ADR's few and far between

[Huck Sawyer]

This time around I thought we were being smart by booking in advance, we had to switch our dates and now going in late sept. The ADR window has arleady opened. In the real world booking a vacation 4months + in advance is early booking. We went online to find ADRs many different spots are full and unless we want to eat with our young children at 8:30 or 9:30pm we are out of luck. Beyond frustrating for an unseasoned disney traveler. So now I will have to check every so often to see it places have any openings. I think this whole system is messed up and caterers to a certain type of disney traveler. I'm not knocking people who plan a year to 6 months in advance but most people do not book that far ahead and we are left with no chance of ADR's.

 

[JKMJ441724]

This time around I thought we were being smart by booking in advance, we had to switch our dates and now going in late sept. The ADR window has arleady opened. In the real world booking a vacation 4months + in advance is early booking. We went online to find ADRs many different spots are full and unless we want to eat with our young children at 8:30 or 9:30pm we are out of luck. Beyond frustrating for an unseasoned disney traveler. So now I will have to check every so often to see it places have any openings. I think this whole system is messed up and caterers to a certain type of disney traveler. I'm not knocking people who plan a year to 6 months in advance but most people do not book that far ahead and we are left with no chance of ADR's.

I agree that if you don't book ADRs really early, you are just about out of luck. Disney has really PROMOTED the heck out of the dining plan and restaraunts. I book early, but also make sure that if I book a new one, I cancel the original. Also, I don't book multiple ADRs to "hold" a spot until I make up my mind. I think there are some who do that. Keep checking, I'm sure there will be some cancellations. Good luck!

Here's some pixie dust for you.

 

[Huck Sawyer]

I agree that if you don't book ADRs really early, you are just about out of luck. Disney has really PROMOTED the heck out of the dining plan and restaraunts. I book early, but also make sure that if I book a new one, I cancel the original. Also, I don't book multiple ADRs to "hold" a spot until I make up my mind. I think there are some who do that. Keep checking, I'm sure there will be some cancellations. Good luck!

Here's some pixie dust for you.

You got to be kidding me that people multiple book!!!!!!!! that builds to my frustration even more.

 

[mom2dina]

i'm having the same issue ... not getting anything I want. Since it's a dinning system it should not let you double book I think disney needs to work on this ... or at least a warning should come up saying hey you already have a dinner reservation are you sure you don't want to cancel one before you book another for the same night

 

[TDC Nala]

This is typical for periods with general public free dining. There are guests who plan their free dining ADRs much further ahead of time than six months. Popular restaurants and peak mealtimes go fast.

at least a warning should come up saying hey you already have a dinner reservation are you sure you don't want to cancel one before you book another for the same night

the online system DOES give that warning. It does not require you to cancel the previous reservation but it gives the option.

 

[TisBit]

This time around I thought we were being smart by booking in advance, we had to switch our dates and now going in late sept. The ADR window has arleady opened. In the real world booking a vacation 4months + in advance is early booking. We went online to find ADRs many different spots are full and unless we want to eat with our young children at 8:30 or 9:30pm we are out of luck. Beyond frustrating for an unseasoned disney traveler. So now I will have to check every so often to see it places have any openings. I think this whole system is messed up and caterers to a certain type of disney traveler. I'm not knocking people who plan a year to 6 months in advance but most people do not book that far ahead and we are left with no chance of ADR's.

Yes, especially during free dining you will have a very hard time getting reservations. I just booked a trip in mid october and didn't have many problems with reservations. Some of the harder to get ones like Le Cellier were not open, but we got Ohana for a decent time and pretty much our other choices.

i'm having the same issue ... not getting anything I want. Since it's a dinning system it should not let you double book I think disney needs to work on this ... or at least a warning should come up saying hey you already have a dinner reservation are you sure you don't want to cancel one before you book another for the same night

The new online system does actually prompt you if you have two reservations. When I was switching some days for restaurants for our vacation, I first checked to see what was available and secure a reservation before I canceled one, when I did it popped up with a window asking if I wanted to cancel the existing or keep both. So it doesn't force you out of them, but it did make it much easier to cancel than going to the page just to cancel the reservation.

