Was he within his rights as a resort guest?

[engle]

Unfortunately, it is probably folks like this that had me waiting over an hour after my ADR's to be seated...and it was a VERY slow week.

But ya know what? What goes around comes around....and it WILL come around for this fella.

 

[Candid]

. People shouldn't have to know "the Disney way" to be treated as the high-paying guests that they are. Just my opinion…

I don't think it's "the Disney way"...if you lived in a town with a very upscale restaurant, would you expect to be able to get in over out-of-towners with reservations jsut because you live there? JMO

 

[LSchrow]

his poor family...
he thought nothing of humiliating them during his tirade?
& if his way of thinking is correct, then the people spending $500-600 a night trump his measly $400...so they could follow him around & "bump" him from every restaurant he tried to eat at

if DH ever did something like that, he would be eating alone

 

[Acklander]

I don't think it's "the Disney way"...if you lived in a town with a very upscale restaurant, would you expect to be able to get in over out-of-towners with reservations jsut because you live there? JMO

I don't see where a local could get in before an out of towner, but I could see where a regular customer could get in before an out of towner or a local customer. You need to have some loyalty to the guests that support you.

I would understand if the hotels held back a few reservations to the general public for hotel guest use.

 

[snowbunny]

Her family was turned away as they were not taking walk-ins at that time. Her husband flipped out and demanded to see the manager. He insisted that since he was paying big money to stay at the Poly, he should have priority over all these other people (you know, the ones with ADRs).

So, management gave him a table. What do you think of that?

I say I'm glad I'm not married to him. What a jerk!

 

[noahdove]

It sounds like this man is used to getting his way when he has a temper tantum!!! Too bad for the other guest that MADE ressies and may have had to wait because HE created a scene.. IMO we all are spending money at Disney one way or the other and we ALL should be treated the same way in EACH restaurant....no matter where we are staying..but...again, that is my opinion..

 

[inkkognito]

This is the kind of person for whom Security Depts. are created, and I'm sorry that Disney didn't have him thrown out as he deserved to be. His family is probably already used to seeing him be hustled off by uniformed people so no biggie.

 

[Markstudy]

"Hello - Room Service"

Poly needs to put room service on the Meal Plan... and then you can tell these people that refuse to make ADR's to enjoy their meal on their own expensive ("I paid a lot of money to stay here") balcony

 

[Markstudy]

My best friend is just back from ..... on my part, she went down unprepared.

I just want to hear that she said she was sorry that she refused to listen to you.

Did your friends come home and explain why they refused to take your advice and how wrong they were and how they will listen to you in the future?

 

[apostolic4life]

Okay, I just got caught up on this thread and I have one problem with many people who agree with me on this guy's poor behavior:

Spitting in his food is not a valid response!!! This is not a valid response in any situation. Some states will consider this act as 1st degree assault. If I ever had an employee do this, it would be the end of their job and I would contact the police myself. Why disrespect someone this way........it makes a person no better than the offending customer. I know people always hear stories of food being spit on if it goes back to the kitchen, but in a respectable place with honorable professional staffing this will never happen!!

OK, done with my off topic rant......let the DIScussion resume......I am ok now!

 

[michaelwilliammidd]

I hate seeing that kind of thing, despite where he was staying, that wasn't the issue. Everyone was paying the same prices to eat at Kona.

 

[GoingtoWDWagain]

The same thing happened to me and hubby. We were staying at the Poly in late September 07. We did have ADR's made for our stay. We had a change of plans, and decided we would just like to stay at the resort on this particular evening and eat a Kona.

So...at a resort that we were paying almost $400.00 per night for, guest relations told us we could not eat at Kona as they were booked. They did suggest that we be there exactly at opening time (4:30pm I believe) and throw ourselves at their mercy.

Yes, this is what we did and we (it was just the 2 of us) were seated in about 1/2 hr.

It felt odd that we could not get a meal at "our resort". We were lucky as I stated and did eat at Kona.

It was no big deal either way. I am at a loss as to how the resort can handle this problem. Both sides are legitimate in my opinion. ADR's should be available to those that make them, but a resort guest should also be able to dine at their resort.

Pat

I completely agree with you! During a stay at the Poly and BC sometime ago we could not get any ADR's for O'hana while being a Poly guest or Cape May while being a BC guest. Now I always do my ADR's and we did, but sometimes you have a change of plans due to the weather or the children, etc.... So, we called from our room in hopes of getting a reservation....nothing, we visited concerige.....nothing, we walked up to the rest...and nothing. We did get annoyed at the fact that we were guest at the resort and we DID see plenty of available tables that were "reserved" for those with ADR's, although to me that was one too many tables in my opinion to just hold and maybe no show. I do understand the whole ADR's and I make mine but it has become difficult to change plans and ADR's and when you are staying at a resort you kinda want that extra just because you are that resorts guest. Anyway, thats just my opinion and thoughts.

 

[Mom2JoeyandBen]

Here's an interesting perspective I'd like to share with you all...

As a recent guest at the Contemporary Resort who was unable to make breakfast reservations at Chef Mickey's, I was told by the host/hostess at Chef Mickey's that they try to take care of there own guests at their resort by seating them as walkups as long as they arrive within the first 30-45 minutes of when the restaurant opens. So the day we wanted to eat their for breakfast, we arrived around 7:30am and were seated within 10 mins.

