Anyone else struggling getting ADRs for 11/15-11/22?!

[kpearl]

This week was our 180 mark and from the prior crowd calendars it seemed like the week before Thanksgiving wasn't that bad - 3/4 for the scale. I know free dining is offered so THAT could be why I'm scrambling making my ressies.. I've literally had to make plan b, c, and d for every day and have had to use some least favorite choices. Just curious if anyone else is or has experienced the same for that time frame. I'm gonna keep looking every day for cancellations and times opening so fingers crossed!!

I booked all my August trip ressies in March well after the 180 day mark and got every one with good times no problem. And that week is leveled at an 8! Obviously no free dining then but still. I'm just confused

 

[WDWdadof3]

I've had a similar experience (Nov 16 -21). Couldn't get dinner times that worked, had to settle for breakfast at CRT (and after 9am), no BOG, couldn't get Wishes Dessert Party on the nights we wanted, Fantasmic dinner package doesn't even appear to be available for booking during November.

We ended up with several character breakfasts and revised dinner plans most nights (to places we weren't even considering before we sat down to do our ADRs).

I thought the week before TG was supposed to be slow as well - I'm starting to get nervous that we're going to see big crowds and long lines.

 

[kpearl]

Ugh you and me both! I was expecting it to be easy peasy but I have gotten such mixed times for dinners out schedules are going to be all over the place! Plus it also doesn't help my party is a bit on the bigger side - however that factor has never impacted our ADRs.

Fingers crossed a lot of people may have made a few extra ressies at different times because they are indecisive and will cancel them. I couldn't get Sci Fi or 50's for the life of me for 11/17 and finally I got 50's last night so I nabbed it. Keep checking and good luck!!

 

[atisikitabasket]

we are going Nov 16-22 I was able to get everything we wanted except I had to switch the night we wanted Askershus and Teppan Edo but that was fine.

we booked

50's dinner
Teppan Edo - dinner
Askershus - dinner
coral Reef - lunch
Via Napoli - Lunch
Raglan Road- dinner
Crystal Palace - 8 am breakfast
Rainforest Cafe - Lunch

We got everything within 30 min of what we were hoping for. I know for some places like O'hana you need to call to make ressies because I have heard they don't release all of theirs online and to call for them and BOG and your chances of getting one is better. But who knows keep trying and good luck!!

 

[WDWdadof3]

I'm not saying I didn't get good reservations (I don't mean to complain too much), I just had to go to plan B or C more often than I had hoped. I ended up getting:

Wishes Dessert Party (on MVMCP night)
Tusker House Breakfast
CRT Breakfast
Akershus Breakfast
Via Napoli Lunch
Biergarten Dinner
Crystal Palace Breakfast
Rose and Crown Dinner
Chef Mickey's Breakfast

We only have 5 TS credits so I suspect we will drop off one or more of these, especially if we're able to snag BOG or a Fantasmic dinner package.

 

[atisikitabasket]

I would go ahead and try calling for the Fantasmic and the BOG and see if maybe the call center has something available that isn't showing online because it has happened to me. Sending Pixie dust your way for both of them.

I don't think anyone took it as you were complaining. I think we are all hoping that the crowd calendar holds true and the crowds will stay low but with FD you just never know. We are all just keeping our fingers crossed

 

[DisneyFoodieFan]

I got everything I wanted except Ohana...which is the one place we visit EVERY trip, so I am a little bummed.

 

[TDluvsDaisy]

I couldn't get Ohana, Chef Mickey or the Fantasmic dinner for Mama Melrose. I'll just keep haunting the website in hopes that more reservations open up.

 

[meljean]

I had issues here. We are going the exact same days as you. I decided to call since the online selection was not so good. I was on the phone with the lady for 2 hours. After we got the last one, the line switched over to the survey and I got ZERO confirmation numbers. I then went online and booked them there. NOT HAPPY. My times are so so. Hope something will work for you!

 

[rachelp6]

Those are our exact dates and I had a horrible experience trying to book on my 180 mark. But that afternoon I finally got a very nice and helpful castmember and was able to get a decent schedule of ADR's. I had to rearrange my days but overall I'm happy. Here is my schedule:

arrive nov 15, late dinner at whispering canyon, 8pm was all they had
Nov 16 breakfast at Ohana
Nov 17 late lunch 3:15 at Akershus
Nov 18 4pm at 50's prime time
Nov 19 lunch CRT
Nov 20 dinner Chef Mickey's
Nov 21 pre rope drop breakfast time at tuskerhouse and dinner at Boma which I will probably cancel
Nov 22 breakfast at Cape May Cafe before we head home.

 

[TSirgey]

I had a terrible time trying to book ADRs online. I called on my 180 day at exactly 7am and got most of what we wanted. No BOG but I was pretty happy with our selection. I'm not sure I like how you can book 10 days out, people are adding extra trip days to be able to book before their actual 180 days and then canceling them.

