Cinderellas B'fast

[Dwarful]

Well I have to admit I am totally upset. I have been calling with multiple phones starting at 545am for several days. I got through today and they said Sorry our computer lines are down for at least an hour dont call back before 8am Eastern time. So instead I called back 15 minutes later and the man tells me "Oh we just booked our last table" So I tell him what happened and he said "Well, yes the pc's in Tampa are down until 8am but we have no way of knowing where phone calls will be sent to..Orlando or Tampa" ! Anyway, I just thought I would let people know if interested that they should just hang up and call right back. Thats what I will try tomorrow! We will be there for 10 days and I am running out of chances! Its soooo aggravating ! Has anyone else had this experience?

 

[Frank4669]

Must be the result of the new policy Disney is testing until June. They used to make less than half the tables available 60 days in advance but have doubled that. The remaining tables became available 2 days out. They have told me that although they still expect to have nothing available between 24-48 hours after being offered, at least they won't be gone in 3-5 minutes after 7AM EST, 60 days before the reservation.

 

[Dwarful]

I am just curious. Why don't they offer the character meal as a lunch as well as Breakfast? We wouldn't care if it was bfast or lunch and I am sure others feel the same way. Our girls love the Prinesses and this seemed like the best way...they think its really special getting to eat at Cinderellas Castle you know. Because it is so frustrating. I called 9 days in a row and got through twice to a CM at 702 am eastern time and was told they were booked solid. We would have taken table for 3 just so the girls could go. Lucky for us someone cancelled out!

 

[LoriL]

No, I wasn't able to get a reservation (we'll be there 4/27-5/5). I'm disappointed, but not crushed-- my son would like to meet Peter Pan, I know, but even though he loves princesses (and Ariel!) I don't think it's the same to a little boy as to a little girl.

I'll try for cancellations when I get there, I guess. I'm really glad that someone at the Breakfast Club had hung onto that reservation, knowing that someone would want it! (Although that is exactly what people criticize them for!)

 

[Dwarful]

Yeah, I guess I can see that would be why people criticize them, but they worked great for me and I guess it is really all a matter of chance...on if you are the fastest dialer of the day! I dont know why though they dont expand it to include a character lunch..then maybe it wouldn't be such a chore to get into! Either way i know it will be so much fun! Cant wait to go.

 

[Dwarful]

I do wish it was an earlier time too but beggars cant be choosers right? I will still call about 2 weeks before we go and when we get to the Resort just in case there is an earlier opening.

 

[fauntleroy]

Maybe I am an idiot, but I have yet to get RADP to load as a newsgroup on outlook. :hammer: Keeps telling me that the server cannot be found when I load rec.arts.disney.parks as the nntp. Guess that I really do not need to read what is posted there.: :zipit:

 

[Thespis]

rec.arts.disney.parks is the newsgroup
NNTP is the news server where all the newsgroups are located.
Try news.yourisp.com (or .net or whatever)
Once you connect Outlook will download a list of all the newsgroups. Then you can download the headers for whatever group you like (there are about 40,000) read and post to your heart's delight!
Hope this helps.

 

[Disneynutcase]

Hey guys,

We just got back from WDW and did Cinderella's breakfast on our last day. And yep, we experienced the same hassle. We had three phones going to try to get reservations. I got thru at 7:01 and was told they were already sold out (and it didn't help that it was 4:01am my time--talk about a surreal half-asleep nightmare). It totally felt like a bad dream. Fortunately my brother-in-law has some kind of super speed-dial and he got us a reservation.

So now the good part: we all loved this breakfast. The food is good--bacon, sausage, fresh fruit, muffins, croissants, scrambled eggs, and stuffed french toast. The kids get pancakes instead of the french toast and sausage. You can get more of anything (and the servers ask you, you don't have to ask them). Also expect continuous fresh O.J. and good coffee, too.

The servers are all in character and help put on a good show--hope you get the guy who pours coffee from about three feet over your cup. Your kid's eyes will get WIDE as his hand goes up and up...

We saw Belle, Snow White, Mary Poppins (who all by herself made sure to come back to our table from across the room when one of our little ones returned from the bathroom), Cinderella and Prince Charming. Everyone was in character and very nice. We even got to joke with Prince Charming about why there are two of them with the same darned name and got him to tell us his "real first name." He claims it's Tristan. I still believe it's Biff.

(Okay, the joke in our house is that all the unnamed princes in Disney films are embarrassed about their real names. Thus Cinderella's is Biff. Snow White's is Scooter. And the Beast's real princely name is Moondoggie. My daughters belive they are all brothers born from a very odd queen).

The Fairy Godmother was downstairs signing books and posing for photos as we left.

All four kids and all six adults talked about our cool breakfast for the rest of the day. And, at the end of our trip, when we asked the kids and Grammie for their favorite experiences at all the parks, all five of them said "the Cinderella breakfast."

My recommendation, don't be too obnoxious, but get them to talk to you about "themselves" while in character. You'll end up having a lot of fun. Just make sure to keep it light and also keep it short (they need to get to the other tables).

No employee of WDW was ever rude for the entire five days we were at the parks, and we were there at very crowded peak season...although I admit I would be very dismayed if Cinderella copped attitude.

