ADRs are harder to get now?

[This is Pickles]

Sorry for posting something I feel I should know as a semi-regular DIS reader, but I don't and apparently I don't have the search wisdom to figure out how to search on ADRs being harder to get without getting what seems like every post ever from the past two years!

So I've been to Disney five times in the past 8 years, and I am a planning nerd, and I've never had trouble getting ADRs. Never did the 180-days-ahead thing, and still generally got what I wanted (even Cindy's table and BOG, no problem). I'm going in mid-October this time, which I was thinking would be a little slower than our usual March/April timing. And that new (since my last visit) credit card policy -- I was assuming that'd mean reservations would be easier to get.

But I started trying to book ADR's 60 days out, and I have gotten only one ADR (at Boma). I'll admit I quit pretty fast on my earliest attempts because their online system seemed to lock up on about 2 out of every 3 searches.

Am I doing something wrong, or nope, does FP+ mean more people can commit to lunch ressies because they now know exactly when they're coming off TSMM? Should I not worry because a bunch of things will open up 24 hours ahead when people have to cancel? Or is this my trip to learn all the counter service options?

Sit-down meals have always been a big part of the Disney experience for us -- I liked watching my kids dance with the belly dancer in Morocco or do the limbo at Ohana more than any ride I've ever been on!

 

[holden]

I think mid-Oct is pretty busy with the F&WF crowds - lots more adults only trips too which might mean more dinner reservations booked. You might not get the ADRs you want, but maybe this is the time to try some new places? Or eat at different times?

Also, plenty of people change plans, so keep checking. I've been stalking a Beaches & Cream ressie that fits into our trip, and I know something will come up around 24hrs in advance. I do book 180days out, but we change our mind about things. I've been able to get BOG and Cindy's Table 24hrs. in advance because others have cancelled.

I say keep checking every day... you never know what will pop up!

 

[MakiraMarlena]

Yes - there is free dining for a good part of October. No free dining in March/April.

 

[WaltDaddy]

You've got Free Dining, Food and Wine, and MNHSHP - lots of traffic at WDW - with the new booking policy (cancelling 24 hours before) you may have some last-minute luck but that's not going to help you plan any better...

 

[Luckybee]

Yes - there is free dining for a good part of October. No free dining in March/April.

This ^^^^

We're going late next week till mid Oct. I booked all our dining back in June and had no problems getting what we wanted except BOG. Had lots to choose from with other popular options incl CRT/ Dessert Pty etc.

Then they announced free dining and I had to make a couple of changes. Omg you would have thought I was trying to book dinner with the Queen of England just to get a res at The Plaza(and we would have taken anything other than Liberty at a reas. hour ie. btwn 5 and 7 pm) at MK at a time that worked (not exactly a hard to get res at normal times). It took me over a month of stalking to do so.

So no question that FD seems to have a huge impact on availability.

 

[BuzzinDownToDisney]

There's a phenomenal forum dedicated to Disney Dining and a separate on for Dining Reservation chock full o' great tips and fellow Disers going through the same thing. You should check it out, it's an invaluable resource.

 

[n2mm]

I don't make my ADRs at the 180 mark, but do make them prior. I probably made my oct ADRs a few months ago and had a tough time getting a table for 2. I did continue to watch and finally got decent times. I struggled to get whispering canyon and coral reef. We are there for 2 weeks so was surprised to have difficulty. I agree that October us not a slow time to visit anymore. I booked my dvc resort at the 11 month window to get into bwv. So much going on in oct now. I put together a last minute visit in November and also had a tough time getting ADRs then too, but did finally get what I wanted. Good luck.

 

[This is Pickles]

thanks everyone -- at least I know I'm not doing it wrong! I'll start mentally preparing myself for the crowds I thought we were avoiding...

 

[emij]

I didn't know about our trip until 66 days before! Just this I scored the last ADR that I had been stalking. It took 20 days of stalking but I got them all!