Now I don't know if the Poly and GF do the same thing when it comes to Ohana's, and Kona, etc. but it sounds like at least some Disney Resorts are trying to take care of their own guests.

 

[Margie J]

I don't think he was entitled to a seat in the restaurant regardless of where he was staying. It was just wrong. The Manager did him a favor to avoid a scene.

 

[aubriee]

People on the DDP should, by the same reasoning, have dibs over those not on DDP (since they're spending all that money on TS meals.)

The first year free dining was offered, we were waiting for our ADR at Le Cellier. They had already told us they were running about an hour behind. They had a CM outside with a clipboard checking ADRs and telling everyone that walkups were not being accepted. This one lady refused to take no for an answer and started yelling for a manager. When the manager came out she threw a temper tantrum like you wouldn't believe. The manager refused to give in and repeatedly told her they were fully booked and even running behind. She finally stalked off, yelling the whole time that she was going to guest services and would have his job and that Disney had "sold" them this free dining plan then wouldn't let them into any restaraunts to eat. I have never seen an adult act like that in my life.

As far as the OP question, no her friend was not within his rights. He was told to make ADRs and chose not to, he then threw a temper tantrum to get his way, making both the restauraunt and the guests arround him uncomfortable. The people who were waiting for their ADRs should have said something. It was not fair that he was seated immediately without an ADR, therefore making people who did follow the rules wait even later for their ADRs.

Another time (May 2005) I was about four people from the podium trying to checkin for my Mama Melrose ADR. A couple was trying to get in as walkups and started yelling at the CM and finally demanded a manager. The manager had apparently already been alerted, because he was walking up about that time. He again explained the ADR policy, that they were fully booked and not taking walkups. The couple finally said they'd just place an order to go then. The manager told them they didn't do to go orders. The man really flipped out then. Finally one of the men in front of me asked the man "What part of no are you not understanding?" It was turning into an ugly scene, because this couple was refusing to move. The manager finally told them to leave or he'd call security. The man yelled 'this is ridiculous, are you telling me all these people made reservations for here six months ago?" He then waved his hand toward all of us. It was funny, because at the same time we all yelled, "YES, now leave". They finally stalked out, but continued yelling the whole time. In my opinion the managers at both Le Cellier and Mama Melrose did their job, the one at Konas did not.

 

[EnnEss]

Every time i book a Disney vacation I'm asked if I want help making ADRs. This should be a big tip off.

 

[madfelice]

We don't give 2 year olds what they want when they have a tantrum, this guy shouldn't have gotten what he wanted for throwing one either.

 

[Lewisc]

Sounds like the party was rude but they have a point. Not everyone books a Disney vacation 6-12 months in advance. Disney is happy letting guests make hotel reservations days in advance. Disney is happy selling guests a dining plan days before their vacation. There isn't any reason why a guest shouldn't expect availablity at least in a casual restaurant in their own hotel. I'm not talking about CRT, Le Cellier... Kona is a nice but casual restaurant in a hotel. It's the kind of restaurant that one might expect wouldn't reserve 100% of their tables.

 

[Mackey Mouse]

Here is another point that I feel compelled to make... Some of us are not able to make bookings in advance......I can only speak for myself here but wanted to put this point across. We have an illness in our family that requires treatment and sometimes when we get a break from that treatment, we like to go to our Happy Place.....WDW. Sometimes it is hard to get a room because I never know when my DH will feel well enough to go, but we do the best we can. So, we do not have the advantage of booking dining 180 days out, that is provided he feels well enough to dine for table service, and we have to be flexible on our dining, sometimes having room service as the restaurants are booked....it is ok, we are there and enjoying the sunshine and walking around in our favorite place...

This is not what happened to the resort guest, who is the subject of this thread, but I just wanted to put forth that not everyone can take advantage of the 180 day booking window and have to deal the best they can.

 

[fla4fun]

Personally, I think it was wrong to seat the guest. IF a restaurant has room for walk ins they will tell you, and seat you. To seat a walk in if there were no openings causes people who did plan ahead and make ADR's to have to wait. We've all seen threads where people have had to wait as long as 45 minutes WITH an ADR. That's not fair.

I also think it was wrong of the guest to throw a fit. The guest had been warned before the trip to be prepared, and they didn't take the advice. If the guest wasn't happy about how things were being run (whether right or wrong) there are channels to make that displeasure known without pitching a fit in the hotel like a two year old. I wasn't allowed to get away with it when I was two, and I certainly wouldn't try to get away with it now. Any average adult who reacts to disappointment by throwing temper tantrums really needs to grow up.

I also think it would be better all the way around if Disney went back to their 90 day reservation policy. I think there are a lot more people who have their plans organized and resort reservations made by the 90 day point than the 180 point. Of course, there will always be people who by choice or necessity don't book a trip until the last minute (I've booked with as little as four days before arrival), and they will still have challenges. I think 180 days out to make all your dining reservations is a little unreasonable (just my opinion).

I typically don't make ADR's in advance. I don't mind eating CS if I can't get TS, and I am flexible enough to call a day or two out and see what's available. Of course, you can't do this during holiday and peak periods (but I don't go then anyway) and you can't do it if you want the handful of really hard to get into restaurants (like CRT or Le Cellier), but it works for me. While I can understand the frustration of the guest, I have no sympathy - they should have planned ahead if eating TS was that important.