best strategy for making ADRs?

[kristen2276]

Ok, give me your best tips-
I have the restuarants we want to try to get into, but not sure of the dates or times. I have general ideas when we want to eat, but not specific times-
how should I go about it when I call-
go for the ressie we want the most? days? step by step?
HELP!

[ksc37]

My 90 day mark opens on Sunday, and I'm going to try for our "must have" restaurants first. Chef Mickey's is a must for my kids, so I've got 4 possible days/times in order of my preference. My time frames are fairly wide, but I try to keep the kids' schedules in mind.

The rest of my reservations are planned around my park schedule, so I will just go day to day based on my planned itinerary (I like to have lunch at a sit down restaurant on each of my park days to cool off & relax). I have a preferred park restaurant, and a backup for each day. The last reservations I ask for will be the dinners on my "off" evenings, because I'm pretty flexible. But, I have listed a first, second and third choice for each of those as well.

I'm not sure how this strategy will work... we'll see on Sunday ;)

[LindyN]

Get a TA who "knows" the system really, really well! :lmao:

[kristen2276]

Get a TA who "knows" the system really, really well! :lmao:

not funny :;):

[tami82]

Ask for the more popular ones first. My priority was Chef Mickey. Originally got an 8:00 p.m. reservation which i accepted. Ohana was next and did get an 8:10 (so glad it wasnt any later than that but at least i got in) or any other popular ones take priority. Please note that Chef Mickeys has been very hard to get anything sooner than 8 or 9 at night. I have called several times to change and nothing. Finally an operator said they opened up a lunch so i got 2:15 which gives me a pretty free day to do what i like after the park. If the operator tells you there is no lunch, there certainly is i think during the last week or so in August (not sure of the exact date). I also called exactly 7:00 in the morning and got right through. Any other inquiries i have i call 7:00 and have great luck in getting through. You may not get exactly what you want but you can tweek it a bit. I did have to make one or two additional calls because i changed my mind on one of the restaurants.
Oh and if you dont want to be tied down to a certain park or cant schedule your parks just yet, i would advise to make alot of resort table service meals outside the parks. I decided to only be tied to one and that was the Akershus Princess meal in Epcot. Now i have 3 or 4 days to do whichever park we decide on that day. I got 4 great reservations that i am happy with.

[mommytodarlings]

I would say try to be a bit flexible on your times.

I called last monday and got all my reservations on the days that I wanted, within 20 minutes of my requested times.

I didn't make them in date order, but in most popular order. I asked for specific times on the hour or half hour and was flexible 15-20 mins each way. I had asked for the Crystal Palace for 8am and got 8:20am, still quite happy with that.

A friend called on friday and didn't have any problems getting her ressies for requested times within a few minutes each way either.