Making dining reservations is a joke

[2olddisneynutz]

Took 2 hours off work this morning to make dining reservations 180+10, only able to make one for the first night so I called at 7:00 and ( 1 hour wait )!! Gotta go to work now, forget it !!!

 

[Kimly]

The Disney site is so glitchy! I've had the same problems, and I've seen on here that it might help if you make sure you are logged in before you start. I haven't tried this yet, but will try Ina few days when my Oct trip opens up.

 

[gem21]

Sorry you had so much trouble... I was able to get all but one of my ADRs (Tusker House, doesn't seem to be loaded in the system) online yesterday morning. Only took about 25 minutes. Probably would have taken less but while my body was awake my brain was clearly still sleeping!

 

[Sinderelly]

I have had it too! I am (was) a total Disney supporter. But now I am so frustrated I am starting to wonder if booking this upcoming vacation (end of May/1st week of June) was such a good idea. My DH and I spent all evening yesterday and I am still working on reservations this morning. The website and app are both not working. The only thing I have been able to accomplish was cancelling a reservation via the app that I didn't want to cancel. I was trying for a better time which was available but the app cancelled my current ressie and now I am unable to book another one.

My son suffers from severe Epilepsy and the times we eat are very important as any interruption in sleep puts him at a higher risk for seizures. Last night my DH even got hung up on by a CM who was making our reservations. Those reservations are not in the system.

This is taking up way too much time. I don't mind spending time planning but this is ridiculous. I am starting to question whether a WDW vacation is worth all this frustration. Oh and tonight at midnight I am supposed to be able to make our FP +s. Not looking forward to that at all now.

 

[brinkley07]

We had some luck and some of the same "glitches". I ended up on the phone this morning with the wait quoted at 30 minutes, but it took 50. It was probably another 30 minutes on the phone to finish my ressies. At least we got most of what we wanted, but what a headache!

 

[butterfly71076]

I have had it too! I am (was) a total Disney supporter. But now I am so frustrated I am starting to wonder if booking this upcoming vacation (end of May/1st week of June) was such a good idea. My DH and I spent all evening yesterday and I am still working on reservations this morning. The website and app are both not working. The only thing I have been able to accomplish was cancelling a reservation via the app that I didn't want to cancel. I was trying for a better time which was available but the app cancelled my current ressie and now I am unable to book another one.

My son suffers from severe Epilepsy and the times we eat are very important as any interruption in sleep puts him at a higher risk for seizures. Last night my DH even got hung up on by a CM who was making our reservations. Those reservations are not in the system.

This is taking up way too much time. I don't mind spending time planning but this is ridiculous. I am starting to question whether a WDW vacation is worth all this frustration. Oh and tonight at midnight I am supposed to be able to make our FP +s. Not looking forward to that at all now.

Someone had just reminded me, so I'm passing on the info. MK is open until 1am EST this week. Not sure which time zone you are in, but, any FP would have to be done after 1am EST.

 

[Jadyreen1282]

I have had a totally different experience this year. When I hit 180 days I chose a new ADR each day from then until done (I didn't have a room yet). Each day I got my ADR at 6:00 am from my smart phone at work. The only issue I had was with Wishes Dessert Party because it was changing formats. Once that mess was worked out I got that on the day I chose probably because they upped the price.

Maybe I got lucky this year or no one was anticipating FD in early September. I've never had too many issues causing frustration. When I can't get an ADR I just play the game and snipe one later when someone else cancels.

 

[Becks&garry]

I've been trying every day multiple times to book ( net and phones since 180 mark) the one and only reservation I want at the wishes dessert party (September 21) but can I get it NOPE. If there was eight of us then yes go right ahead but as a couple we don't seem to have a chance. I love disney and we save for 5 years each time we go, but I'm truly disappointed in the reservations system To say the least. If you live so far away like we do its not ideal to have to wait for the unicorn "cancellation" to come (if ever!) plus each time I call I have to wait at least 50 mins on hold before I get told there is no availability frustrated to say the least .

 

[Jadyreen1282]

Yep. I checked too for you and it's booked solid for that day. The first available I could see was in August. Keep sniping. You'll get one.

