I hate Free Dining!!!!

[jerlove]

I must be one of the lucky ones. I was up at 5:30am this morning logged in and noticed right away that I was able to make reservations (before 6am) I was able to get everything I wanted confirmed by 5:50am. I waited up until 7then called for Fanatasmic was on hold for 48 minutes only to be told there were no fanatsmic packages left. Oh well cant be greedy.

I was able to score;

50's prime time
Ohana
Le Celier
Wispering Canyon
Kona
Tusker Breakfast (at the perfect time)
1900 park fare

 

[ScottishMickeyFan]

I would try each day as i got what & when i wanted (mainly), somehow managed all of my 13 ADRs but theres just the two of us (even harder i believe) but when i was reading the Swap/Wanted/Cancelled November thread yeasterday as i have one H&V ADR i dont need as i phoned for the Fantasmic package instead which turned out to be a differant time i seen one person offer at least 2-3 breakfast & dinner ADRs over a few days were they blatently went online & booked every characture breaky & dinner every day multiple times then went to the family to see what they wanted to keep,, i was fuming reading it,, why cant they decide before they call or go online,, so unfair to others needing those,,, but what if they cant be bothered cancelling,, GGRRRRRR

Hope you get what you want

 

[mdurette]

Well......try making reservations for a party of 20ish. I only really want to reservations - CM and Candelight - but think they will be impossible.

 

[Don Disney]

We LOVE "free-dining"!!! Could'nt afford the vacation without it!!!!

 

[Epcot4Me]

I'm really sorry that happened. It is so frustrating to go through all that and not get what you want. That said, my 90 day mark was yesterday as well and even with a party of 6, I got everything we wanted, including Le Cellier, Coral Reef, Crystal Palace, and CP for Biergarten.

I really would not be surprised if they block tables for free dining and once you enter your package conf #, they limit what you see. I only say this because we are not on the dining plan and I did some checking on line last night because I'm already second guessing, and I could have booked CRT for breakfast, lunch, or dinner on multiple days. I was even able to change my Le Cellier dinner from 7 pm to 6 pm at about noon EST yesterday. Something doesn't seem right with that.

 

[rlahsin]

As many others have said, you really need to keep trying...right up to when you leave for your trip. We leave on October 4th, and I didn't even begin booking ADRs until one month ago. With the exception of O'Hana, I've gotten ever ADR that I wanted. BUT, I was persistent, and keep trying (both online and via the phone) a couple of times a day. I also watched these boards closely to see who was canceling......that worked well too. Just keep at it....

 

[ShellyLynn3630]

Even though I did get all my ADRs, I still haven't gotten my resort I wanted. I will keep checking back every day until POR comes open for my entire stay. Hopefully it will. I guess if you do keep checking, whether it be a resort or a resturant, maybe you will get just what you want.

 

[irunnoft]

Called first thing in am on my 90 days out and didn't get a single reservation I wanted?!?! How is that even possible?????

Not a happy camper!

I had the same problem with making ADRs for our Thanksgiving trip. IMO, free dining is also ruining WDW dining in other ways. I think that the quality of food is dropping due to bean counters trying to save money while other people are simply trying to order the most expensive item on the menu in an attempt to maximize the value of the plan. I can't fault somebody for trying to get the most out of their money, but I'm afraid that Disney's reaction will be to purchase perhaps lesser qualities of beef, etc. in an attempt to maximize profits. If they took the backs off of the chairs at Pecos Bill's, buying cheaper beef isn't far off the mark!

 

[starwarsdisney]

When we first booked our Dec. vacation we were going to pay for our dining until I found the free dining offer here on the Dis. My 90 day mark was Friday and I did our reservations online. I fully expected to have some disappoinments, but was able to get everything we wanted. I even got CP on the night I wanted, for the restaurant we wanted. I have to say I like the online system.

What is starting to concern me is the talk of how busy that first full week of December is going to be (12/06 - 12/12). We come in on the night of the 3rd. My wife and I research our vacations to levels some would call crazy. Everything we could find told us that the week of Thanksgiving and Christmas would be insane, but the weeks in between tend to be some of the least crowded. So we figured that we would come in late on the week after Thanksgiving and stay until the end of the 2nd week in December. Now all of this talk about crowds is making me concerned. We've been there in August (never again because of the heat and crowds). We went in late May last year and it was perfect. We are hopeing for crowds like that again. Sorry to get off topic.

 

[Karlzmom]

Called first thing in am on my 90 days out and didn't get a single reservation I wanted?!?! How is that even possible?????

