My apologies to the entire board

[Sirwalterraleigh]

I think this particular discussion on the polices and what not had been very civil. Definitely in the spirit of this thread.

…my guess is someone has a dozen or so rotten eggs and their throwing arm is loose…however

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Funny enough I'm more conservative with my words and opinions here than I am in person in a real conversation. As an example, some of my less popular Disney opinions are easier to talk about than waste cumulative hours explaining them online.

Oh…I want to party with YOU

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

What was the policy you were told, if I may ask?

Disney’s stated policy - in the Help Center under “frequently asked questions” “restaurants” - is that you need a confirmed dining reservation for the total number of Guests - regardless of age.

Disney gives CMs discretion to accommodate guests whenever possible. They never want to disappoint people.

But it can’t be general policy to seat everyone who shows up at the podium regardless of the number of guests on the reservation. If that were the case people wouldn’t be spending so much time and effort looking for reservations for large parties or getting split reservations and trying to combine them at the podium.

I wouldn’t have had to get up at 5 am trying to get reservations for 9 at Story Book Dining at Wilderness Lodge. I could have just grabbed a reservation for 4 and added the rest at the podium.

Apologies if I misunderstood what you were saying in your post.

Those are case by case anecdotes…”gaps in the coverage”…not policies.

The podium thing happens a lot…but technically violates a policy. Every person over 3 is required to have a $10 credit card deposit on their heads. A bounty on bacon.

The accountants don’t consider that a joke.

 

[MickeyLuv'r]

1. What was the policy you were told, if I may ask?

2. Disney’s stated policy - in the Help Center under “frequently asked questions” “restaurants” - is that you need a confirmed dining reservation for the total number of Guests - regardless of age.

Disney gives CMs discretion to accommodate guests whenever possible. They never want to disappoint people.

But it can’t be general policy to seat everyone who shows up at the podium regardless of the number of guests on the reservation. If that were the case people wouldn’t be spending so much time and effort looking for reservations for large parties or getting split reservations and trying to combine them at the podium.

I wouldn’t have had to get up at 5 am trying to get reservations for 9 at Story Book Dining at Wilderness Lodge. I could have just grabbed a reservation for 4 and added the rest at the podium.

Apologies if I misunderstood what you were saying in your post.

1. It was as I stated earlier. A major qualifier - and I'm not sure quite how to state this succinctly- but it is only an option for people who have an ADR.

2. A second major qualifier is that parties in this situation give up all priority as to when they will be seated. Most people do not want to wait 90minutes (past ADR time) to be seated, if they have a 7pm ADR, they want to be seated at 7pm.

I also presume that the policy could change at any time. Per the example already discussed in this thread: people saw they could park at CR for free, and that it was easy to walk from CR to MK. So now WDW has become very strict about parking at CR. Of all the hotels, CR is especially strict for good reason. WDW knows people try to park at CR to get out of paying to park at MK. During the pandemic, too many people were even getting dropped off at CR to gain a RD advantage, so then CR wouldn't even allow Uber drop offs at CR, especially in the morning.

3. Sure it can, because as I said above, #2 makes this a very unappealing option. Most people do not want to wait around that long to eat. You have said a number of times on this forum that your extended family is not able to wait long for attractions. If you make a 9am ADR, would they happily wait until 11am to eat breakfast? Would they happily want to wait until 9m to eat dinner? I know I don't generally want to do that.

I qualified my reply heavily to say I am sure it can't be done at every location, especially the ADR's that are hard to get. You are free to dismiss what I'm saying as, "CM discretion" and nothing more. To some extent that is true. As I just said earlier, WDW policies are often murky.

I am certain it is only allowed because to date- people have not abused this policy.

I also appreciate having a civil discussion here!

 

[crazy4disney]

Those are case by case anecdotes…”gaps in the coverage”…not policies.

The podium thing happens a lot…but technically violates a policy. Every person over 3 is required to have a $10 credit card deposit on their heads. A bounty on bacon.

The accountants don’t consider that a joke.

Which they waive each and every time you call and ask them to lol

 

[MickeyLuv'r]

Again not saying it cant happen… saying its really hard now. I would never doubt someones personal experiences like some have with mine on other threads… can i ask if you had park reservations for the MK booked that day when you went to see the Easter eggs?

It was from before the pandemic. It was also late morning/midday, which probably matters.

The day we were allowed to park at the Boardwalk -August 2022- I think we had come from MK. It was around 9:40pm,so Epcot was already closed.

