Anyone Else Think 180 Days is too Far for Dining Reservations?

[majortom]

When I first started coming to Walt Disney World, reservations could only be made same day. This meant that people could decide the day before where they wanted to eat, instead of requiring six months of advance planning. Most people do not plan their trips six months in advance and so it means that many people will not have any chance of getting reservations at many of these restaurants. Even when they first started allowing advance reservations (seven days for Annual Pass holders and Resort Guests), they only allowed a small percentage to be filled that way.

Now it seems that all reservations can be made six months in advance. This certainly takes much of the spontaneity out of vacations and to me, at least seems like a bad idea.

It has rarely been a problem for me, as I am very flexible and usually only travel with a very small party and am usually able to get in on standby or will happily just eat in the bar.

I just think that there are many people out there that are missing out because of this change.

/carmi

 

[Alztybrn]

I don't know, I have mixed feelings. I certainly understand your point, but I also think Disney is in a no win situation. Say they go back to only being able to make reservations 6-7 days in advance. Can you imagine trying to get reservations then? CHAOS! So, Disney will get complaints that it is impossible to get reservations with 7 day ADR, then they get complaints because it is 180 days out, so those that do not plan in advance can not get reservations. i do think they should set aside a certain number of walk up reservations for each restaurant daily to give you the opportunity to get a same day reservation.

Bottom line, i am a planner, so I like the 180 days. have had all my ADR's for the end of June for a while now.

 

[Lewisc]

ITA, I think Disney should just consider holding back some tables for either walkups or later reservations.

Mama Melrose will sometimes open up later reservations about a month in advance.

 

[thelionqueen]

I LOVE it!!
For those who obsessively overplan (me included) 180 days out is heaven!

 

[maddhatir]

i am one who does NOT like HAVING to be anywhere at a certain time. DH and i usually wing it and try to get into one of the restaurants by just walking up (we usually do disney during lower crowd seasons) you never know where you are going to be at a certain time!

i think i may make just a few ADRs for our sept trip- this way if we feel like going we have the ressies. i would not do that for say a character meal b/c i know how important it is for people to get into those meals! i would never "clog up" someones chance for that- plue you have to leave a deposit for most of them- and i dont want to loose any money! ......but maybe i will make ADRs for EPCOT france, italy, rose and crown- not all of them but maybe 2.

 

[mommykds]

I am an over obsessive planner but 180 days out is a bit far for me. I did make all my adr's for our August trip on the 180th day however I think 90 days out was more practical.

Disney should also leave a few openings for walk ups. Not everyone knows about the adrs & the timing or they don't realize that they won't get a table if they don't plan. Especially if they purchased the dining plan.

 

[lillygator]

I was also a fan of 90 days....180 seems so far out there!

We went this weekend and I can't tell you just how much everything was booked. Friday night the only open seating at Epcot was Nine Dragons (big shocker) Biergarten and Akershus.

 

[Mamu]

I always make mine early, you can always cancil.

There are some that are impossible to get if not made early. Yes, 180 days is early. But I'd rather make sure I get the times I want then wing-it especially with little ones. There are certain times of the year when it's almost impossible to get an early meal. Sometimes you want that early meal and there's nothing until late.

 

[cinmell]

I'm really into planning but I feel that 180 days is a little much for an ADR. I think 60 days or even 90 is sufficient.

I agree with others who have said that some spots should be left for same day walk ins.

 

[java]

Remember those live people you got to talk to on the computer screens in EPCOT. I loved that as a kid thought it was so cool. I am so with you on the 180 days out. I don't have any idea where I want to eat tomorrow how am I supposed to figure out 6 months from now? But I think with the dining plan(we don't do that) all the restaurants that used to be available for last minute no longer are. So here I sit with the hours for July and am trying to figure out where we will be when. It was so much easier without the kids in tow but now I need to have at least a park narrowed down to plan a meal.

 

[maddhatir]

Remember those live people you got to talk to on the computer screens in EPCOT. I loved that as a kid thought it was so cool.

