Any kind of game plan for ADR bookings?

[Clarasmommy]

I'm going to be able to start booking in a couple of weeks (9/24/12 arrival). I'm stressing over how to decide where and for what meals, did you have a plan in place when you started your booking?

Also, H and I will both be working the morning we're able to start booking. I'm worried we won't be able to get the things we want. I'm planning on using the online system, I know the phone lines open at 7am for bookings, what about the online system? Does it start accepting bookings at 7am also?

 

[wdw4rfam]

Dont sweat it!! IWe are going in 2 weeks, during spring break, AND free dining, and had no problems. Because of the new CC sysytem, the ADR's aren't as hard to get anymore. I got online at my 180 day, and the system was down, so I had to call, and got everything I wanted. But then a MONTH later my parents decided they were going to go, and I had to REBOOK ALL of them for 7 people, and had NO problems, didn't even have to change times more than 15 minutes. So if I could do that with free dining and spring break week, you should haver no problems even if you waited till you got home!!! Have fun, and good luck!!

 

[cigar95]

Second that. The number of meals that require getting in first thng on the first day is a very small one - chef's table at Viki & Al's, 7pm dinner at Le Cellier on New Year's Eve, and so on.

By contrast, you're going in a slow time - although close to the beginning of Food and Wine. If you do your reservations when you get home from work, you will be fine.

And if you're looking for breakfast at CRT, know that right now there's something fishy in the system, and there are no seatings available for booking. It isn't full, it's just not accepting bookings. When it does, there will be more people than usual trying for them.

Answer to your last question - the online system is in operation around the clock, but the "new day" seatings become available around 6:00.

 

[sigtau]

We planned our ADRs in the park(s) that we will be visiting that day. This should help cut down on the running around to make an ADR because you'll already be nearby. I hope this helps.

 

[jodywgirl]

The online system opens up at 6:00 eastern. Which is 4:00 for me and yes I have been up that early to get what I want. A lot depends on group size and if you are wanting to go to one of the favorite restaurants and want a certain time. I agree witht the previous poster I always figure out which parks I am going to be at when I want to eat so you don't spend so much travel time. I also like to then prioritize them so I get the hardest first, character meals, Le Cellier, Ohana. I have read that the credit card guarantee has made it much easier to get reservations as people are not getting 2 or 3 adr's for the same night so they can have a choice. Be flexible with your times and you should have no problem although it is free dining during that period so the restaurants will be full. Good luck

 

[Anal Annie]

I absolutely hate planning ADR's at 180 days and never go into it with a firm plan. Heck, we don't like planning at 5:00 for what we want at 8:00. We like to wing it as we go as much as possible so I am one of the ones that will make 2 or 3 / day right after our 180 day window opens then I will whitltle them down to maybe 1 / day as we get closer to the trip & cancel what we don't want...this will involve checking crowd calendars & calculators, printing out updated menus etc. We don't normally decide on a strict touring plan unless we're there at a really busy time like spring break so I hate making all these ADR's.

I used the online system to book our ressies for spring break and found it pretty easy to use. I did most of them a couple of weeks after our 180 day mark and had plenty of options. A few weeks ago I decided I wanted to add Ohana & was able to find 3 openings during the time we are there. The first one was actually the best TIME [7:30] but it was not the DAY I wanted (planning to be at MK but didn't want to leave & come back plus I already had ressies I wanted on that day). The next best time was at 9:10 on a Sunday evening and the other time I found was another day at 9:30. I ended up booking the 9:10 as I figured that gives us all day to play before we have to head over there from wherever we are. Then we SHOULD BE finished early enough to actually go to bed at a semi-normal time rather than staying out late to close down a park. That way we can get up for the morning EMH's the next morning. I would've preferred it was 30 minutes earlier but OH WELL, I got it. I was also able to book Via Napoli for lunch one day and 50's Prime for lunch another. And this was just a couple of weeks ago.

For our August trip I haven't booked any of our regular dining yet. I made a couple of ressies for the Fantasmic package (a lunch & a dinner on 2 diff. days) and when I figure out which one I want I'll cancel the other one. You have to guarantee it with a cc but that's OK...I mean I am not going to NOT cancel it so it's not a biggie. The cc guarantee will deter those who never had any intention of cancelling what they didn't want.