BRIEF rant about dining reservations

[SonicGuy]

Don't get me wrong - we love all things Disney. DVC members, multiple DCL journeys, 2-3 WDW trips a year - just like most of you.

I do have to say that it is very frustrating to get up at 5 am at exactly 180 days out and not be able to get certain dining reservations! How frustrating must it be for those who do not obsess like we do?

Not really certain of a fix - just wanted to whine!

Please continue having a great day!

 

[MakiraMarlena]

I would say this is true of Be Our Guest, and possibly CRT or 'Ohana before 8 PM or California Grill at fireworks time.

Anything else, if you aren't looking for Thanksgiving day, Christmas Eve or Day or NYE, it's possible they weren't loaded into the system on time, maybe it's worth another look in a few hours.

 

[SonicGuy]

My 180 mark was last week. Ive been checking daily since. Like I said, its just frustrating and I can't imagine those folks that don't know how the system works. We will still have an AWESOME time and I guess its great that WDW is doing well!

 

[MakiraMarlena]

What are you trying for, Be Our Guest? You really do have to keep checking for those and hope you get a cancellation. It's just genuinely that popular.

 

[BuzzinDownToDisney]

Totally agree. Started attempting a breakfast at Crystal Palace for before park hours on my day 180 and none were available for any of the 7 mornings I will be there in late August. Really wanted that empty Main Street picture for my DS' first time trip.

Frustrating for sure. I've been logging on everyday trying each morning to no avail. As a newbie my question is, is this an exercise in futility? Am I wasting time trying daily?

 

[GaSleepingBeautyFan]

And if you are staying at a certain resort and can't get ADR's for the restaurant in the resort.

I've found that frustrating too.

 

[MakiraMarlena]

As a newbie my question is, is this an exercise in futility? Am I wasting time trying daily?

There's no way to know this. If you have narrowed your preferred reservation time down to within a specific hour or so, then you are waiting for someone to have cancelled that reservation at the same time you want it - enough seats to accommodate your party, too.

All that can be said about it is that if you don't check, you don't stand any chance of getting it at all.

 

[georgina]

I hear ya! I remember years ago when there were entire threads devoted to getting CRT breakfast, before they opened another princess breakfast at Epcot. I will be trying for BOG dinner for our next trip. We are only going 4 nights and really only one or two of those nights would fit in with our plans, so I know chances are slim.

 

[wuzzy6]

I have called Disney Dining before, when I couldn't book a specific time for an ADR - have had very good results with that so far. Of course, with that said, I wasn't trying to book BOG, either.

 

[Jfsag123]

Totally agree. Started attempting a breakfast at Crystal Palace for before park hours on my day 180 and none were available for any of the 7 mornings I will be there in late August. Really wanted that empty Main Street picture for my DS' first time trip.

Frustrating for sure. I've been logging on everyday trying each morning to no avail. As a newbie my question is, is this an exercise in futility? Am I wasting time trying daily?

Just to give you a little hope, our trip last year was somewhat last minute for a WDW trip - we decided in mid-March to go in Mid-May. I checked pretty obsessively and ended up with reservations between 8:00 and 8:15am for Akershus, Crystal Palace, and Tusker House for my party of 4. Good luck!

 

[BuzzinDownToDisney]

Just to give you a little hope, our trip last year was somewhat last minute for a WDW trip - we decided in mid-March to go in Mid-May. I checked pretty obsessively and ended up with reservations between 8:00 and 8:15am for Akershus, Crystal Palace, and Tusker House for my party of 4. Good luck!

Thanks! You just motivated me to start checking 4x daily instead of twice

 

[disney meema]

Thanks! You just motivated me to start checking 4x daily instead of twice

Lol on 4x a day since it's so true! yep keep trying it can be frustrating yet rewarding .... I think the only reason I got pre park opening morning reservation at Crystal palace and tusker house as well as BOG for dinner is I have a 11 day stay so I could book out so far. But I agree with others just keep checking and especially the window when final payment on vacations are due as some cancel their vacations at that time : )

 

[Skywise]

I work on a computer all day so I'll go to the restaurant's page, set the date I want and the number of people and leave that page open all day, constantly hitting the Find a Table button. (Ok, not CONSTANTLY - But whenever I've got a few seconds to spare!)

It's about all you can do but it does work. I wasn't trying for BoG but I was able to get a "perfect" California Grill time after going through 3 other times (started at 6:30 then moved it to 6:45, then 7 and finally a 7:30 as they opened up) and if I had wanted it, I could've scored a dessert party too which opened up 3 days before.

