midwest_mice
Well-Known Member
I will be eating at BOG in January, it will be interesting to see how things are maybe changed up by then
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- Thread starter wdw71fan
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GoofGoof
Premium Member
Make sure to give us an update. I'm not going to be back down to the world until next November.
Dad 2 M & M
Well-Known Member
We will be there Dec 23rd and can't wait for the experience!!!
Dad 2 M & M
Well-Known Member
Can't wait for the entire experience...Hope you have a great time!
Wondering how long it will take to absorb the place? Our ressies are for 6:05 and the park has EME til 3:00 that night....we have no intention of spending 2 1/2 - 3 hours at an ADR, but if it does run long, we will have plenty of time to rest up for that 3 A.M. closing!!
Dasnowz
Well-Known Member
Part of the reason people are spending so much time there is that they take their reservation as an invite to tour the place and take pictures. The will knock into other diners, bump into others' chairs and in general spend the time in the west wing waiting for the rose petal to drop disregarding those who are seated in there. We timed the rose drop and it was about every 15 min. I hope when this has been open for some time this settles down. It was really disruptive of our dinner. My kids got upset at people constantly passing right behind them and bumping into their chairs.
The other thing we saw was poor waitstaff service. We had about 2 min once we were seated to decide and thought wow this is great. quick service!! we ordered and food/ drinks came out. Glasses were refilled while we ate. Dishes from main dish were cleared. We sat for almost 20 min before asked if we wanted dessert. My kids were loosing interest fast. We entertained them while we waited. We got our cupcakes finally (which are right around $4) Side note: they offer a sugar free /fat free lemon filled cream puff. Again dishes cleared and we waited about 15 more minutes for the check. Since we were paying cash we just left it on the table and went to see Beast. We honestly would have been out of there a lot sooner if service was a bit quicker. We did not see the lady named Mary who was waiting on us for long periods out in the room. We saw her go in back and then reappear long periods later.
Oh and let me mention I had 4 pm reservations and we were the 2nd table seated.
There is a bottle of wine for sale on the menu. At least there was yesterday when we were there.
The meet part with Beast was in the room where you order lunch at. If the curtains had not blown open we would have never known where he was.
After you eat and head back outside they do rush you away from the front of the castle. We saw a photopass opportunity and wanted to do it. As we got all settle to do it a manager came over and shooed us away. He told photopass guy to move someplace else.
This is the one and only time we will most likely ever do dinner there. We usually do not eat sit down in the parks. We did enjoy the food and atmosphere but were saddened by the lack of service standards. I see that as part of why people are in there for so long.
The other thing we saw was poor waitstaff service. We had about 2 min once we were seated to decide and thought wow this is great. quick service!! we ordered and food/ drinks came out. Glasses were refilled while we ate. Dishes from main dish were cleared. We sat for almost 20 min before asked if we wanted dessert. My kids were loosing interest fast. We entertained them while we waited. We got our cupcakes finally (which are right around $4) Side note: they offer a sugar free /fat free lemon filled cream puff. Again dishes cleared and we waited about 15 more minutes for the check. Since we were paying cash we just left it on the table and went to see Beast. We honestly would have been out of there a lot sooner if service was a bit quicker. We did not see the lady named Mary who was waiting on us for long periods out in the room. We saw her go in back and then reappear long periods later.
Oh and let me mention I had 4 pm reservations and we were the 2nd table seated.
There is a bottle of wine for sale on the menu. At least there was yesterday when we were there.
The meet part with Beast was in the room where you order lunch at. If the curtains had not blown open we would have never known where he was.
After you eat and head back outside they do rush you away from the front of the castle. We saw a photopass opportunity and wanted to do it. As we got all settle to do it a manager came over and shooed us away. He told photopass guy to move someplace else.
This is the one and only time we will most likely ever do dinner there. We usually do not eat sit down in the parks. We did enjoy the food and atmosphere but were saddened by the lack of service standards. I see that as part of why people are in there for so long.
HouCuseChickie
Well-Known Member
I think some of the problem is how they parade Beast through the dining rooms after his breaks and before he goes back to meeting guests. This happened 3 or 4 times during our meal the other night and while it was cool, it most definitely distracted everyone and slowed things down. They are also encouraging guests to get up and spend time walking around and explore; however, we took turns exploring after ordering and the first round of food had just made it to our table after our 2nd round of exploration, so that exploration did nothing to slow down our meal time.
