DH got "advice" from coworker on dining at Disney. Grrrr!

[lemondog]

Haha! You guys are great. Love the advice! Of course, my DH is also the one who thought I was crazy for wanting to rent/bring a stroller for our 4yo twins. Yeah...I told him about your great idea of letting him carry both of them around in the sweltering July heat and he changed his tune.

I am def. going to make the ADRs whether he likes it or not. If we are paying for DDP, then gosh darn it I want to get my daily TS meal! LOL. Plus, like you said, if we try to get in elsewhere the day before and succeed, we can always cancel our already-made ADR. Better safe than sorry, I say.

I know this man...we've been together for almost 13 years. WDW in July + him = interesting mix. The more smoothly this trip goes, the more likely he is to enjoy it.

FYI -- yes, this is our one and only big family vacation at WDW for a while. We don't have the $$ to do it every year, so we want to get in as much of the big stuff as we can this go round. Will be hard enough to do in July (we're going in 2008 btw) even with a good plan...lord knows how miserable we'd all be if we decided to wing it.

As usual, great advice everyone. Thank you!

 

[yngsj]

My DH got on me for over planning and I told him that I was going to let him go to WDW with no planning whats so ever and see how much fun it really could be. After he thought about it for a few days he said he was more then happy to let me do my planning and he wouldn't say another word about it. So when he says something about ADR's ask if he wants to wing it with the resort reservation too. He'll see your right. Men are not born planners.Sorry to the men out there, I really don't hate men.

 

[pumba]

we are going in September and only got one reservation on the night of the Halloween Party......so I am just saying.......CALL NOWWWWWWWWW

 

[jimmiej]

Men are not born planners.Sorry to the men out there, I really don't hate men.

Hey, I'm the planner here (male). DW just asks, "What are we doing today?" My friend still brags about how well our '98 trip went. As Bob Sehlinger (Unofficial Guide) says, "You either need a plan or a frontal lobotomy."

 

[Miss_Disney]

From personal experience, it is not necessary to make ADRs months in advance. If I were you, I would make a couple of reservations for popular places (Le Cellier, Coral Reef, California Grill etc) and then wing it.
Last year we went in September during the free dining plan (unknown to us at the time) and we didn't make any ADRs before arriving in WDW. As usual, we ate everywhere we wanted, with last-minute ADRs. We decided where to eat in the late afternoon and had no problems in getting reservations, apart from Cali Grill (booked a couple of days in advance.
This has also worked for us in Easter, June and July.
DWD does not need to be overplanned. It can be fun and spontaneous if you let it be.

 

[dis-happy]

Assuming your trip is going to be in July 2008, I would make a deal with him and play "let's pretend" in the upcoming month. Pick your week (hopefully one that lines up with your trip next year) and say, "hey, tomorrow we're going to MK! Could you please call Disney Disning and get us a dinner reservation at CRT? It's tops on the girls' list this year." So, he gets to make a call to WDW-Dine and find out nothing is available, or perhaps "dinner" won't be until 10:30 pm. Do this 3-4 days in a row at different parks, trying to get ressies at the best (hardest to get in to restaurants) and see how quickly he changes his tune.

 

[pumba]

Boy you were lucky Miss Disney......we are going in September and only were able to get one reservation at Crystal Palace for 3:30 pm for dinner.......none available in any of the Epcot Restaurants.......
Good thing is alot of the counter service restauarants are getting better with their meals and we can just say ......heck ...lets eat at Cosmic Rays or Earl of Sandwich........

