Anyone ever make reservation before booking resort?

[mckinley]

I am just curious! Has anyone ever made there reservations before booking your resort? I am not sure our exact dates just yet to book our resort

 

[gabzee]

Your dining reservations and hotel reservations are not connected. You don't have to stay on property to make ADRs and you don't have to have a onsite hotel reservation yet to make ADRs. I will say that some restaurants are prepaid so if you don't know your dates be careful about that. Disney also changed their policy. You now have to use a credit card to hold the ADR. If your dates change make sure you cancel the ADR so you aren't charged for not showing up.

 

[North of Mouse]

Just can't figure out how that could possibly be done How would they know room rates, etc. if you don't have a clue yourself what you want? Think about this for a second and see how your question really sounds - have definitely never heard that one before .

 

[North of Mouse]

Sorry, if I misunderstood you - you didn't say dining - and I couldn't figure out what you meant .

 

[katdemar]

You would only need your reservation information for restaurants that require prepayment if are using the dining plan to pay. I made most of my dining reservations before I booked my trip.

 

[DonaldTDuck]

You would only need your reservation information for restaurants that require prepayment if are using the dining plan to pay. I made most of my dining reservations before I booked my trip.

You would also need your ressie number if you wanted to use 180+10 privileges. And I've booked ADRs before booking the trip.

 

[tndisneyfan]

WE have APs and we usually wait to make our hotel reservations until they release AP rates. Usually this 2-4 months before our trip. So we always have our dates planned out and make our ADRs 180 days out then book the hotel later. It's not big deal. The only problem is you can't do the 180 +10.

 

[TDC Nala]

Anyone can book any ADRs at any time within 180 days of the date they wish to dine. No matter if they have a resort reservation or not. There will be no obstacle to your making restaurant reservations within 180 days.

The only time you must have a resort reservation for restaurant booking is:

1) You want to use the 180 + 10 booking advantage

2) You are planning to be using a dining plan and you want to avoid prepaying in full for CRT or a dinner show.

 

[vacation_junkie]

I am just curious! Has anyone ever made there reservations before booking your resort? I am not sure our exact dates just yet to book our resort

Yes, we always do this!! We always know what food we want to eat before we choose a resort!

 

[smitch425]

Sorry, if I misunderstood you - you didn't say dining - and I couldn't figure out what you meant .

Always best to check the forum that a post is posted in if there is any confusion. "Disney Dining Reservations" is the name of the forum we are in, therefore there was not a NEED to specify. Though, I always find it easier to specify just to keep the confusion to a minimum.

 

[nkereina]

Your dining reservations and hotel reservations are not connected. You don't have to stay on property to make ADRs and you don't have to have a onsite hotel reservation yet to make ADRs. I will say that some restaurants are prepaid so if you don't know your dates be careful about that. Disney also changed their policy. You now have to use a credit card to hold the ADR. If your dates change make sure you cancel the ADR so you aren't charged for not showing up.

FWIW - this requirement is only for a handful of restaurants. Albeit, the more popular restaurants, but not for all of them. If you are concerned about the CC hold, just book places that don't require it until your dates are confirmed.

 

[mickeyluv'r]

Yes, I've booked trips forwards backwards and in-between: dining first, airfare first, room first, dining last, room last, airfare last. I often go to WDW with extended family - so that's a big factor.

Sometimes the airlines don't release the dates until less than 180 day mark, especailly 'sale airfare rates'. So I have to book not knowing what the airfare is going to be. When the airfare is released I may modify our travel plans by a few days. I will also modify our plans if Disney comes out with a discount at less than 180 days.

Usually I book core days, then add as things become finalized. Once we planned on a Friday morning departure, but found it was half the price to fly Thursday night. Once, the airline offered to fly me a day early to avoid a major storm that was exprected to cancel flights all over the country. I didn't actually modify my ADR's, but I booked a room for that one night well after I had all my ADR's in place. (less than 24hours out!)

Sometimes I've done the reverse and used bounceback offers - where I booked a room WAY before I knew anything else.

Mostly, I try to only ADD days. My disney math!

One time, a family member asked to join us about three weeks before we were going! Luckily, I was able to rebook all our dining, and add another room. I think I was only forced to swap one ADR for a different restaurant. I was lucky that time!

 

[luvmy2babies]

I did it for our last trip. I knew where I wanted to stay, but not the dates. Then, once I found out the dates, it was another few days before I’d have the money for the deposit and airfare so I booked dining first. Then booked our resort package and airfare a few days later. It was already within 180 days so 180+10 wasn’t a factor.

 

[mdetloff]

Does anyone know if you can add the DDP onto it also ? We are debating on going in June or August and probably do the DDP. So, if we decide June can I book reservations for dining now and then call and add the DDP on the reservations after we make room reservations? Do you get penalized if you decide to change plans,(make June reservations and change mind for August)?Planning a trip with a large party and we have a week picked out for June and one for August, just waiting for an airfare/room deal first before we decide.

 

[nkereina]

Does anyone know if you can add the DDP onto it also ? We are debating on going in June or August and probably do the DDP. So, if we decide June can I book reservations for dining now and then call and add the DDP on the reservations after we make room reservations? Do you get penalized if you decide to change plans,(make June reservations and change mind for August)?Planning a trip with a large party and we have a week picked out for June and one for August, just waiting for an airfare/room deal first before we decide.

You can add DDP any time you want, it does not affect your ADRs. They don't need to know if you have DDP or not for the ADRs so it doesn't matter. The only instance it would come up is if you book a pre-paid dinner show like HDDR or the Luau - you will get charged for that when you book the ADR, and then if you add DDP later on, you'll have to get it refunded so you can use your DDP credits.

If you change your trip from June to August, there's no penalty but you'd want to make sure you cancel all your ADRs. As PP said, some of the more popular restaurants are requiring credit card holds and they will charge you a $10 no show fee if they are not canceled - even if your dates changed. It would also be beneficial to have your dates set at least six months out. If it's May and you decide to push your June trip back to August, August ADR availability may be limited since people will have been booking ADRs at six months out.

 

[smitch425]

You can add DDP any time you want, it does not affect your ADRs. They don't need to know if you have DDP or not for the ADRs so it doesn't matter. The only instance it would come up is if you book a pre-paid dinner show like HDDR or the Luau - you will get charged for that when you book the ADR, and then if you add DDP later on, you'll have to get it refunded so you can use your DDP credits.

If you change your trip from June to August, there's no penalty but you'd want to make sure you cancel all your ADRs. As PP said, some of the more popular restaurants are requiring credit card holds and they will charge you a $10 no show fee if they are not canceled - even if your dates changed. It would also be beneficial to have your dates set at least six months out. If it's May and you decide to push your June trip back to August, August ADR availability may be limited since people will have been booking ADRs at six months out.

You MUST add the DDP to your reservation no later than 72 hours prior to arrival, but PP is correct that it doesn't affect your ADRs.

 

[mckinley]

Thanks for the replys, I went ahead and made our dining reservations. I wasn't able to get some of them since its only about 75 days out till we go.

 

[mickeyluv'r]

You MUST add the DDP to your reservation no later than 72 hours prior to arrival, but PP is correct that it doesn't affect your ADRs.

I was going to say this too.

It also helps Disney if you do it more than 45 days out. Also, if you booked with a 'room only' discount offer - it can be added after that offer has expired, but it's easier for Disney to do it if you add it before the offer 'expires.'

once you add DDP, your room only reservation becomes a package and is subject to different terms than a room only booking.