Do ADRs drive anyone else crazy???

[mommypenguin29]

So this is the first time we have the dining plan and I am making ADRs - trying to pick some fun places for the family (me 39, dh 38, ds 10, and dd 7) that we normally wouldn't go to since we have never had the dining plan before and it is driving me crazy!!

I can't make up my mind where to eat and trying to figure out parks based around ADRs is making me nuts...please tell me I am not the only one...

Now that I did get the Minnie's H&V w/ Fantasmic package - thinking I maybe should drop the Chef Mickeys (seems like the same characters) and possibly 50's Prime Time (we have eaten here before and only plan one day a HS)...why can't I make a decision on ADRs

 

[heath92681]

Be Our Guest and Minnie's have been driving me crazy for weeks!! We are sticking with Tusker House breakfast, Minnie's Holiday dinner, Be Our Guest (B, L, & D, all different days) and Akershus lunch. Going to drop H & V Disney Jr, Garden Grill, and Chef Mickey's.

 

[minnie mum]

Don't let it drive you nuts. Remember, at the end of the day, its just a meal. Since we don't park hop, I never plan my parks around my ADRs. I plan my ADRs based on the parks we will be in. If I can't get a particular ADR, I just pick something else.

I might check back a few times to see if a desired ADR has opened up, but I won't jump thru hoops just for a meal that is unlikely to be as memorable or important as it might seem at first glance.

 

[3DisneyFanz]

Just wait until your FP+ selections times when you find out what's avaialble doesn't match your ADR and you get to decide which one you want to sacrifice for the sake of the other. The joys of modern Disney planning!

 

[butterfly71076]

Normally, no. I love figuring out ADR's and park days. But, for whatever reason, this upcoming trip, it's really bugging me! I can't decide on what parks, where to eat. Maybe it's because I usually have a lot of time to work with and this trip is going to be short, only 5 nights. I am sad we are going to miss Minnie's by 2 weeks, but I'm working around school/work schedule.

 

[Haygar2]

Sorry, but for me it's part of the fun. I love it. I love trying to figure it out. Where we will be (we will be getting hoppers for the first time) and how to utilize the hopper the best. I go back and forth with where and what time. I have it all written out from hardest to get and so on. Faithfully at 6:00 I am booking. For me it's kind of a let down when it's done. Then I remember I have FP+ to start working on. LOL

 

[heath92681]

It is kind of fun. Like a game of sorts. But it is also time consuming. Hopefully my fast pass times will work with all the ADRs I've worked so hard for!

 

[Micca]

Not sure if this will help, but to get the most out of the dining plan, chose places where the most expensive items on the menu appeal to your family.

 

[westfield13]

I, too, find it a challenge - so many great places to try - so difficult to coordinate it all and not miss out on anything really special! Then I always worry that I've booked too many TS meals for our last days of the trip, when we will probably be feeling like we have gained 10 lbs already and should slow down a bit!!!

 

[Iowamomof4]

I, too, find it a challenge - so many great places to try - so difficult to coordinate it all and not miss out on anything really special! Then I always worry that I've booked too many TS meals for our last days of the trip, when we will probably be feeling like we have gained 10 lbs already and should slow down a bit!!!

Are you suggesting that two buffet places on a Friday after being at WDW on the DP for a week might be too much?

 

[jmg378s]

I actually don't mind doing the ADRs right at 180 days. What I didn't like was booking a vacation just 5 months out, and having to check constantly for cancellations to book the hard to get ADRs...and then only getting less than ideal times.

 

[westfield13]

Are you suggesting that two buffet places on a Friday after being at WDW on the DP for a week might be too much?

Well, if it were up to my sons, we would have eaten EVERY meal, every day, at a buffet when in WDW - ha!

When my boys were younger, they loved meeting the characters at a buffet - and also loved the food. Then one year, in the middle of the trip, my husband turned to me and quietly asked, "Are we going to eat any meals without the characters??" Hmm, guess I went a little overboard that time.