What drives me up the wall is trying to make a plan 6 months out. What if everyone's tired and cranky and dinner at a QS place is just right instead of getting everyone dressed up to go to the California Grill THAT NIGHT?

Worse, my aunt and uncle got inspired to go to Disney after hearing about my trip from my immediate family but never contacted me directly and went straight out for day with no pre-planning (because my family never told them about my planning efforts) and had a horrible time trying to get dinner! (If they had only called me I would've had them go out to the GF's or Polynesian's Cafe... but I don't think they even thought about leaving the park and going to a resort for dinner)

 

[ribollita]

Totally agree. Started attempting a breakfast at Crystal Palace for before park hours on my day 180 and none were available for any of the 7 mornings I will be there in late August. Really wanted that empty Main Street picture for my DS' first time trip. Frustrating for sure. I've been logging on everyday trying each morning to no avail. As a newbie my question is, is this an exercise in futility? Am I wasting time trying daily?

You could also book a haircut and get in early!

 

[ellochka]

Yes, I agree, it's absolutely ridiculous. I will be abroad for our 180 day mark - I would not have to get up at 6 am, but then who knows how the internet connection will be

 

[BuzzinDownToDisney]

You could also book a haircut and get in early!

Whoa! What a great tip! Wish I had found this forum sooner! Thanks!

 

[BuzzinDownToDisney]

I work on a computer all day so I'll go to the restaurant's page, set the date I want and the number of people and leave that page open all day, constantly hitting the Find a Table button. (Ok, not CONSTANTLY - But whenever I've got a few seconds to spare!)

It's about all you can do but it does work. I wasn't trying for BoG but I was able to get a "perfect" California Grill time after going through 3 other times (started at 6:30 then moved it to 6:45, then 7 and finally a 7:30 as they opened up) and if I had wanted it, I could've scored a dessert party too which opened up 3 days before.

What drives me up the wall is trying to make a plan 6 months out. What if everyone's tired and cranky and dinner at a QS place is just right instead of getting everyone dressed up to go to the California Grill THAT NIGHT?

Great tip, I've only been searching under the generic Breakfast window, will try adjusting back to 8am.

I hear you on the dinner thing, I've only booked breakfasts for just that reason. The only dinner I planned was California Grill on a "down day" when we will just be lounging. On theme park days we will eat dinner on the fly.

 

[cattywampus]

West Coaster here, so getting up at 3:00 am on ADR morning was particularly painful!!

@Georgina, to give you hope, I booked CRT Dinner as my first 6:00 am ADR and had no problem getting the date that I wanted. That said, we tend to book off times because we eat a large breakfast and one sit down TS meal and just fill in with snacks, so I think we are going around 4:30 pm.

I will say that I looked later that morning and there was nothing available for CRT our entire trip!

@skywise, that is a great tip to keep the window open. There seems to be a feeling that you get more options calling instead of using the computer. What does everyone think of that?

I didn't book the Wishes dessert party and now it is totally sold out, so I am stalking that and BOG, though dessert party is a higher priorty.

 

[shell8558]

Totally agree. Started attempting a breakfast at Crystal Palace for before park hours on my day 180 and none were available for any of the 7 mornings I will be there in late August. Really wanted that empty Main Street picture for my DS' first time trip. Frustrating for sure. I've been logging on everyday trying each morning to no avail. As a newbie my question is, is this an exercise in futility? Am I wasting time trying daily?

Another thing I learned on our past trip was to continue to check up until the day before you want a reservation . With the new credit card hold Procedure for a reservation - people are canceling at the 24 hour mark. We were at animal kingdom this year and I wanted to go to ohanas the next day - so I started checking for a ressie and around 10:30am there was one for the following night at 5:40. ( I was obsessively checking for about an hour on my phone - but persistence paid off!) Also keep an eye on the ADR cancelation thread - it can really be helpful. I have scored many a reservation from there . Good luck!

 

[BuzzinDownToDisney]

Another thing I learned on our past trip was to continue to check up until the day before you want a reservation . With the new credit card hold Procedure for a reservation - people are canceling at the 24 hour mark. We were at animal kingdom this year and I wanted to go to ohanas the next day - so I started checking for a ressie and around 10:30am there was one for the following night at 5:40. ( I was obsessively checking for about an hour on my phone - but persistence paid off!) Also keep an eye on the ADR cancelation thread - it can really be helpful. I have scored many a reservation from there . Good luck!

Another great idea! So glad I found this forum! I myself already have made secondary meal reservations that if my #1 priority becomes available, I'd take advantage o the 24 hour window. Thanks again shell!