 

[Mikie]

Those aren't my dates, BUT I am going in October in one of the "dead" weeks with no free dining. I got almost all of my first choices at my 180+ 10 but after looking at our plans I had hoped to change or juggle a little. No dice! Within 3 weeks after my 180, I couldn't get ANY ADRs for our trip at traditional meal times (a fair amount of availability 8pm or later, and I guess a couple DHS restaurants did have lunches to choose from). I would blame FD in the fall usually, but like I said, we're in a no discount week. . .

I'm thinking vacationers are getting more used to planning ahead and this year at least, they sent out those magnets with your personalized dates on them for ADRs, FP+, online checkin, etc. That may have clued in some people who may not have had such an eye on major dates before.

 

[Mikie]

I'm not sure I like how you can book 10 days out, people are adding extra trip days to be able to book before their actual 180 days and then canceling them.

I had heard of ppl booking "throwaway" rooms for ADR and FP+ reasons, but didn't think of ppl with legitimate resort stays who just book extra days to manipulate the 180+10 and then adjust their stay dates. . . Veeeeeerry sneaky!
I know CRT was always a tough get and now BoG, or any reservation at very peak times, but it seems like more and more things book at 180+ even in non-peak seasons.

 

[shanwahl]

We are staying Wed. Nov. 12-Fri Nov. 21 and had a tough time booking the first part of the trip and did not have trouble with the rest of the days but this was at the earliest I could book 180+. I think people are planning better now, but I think the biggest problem is that free dinning was released before the 180 reservation date for the Nov. and Dec. dates. Free dining is usually released after that.

 

[disney meema]

We arrive nov 9 and leaving the 19, I didn't have any problems booking ADR ... I thought I would for sure and was pleasantly surprised

 

[disney meema]

I had heard of ppl booking "throwaway" rooms for ADR and FP+ reasons, but didn't think of ppl with legitimate resort stays who just book extra days to manipulate the 180+10 and then adjust their stay dates. . . Veeeeeerry sneaky! I know CRT was always a tough get and now BoG, or any reservation at very peak times, but it seems like more and more things book at 180+ even in non-peak seasons.

Oh yikes! That's awful ... WTH very sneaky ugh!

 

[williamscm3]

I can't believe how hard it is to get reservations that week! We are going those same dates and I was online at 6 am...I got everything I wanted but BOG of course:/ I checked today out of boredom and there is NOTHING left! We went September last year and that was free dining as well but I had my pick of everything but BOG even a few weeks out. It does seem weird for such a dead week...

 

[Iloveyoumost]

We are going the 10th-20th and I got everything I wanted, BOG, Cali grill, CRT dinner, Ohana, etc. I got every time I wanted, although I do need to look for a later 1900 Park fare on one day. Most of my hard to gets were towards the end of my trip.

There are a lot of people I've seen so fare either adding days to the beginning their Thanksgiving trip or doing trips that cover the 2 weeks before thanksgiving, like us. We all made our ADRs for your tip time beginning/middle of last week, so your first vacation day people had already been booking for 10 days and your last 3 days before your 180 was open. I'd just keep checking and around Septemeber I bet there are a ton of openings when full payment is due.

 

[kpearl]

I've read all your replies - thank you for the pixie dust and making me not feel alone! I really thought "this just has to be me, right? Just my luck" but seems like some of us are in the same boat. Fingers crossed we have some smooth sailing here on out!

Of course I'm bummed some of our staples are book solid at this time and we've had to resort to # 2, 3, and sometimes even 4 on our list. However I will not let this dictate the mood of my trip. Really any restaurant at Disney is better than no restaurant at Disney in my book! I'll just keep an eye on the website and randomly recheck my days to see if anything else good pops up. It happened on my 1st HS day - I was able to drop Mama Melrose (which I would have loved but two Italian restaurants back to back for us had a few of my guests feel it was just a smidge too much.) for 50's which caused us to go from 4th choice to 1st choice. So there's hope!

Because we have a little one with us (2 y.o) the up and down times bother me because they are inconsistent but hey, it's vacation - just roll with it, right?

So our ressies for November 15-21 are currently:

Tony's 5:50 PM
Akershus 6:55 PM
50's Prime Time 7:00 PM
Liberty Tree Tavern 7:55 PM
Sanaa 5:40 PM
Whispering Canyon 5:05
Last dinner TBA as we haven't really decided yet

And then for August I have (which I had absolutely NO problem booking after 180 days out)

CRT 5:25 PM
50's Prime Time 6:35 PM
Akershus (B) 8:10 AM
Tony's 5:45 PM
Crystal Palace 5:40 PM
Sci Fi 5:30 PM
Yak & Yeti 5:45 PM


Hope everyone else can get the the times they want - here is pixie dust for all of you!

 

[pjhootch]

Not just you. I have 2 of the 5 I want. I can't even get anything at all for Nov 20 in AK for dinner. It comes up no restaurants available at all. seriously? That may be a sign I should pick a different day to be in AK, huh?