180 days out questions

[gracelrm]

We're doing an extended family trip in June and I'm trying to advise all the parties about making reservations and I have some questions.

Which restaurants is it absolutely necessary to get reservations for exactly 180 days out? I'll be encouraging them to make ADRs before we go - but which ones are absolutes to have 180 days?

Are you better off using the phone, the website or MDE? I notice the website is available an hour earlier than the phone line - so I assume the website is best.

TIA

 

[supersnoop]

All of them are important if you want specific times.

Online opens up an hour earlier than the phones, so that's going to better.

 

[GPC0321]

I found that I could get ADRs just about anywhere (including CRT and BOG) well after my 180 day mark. There may not have been as many times available as days, weeks, and months passed, but I was still able to tweak, change, rearrange, add, etc.
I noticed Be Our Guest dinner was the first to become less available (the last I checked there were still late 9:40 times for two days of our trip over Easter).
Keep in mind, we're only a party of 3. For a large party, which it sounds like you will be with extended family and multiple parties, it will be a lot more difficult.
Be Our Guest dinner (or even lunch or breakfast) will be a good one to lock in. Also any character meals that you may be interested in. Ohana at the Poly seems to be really popular too.

I was obsessed with the "game" of making, changing, adding, canceling, rearranging ADRs for our trip. It was like gambling or something. I got a "high" whenever I found a decent ADR time for a highly sought after restaurant. It was crazy...but fun, LOL. And I scrapped it all to do the Quick Service dining plan in the end (ha!) But I did all of my stuff on the website and MDE. I logged onto the website at 6am, and by 6:20 I had all my ADRs done. Rather anti-climactic actually. Then I spend the next two months canceling and making, changing and rearranging to the point that nothing even remotely resembled the ADRs I had that first morning!

If you're not as crazy as me, you should be able to get what you want just fine that first morning and leave well enough alone. Definitely go for the ultra popular ones first, and don't fret if you need to tweak things later for the less popular ones.

 

[sweetlike]

Are you trying to eat all together or separately? I successfully book parties of 12 at BOG and CRT (two of the harder to get ressies) by going online at 6:00am on the dot and a few other shortcuts. By the time 6:15 rolled around we couldn't get any tables for 12 except for that bigger restaurants (crystal palace, chef mickeys, etc).

So, if you're trying to eat together definitely go online at 5:59am and be ready!

 

[gracelrm]

We are not planning that many meals together. Probably only one for the entire crew - and it won't be CRT or BOG. But, I'm trying to give all the families the information they need to make their own ADRs if they want CRT or BOG or one of really popular places that won't be available if they wait until June to start thinking about it.

 

[lubob]

Be Our Guest , ohana, sci-fi theater, California grill, and Cinderella royal table. Reservations open up at midnight eastern standard time 180 days out.

 

[Hopefully]

Be Our Guest , ohana, sci-fi theater, California grill, and Cinderella royal table. Reservations open up at midnight eastern standard time 180 days out.

INCORRECT. ADR's open at 6 AM online & 7 AM on the telephone
FP+ can be scheduled at 12 midnight 60 days in advance. Never ADR's
BOG is currently the hardest ADR to obtain. Personally we review menus at all ears.net and if there is any restaurant we want we book it 180 days in advance - especially in park restaurants
Good luck

 

[lubob]

I guess I was lucky I did my adrs at midnight this year for my trip down in Jan 2016. I was up until 1 in the morning doing it. Was pretty tired at work the next day.

 

[butterfly71076]

I guess I was lucky I did my adrs at midnight this year for my trip down in Jan 2016. I was up until 1 in the morning doing it. Was pretty tired at work the next day.

I think you might be thinking of FP+. Dining reservations can be made 180 out, 6am EST online or 7am EST on the phone.