HA! i remember the kiosks with the "computer people"

the first time i was using one i was making funny faces and the woman started laughing and said she can see me!!!

i was sooo embarrased!

 

[mom2riceboys]

I think 180 days is too far out. I have a hard enough time trying to plan things a week in advance. Six months in advance is next to impossible for me!

 

[shellybaxter]

I personally am fine with 180 days. It doesn't much matter to me when the ADR mark is, I'll just be ready then, or I'll make my ADRs when I decide to go (if its within the window already). I don't think it would be a good idea to leave tables for walk ups, maybe for same day ressies, but not walk ups. Not because I think people should have to plan, but because I think if it were known that Disney saved some for walk ups lots of people would just try to walk up. I don't think Disney could leave the amount of tables needed to accommodate and the CMs would be the ones getting the brunt of the unhappy people who couldn't get in. I know they get some now, but I think it would get worse.

Can you even imagine the "rush" to CRT every morning of families who couldn't get ADRs and are trying for the walk up spots - scarry

 

[tarheelmjfan]

Include me in the group that thinks 180 days is way too far out!!! For us, living a little over an hour away, we rarely plan a trip that far out. (How many people really plan trips to destinations so close to their home that far in advance? ) We have been so many times that we now plan the whole trip around where we want to eat. If we can't get into most of the restaurants on our list, we'll just choose another destination. I can't imagine that we're the only locals who feel that way. I think 90 days made much more sense, but 60 would be fine also. If I plan a trip in less than 90 days & can't get CRT, that's not such a big deal. On the other hand, if I start to plan a trip 3 months in advance & can't get any of the popular restaurants, then there will be no WDW for us. JMO

 

[Allison]

I was also a fan of 90 days....180 seems so far out there!

We went this weekend and I can't tell you just how much everything was booked. Friday night the only open seating at Epcot was Nine Dragons (big shocker) Biergarten and Akershus.

But the restaurants being completely booked is due to the dining plan, not being able to book 180 days out. Even if it was 90, the places would still be full.

 

[CamColt]

I am an over obsessive planner but 180 days out is a bit far for me. I did make all my adr's for our August trip on the 180th day however I think 90 days out was more practical...

Ditto!

 

[clonetothebone]

But the restaurants being completely booked is due to the dining plan, not being able to book 180 days out. Even if it was 90, the places would still be full.

I agree...people that are planning are going to call at 180 days or 90 days...those that don't will be eating counter service.

Having said that, however, we are going the last week in June and I didn't realize they had changed the reservations to 180 days until the middle of February and called and was able to get 7 ADR's at "normal" times at all of my choices. Most people aren't going to plan out 180 days and thus there will still be tables available 60 to 90 days in advance.

I personally like 180 days because we plan our touring on crowd levels and where we are going to eat. Gives us more time to plan based on our dinner times.

 

[emmabelle]

My problem is that my family thinks it's ridiculous to plan where we are going to eat six months out, so I have to make all the decisions, which is great for the control freak in me, but I still like my family to be into it.

 

[lillygator]

But the restaurants being completely booked is due to the dining plan, not being able to book 180 days out. Even if it was 90, the places would still be full.

the end of my post was just stating our observation and hinting that you need ADR's if you have your heart set on certain restaurants.

 

[shellybaxter]

But the restaurants being completely booked is due to the dining plan, not being able to book 180 days out. Even if it was 90, the places would still be full.

Allison,

I think that is an excellent point. The real problem isn't how many days in advance you can book. It is that Disney restuarants are getting really full and more people want to eat at them than there are tables. This is true even at the inflated prices Disney is currently charging. There are only a few solutions that I can think of:

1. Build more restuarants or expand the ones they already have to add more tables

2. Charge more in the current restuarants as the supply is currently less than the demand.

3. Discontinue or raise the price of the dining plan. The DP made table service restuarants much better deals thus increasing the demand.

I think that Disney changed the ADR date to try to relieve some of the jammed up phone lines. They figured that some people would plan and call at the new six month date but some wouldn't. Theorectically moving the ADR date out will spread out the people making ADRs over three additional months. I'm not sure whether is worked or not.

Shelly