Originally Posted By Liberty Belle I called WDW Dining to book a buffet breakfast at Cinderella's Castle this morning and was told it was booked out for all 7 days we're there - I hadn't realised you could book 90 days in advance! My question is, is there any point in trying to call up on the days we're there to see if there have been any cancellations? If not, can anyone recommend a really good breakfast buffet (preferably character) somewhere else in WDW? Thanks!
Originally Posted By vbdad55 Yes, it pays to call as you can get lucky -- just have to be right plae at right time --- but I would recommend the character breakfast at the Beach Club for the food & quieter atmosphere..... if you want just loud Disney fun for a character breakfast then Chef Mickey's is the way to go -- you are going to find any of these very hard to get times for - maybe not as hard as Cindy's -- but not easy... Cindy's books out by 7:03 ( they start taking calls at 7:00 ) 90 days out.
Originally Posted By Liberty Belle Thanks, vbdad, I'll have a look at those places and also harass them the mornings I'm there about getting in at Cindy's. >>Cindy's books out by 7:03 ( they start taking calls at 7:00 ) 90 days out<< Wow - I thought it was 8am 60 days in advance, so I was really out of luck!
Originally Posted By SJHYM One of my beefs with Disney Dining seating is that if you decide to make your trip on the spur of the moment then you cant get into some venues. I always thought they should put aside some reservations for the guest who doesnt know that they are required and just happen upon the restaurant.
Originally Posted By mrquisp I had the same problem last year. I tried booking at 4 am (PST), got through, and it was all booked up within one minute (4:01). I found out that there is a cancellation fee for anyone cancelling within a 24 hour period. What I did, I tried calling at 9 am the day before I wanted to go to CRT and got the reservation that I needed. Therefore, try one day before you want to go (assuming your schedule is flexible enough to allow that).
Originally Posted By SJHYM ^^^Isnt that ridiculous that a person has to get up at 4am to make reservations and within one minute they are booked? Disney really needs to rethink this system.
Originally Posted By Liberty Belle I agree ... it doesn't really seem right that the casual Disney World guest automatically misses out on something like that because they don't know to call up and book, and the more dedicated fans still miss out half the time because it books out so quickly! Thanks Mrquisp - I might try calling every morning and asking if they have a cancellation for that day or the next day or two. Worth a shot, anyway!
Originally Posted By Indigo Well, the phone ahead ressie system is much better than the run to the restaurant first thing in the morning system. As an Orlando resident, I do feel at a little disadvantage. I never plan eating out 1 day ahead, let alone 90 days out. Puts a real crimp in my desire to eat on property. For instance, I love to dine at Canada's Le Cellier. But they don't take walk-ups. So the chances of me going there for dinner monthly are few (unless I decide to set up a reservation for every night of the week 90 days ahead then just pick the night I want). But that's unreasonable to ask of a local, I think. Don't get me started about trying to get a seat at Ohana'. Do I have a solution? No. As far as Disney is concerned, if there is demand enough to fill 3 dinner seatings a night at the good restaurants, why not take those ressies. You can't say it's good show to leave some seats available, because it's bad show for the people who plan ahead. Disney's best bet is probably to increase capacity (while maintaining quality) or provide a monthly local's night where ressies are only taken 2-3 days ahead from local residents.
Originally Posted By Liberty Belle Agreed, Indigo - it's a problem, but a solution's hard to come by. I still kind of like the half-half thing, although as you said it's not really fair to those who like to plan ahead ... and it seems almost impossible to increase the capacity in Cindy's, at least without making the experience a lot less enjoyable.
Originally Posted By SJHYM I dont think the problem is hard to solve. The 2 that immediately jump to my mind is: 1) You take so many reservations for those people who are in a position to make a reservation 90 days in advance and then you leave a certain percentage of the seats available for same day reservations. Besides Indigo's great point about those of us who are local, there are tons of guests who miss out on some venues that they happen to "stumble" upon on their visit. 2) Stop taking advanced reservations all together and go back to same day reservations. The popular places are going to be full no matter what system you use and it allows people who arent anal enough to plan dinner out 90 days in advance a chance to eat. It is insane that locals like myself or some poor day guest can eat at Le Cellier for instance because its been booked 90 days out. Plus the fact I for one never know what I am going to feel like eating until the day gets there. It may be mexican or german or Le Cellier.
Originally Posted By Liberty Belle Alternatively, they could make the bookings 15 or 30 days in advance, rather than 90 - that's a heck of a long time, a bit too long in my opinion! A lot of people wouldn't even plan to be going to WDW 90 days in advance, let alone thinking about what they're going to eat.
