Hi there TP Family! So, I had a really creepy dining reservation experience today. I hit my 60 day mark for our trip and completely spaced that I could book dining for the first half of our split stay. I jump on in a panic only to see that…everything I want is available. 'Ohana for dinner on arrival day? No problem! Homecoming for 5 on day 3? Ample time options! Topolino’s character breakfast? Pick of times! (At one point…I convinced myself that I must be looking at the wrong dates because it was too easy…nope! No issues!)
So…what is happening here? I’ve been going to Disney since 2016 and I have NEVER been able to get dining as easily as I have for this spring break trip!
We’ve had a super easy time booking dining during Christmas break the last two years. There seems to be way more availability than there used to be years ago.
Ugh! Sorry about that! Here is hoping the post title inspires news soon though.
I can definitely see this as an issue! Honestly, I didn’t look at prices yet, so we may cancel some of these, especially the fixed price meals where I basically sit there and watch my son eat macaroni and cheese and then divide the cost of his meal by the number of noodles he eats so I can get the going rate for a Disney World noodle.
All of this! We may be canceling most of these in order to cover the cost of LLMPs for our family of five.
The quality of WDW TS has been in decline for at least a decade. The other night I was talking to a friend planning their first WDW trip and they were planning their entire schedule around ADRs, even when it was inconvenient (like leaving MK for the sole purpose of an ADR at Tutto Italia). I suggested they cancel the inconvenient ADRs. The food isn’t worth it anymore, especially when the price is taken into account. And this is coming from someone who loved TS dining at WDW 15 years ago and felt the meal quality was worth the cost at places like CG (not anymore).
We don’t really eat anywhere for the food anymore. I only do experience meals really. We only did Sci-Fi, Biergarten, Topolinos and Storybook over 8 nights in October. And I felt like we spent more than I wanted to. (Storybook especially but both my kids did eat prime rib!)
I wanted Lecellier but the sticker shock was ridiculous. I had a split stay so we toyed with the dining plan for half but I couldn’t even squeeze value out of that! It’s so heavily weighted towards alcohol which I’m not always up for in the heat and lots of walking, etc.
How does that result in more res open on ADR day? I would think it would lead to more same day res opening up but wouldn’t have much impact on ADRs made in advance,
It’s not just Disney. From what I have read and heard, the restaurant industry is down compared to pre-2020. I think the increase in food prices has had the greatest impact. And to a much lesser degree, still some impact from some people dining out less due to Covid risks.
Because, knowing that there is likely to be greater day-of availability, folks feel free to hold back on planning 60 days out what they want to eat for dinner on their fourth park day, not knowing what may be happening then. Instead, they wait until day of and book something then - or just join a walkup list (the existence of which probably also helps)
The muli-day view really helped as well. I didn’t feel this panicked need to quickly book something and then modify because I could see that there was better availability several days out.
My guess what’s going on is a combination of the above, but also I think Disney is allowing a higher percentage of their available dining slots for advance reservations, knowing that some will be dropped which will allow for walk-up availability. They’ve probably gotten better at calibrating to demand with more experience.
I know for us we aren’t booking as many as before. Also feel less need for back ups, since we find plenty of QS just fine if we cancel. And TS price is outrageous so over all limiting it.
My husband and sons really want to eat at Space 220 again but I keep looking at the menu (which I believe has changed since we last visited) and it doesn’t look as great for the price.
I secured a spot for ‘Ohana this Saturday on the first try. Typically, I have to search multiple times per day for days on end.
And a reservation for two at that. I was shocked!