 

[Huck Sawyer]

I guess me venting on here will not solve anything. But the average traveler does not book or plan 6 months plus in advance so the system Disney has in place is only cratering to a very small sector of their guests.

 

[mom2dina]

The new online system does actually prompt you if you have two reservations.

Cool ! I haven't seen it yet but then again I haven't been able to make a reservation

 

[minnie mouse ears]

It is very frustrating and a lot of people rant about it. I personally hate the fact that you can book a couple of meals at around the same time - "Just in Case." I have been looking for over a month and a half at ADR's for a last minute (by Disney standards) vacation in June. I am still trying to get Ohana for dinner & Sci Fi. However, I have been able to pick up Chef Mickey's this week by frequenting the boards and subscribing to the cancellation thread. A super nice Dis board member allowed me to coordinate cancellation times with her. I also have Ohana for Breakfast and at one point I had Tusker House but cancelled it because we wouldn't be going to that park on that day. If you want to eat in a lot of the restaurants, you are going to have to stalk the Disney reservation system, and the Dis boards for the next few months. Is it fun? No - but it is necessary. I also don't want too many sit down restaurants because that takes away from our touring times.

I do have a couple of tips for you though. If you want T Rex reservations for Downtown Disney, call them directly. They will most likely have the time that you need at this point. I called a couple of weeks ago and got exactly what I wanted for our arrival night. In addition, plan on either checking online or calling the WDW reservation line while you are in Disney for last minute cancellations. That is what I am doing.

Oh - if you plan on going to Universal, you can book the Hard Rock Cafe on the Hard Rock website for priority seating. I just booked a 1 pm meal for 7 for June yesterday.

 

[kamik86]

Cool ! I haven't seen it yet but then again I haven't been able to make a reservation

Really as an experiment I just put in Epcot, on Sept 26 at 6:00 and the only places that came up with no availability in all of Epcot were Akershus and Le Cellier!

When are you going exactly? I'm sure you can find stuff. Try doing a location instead of a specific restaurant (you can put in Epcot, Magic Kingdom, etc) and then see all the places at once.

Oh and how many people are you trying to book for?

 

[mcd2745]

I guess me venting on here will not solve anything. But the average traveler does not book or plan 6 months plus in advance so the system Disney has in place is only cratering to a very small sector of their guests.

You're preaching to the choir here! The 180-day rule is far and away my biggest pet peeve when it comes to WDW. It's arbitrary, ridiculous, and there is absolutely no logical reason for it. It seems they just did it to appease the uber-planners. You consider some of the other ideas that Disney is tossing around, such as some kind of system where you'll have the ability to reserve Fast Passes before you get to the parks and it all is becoming quite discouraging. It's going to get to the point where EVERY aspect of your trip will have to planned out way in advance. And there is something very un-magical and un-vacation-like about that.

 

[mom2dina]

We're going at the end of August. No dining plan for us (I missed all the discounts and pin codes for that time period ...) so we are only doing a few sit down resturants.
I'm trying to get the hoop dee doo review or 1900 park place for dinner at 7 on Monday (the day we arrive) I figure it will be a good start to the week since we will not be going to a park.
I'm also trying to get anything other than brown derby for fantasmic anytime that week (22nd-29th), not because I don't like the food but because of the price.

I'm sure we'll find something ... maybe someone will cancel since HDDR and Phantasmic both require a CC to secure ... It's just frustrating in the meantime

 

[Angie0113]

Hmmmm.....all this info is very interesting to me. Maybe this explains why I had so few times available to us even though I booked our ADRs almost as soon as our window opened (two weeks into the 180 days). Sounds like Disney needs to re-vamp this system!

 

[aubriee]

Keep checking as people change their ADRs all the time. I know I had a trip booked for Sept 24th-Oct 2nd with the general public code that came out way back last January. I booked my ADRs online at 180 days out and got everything I wanted (including two lunch ADRs for Le Cellier). When we were at WDW last week, I had to switch the dates for my Sept/Oct trip since my resort was not available for those dates. Just yesterday I went online and canceled all my ADRs for that Sept 24th-Oct 2nd ressie. I do mainly TS meals so that released 14 TS ADRs back into the system in less than five minutes.