What is going on with Disney parks?

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I think the Yachtsman is good, I don’t know if I would call it outstanding.

I have to agree with you. But I have lived in or near a big foodie city for most of my adult life. My opinion of most Disney signatures isn’t too high. Seems they were better before 2010 or maybe I was just snowed by the pixie dust. We have avoided the dining plan completely and eat a lot of appetizers. Like the lounges for atmosphere.
 
I have to agree with you. But I have lived in or near a big foodie city for most of my adult life. My opinion of most Disney signatures isn’t too high. Seems they were better before 2010 or maybe I was just snowed by the pixie dust. We have avoided the dining plan completely and eat a lot of appetizers. Like the lounges for atmosphere.

Back in the days in 2009, Yatchman steakhouse was my favorite restaurant in WDW, hands down. For starters to dessert, everything was great. 24oz Porterhouse was to die for.
 
I have to agree with you. But I have lived in or near a big foodie city for most of my adult life. My opinion of most Disney signatures isn’t too high. Seems they were better before 2010 or maybe I was just snowed by the pixie dust. We have avoided the dining plan completely and eat a lot of appetizers. Like the lounges for atmosphere.
I visited right as the Disney dining plan was added and the food was really good. Then a few years later I came back to Disney and did the dining plan again and the food quality was noticeably worse. I think the DDP did not help things and only made the quality go down. They really need to go back to what was working.
 


Also, there is an open question on DisUnplugged Facebook page that relates to this thread (and the podcast rant):

"What changes do you think need to be made to Walt Disney World other than lower crowds or lower prices? "

Personally, for me, it is removing the "necessity" of planning things so far in advance. "required" reservations and missing out on a potential experience because you couldn't, or didn't know to plan THAT far in advance is frustrating. While I enjoy planning a disney vacation in advance (just to look forward to it) . .I don't like essentially planning what days I will be in what parks many months in advance only to feel you can't change things around as hours change or weather changes.
^^^^ Yes, this!! I do enjoy the planning but the level it is at now is just too much for most people. There should be a happy medium where the ultra-planners can plan the general public can go and just wing it. The booking which day in which park so far in advance is definitely a hindrance. I would be much happier with the Maxpass at DL as that is day of. You could add 1 anytime fastpass to resort guests as a perk and maybe block out the major headliners or something.
 
^^^^ Yes, this!! I do enjoy the planning but the level it is at now is just too much for most people. There should be a happy medium where the ultra-planners can plan the general public can go and just wing it. The booking which day in which park so far in advance is definitely a hindrance. I would be much happier with the Maxpass at DL as that is day of. You could add 1 anytime fastpass to resort guests as a perk and maybe block out the major headliners or something.

You can go to a park and just wing it. You're just not getting the dinner seating you want or you're just waiting on line longer.

It doesn't take an ultra planner to book some ADR 180 days in advance and then tweak them as your plan changes. I shuffle around ADRs not just on the same day but to different days all the way up to the day before the reservation.
 
You can go to a park and just wing it. You're just not getting the dinner seating you want or you're just waiting on line longer.

It doesn't take an ultra planner to book some ADR 180 days in advance and then tweak them as your plan changes. I shuffle around ADRs not just on the same day but to different days all the way up to the day before the reservation.

For people that are new, they dont even know what ADR stands for, so although it does get easier after your first trip, it still definitely requires a certain level of planning to properly setup ur trip. Yea u can just show up and wing it but I think that is more for folks that live close enough and decide to just pop in and enjoy being at Disney and not caring about any reservations or waiting in long lines. I know some will argue that yea, other people also just show up and wing it but I am referring to the majority. You even said yourself that you have no problem shuffling and making changes to ur ADR's right up to the day of, which means you had to make changes for some reason. This is the point everyone is trying to make, the fact you have to make plans so far in advance it creates conflict with other activities and plans that can't be made until later. This is probably fine and even great for the ultra planner's that setup a spread sheet with an itinerary breaking down their entire trip hour by hour but for those that just want to be able to setup their favorite FP in the same park on the same day at the same time as their ADR, can be extremely frustrating to say the least. The opinion I'm seeing from everyone doesn't seem like they mind the intial planning but it's more the extent of it that everyone dislikes. It seems most would prefer to be able to just get online and setup their entire trip all at once and not have to worry about going back later to try and finish the 2nd half of their trip and hope it lines up with the first half that was setup months earlier. Yes, I know people dont have to do all this planning, they do have the option to wait until everything is available and then do it all together but we all know for a fact if u do this, u will not get hardly any signature/character meals.
 


