Changed trip dates now no ADRs

[pooh101]

I AM BUMMED!!!!!We had to change our trip date to last week in Oct., which is definitely better as far as crowds (original date was Thanksgiving week) I managed to get all our ADRs for that week--woke up at 5 and went online then called--NOT FUN!Now trying to get ADRs for the October week and all I've managed is Crystal Palace dinner and Coral Reef. My DSs birthday is the day before we arrive and all he wants is Chef Mickey's, DD too. Anyone have any tips or strategies I might try? I've been bugging Dining with 3-4 calls a dayO.K. maybe 5-6. I've tried for each day we're there between 9 a.m. and 8p.m. and that's even a little late for DD. I'll rearrange our park days, Fantasmic night, and/or MNSSHP. Just trying to make it extra special for the kids. Any ideas?

 

[Millie12591]

I AM BUMMED!!!!!We had to change our trip date to last week in Oct., which is definitely better as far as crowds (original date was Thanksgiving week) I managed to get all our ADRs for that week--woke up at 5 and went online then called--NOT FUN!Now trying to get ADRs for the October week and all I've managed is Crystal Palace dinner and Coral Reef. My DSs birthday is the day before we arrive and all he wants is Chef Mickey's, DD too. Anyone have any tips or strategies I might try? I've been bugging Dining with 3-4 calls a dayO.K. maybe 5-6. I've tried for each day we're there between 9 a.m. and 8p.m. and that's even a little late for DD. I'll rearrange our park days, Fantasmic night, and/or MNSSHP. Just trying to make it extra special for the kids. Any ideas?

I'm so sorry, I wish I had a good idea for you.
Your best bet is to keep trying, I always called in the mornings to see if there were any cancelations, and then I would try in the afternoon several times, and then again in the evening after everyone would get home from work and had a chance to think about changing things.
I would say your best bet is going to be late morning and any time in the afternoon, just keep calling to see if you can get what you want, maybe even take a lunch time if there is one for your ressies. Breakfast's are great too, we did Crystal Palace on our day in Magic Kingdom, tried to get the first seating time so we could walk Main St. almost empty, that's always nice and the breakfast is outstanding. I also LOOOOOVED eating at 1900 Park Fare in The Grand Floridian, you can take a boat to the hotel from MK and make it sort of an adventure, I loved going around 10 a.m. because it's getting close to people wanting to be in the park for the day and that way you get the characters all to yourself, (this is also true for dinner time being close to 7:30-8) this is also a GREAT place to eat for dinner!
I would say you can't go wrong here for either, it is a buffet but hands down it was one of the biggest surprise's to us that it was as good as it was! Who knew?!?
We ate at Mama Melrose's in DHS, it's a hit or miss in reviews, but if you stick with the steak or the pizza's you can't go wrong, what we had was pretty great and the atmosphere was fun too. You may want to try some of the places that can be a hit and miss but stick with the items on the menu that you get mostly good reviews about, i.e. the resurant at the front of MK can't think of the name...the Lady and the Tramps place. Tony's! It's a fav of a lot of people, and it's suppose to be fun to go to when you sit where you can see everyone on Main St passing by. DHS Prime Time is good, and so the Si-Fi place.You may have to be up for just about any place to eat incase it's open. What about eating at O'hana's? Or the other place that is suppose to be good but more upscale in the Poly, there are so many great places I'm sure you'll find other places besides what you had picked and still have a great trip. Just be open and have the resolve that you'll still have a great time no matter what. Blessings to you.

 

[sersee05]

We are going 11/2 to 11/7...We booked our trip last week and I haven't been able to touch Chef Mickey's .. I did end up snagging a later res for Cinderella's castle ..we will be finishing up eating during the fireworks..but oh well. I was on all day checking and caught it.

We also made some last minute changes and I was trying to move my ressies around..I have Boma but not for the night I wanted..but it seems to be all booked on 11/6..so I will just have to move things around again.

So because I didn't really have a character meal..I wanted to experience it...Askerhus<sp> seems to have a lot of different openings..and I have run across a few Crystal Palace openings. We ended up booking Cape may cafe breakfast..and their were a few openings there too...I just keep checking and hope I come across CM

 

[fla4fun]

Keep checking online. It's easier than over the phone, especially if you are interested in one particular restaurant. Also, keep in mind that people with room only reservations have until 6 days out to cancel, so try close to your trip to snag one of those cancellations. Keep trying even during your trip - cancellations happen all the time. Be flexible with your days and times because the prime dining times will all be taken at this point.

I can feel your pain. As a local, it used to be easy to just go to Disney for dinner spontaneously - not anymore! Good luck!

 

[Hootch]

made an ADR for CM on our last day in the parks this past June. We do CM on our departure day usually checking out of our resort, going to CM and the to DTD for last minute shopping. Our last day in the parks this time was completely unscheduled so the kids could decide where they wanted to go. I realized this less than a month prior to our trip and was able to an ADR on the right day. It was a later breakfast so we switched DTD and CM which worked fine.

Keep trying. The online system makes it easier to search. Using the date range option should simplify it even further.