Who Can Explain This

[dizzyfan]

Ok- I am like totally confused! I just got of the phone with DD making PS for 12-23-05 dinner @ Mama Melrose and I was told they close at 5:00pm so the latest time that I could get was 4:40pm this is CRAZY! I ask why and the CM said because they do not have the Dec. park hours yet. I told her that I have been making dinning arrangments for over a week now because we are there from 12-17-05 until 12-28-05 and this is the first time I have been told this and I have other dinner seatings at MGM and that I had tried to make a PS for this same rest. earlier in the week and all times were full and the CM I talk to that day said nothing about the rest. closing at 5:00.

So I made the PS for 4:40 called back and spoke to another CM and was told the same thing. So I ask when will you know if the hours will extend, she did not know just keep checking back. This is nonsense, I told her this also. Does anyone know why just this rest. would do this? Any suggestions for me, I guess just keep a watch on the hours and call back and if i miss a day I will probably lose out - I am not real happy about this! I love WDW but at times they make me so ANGRY! Sorry for ranting and raving this just ruins my day!

 

[Pooh Girl 71]

This is pretty typical. They will release later hours about 30 days out. The restaurants in the MK do the same thing.

 

[bicker]

These restaurants also might be looking into the option of offering some sort of holiday package deal meal, that would take some or all of their tables out of commission for non-package guests. Could be many things.

I don't see much benefit in letting myself get frustrated about such things. Disney's in the business of filling these tables with happy guests. Highly desireable experiences are indeed in high demand, and there is always a lot of competition for space when space is made available. It would be untenable to have a completely open-ended system whereby folks can reserve things an indeterminate amount of time in advance. So for everything that we can reserve, there is a time at which Disney begins offering to take reservations. It's best to wait for that time, and then do the best we can to secure the reservations we'd like, rather than being concerned about being unable to bend the standard process to our own timetable.

 

[Kaycee]

Please don't let this ruin your day. It is very common for this to happen at MGM restaurants - it has happened every time we've tried to make ADR's for our past 5 trips, and I've ready many, many similar reports here on the DIS boards. As Pooh Girl 71 said, it's also common for this to happen at MK restaurants.

The later hours are almost always released between 30 days and 3 weeks before the date you are dining there. I usually make the early ADR (just to have one) then start calling at 30 days from my trip for a later time. I don't call every day, just every 2 or 3 days, until the later times are available. We have gotten the later times we wanted every time so far.

Good luck, and please don't let things like this ruin your planning or your trip.

 

[dizzyfan]

As you all can see this is not our first trip tp WDW and I make our dining reservations evey year at the 90 day mark (as WDW says you can) I have dining reservations booked for every day of our trip and I have always done this, and this is the first time I have ever been told this.

Bicker - I was not trying to bend the standard process to my timetable just simply trying to make a dining reservation for dinner. I waited until the 90 day mark to make the request which is the WDW policy - my issue is that it makes no sense why I have Prime Time Cafe (which is in the same park) booked for 12-21-05 at 6:00pm and I cannot book another rest. in the same park because they show the rest. closing at 5:00pm on 12-23-05. This 5:00pm closing is based on the fact that they do not know the park hours for Dec. yet, which I know they have not been released, so if that is the case why don't they say all rest. are closing at 5:00pm until Dec. park hours are issued. Now if this rest. just closes earlier than all the others fine, but that is not the reason I was given. I am not asking for an open ended system I understand that there has to be rules to follow, but they should be the same for all rest. and parks. I am not on a package, but I am an AP and a memeber of the DDE.

I will keep triyng, I have a couple of more days left to book reservations for and I will check each time I call.

Thanks for the input!

 

[elaine and the boys]

I think this is my situation, too. I made all my ADRs this morning for our Christmas week trip. The only ressie I could get for Hollywood & Vine for Fantasmic Pkg. was 4:30 pm. They had nothing later, so I'm assuming they are using the 5:00 closing time also. Since we're a party of 8, and I could only get 2 tables of 4, I will definitely take all your advice and try back in November. Thanks for the tip! I'd love to get a later time and a table all together!!