I would not ask to park in the early morning, as many often do. It would also be dumb to try it in early evening on a Halloween party day. The guards will see right through both of those.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Which they waive each and every time you call and ask them to lol

Not if you don’t ask/know better

Now you’ve just tripped on the same well

Don’t “advise” strangers when there’s a chance you’re gonna be proven wrong

 

[crazy4disney]

It was from before the pandemic. It was also late morning/midday, which probably matters.

The day we were allowed to park at the Boardwalk -August 2022- I think we had come from MK. It was around 9:40pm,so Epcot was already closed.

I would not ask to park in the early morning, as many often do. It would also be dumb to try it in early evening on a Halloween party day. The guards will see right through both of those.

Okay so your example really doesnt touch on what we been saying. Not taking away from what your experience was but its comparing apples to oranges to what some are saying myself included

 

[crazy4disney]

Not if you don’t ask/know better

Now you’ve just tripped on the same well

Don’t “advise” strangers when there’s a chance you’re gonna be proven wrong

This is true. I retract my statement lol. “Almost” every time hahaha

 

[Chi84]

1. It was as I stated earlier. A major qualifier - and I'm not sure quite how to state this succinctly- but it is only an option for people who have an ADR.

2. A second major qualifier is that parties in this situation give up all priority as to when they will be seated. Most people do not want to wait 90minutes (past ADR time) to be seated, if they have a 7pm ADR, they want to be seated at 7pm.

I also presume that the policy could change at any time. Per the example already discussed in this thread: people saw they could park at CR for free, and that it was easy to walk from CR to MK. So now WDW has become very strict about parking at CR. Of all the hotels, CR is especially strict for good reason. WDW knows people try to park at CR to get out of paying to park at MK. During the pandemic, too many people were even getting dropped off at CR to gain a RD advantage, so then CR wouldn't even allow Uber drop offs at CR, especially in the morning.

3. Sure it can, because as I said above, #2 makes this a very unappealing option. Most people do not want to wait around that long to eat. You have said a number of times on this forum that your extended family is not able to wait long for attractions. If you make a 9am ADR, would they happily wait until 11am to eat breakfast? Would they happily want to wait until 9m to eat dinner? I know I don't generally want to do that.

I qualified my reply heavily to say I am sure it can't be done at every location, especially the ADR's that are hard to get. You are free to dismiss what I'm saying as, "CM discretion" and nothing more. To some extent that is true. As I just said earlier, WDW policies are often murky.

I am certain it is only allowed because to date- people have not abused this policy.

I also appreciate having a civil discussion here!

I wouldn't call what you described a general policy regarding restaurant reservations. It's more like they will seat you at some unspecified time hours later and only at some restaurants, not all of them. Their general policy is what's expressly stated on their website - every guest regardless of age has to have a confirmed dining reservation.

If being seated within a reasonable time is not a guarantee, either because they are too booked up (which is easily the case at some of the more popular venues) or because it doesn't apply to all restaurants but they can't tell you which ones are excluded, then in my opinion this does not qualify as general policy. It's "take your chances."

Disney is vague with its policies for a reason. I have emailed a few times asking about policies (specifically whether non-pass holders can enter the dedicated entrances along with pass holders and trying to clarify parking restrictions) and I pretty much always get the same response - that Disney cast members are given discretion to give each guest a magical experience if at all possible, but that specific requests are always subject to Disney's business needs at the time. In other words, they won't say because the answer changes. I didn't make up the part about cast members having discretion; those are Disney's words.

 

[JusticeDisney]

Well the topic of this thread sure has taken a hard turn. But ya know what, the new me says so what, keep it rolling folks!

 

[Goofyernmost]

The parking fees to me if Disney really needed to charge could have easily been done by simply charging more for the rooms and allocating that money towards parking for internal accounting purposes. Noone would have blinked and no bad press. Not that it really matters. Not like people have alternatives and decided not to drive bc of it. It also baffled me that if someone did go that route it only put more stress on an already broken bus system so the move till this day makes no sense not to mention those with handicap stickers are exempt from paying….

I was deeply involved with "bus systems" so I would like to know what you consider broken when it comes to Disney's system.

 

[crazy4disney]

I was deeply involved with "bus systems" so I would like to know what you consider broken when it comes to Disney's system.

Simply put i think they are awful especially at the value & moderate resorts…. Why i started to rent cars in the 1st place. Its baffling to me that they still have no tracking to give people an idea when they are coming etc. heck even the MTA can do that

 

[Raidermatt]

Well the topic of this thread sure has taken a hard turn. But ya know what, the new me says so what, keep it rolling folks!

