One out of Seven ADR's!

[RockinRollerMom]

We are so sad. One out of seven!

Just curious which ones you were not able to get and if they were all booked up or just the times you wanted. I know some-one who is booking there ADR's next week and is a little nervous. I booked my ADR's a few weeks ago and didn't have many problems. We are going during free dining so I got Le Celier for lunch instead of diner. I had to book Cape May 45 minutes later than I wanted, but the rest was pretty smooth.

As other posters have said, keep trying. ADR's do open up!

[WDWCrazyKaren]

Thanks to everyone for their responses.

Here's the rundown (I'm going off memory as I've left my ressie paper at home and I'm at my office right now)

09-26 Teppan Edo
09-27 Cape May Breakfast (BOO HOO-no Chef Mickey's as has been our tradition for lo these many years)
09-28 Princess Storybook (This was a YIPPEE moment just today. When I called on Sunday to make our ADR's there was no space available here so we booked Crystal Palace. I checked online this morning and now all of a sudden-SPACE AVAILABLE! I did do the responsible thing and called Disney Dining and cancelled CP)
09-29 50's Prime Time (For lunch. We wanted Sci Fi for dinner, but no such luck)
09-30 O'Hana's for breakfast
10-01 Chef Mickey's for breakfast
10-02 Whispering Canyon for dinner

As you can see, the McCrankypants family like them their breakfasts! We are early risers and love big breakfasts. No, it's not the "economical" way to use this dining plan as the breakfasts are cheaper than dinners, but hey, it's what we like to do!

I personally use the dining plan for all of our trips to the World. This is our first time for free dining however. We usually pay for the package. We'll see how busy things are.

Funny story-I said to Surly on Sunday just before making the ADR's "Somehow, it just feels more 'real' that the vacation is coming up soon once I have those ADR's made". His response. "What, it didn't feel real to you when we forked over $3,500?"

Men.

[jonahbear2006]

Honestly I don't mind the dining plan. However I do mind the free promotion. I think they shouldn't offer free dining. It's what cause the main problem with ADRs. I had no problem going in Oct and getting 16 ADRs... all that I wanted (including Le Cellier an CRT).

We go in Sept. because it's our anniversary month and we had a Disney honeymoon so we go back to celebrate. Unfortunately I can't change that date in order to avoid free dining.

We went both last year for free dining and will be returning this year and neither time did we have any trouble getting the reservations we wanted. AAMOF, we got Le Cellier both trips, last time WHILE we were there, we got the ressie. The parks were dead, with the exception of night of joy, and we had told several CMs how suprised we were at the low crowds. They told us, people don't come out just for the dining plan alone. If there is an issue, perhaps it is because of the new online system, but I know there are people that book dining that never intend on using it and don't bother to cancel their reservation, as well. Anyways, We got everywhere we asked for. I have never seen a problem with booking with disney dining.

[BelleLovesTheBeast]

We went both last year for free dining and will be returning this year and neither time did we have any trouble getting the reservations we wanted. AAMOF, we got Le Cellier both trips, last time WHILE we were there, we got the ressie. The parks were dead, with the exception of night of joy, and we had told several CMs how suprised we were at the low crowds. They told us, people don't come out just for the dining plan alone. If there is an issue, perhaps it is because of the new online system, but I know there are people that book dining that never intend on using it and don't bother to cancel their reservation, as well. Anyways, We got everywhere we asked for. I have never seen a problem with booking with disney dining.

Well, your lucky. In 07 we had a problem getting ADRs too. Prior to the free dining promotion we never had any problems with getting reservations in Sept. The crowds were less too. We used to never have to wait more than 5 or 10 minutes for rides and since free dining several get to 30-45 minute wait. A friend's mother has worked as a pastry chef for Disney for 15 years and we've discussed this. She's even stated that there are a lot more people than there used to be since Disney started running the free dining promotion.

To OP... glad you got one more of the restaurants you wanted. Hope you can get the others too.

[iceicebritney]

Oh good, I am not the only one!

I also only got 1 of my selections for ADR's, and the reservation is so late that I don't think we'll even be able to make it.

I hate the online booking system and this whole 90 + 10 day system. I guarantee if people had to use credit cards to hold these reservations we wouldn’t have these problems.

[Ian]

We got pretty all the ADR's we wanted for our September trip. I think we missed out on one or two, but that was it.

Oddly enough, we even called back later to add a Saturday night reservation at Cali Grill for Labor Day weekend of all things and we still were able to get in.

I generally agree, though, that the DDP has pretty much ruined not just the dining in WDW but it's dinged the entire experience because you now have to be a total slave to your ADR's and can't just easily wing it.

[TheRustyScupper]

Just curious, what are the 5?

The only sit-down restaurants we patronize at WDW are *
. . . Bistro de Paris (Epcot, France, upstairs)
. . . Citrico's (Grand Floridian Resort)
. . . Shula's Steakhouse (Dolphin Resort)
. . . Il Mulino (Swan Resort)
. . . Victria & Albert's (Grand Floridian Resort)

* We did have one other, but have since eliminated it.

