Dinner reservations - last 2 weeks in August.

[walkerford]

Hi there everyone well after what seems an eternity we are going back home to VWL in just 18 days time and our 2 year old son will get to experience his first dose of Magic! After reading on the boards re the Disney dining plan and doing a few sums we added the plan to our reservation which is for 2 weeks from the 19th August. When speaking to member services last night I was only able to book up one or two breakfasts and or dinners with many things coming up full eg Ohanas Le Cellier 1900 Park fayre etc. Now I know I should have thought about this earlier ( and yes I did book CRT at exactly 07.00 hrs 90 or was it 180 days out) but well life got in the way of another trans atlantic call. So heres the question- given that we are now sort of locked in to either a sit down breakfast or dinner a day what are the chances of getting to eat! Is it worth calling up over the next few night re possible cancellations? or if we leave it til we arrive at wdw will we be able to get reservations on the day or a couple of days before? With a 2 and 5 year old eating at 9 o clock at night probably won't work for us for that matter the other diners! Any thought anybody? Thanks as always in advance.

 

[patrizella]

The free Dining Plan will make it very difficult for you to get ressies now. There is a special running from 8/13-Sept ? for guests staying on the Magic Your Way package. The DDP is free for those stays. I would probably call everyday to check for cancellations. Also, maybe use the TS for late lunches and CS for a later evening meal? Just thinking that maybe earlier in the day would have openings and not waiting until 9pm with a toddler to eat would be better. I wish you lots of luck....

 

[eeyoresmom]

That is exactly what we have been doing for our end of Aug trip,booking TS for lunch.I'm actually liking this because we always know what park we will be in in the morning so have made our ADRs for there .We will then return to the resort for a swim,(necessary!) and this leaves our evening free.

 

[walkerford]

I had never really thought of TS for lunch but I suppose this makes a lot of sense. How late does the lunch menu run til and are you finding it a "little" easier getting reservations?

 

[DisneyMama2H&O]

We are going to Le Cellier for lunch at 2:50 p.m. and we're using that as our "dinner" for the day. We're staying at the Villas the same time as you! Did you try WCC for breakfast or lunch? Last year there were 8 of us during the free dining and walked right in without an ADR.

 

[walkerford]

Hi there disneymama. look forward to seeing you in a couple of weeks! You'll recognise us as having the manic 2 year old who is in to everything and his 5 year old sister trying patiently to alternatively humour and or ignore him. I have to say I haven't tried for a reservation at WCC as I did think that we would be able to walk right in but having over the last couple of hours been reading about everybody being on a free dining plan (hey mine cost me $1300!) then I am starting to worry. I thought that the DPP would take away the hassle of writing out travellers cheques and working out tips(still an alien concept to us brits!) but now I'm starting to worry. Do you think that Lunch reservations might do the trick?

 

[DisneyMama2H&O]

I think lunch would be great there. Breakfast was great last year and we'll probably hit there again this year. Also, try some of the other resort restaurants. It can't hurt to ask. And you'll know us by the crazy 2 year old and 5 year old we have also. Our friends going with us have a 7 and 4 year old also. We'll be the one's saying where'd they go, where'd they go.

 

[DisneyMama2H&O]

Join us at our meets at the WL.

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1177085

 

[bobbiwoz]

We're going to be at the VWL soon, too. We are not using a dining plan, we have DDE, and with the 3 little ones, all under 4 years, we thought eating out could be too stressful. We do have 3 ADR, 1 each Breakfast, lunch and dinner with the understanding that any can be cancelled if a nap is needed.

I'm just wrapping up a huge package to send to VWL, sand/water toys for DGC!

I'll be looking out for some Dis'ers to say Hi to, look for my "bobbiwoz" button!

Bobbi

 

[walkerford]

Thanks for all of the posts. Keep em coming. Disneymama - perhaps our crazy 2 year olds will meet up to allow us just a few moments to breath in the magic. See you by the quiet pool which perhaps wont be so quiet!

 

[walkerford]

I have just come off the phone to member services and have managed to book Ohanas for dinner on the 29th at 7.30 1900 Park Fayre for dinner on the 30th at 7.40 Le Cellier for lunch on the 21st and Nine Dragons for lunch on the 23rd. I now have several "reservations" so am panicking slightly less. Thanks as always for all of your help and genuinely do hope to see a few of you by the pool can't wait to hear that music again. Take care all Nigel

 

[bobbiwoz]

I'm glad you feel better about ADR's, and even Le Cellier!, walkerford! I much prefer the villas pool, so I hope to see you there, too!

