The Agony of Making Disney Dining Reservations

Once upon a time, a nice family of three made reservations for their next trip to WDW. Being Disney Vacation Club members, their trip was at the mercy of when their points would become available, and so they planned their journey for September 2012. After booking the hotels and flights, they eagerly awaited the opening of the dining reservation window, so they could confirm their upcoming feasts.

After many weeks of scouring menus and making their wish list, the nice family called DVC to make their reservations, on the very first day they were allowed to do so. They were told, much to their chagrin, that the restaurant they were requesting to dine at, the Yachtsman Steakhouse, had no reservations available. Not a single one. For the entire week of their stay. An unapologetic Member of Cast told them to try later, and then directed them to a phone survey that took more time to complete than their original call.

Not satisfied with this, the nice family called back. Again. And again. Every day. Each time, Members of Cast offered a different, vague, uninformed explanation. Maybe the restaurant is being renovated. Maybe they haven't made their reservations for September available yet. Maybe, even though it is the off-season, everyone who is visiting the parks wants to eat here and made reservations already. Maybe you would prefer to eat at the Maya Grill?

The nice family, who had been considering the Disney Dining Plan option, was very sad. If they couldn't get a reservation at one non-park restaurant 180 days in advance, then what would become of their Table Service options when they arrived at the resort? Would they be left hungry, unable to eat anywhere, Table Service credits filling their pockets? Or would they be rushing from place to place, always at the mercy of some last-minute reservation? The nice family yearned for the days of old, when they could eat where they wanted, whenever they wanted, without having to make decisions three months in advance.

While the nice family's story is tragic, it is probably a common tale. Share your tales of dining hardship in the comments below!

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Related Links:
* F is for Family and Food
* The Disney Dining Plan, or "How I Learned to Stop Worrying About My Figure and Love My Sweatpants"
* Golden Oak: My House is Better than Yours

Moroccan My Vote

Welcome to the first stop aboard Magical Blogorail Black. Enjoy the ride as we take you on a virtual tour of our favorite World Showcase Pavilions.

I did an interview a few months ago on Sorcerer Radio where I was asked to name my favorite World Showcase Pavilion, and my answer was “China for the shopping, Mexico for the food.” And while both of those sentiments are still true (though I would add “Canada for the grounds-keeping”), upon further reflection I realized that my favorite World Showcase pavilion is actually one I’ve never eaten at, and I’m pretty sure I’ve never made a purchase there either:

Morocco.

Image via

While all of the pavilions are charming and special in their own ways, Morocco is the one that feels the most transformative to me. Sure, Mexico invites you to experience a street scene at night, but you’re always aware that you’ve walked into a pavilion box, and once you exit you’ll be right back into the Florida sun. And it’s probably a testament to its layout (a series of winding alleyways versus the usual “walk-in, walk-out" approach), but it’s very easy to get lost in Morocco – literally. And that’s a good thing. Beautiful, detailed architecture hugs you on both sides as you explore a series of shops filled with craftwork that exceeds my budget or is difficult to take on the plane (hence my “never making a purchase”), but I do make mental notes of how I would like to decorate a room in my house with these things.

The Morocco pavilion was the first “expansion” pavilion to be added to the World Showcase, making its debut in 1984, and many of the beautiful mosaics were created by Moroccan artists sent by King Hassan II. Native North African plants like citrus trees, olive trees, and date palms add extra authenticity, and the pavilion has two restaurants, Tangerine Café and Restaurant Marrakesh. And fun fact – depending on your vantage point, you can see the Tower of Terror peeking out behind the Morocco pavilion – something the Imagineers realized when they began planning the Tower of Terror’s construction. So, in true Imagineering fashion, they sculpted the top of the Tower of Terror to blend in with the Moroccan architecture.

Image via

During the day, the Morocco pavilion is usually bustling with activity (cries of “how do you get out?” are commonplace), but at night it’s quiet, peaceful, and you really do feel like you’ve been dropped into another world. I’ve written about the amazing ambience of the pavilion at night before, but it bears repeating – for me, it’s the best spot in the World Showcase to enjoy a nighttime stroll before Illuminations. The Morocco pavilion is Imagineering at its best, Epcot at its finest, and that's why it's my favorite.

Thank you for joining me today. Your next stop on the Magical Blogorail Loop is Manda's Disney Blog.

Here is the map of our Magical Blogorail should you happen to have to make a stop along the way and want to reboard:

1st Stop ~ The Disney Chick
2nd Stop ~ Manda’s Disney Blog
3rd Stop ~ Mommy Mouseketeer
4th Stop ~ The Magical Mouse Pad
Final Stop ~ The Disney Point

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Related Links:
* The Coolest Queue
* A Salute to All Nations but Mostly EPCOT
* Finding Zen in WDW