Illuminations Dining Package at Rose and Crown

[smile145]

So having worked at R&C the safety concern is exactly as poster above suggests. There are concerns about embers and therefore we were always told we had to lower them to reduce the fire risk. I'm not sure how much I ever believed this but this is what we were told and therefore had to do. I took the hit when we visited in May and sat in the umbrella seat as I like to refer to it.

There is an easy solution to that. If it’s a safety concern, remove the umbrellas entirely for this event so that people who pay so much money for a Illuminations package can actually see Illuminations.

 

[csmom]

Hadn't checked for December dates in the last few days and noticed a change this morning when I did check. Previously if I went to Illuminations Dining Package to make a reservation, when I clicked on the calendar dates in December showed up as blue. You could click on them and search, and it would say no tables available. Now when you click on the calendar - "blue" dates only go through September, and any dates in October, November and December are "gray" and can't be clicked on.

 

[wendyt_ca]

Has anyone done regular R&C reservations recently? I’ve never done it in all of our trips and the last couple I couldn’t get reservations. Then they released the dining package.
I booked 7:45 reservations on Christmas Eve for regular dining. I am hoping to be able to watch The new fireworks after dinner from the restaurant. Has anyone had any recent luck with this or tips?
I just can’t justify the dining package because I’m an extreme picky eater... all I will be getting is fries (I LOVE the fries at Yorkshire) and won’t eat an appetizer or dessert so I just can’t justify paying $84 per person for me to have fries lol. So that’s why I’m trying the actual restaurant.

 

[Lsdolphin]

So I went to Illuminations dining event on Sunday, 6/30. It was a nightmare!!! Table location was fine drinks were served immediately followed by appetizers just past 8:00 pm. Then clouds increased and it was obvious it was going to rain. Someone came around putting down the umbrellas and I heard a few people complain. However the man at next table was very upset that he wouldn’t be able to have a conversation with his wife...then dinner was served to me but not my friend and to another table...while I sat waiting for my friends dinner to be served it began raining. My food was soaked and the servers had stopped serving. The show began and the man at next table went ballistic yelling at server and then manager. Furious about the umbrella being taken down and that his family had not been served their dinners. He was told serving dinners had stopped due to rain and that his family could move inside and be served. He demanded a refund and kept on yelling and using foul language (there were 2 young children with him) meanwhile people at other tables had been moved inside and I sat there with my plate of wet food. They offered to move us inside to finish meal. I was offered another plate but by that time it was past 9:30 and I was wet and tired and just wanted to leave. The rain was not torrential but it was certainly no enjoyable to sit in the rain with wet food. I was not offered a refund. I would not do this again. I want to note that no one came around and explained that serving was stopped due to rain and it was obvious that they couldn’t move people inside out of rain until there were empty table inside to move to....
PS: (I did not go and complain to manager or guest services main,y because I completed an online survey after my last visit to Disney in March in which I complained about an unpleasant incident with my luggage and I didn’t want to have a “history of complaints”) also I really felt I should not have had to demand a refund it should have been offered to me. I did not have any alcoholic drinks only a glass of water and a few spoons of soup which I did not care for.

 

[kaytieeldr]

This is crazy. I just easily found fire resistant umbrellas, the a half dozen ways to make existing fabric fireproof, usually by spraying with a solution. If Disney would use either option, they could leave the umbrellas up and avoid all these issues.

 

[Lsdolphin]

I overheard my CM tell another table that the open umbrellas block the view of dinners sitting in area above us...You know the people who aren’t paying for the special view, Also it seems to me if the concern is ash or embers falling on the umbrellas than wouldn’t that ash and embers be falling those of us sitting there with plates of food and drinks?!!!

 

[MKTokyo]

I overheard my CM tell another table that the open umbrellas block the view of dinners sitting in area above us...You know the people who aren’t paying for the special view, Also it seems to me if the concern is ash or embers falling on the umbrellas than wouldn’t that ash and embers be falling those of us sitting there with plates of food and drinks?!!!

