60 days for ADRs insufficient

[matthew_hull]

I am not new to Disney Dining and ADRs, but I had thought that 60 days advance would still give me availability for mid-September. Well, one call to WDWDINE later and I see that my judgement was incorrect, and that there is no availability for dinners at some of the restaurants that I wanted to try (O'Hanas & 1900 Park Fare & California Grill (the MK monorail restaurants)).

OK, what *is* the minimum amount of advance time, in your judgement, where you can expect to find some availability for common dinner times? I am not one to call at 180 days in advance -- I usually make the vacation plans with only two or three months advance. Sometimes less; sometimes much less.

 

[Tink030]

I am not new to Disney Dining and ADRs, but I had thought that 60 days advance would still give me availability for mid-September. Well, one call to WDWDINE later and I see that my judgement was incorrect, and that there is no availability for dinners at some of the restaurants that I wanted to try (O'Hanas & 1900 Park Fare & California Grill (the MK monorail restaurants)).

OK, what *is* the minimum amount of advance time, in your judgement, where you can expect to find some availability for common dinner times? I am not one to call at 180 days in advance -- I usually make the vacation plans with only two or three months advance. Sometimes less; sometimes much less.

Hi, How many are in your party?
My sister and her family won't be able to make their trip with us so if we are going around the same time you might be able to use some of her adrs.
We will be there sept.19 to the 27th
I know she has 1900 park fare on the 24th
Let me know if you are interested

 

[ajleone]

Unfortunately popular places do book up quickly so if you can't book 180 days out you may be out of luck. You can keep trying though sometimes bookings open up. Oh and just a pet peeve of mine- its 'Ohana and no "s" at the end, sorry I know I'm a pain. .

 

[victorandbellasmom]

The last day for free dining check-in is September 20th so TS restaurants are filling up with all those free diners. We're going the last week in Aug (start of free dining) and had some issues with certain restaurants (ie, Le cellier, O'hana and CRT). I called for ADRs in late April as soon as we booked our free dining package. We eventually got all our ADR, but it took several calls over a few months.

 

[nurse.darcy]

Don't forget to call again at the 45 day window. . .a lot of people will cancel packages and ressies at that time because they have decided not to go or cannot now afford to pay off their trip. . .

 

[lady_hlh]

You may want to try for Narcosees instead of California Grill, I was able to recently change our ADR there during free dining without a problem. On the other hand I have been trying to change our dinner ADR at Boma for months and the last time that I asked they told me that it was totally booked that evening.

 

[Harambe]

The Grand Floridian Cafe - GF

Morocco - food is great, not too "different", Epcot

Spoodles - BW

Capt. Jack's - DTD

'Ohana breakfast - characters

Plaza Restaurant - MK

Rainforest Cafe - AK (not our favorite but others like it)

I call at around 180 days out, and get all of our picks. Also, you should be flexible with your times, if you can. Good luck!

 

[gigi1313]

OK, what *is* the minimum amount of advance time, in your judgement, where you can expect to find some availability for common dinner times?

it totally depends on the time of year... during free dining 180 days is great, 120 days is good, 90 days pickings are slim, 30 days you're out of luck... 2 or 3 days back to good... at least that has been my experience...

i just helped a friend make ADRs for the week leading up to and including Christmas and she had NO problem getting everything she wanted, including some of the more popular venues such as 'ohana dinner and norway princess breakfast...

good luck finding what you need... i'm sure there are plenty of good meals waiting for you, you just need to know where to find them

 

[familyvacay]

Keep calling and be flexible. I do NOT have free dining as we book this this a week and a half ago, but we are going labor day weekend. At first there was nothing and now I got reservations at CRT, Hoop Dee Doo, Chef Mickeys, LTT, Crystal Palace, Narcoosees and more!

 

[Astro Orbiter]

As someone else said, check at 45 days. Also, at 7 days out the room-only reservations have to be cancelled.

Also check starting 2 weeks beforehand - people will start giving up reservations again as plans solidify.

I'm like you - I typically book 8 weeks out - and generally have no luck getting reservations until about 10 days before. I think they've always been acceptable to me - no 9pm or 4pm.

 

[kimsuenew]

I am not new to Disney Dining and ADRs, but I had thought that 60 days advance would still give me availability for mid-September. Well, one call to WDWDINE later and I see that my judgement was incorrect, and that there is no availability for dinners at some of the restaurants that I wanted to try (O'Hanas & 1900 Park Fare & California Grill (the MK monorail restaurants)).

OK, what *is* the minimum amount of advance time, in your judgement, where you can expect to find some availability for common dinner times? I am not one to call at 180 days in advance -- I usually make the vacation plans with only two or three months advance. Sometimes less; sometimes much less.

Well... last year (during free dining which is the same time you are referring to for this September) we started trying to book our most coveted ADR's the end of May (it was a full three months from the first day we check-in).

We were never able (even at 3+ months out, numerous attempts during the summer, and even calls during our stay) to get Coral Reef, CRT, or Le Cellier (it was our first trip... I was naive thinking I could get those perhaps)!