 

[DonnaL]

Since you mentioned your DH's coworker visits WDW multiple times a year, I would bet most if not all visits are during slower seasons and either alone or just two people. In that case, I would say it's possible to get ADR's on short notice, especially if you're willing to be a bit flexible on times. When DH and I are alone (it's usually early to mid May.....a fairly low attendance time) we never make ADR's sooner than a day in advance......mostly same day, actually. However, that said, when we're alone we rarely eat dinner before 7:30 p.m. And, it's only for two people.....IMO it seems much easier to get last minute ADR's for two as opposed to 4 to 6 people. So, I would have him ask this coworker specific questions on the above and maybe when he hears the answers he'll change his mind. Personally, if we were going in July with our adult kids and grandson (6 of us) I wouldn't even attempt a TS restaurant on short notice between the hours of 5 and 8.

 

[Praying Colonel]

Men are not born planners.Sorry to the men out there, I really don't hate men.

Hey, I represent that remark!

Actually, I'm the planner in our family--DW likes to take it easy and leaves the details to me. Financial planner Dave Ramsey says in just about every marriage one person's more the "nerd," who specializes in details and planning, and one person's the "free spirit." When it comes to WDW, DW free spirits it while I get my nerd on.

 

[kandmwedding]

I'm not a fan of touring plans and have never planned the order of the rides I'll be going on (I've never gone at a super busy time of year either), but I always make ADRs. It's just nice to have it there as a back-up, even if you end up deciding that day to cancel and go somewhere else.

 

[sconnell]

My DH didn't get how much we needed a plan, (a flexible plan, but a plan) Until we went. We have two kids now. 5 & 2. The more you know in advance, the better!
He still picks on me, but he really loves it.

 

[crisi]

We've done the day of or day before reservations - switching what we've already booked. While we've had success doing this (choosing hotel restuarants generally, we've done Signature dining and Spoodles this way - I'm not suggesting you'll have a lot of luck with Le Cellier), we have spent 45 minutes on hold with Disney Dining to do so - While this is easy enough for my husband to do while at the pool bar from his cell phone, you may not wish to spend your vacation on the phone.

 

[Andrea from PA]

Lemondog

I'd love to know if DH's co-worker was traveling with a family of 5 & fairly younk kids to boot -- 5 is not easy to get a table for ...Hmmm maybe friend traveled as a couple and didn't need to worry about consistent feeding times...

In our family if we don't keep the Bear & Cubs fed it gets UGLY -- My DH doens't do well in heat, so the idea of going in JULY, even if free dining were offered & SW air at $39 would be a NO GO.

You want to make memories, not nightmares!

 

[MommySiobhan]

I'd make the ADR's and say 'Babe, I made us some back up ADR's incase any of the places we decide to eat that day aren't open'.



Last year on our first trip, it was already a last minute trip that we we weren't planning so I had no idea that we had to book ADR's ahead of time or anything.

When I was asked by a CM on the phone, I said 'We have to book now?'.
This was sometime in early August and our trip was August 21st. It was really hard to get any ADR's anywhere and we ended up eating at where ever we could get in, which with our little ones and taste probably would have been mostly different choices had I booked ahead.

We still had a great time and believe it or not I was able to get CRT which I was excited for. I even left a couple open because there was nothing available at ALL and once we were in Disney I was able to call and get some ADR's.

Good luck!

 

[BillSears]

From personal experience, it is not necessary to make ADRs months in advance. If I were you, I would make a couple of reservations for popular places (Le Cellier, Coral Reef, California Grill etc) and then wing it.
Last year we went in September during the free dining plan (unknown to us at the time) and we didn't make any ADRs before arriving in WDW. As usual, we ate everywhere we wanted, with last-minute ADRs. We decided where to eat in the late afternoon and had no problems in getting reservations, apart from Cali Grill (booked a couple of days in advance.
This has also worked for us in Easter, June and July.
DWD does not need to be overplanned. It can be fun and spontaneous if you let it be.

Really??? REALLY?!?!?!?!

I recall during free dining last year hearing about people being told they had to leave the parks and head to a resort if they wanted to use their TS DDP meal credits and they didn't have a reservation. I also recall Disney modifying the plan to allow people to cash in a TS credit for a CS credit plus some extras because people were turned away at the TS restaurants. I doubt this would be true if you had no problems eating every where you wanted to just by calling a few hours before the meal.