Bobbi

 

[WOW]

We have never used a dining plan, it just doesn't work for us, so I can only tell you what our experience is with dining.....we used to make our PS and it really got to be a pain as our day was dictated by where we were going to dine. I finally got fed up with that and decided that we wouldn't make any ressies.......we just winged it!!! You know, what???? We have had probably 95 percent success. Just the very popular restaurants are generally harder to get into on the spot. We are flexible and sometimes have an early dinner, which is easy to get. We have been doing this for about 8 years now and wouldn't have it any other way. Of course, if we have an occasion, that would be a different story and we would reserve dining in that instance.

Good Luck

 

[Muushka]

I am glad your plans are working out for you, and you will be staying at our favorite resort .

One experience that we found while at the world in December with no ADRs. If we went to the podium right when they opened up, we had no problem. It was just 2 of us (I doubt it would work with a big crowd). Good luck with all of your ADRs!

 

[outahere]

We're also staying at VWL soon (8/22 - 8/27) and have the special "free" MYW dining plan. I just got off the phone trying to make reservations, and it doesn't look that great. Most of the times they had available at WCC were late (after 8:30). I think we're going to either have to do the TS meal at lunch, or just take our chances at getting into restaurants in the parks.

 

[kimberh]

I would keep calling, there was a post a while back about people making duplicate reservations. Maybe there will be some cancellations. You can also go to Guest Services when you get into the park and see what is available.

 

[walkerford]

The information that everybody gives on here is absolutely superb and is a nice pre cursor to coming "home" in a couple of weeks. As I posted above I have had quite a lot of success in booking up matters now but as 1 or two people have said, still have a few reservations about our forward planning being torpedoed by the obvious uncertainties of having 2 wonderful but as with most occasionaly unpredictable kids! and that doesn't include the wife either (love you darling if you happen to read this).
As a little aside I had read prior to opting to travel the last 2 weeks in August rather than the first 2 that these weeks were significanlty quieter than early August. With the difficulties in getting reservations I am beginning to doubt that but perhaps the problems with dining reservations are more down to the "free dining plans" rather than the crowds? In many ways I am quite relaxed about it as our "commando" days are behind us and I am more than happy to return to the villas and lounge by the pool rather than having to follow a regimented plan. Any Thoughts anybody?

 

[DisneyMama2H&O]

Last year we went in late August, as we are this year, during the free dining period. We were pleasantly surprised with the number of people. We found it to be much less crowded than our previous trips in July and early August. The only night we found to be overly crowded was the EMH evening at MK. I found it awful and I'm not bothered by large crowds. I doubt we will be doing any EMH in the evenings this year.

 

[patrizella]

We have been going at the end of August for the past 3 years. Crowds are lighter than when we went in July, granted it was 4th of July week. The schools in the south go back in the middle of August-up here in NY we go back in Sept. I think that has an effect on the crowd levels. I have heard the water parks are packed on the weekends-which makes sense. I think the reservation challenges are partially tied to the free dining. I don't think crowd levels will be too elevated-but possibly the enticing free dining is making more people travel and the fact that a TS is included in the package is now potentially increasing the number of people booking TS meals-that may have otherwise not. One other factor is the addition of DVC members being able to purchase the meal plan this year. This could also have an impact.

As a side note on the duplicate ressies people can make, I can attest to this being possible. The fantastic planner (read ) that I am had our ressies done at the 180 day mark from the date of our arrival. A few weeks ago my Dbrother and Dsis-in-law decide they are coming down while we are there. This however made scheduling meals together very difficult. I called to modify my ADRs to add them but couldn't. So I would have the CM try to search for another meal time or place. In one instant we had a double booking for Chef Mickey's and Turf Club for the same date and time-I needed to see which one DH preferred. He had just run to Home Depot and I didn't want to loose our Chef Mickeys. The CM said she could not stop me from booking two ressies. Luckily, before I got off the phone with her DH came home and I immediately cancelled the second booking-which was the Turf Club. Possibly this happens mistakenly or purposely in some cases. "I may be in MGM and 7 so book 50's Prime Time, but if I am at MK book 7 for Liberty Tree". Without a moral debate, this is also something to consider as a potential challenge to booking ADRs late in the game.

Just my thoughts, sorry so long...
.

 

[dis-happy]

My family will be at VWL the last week in August too! We did this trip last year and had a wonderful time. Nothing like a last hurrah before school starts. We're using points and DDE, not free dining.

Anyway, I booked several ADR's yesterday with no problem, but then again I wanted to have our main TS meal at lunch. We did LeCellier twice in May so that wasn't on my list, but did get Chefs de France for Wed., Crystal Palace for Mon, and Kona for a late brkft (11:00) on Thursday. For every ressie I had a choice of pretty much any time I wanted.

To me lunch makes sense--get there early and do the park in the morning, then have a leisurely indoor lunch to cool off. Back to the resort pool (after Kona we may try pool hopping at the Poly), then hit the parks again in the evening.

Have fun everyone!