ADR Strategies

[Hoyt31]

What is your best strategy for getting the ADRs you want? Online or Phone? Should both my wife and I be doing it in tandem? Last time we went it was during a free dining promo so it made it hard to get what we wanted although thanks to some great DISboard friends we were able to trade some ADRs and get just about everything. It just made the planning alittle more exciting .

 

[3Minnies1Mickey]

Online starts an hour earlier than phones are open. Look for your high priority ones first. 'ohanas dinner and Chef Mickey fills up quickly. Early in park breakfasts are Also popular.

 

[noodle7729]

so what time does online start then?

 

[sunshineNJ]

Online starts @ 6 AM Eastern. If you want Lecellier lunch, Crystal Palace lunch or dinner, Chef Mickey's or Ohana do those first. Good Luck!!

 

[Hoyt31]

Just realized my 180 day is on memorial day, anyone know how holidays are handled...is both the phone and online open?

 

[LisaTC]

I'm sure you'll have no problem making ADR's on Memorial Day. I actually forgot on my 180 day and didn't do mine until around 11am EST and got everything I wanted even 'Ohana. I don't think you'll have any problems.

These are the one's I got

HDDR - had to call on this one, couldn't get it online
Akershus
Rose & Crown
Yachtsman
Narcooses
Boma
'Ohana


However, I realize I am not going to some of the Most popular, like Chef Mickey's, etc.

 

[SnipsNSnails]

I was sure to be online before 6 AM, I made sure I was familiar with how the reservation system works, one tip is don't bother to take time copying down the reservation numbers, just keep going. They will send you an email with your confirmation numbers so get those after you are done. I prioritized my ADRs by those I thought would be hardest to get and those I wanted at very specific times. My list looked like this:

Le Cellier - lunch
Chef Mickey's - arrival day wanted a pretty specific time
Ohana
Boma - wanted a very specific time
Crystal Palace
Cape May

I got everything I wanted most at exactly the times I wanted. LC was 1/2 hr. later than I wanted and the rest were all within 5 minutes of the time I wanted them. I had all 6 booked and confirmed in 9 minutes.

 

[mommycrawford]

Personally, I like the phone agents help...they can look at screens and know other ways to search for what I want (if you get an experienced rep!) If I want O'hana for Tuesday at 8PM, they can often tell me there is no availability at that time or day, but such and such time and day IS available...I guess it seems to me that if you can be flexible, they can be very helpful in finding a solution to problems.

That said, you don't have email confirmation of your ADRS by phone, so you will have to be detail oriented, and call back another day to reconfirm for piece of mind that you didn't imagine it all!

After I book at my 180 time I can go back and tweak online, but the agents are just faster at booking IMHO....maybe I just am not good at the online booking (technology does ACTUALLY hate me btw!)

 

[Tricia1972]

Just realized my 180 day is on memorial day, anyone know how holidays are handled...is both the phone and online open?

Their schedule is the same on Memorial day as any other day. The Disney dining reservation line doesn't change their schedule at all throughout the year.


(To others trying for Ohana, try to up your party size by one if you have an odd party size 1, 3, 5, etc. The online reservation system isn't always friendly for odd party sizes.)

 

[Dragonfly_34]

I booked ours online as it was a little more convenient, but there were a few that had later hours than I wanted. I booked them anyway, then called to see if there were any earlier times available. I was able to switch two to earlier times, but was stuck with one of my original times. Good luck!

 

[kchughes]

I like the new and improved online system. Prior to this year, it was a complete PITA. Also, we have not gotten somethings we wanted and were able to get same day ressies at our resort concierge desk.