I also find it hard to believe you can decide where you want to eat in the afternoon and make an ADR for that night during Easter. Maybe you can do it at some places in June or July but during Free Dining and Easter?

 

[daisyduck123]

I would just make the ADRs for the week & not tell him.


Heck, my DH has no idea what ADRs I've made for our trip this summer or our Christmas trip. Each day we're in WDW, he just asks me, "Where are we eating tonight".

 

[ConnieB]

I'd make the ADR's and say 'Babe, I made us some back up ADR's incase any of the places we decide to eat that day aren't open'.



Last year on our first trip, it was already a last minute trip that we we weren't planning so I had no idea that we had to book ADR's ahead of time or anything.

When I was asked by a CM on the phone, I said 'We have to book now?'.
This was sometime in early August and our trip was August 21st. It was really hard to get any ADR's anywhere and we ended up eating at where ever we could get in, which with our little ones and taste probably would have been mostly different choices had I booked ahead.

We still had a great time and believe it or not I was able to get CRT which I was excited for. I even left a couple open because there was nothing available at ALL and once we were in Disney I was able to call and get some ADR's.

Good luck!

Have to say that your post really amazes me.....perhaps that was the "good old days"...but I know I'm reading threads on this board with people not even able to make ADR's for the free dining time.....at some places they can't make them for any day of the week, at any time of the day....at some places they can if they want to eat at 9pm or later, but of course with kids that's tough to do.

We're going in January, when supposedly the crowds are much lower and therefore logic says that ADR's shouldn't be necessary for other than the really popular places.....but I would hate to know about making ADR's 180 days in advance and decide to not take advantage of that knowledge and then be disappointed when we get there and can't eat at many of the places that we want (and that we paid for already with the DDP!). I'd rather spend some time planning and reserving....then when we get there I might go ahead and try to make changes as things come up, but just in case I can't make changes it will be comforting to know I have "something" set up already. Better safe than hungry, lol.

 

[ksumn1]

I would go ahead and make ADR's. Some things in life require planning. Just tell DH that while he may feel comfortable winging it, you don't. Make ADR's for all of you, and if he wants to join ya'll so be it. If not, let him go his own way. He'll figure out pretty fast that you had the right idea.

Get his input on restaurants and make a couple of ADR's at places he'll like. DH in the beginning didn't like the idea of planning meals either. But once he realized I wanted this to be "his" trip too, he was much more ameanable to all my OCD planning.

BTW, I planned our 2nd trip much more than our 1st trip and the difference in how smoothly it went was amazing. Especially considering 1st trip was late August and our 2nd trip was in the middle of June. So you plan all you want, and when you have a great trip you can say (or at least think) I told You so!!!

 

[a1tinkfans]

MAKE THOSE ADR'S...You will not be disappointed!!!!

Don't you just love when "people" give advice that contradicts your feelings, LOL!
I can tell you from experience that ESPECIALLY during heavy times and free dining it can be downright awful to NOT be able to get a sit down meal because you have no ADR (or your child won't eat whats on the menu, EEK and you have to try and get in somewhere else) LESSON learned here, review the menu if you have a picky eater and PLAN PLAN PLAN!!!
Good Luck and have a WONDERFUL FAMILY TRIP!

 

[jamounger]

My ADR's were made on the 180 day mark, I think i had only made my resort reservation the week or 2 before. I fuss with my resort reservation(just can't help myself) but I don't mess with the ADR's Even now when you call Disney the recording is on about how you need reservations for meals because a lot of the restaurants are booked up and the CM's always make sure I have my meals booked before we hang up. We were there during free dining last year and saw many people not getting to use their TS because they didn't know to book ahead. They had even added a makeshift buffet somewhere in the MK and lengthened hours to try to accomadate people. The more you plan now the more relaxed you will be able to be on your trip.