We were able to get ADR's for some popular places (all dinner)... Boma, 50's PT, CP, LTT-CD but not those few mentioned before.

We "bounced-back" (September free DDP) for 2008 in 2007, so we knew a year in advance and when it was our "180+10" time I was on the phone at 7:00 AM and was able to get everything we wanted!

The problem with that is you must plan, plan, plan and if plans/schedules/activities change... you cannot really change ADR's!

We have been trying the last 2+ weeks to add a couple, and change a couple of our ADR's. I had to keep them all "as is" (we check-in the 14th of September) as there was no availability for dinner at Ohana, 1900 PF, Chef Mickey's, Le Cellier, or breakfast at Chef Mickey's. I had hoped to change some park days and such.

We gave up... we are keeping what we have and keeping the plans as they were made! We are a party of three... I don't know if that helps or hurts when making ADR's!

Perhaps you would be able to get ADR's for the less popular places or those perhaps outside the parks/off the Monorail line?

I wish you luck and hope it is still a wonderful and magical trip!

 

[Luv2Roam]

If specific restaurants are high on your list or must do's, then call ASAP, even if it means 180+.
There are great, but often over looked restaurants, such as Tutto's, Maya Grill and Turf Club, just to name a few.

 

[matthew_hull]

Thank you all for the helpful information. In future excursions, I will lower my expectations. Planning 180 days out isn't an option in most cases for me. But 100-120 days advance may be possible. I will try again, of course, once a week or so, but thanks for the 45-day and 7-day window advice.

I was hoping to try some of the nicer restaurants along the MK monorail route, all of which I have never been to before. I have even stayed at the Poly once before and didn't stop at either Kona's or 'Ohana, much to my chagrin. Ah well, it isn't that important -- I enjoy the fancy table service restaurants but can survive just fine on frozen bananas and ice cream, too.



Tink30: Thanks, but those dates do not work for me.

 

[MelanieC]

I always book what I think we are going to want at 180 days out and then we tweak if we need to. I like to make sure we get to eat at the places we like to eat. I wouldn't want to chance it by waiting.

 

[BriarRosie]

Thank you all for the helpful information. In future excursions, I will lower my expectations. Planning 180 days out isn't an option in most cases for me. But 100-120 days advance may be possible. I will try again, of course, once a week or so, but thanks for the 45-day and 7-day window advice.

I was hoping to try some of the nicer restaurants along the MK monorail route, all of which I have never been to before. I have even stayed at the Poly once before and didn't stop at either Kona's or 'Ohana, much to my chagrin. Ah well, it isn't that important -- I enjoy the fancy table service restaurants but can survive just fine on frozen bananas and ice cream, too.

Try for Kona. You might be able to get in. I enjoyed my dinner there.

 

[ROEDISNEY]

People are on the phone at 180 days booking up everything they can. So it's hard when you book only 2 months in advance. I even had a problem booing ress for my parents in dec at 180 days. Good luck with your ress.

 

[Nie0214]

Free Dining means ADRs are probably gone much faster than usual.

Check out the September ADR thread, some people are canceling their vacations and others want to trade.. maybe you can find something!

 

[TDC Nala]

That's the free dining promotion period. Demand for TS restaurants is going to be markedly higher during September. It would have been advisable to plan as far out as possible and make the reservations at the 180 day mark for popular restaurants like the ones you wanted. But since you were unaware that your travel dates were a time of high demand for restaurants, there isn't much that can be done now except try for cancellations at the restaurants you had plans for.

You may have to take anything they have available - IF they have anything available - rather than requesting specific restaurants and times if you want to eat WDW table service at all. Or, book restaurants that don't take the dining plan (if you are not using the dining plan yourself).

 

[Tiffany]

I am not new to Disney Dining and ADRs, but I had thought that 60 days advance would still give me availability for mid-September. Well, one call to WDWDINE later and I see that my judgement was incorrect, and that there is no availability for dinners at some of the restaurants that I wanted to try (O'Hanas & 1900 Park Fare & California Grill (the MK monorail restaurants)).

OK, what *is* the minimum amount of advance time, in your judgement, where you can expect to find some availability for common dinner times? I am not one to call at 180 days in advance -- I usually make the vacation plans with only two or three months advance. Sometimes less; sometimes much less.

Unfortunetly you named three of the most popular places to have dinner in the "World". Even calling at 180days out might not get you the exact time you want on the exact day you want. Thanks to the DDP more people are eating at TS places then every before.

 

[Karlzmom]

I am not new to Disney Dining and ADRs, but I had thought that 60 days advance would still give me availability for mid-September. Well, one call to WDWDINE later and I see that my judgement was incorrect, and that there is no availability for dinners at some of the restaurants that I wanted to try (O'Hanas & 1900 Park Fare & California Grill (the MK monorail restaurants)).

OK, what *is* the minimum amount of advance time, in your judgement, where you can expect to find some availability for common dinner times? I am not one to call at 180 days in advance -- I usually make the vacation plans with only two or three months advance. Sometimes less; sometimes much less.

I didn't go through the whole thread, so sorry if someone mentioned Kona already. Still on the monorail and quite a nice place to get bite to eat.