CRT Reservations

[im4pacers1]

Okay, I've read the Unofficial Guide Book that tells you to set your clock by the atomic clock and start dialing a few seconds before the phone lines open to get the ADR at CRT. Is this really the case? Do you really have to do that? What if you're staying on property and can do the 90+10?

 

[Hootch]

breakfast ADRs are in high demand and may require such actions. I called at my 90 day mark this year and called early because I wanted an early lunch ADR which I got. If you're looking at lunch or dinner (no princesses) it's you probably don't have to call at exactly 7:00 AM if you're flexible.

 

[kevgraub]

breakfast ADRs are in high demand and may require such actions. I called at my 90 day mark this year and called early because I wanted an early lunch ADR which I got. If you're looking at lunch or dinner (no princesses) it's you probably don't have to call at exactly 7:00 AM if you're flexible.

I believe lunch actually does have the princesses, it is only dinner that switches over to the fairy godmother and the mice.

To answer the initial question though - if you want to eat at CRT (especially for breakfast), then you absolutely, positively should be on the phone at 7:00 am the first day you can, even with the 90+10. If you don't get it then, keep calling as openings to come up, plus several people have reported that some reservations are held back until the 90 day window opens, even if you are staying onsite and using the 90+10.

 

[kidrericha]

I believe lunch actually does have the princesses, it is only dinner that switches over to the fairy godmother and the mice.

To answer the initial question though - if you want to eat at CRT (especially for breakfast), then you absolutely, positively should be on the phone at 7:00 am the first day you can, even with the 90+10. If you don't get it then, keep calling as openings to come up, plus several people have reported that some reservations are held back until the 90 day window opens, even if you are staying onsite and using the 90+10.

I had a question, but I think you may have answered it.

My worry is that with the 90 plus 10 system, by the time I call in, days 1 through 9 will have already been booked by people arriving before us. Has anyone had experience with this? I just can’t believe that the folks staying 10 days are the only ones with a realistic shot at booking CRT.

 

[Smiling Cheshire Cat]

We got a late lunch ADR- 1:45- on a Saturday no less, calling only about 45 days before our trip. There were no breakfasts available. So it is possible.

And lunch definitely has the princesses. We saw Cinderella, Belle, Jasmine, Aurora, and Snow White.

 

[chocolateMinnie]

we have been to CRT four times, twice breakfast and had the first seating and twice dinner. It was still during the 180 days adr but neither time did I have a problem, both times I phoned at the 180 days once at what would be about lunchtime in Florida and once at what would be the 7am. Think you will be ok if you give it a go at 90 days, if possible have your days flexible and then you won't be disappointed. We have always had a 'b' choice of dates but have never had to use them.

 

[adventure_woman]

I did my CRT breakfast today, which is my 90 days +10 (the 10th day). I got 8:05. When I called to see about a later time, they did have a 9:00 available and an 8:05. I did call right at 6:59 and 59 seconds and I didn't have to wait on the phone this morning. The CM on the phone said, you are getting up early for this. I told her yes, have you seen the 3-4 pages in the Unofficial Guide with directions on how to get these reservations?!?!

 

[Donnainnj]

I think it has gotten a little easier to get these reservations since if you are not on the dining plan you have to prepay for your meal. I called at 7am yesterday to get my reservations, but Cindy's breakfast was not the first one I asked about. It was 6th on my list. I had no problem getting my date and had the choice of a few times for 9 guests. I did really well having the call go through quickly by doing the old concert ticket plan. I started calling at about 6:56 am and kept hitting redial until I the closed messege changed to the open one. My wait was about 5 minutes.
Donna

 

[Tam1067]

RELAX!

On Mother's Day, I called on my 90 days, right at 7:00 and waited on hold for close to an hour. I made CRT breakfast for our fourth day of the trip. I had no problems at all. There are 5 in my party, and we're doing breakfast at 8:15. This is early August, before free dining.

For comparison, the last two years in a row, I've made ADRs for 2 for breakfast. When ADRs were 180 days out, I never called that early. It was more at about 160 days out or so--and I got 8:05 a.m. for two.

It is not nearly as hard as it used to because of the increased price and the payment up front (unless you're using DDP).

 

[Dancing Queen]

I called today and was offered CRT breakfast when I wanted the lunch! I did get the lunch but at a later time than I wanted (I got 1:35PM).

By comparsion, Tusker breakfast was the one I could not get!

I did call at 7am and was on hold for a half hour.

Good Luck!

 

[cigar95]

I would not worry too much about the "atomic clock" part. The reservation system is just not that precise in terms of the precise moment it opens. If it's give or take even ten seconds, that's about the time it takes to redial, so your place in the queue is pretty much what the mathematicians among us would call a "uniformly distributed stochastic random variable".

If you have a cell phone or a cable TV channel or something that gives an "official time", that should be close enough for you to just start dialing at 6:59 and it'll be within a few seconds.

There are those who might say "well, those few seconds could be the difference between getting a reservation or not". That may well be true for a couple of high-demand locations - but if there's no way to know precisely what time the phone queue will open, there's no advantage to calling at precisely 6:59:59.99. (Think about the case that you call exactly at 7:00:00. but the queue opens at 7:00:01 - you'd miss out until your redial. So the precise time could work against you just as likely as helping.)

 

[ExtinctDino]

I think it has gotten a little easier to get these reservations since if you are not on the dining plan you have to prepay for your meal. I called at 7am yesterday to get my reservations, but Cindy's breakfast was not the first one I asked about. It was 6th on my list. I had no problem getting my date and had the choice of a few times for 9 guests. I did really well having the call go through quickly by doing the old concert ticket plan. I started calling at about 6:56 am and kept hitting redial until I the closed messege changed to the open one. My wait was about 5 minutes.
Donna

Plus as you know if you read these Boards regularly many people on the dining plan don't like the idea of paying 2 TS credits for CRT, especially for the breakfast. The Unofficial Guide is a little behind the times now. There are other more difficult ADRs to ge these days than CRT.

 

[cigar95]

There are other more difficult ADRs to ge these days than CRT.

Which are they? I'm thinking Le Cellier, but what else? Have the Fantasmic packages made all the DHS places a tough get? Has Chef Mickey's become a "better call at 0700"?

Seriously, I'm not challenging, I'm asking.