180 days is coming up soon...book via online or phone?

[snorkelyn]

What do you do? Do you regulars find that you get it done faster (hence getting everything you want) over the phone or online? Is the online option easy to get through?

A friend recently spent 90 minutes on the phone with Disney planning her ADR's! Is that typical?

I have a couple hot ticket ADR's on my list, such as dinners at Be Our Guest and Cinderella castle. How early in the morning would I need to call on the 180 day to get them? Is it possible to get them both (we are there 10 days)

Thanks for your help!

 

[Loreli]

Just went through this the other day.
Online opens at 6am EST. My suggestion is to make a login account connected to your resort ressie # before your ADR day. At 6am login to My Disney Experience and start trying for those hard to get ressies. Keep trying even if you get a " sorry servers are down" message. MDE has been only reserving the first day of stay, sooooo At 7am call and wait for a CM to finish up what you couldn't get done inline. Some ppl have had more luck with the old app for IPad. Be sure to write down your ADR ressie #'s so you have them for your trip, they have disappeared from accounts online.

Yes it happens, I was on the phone for 83 mins on Tuesday, and I only have a cell, it hurt a bit. I was able to get Kona Cafe online before 7am but couldn't get BOG, wierd. Ended up with what I wanted but had to take BOG on a different day. BOG is getting more popular so get up early and good luck!

 

[frannn]

I make my ADRs tomorrow, and will try to do so online first. What I keep reading on these boards though, over & over, is that people are only able to book the first day of their trip because the website is not properly linking your reservation and not allowing the additional 10 days. So you will probably have to call. Plus, the BOG ADRs are apparently not loaded in the system for the end of August, so no one can book for that time period yet. Way to be magical Disney . Unless you are OCD like me, or hear that things are up and running properly online, I would get the extra hour of sleep and call instead.

 

[ReturnToOz]

With the dining plan you have to call correct? I was told you had to do this because there was no other way for Disney to know you are on the plan? Is it true you should call 180 days out from your check in day at 6am? That is really early!

 

[pittsburghmarc]

With the dining plan you have to call correct? I was told you had to do this because there was no other way for Disney to know you are on the plan? Is it true you should call 180 days out from your check in day at 6am? That is really early!

First off, no, 180 days out it doesn't matter if you are on the dining plan or not. You can always add the dining plan to a package later. I book our families package and ADRs without the dining plan, with the hope it will be free come August. If not I scale back on the ADRs.

Here is the answer to the OPs question...

As other's have mentioned, at your 180 day mark, you can only make online reservations for your arrival day. The website or app won't accept anything later in your stay than that.

So if you are planning on dining at a hard to get restaurant on your arrival day, go for it. But if you plan on eating at say Biergarten, sleep in the extra hour.

Now here comes 7am. If you have a mac or iPhone, the moment your clock shows 7am, the lines will open. Not a second sooner. Don't wait for the automated menu. Start screaming "operator" right away to save time.

I found something very interesting on a recent series of calls. We were planning on dinner at BOG the second day of our upcoming trip. When I called at 180 days, the only time available for my group of 5 was at 8:30. Not great, but at least I was in. And remember, I was on the phone with a cast member at 7:00 sharp!

Oh, that reminds me of one more thing...don't give the cast member your requests in chronological order. Start with the most popular restaurant and finish with the least popular.

So back to my story...so I called again the next morning at 7:00 and guest what? I was able to book at 7:30! Yes, don't worry, I cancelled my 8:30. As a matter of fact, the new system realized I was double booking and forced me to cancel.

The moral of the story? I believe Disney holds blocks of tables available every day so people don't get shut out at their 180 day mark.

So, If you don't get a desired restaurant or reservation time on the morning of 180, keep trying every morning and you may get in!

 

[snorkelyn]

Thanks for the replies! One more question: what time zone? Same as Florida? If so, that would mean I need to get up an hour earlier since I am in Chicago. Uck!

Also, I don't have an iphone or ipad. Are there apps for android? Or can I just use my computer?

 

[mickey2000]

LOL neither system works today for BOG !

THANKS MICKEY $$

 

[BlueBeagle]

Thanks for the replies! One more question: what time zone? Same as Florida? If so, that would mean I need to get up an hour earlier since I am in Chicago. Uck!

Also, I don't have an iphone or ipad. Are there apps for android? Or can I just use my computer?

I just tried using my hubby's android tablet and it pulled up the new website. I LOATHE the new website. Good luck with your reservations!