Feeling frustrated with Disney--anyone?

[MKCP5]

I am heading to WDW in mid September with a group of friends for a 35th reunion of the college program. Super happy to be going and spending time with old friends. We are splurging and staying onsite at a deluxe resort which I have never done before. Like clockwork, on our designated time to make our ADR's and then again with our Fast Passes, I was online and waiting the MINUTE we had access. I couldn't get even one of the meal reservations I wanted. I was only looking for one per day for crying out loud! All of the restaurant times were booked. When I went in to do fast passes I had a little bit better luck, but not much. Still couldn't get Pandora, and couple of others. SO I have spent the past several months hitting refresh on reservations and have come up with nothing I registered w undercover tourist and got a couple of hits--but they came in the middle of the night and I missed them. I'm just frustrated. I just don't feel like it should be this hard to go to a few restaurants we are interested in and get a few fastpasses. What the heck do people do who don't plan anything?

 

[Frankie Nova]

I am heading to WDW in mid September with a group of friends for a 35th reunion of the college program. Super happy to be going and spending time with old friends. We are splurging and staying onsite at a deluxe resort which I have never done before. Like clockwork, on our designated time to make our ADR's and then again with our Fast Passes, I was online and waiting the MINUTE we had access. I couldn't get even one of the meal reservations I wanted. I was only looking for one per day for crying out loud! All of the restaurant times were booked. When I went in to do fast passes I had a little bit better luck, but not much. Still couldn't get Pandora, and couple of others. SO I have spent the past several months hitting refresh on reservations and have come up with nothing I registered w undercover tourist and got a couple of hits--but they came in the middle of the night and I missed them. I'm just frustrated. I just don't feel like it should be this hard to go to a few restaurants we are interested in and get a few fastpasses. What the heck do people do who don't plan anything?

I am told just be persistent. my 180 days out is Nov. 13th and I know me I will also be frustrated. I have even decided to take that day off of work or go in late not sure if this is a waste of time, but I may just do that. the other thing is stay close to disboard for support, encouragement and from what I have witnessed change of plan synchs you can do with other members
good luck

 

[lorimay]

Look as the time gets closer, a lot of people cancel. We notoriously book last minute trips because will live only a few hours south. I almost always get the restaurant we want. Be persistent in your checking.

Good Luck

 

[Frankie Nova]

Look as the time gets closer, a lot of people cancel. We notoriously book last minute trips because will live only a few hours south. I almost always get the restaurant we want. Be persistent in your checking.

Good Luck

would I be crazy to take the day off from work knowing I can start booking at 6a.m. knowing that is the start of my 180 out?

 

[lorimay]

would I be crazy to take the day off from work knowing I can start booking at 6a.m. knowing that is the start of my 180 out?

Well......... Thats up to you, I wouldn't, but be online ready to go at 6am. Good Luck!

 

[Frankie Nova]

Well......... Thats up to you, I wouldn't, but be online ready to go at 6am. Good Luck!

that was my plan , but is it senseless is the question. seems later than sooner people are scoring

 

[Jennasis]

Which restaurants are you trying for?

As for pandora, rope drop is your friend if you can't get a FP.

 

[amberpi]

How big is your party? I will never plan a simple WDW vacation half a year in advance - I don't plan month long European vacations but a couple of months in advance, and besides, who knows that far in advance when you'd want to hop down there? Its not taking Normandy. I've gotten reservations same day - and lots others have too. I'm wondering if its the number in your party or the time you want to eat. I like eating later in the evening, and its easy to get reservations for FF, Bluezoo, SRT, MP, Yachtsman, CG, Marrakesh, etc. - as those are my go tos. Do you have any flexibility to eat later? I like to eat after Illuminations and have fantastic luck with last minute ADRs.

As others mentioned, tons of ADRs open a week/day in advance. Good luck, you'll get to eat where you want.

The FPs for FOP, yikes...

 

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

I remember the days of Redial, redial, redial, Thank ......1 enter 2 enter 1 enter 1 enter. Thank you. Your call will be answered in the order it was received.
Wait for it wait for it wait for it. Thank.....CINDERELLA'S ROYAL TABLE!!!!!

And if you had a 10 day trip or something, you had to call for each day like 10 days in a row. HAHA.

If you absolutely want a popular place, it can get on one's nerves. Things are gone quickly. And many many moons ago, back when we started the 180 plus, I often had to reserve popular places for the end of the trip because it was already booked solid on the beginning days. But if you're flexible and you're willing to go to a nearby resort, you can find some decent places to eat that you can pick up last minute or even day of. Keep calling because they can and do open up.