Not a happy camper!

did you book something? I'd hate to think that you won't have any TS because you waited for your "ideal"....book something, then work from there to catch cancellations, especially at the 45 day mark when people cancel their packages. Good Luck!

 

[Canyon girl]

I really would not be surprised if they block tables for free dining and once you enter your package conf #, they limit what you see. I only say this because we are not on the dining plan and I did some checking on line last night because I'm already second guessing, and I could have booked CRT for breakfast, lunch, or dinner on multiple days. I was even able to change my Le Cellier dinner from 7 pm to 6 pm at about noon EST yesterday. Something doesn't seem right with that.

I'm not sure that this is true. It may be, but I'm on free dining coming in on 11/29 and was able to book CRT for 12/5 last night on a whim. I also found some really good ones for 12/5 still open. I think that it just takes persistence. I also noticed last night when I was looking around that more options seemed to come up if you put in at the :15 mark instead of the :00 mark. Good luck to those that are still searching!!!

For free dining 11/29-12/6, I was able to get...
CM dinner
CP dinner
Ohana Lilo/Stitch
Sci-Fi dinner
BBB in the castle
Afternoon Tea
1900 Park Fare dinner
Tutto Italia for CP
CRT dinner
Akershus pre opening breakfast

While these may not be what everyone is trying for, they are exactly what I wanted for within 15 minutes of my target time. I'm happy!!! The key is to be online when it opens (even if you have to stay up all night as I did) and be on the phone at 7 am eastern. If you can't get them this way, try online multiple times a day; especially at the 45 day mark when some may need to cancel.

 

[keishashadow]

I had the same problem with making ADRs for our Thanksgiving trip. IMO, free dining is also ruining WDW dining in other ways. I think that the quality of food is dropping due to bean counters trying to save money while other people are simply trying to order the most expensive item on the menu in an attempt to maximize the value of the plan. I can't fault somebody for trying to get the most out of their money, but I'm afraid that Disney's reaction will be to purchase perhaps lesser qualities of beef, etc. in an attempt to maximize profits. If they took the backs off of the chairs at Pecos Bill's, buying cheaper beef isn't far off the mark!

imo, menu offerings def became 'streamlined' during the 1st year the DP was offeredback in '05...not sure if u can pin the blame on the increasing 'dumb-downed' menus to free DP though. Disney is in it to make a $ & u really cannot blame them for cutting corners as long as guests are still filling the restaurants.

 

[MichaelColey]

We were able to get EVERYTHING we wanted, at 90+10 days out. Most were exactly at the times we wanted (usually early - our kids are 6 and 3 and they go to bed early). Most of the rest were with 5 or 10 minutes, and I think one of them might have been 20-30 minutes from our desired time. I did have to switch which park we went to for three days to work around one option (the Fantasmic Package) that wasn't available on the day we wanted it.

One big key: Make sure the popular ones are 6-14 days into your trip and the really popular ones are 10-14 days into your trip. If you're at 90+10, there's tons of availability. If you're only at 90, all those who booked at 90+10, 90+9, ... 90+2, and 90+1 had an earlier shot at it.

Here are the ones we booked this year (20 credits on a 14 night plan, so we'll pay for 6):

* Day 1: (4:50pm) 1900 Park Fare
* Day 2: (6:10pm) Cat Cora's Kouzzina (was booked in Spoodles)
* Day 3: (6pm) Yachtsman Steakhouse
* Day 4: (6pm) Whispering Canyon Café
* Day 5: (12:35pm) Akershus Princess Storybook (Lunch)
* Day 5: (7pm) Tutto Italia
* Day 7: (5:05pm) Chef Mickey’s
* Day 8: (8:05am) Donald's Safari Breakfast
* Day 8: (7pm) Boma
* Day 9: (5pm) Ohana
* Day 10: (5pm) Chefs de France
* Day 11: (12:55pm) Cinderella’s Royal Table (Lunch)
* Day 11: (7:15pm) California Grill
* Day 12: (4:30pm) Hollywood & Vine Fantasmic Package
* Day 14: (5:30pm) 50’s Prime Time Café
* Day 15: (6pm) Le Cellier

 

[Sammie]

We were able to get EVERYTHING we wanted, at 90+10 days out. Most were exactly at the times we wanted (usually early - our kids are 6 and 3 and they go to bed early). Most of the rest were with 5 or 10 minutes, and I think one of them might have been 20-30 minutes from our desired time. I did have to switch which park we went to for three days to work around one option (the Fantasmic Package) that wasn't available on the day we wanted it.

