what you were trained on.

Concerning the functionality of this, I guess only time will tell how different things are now that there is an automated aspect to this. I do agree with JimMIA, this has always existed at some capacity (at Disney and really everywhere else in the world). Tell me that Brad Pitt couldn't walk into just about any restaurant in the world (or World) right now and be seated? How many of us can say the same? It may not be 'fair', but it is what it is.

It's nice to hear that so many are getting what they want. Perhaps this won't be as horrible as some are anticipating.

 

[JimMIA]

Cyndibear has just posted a very interesting exchange of emails she had with a concierge desk regarding her TiW card over on the DVC boards.

If you follow the logic here, the obvious conclusion is that there are only a certain number of tables set aside for certain discounts. Cyndi's case was TiW, but the same may be true for Free DDP and CM availability.

Here's a link to Cyndi's post: http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=32189470&postcount=77

 

[deej696]

Thanks for linking Jim, I just saw it and all I can say is WOW....

 

[ntsammy5]

They are changing the rules and not letting anyone know - Disney Dining seems less and less worthwhile - quality and selection are deteriorating and reservatons are becoming harder to get. What's the upside here?

 

[Snookies]

Cyndibear has just posted a very interesting exchange of emails she had with a concierge desk regarding her TiW card over on the DVC boards.

If you follow the logic here, the obvious conclusion is that there are only a certain number of tables set aside for certain discounts. Cyndi's case was TiW, but the same may be true for Free DDP and CM availability.

Here's a link to Cyndi's post: http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=32189470&postcount=77

I also want to thank Jim for posting this link here. I think the interesting part of the email exchange is when the cast member writes that "In the new booking system we have noticed that when we code membership for Tables in Wonderland sometimes we do not get offers for restaurants when we can get them without the membership. This indicates to us that they are only offering limited numbers of tables available for discount bookings. We think it is similar to room bookings where the number of discount tables is controlled. We have been told that discounts have to be coded at the time of booking. As far as we know this affect discounts at all restaurnts."

To paraphrase someone in this thread or the somewhat-related DVC thread, a cast member or a small group of cast members have noticed that sometimes they are able to book a table without TIW when it cannot be booked with TIW. Besides the obvious comment that they have noticed that this occurs "sometimes," there are a number of possible explanations about why a table cannot be booked with TIW which could include random coincidence, a limitation on the number of discounted tables available, and/or a tiered reservation system. However, as many, including Jim, have posted, there is no evidence any of this information is being gathered for any reason other than marketing and to assure eligibility for the WDW resort guest booking window advantage. My memory may fail me here, but having been a member of TIW (or DDE) since it became available for purchase by non-Florida resident annual passholders, I think the fine print has always said something about mentioning the program at time of reservation or check-in at the restaurant. I've never done this & never had a problem with discounts. FWIW, I know that dining is extremely important to some, but I hope that everyone waits to see whether they have a problem before they get really upset or consider canceling trips. YMMV

 

[lugnut33]

It's all coming to light now. This is just the first step in the news that came out about 2 years ago about Disney applying for a new type of fast pass system that assigned fast passes based on the category of resort you are staying at. If you were at a Deluxe resort you got unlimited fast passes (ala Front of the Line at Universal), or possibly even a special entrance for immediate seating.

It's a way for Disney to peel back all the discounts they are having ot give out to get people to come. By offering more incentives to people willing to pay more, they can raise the costs of the rooms, and what does it really cost them to allow Deluxe resort guests unlimited fast passes or greater access to dining? NOTHING!

 

[mi*vida*loca]

I see no reason the CM's on this thread would lie. I just hope I can get a few ADR's for my upcoming trip. We stay at a mod and pay for the DDP. If not I do NOT want to eat CS ALL Trip. It's a toss up between cancelling or eating off site. I would rather not eat off site and just go to an all inclusive resort somewhere else. One thing I love about Disney is the "all inclusive feel" of it all. No driving, no leaving, no having to go elsewhere.

 

[lugnut33]

I see no reason the CM's on this thread would lie. I just hope I can get a few ADR's for my upcoming trip. We stay at a mod and pay for the DDP. If not I do NOT want to eat CS ALL Trip. It's a toss up between cancelling or eating off site. I would rather not eat off site and just go to an all inclusive resort somewhere else. One thing I love about Disney is the "all inclusive feel" of it all. No driving, no leaving, no having to go elsewhere.

I have no problem heading off-site. Matter of fact, in August all our meals will be eaten off-site. Not one will be eaten in the parks (a few lunches will occur at DTD), especially since we are DVC.

 

[mi*vida*loca]

I have no problem heading off-site. Matter of fact, in August all our meals will be eaten off-site. Not one will be eaten in the parks (a few lunches will occur at DTD), especially since we are DVC.

We never stayed on site until this year and I had to push that onto DH to try at least ONCE. DH loves to stay on site now because he doesn't have to get in the car at all and refuses to stay off site ever again. If we have to drive every day for 1-3 meals a day DH will not be happy. And I refuse to eat CS all trip. I guess we got spoiled.

I told DH about all of this and he told me to take a chill pill! He told me to wait and see what happens with the ADR's and if we can't get any ADR's we will take it from there. I'm not talking every single place I want but at least 2-3 of the ones I really want for the KIDS.

He can't and won't believe that Disney would do this with ADR's.

 

[Colleen27]

I see no reason the CM's on this thread would lie. I just hope I can get a few ADR's for my upcoming trip. We stay at a mod and pay for the DDP. If not I do NOT want to eat CS ALL Trip. It's a toss up between cancelling or eating off site. I would rather not eat off site and just go to an all inclusive resort somewhere else. One thing I love about Disney is the "all inclusive feel" of it all. No driving, no leaving, no having to go elsewhere.

I wouldn't go somewhere else. We do love Disney, after all, and the dining is only one part of the reason why. I would stay somewhere else, though. The deluxe dining plan and that "all inclusive" feel is the biggest reason we're willing to accept Disney's room rates, which are very high relative to the amenities provided. If ADRs become difficult enough that the dining plan is no longer so attractive, we'd be perfectly happy staying at the Swolphin and receiving deluxe-level amenities and location for Disney moderate resort prices without having to give up the perks of Disney transportation.