Disney Booking References for ADRs

[El Tel]

My family are staying at AKL in October and, having researched what restaurants to visit and when, we've started to book ADRs for our stay.

I've tried to use the 180 days + 10 days advantage that resort guests have, but the booking reference provided by our travel company in the UK (First Choice) isn't recognised by WDW-DINE.

Having queried this with the travel agents today, they tell me that they have a block allocation of rooms at the resort but don't actually book guests with Disney until one month before departure. I'm pretty annoyed at this policy as it means I can't take advantage of this benefit.

Has anyone else had the same problem, or better still, has anyone found a way round it?

Thanks for any help you can give.

 

[bicker]

That is one of the bad aspects of using a vacation consolidator. Can you cancel and rebook with a more traditional agent?

 

[beattyfamily]

I guess it depends on the CM you get cause when I called for my ADRs the other day she only asked me where I was staying but did not ask for my confirmation number. I was a bit surprised.

Good luck.

 

[Fionasmommy]

Did you try just using your home phone number? CRO doesn't recognize confirmation numbers from travel agencies, but they will let you link your ADR's to a phone number instead.

 

[El Tel]

Thanks for your help folks

Unfortunately, a BIG deposit is involved so I can't really back out and rebook. Also, UK flights are also likely to be heavily booked - there are school holidays in the UK at that time (hence my reason for going then).

All the CM's I've phoned so far are quite insistent on a booking reference or phone number.

It seems the phone number is simply an alternative means of identifying your Disney resort booking. My phone number was no good because it didn't fit on the Disney system (which allows only ten digits). With all the necessary dialling codes my phone number resembles the balance in Bill Gates bank account.

Though the first CM I talked to seemed to try really hard to find a way around the rule. She tried to use a number of ways to check for a booking - but of course the travel agent hasn't made one yet!

I'm complaining to the travel agent's head office to see what they can do. In the meantime I will book each restaurant 180 days beforehand (its a pity Disney don't have an online booking system, these phone calls to the US will cost a fair bit).

Never mind - I'll be in WDW enjoying the Florida sun in months time.

 

[Letsbgoofy]

Why not wait and make them all at once? Most people don't even know to call 180 days in advance, I doubt your choices will be sold out.

 

[bicker]

I doubt your choices will be sold out.

I'm sorry I missed the list of their choices.... was that in some other thread?

 

[Tinker74]

El Tel.....Iam from the Uk too...I have had no problem booking Adrs...and have never had to give my confirmination number to a CM.
Do you mean the prompts when you call ...asking for your ressie no and phone ??
To skip this...just press 1 and on the next prompt press 1 again this will get you straight thru to a CM.....To tie all your ADRs together use your mobile number....I have had no problem with this....and my friends have used their home number with no problem....remember you will give this number to a live CM not the machine so it doesn't matter how long the number is.

Each time I have called the CM has asked where Iam staying but has not asked for a ressie number.

You will be fine to call without one during 180 +10...remember keep pressing 1 to skip prompts.

 

[El Tel]

Tinker74 - many thanks for that information - very helpful.

I'm not sure why they have asked me for a booking reference - maybe it is because I explicitly mentioned the 180+10 day benefit, or maybe its because I've been unlucky with CMs (as suggested by beattyfamily). Were you booking for 180+10 days too? Were you aready booked into a Disney hotel (rather than only booked with the travel agent) - I got the impression that the phone number was an alternative method of finding the booking?

I'll give it another shot and try avoiding mentioning booking references. Thanks again.

 

[bicker]

I sure hope they are validating all requests to use the 180+10 day benefit, or that will become yet-another benefit of staying on-site that ends up having no value whatsoever.

El Tel -- Is your travel agent that unaccommodating? Around here, the travel agent does this work for you -- you don't have to call yourself. I'd think if they have a shred of consideration for you their customer, they'd at least give you the information you need to do it yourself.

 

[Tinker74]

Hi ...El tel... ...It doesn't matter one bit that you are not already booked..They do not look up your ressie..they only look up your dining adrs...and to look them up they a number of some sort so usually they ask for your phone number...so they can easily find your ADRS if you ever call back up.

Yes..I booked on 180+ 10...the CM at first told me I would have to call back on 180 days but I told her I was staying on site...and she said of course it was fine to make them+ 10.

I called a couple more times that week..and was never asked for my ressie number...only my phone number so they could look up my ADRs on the PC.


I was booked through Disney UK....so my ressie number is not recognised my the US computers anyways....but it didn't matter anyway.

Good luck...Iam sure you will be fine if you call back up...remember press 1 and then 1 again ..ignore whatever they are asking on the prompts...this method will get you through quickly to a CM...and used to be used to get hard to find breakfasts at CRT...when every second counted..

 

[Tinker74]

I really don't think they are validating if the people calling are staying on site....I have wondered this myself?? Whats to stop everyone calling at 180+10 and just saying they are staying on site.

They really didn't get enough info from me to validate it...just my phone number and my word that Iam indeed staying on site.

Since then I have changed my ressie from the WL to the CR so Iam glad that my ADRs are still OK...because they are attached to phone number.

 

[Tinker74]

Another thing... ..Iam begining to think that 180+10 is not all it is scratched up to be anyway...From all I have read...they actually only realease some tables during +10..and then realease more on the actual180 day.
On my 180 +10 day..I couldn't get SC-FI for the time I wanted...this really puzzled me as I thought how on earth could it be booke up already

Yet when I called back a couple of weeks later I had my pick of times for SC-fi.

Also CRT was sold out on one day my friends wanted even thou they called +10...yet when they called on the actual 180 day they got 8.05 CRT no problem.

 

[bicker]

Well that is really a shame. And people wonder why Disney is looking for other ways to provide incentive to book their hotel rooms? If they're not securing for their guests the priority they're promising, then they're going to have to make up for it by providing other advantages, like FastPass priority.

All Disney resort guests should complain about this lack of consideration for us.

 

[El Tel]

That's very interesting. I was getting really concerned about prime slots going quickly on the strength of a 180 day booking for the Fantasmic Package at the Brown Derby. I was told that the latest table available was 4.30pm. I don't want to rush the meal, but that seem a bit too early

There are certainly some strange inconsistencies about this benefit.

 

[El Tel]

As long as they don't insist on a Disney booking number ;-)

 

[bicker]

Heheh... no no -- they should insiste on the Disney reservation number. Your travel agent should give it to you... that would be the solution!

 

[El Tel]

I have to agree. The travel company's CEO is going to get a rocket via the post.

 

[El Tel]

Success.
I followed Tinker74's advice and got all the ressies I was after. Muchos thanks for your help and advice.