Wow...Easiest ADRs ever?

[GPC0321]

I was sitting at the drive-thru at Taco Bell and it hit me...I was supposed to make Disney ADRs two days ago! So I came home and got busy. I wasn't too worried, I only wanted a few dinner reservations: Boathouse, Narcoossee's, California Grill, and Citricos...but I worried I might not get exact times (5:00ish) I wanted, or days. I shouldn't have worried. All were available for 5:00 (or 5:10 in some cases). Easy-peasy. But the really shocking thing was that I noticed things like Ohana and Be Our Guest and pretty much anything and everything still had tons of availability for these times too. I didn't really look for much else, but I have NEVER, in all my years going to WDW, seen those two in particular with prime dinner times still open days into the booking window.

This will also be the first time I've gone in May though too (26th-30th). Maybe it's just a sweet spot before more schools let out and it won't be a very busy time? Here's hoping! I teach and my school gets out earlier than most, so I'm fortunate.

I'm not sure I'll keep all of the ressies I got. The Boathouse is locked in and one of the GF restaurants (since that's where we're staying), but not sure about Cali Grill or a 2nd GF dinner. Boathouse is the only one we've been to before.

If anyone has recent experiences with Cali Grill, Narcoossee's, or Citricos, I'd love to hear!

 

[Sprinkles&Sprints]

I love California Grill - we go every trip. But we were there last week and I wasn’t as enamored - for the first time ever I didn’t think it was worth the price (service was stellar, just wasn’t blown away by my entree). Decided we’ll probably skip for the next couple of trips and try again next year.

 

[Marthasor]

I was sitting at the drive-thru at Taco Bell and it hit me...I was supposed to make Disney ADRs two days ago! So I came home and got busy. I wasn't too worried, I only wanted a few dinner reservations: Boathouse, Narcoossee's, California Grill, and Citricos...but I worried I might not get exact times (5:00ish) I wanted, or days. I shouldn't have worried. All were available for 5:00 (or 5:10 in some cases). Easy-peasy. But the really shocking thing was that I noticed things like Ohana and Be Our Guest and pretty much anything and everything still had tons of availability for these times too. I didn't really look for much else, but I have NEVER, in all my years going to WDW, seen those two in particular with prime dinner times still open days into the booking window.

This will also be the first time I've gone in May though too (26th-30th). Maybe it's just a sweet spot before more schools let out and it won't be a very busy time? Here's hoping! I teach and my school gets out earlier than most, so I'm fortunate.

I'm not sure I'll keep all of the ressies I got. The Boathouse is locked in and one of the GF restaurants (since that's where we're staying), but not sure about Cali Grill or a 2nd GF dinner. Boathouse is the only one we've been to before.

If anyone has recent experiences with Cali Grill, Narcoossee's, or Citricos, I'd love to hear!

We dined at Cali Grill and Narcoossee in December - both were very good. The food was better at Narcoossees, but the view at Cali Grill is stunning and the staff was SO nice!

I just ate at Citricos last week after having had a fantastic dinner there about a year ago - it wasn't great. I don't think we will be going back anytime soon. If I had to choose one on your list to drop, it would be Citricos. We also ate at Boathouse last week - loved it!

 

[SkyGuy]

Be Our Guest has been very easy to get the last year, give or take. Someone has even been holding a sign out front noting there is immediate availability. Glad you got all you wanted. for a lower crowd trip.

 

[Newsies]

I'll be traveling around the same time as you (19th-26th) and felt like I woke myself up for no reason on our ADR day -- got everything I wanted without any type of battle. We have Rodeo Roundup, Akershus, Biergarten (Garden Rocks package), Oga's, Steakhouse 71, Shula's, Boma, Raglan Road, and most notably: 1900 Park Fare on our Arrival Day, which had plenty of times available despite this being a hot ADR right now. Many of the ones I considered unicorns in the past (Sci-Fi Dine In, Oga's, Yak & Yeti, and BoG come to mind specifically) had ample times for the week.

I don't think this week is an anomaly, as it was pretty easy to get everything we wanted for our Spring Break trip last March as well (including two Topolino's meals), but fingers crossed for a less-crowded week at the parks anyway! Glad you were able to get everything you wanted!

 

[chicagodisneyguy]

We booked a last minute Easter trip (2 weeks out) and found the same thing. Everything we wanted was available two weeks out Narcoo sees, Jiko, Brown Derby, Tiffins etc)

We have noticed that the restaurants have been basically 100% full. I'm not sure what has changed in the supply/demand....but Disney has seemed to figure it out. Not having to stress about dining ressies is super nice.

 

[Disneychick75]

Our trip is May 26-June 1 and I got every restaurant at every time we wanted. Our grandsons are not interested in Cinderella's Royal Table but several times are available for every meal during our dates. That has not happened in the decades we've been going to WDW.

 

[Minnie1222]

I also notice that ADR has been easy to get since early 2023, yet the restaurants have been full and the wait time to be seated has been the same or longer than before. We're now only searching for reservations the night before. It's a much better experience.

