Restaurant capacity limits lifted - what does that mean for Disney?

[DznyGrlSD]

Will Disney go along with the lifted restrictions? I feel "safest" at Disney but if they're going to jam everyone back into indoor dining with no distancing...no thank you.

Link (behind paywall, sorry): https://www.orlandosentinel.com/pol...0200925-f3sr4wk5tncvvkhwr6ua4pereq-story.html

 

[Club Cooloholic]

Will Disney go along with the lifted restrictions? I feel "safest" at Disney but if they're going to jam everyone back into indoor dining with no distancing...no thank you.

Link (behind paywall, sorry): https://www.orlandosentinel.com/pol...0200925-f3sr4wk5tncvvkhwr6ua4pereq-story.html

I agree, I have a reservation for San Angelo Inn and the only reason I did it was it might be the only time to eat there without being crammed in. Of they go back to stuffing the tables in like a small Manhattan bistro...forget it.

 

[olie64]

Will Disney go along with the lifted restrictions? I feel "safest" at Disney but if they're going to jam everyone back into indoor dining with no distancing...no thank you.

Link (behind paywall, sorry): https://www.orlandosentinel.com/pol...0200925-f3sr4wk5tncvvkhwr6ua4pereq-story.html

Honestly I do not think this will change much for disney... They are using WDW to try to show they can reopen to get DL reopened.

 

[ElvisMickey]

I highly doubt WDW will stop the mask requirement, however the low crowds are pretty much non existent at this point. I was at the MK this past Monday morning and crowds and lines aren’t quite back to ”normal”, but they’ve definitely been much busier.

 

[DznyGrlSD]

I highly doubt WDW will stop the mask requirement, however the low crowds are pretty much non existent at this point. I was at the MK this past Monday morning and crowds and lines aren’t quite back to ”normal”, but they’ve definitely been much busier.

I'm not talking about masks...i'm talking about full or increased capacity at indoor dining locations. I go every weekend and it's getting more and more crowded every week.

 

[Epcotfan21]

Capacity may be increased, but I'm willing to bet you'll still see tables spaced out and not crammed together. It wouldn't be a good look for Disney.

 

[buckeyegator]

my guess is that it will increase to maybe 2/3rds or 3/4ths,not higher now, maybe near full capacity close to christmas, of course depending on how the virus works it's way out.

 

[ElvisMickey]

I'm not talking about masks...i'm talking about full or increased capacity at indoor dining locations. I go every weekend and it's getting more and more crowded every week.

I understand that you’re not talking about masks. But the question has come up since the lift on restrictions this afternoon.

 

[tirian]

No. No, no, no.

Disney won’t lift restrictions because it’s not medically safe. I wouldn’t expect their fully owned restaurants to be any different from how they are now.

 

[Disstevefan1]

Capacity may be increased, but I'm willing to bet you'll still see tables spaced out and not crammed together. It wouldn't be a good look for Disney.

I agree and for a long time in normal times, when the ADR system was totally broken, way before you were required to reserve table service with a CC, you would walk up to ant sit down restaurant at WDW and ask if there was any room for a walk up, the CM would say no, but looking over their shoulder the place would be empty. So it does seem they can operate with less than jammed packed restaurants.

 

["El Gran Magnifico"]

Here's what it will change (at least for a little while). You'll be able to walk up without an ADR.

 

[JIMINYCR]

I'm expecting Disney to increase the number of diners allowed into all restaurants that have spacing but still for at least some time have a limit.. maybe go another 25% more. They will probably seat at a more limited number in the smaller venues and see what occurs over time, slowly adding tables back as it proves to be safe. Disney wants more revenue and opening up tables would help butI cant see them opening just because the official are saying its allowed.

 

[Jon81uk]

I agree and for a long time in normal times, when the ADR system was totally broken, way before you were required to reserve table service with a CC, you would walk up to ant sit down restaurant at WDW and ask if there was any room for a walk up, the CM would say no, but looking over their shoulder the place would be empty. So it does seem they can operate with less than jammed packed restaurants.

Just because there are empty tables doesn't mean they have waiting staff to take orders. So they can operate with fewer guests, but that also means fewer staff. If they don't get the reservations they don't schedule staff on.

Its like at the supermarket, there are checkout lanes without a cashier sat at them.

 

[Disstevefan1]

Just because there are empty tables doesn't mean they have waiting staff to take orders. So they can operate with fewer guests, but that also means fewer staff. If they don't get the reservations they don't schedule staff on.

Its like at the supermarket, there are checkout lanes without a cashier sat at them.

It was actually worse when the ADR system was broken. This was long ago, the restaurants where fully staffed, folks would make multiple ADRs and would only show up for the ADR that was convenient and never cancel the others, hence all the empty seats yet no room for walk ups.

My point being back then the restaurants functioned just fine, fully staffed, with empty tables, still making money.

 

[Herdman]

My guess is that they won't think some additional diners is worth the fallout that might occur with people either having existing resort reservations and changing their mind or not booking at all if they feel Disney is slacking off on their safety procedures.

 

[dmw]

My $0.02, with absolutely no insider knowledge...
I think Disney will slowly begin using the blocked out capacity, and return to full capacity without any fanfare or publicity. Once that transition is complete, then I would expect a more formal change to the ADR process, leveraging off of the changes announced with the re-opening.

 

[Jon81uk]

It was actually worse when the ADR system was broken. This was long ago, the restaurants where fully staffed, folks would make multiple ADRs and would only show up for the ADR that was convenient and never cancel the others, hence all the empty seats yet no room for walk ups.

My point being back then the restaurants functioned just fine, fully staffed, with empty tables, still making money.

In that example the empty tables may have been due to the no shows, they didn’t want to take walk ups possibly if they were expecting guests who had reservations.
And it is likely they weren’t making money, hence the changes to add a no show fee.

 

[Chi84]

In that example the empty tables may have been due to the no shows, they didn’t want to take walk ups possibly if they were expecting guests who had reservations.
And it is likely they weren’t making money, hence the changes to add a no show fee.

I agree. Disney's systems are designed to withstand a certain amount of abuse. When a problem escalates to the point where Disney actually does something to fix it, you know it's a serious problem.

 

[Hockey89]

It was actually worse when the ADR system was broken. This was long ago, the restaurants where fully staffed, folks would make multiple ADRs and would only show up for the ADR that was convenient and never cancel the others, hence all the empty seats yet no room for walk ups.

My point being back then the restaurants functioned just fine, fully staffed, with empty tables, still making money.

This was the worst. Not only did it screw other guest, it screwed workers out of money.

 

[Disstevefan1]

In that example the empty tables may have been due to the no shows, they didn’t want to take walk ups possibly if they were expecting guests who had reservations.
And it is likely they weren’t making money, hence the changes to add a no show fee.

This went on for years, longer than the pandemic will last.