This thread
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=3251536

is full of DISers who are cancelling ADRs and willing to coordinate times so you can get the reservation - very helpful!

Good luck!

 

[Luckybee]

thanks everyone -- at least I know I'm not doing it wrong! I'll start mentally preparing myself for the crowds I thought we were avoiding...

Someone on another post explained it better than I. It isnt that the crowds are that bad but rather that because of free dining more people table advantage of table service reservations than would otherwise. It made sense to me but I guess we'll see when we get there.

 

[Volkswagenphreak]

We booked our trip about 120 days out, even at that point there were a lot of places I wanted to book that I couldn't. I have just once a day been searching for the places we want and now about 50 days out I have all of our ADR's booked... Most are at weird times... Ohana at 9:45pm. :/ but I didn't care I really wanted to eat there... Eh whatever we will make it work and I guess be more prepared for our next trip. Good luck I hope you are able to get what you want!

 

[kittyninja]

The cancellation threads are great! I just got a BOG for my MNSSHP night at 4:10 thanks to a DISer who was cancelling!! I highly recommend them!!

 

[Volkswagenphreak]

The cancellation threads are great! I just got a BOG for my MNSSHP night at 4:10 thanks to a DISer who was cancelling!! I highly recommend them!!

is there one for November? I've only seen October

 

[Volkswagenphreak]

is there one for November? I've only seen October

nevermind, found it!

 

[Mikie]

thanks everyone -- at least I know I'm not doing it wrong! I'll start mentally preparing myself for the crowds I thought we were avoiding...

No kidding! Our last trip was "fall" with great low crowds so we planned to go on our kids' fall break again this year. However, our school's fall break used to be late Sept and it's now mid-Oct. . . I also thought we'd have those nice low crowds, but it doesn't sound like it!

However, I don't know whether ADRs are harder, or if the timing is just different. I traveled last trip WITH free dining and got most, but not all, of my desired ADRs when I booked near 180 days but not right on, and didn't get all my first choice times for my group of 6. This time, I got most of my first choices, "settled" for one second choice, the days and traditional meal times I wanted for my group of 12! (including CRT, Chef Mickey, Akershus, Boma, Fantasmic pkg) I am traveling in Oct, but NOT in one of the free dining weeks and booked at 180 days, but not right at 7am. Maybe I just got some good pixie dust

 

[Funfire240]

Someone on another post explained it better than I. It isnt that the crowds are that bad but rather that because of free dining more people table advantage of table service reservations than would otherwise. It made sense to me but I guess we'll see when we get there.

I agree with this. We've been there the end of September with low crowds but with free dining and the restaurants were packed. We've then been there in July with high crowds but with no free dining and able to book adrs 2 weeks in advance inc. CRT and bog

 

[LilyWDW]

If you have not done so already, be sure to join the October Facebook group. You can find the link for it in my signature.

We have members that are checking for ADRs just about daily for others. Just about every single day do we have people successfully switch around ADRs, including some harder to get ones (Ohana, Chef Mickey's, 1900 Park Fare, prepark Crystal Palace, and others). So it IS possible to still get what you want. It will take time because you will have to check daily and even multiple times a day, but it is possible.

 

[This is Pickles]

Wow! I wasn't aware of that ADR-cancelling thread or the facebook page. What fantastic resources both are! thanks everyone. I'll keep stalking and in the meantime I've taken the advice to try some new options. On our MK day, there is not a single ADR available anytime after 2:00 (I wanted something later because we're doing MNSSHP that night). But I decide this was my chance to try some of those nearby resort restaurants. So one way or another, a great trip will be had!

 

[Money82]

I made my ADRs at 120 days and was able to get everything I wanted. Sometimes I didn't necessarily get the night I wanted for a particular place but I was able to get it on at least 1 night during the trip.

 

[heidiginter]

I got both my BoG ADRs less than a month before we went. I love cancellations