I clicked on the last page and was sure I somehow clicked on the wrong thread.

 

[MickeyLuv'r]

Okay so your example really doesnt touch on what we been saying. Not taking away from what your experience was but its comparing apples to oranges to what some are saying myself included

This whole side discussion is based on post #62. The person who posted post#62 gave three examples of things that supposedly do not happen at WDW:
1. Servers never ask about the ages of kids when entering the parks or eating at buffets.
2. You could add as many people as you like at the podium
3. Guards let anyone park [at hotels] without reservations.

I didn't touch #1, but does WDW ask children to show ID when entering the parks?
2. I have been told #2 is true. With limits, but true, as I explained.
3. Number 3 is also true at many WDW hotels, as I explained. Onsite guests are generally allowed to park property-wide.

That's all.

 

[Goofyernmost]

Simply put i think they are awful especially at the value & moderate resorts…. Why i started to rent cars in the 1st place. Its baffling to me that they still have no tracking to give people an idea when they are coming etc. heck even the MTA can do that

Last I knew they have tracking and display boards at major bus stops. Unless they stopped that. That I don't know. Most people claim that system is bad because it isn't there exactly when they want it to be. Buses have to contend with required access loading, heavy traffic and idiot drivers and slow loading passengers. They like every major sized bus system in major locations are subject to many variables that they have no control over. So, like you have done and what even I have done, is avoid that by driving to the parks even though I know the legitimate reasons why they are delayed. I just find it more comfortable and less frustrating, but I never thought that they were doing anything wrong just dealing with real world problems.

 

[Chi84]

The side discussion was actually based on a poster saying that it’s hard to remain civil to someone who posts dishonest or asinine comments. Another poster asked how one knows something is dishonest and I gave examples of a poster who said (in now-deleted posts) that Disney does not care about its policies and never enforces them.

It’s nonsense to say that Disney NEVER asks about the age of a child at buffets or park entrances, ALWAYS seats extra persons at restaurants and NEVER checks for dining reservations at resorts. There are examples all over these boards proving these absolute statements false.

That was my point, and it was somehow mistakenly interpreted as saying that Disney never bends or overlooks the rules to reasonably accommodate guests when it can.

 

[MickeyLuv'r]

Well the topic of this thread sure has taken a hard turn. But ya know what, the new me says so what, keep it rolling folks!

And yet, it is serving to explain by example.

One faction of how discussions turn heated is that we all come to these boards with our personal experiences.

Part of the reason many threads go awry is because each person comes to the discussion with their own personal experience. Getting rammed by a stroller is painful. But pushing a stroller in a crowded theme park also poses many challenges. Everyone is vying for space, and people are often distracted. I've personally experienced both perspectives, but many people have not.

It is REALLY hard for anyone to admit they might have been inconsiderate, or distracted or selfish.

It is also hard...to see WDW from someone else's perspective. If person A did not see X happen, then person A tends to think X does not happen. Our national discussions have MANY examples. Denial isn't just a river.

And WDW itself has many 'soft' policies.

 

[LittleBuford]

The side discussion was actually based on a poster saying that it’s hard to remain civil to someone who posts dishonest or asinine comments. Another poster asked how one knows something is dishonest and I gave examples of a poster who said (in now-deleted posts) that Disney does not care about its policies and never enforces them.

It’s nonsense to say that Disney NEVER asks about the age of a child at buffets or park entrances, ALWAYS seats extra persons at restaurants and NEVER checks for dining reservations at resorts. There are examples all over these boards proving these absolute statements false.

That was my point, and it was somehow mistakenly interpreted as saying that Disney never bends or overlooks the rules to reasonably accommodate guests when it can.

One of the reasons so many threads descend into confusion and/or incivility is that people bring in assumptions and interpretations unsupported by what the post they’re responding to actually says. Things can spiral pretty quickly when that happens.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

This whole side discussion is based on post #62. The person who posted post#62 gave three examples of things that supposedly do not happen at WDW:
1. Servers never ask about the ages of kids when entering the parks or eating at buffets.
2. You could add as many people as you like at the podium
3. Guards let anyone park [at hotels] without reservations.

I didn't touch #1, but does WDW ask children to show ID when entering the parks?
2. I have been told #2 is true. With limits, but true, as I explained.
3. Number 3 is also true at many WDW hotels, as I explained. Onsite guests are generally allowed to park property-wide.

That's all.

You missed the point entirely…hence why it turned into “5 on 1”

That’s always a dead giveaway.

And now it’s time we all “civilly” disengage