 

[loves to dive]

Speaking as one of those people that don't plan anything, we go, we enjoy, we relax and take it easy. We eat at a TS just about every day with no advance ADRs. Normally at some point during the day, my son and I will look at each and say where do you want to eat and when. We will narrow down either a time frame or a park or a resort. Then we will go on MDE and find something, we have always been able to find something the day of. We don't worry about doing the "must dos" and have found many great places to eat this way. If we book FPs in advance it's not normally any further out than a week, more often than not the night before or the day of while on the way to the park. We tend to play bus roulette, we get to the bus stop and hop on the first bus to come as long as it isn't for a park we did the day before. While on the bus, I'll hop on MDE and find what's available and look at wait times. Park hoppers (in our case APs) are your friend. Then we just sort of go with the flow. Keep in mind we go at least once a year, used to be once every two years but in the last 3 years, once a year for my son, twice a year for me, so if we don't ride/see/do something we know it will still be there. The fact is, it's impossible to do and see everything there in one trip so don't stress it. As far as Pandora goes, as another poster mentioned rope drop is your friend. The best part about WDW is just enjoying the place, you will be with good friends at a nice resort, take the time to stop and smell the roses and have a drink, relax.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Still couldn't get Pandora

Well NRJ has been generally easier than FOP but you do have to keep in mind....it's only been open since late May. Heck 7DMT is still a hot FP.

I just don't feel like it should be this hard to go to a few restaurants we are interested in and get a few fastpasses.

If you want to vent away I get it but if you want help details like what restaurants, what days, what times, and how many people would be good details. Is your group of friend 4 people? Or are they 10 people? Were you trying for any day of your trip or were you going for just a specific window?

What the heck do people do who don't plan anything?

Well as far as the food...this is the first trip (see sig for other trips) that I've even done table service....quick service has been perfectly fine for me in the past and will be the majority of what we eat for this upcoming trip. I just felt like I wanted my husband and I (who has only been on the 2011 trip with me) to branch out a bit. Out of 5 WDW park days I have 3 ADRs and I'm even considering dropping 1 of those.

________________________________________________________
All that being said most people's advice has been to keep trying for both FPs and ADRS. With ADRs it can be possible to get them over time as people cancel especially if they cancel just prior to the 24hr mark to avoid being charged the fee.

 

[Minnesota!]

How big of a group?

We don't book meals in advance, really. We tend to do day-of and have not had any issues getting whatever we are in the mood for that day.

Fastpasses - I didn't have any issues getting FOP, and during my stay, my 4th, 5th FP for the day were for the big rides, too.

I think the overplanning is so overhyped. It's only "have to" because someone makes it "have to".

 

[Hisgirl]

Honestly, you can just about get anything you want the week of or just before. Sometimes, the day before, I check the ADR and am amazed at what all opens up.

 

[DisneyFansInNYC]

I understand your frustration of it not being easy - Planning, changes and replanning. But I have not had a problem getting any restaurant at 180 days out. What ADRs were you looking for?

 

[NeedMoreMickey]

We don't book an ADR for every day, try to get the ones we really want first but we've also had a lot of luck with booking the night before or in the morning even for some of the hard to get restaurants. Maybe the size of your party is a problem. A few years ago we noticed booking for 2 people was almost impossible so now we book for a party of 3 or 4 get the confirmation number and then change ADR to 2 people.

 

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

What the heck do people do who don't plan anything?

Those that have genuinely done no planning except found out what hotel they wanted and decided to go to the Magic Kingdom first generally have a bad time of it. They walk in at 11 am having missed the best hours of the day both heat wise and crowd wise and then waste 10 minutes at the RR bridge looking at their map and deciding where to go first. They end up in long lines, tired, hot, thirsty, and frustrated when they pass by the area for that popular princess meal and can't get in. They come away thinking Disney is just not worth it. And what is worse, is some families go having issues. Well unfortunately Disney doesn't solve them. Nor do the issues wait outside the gate. On the contrary, Disney brings these issues right to the surface and lays them bare for all to see. And it's not pretty when it happens. I can't say that arguments, yelling and the like and sometimes even out and out fights are on the rise. I only know that I am seeing more of them.

Now someone like me that knows the place can get away with a week before hand reserving a room somewhere and going on a whim and still have a great time. I can find those places where things open up day of or while we're down there and adjust. Most are not to that point yet.

 

[jdb in AZ]

We were able to get Hoop de Doo reservations the morning of -- just called first thing, so don't give up. Kinda sad that you have to jump through so many "hoops" for a vacation.

 

[tvguy]

We were there in June. We had no issues at all with any reservations, most made in advance, but one just 2 weeks before.

 

[LittleMissMagic]

Honestly, just keep checking. For me, it seems the sooner I plan in advance, the less likely I am to get what I want. But then on those random last-minute trips, I have no problem finding things! People book far in advance and cancel later. I am guilty of doing that - I booked an ADR for Be Our Guest (still have never eaten there) for Labor Day Weekend, just in case, and canceled it just last week. I don't get so annoyed with Disney, more with the other crazy people who think they need to eat at Be Our Guest every time they go to Disney. Like come on - leave some ADRs for the rest of us!

 

[sam_gordon]

Let me ask this... you say you're frustrated at Disney, but what would you like them to do to fix the "problem"? The "problem" isn't Disney. It's the "uber planners" who have the reservations tied up. It's not like Disney can make more reservations. An attraction/restaurant can only go through so many people at a time.