ADR's for Dec.

[TheGoofster]

My family and I are planning a trip for the first full week of Dec. (2007), and I was wondering if I should consider making ADR's before we go for some of the nicer restaurants. I have heard that it is one of the least busiest times of the year, but I'm not sure if that means ADR's are necessary or not. If you feel they are necessary for this time of year, about how far ahead should an ADR be made?
Also, does it matter if we decide not to do the meal plans when it comes to seating this time of year.

 

[Grumpy92]

I would probably do a few. Many of the locals turn out for dinner & the Candlelight Processional, it is a pkg that includes their meal & reserved seating. So I probably would especially if you want to dine at one of the popular restaurants, characters or like dinner between 6-7pm.
As for when to make them anytime would be fine, but dont wait till the last minute, especially if you have a large group.

Popular Restaurants - Anything with characters, Le Cellier, Sci Fi, Whispering canyon, Ohana, Chefs de France, Cal Grill, Narcoossees, Flying Fish, 50s Pt.

 

[MinnieMommy]

We made our ADRs for Dec. 5-15 and we did not get all of our first picks (days/times). Remember you can also cancel or re-schedule!

 

[pbnjrockette]

I had difficulty getting many of my first choices and we are going Dec. 1-8. Forget Candlelight Processional Dec. 1,2, or 3!!

 

[dogsmom]

Make those reservations NOW. We are going from 12/7 to 12/12 and we also could not get several of our first choices. Several times I was told that we had gotten the last reservation.

 

[dianemb]

We went last year the first week in December and made our ADRs and saw many people tuned away, so this year I made the ADRs at 180 days and got what we wanted. I would make ADR's at the 180 day mark.

 

[ArielsMommy]

We have been going during early Dec. for the last several years. It seems to me that this time of year is getting more and more popular. The crowds seem more every year. We did have difficulty getting some of the ADR's we wanted because of MVMCP.

 

[holcomb-mania]

Well, IIRC that's Pop Warner week, and a thread on the resorts board quoted a CM saying there were a bunch of conventions at that time. These folks won't necessarily be in the parks, but they WILL likely be in the restaurants.

We're going Dec 9-13, and I made our ADRs in June and got everything we wanted.

 

[Lucy2005]

I've been a couple times around this time of year. In the earlier trips we went with no ADR and we would decide a day or two in advance what we were doing and call up and make an ADR. On our last trip, we did the same thing except we couldn't get an ADR and we thought this was the slowest time of the year? For this trip, I made the ADR at the 180 mark and didn't get 2 of the ones I wanted. No big deal but thats at 180 days out! It makes you have to plan more things out but I want to know that we can eat at the times and places we want to.
Lucy

 

[irisbud]

We were able to get all of the reservations and times that we wanted for our ADRs December 3-7, but we did make them when they first became avalible. I just made one ADR per day, and figured we could go from there

 

[phantom728]

Definitely call early. We are going this year Dec 1-9th and I was only able to get one of my first choice restaurants and nothing at all for Fantasmic as it's booked for the entire week. I wasn't picky about the dates either, as I haven't yet decided which night we're doing MVMCP.

 

[LisaS]

Even though you can call as early as 180 days ahead if you are staying on property, they don't release all the seatings at once so don't despair if you haven't made your ADRs yet. DH and I are going Dec 7-13 and I called yesterday to make my dinner ADRs and got everything I wanted (Chefs, Sci Fi, Boma, San Angel). There are just the two of us and we wanted times around 7pm (except for Boma where we wanted to eat at 5:30) so that may have made it a bit easier. I got the Boma reservation and for the rest, I got times between 7:10 and 7:20.

December is getting more popular and the dining plan is increasing the number of people eating at TS restaurants so I would definitely make at least some ADRs very soon.

For those who called already and didn't get some of the ADRs you wanted, you might want to call back in case more slots have been released.