Have a great time. You're gonna love this meal for the reactions and interaction alone! And the food ain't half bad either.

 

[Dwarful]

WOW! Sounds like you had a great time. I hope our experience is just as great! The girls will be thrilled to get the special treatment and the autographs. Every year, we get a new autograph album to compare which characters we meet compared to the previous year. we havent ever gotten the fairy godmother or Prince Charming!

Hey, Turkey Leg Boy, I had heard about that Angels network from another person. I didnt realize that it was causing that much of a commotion~ but I guess if they hog them all then thats why people cant get through But I wonder why they dont add a character lunch to help people get seats!

One last question for you TLB, whats the deal with the Cardinal scores??? Just curious...we are big Cards fans & my husband played Khoury League Ball through High school with the Cards newest pitcher "Izzy" Jason Issringhausen. Kind of nice to get a hometown boy back on the team!

 

[Thespis]

but I guess if they hog them all then thats why people cant get through

In no way do I endorse what Howie does, however CRT reservations were pretty near impossible to get long before he came on the scene.

 

[LoriL]

That's true. But what's the difference, really, between Howie or one of his people calling for you and you calling for yourself, and asking your friends and relatives to call for you also? They are just substituting for your friends and relatives, who may not be as understanding about getting up and calling so early! It seems to be that the real unfairness about the system is that you have to call on the eastern time zone, and if you live abroad or on the west coast you have to get up in the middle of the night just to make a PS. There ought to be a way to do it online. You should be able to register your desire for a PS whenever you want, and then 60 days out, or 30 days out or whatever from the date, Disney ought to give away the PS's by random lottery. That seems to be the fairest way. But short of a new system (unlikely!), Howie's group is just helping a few people each day. I don't really see anything wrong with it.

 

[Dwarful]

well, its true what you have said..no different than getting a group of your own friends to call. I still think the best thing Disney could do to help this problem would be to add a character lunch at Cinderellas. I know we would be just as happy with a c.lunch as a c.b'fast! We couldnt have gotten our table for our group of 8 with out the help of Howie and his angels. Although the CM's did telll me to try back 14 days prior to our trip because they do make more tables available. I will try that as well to get a better time...but either way the girls are thrilled. We have been trying for about 4 years to get into the b'fast and this was our first time getting the seating...I dont know how long Howies group has been doing this, but it seems to me if its this big of a problem then Disney does need to do some modifications. The CM's also did say that they do get several cancelations so we will try when we get to the resort as well!

 

[Dwarful]

well I replied to this post so you could see the options people suggested for me.....thought you might not find it as it was way back on pg 8! Hope this helps

 

[LoriL]

I am just back from WDW (last night) and it was impossible to get any hard-to-get-into PS for breakfasts the day before or the day of. Disney has changed their whole system, and no one can get into the park until 9am. Resort guests can get onto the resort monorail and wait oiutside the entrance gate until 9, when they open it. If you are not a resort guest and you have parked at the TTC, then you cannot even get onto the monorail until just before 9am (we were at the Polynesian, and our room was closer to the TTC, so I know this for a fact), which gives resort guests a slight edge, since you can go through security first and get into the park a few minutes before everyone else. But as far as walking up for a breakfast, forget it if you want to eat early-- you cannot even get in unless your name is on the PS list for that day. BUT if you do have a PS for an early time, you will be in the empty park and can walk to wherever you want and get in line before anyone else gets there.

 

[Disneypro]

Re: We did it

Originally posted by Dwarful
Yea...we got in for our entire party of 8~ I am soo happy. this is our first time getting into the castle! I have heard good and bad but I guess its one of those things you have to experience. hopefully ours will be a good experience!

:sohappy: Woo-Hoo WTG Dwarful!!!! :sohappy:
Hope that you guys have a great time!!!!

 

[bearboysnc]

quote " Disney has changed their whole system, and no one can get into the park until 9am"

quote "But as far as walking up for a breakfast, forget it if you want to eat early-- you cannot even get in unless your name is on the PS list for that day."

I'm confused, CAN YOU or CAN'T you get into the park early with a PS?

I have a 9am PS for Cindy's B'fast. What time will I be able to get in the park?

 

[LoriL]

If you are staying onsite, then you should get to the gate at 8:45 and you should have no problem. They WILL let you in with a PS.

 

[Figaro]

When we went to Disney last time, we were walking by the desk for check-in at Cinderellas breakfast. They asked us if we wanted to come in b/c they had tables available. It was about 10:30am.

We weren't going to do it b/c it was 4 adults and my 2 yr old son. But figured what the heck, with all the nightmares we heard about trying to get these ressies, we should go see what the big commotion is about.

Since we have a son, we thought he wouldn't like all the princess stuff, but he loved it! There were only about 4 or 5 tables with parties at them. He got so much attention, spoiled him for the rest of the afternoon. We saw Cinderella, Jasmine and Alladin, Mary Poppins and Belle. Towards the end we were the only ones there and they played with him for quite awhile. Which was kind of funny b/c we were trying to leave and they made us stay.

Soooo, to make a long story short.....try for cancellations late in the AM, you never know! Good Luck!