90 Days Out and No PS?

[aubriee]

I'm taking my son and D-I-L to WDW Sept 17th-24th. We're at our 90 day mark today! They were over at my house last Sunday and I told them we needed to make plans of where we were going to be each day and make a list of restaraunts they wanted to try. We will have the free dining plan. My son said he didn't care and would be fine with whatever we decided. My D-I-L has been to WDW once when she was about 6 y/o and says they just winged it back then and was fine. I tried to tell her that things have changed at WDW in the last 18 years and especially with the new free dining program we will need to make our PS at 90 days out. I had printed out the menus from allears.net and we looked through them last Sunday. She couldn't decide, so took the menus home with her to look at this week. I told her the only place I really wanted to eat was Le Cellier otherwise to pick 6 TS meals anywhere she wanted. The CS we would just wing it. She said fine, she and my son would definitely decide this week and let me know by Saturday or Sunday. Well here it is Sunday. I just called them and she says she hasn't had a chance to look at the menus and to give her another week or so . I told her it didn't work that way, that today was our 90 day mark and I needed to start making PS. I love my D-I-L dearly, but she has always been a procrastinator (as well as being EXTREMELY late to anywhere they go). I asked her if she wanted me to decide and she said no, she was looking forward to picking out places to eat. HELP! I can't seem to get her to understand that you just can't walk up to some of these places without a PS. She even said she was thinking about us eating lunch in the castle one day, but couldn't see why we couldn't decide when we got down there. One of my D-I-L's most endearing qualities is how she hears only what she wants to hear. My son is used to her and just goes along with her, saying she will learn by experience. Sorry for ranting, but I want this trip to be perfect for them and they've already told me that trying different foods is part of that. HELP?

 

[Cheshire Figment]

Normally for extended families or similar groups one person (you in this instance) should take command. Make the dining plans yourself, especially if you have an idea of what type of food they like. Make the reservations. Present them with the lists saying here is what I have set up. Tell them if they want to make changes to let you know and you will accomodate thm. Even if they persist in "winging it" you will at least have back-up reservations if no walk-up. Don't forget, with very few exceptions (such as Cindy's Breakfast or holidays) deposits are not required.

 

[MomOf2DisneyKids]

. Make the reservations. Present them with the lists saying here is what I have set up. Tell them if they want to make changes to let you know and you will accomodate thm. Even if they persist in "winging it" you will at least have back-up reservations if no walk-up. .

that's exactly what I was going to suggest...... I wouldn't want someone else's indecision (or procrastination!) to mess up my chances of getting in somewhere I really wanted to go. Have fun planning...and I hope it works out for you!

 

[calie_j]

I know someone exactly like your DIL and I feel your frustration. I agree that someone has to be in charge and the best person for that job is you since you have the knowledge and ability to plan this trip. Go ahead and make a plan of your days/parks and pick the PS based on that and make them. When the subject comes up again don't bring up the list you already gave them, tell them the places you made PS for and talk them up. If they have problems with where you picked you can try to change it later but will have something set as a back up plan if they can't be changed.

Good luck, Calie

 

[helenk]

For that time of year you may be okay waiting a bit before making your calls.
Today you can only call for the first day of your vacation so you can not make any reservations for the rest of the week as yet. By June 26th you will be at the 90 day make for you entire trip. Why not give her until then?
LeCellier is a hard one to get and you know you want to eat there so make that reservation. Call that one in when you know what day you want to eat there.
You will find that trying to make the reservations for TS in the MK and MGM may be a bit frustrating as they do not release the later dining times until the official hours are released. For MGM you may even have to wait until 30 days out before getting the later times.
Usually the hardest places to get reservations are Cinderella's Castle, Chef Mickey's, Ohana's and LeCellier.
I would just remind your daughter in law that there are some places that are really in demand and if there are certain places she definately wants to eat in she should get the list to you by next week.

 

[Lady Cluck]

These are all great suggestions. I know what you mean about DIL being late for everything. Someone in my family is the same way - always late, so came up with a strategy that usually works. I just work it into the plans, and tell that person that we need to be somewhere a 1/2 hour or so before the actual reservation. They still have not caught on.

 

[RedRuby]

that's exactly what I was going to suggest...... I wouldn't want someone else's indecision (or procrastination!) to mess up my chances of getting in somewhere I really wanted to go. Have fun planning...and I hope it works out for you!

This is what I'm going for our extended group -- making atleast one AR for each family group and let them know they can call to change it if they want. My extended family probalby won't want to look at menus 'til much closer than 90 days, but I want to have atleast one AR per day to cover the free meal plan. My husband will eat prettymuch anywhere I suggest, as long as we definitely do Biergarten (We love schnitzel and all our local Austrian/German/Bavarian restaurants have closed over the years....).

 

[danalee]

I would make the PS right now where you want! If they do call with there choices later you can try for them and if you dont get them say "I did try your picks they were booked so this is where we are going instead" or something to that effect! I just think waiting and with free dining, it could risk getting any places you really want to go~ Good Luck

 

[Disney_1derland]

I agree, choose the restaurants yourself and make your PS's. Then, when she does get around to it, you can try to change them and if not, you have a backup plan!

 

[Rex Rules]

I would tell DiL that you need to know by the end of the week and if she couldn't decide, then go ahead and make the reservations. These things have to be done. They are getting to go to Disney, don't think they should be so blase - sorry.

 

[PattnFmly]

I agree with helenk - I would give her until the 90 mark for the end of your trip to let you know, and I would tell her that if she hasn't gotten around to letting you know by then ... that's ok, you'll just go ahead and make them for the week and there's always the possiblilty to change them later. That way, you've given her a deadline, and offered to take care of it if she doesn't have time. I wouldn't stress too much. Our 90 day period for our entire trip started June 6 and today, yes today, I made all our reservations for the week and got everything I wanted at the times I wanted! Chef Mickey's and all! I can't wait!

