Do you think some Disboards members put to much hype into making ADR's?

[princess-rn]

I made my "must-haves" as soon as I hit 180 days, and am glad I did.

I agree. There are those places that we do EVERY year and there are those that I really know I want to try. Those I book as soon as possible. The rest I just add as I think of them.

Have a great trip!

 

[lgruender]

I don't think there is anything wrong with making ADR's that far out. A vacation to WDW can be very $$$. And by making the ADR's that far out, those people are very smart in planning their vacation and getting to most out of it. to all planners!!

 

[bluejasmine]

I have to say that in the past I use to wing it but we were turned away from several restaurants when we arrived so I learned to make ADRs. Now I booked a end of Aug trip in early June and made my ADRs the day after I booked my package and had a hard time getting some of my restaurants infact I had to take a few lunches instead of dinners.. I would say that I am a believer in booking ASAP! You can always call and see about changing later, there are always cancellations.. I feel that most ppl who have gone to WDW a few times know what park they want to be in what day and can make the appropriate ADRs from that.

 

[Karnak]

There's simply no way I would ever plan a trip to WDW without making advance meal reservations. I normally like to visit a counter service spot for lunch, but would be most unhappy not to have a reservation for the dinner meal. I'm usually ready to sit down for a while by that time in the evening.

Enjoy.

 

[MickeyMonstersMom]

I feel that most ppl who have gone to WDW a few times know what park they want to be in what day and can make the appropriate ADRs from that.

You may have hit the nail on the head. The DIS boards are full of WDW veterans who know what they want and when they want it, so of course many will make ADR's far in advance. Is it hype? IMHO, no - it's enthusiasm, combined with a healthy desire to maximize their vacations. For example, my family considers WDW dining another of the resort's attractions, an important part of what makes our vacations there so magical. You bet we have a list of the restaurants we want to try - heck, we've printed out the menus!

BTW, I booked about 100 days out and made ADR's right away - and was still closed out of dinner at Le Cellier (one of our must-do's this trip) the entire week, and had only two choices for a lunch seating. It's not empty hype when calling 100 days out still doesn't get you your first choice.

 

[kimis]

In 2005 we tried 2 months ahead of time to get into LeCellier and we couldn't so this last time in2006 we made our reservations the minute they allowed us to do it. It is better to be safe than sorry and you can always conceal them. Enjoy

 

[ExPirateShopGirl]

Dining at WDW is part of the adventure of the vacation. Knowing what's out there and what we'd like to try based on reviews is part of our planning process. Now, if WDW took reservations on rides 180 days in advance, we'd be doing those too

 

[WANNABE@WDW]

I think making ADR's is important with children (and grumpy husbands). If you are used to eating on a set schedule, you do get a little grumpy if you don't get to eat! I have to say that eating ast WDW is a very BIG part of our trips. We plan around our meals. I also really enjoy planning out my trips, it extends the trip "experience" for me (my dh has gotten used to me setting my alarm clock unusually early for dinning ADRs at the 180 mark).

 

[LuluLovesDisney]

You may have hit the nail on the head. The DIS boards are full of WDW veterans who know what they want and when they want it, so of course many will make ADR's far in advance. Is it hype? IMHO, no - it's enthusiasm, combined with a healthy desire to maximize their vacations. For example, my family considers WDW dining another of the resort's attractions, an important part of what makes our vacations there so magical. You bet we have a list of the restaurants we want to try - heck, we've printed out the menus!

BTW, I booked about 100 days out and made ADR's right away - and was still closed out of dinner at Le Cellier (one of our must-do's this trip) the entire week, and had only two choices for a lunch seating. It's not empty hype when calling 100 days out still doesn't get you your first choice.

I completely agree with this.

I booked all my ADR's at 180 days. Since I was staying at the Swan, and was ineligible for the 180 + 10, I had to call every day at 7 am for 14 days straight. I got every single thing I wanted. I ended up calling back a few times to make some switches if I could. (to meet up with friends and family who had later on made plans to be there) I could not switch Le Cellier. There was nothing left for a day or a time that would not interfere with something else! Not even lunch. It made me very glad that I made all my ADR's when I did and will be trying all my must do's.

If people don't want to make ADR's they don't have to, but in exchange for flexibility, there is the possibility that you may not dine at your first choices, that you may have a long wait or that you may end up eating counter service in some cases.

 

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

As with anything, there are some places you have to be right on the ball quickly to have a good chance of getting. Other places have certain times you will have to get on the ball quickly to get. Some may take a bit longer to fill and thus, if you wait, your first choice might not be there, but your 2nd or 3rd might be.

At the opposite end of the spectrum, You can indeed make no ADR's and you won't go hungry. But you might find all of the themepark restaurants booked up with no chance of getting in even by waiting. Some of the Epcot places have been known to squeeze a person or two in that shows up at about 10 minutes to 9 if they're running early even on days where they are booked solid. If you get in such a squeeze, usually one has better luck at Epcot than any of the others. Marrakesh is usually hunting for customers. You might even have to make a trip back to a resort off the beaten path to the Maya Grill or GF Cafe, or Kona, or the one in CBR or in PO. But you'll be able to find something to eat. You also might have a fairly long wait.

 

[DisneyPhD]

I think places like Dis can make you feel you need to do things like ADR's earlier then maybe necessary.

But now with the new dinning plan so many people are eating at WDW that weren't before I think you really do need them, at least if you want to get in many places for dinner.

I personally don't like planning out so far in advance, but I do it, knowing I can change them if we want to later. At least I have something we want for now.

