Odd Comment?

[DVC2004]

I was reading another post about viewing Illuminations at a WS restaurant and I remembered something I was told a few weeks ago. We had an ADR for 8:15 at Hacienda and requested a window seat. We asked again at the podium. They told us they would try, and we did end up getting one- but the manager said:

"People come as early as 6 pm for that."

My husband and I thought that was so weird. Why would Disney allow people to have dinner for 3 hours and occupy a table for that long? An hour and half I could see and 2 hours is pushing it! I wonder how true this is and also are people really doing this? I don't know, maybe I am crazy I just think that is bad business. I can't see kicking people out, but how can they accomodate other reservations if people sit that long in order to watch Illuminations? And, we made reservations from home meaning we weren't a walk up from that day. Maybe she thought we were a walk up and just asked that day, I don't know.

Anyway just had to share. Has anyone else heard of this before?

[DNS]

I agree it does not make much sense. I think it would actually be pretty rude of anyone to do that. Although I am not sure how Disney would make them leave. Maybe they should have a table time limit. I get very frustrated having to plan out everything just so we can make ADR's well in advance. We can only take so much quick service food. When we first started going to WDW in the early 90's, you could make a reservation that morning and have no problem. I think about 90 minutes should be the maximum time for a table. Certainly no more than 2 hours.

[DVC2004]

I agree totally- and it was your post about Rose and Crown that made me remember. I don't know maybe she was just saying that...but it is very hard these days to get in not only where you want to eat but at the time you want to eat. I really hope this wasn't true! I agree can't kick people out, but 3 hours plus for dinner and staying for Illuminations is just unreasonable.

I remember back when we first started going as adults, in 2001 and 2002 we just walked into Ohana for dinner, no reservation, plenty of tables etc. Now we can't even get in anymore because we ususally don't book our room 6 months out even. Or we can sometimes get in at 9:45...who wants to eat that late?

[vicster]

I remember back when we first started going as adults, in 2001 and 2002 we just walked into Ohana for dinner, no reservation, plenty of tables etc. Now we can't even get in anymore because we ususally don't book our room 6 months out even. Or we can sometimes get in at 9:45...who wants to eat that late?

Those were the good old days - before the dining plan! I like flying by the seat of my pants and not having to make dining reservations 6 months ahead of time.

[7165red]

I remember the good old days too.

[SBETigg]

Like I said on the Rose and Crown thread, they do have a suggested time limit of two hours at Rose and Crown. If the service is efficient, and the server is mindful of the two hours, they won't kick people out perhaps but they can certainly move people along so that lingering becomes uncomfortable, or expensive if you have to keep ordering stuff to justify holding the table. This might be more of an issue in Mexico with the margaritas. People can drag that dinner out a long time perhaps. But, if it becomes a habit for diners, I wouldn't be surprised if Mexico made some rule changes and suggested time limits too, like Rose and Crown.

[tarheelmjfan]

I find it more odd when people post they arrived between 6:45 pm & 7:15 pm, & the server says they aren't going to let them leave before the fireworks Why would they even say that? They'd benefit more by turning the table. It makes no sense to me that servers would be encouraging this.

[Polynesian Dweller]

And just so this thread stays in the right track, La Hacienda is NOT a Disney owned/operated restaurant. Just because it's in WDW doesn't make it a Disney operation.

[DizneyRox]

I remember grabbing a train station seat at around 4-5pm for a 9pm parade. If you want a particular seat, you'll do anything once.

We weren't the first to be eyeing a spot on the station, we were just the first to grab a seat by the railing and park it.

[ElenitaB]

Those were the good old days - before the dining plan! I like flying by the seat of my pants and not having to make dining reservations 6 months ahead of time.
There WERE dining plans back then... they just weren't "free." We had dining plans for one of our trips in 2000 and then very similar to the Deluxe Dining Plan in 2001 (ugh... so much food). And I think reservations were made at 3 or 2 months out and the hot tickets were CRT and the Rose & Crown for Illuminations.

[disneynarula]

I too remember the good old days where you could get in almost everywhere besides the dinner shows and character meals. It was bad enough when it was 90 days out but 180 days is crazy. It makes it impossible to have a last minute trip and still eat where you want to.

We are thinking about going in October or January. I have room reservations for January but my MIL keeps getting pin codes in the mail and if she gets one for October we might go then. (still can't figure out why she gets all these pin codes) Now I am thinking I should make ADRs just in case we decide to go in October and then cancel them if we don't. It's seems sort of silly to have to do this but we really want to eat at O'Hana so I think I will go ahead and do it.

If a TS is run by Europeans then it's not uncommon to linger over a meal for several hours. It's pretty much the standard.

While it's sort of rude to arrange a TS for 6:00 just to stake out a place for a 9:00 show there is no policy against it and I don't think you can really kick someone out.

I think most people (including myself) arrange an ADR an hour or so before the fireworks hoping to get a seat by the window. Even though it is not guaranteed I think you get into a mind set of what you want. And of course my special occasion is more important than your special occasion. Pretty soon they will charge more for seats by the window during Illuminations and you will have to reserve it a year in advance.

[tarheelmjfan]

I too remember the good old days where you could get in almost everywhere besides the dinner shows and character meals. It was bad enough when it was 90 days out but 180 days is crazy. It makes it impossible to have a last minute trip and still eat where you want to.

We are thinking about going in October or January. I have room reservations for January but my MIL keeps getting pin codes in the mail and if she gets one for October we might go then. (still can't figure out why she gets all these pin codes) Now I am thinking I should make ADRs just in case we decide to go in October and then cancel them if we don't. It's seems sort of silly to have to do this but we really want to eat at O'Hana so I think I will go ahead and do it.

If a TS is run by Europeans then it's not uncommon to linger over a meal for several hours. It's pretty much the standard.

While it's sort of rude to arrange a TS for 6:00 just to stake out a place for a 9:00 show there is no policy against it and I don't think you can really kick someone out.

I think most people (including myself) arrange an ADR an hour or so before the fireworks hoping to get a seat by the window. Even though it is not guaranteed I think you get into a mind set of what you want. And of course my special occasion is more important than your special occasion. Pretty soon they will charge more for seats by the window during Illuminations and you will have to reserve it a year in advance.

I know people would be upset if that happened, but that's probably the most fair way to do it. If you expect an experience more special than the average guest, it makes sense they you should expect to pay more for it. (A general you, not you specifically.)