They need to retire the line about “blocking the view of other guests.” I would rather hear the “fire hazard” line than have somebody come by with this fake moral issue whereby I’m supposed to absolve them of their responsibility in worsening the experience I paid for. Try again.

For future reference, though, if you want a refund, you really have to ask for it. Leave the yelling & profanity out. Tell the manager what you want instead of leaving it up to them. If the complaint is warranted, they will make it right. I have never had anybody refuse what I’m asking for & usually they do even better.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Also it seems to me if the concern is ash or embers falling on the umbrellas than wouldn’t that ash and embers be falling those of us sitting there with plates of food and drinks?!!!

Nah. Diners are alive and perfectly capable of monitoring themselves and their food for burning embers

 

[Figment Mom]

After reading through this thread, I just booked a regular ADR for R&C for 7:35 PM.

I'm a solo diner, just ordering entree and dessert. Will I likely still be there for Illuminations? I don't want to eat ridiculously slow and hold a table if someone else is waiting for it, but I really did just make the ADR for the Illuminations experience there.

Do they automatically escort you to the outdoor standing viewing area?

 

[shoreward]

After reading through this thread, I just booked a regular ADR for R&C for 7:35 PM.

I'm a solo diner, just ordering entree and dessert. Will I likely still be there for Illuminations? I don't want to eat ridiculously slow and hold a table if someone else is waiting for it, but I really did just make the ADR for the Illuminations experience there.

Do they automatically escort you to the outdoor standing viewing area?

.
Let your server know you want to watch the fireworks. He/she will escort you to the VIP viewing area about 5-10 minutes before it starts. I think they have more guests ordering extras, just so they can stall till showtime.

 

[Figment Mom]

.
Let your server know you want to watch the fireworks. He/she will escort you to the VIP viewing area about 5-10 minutes before it starts. I think they have more guests ordering extras, just so they can stall till showtime.

Thank you. I pushed the ADR back to 7:55. Hopefully the timing works out and I can go outside to view (in the middle of my meal, as I'm finishing, or possibly still waiting to be seated because everyone else is trying to stretch out their meal!)

 

[Babsy]

Anyone know if this package will continue after Sept 30 with the new show?

 

[gismo1554]

People have reported they have booked for November so I think so yes

 

[bobbiwoz]

We had the package on Friday, July 5 and we were so lucky to be able to add our son and grand daughter to our table as we checked in. We had gone to concierge earlier that day, and they could not add the two, but suggested that we walk up together and they may accommodate up. Well they did. Great show!

We bought the tee shirt on the way out. Goodbye Illuminations!

We want to see the new show in October. What time should we book a dining reservation at Rose and Crown.

 

[tnolan]

People have reported they have booked for November so I think so yes

I'd like to know how they booked this package for after Sept 30. All I see is greyed out after that date.

 

[gismo1554]

I'd like to know how they booked this package for after Sept 30. All I see is greyed out after that date.

Yeah I'm not sure but I saw a few on this thread mentioning it. I would assume they rang and booked if it isn't showing online.

 

[gillep]

Yeah I'm not sure but I saw a few on this thread mentioning it. I would assume they rang and booked if it isn't showing online.

I booked October 1 online when my 180 day window opened for my resort stay.

 

[glocon]

Has anyone been lately? We’ll be going Saturday. It’s two of us so fingers crossed we don’t get the gate table.

 

[js]

If I were two people, I would get there a little early and let them know I do not want to be a gate table and ask to be moved if that is where you were to sit.

Good luck. I have five in our party but if it were two, I would be stressing.

 

[Lsdolphin]

Has anyone been lately? We’ll be going Saturday. It’s two of us so fingers crossed we don’t get the gate table.

I went 6/30 I had the table beside the “gate table” there were 2 of us. The table blocking the gate which is the first table to the far left (facing the lake) was an umbrella set for 4 people. Our table was a smaller 2 top table with no umbrella.