We were told they were running 15-20 min behind when we checked and it looked like a few people had been seated in the Rose Gallery - which may have been used that night as overflow seating to make up for people taking longer, overbookings, etc. They also were only letting people check in 15 min before your adr time due to the wait. All in all, we had a 7:45p adr, checked in right at 7:30p, seated a little after 8pm and didn't get out until just after 10pm. We never even made it in to see the Beast because the line was stretched halfway through the ballroom. Now maybe we took longer because we did have appetizers and drinks, but we also didn't linger over our meal. Sheesh- the table next to us was being served appetizers when we were seated and eating dessert when we left. Granted, there were also no antsy kids in their party wanting to get back out to ride rides.
The other issue...we waited a while for our appys and desserts. Our server apologized and kept explaining with it being so new they haven't worked out all the kinks. This seemed to be our biggest delay factor. I'm sure 6 months from now, they'll have come up with a plan to make it all go more efficiently.
We were told they were running 15-20 min behind when we checked and it looked like a few people had been seated in the Rose Gallery - which may have been used that night as overflow seating to make up for people taking longer, overbookings, etc. They also were only letting people check in 15 min before your adr time due to the wait. All in all, we had a 7:45p adr, checked in right at 7:30p, seated a little after 8pm and didn't get out until just after 10pm. We never even made it in to see the Beast because the line was stretched halfway through the ballroom. Now maybe we took longer because we did have appetizers and drinks, but we also didn't linger over our meal. Sheesh- the table next to us was being served appetizers when we were seated and eating dessert when we left. Granted, there were also no antsy kids in their party wanting to get back out to ride rides.
The other issue...we waited a while for our appys and desserts. Our server apologized and kept explaining with it being so new they haven't worked out all the kinks. This seemed to be our biggest delay factor. I'm sure 6 months from now, they'll have come up with a plan to make it all go more efficiently.
We just ate at BOG on Wednesday night (2 nights ago). 5pm ADRs. We were seated just a minute or two past 5pm. We had appetizers, main course (2 steaks and a salmon), desserts, drinks (and free gray stuff for DWs birthday). We also toured all three rooms. We were told by waitress, hostess, and character wrangler that you could not meet with Beast until you were leaving and this was helped by the fact that after you meet him, you walk down the exit hallway (from the study/ordering area during CS time). Our time was roughly 75 minutes total. The tables around us all turned over while we were seated. There was one party seated in the gallery, but it looked to be a group of 12 (or more). No line for Beast at all. Things were very smooth - in fact, we were quite impressed with the efficiency of the place (DW spent some quality time in food service and knows a thing or two about it).
So, either things have already been worked out, or we got lucky. Delays can happen in any restaurant (we once waiting 45 minutes after arriving for ADR at Mama Melrose) and perhaps the two nights being discussed at length here are not the norm.
So, either things have already been worked out, or we got lucky. Delays can happen in any restaurant (we once waiting 45 minutes after arriving for ADR at Mama Melrose) and perhaps the two nights being discussed at length here are not the norm.
Dad 2 M & M
Well-Known Member
Nice post. It seems Disney will get the kinks to a minimum shortly.
GoofGoof
Premium Member
Thanks for the update. Sounds like an early reservation works best. I have had ADRs that were close to an hour delayed even at a seasoned restaurant. It does happen from time to time. The plan to have you see the Beast on your way out probably makes it much better.
We discussed this on another thread. My dream would be for each land in MK to have one really outstanding TS. Costs a fraction of a new attraction and would be moneymakers, so TDO would be happy. It wouldn't be so hard to do, yet nothing had happened for years until BOG. I can even see compromise. Maybe not even MS right away because MS has Plaza and Tony's, and really if you keep walking down MS the Castle is right there (Cinderella's.) Although all the love and attention given to BOG could have been siphoned off earlier to make Tony's and Cinderelle's even better, or at the very least allow for consistently good food.