I do find that the time of year we visit makes a big difference in our dining plans. We always took our annual WDW trip in Feb - a great break from the cold NJ winter. As the boys got older, it wasn't a good option taking them out of school, so we took our first summer trip at the end of August. We were NOT at all prepared for the heat and I ended up cancelling a lot of ADRs because we just couldn't eat that much food in the hot, hot weather.

I guess my one suggestion would be to try and book the "must do" meals earlier in the trip, so you won't be disappointed if you need to make adjustments towards the end of the trip - that seemed to work better for us.

 

[Silligoose]

We're going in January and the ADRs were so easy to get that I don't know what to do with myself now. I'm used to big groups and hard to get restaurants. This trip is only 8 people, which feels small... I've already started thinking about Fp+ to pass the time

 

[tabrizia]

We're going in January and the ADRs were so easy to get that I don't know what to do with myself now. I'm used to big groups and hard to get restaurants. This trip is only 8 people, which feels small... I've already started thinking about Fp+ to pass the time

I had this problem and I was making ADR's for 11 to 13 people. I was going, "Wait that was easy!" Heck I got a Chef Mickey's breakfast for 5, 170 days out, it was super easy and had me going, "Wait what just happened there?"

 

[Idreamofdisney15]

They're driving me crazy too! I hate it and I love it all at the same time. I keep reading about a new place I want to eat at and then questioning my whole plan. Then I worry about the timing of the ADR and if we will be hungry by then or if we will be at a good stopping point to go eat! Lol

I think I'm making it way more stressful than it needs to be...

 

[tomatecerise]

It drived me crazy but now i calm down... But i want a better hour for Ohana and check it 8 Times a day. But i had three BOG breakfast in case (i waited for My sister approval for the better day - i release here the two that i don't need and They are taken by dis members). I wait to see If skip cantina Will Be open before November 18...

Like i said, i am calm now...

It's time to Check Ohana!

 

[Minniesgal]

We don't fuss over ADRs. We feel there is nowhere so wonderful at Disney we have to eat there so if we don't get in somewhere we just book somewhere else

We are not big fans of eating in the parks we tend to go to near resorts for our TS and do a late lunch instead of dinner. At MK we do Kona or Grand Floridian cafes at Epcot or studios we do beaches and cream. The only park restaurants we do are via Napoli and Tusker house

 

[mommypenguin29]

Glad I am not the only one...usually I don't plan meals and we take our chances! But being on the dining plan I want to make some good use of it

 

[Lesverts]

I did and then I went to the World for the first time. Things tend to work out, there is always surprising availability the day before and the morning off and Disney G-ds will always shine at some point if you are patient and keep looking. Plus my favourite meals were Columbia Harbour House and Earl of Sandwich so.....

 

[ariane37]

It doesn't drive me crazy; but there are still a number of places I want to try so I do sometimes have trouble narrowing down where I want to eat! However, there's never anywhere I want to eat or feel I need to eat so badly that if I don't get it I'm upset, mad, feel the trip is ruined, etc. I think some of the restaurants are very good; but like others I don't think eating or not eating somewhere would make or break our trip. If I can't get a reservation somewhere I've decided to eat on a trip, I just pick another place - easy My boys are a little older now, almost 10 & 13. They do give input as to where they want to eat and have some favorites but of course at their age and after numerous trips, they don't flip out if we decide not to eat at all their favorites. Even when they were younger and both were more into the character meals, if we did them they were thrilled. If not, we met characters elsewhere and they were happy with the ADR's I made. Maybe boys are easier than girls?? Or maybe I'm a mean mom, but I never had to "stalk" for a certain ADR to make them happy. We've also always been flexible on eating times and switching park days around so when searching for my ADR's I'm usually not confined to one day or just a couple time slots. All these are most likely reasons I don't find making ADR's stressful and they don't make me crazy, I definitely find it fun I normally don't make our ADR's right at 180 days and still end up getting what I want, but regardless I still mess around with them later on and make some changes. Just made some yesterday for our Nov. trip and am pretty sure I'll be making some more lol!