 

[SandyinMonterey]

I was sitting at the drive-thru at Taco Bell and it hit me...I was supposed to make Disney ADRs two days ago! So I came home and got busy. I wasn't too worried, I only wanted a few dinner reservations: Boathouse, Narcoossee's, California Grill, and Citricos...but I worried I might not get exact times (5:00ish) I wanted, or days. I shouldn't have worried. All were available for 5:00 (or 5:10 in some cases). Easy-peasy. But the really shocking thing was that I noticed things like Ohana and Be Our Guest and pretty much anything and everything still had tons of availability for these times too. I didn't really look for much else, but I have NEVER, in all my years going to WDW, seen those two in particular with prime dinner times still open days into the booking window.

This will also be the first time I've gone in May though too (26th-30th). Maybe it's just a sweet spot before more schools let out and it won't be a very busy time? Here's hoping! I teach and my school gets out earlier than most, so I'm fortunate.

I'm not sure I'll keep all of the ressies I got. The Boathouse is locked in and one of the GF restaurants (since that's where we're staying), but not sure about Cali Grill or a 2nd GF dinner. Boathouse is the only one we've been to before.

If anyone has recent experiences with Cali Grill, Narcoossee's, or Citricos, I'd love to hear!

I did our ADR's about a week ago. None of our ressie's are in the parks, which is surprising. First time in 20+ years. Our ADR's are at DS and hotels. I didn't have a problem getting any of them. This trip is for my daughter, she's graduating high school and it's her birthday and she wanted Ohana. I thought that would be difficult to get, but it wasn't. The 2 ADR's that were the most difficult was Homecomin' (to fit into right spot for us) and Beaches & Cream. I was able to snag an early ADR for Beaches & Cream but canceled it. I was also surprised to see so much availability for places that in the past have been so hard to get, like Cinderella Royal Table and Be Our Guest.

 

[GPC0321]

So, it's not just me and not just this time period. Interesting. I'm glad though. Gosh, remember when we used to book ADRs 180 days out!?!! And we got up at the crack of dawn to secure the most sought after ones SIX freakin' months ahead of time.

Whatever the reason, I'm glad it's not so insane anymore.

 

[BeachMouse1]

Same here, I forgot and days later virtually everything was available for the last weekend in May which is also a holiday weekend! I wanted to have a 1900 Park Fare on the books if reviews come in good. I figured a new place reopening not a chance well it was there and even got a Narcoossee at fireworks time on a Friday night! Suddenly everything seems easy

 

[TheDailyMoo]

Only Space 220 lounge is the outlier. Everything else (besides V&A) seems almost doable at any point

 

[buzzgirls&dad]

It seems pricing and quality of food are starting to factor more heavily into decision making for Adrs. Removing one or two TS meals per vacation for a family of four is now a substantial savings or money spent on the increased cost of tickets, resorts or Genie+

 

[Captain UP]

Maybe we've finally reached a price point that is turning people away from table service restaurants.

 

[tom1944]

Are times after 2 difficult to get for lunch?

 

[weather_lady]

Congratulations! We found the same kind of ease with getting ADRs for our last trip (although that was August 2023, before the DDP returned). I'm with @Captain UP - I think DDP prices and TS prices have finally crashed through the glass ceiling of what consumers are willing to pay.

Also, now that G+/ILLs are adding anywhere from 25%-50% to the ticket costs for a family of 4 (depending on what they purchase and what the price is that day), I suspect that many people are looking at other areas of their vacation budget where cuts can be made to compensate, much as we did when DME was eliminated and we suddenly had to add ground transportation to our budgets. Fewer/cheaper onsite meals, and fewer nights at onsite hotels (or going offsite altogether), will be the inevitable result for many. I think that's what Disney is missing when it considers how guests spend their money: our incomes aren't increasing at the rate of "Disney vacation inflation," so we're not necessarily spending more when Disney adds upcharges: we're just reallocating the way we spend those finite vacation dollars.

As an example, we knew ahead of time when we visited in August that we wanted to get G+ (no ILLs though) for 3 days of our trip, at a rough cost of $300 for the 4 of us. To "pay" for it, and account for the fact that we'd be able to tour with particular efficiency for those 3 days, we shifted our arrival flights from evening to the next morning, cut a night from our $500/night hotel stay at the Yacht Club, and changed our park days from 6 to 5. Not only did we still get to do everything we wanted to in the parks, but we "saved" a few hundred dollars by getting rid of the hotel/dining/ticket costs for that extra night and day (some, but not all of which was then spent on an amazing escape room marathon at The Bureau on our departure day, instead of at the parks!) -- and I got to rationalize to myself that I'd saved money in the end, rather than spending more, by using G+ wisely.

 

[kylenne]

This will also be the first time I've gone in May though too (26th-30th). Maybe it's just a sweet spot before more schools let out and it won't be a very busy time? Here's hoping! I teach and my school gets out earlier than most, so I'm fortunate.

You answered your own question lol. I go every year at that time bc of my birthday and never have an issue getting ADRs. It’s not just financial considerations or w/e people keep bringing up for other times of year. This was the case for May trips even pre-closures. It’s just not a busy time.

 

[Captain UP]

For what it's worth, my friend is at HS today, and I checked ADRs for him: multiple places including Olga's, Brown Derby, and 50's still available and at decent times too.

 

[kylenne]

For what it's worth, my friend is at HS today, and I checked ADRs for him: multiple places including Olga's, Brown Derby, and 50's still available and at decent times too.

Same day ADRs have been way easier to get ever since the change to the cancellation policy. I have pulled Fantasmic dining packages for the same evening a couple of times now.

 

[Minnie1222]

This is a welcoming trend.