 

[battricia]

Honestly, I think you're being a bit over dramatic. I'm headed to disney in a week (yes! The week before 4th of july), and I made reservations about 15 days before, I got everything I wanted, and I also called a few days ago to change some around, and make new ones. I know the parks will be packed because if you look online there are hardly any hotels available. So I say just calm down, everything will work out even though you don't have your PS' at 90 days out!

tricia.

 

[Disney_1derland]

Honestly, I think you're being a bit over dramatic. I'm headed to disney in a week (yes! The week before 4th of july), and I made reservations about 15 days before, I got everything I wanted, and I also called a few days ago to change some around, and make new ones. I know the parks will be packed because if you look online there are hardly any hotels available. So I say just calm down, everything will work out even though you don't have your PS' at 90 days out!

tricia.

Consider yourself lucky. My 90 day window was 2 weeks ago and if you call now hardly anything is available for that timeframe that we wanted. So, you can call it dramatics if you want to, but with the Free Dining deal more people than ever are scrambling to make PS's for the upcoming months. To wait would be foolish with the free dining deal floating around, people have dining credits they MUST use.

 

[crazymomof4]

Consider yourself lucky. My 90 day window was 2 weeks ago and if you call now hardly anything is available for that timeframe that we wanted. So, you can call it dramatics if you want to, but with the Free Dining deal more people than ever are scrambling to make PS's for the upcoming months. To wait would be foolish with the free dining deal floating around, people have dining credits they MUST use.

I agree. I called at 10am on my 90-day out mark and got the LAST table for the 6pm seating of the buffet at 1900 Park Fare.

I've been calling for AR's everyday for the past 4 days. Going by the difference in confirmation numbers from one day to the next, there can be anywhere from 10,000-12,000 reservations made in a 24 hour period!

I think this is all the effect of the Free Dining!

To the OP: I feel your pain! I agree with several other posters....make AR's based on what YOU want. When DIL gets around to making her choices, then change them if you can. If not, it's her loss. SHE should be the one to suffer the consequences of her procrastination, not you! Sorry, I'm biased! I'm the ultimate "non-procrastinator" (aka: "ubber-planner"). I have friends and family who are not, and it really gets under my skin when their casual attitude about everything screws things up or makes more work for me!
I have this saying on my fridge: "Your lack of planning does not constitute an emergency on my part!"

 

[Deb & Bill]

You really need to make your PS or ADP, whatever they are called now soon. When we were there last week, there were many people turned away from several of the table service restaurants we dined at. We extended our trip by three nights and had difficulty getting some of the meals we wanted. Some we had to take what was available and it was slim pickin's. If you want character meals, make them as soon as you can or you won't be dining there. Now if you want Marakkash or San Angel, you might be able to get them with short notice. Just not the most popular dining places.

 

[melissa5583]

We're going Sept 16th-24th and our TA is making our reservations. I would go ahead and make the ARs. You can always change your mind later. With the free dining, it will be a bit harder to just walk in and get a seat. I've got my ressie for Le Cellier at 6:30 Sept 17th. I can't wait!!!!!! Maybe I'll see u there!!!

 

[Cheshire Figment]

I've been calling for AR's everyday for the past 4 days. Going by the difference in confirmation numbers from one day to the next, there can be anywhere from 10,000-12,000 reservations made in a 24 hour period!

That is not accurate by a power of 10. The last digit in the reservation number is a computed "check digit". Without a check digit it is possible to give an incorrect number and end up affecting someone else's reservation.

A check digit is computed by multiplying each number is the series by different factors, adding the results, and making the last digit be what it takes to make the sum end in a zero. If you make any simple mistake such as a transposition, slide, reversal, or anything else when the number is entered into the system you will get an error that it is not a valid number.

 

[RedRuby]

Honestly, I think you're being a bit over dramatic. I'm headed to disney in a week (yes! The week before 4th of july), and I made reservations about 15 days before, I got everything I wanted, and I also called a few days ago to change some around, and make new ones. I know the parks will be packed because if you look online there are hardly any hotels available. So I say just calm down, everything will work out even though you don't have your PS' at 90 days out!

tricia.

Despite my previous post, this is good for me to hear/read. It seems my extended family aren't too excited about the reservations yet, and it will probably be best for me to make a couple key big group ressies, and just do our immediate family'/s other ressies 80-90 days out. The rest of the extended family can decide when and how to do theirs. I'm a little concerned about restaurants being packed ad unable to take ARs that week, let alone as walk ups :-(
We're going "off season", so maybe that will help?

 

[LITTLEKID58]

I will suggest you make you ressies soon.... I have friends that work at the reservation center.. and they are making quite a few dinning reservations because of the free dining.

Liz

 

[crazymomof4]

That is not accurate by a power of 10. The last digit in the reservation number is a computed "check digit". Without a check digit it is possible to give an incorrect number and end up affecting someone else's reservation.

A check digit is computed by multiplying each number is the series by different factors, adding the results, and making the last digit be what it takes to make the sum end in a zero. If you make any simple mistake such as a transposition, slide, reversal, or anything else when the number is entered into the system you will get an error that it is not a valid number.

Umm, I read that 3 times and it's still flying about 6 inches past the top of my head! My motto is similar to Beavis': "I hate numbers, 'cause there are, like, too many of them."

Anyway, I'm glad to hear that I was incorrect and there are not 10,000 ressies being made in a day. I was thinking that the restaurants and the parks are going to be very crowded and we planned this Sept. trip (before free dining was announced) to avoid crowds.
I still think it would be wise to make AR's for sit downs that you really want.