One big key: Make sure the popular ones are 6-14 days into your trip and the really popular ones are 10-14 days into your trip. If you're at 90+10, there's tons of availability. If you're only at 90, all those who booked at 90+10, 90+9, ... 90+2, and 90+1 had an earlier shot at it.

Here are the ones we booked this year (20 credits on a 14 night plan, so we'll pay for 6):

* Day 1: (4:50pm) 1900 Park Fare
* Day 2: (6:10pm) Cat Cora's Kouzzina (was booked in Spoodles)
* Day 3: (6pm) Yachtsman Steakhouse
* Day 4: (6pm) Whispering Canyon Café
* Day 5: (12:35pm) Akershus Princess Storybook (Lunch)
* Day 5: (7pm) Tutto Italia
* Day 7: (5:05pm) Chef Mickey’s
* Day 8: (8:05am) Donald's Safari Breakfast
* Day 8: (7pm) Boma
* Day 9: (5pm) Ohana
* Day 10: (5pm) Chefs de France
* Day 11: (12:55pm) Cinderella’s Royal Table (Lunch)
* Day 11: (7:15pm) California Grill
* Day 12: (4:30pm) Hollywood & Vine Fantasmic Package
* Day 14: (5:30pm) 50’s Prime Time Café
* Day 15: (6pm) Le Cellier

That is well and good for guests staying that long but considering the average Disney world Vacation is less than a week, the system does not work them.

How were you able to book past 10 days, did you have to call back and book again for the days after 10?

 

[SmallWorld71]

I don't really think this is a free dining problem per se. I went the last 2 years during the 1st week of free dining when most resorts were booked to capacity and it was pretty easy to get ADR's as long as you didn't wait too long. You certainly didn't need to call right when your window opened and we ate at plenty of popular places (Sci-Fi, 'Ohana, CRT, Chef Mickey's etc...)
I think the real problem is that when you put free dining together with 90 day ADR's plus the new online booking system which I'm sure plenty of people are abusing by booking multiple places you have a recipe for disaster.
free dining+90 day window+ online system =

Hopefully, this will be somewhat alleviated by Disney's return to the 180 day window.

Good luck to everyone who is struggling with this.

 

[disney queen]

okay.....y'all are scaring me w/these wait times on the phone......

 

[BurghFan111]

Just piling on with my hatred of free dining as well. Not only do i hate free dining but i also hate the 90 day rule that was in effect at the time. We have no problems planning 180 days out and feel like we were punished for it. We are getting married on the Disney Magic on the 9/12 sailing and honeymooning in WDW the week we come of the ship. I had my request all written down, my wif to be and i had even come up with a couple backups just in case, when i called the morning of the 90th day i was not able to get most of the ADR's we wanted or the backups. We try online everyday since the 90 day mark and call 1-2 times a week. Not very happy. Maybe I'll get lucky and one of the places will take a last minute seating for last name "Grant".

 

[chrisgeraci]

I agree try the online reservation system, it suggests times if your first choice isn't available. We just did our 90 day out reservations a week ago and got all our choices. We had to choose a different day for Le Cellier but we got an ADR.

I agree, I hate free dining and the dining plan. I am all for the convenience that it offers to families, but since there are two of us and my son is a teen, it's never worked. We just buy snacks at the grocery store. However, it doesn't make sense to me that so many ADRs are used for both of those dining options. When the six of us go to Le Cellier we are paying full price for all six meals; I thought Disney made their money off of food sales?? There have been years when we can't get a Le Cellier ADR. There needs to be a better balance.

Keep calling, people will cancel as it gets closer. Try online. Be persistent!

 

[Pirates life for me]

It has all been said but I will say it once more keep trying online and get up and start calling if you are calling on your 90day mark about 5 minutes before it opens.

I had to tweak some plans and when I started learning different things on the boards I did some moving around. Well most recently I picked up Ohana dinner, Coral Reef lunch and Hollywood & Vine Fantasmic even with having a party of 4 adults 2 kids.

Moral of the story when you have a free minute hop on line and keep trying

 

[sarcasticfiesta]

As far as these long wait times go, I'm always surprised to hear people saying they waited on the phone for an hour. Maybe I've just gotten lucky, but I've never waited more than five minutes on hold. I called yesterday morning at 6:00 am on the dot and waited less than a minute for someone to pick up and got everything I wanted, with the exception of having to move my CP breakfast back an hour. I'm really greatful I've never had to wait an hour. I don't think I would have the patience, so to all of those who have