 

[Kay1]

We spent three nights at the Swan in July. We were really only going because of my husband's job and planned to do mostly CS. I made a last-minute decision to join DDE and called for dinner reservations then, too, about a day or so in advance. I got almost what I asked for. For example, I asked for dinner at 7:00 at Alfredo's, Brown Derby, and Rose and Crown, but got 7:10, 6:50, etcetera.

 

[Karnak]

Not really. we always make our ADRs and if we decide not to eat there on that day, we just don't. But it is nice to have a sit down in the sites if you like to have TS...If you don't have ADRs you will be limited to CS. After a few days of CS I get tired of the offerings and am so very pleased to get a sit down square meal. Really there is nothing to lose with making the ADRs and then you won't be the people being turned away.

No wonder people are having trouble making reservations. If folks would quit making reservations and then not showing up, much of the problem would be eliminated. I wish WDW would start requiring a deposit when a reservation is made, so people would think before making it harder on those who really do show up for a reservation.

 

[CoolDisneyCat]

For our trip this past June we made our ADRs a week in advance and got everything we wanted. Of course, we didn't try for 'Ohana, Chef Mickey's, Le Cellier or (heaven forbid!) Cindy's. We did get Boma, but I think we got the last ADR for two they had available that night. We also got 50's, but we ended up canceling it and going to Mama Melrose's instead. Boma and 50's were the only two that we couldn't make the exact time we wanted - we had to move it by five minutes!!

Under normal circumstances making ADRs only a week ahead isn't a good idea, but we decided to take the trip at the last minute. With things like free dining gumming up the works, if you want a really popular restaurant and your time isn't flexible, then yes, make it 180 days out! If you don't care that much where you eat, or you're really flexible with your times (as we are), then you can afford to wait til closer in to your trip.

But I think most DIS Vets agree that to not make any ADRs if you want TS is just silly. It's a heck of a good way to waste a whole lot of time waiting an hour or so trying to get a table somewhere...assuming they don't just turn you away!

 

[Terk-1]

Even on solo trips, I always make ADR's for the restaurants I know I want to dine at right at my 180 mark. Since I tend to go the day after Thanksgiving, during the Candlelight Processional and MVMCP, alot of the table service restaurants tend to get booked quickly in or around those parks. This way I get to dine when and where I want, without having to worry about "Is it full? Will I have to wait a long time for a table? and so on." My mind set is better safe than sorry. As far as cancelling an ADR, I always do this enough in advance, so that others can use the ADR. I rarely cancel, but am courteous enough to call and cancel ahead of time to be fair to others.

 

[bicker]

No wonder people are having trouble making reservations. If folks would quit making reservations and then not showing up, much of the problem would be eliminated.

It's a dual-edged sword: Remember, a lot of people get upset about being unable to walk-up for dinner at restaurants as much as they were able to previously. Now, the only way to get a walk-up accommodation at some restaurants is for there to be no-shows. So I think there is some benefit to leaving things as they are, expecting a number of no-shows. (Of course, they could over-book, which would obviate the advantage with regard to accommodating at least some walk-ups, and for that reason, as well as with respect to the ramifications of over-booking when there aren't no-shows, I really hope they don't start over-booking ADRs with any great regularity.)

 

[Laurajean1014]

I have read a lot of posts where people say they have made all their ADR's when their 180 mark had started & etc. Anyway I was wondering for people that like to plan their ADR's that far in advance do you think some Disboards members put to much hype into them, because to me it sounds like they are saying make all your ADR's now or you will have no luck getting them in the future. I do realize that is true because of the DDP however I tend to think some people go over board when saying make them now, which forces some people to do that when they really don't want to, because not everyone plans where they like to eat 180 days from when they are supost to leave for Walt Disney World. Anyway what do you all think?

It depends if you are flexible with your dining plans or want what you want.

 

[vanyel]

When I cancel, and it's rare, it's usually because we decided to go elsewhere and that restaurant has always said they'd cancel our other adr. For example, we decided to go to kona instead of Morocco because we didn't feel like going into Epcot that evening for dinner. Kona took care of the cancellation while we were standing there.

I do think ADRs are important if you want to have TS in the parks and you have specific places you want to eat at. The resorts almost always have openings if you don't mind going there and if you have a car, there's tons of places near DTD. Personally, I try to plan as best as possible and make adrs.

 

[LuluLovesDisney]

When I cancel, and it's rare, it's usually because we decided to go elsewhere and that restaurant has always said they'd cancel our other adr. For example, we decided to go to kona instead of Morocco because we didn't feel like going into Epcot that evening for dinner. Kona took care of the cancellation while we were standing there.
I do think ADRs are important if you want to have TS in the parks and you have specific places you want to eat at. The resorts almost always have openings if you don't mind going there and if you have a car, there's tons of places near DTD. Personally, I try to plan as best as possible and make adrs.

I totally agree. Even if you call twenty minutes before your ADR time, at least the CM's are better prepared to deal with the rest of the guests. If you decide to go somewhere else, those CM's will take care of it with one phone call. There's just no reason not to call in most cases.

 

[01Sweetpea]

We are going over Thanksgiving week. I knew if I didn't call at 180 days I wouldn't get what I wanted.

Case in point...I had make ADRs for Le Cellier on 11/22 & MM w/Fantasmic on 11/24. 2 weeks later, when I learned about CP, I decided to switch my MGM & Epcot days, and needed to switch ADRs. I had to "settle" for a 4pm MM ADR and I gave up a 5:45pm ADR at Le Cellier for an 8:30!!! I DO NOT want to eat at 8:30.

Now granted I am waiting for the CP packages to come out and I can hopefully snag a better time.

I called a few weeks ago to see if any better times were available for Le Cellier in case I don't get a CP...they can't even sit the 5 of us at a table together anymore!!!