I suggested Adventureland Veranda being re-opened into a TS. Not going to happen, but if they did something similar to Adventurer's Club or even the Jekkyl and Hydes in NY, they would be great. Even something with Pirates but I think that theme ship has sailed with the renaming of the QS Tortuga.
FL is fine for now with Cinderella and BOG. Even LS has the LTT. But Jekyll and Hyde or even a monster or disney villain like theme would fit near LS due to the HM attraction there.
And space is a wealth of themes. Tomorrowland should have a TS. I thought of SCI-FI and a twist on it in TL. Maybe parking in a space ship setting. A nice quirky TS space theme a la Jetsons. Or the now defunct Mars 2112 in NEW York. The pix are still on the internet even though it closed.
Really, an imaginative TS in Tomorrowland and Adventureland, which needs the most help, would be a big boost to those two lands even before they get any attraction attention.
I suggested Adventureland Veranda being re-opened into a TS. Not going to happen, but if they did something similar to Adventurer's Club or even the Jekkyl and Hydes in NY, they would be great. Even something with Pirates but I think that theme ship has sailed with the renaming of the QS Tortuga.
FL is fine for now with Cinderella and BOG. Even LS has the LTT. But Jekyll and Hyde or even a monster or disney villain like theme would fit near LS due to the HM attraction there.
And space is a wealth of themes. Tomorrowland should have a TS. I thought of SCI-FI and a twist on it in TL. Maybe parking in a space ship setting. A nice quirky TS space theme a la Jetsons. Or the now defunct Mars 2112 in NEW York. The pix are still on the internet even though it closed.
Really, an imaginative TS in Tomorrowland and Adventureland, which needs the most help, would be a big boost to those two lands even before they get any attraction attention.
Dad 2 M & M
Well-Known Member
The original post stated: "There were several tables that were dining for 2 1/2 to 3 hours, and even a single 6 top table that was at their table for 3 hours and 45 minutes." My have peeps run with this! Can you imagine TDO letting patrons wander through and disturb other's who are trying to eat? IF there were major kinks initially, I'm sure there are being reduced and soon will be to a minimum...can't wait til we get to experience!!
lazyboy97o
Well-Known Member
Disney has how many decades of experience? They claim to be the best in the experience. They are not some little company exploring something new. Being hours behind on dining reservations is simply inexcusable for what claims to be the world's premier theme park destination.
FightonIrish312
Banned
Not true at all. Again this is why people need to be forced to learn about the industry. Experienced Owners who have opended 20+ restaurants, have the same problem. TDO DID NOTHING WRONG. Sorry but if you want to complain about something let it be valid. You have no reason to complain since they did nothing wrong.
Dad 2 M & M
Well-Known Member
We have had great experiences with Disney. That doesn't mean everything was perfect every time, but our expectations were not for perfection. When we have had issues, and we certainly have, TDO's response to our issue was positive and 1st rate. One of the reasons we hold Disney is such high regard is that we know issues(as infrequently as we have them) will be handled in a timely, professional manner. TDO consistently surpasses our expectations, especially when they deal with issues at hand.
Can't wait til our Dec ressie at BoG!!
FightonIrish312
Banned
I love the nice, mature response. I missed the window for reservations for my trip in December so I am going to have to try again whenever I go back
lazyboy97o
Well-Known Member
Disney is not just claiming experience in operating restaurants, but often bill themselves as the best in understanding at how people operate within the environment of a themed experience. Disney knew the demand when they opened the reservations, which was also a good bit of a mess. Waits for reservations never should have hit into the hours. At the very least, as part of previews, the number of reservations during previews should have been significantly limited (but of course then you'd have few people eating since Disney has conditioned people to only expect table service to be available six months out).
I have a hard time taking this comment seriously. If you only are having minor issues, then they're not being brought to upper level management (Team Disney orlando). If you're issues are being brought so high, then they are not big or you make more of a fuss then you're letting trying to let on.
Dad 2 M & M
Well-Known Member
You got me on that...I was referring to TDO as the entire team top to bottom. Did not mean upper management.
Thanks for catching that, the entire team, top to bottom, has always surpassed my expectations. I say that, although I have never had to go above a manager on duty to report any minor issue. I assume the upper management would impress me as well.
Teamwork makes the dream work!