Booking Dining through DVC

[Kramer4208]

My 180 day window opens tomorrow and I just had a couple questions being a relatively new DVC owner.

Where is the best place to book, or does it matter? I noticed you can book dining through the DVC website, the My Disney Experience app, or the Disney Dining website.

Also, can you still book for your entire trip (the 180 days + 10)? Will I need to input a reservation number with one of the above options in order to do this?

Thanks! Getting closer...

 

[erionm]

The link on the member website takes you to disneyworld.com/dining. If your reservation is linked to MDE, you should be able to book ADRs for up to 10 days beginning at 180 days from check-in using the website or mobile apps.

On-line ADRs begin at 6 AM Eastern. This includes the website and mobile apps.
Disney Dining (407-WDW-DINE) opens at 7 AM Eastern.
MS opens at 9 AM Eastern.

 

[Kramer4208]

Thanks for the response. I do have my reservation linked with MDE, so looks like it would be best to just book in that manner.

 

[drusba]

Just be aware that doing it on-line is a time-consuming task. You have to do one restaurant reservation at a time and go through several website pages each time -- insert date and number of guests, find restaurant you want and search for available times, accept the restaurant and time, add guests who will be there, add credit card, accept long nose-bleed legal discoaimer that you must scroll down through before being allowed to click accept, and confirm you really want it. The result is that if you want to do multiple reservations on-line, you need to be prepared to spend a lot of time doing it. It is modern technology at its best: "improving" the time it takes to do something by quadrupling the time it takes if you just called (I have no idea why we are spared being read the undoubtedly necessary, lengthy legal disclaimer when we use the phone).

 

[Kramer4208]

So a credit card # is now needed to reserve any ADR? Have to cancel by 11:59PM the day before to avoid being charged?

 

[chalee94]

So a credit card # is now needed to reserve any ADR? Have to cancel by 11:59PM the day before to avoid being charged?

Credit Card Guarantees and Cancellation Policies APPLY TO ALL TS ON/AFTER 11/19/13

 

[Kramer4208]

Been trying to book for 20 minutes and not having any luck. My reservation is linked, but I can't get a date past October 5th. The 5th is our arrival date, but trying to make reservations for 6-8th. Guess I just need to call?

 

[MidnightParade]

Been trying to book for 20 minutes and not having any luck. My reservation is linked, but I can't get a date past October 5th. The 5th is our arrival date, but trying to make reservations for 6-8th. Guess I just need to call?

This is happening to me as well. I can choose Oct 5th but its saying there a problem occurred while looking for availability. And we are unable to check availability at this time, please try again later. A bit frustrating. I guess I will have to call at 7am. (argh I could have slept in!)

Atleast I know now its not just me!

 

[POTCfan]

It was also happening to me. I am checking in on the 3rd and could book everything up until the 7th online. Everything after was giving me the error message. I called in and was able able to book up until the 11th. At first the agent was seeing the same error I was, but she did do something that enabled her to book it (and I could verify that the showed up in my MDE).

 

[DarleneP]

Been trying to book for 20 minutes and not having any luck. My reservation is linked, but I can't get a date past October 5th. The 5th is our arrival date, but trying to make reservations for 6-8th. Guess I just need to call?

The hubby had the same problem and called Disney dining. He found out that during routine overnight maintenance there was some glitch bringing it back online. He just had to wait it out. By 9:00am he had all reservations made through Oct 11 on the website.

 

[dunnhorn]

To be honest, I would just call. And yes - I would have your reservation # handy.

The hardest reservations to get are:

1. Be Our Guest dinner
2. 'Ohana dinner
3. Cinderella's Castle breakfast - FYI, this one books ONLY at 180 days out, not earlier, even If you have ressies
4. Chef Mickey
5. California Grill
6. Victoria & Alberts
7. Spice Road Table (bc it's new)

Other great places I would recommend:

Crystal Palace
Cape May
Either of the restaurants in Italy (especially the pizza one)
Prime Time Café
Boatrights
Mama Melrose
Brunch at Raglan Road

Places I do not like:

Yak & Yeti
Sci Fi dine in theater (it has cool atmosphere, but young kids can be creeped out)
Many places at DTD

One other tip: Look at the menus on www.allearsnet.com. See the prices - and don't get the meal plan or choose that place to use a table service unless there are a number of high dollar entrees. You can certainly still eat there and pay cash out of pocket or do TIW.

 

[cedricandsophie]

I always book online, but it is time consuming. One of the hardest to get unless you do as soon as you can is California Grill, my favorite. Also love artist point at Wilderness lodge and Jiko at Animal kingdom lodge. Not sure if you are getting dining plan. We do not. Instead we have Tables in Wonderland card which you can buy at guest services at the parks or Downtown Disney. It is $100 for a year. You get 20% discount for up to 8 or 10 people including liquor at all the better table service restaurants and bars. It saves us a ton of money every year because we don't like the dining plan and we like going to the better restaurants for lunch and dinner. Also works at all the Epcot restaurants and many magic kingdom, etc restaurants as long as it is a sit down place. Saved us about 40 dollars when I went to California grill last time because of the savings on wine. Only florida residents or DVC members can buy card. We renewed our card in March and it is good until April 2015. We will be at Disney at least three times by then. We saved over $150 just during our last visit. So it more than pays for itself.

 

[HookdonWDW]

The hardest reservations to get are:


7. Spice Road Table (bc it's new)

I didn't think that Spice Road Table took reservations??? Which could make them VERY hard to get!

Places I do not like:

Yak & Yeti
Sci Fi dine in theater (it has cool atmosphere, but young kids can be creeped out)

Just goes to show that they have all kinds of restaurants for all kinds of people! These are two of our faves, and ds has been a fan of Sci Fi since he was around 3-4... I think it had something to do with his love of matchbox and all things cars... he loved eating in those cars!

 

[HookdonWDW]

Only florida residents or DVC members can buy card.

Correction: FL Residents (non-AP) can buy the card for $125; DVC and AP Holders can buy the card for $100.

 

[magicaldisney]

Correction: FL Residents (non-AP) can buy the card for $125; DVC and AP Holders can buy the card for $100.

We are considering TIW this year. Do you know if there is somewhere to see what restaurants are covered under the TIW? If I remember correctly, not all restaurants accept this card.

 

[HookdonWDW]

http://tablesinwonderland.com/

 

[magicaldisney]

http://tablesinwonderland.com/