Free DDP pains...

[Syndrome]

Join the club. Locals are spontaneous, and spontaneous does not get along with DDP well.

Amen to that! I've lost count of the times when I am driving towards WDW while Mr. Syndrome is on the phone with 407-WDW-DINE trying to find someplace with an opening within the next half hour so he can tell me where to turn off World Drive.

[Mayonnaise]

Is it only teh free DDP that ruins spontaneity or all DDP? I mean, the way it was explained to me, you CAN make reservations (and I did, since this is likely to be my only trip for at least 4 years, and there are some places I just HAVE to hit) but also can't you just try and get a walk in table, spontaneous like, and still use DDP?

Are the waiters going to hate me for being on DDP?

8^S

[Syndrome]

...but also can't you just try and get a walk in table, spontaneous like, and still use DDP?

You used to be able to do that, but now more often than not we are told, "Sorry, no walk-up availability." It helps your chances if you get there right at opening, but otherwise you're often out in the cold. That applies to the most popular places, of course...some are easier than others.

[Mayonnaise]

Wait... so... if DDP people don't make reservations they can't eat, but people not on the plan can? That doesn't seem fair at all.

8^S

[ectomstr]

Wait... so... if DDP people don't make reservations they can't eat, but people not on the plan can? That doesn't seem fair at all.

8^S

i maybe reading this wrong but:

if someone on the DDP walks up behind someone who just walked up. Neither has reservations and trying to get them that day at whichever restauraunt. Group A makes and takes the reservation and moves on. Group B, the DDP's, try to but that was the last one, i see no problem.

When said and done, once all reservations are booked, that's it. now, walk-in's later on maybe available when others who had these reservations don't show up but more often than not, taking walk-in's is a bad idea since most with reservations show up at some point (lotta grumbling on that one....).

Whether or not they have the DDP doesn't matter. It's first come, first serve.

[BRWombat]

As Frank Burns said, "Spontaneity has its time and its place."

This doesn't really contribute to the topic, I know, but hey... ADD.

Look, a squirrel!

[GRUMPY PIRATE]

as frank burns said, "spontaneity has its time and its place."

this doesn't really contribute to the topic, i know, but hey... Add.

look, a squirrel!

is it pink??

[Mayonnaise]

Whether or not they have the DDP doesn't matter. It's first come, first serve.

Um... Then how does the DDP ruin spontaneity?

8^S

[Shorty82]

Um... Then how does the DDP ruin spontaneity?

8^S

Because with free DDP more people make reservations at restaurants they normally wouldn't, causing them to fill up a LOT faster. There are some places it is very hard to get into without making reservations months in advance so you have to decide months in advance where you want to eat, not as you go along.

[Syndrome]

Um... Then how does the DDP ruin spontaneity?

Two major reasons:

1) You have a much larger group of people making advance ressies. They also tend to make more of 'em for more expensive table service restaurants that they wouldn't be frequenting if they didn't have DDP.

2) You have people making multiple reservations at several of the most popular restaurants. They don't know where they will be at the time or where they will actually prefer to eat, so for example they simply book Canada, Rose & Crown, Chef Mickey's and Ohana all for the same night and time. Of course they don't bother to cancel so that eats up even more availability which can't be given to walk-ups because the restaurant doesn't know the SG won't be showing up. WDW tries to prevent it, but it's pretty easy to get around the system.

For the reasons above, the restaurants are booked at capacity so if you call the day before or day of, your chances are pretty dim. In the pre-DDP days, we could get into Ohana the same day, or at least the same week, almost any time.