 

[Disneymoon2013]

I think it's really fascinating juxtaposing the comments in this thread with a lot of the assertions in this article: http://www.wired.com/2015/03/disney-magicband/

It's particularly interesting if you focus on this paragraph:

The redesigned Disney World experience constrains choices by dispersing them, beginning long before the trip is under way. “There are missions in a vacation,” Staggs says. In other words, Disney knows that parents arrive to its parks thinking: We have to have tea with Cinderella, and where the hell is that Buzz Lightyear thing, anyway? In that way, the park isn’t a playground so much as a videogame, with bosses to be conquered at every level. The MagicBands let you simply set an agenda and let everything else flow around what you’ve selected. “It lets people’s vacations unfold naturally,” Staggs says. “The ability to plan and personalize has given way to spontaneity.” And that feeling of ease, and whatever flows from it, just might make you more apt to come back.​

The thing is, the article focuses on the end effect and assumes parents/vacationers are successful when they try to book these things. I share in your frustration 2olddisneynutz. When I booked our honeymoon for December 2013, I was up at 6 a.m. to make our dining reservations, and I was only able to secure one out of our list. It was my first time going to WDW, so I was really peeved. The only reason we secured a dinner at BOG is because a kind DISer gave us her reservation that she was canceling. We were able to get a couple of our other choices later on. I just kept checking back.

It's funny that the WIRED article emphasizes Disney's technological advances when its web site is glitchy AF, and the app isn't much better. In theory it's a great system... but user stories on this board illustrate otherwise.

Since my mother and I planned a vacation last minute just a few weeks ago, I knew we were already screwed on ADRs... We're already past the 6-month opening date. We were successful in scoring a reservation at Cinderella's castle, which is cool. No luck with BOG of course... but at least I've experienced that once before now.

 

[Disneymoon2013]

Oh, you might consider which web browser you guys are using for the WDW site, too... For me it runs best and fast on Google Chrome and worst on Internet Explorer. Firefox fails me only because I haven't updated the Java in it.

 

[2olddisneynutz]

Well I did end up calling back on my lunch hour the same day, waited 1 minute on hold and got everything I wanted, including BOG dinner so it all worked out great but that app sure is frustrating

 

[Becks&garry]

Finally got a wishes party..had to use the imaginary child for the 3rd spot but hey presto IIt's booked at last!

I'm happy to check other times events for people if needed! Inbox me

 

[luulu1999]

I found it VERY frustrating...i logged in the am and all of my days werent available and this is our first trip so i didnt know they were suppose to be so when i found out they were suppose to be i logged back on and was able to put my day in and there was a very late BOG dinner res available, i go to reserve it get thru all the stuff and it sends me back to the front page...did it 3 times then the reservation was no longer avail

 

[knitngurl]

I did manage to get breakfast at Ohana, but never did get BOG I'll keep checking since it's still months away but I really hope we can get in to BOG for lunch.

 

[dbramer]

Oh, you might consider which web browser you guys are using for the WDW site, too... For me it runs best and fast on Google Chrome and worst on Internet Explorer. Firefox fails me only because I haven't updated the Java in it.

This! I used a laptop running Windows 8 with Chrome...no problems, got all my ADR's with good times and done with it all in about twenty minutes on my 180 day...

 

[knitngurl]

This! I used a laptop running Windows 8 with Chrome...no problems, got all my ADR's with good times and done with it all in about twenty minutes on my 180 day...

I'm using the same configuration, but I keep getting kicked back to the first page when I try to put in special requests (shellfish allergies and wheelchair access). Takes 2 or 3 tries for me. I'm now done, except for BOG. We have Ohana and Tusker House breakfasts so hopefully my kiddos will be happy with that.

 

[wendybeth75]

I'm using the same configuration, but I keep getting kicked back to the first page when I try to put in special requests (shellfish allergies and wheelchair access). Takes 2 or 3 tries for me. I'm now done, except for BOG. We have Ohana and Tusker House breakfasts so hopefully my kiddos will be happy with that.

The same thing was happening to me this morning! Some of the time I was able to hit the back of browser button and go back to the screen and it would go on and work. I did lose a BOG due to this though. I will say that the best success I have had with BOG is making it first thing, and putting it towards the end of our week.

 

[momofallsons]

I have had a totally different experience this year. When I hit 180 days I chose a new ADR each day from then until done (I didn't have a room yet). Each day I got my ADR at 6:00 am from my smart phone at work. The only issue I had was with Wishes Dessert Party because it was changing formats. Once that mess was worked out I got that on the day I chose probably because they upped the price.

Maybe I got lucky this year or no one was anticipating FD in early September. I've never had too many issues causing frustration. When I can't get an ADR I just play the game and snipe one later when someone else cancels.

Wow! I never knew you had to put so much thought & planning into dining reservations! Looks like I'm playing catch-up now for our June trip. (First family Disney trip!) So glad I stumbled on this board!

 

[mummabear]

There is 17 days until the first 10 days open for our trip, then have the long wait until I can book my next 8!
Feeling very nervous now about securing ADR's for 5 at CRT and BOG (and everywhere really).
Been doing some dummy looking to find answers to a couple of questions (now thankfully answered on here) and can't see anything for 2 weeks before our trip at 180 days out!
Also not happy with the thought of having to call from NZ and sit on hold for an hour.