ADRs with DVC stay

[florep1]

I hit my 180 mark yesterday and I called to make ADR for our first day of stay on June 8. No problem. I then asked if I could go ahead and book the rest of the ADrs for out stay on points and was told I had to call each day of the week everytime it hits 180 day to reserve. Is this correct? I thought once you hit 180 days as long as you have a confirmed WDW reservation you could book the rest of your stay. Should I just call and hope for another CM?

 

[JimMIA]

No, what you were told was not correct, and it sounds like they didn't understand that you were staying onsite.

If you are staying onsite, you can book 180 days + 10 days when you reach 180 from your arrival date. You can't book your whole trip if you're staying more than 10 days, but you can book the first 10. Folks staying offsite do not get the +10 privilege.

Keep in mind that not all of the availabiity is there for +10-day bookings. So if you don't get what you want during that +10 period, you might get it when you call back exactly at 180 days from that particular date.

I'd call back, because the CM either didn't understand what you were trying to do, or they were mistaken.

 

[florep1]

Called today and reserved Sci-Fi for lunch and Le Cellier for dinner for June 9. Tried to book the rest of our stay and still no go. this is a different CM. She knew we were staying at WVL till the 13th. guess I'll be calling again tomorrow.

 

[Mtnman44]

I got everything I wanted when I made ADR's for a week long trip last July and that was only about 3 months out max. I can't imagine a real need to book at exactly 180 days. Maybe at Epcot during F&W but what else?

 

[BCV23]

Jim is right. You should be able to book 180 plus 10 days.

But I also agree that it isn't necessary to call that early except for a few places. CRT and the Chef's Table are two although I do think more CRT spots open up as time goes on as Jim explained. And actually Chef's Table can only be booked at 180 I think. Le Cellier is another one that I would book early if you plan to dine there.

If MS continues to say they can't do it, you could always call WDW Dine.

 

[hematite153]

JimMIA is correct and I have done what he is describing.

As for the idea that you don't actually need to book early--I've had trouble getting reservations when booking at 5 months.

 

[3pirates]

When I called in the Summer to book ADRS for my upcoming trip, I was allowed the 180+ through DVC. I wonder if some cast members just aren't as well-read as us... That really is something they should know. Some of the most popular places ARE booked that early!

 

[BCV23]

As for the idea that you don't actually need to book early--I've had trouble getting reservations when booking at 5 months.

Do you remember specific places that were difficult at 5 months? I often have called at 3, 4, or 5 months and made all our reservations at once. But I'm sure it does vary. Are you trying for park dinners or lots of character meals? Both of those are things we don't do much.

 

[JimMIA]

I usually call around 3-4 months, but then we're pretty flexible and we actually enjoy eating dinner around 8 PM, when most folks would be focused on parades or fireworks. We've generally done pretty well.

That said, I think there are certain times during the year when a lot of things are difficult without calling well in advance. For example, the free DDP madness in September can be a zoo. Also, Epcot restaurants during the holidays can be very tough because of the CP Dinner Packages.

And Le Cellier -- which we remember fondly from the days when IT was Disney's Best Kept Secret -- can be a challenge. We waited too long one December (I think I called at 4 months or so) and could not get ANY ADR at LC for any dinner during our trip.

Cindy's is a 6:59 AM exactly 180 days out long-shot on its best day.

 

[hematite153]

Do you remember specific places that were difficult at 5 months? I often have called at 3, 4, or 5 months and made all our reservations at once. But I'm sure it does vary. Are you trying for park dinners or lots of character meals? Both of those are things we don't do much.

We were trying for early dinners (ADR time before 6). I don't remember specifically which ones we had trouble with, but, I got to the 21st choice on my list when trying to book 7 dinners for the end of Sept. at 5 months.

I'm pretty sure the following were included in my list of failed attempts:

Le Cellier
Chef Mickey's
1900 Park Fare
Whispering Canyon
Biergarten
Kona
Rose & Crown

I was able to get:
Spoodles (changed it later to Raglan Road/Jiko--party split up)
Garden Grill
Hollywood & Vine
Boma
Concourse
Crystal Palace (breakfast)
Marrakesh

 

[florep1]

The reason I was booking at 180 days out was we wanted Le Cellier and HDDR among other places we wanted to try. The rest of the places shouldn't be that hard to book but it shouldn't take 5-6 calls to book a week's worth of ADRS! Yeah, I got Whispering Canyon on our first night at VWL. Figured, it would be nice to not have to go too far for dinner. Le Cellier for the next night, and still hoping for HDDR on the tail end of our trip.

 

[BCV23]

The reason I was booking at 180 days out was we wanted Le Cellier and HDDR among other places we wanted to try. The rest of the places shouldn't be that hard to book but it shouldn't take 5-6 calls to book a week's worth of ADRS! Yeah, I got Whispering Canyon on our first night at VWL. Figured, it would be nice to not have to go too far for dinner. Le Cellier for the next night, and still hoping for HDDR on the tail end of our trip.

Let us know if you have better luck booking 180 plus 10.

hematite, that is really bad luck! I've never encountered anything like that! I wonder if it free dining was the problem? We've only been once during that and I still didn't have problems like that! Yikes!

 

[aprince&princess]

You definitely want to book Le Cellier at 180 days, last year we were just past that and couldn't get in at all. For our April trip I called first thing in the morning on our 180 day mark and made my ADR.

If it wasn't for the DIS boards I wouldn't have known that you could book 180 plus 10 days when staying on property. In the past I have even commented to the CM that I would have to call back to book the rest when I got to the 180 day mark for those nights and they never once let me know about the 10 days. So I wonder if they themselves don't always know that it is allowed.

 

[castleri]

When I booked at exactly 180 days out from the first day of our 8 day 7 night Sept trip I was able to make all reservations for the trip except one. That was for Wolfgang Puck and the CM said they only take them at the 180 mark. I called back on that day and finished the 7 days of reservations. The very pleasant CM explained that I would be able to make up to 10 days of reservations unless they were the places that only take them at exactly 180 days out. Hope you can get a CM who understands this.

 

[Mtnman44]

If it ever gets to the point where I feel the need to call for ADRS at exactly 180 days or I won't be eating (or DVC villas at exactly 11 months in order to get a reservation), then I am done traveling to WDW. Crowds and hoop jumping like that ruin the fun..Just my opinion of course.