 

[dcgrumpy]

As you all can see this is not our first trip tp WDW and I make our dining reservations evey year at the 90 day mark (as WDW says you can)

Well actually, up until last summer it was 60 days not 90 days. When it was 60 days they already new the park hours. The same thing has happened with MGM and MK our last two trips. I called at about 4 weeks before we left and was able to get later times. Good luck

 

[BCV23]

For several years now MK and MGM restaurants have not been releasing later times for ADRs unitl the hours are finalized. So even when Dec. hours are released, you may not get a time as late as you want.

3-4 weeks out later times open up when the schedule are set in stone...or as close to stone as WDW gets.

It is better than having to contact people and disappoint them by cancelling later ADRs because projections for crowds are lower than first thought.

Just try a month or so before your trip. But try to relax. Planning a trip should be fun not stressful.

You do know about 90 plus 10 don't you? You really shouldn't have to call each day. Or maybe you're staying off property. Sorry if I missed that.

And actually even before 90 plus 10 there was no need to call each day except for things like CRT.

But take a deep breath and have fun!

 

[helenk]

Definately wait until the park hours are released and then you should be able to get later times. I had actually had to wait until 30 days prior to my trip to get the later hours for MGM.
MK and MGM never seem to have the later hours at the 90 days, MK seems to have better times once the hours are posted, but MGM you generally have to wait to the 30 day timeframe.

 

[gigi1313]

part of the problem w/mgm booking later adrs is that they are often the park closed to host private parties... at least that's what a cm told me when we had trouble getting a later ps...

 

[kitty2kidz]

We are going Oct 3rd and I had a 430 for H&V FDP and have called each day since 30 days out for a later seating with no luck untik----TODAY 10 days out they opened up all of the times!! I was sooo excited I had my choice of times after 430!! Keep trying, but they really held out until close to the date!!

 

[DebbieB]

My theory on this is they want the earlier times to fill first before releasing later times. They make more money by keeping the restaurant full as much of the time as possible. If they released later times from the start, the earlier times would be half empty.

 

[BCV23]

Interesting theory Debbie.

Two things make me think otherwise. The change was implemented not too many months after 9/11. I remember reading posts from irate guests who had been called with the news that their later PS was being cancelled as the parks were closing earlier than originally scheluled.

And I know a young lady who did an internship at the MK that involved running programs to schedule CMs. They did this once they got the final hours. It was something like 2-3 (or 3-4?) weeks ahead that the hours were finalized. Probably about the time those half month schedules are sent to print too.

 

[bicker]

... just simply trying to make a dining reservation for dinner. ... my issue is that it makes no sense why ...

What I was trying to say is that "why" isn't really important, and since you were simply trying to make a dining reservation for dinner, explanations (assuming that someone on the operational side of the company was willing to go over the issue with you) wouldn't help you get what you want. I'm sure you'll have no trouble finding someplace wonderful to have dinner that evening. Have a great time.

 

[Danauk]

We booked our ADR's last week and got a 7pm ADR at Hollywood Brown Derby for New Years eve. That is a regular ADR though, not fantasmic package. I guess that makes a difference.

 

[CarolinaBlue]

I had a similar problem last week. I tried to make a dinner ADR at the Plaza Restaurant at MK on December 17th and was told that the latest time they could give me was 4:15p.m. The CM said maybe they were closing early that day, but I suspected that it was because the December hours aren't out yet.

 

[skiwee1]

I have all my Dec ADRs including 50s Prime Time for 6pm for the first week of December. I booked every dinner at every park for 6pm or later fore Dec and didn't get any problems.

 

[ExPirateShopGirl]

Here, too, we were only able to secure an ADR for 4:20 at Mama Melrose on October 2. Thanks to a couple of lovely DISers yesterday (note to OP: only 8 days out!) I discovered that later time slots had opened, and I secured a better seating time.

Don't stress, just call back when it comes closer. As a WDW veteran, you'll do fine!

 

[BCV23]

We booked our ADR's last week and got a 7pm ADR at Hollywood Brown Derby for New Years eve. That is a regular ADR though, not fantasmic package. I guess that makes a difference.

I think the difference is that it is NYE and WDW already knows with certainty that MGM and MK will be open late that night. .

Since Epcot closes at 9 most of the year, there is not the difficulty in booking evening ADRs at that park.

 

[pjupton]

Even 3 weeks out, I couldn't get anything. I've been calling for-ever about October 2. Just YESTERDAY was I able to get a later seating.