Dining Plan how do you plan with the new calendar??

[nicolem05]

I am sure this has been brought up but I am not finding the threads in my searches so I apologize if this is repetitive. ( I have found a few on park hours but that's it)

We have been to WDW 3 times in the last two years and since we come such a long distance I enjoy spending months searching for the perfect ADR's and making sure I have them arranged for the parks we will be visiting that day.
I am really disappointed with the calendar/park hours that I can not spend my off time playing with our Disney schedule.

My question is when do the park hours officially come out? I have seen 90 days prior but then that would be the same as the day you can make ADR's....If this is the case how do you all plan it now!? I prefer to book a TS at the park with EMH so we can enjoy dinner and then enjoy our extra hours. I am not a huge fan of park hopping on any grand scale. I know I am one of those super planners who makes a giant grid with all our ADR's, parade times and park hours during our stay and maybe a little overboard.. but this new system is the worst for us!! How does this work now? can I still make sure I don't miss anything and still get the ADR's I have to wake up at 3:30am pst to get! LOL thanks!!!

 

[melc0305]

Park hours do come out 90 days in advance. For example, August hours should come out May 1st. Say your trip is scheduled August 7th- 14th. Your ADR's could be made on May 9th. So, you'd have 9 days to plan your ADRs against the park hours.

I agree, not the best situation for all of us type A planners on this board! But unless your trip is on the 1st day of the month, you should have at least a few days to plan.

Melissa

 

[kaytieeldr]

The same way as before, but 90 days closer to the trip. Extra Magic Hours are pretty regular - if Magic Kingdom is open late on Sundays in July, odds are it will be open late on Sundays in September.

I have seen 90 days prior but then that would be the same as the day you can make ADR's....If this is the case how do you all plan it now!? I prefer to book a TS at the park with EMH so we can enjoy dinner and then enjoy our extra hours

 

[Faldred]

As noted above, the calendar is published on the first of the month at 3 months prior to the start of the month. That gives you at least a few days (unless you're arriving on the 1st and February is involved) to finalize your plans.

To minimize that last-minute planning stress, try "meta-planning". That is, make plans for a particular day without tying it to a specific date, such as "Epcot Day 1" rather than "Tuesday the 12th". Once the calendar is published, you can then shuffle around those days to fit the parks calendar.

 

[nicolem05]

Thanks for all the helpful answers.... too bad this is my down time from work and 3 months prior I am swamped!... oh well I have been planning anyways as described above. Thanks again for clearing things up for me!

 

[MHSweb79]

I know this doesn't really help but my travel agent says they have heard that Disney will go back to the 180-day system because of "guest feedback." She didn't know when the change would be made but she says Disney is supposed to have some kind of new system up and running by the end of May, so that could be a clue.
That won't really help me as I am going in September so I'll be waiting for the June 1 posting of park hours anyway.

Edited to add:

I know I am one of those super planners who makes a giant grid with all our ADR's, parade times and park hours during our stay and maybe a little overboard..

I do this too and I consider myself an "entry-level" planner compared to some others here!

 

[daisy2jae]

I like the dinning change to 90 days advance but the park hrs 90 days advance kinda make it a pain. We go Aug 14th and I would like to start planning now. I guess I'll have to wait...