How Often to Check for Cancelled ADRs

[dmiller64152]

I didn't get all the ADRs I wanted for my trip, or the times I got were not what I wanted. How often is it reasonable to check Disney's site for cancellations? I'm subscribed to the cancellations thread here, but I'm sure there are people not on DIS who are also cancelling ... I'm checking several times a day and have been doing so for about 2 weeks without much luck.

TIA.

[deserrai]

I checked several times a day before our last trip and got pretty lucky. I snagged a couple the day before I left.

[TDC Nala]

People can cancel at any time so you can check all you want to. The online system makes it easy to check. If you have time to check every hour, you can do that. Twice an hour? That too. As much time as you want to spend checking.

[dmiller64152]

We're still four months out. Are there likely to be more or fewer cancellations as the date approaches?

[purple figment]

My rule of thumb: if I don't check, I have no chance of getting a res. If I check once a day, I have one chance, twice a day, 2 chances...

Depending on how badly I want a reservation determines how often I check online.

[BuffaloJim]

If it's a restaurant with a $10 guarantee, you'll find that it will probably have openings the night before the reservation. People have until 10 p.m. the night before to cancel their reservation. So that's when a lot of them get cancelled.

If you still want to eat at a particular restaurant, check online the night before after you get back to your resort. Or check/call the next day. I've found reservation spaces will pop up at the last minute - 'Ohana for the evening right before Wishes, 1900 Park Fare for breakfast, and even the Crystal Palace for breakfast.

[dmiller64152]

Excellent advice. Thanks.

[lyra2007]

Well, I have been checking 4-6 times a day, maybe slightly disadvantaged by being 3 hours behind the East Coast. I have been doing this for about 3 weeks.

I started with nothing, and I mean NOTHING. I have gotten a 520 CRT (after picking up and then cancelling a 10 AM and an 810 PM), a 635 'Ohana (for dinner), an 805 breakfast at Crystal Palace and an 8 AM at CM.

I think you will get what you want if you are flexible--like for the CRT, I was OK with breakfast on our MK days or dinner any night--because we will be going back to the hotel to sleep and swim anyway, so it didn't matter which park we returned to later. Not that I wouldn't prefer it on our MK day, in case DD decided to stay awake, but given that people start planning 6 months out, and I had 6 weeks, I think it's worked out pretty well.

Best of luck. The people on this board are freaking amazing and so very, very helpful!

[dmiller64152]

You did good! I started 150 days out and still got every restaurant I wanted, just some less than stellar times. Not thrilled about 7 am at CM but if that's all we can get, I'll take it. Thankful too for this board and all the really helpful advice!

[danceintherain]

I've also heard the advice to check at the 45 day mark. Since many people cancel their whole trip at this point, if they've booked a package. I don't know how true it is, but I'm willing to try for a better BoG time.

It definitely depends on how much you care. I check every couple of days and got lucky to get a BoG ADR at all, but I'm not thrilled about the time.
I've also changed my Chef Mickey's ADR like 5 times.