The opinion I'm seeing from everyone doesn't seem like they mind the intial planning but it's more the extent of it that everyone dislikes. It seems most would prefer to be able to just get online and setup their entire trip all at once and not have to worry about going back later to try and finish the 2nd half of their trip and hope it lines up with the first half that was setup months earlier. Yes, I know people dont have to do all this planning, they do have the option to wait until everything is available and then do it all together but we all know for a fact if u do this, u will not get hardly any signature/character meals.
Agree with this completelyyyy. As someone planning their first Disney trip (and ENJOYS planning), I was completely blown away by how far in advance you have to do everything. I booked a V&A reservation with a certain price point in mind based on their menu at the time. Of course within the 6 months period, they've upped the prices by $50 per person (for less food too). We'll still go, but stuff like that annoys me. So much can change in that time period that your planning/budgeting is always going to be messed up. But if you want to wait til last minute, chances are you don't get what you want. I can complain all I want but honestly I have no solution for it either...
 
You can go to a park and just wing it. You're just not getting the dinner seating you want or you're just waiting on line longer.

It doesn't take an ultra planner to book some ADR 180 days in advance and then tweak them as your plan changes. I shuffle around ADRs not just on the same day but to different days all the way up to the day before the reservation.
Since the cancellation fee has gone into effect, there are other hoops you have to jump through in order to cancel/move ADR's day of, like having to call in order to cancel, not being able to do it through the app.
 
Since the cancellation fee has gone into effect, there are other hoops you have to jump through in order to cancel/move ADR's day of, like having to call in order to cancel, not being able to do it through the app.
Since when do you have to call to modify or cancel an ADR day of? I did it a few times during my trip in June when my mom and I couldn't decide on a place to get lunch.

Actually just tried it on my phone for today and had no problems booking an ADR then changing the day and time. Moved it to later today then changed it again to tomorrow and cancelled, no problem.
 
Since when do you have to call to modify or cancel an ADR day of? I did it a few times during my trip in June when my mom and I couldn't decide on a place to get lunch.

Actually just tried it on my phone for today and had no problems booking an ADR then changing the day and time. Moved it to later today then changed it again to tomorrow and cancelled, no problem.

It makes you call in to modify if you're within 30 minutes of the reservation. Before that, like you say, same-day modification is no problem.
 
Since when do you have to call to modify or cancel an ADR day of? I did it a few times during my trip in June when my mom and I couldn't decide on a place to get lunch.

Actually just tried it on my phone for today and had no problems booking an ADR then changing the day and time. Moved it to later today then changed it again to tomorrow and cancelled, no problem.
I have never been allowed to cancel an ADR day-of through the app, no matter how many hours away the ADR is. I always get a note that says I must call to cancel. It has been like that my last three trips within the last year, with most recent one being in September.
 
Since the cancellation fee has gone into effect, there are other hoops you have to jump through in order to cancel/move ADR's day of, like having to call in order to cancel, not being able to do it through the app.

My ADR day was a month ago. I just recently booked a new time for Be Our Guest and cancelled the older time. On my phone.
 
I have never been allowed to cancel an ADR day-of through the app, no matter how many hours away the ADR is. I always get a note that says I must call to cancel. It has been like that my last three trips within the last year, with most recent one being in September.

What I did was modify it to the next day then cancel it.
 
I have never been allowed to cancel an ADR day-of through the app, no matter how many hours away the ADR is. I always get a note that says I must call to cancel. It has been like that my last three trips within the last year, with most recent one being in September.
Modify it to the next day, then cancel. Works every time for me.
 
Since the cancellation fee has gone into effect, there are other hoops you have to jump through in order to cancel/move ADR's day of, like having to call in order to cancel, not being able to do it through the app.
I believe they've announced that the perferred method for ADRs is now MDE app whereas calling is no longer really the way to go.

https://www.wdwinfo.com/news-storie...ney-world-table-service-reservations-changes/
https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/b...s-holiday-season-at-walt-disney-world-resort/ : "Beginning today {October 11th}, due to their overwhelming popularity, the My Disney Experience app and DisneyWorld.com will become the preferred home for booking and modifying table service dining reservations."

Disney has said the phone line will still "help with reservations for groups of eight or more, same-day cancelations (so that may still be something that you run into if you are straight up cancelling same-day vs modify to a later date then cancel) , in addition to other assistance guests may need, including Disney Resort hotel reservations, special offers, general questions and more."

Now I don't know if you'll run into issues with restaurants that are within the Parks but not owned or operated by Disney but not sure how much control Disney has over those.
 
It makes you call in to modify if you're within 30 minutes of the reservation. Before that, like you say, same-day modification is no problem.
I have done it within 30 minutes once, but just barely. I believe it was right around 25 minutes ahead. Haven't tried closer than that though.
 
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