[Imagineer1981]

Well, your lucky. In 07 we had a problem getting ADRs too. Prior to the free dining promotion we never had any problems with getting reservations in Sept. The crowds were less too. We used to never have to wait more than 5 or 10 minutes for rides and since free dining several get to 30-45 minute wait. A friend's mother has worked as a pastry chef for Disney for 15 years and we've discussed this. She's even stated that there are a lot more people than there used to be since Disney started running the free dining promotion.

To OP... glad you got one more of the restaurants you wanted. Hope you can get the others too.

Well I think thats the idea behind free dining. While we love Sept because it used to be so slow and empty, Disney didn't love it, because it was less money flowing in, so by offering free dining, more guest flock to the resorts and spend money in the parks

[LibertyTreeGal]

Anyone who frequents DL and WDW would not be so quick to blame the DDP for the lower food quality. Been to Blue Bayou lately? Storytellers at the Grand Californian? Il Trattoria? It is a Disney wide phenomenon, sadly. My only great sit down meal at DL was at Ralph Brennan's in DTD. I spoke with the manager there and he gets the same story all the time, park food quality is getting worse and worse.

[bicker]

I suspect that once we start trafficking in "phenomena" that we'll find that, at the core of if, the mass-market is to blame: So many people so fixated on the lowest possible price, effectively to the exclusion of other considerations.

[DizneyRox]

Interesting re-reading this. I wonder if they actually implemented the tiered ADR system lately? This was rumored previously and the free DDP promotion was rumored to put those people at the bottom of the rung for dning reservations. I see many that are going during that time having trouble getting ADRs.

Hmmm...

My only great sit down meal at DL was at Ralph Brennan's in DTD. I spoke with the manager there and he gets the same story all the time, park food quality is getting worse and worse.

Narcossees over at the grand puts out quite a meal, but at $50+ they better.

I would without a doubt blame the DDP for the lack of quality food at the parks If you're offering two meals and a snack for $40 a day, you had better make sure it's not costing you more than $40 to do it. Otherwise you're losing money.

Disney doesn't like to lose money! Wall Street doesn't like Disney to lose money.

Guess what? They are not...

[LibertyTreeGal]

Interesting re-reading this. I wonder if they actually implemented the tiered ADR system lately? This was rumored previously and the free DDP promotion was rumored to put those people at the bottom of the rung for dning reservations. I see many that are going during that time having trouble getting ADRs.

Hmmm...


Narcossees over at the grand puts out quite a meal, but at $50+ they better.

I would without a doubt blame the DDP for the lack of quality food at the parks If you're offering two meals and a snack for $40 a day, you had better make sure it's not costing you more than $40 to do it. Otherwise you're losing money.

Disney doesn't like to lose money! Wall Street doesn't like Disney to lose money.

Guess what? They are not...

My quote was for Disneyland (DL) not WDW -- I was just pointing out that there is no DDP at DL and the meals are suffering badly at their sit downs as well, so it isn't all the DDP's fault.

[chefmickey3]

Interesting re-reading this. I wonder if they actually implemented the tiered ADR system lately? This was rumored previously and the free DDP promotion was rumored to put those people at the bottom of the rung for dning reservations. I see many that are going during that time having trouble getting ADRs.

Is this why they ask if you are a AP holder on the online reservation system? It is an interesting thought...

[Mom2princesses]

Why would you say that as we saved over 1K in using the FD offer?? We did book a 4/3 but when the free dining came up we changed, it cost me $300 more PLUS we got 1 more day/night for only $300 more then the 4/3 offer, thats 10 days, 9 nights PLUS the food....

It really depends. First of all you are paying rack rate for the room. In my case the 4/3 deal was much better since we stayed at a Deluxe resort. Even with paying for the DDP we saved much more on the 4/3. You have to work out the numbers each situation is different. Have a good trip.

[Mom2princesses]

I would without a doubt blame the DDP for the lack of quality food at the parks If you're offering two meals and a snack for $40 a day, you had better make sure it's not costing you more than $40 to do it. Otherwise you're losing money.

Disney doesn't like to lose money! Wall Street doesn't like Disney to lose money.

Guess what? They are not...

I totally agree!

[WDWCrazyKaren]

If some of you feel that the DDP is the reason behind the lagging quality of the food, do you think this is only during the free dining periods? This will be my first time utilizing free dining, but we do the DDP every time we go and pay for it. We've had decent food quality in the past when we have had to pay for the DDP.

[Stickey]

We have not had any issues with the food quality, with, or without the DDP.

The growth of the DDP has resulted in reduced menu options. The maple-bbq filet was removed from LeCellier, chicken tenders were replaced by nuggets at qs locations, and there appears to be fewer menu choices at ts restaurants.