Originally Posted By Clotho When I went last year, we found that some reservations were held, and not only that, but the length of time the park decides to stay open can change in the 90 day period. We could only get a 5pm reservation at the time we booked, because the park was supposed to close early that night. But then they changed their closing time to later, and we got a later resservation--in time to see the fireworks! I would call them when you're there!
Originally Posted By LuvDatDisney I liked things a lot better the way they did things in the 1980s. Only Annual and Seasonal Passholders could make reservations and they were real ressies, not this PS crap. You also could only book them at first 48 hours in advance and then it jumped to one week, then two. And they ALWAYS left tables open for walkins. Of course there was no character dining in those days either.
Originally Posted By vbdad55 Stop taking reservations and let's roll out mass chaos....and 2 hour waits like at most popular restaurants. That's not where I want to spend my vacation time..waiting for a table. The mass dissatisfaction it would cause I believe would be detrimental to their business. If booking a restaurant 90 days out is anal-- than color me that...and most people who are eating at the tables around me. In 10 days at WDW I eat at approx 15-20 sit down meals....and many who book ahead do the same. I would never do that if I had to wait 2 hours -- I don't think they want to drive off somewhat guaranteed meals for what they will get in return, or better yet drive people off the premises to eat that have already planned to eat there, not just on a whim. Some of the restaurants I eat at in Chicago also have booking policies where you have to book ahead - sometimes as much as 60 days for a table at a set time. Also even when we make our June visit with the crowds-- if we decide to change where we are going to eat from what we booked 90 days earlier..usually a call the day before nets us a table -- just maybe not at peak times..so I don't buy the first timers missing out ...unless they are looking at Vic & Al's, Cindy's Castle or Cali Grill during fireworks etc.
Originally Posted By vbdad55 <A lot of people wouldn't even plan to be going to WDW 90 days in advance, let alone thinking about what they're going to eat. < I don't know about that -- most out of town people who travel there to spend 7 - 10 days usually have to clear vacation time at least that far out at their place of employment. I don't know too many people who could just at the drop of a hat take off for that period of time... <I liked things a lot better the way they did things in the 1980s. Only Annual and Seasonal Passholders could make reservations and they were real ressies, not this PS crap. You also could only book them at first 48 hours in advance and then it jumped to one week, then two. And they ALWAYS left tables open for walkins. Of course there was no character dining in those days either. < Disney also at that time did not have a gazillion hotel rooms it had to fill and have some perks for those guests to stay on the grounds...also did not have people dropping $25K - $50K+ for DVC memberships -- far more $ than AP's alone- and have to keep them happy....can't have it both ways, because without the influx of revenue there probably is no AK or Studios.
Originally Posted By Liberty Belle Vbdad, no one wants to wait 2 hours but keeping some seats open for walk-ins or reducing the booking time to 30 days wouldn't create that sort of wait, and I definitely don't think they should stop taking PS's altogether. My biggest problem is that surely there's something wrong with a system where you can ring up 3 minutes after bookings start, 90 days before you want to dine and still miss out. Like I said though, I don't know what the solution is. >>I don't know about that -- most out of town people who travel there to spend 7 - 10 days usually have to clear vacation time at least that far out at their place of employment. I don't know too many people who could just at the drop of a hat take off for that period of time<< Well, like you said, out-of-towners don't generally do it but what about locals? Also, two years ago we decided to go to Disneyland 40 days before we left (on an international trip) so I'm sure it happens sometimes with WDW too!
Originally Posted By vbdad55 <Well, like you said, out-of-towners don't generally do it but what about locals< I am going to hazard a guess and say unlike DL - the vast majority of guests on a given day at WDW are not locals. With 40,000 hotel rooms or whatever the latest count is - the majority of people are from out of town. That doesn't dismiss the locals, but Disney is going to cater to where the most $ is, that is the way they run the store. As far as Cindy's is concerned -- there is such a limited amount of seating --this can;t be fixed. If you stop reservations there, you will have people 'camping out' starting the minute the park closes the night before-- then running down Main Street killing each other for one of those 400 or so seats.
Originally Posted By Clotho I agree that 90 days seems a loooong way out. WHY so long? Why not keep it a respectable 30 days? Does anyone know the rationale behind putting the reservations so far out?
Originally Posted By Liberty Belle I'm not sure, Clotho. From the message at Disney Dining it seems some are still available only 60 days in advance, so it's confusing as well - Disneyland and some WDW restaurants are booked 60 days in advance, others 90 days and Fantasmic! 30 days ... it just confuses the situation, IMO.
