Do you really book your ADR's 180 days out?

[DisneyDaze928]

My trip is 9 days aways and I have just, over the last two weeks, started to book our ADR's....now I am by no means a "slacker." This was a last minute decision to slip in a holiday Disney trip....we decided, on a whim, to go to Disney for the holidays (we've never been during the Holiday Season). Needless to say, it's been quite difficult to get ADR's at certain paces because I started looking less than 30 days out...I lucked up today and got a breakfast at 1900 Park Fare for the 21st, and I have a few others booked as tentative...

I just want to know how many folks really book 180 days out...and if you don't, how far out do you book, and what are some of your tips for getting the ADR's you want...I'm on a mission to dine at every venue at WDW....trying something new everytime we come....We were here in April and I actually lucked up and got an ADR at CRT less than 30 days in....thoughts....

 

[vicki_c]

If my trip is planned that far out (which is usually is since we are DVC members), I always book 180 days out.

I think you would find many many people HERE book 180 days out. In the general public / real world, not so many.

 

[collegejunkie]

i booked at 180 out but i make a lot of changes within the few weeks following that. check the dec cancellation thread and you can probably find some goodies!

 

[aubriee]

As an AP holder I go to WDW several times a year and always book ADRs online at 0600ET 180 days out. I just got back from WDW (Nov 26th-Dec 4th) and prior to leaving, had ADRs booked for that trip, for my upcoming Feb trip, and also my upcoming May trip. I also have trips planned for early Sept and late Oct/early Nov that I will be making ADRs for at 180 days out. Now I do frequently make changes as the trip gets closer, but always book most of my ADRs at 180 days.

 

[OhThePain]

i booked at 180 out but i make a lot of changes within the few weeks following that. check the dec cancellation thread and you can probably find some goodies!

This is how we roll as well. We usually book ADR's either at 180 days or at whatever point we book a trip if it's less. We end up playing around with our ADR's a lot before our actual trip and often our list changes drastically over that time. We have even changed or added ADR's last minute while on vacation (smartphones are a dangerous thing).

You can keep your eye on the December cancellation thread as the PP mentioned and constantly check the Disney website whenever you have a moment. You can also keep checking for a desired ADR while you are in Disney either through a phone with internet access, the Concierge desk if you are staying on-site, guest services at any of the parks or by just walking up to a specific restaurant in the morning and seeing if they have any openings for the day. There is no real method in getting ADRs on short notice, just keep trying and hope for some pixie dust.

 

[Forever Fairy]

If my trip is planned that far out (which is usually is since we are DVC members), I always book 180 days out.

I think you would find many many people HERE book 180 days out. In the general public / real world, not so many.

I am the same way - if I have my vacation scheduled out that far, I will make them 180 out (and plus 10 days if staying on property). If I plan a last minute trip, I try to do right away but know I have to be flexible with what I can get.

 

[dvcdisney]

Yes I do! I'd do it earlier if I could.

 

[mirage0306]

We booked our trip last week and today was our 180 day mark, and yes, I made all our ADRs this morning.

 

[tndisneyfan]

Yeah we book 180 days out. You have to if you want to be guaranteed certain restaurants at certain time.

 

[shannonstar]

Yep, 180 to the day. I even have a reminder set in my phone now, and I am more than 300 days out.
I have already started tentatively scheduling what I want and when. I am sure that I will stalk the Nov 2012 cancellations and make changes at the last minute as well.

 

[ancestry]

We book our ADRs at the 180 day point or as soon as we know we have a trip booked. We often don't book 6 months out but when we do we grab out ADRs as soon as we can.

 

[POLY1985]

Always. My 180 window for my upcoming trip is tomorrow and I have a typed list with a blank spot next to it for the confirmation number. I will be doing this first thing.

 

[kerri0616]

I too book at 180 days out. However, we are going Xmas week and I have made a couple changes to our list since June. In fact, I even made a change today with only 2 weeks to go!

My family loves 'Ohana, so I always book that one as soon as my window opens. We've outgrown the character meals, so I don't have to worry about booking those so early.

I'm glad it's working out for you!

K

 

[sleeperclan]

Always, unless it's a last minute trip! Usually there is some tweaking here and there, but we never go without making ADRs as soon as we are able

 

[bellebookworm9]

I also book as soon as I am able. For our May 2010 trip, we decided to go just a few days away from our 180 day mark in November 2009. I was able to make our plan and get the ADRs booked in time. I did make a few tweaks, but nothing major.

Same thing for this past trip in October. We booked our hotel at 11 months out, and I made ADRs the first day I could in April.

For our trip next February, that was just decided over Thanksgiving. However, I was able to make ADRs for three new places that we want to try.

 

[mickeynut1]

I always book our ADRs 180 days out. We have our favorites that are must do's every trip and then there are always a few new ones to try. I've already started an ADR list for our July 2012 trip and my 180 day mark isn't until 1/19/12 .

 

[debrapagliasotti]

Our last trip we booked on a whim about 2 months before going, so I made ADRs the same day. We were able to get 1900 PF for dinner and the CM was shocked there was anything avail.

We have 2 trips booked for next year and absolutely will I be booking those ADRs as soon as my 180 day mark comes up. I have those days circled on my calendars, and also have reminders set on my cell. I will be up and online at 6am EST in hopes the website is working.

 

[tzeitel]

Yep. I was up and ready to go before the online ADR system opened up on my 180 days. We wanted some very popular restaurants at a pretty busy time (Spring Break) and there will be 11 of us so that is what I had to do

I got Le Cellier, CRT, 1900 PF, Ohana, Hoop dee Doo, luau, California Grill, F! package, Tusker House and many others at the times we wanted so it was worth it One less thing to worry about!

 

[jennamarie]

Yup! Book as soon as I can. We are going for NYE this year, so I was scared things would book up really fast. I was on a beach vacation for the 4th of July with DBF, I brought my laptop, I set our alarm for 5:50am (yes, I made him wake up that early on our mini vacay to book our meals, haha, I should clarify that we stay at the beach every weekend over the Summer, this was just a long weekend trip) had the Disney website open and ready to go for 6:00!

Excessive, perhaps, but I was able to get where I wanted and the times I wanted in less than a half hour!

I hate scrambling, and was a little over eager to be planning this whole vacation on my own haha

 

[LovinPooh]

180days out at 7am lol
Ohana is the first one I book.

Good luck gettign what you want OP